ella's nursery.

since ella was a month early, i didn't have her room finished when she came home from the hospital. so, it took me a while to get some pictures of it to share with all of you guys, but i finally did it! i had so much fun planning her nursery. i wanted the room to be really soothing. also, i wanted her to grow into it as a little girl, so i didn't want it to be overly baby-ish or neon haha. the theme is sort of a whimsy woodland one with neutral {any tan, gray, white, cream, taupe} with pops of gold & coral. 

{i have an unhealthy obsession with neutrals...but i think the coral is so different & fun!} i linked a lot of the things i found, in case you are looking for something similar. if there is something i missed, just ask!

curtains: tjmaxx | curtain rod: amazon | glider & ottoman: babies r us | opossum fur: new zealand | pompom garland: anthropologie | whimsy deer head: amazon | side table: antique store | floor basket: land of nod | lamp: old, hardware refurbished with gold leaf rub 'n buff.

crib: babies r us | mobile: babies r us | gray & coral wool blanket: land of nod | quilt: babies r us | crib sheet: etsy | crib skirt: land of nod | birch tree wall canvas: hobby lobby. 

  bunny with internal white noise: babies r us | plush doughnut rattle: babies r us | deer: fawn shoppe | lambie: gift | elephant lovie: gift | pale nulle: luckyboysunday | opossum fur pillow: new zealand.

i planned the whole nursery around this $3 handmade doily i found in snohomish at an antique shop. it was the perfect color coral that i had in my mind, so i brought it shopping everywhere with me!

 lamp base: land of nod | laurel leaf lamp shade: land of nod {not currently available}  | clover gold mirror: land of nod {gold not currently available, white here}

squirrel: tj maxx | tiny mirrors: hobby lobby | moccs: various

we picked out the felted animals for this diy mobile in a christmas shop in vail, CO when i visited jack at one of his externships last october. however, i found them online by outside inside here. i just took their little scarves off and hung them from a wooden mobile hanger {found on etsy} with embroidery floss. ella is obsessed with it.

 mountain wall canvas: antique shop | nursery furniture: babies r us {note that the furniture comes with standard pewter colored hardware. i turned all the hardware gold with rub n buff in gold leaf. i also did not pay retail...i got all nursery furniture for 40% off!}

  

coral fleece blanket : gift

sushi in the window: priceless. hehe.

 frame: hobby lobby

top five new mommy must haves.

there is loads of info out there on how to get through fertility, pregnancy, and labor...but no one ever talks about recovery after having a baby!! seriously, i barely thought twice about it. i thought, i'm getting an epidural, done and done. then i get to bring my baby home and we'll live happily ever afterrrrrrrr.

wrong.

recovering from birth was harder than pregnancy and labor combined {for me}. i know there are lots of women out there that probably won't agree with me. maybe it was because i'm a wuss and got a fabulous epidural, but for meeeee, recovery & coping for the first few weeks with a new baby absolutely blew. don't get me wrong, i loved ella from the very start. i just wasn't expecting such an adjustment period for myself towards myself.

here are some things that helped me through it:

1. drugs

i was not expecting my whole body to radiate in pain for weeks after having ella. i did tear, so that was part of it. but everyyyything hurt. i had monster cramps every time i fed ella {uterus going back to normal size}. my hips hurt from pushing a semi truck through them. my core & pelvic floor were destroyed and trying to reconnect...despite hours of pre-natal pilates & kegels that didn't seem to do a  darn thing ughhh. my boobies were raw from ella wanting to hoover them every five seconds. my hormones were going haywire so at some point, even my heart hurt, how rediculous is that?! i was in pain all. the. time. no breaks. so the doctor sent me home with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and hydrocodone. and i took it 'round the clock, all of it. i didn't look back and it was the silver lining that took the edge off it all.

2. all purpose nipple ointment

another thing no one tells you is how freaking hard breastfeeding is. what the heck?! i've been to college, worked in corporate america, been through tax seasons & the cpa exam, gotten hubby through medical school...let me tell you: breastfeeding is the single hardest thing i've ever done. but everyone just talks about how great it is!! well, maybe no one is honest because they are afraid no one will do it. it hurts. people say, "oh bfing shouldn't hurt if the latch is right." bologna. there is an adjustment period where your poor nips are getting callused regardless of how unicorn-like your baby's latch is. and that's not comfy. i'm so stubborn and refused to give up. i thought, if billions of women can do this, i can, too, dangit.

i ended up with a wound that wouldn't heal on one side. i finally did a round of antibiotics despite no topical evidence of infection, and it started to slooowwwly heal after two months. ella can finally eat on that side {i still have a little pain on that side, but i can tell that it is going away as i heal}. before that, i would cry every time she latched on. it hurt down to my bones 24/7. i had to pump that side and feed her by bottle the remainder each feeding if she was still hungry. it required such physical and emotional stamina when i was already exhausted. i'm surprised i made it. if it weren't for my lactation consultant {which every girl needs if you decide to BF} and weekly support group meetings at my hospital, i would have quit. now that i'm healing and both ella and i learned what the heck we are doing, i'm so glad i didn't quit. 

it kind of just clicked at 7 weeks. now, there is no bottle washing or formula prepping. and the money savings! it's wonderful. especially in the middle of the night when i don't have to leave my cozy bed to feed her. and i know we are both getting amazing benefits from it...including me losing all my baby weight in the first month {with the exception of 5 lbs, which i attribute to nursing reserves haha}.  now i even enjoy it and so does ella. it's actually beautiful.

so long story short, there is this stuff called APNO that you can get a prescription for if you are ready to throw in the towel. it's a compounded ointment that wards off bacteria, fungus, and reduces inflammation. sounds gross, but it is heaven. it's expensive {mine was $60 and insurance doesn't cover it}, but so worth it if you have nipple soreness. you don't have to wash it off before feedings because baby just passes it all right through. way better than all the over the counter junk i tried. now that i'm used to BFing, i can use the generic otc organic stuff, but it took me a while and a lot of pain to get here. the APNO helped me in the meantime.

3. witch hazel pads

if you had a v-birth...for down under for the obvious reasons {esp on stitches}. very soothing while your body is trying to heal.

4. ridiculous granny panties

burn them after you are done with them, whatever you want. but for the first few weeks, you'll want something high waist-ed that will keep the ginormous pad in place day & night. lifestyles of the rich & famous, right?

unless you can take home a whole package of disposable undies from the hospital, these are a must for the first four weeks.

5. netflix

you are going to be up at all hours. unless you want to stare into space or at the wall in your post partum, hormonal, sleep deprived delirium, netflix is a must. 

parenthood was one of my favorites to watch. all six seasons of it. at least i could direct my irrational tears towards some sort of plot! 

also good ones: orange is the new black, call the midwife, private practice, and grey's anatomy.

top ten little baby must haves.

i totally should be cleaning my house. 

but...i hate cleaning. and ella bella is down for her nappy poo, so instead, i thought i'd share with you my top baby must haves through the first two months.

your nesting instinct will make you think you need so much stuff. pretty furniture. adorable designer clothing. toxin free diapers. blah blah blah. while i agree that i have this stuff..and i love it, you don't need it. 

i've learned a ton in the crash course of motherhood in the past two months. here are a few things that have allowed me to overcome the impossible, and i can't imagine not having:

1. snug a bunny rock & play

a perfect 45 degree angle helped with reflux the first few weeks. plus, it's so portable and you can take it anywhere you visit. it's also nice to just have it set up around the house so you can put baby down and she still feels like she's being held.

2. front wrap shirts & footie pants.

 onesies on a newborn are just plain redic. trust me, you'll be afraid to pull anything over your itzy newborn's head for fear that it will squish. it probably won't, but whatever...the fear is real. instead make sure you stock up on a few newborn clothes that snap/wrap/zip in front. 

*these shirts are definitely a must {great with just a diaper and cozy blanket for the first few weeks}. 

*also the zipper footie jammies will become your best friend. these from target are awesome and are the perfect weight for under the SwaddleMe...

3. SwaddleMe

this thing is awesome. helps baby sleep cozily without triggering the startle reflex. you can probably get away with just a two-pack. one to wash if necessary.

4. disposable cloth diapers

not for the bum, but for spit-ups! these are so absorbent. you probably registered for those adorable organic burp cloths. but basic cloth diapers are good for...everything. your shoulder for burps, under baby's head after eating for reflux, and potty accidents while changing. 

*i also looove the minky backed burp clothes that my friend whitney made for me...great for shoulder burping and for under baby's head while on the changing station and under the head in the crib so you don't have to change the sheets every five minutes!! i suggest having both. spit ups happen everyyyywhere.

5. waterproof changing pad mats

i totally have changing pad covers in the perfect print that match my nursery. 

however, you'll also want six washable changing pad liner mat thingys...especially if your baby looooves to pee every time you take her diaper off like mine!! keep a spare in your diaper bag and by all changing stations.

these babies r us ones are okay {i agree with the reviews that say they roll up on the edges...but they hold up in the wash and work just fine...buy two packs of three}. if you find better ones, let me know. 

*you may also want a few disposable ones on hand for the poops where you need to call in air support from hubby!

6. bassinet / changing station for by your bed

take it from me & have this ready for when you come home from the hospital. you will pretty much use this 24/7 for the first few months and it makes life wonderful for those middle of the night feedings. then, it doubles as a pack & play when baby is older! you don't even neeeed a crib for a little while with this thing. baby loves sleeping in the bassinet, and you can change her right there on the changing station because it has a removable changing platform and place to put all your wipes, diapers, medicines, and clothing changes. it even has a light, vibration feature & white noise attachment!! and the best part is that it folds up into a little bag so you can travel with it/store it.

7. all natural butt paste

newborns poop at every. single. feeding. so that's every two hours. and that's a lot of bum wiping and the diaper rash is inevitable. this stuff helps lock out the moisture and prevent/treat the rash. i actually bought like four of these and kept one in her nursery, one in the diaper bag, one in our bedroom changing station, and the other is extra for when one runs out. it's also good to layer on baby's booty at night before bed so you can skip a potty only diaper change in the middle of the night during dream feeds. 

**also, i found that adding a probiotic to her bottle once a day pretty much eliminated her diaper rash and realllyyy helped with gas. get a refrigerated one containing lactobacillus reuteri {bacteria found in mother's milk - her pediatrician recommended to make sure it has that}. i found this one works amazingly.

8. gripe water

this stuff, you guys, works miracles on baby's gas and other fussiness. it's organic ginger & fennel extract and totally eliminates the misery that comes with tummy troubles. it makes it easier for baby to pass gas. the gas comes out a lot easier and she doesn't cry from straining. i found that it's easier to give to baby in the tip of a bottle {and not using the dropper it comes with...that made her choke}.

9. MAM pacifiers

she prefers the shape of these. i'm a firm believer that you can't spoil a little newborn baby. and she looooves her some paci. 

so there.

10. dr. brown's 4 oz bottles

these are for pumped breast milk when your poor sore boobies need a break, or if you need to give medicine. i use them to give probiotics and gripe water. still at 2 months, ella only drinks 3 oz per feeding, so the 4 oz bottles will last you a long time. make sure you get a preemie {if baby is early} or slow flow {level 1} nipple for your newborn...something we learned the hard way ugh. who knew that nipples come in all shapes, sizes, and flows?! oops. who let us have a baby, anyway?? 

omgosh...and one more bonus encore MUST HAVE. 

YOU GUYS...if you are breastfeeding, you have to get the

my brest friend nursing pillow:

better than the boppy for your floppy newborn/unsophisticated-just-learning-how-nursing-works self.  the boppy is good for some things, but this pillow is so much better for learning to breastfeed. don't ask questions, just get it and have your lactation consultant show you how it works. chances are, your LC will exclusively use this at her appointments with you, anyway.

what are some of your must-haves?

match day.

CASPR MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT:

the ultimate day for any medical student is to see where they match for residency. or if they match for residency.

there has been so much happening in the davidson household over the past two months. between figuring out how to take care of our little ella rose and trying to predict and plan where residency is going to take us, there is no time for the computer.

match is SO stressful. 

after jumping over the hurdle of passing three sets of boards & surviving interview week, then there is match. 

if you don't match, you have to wait a whole year to try again - with no job & student loan payments on a couple hundred grand. and then you enter the match pool with next year's class, trying to explain to programs why you didn't succeed in the prior year, which snowballs the shortage. basically there is a shortage of residency positions. in round numbers, about half of those 100 students who scramble this year in the US will not get a residency. there are about 500 students total trying to match. with those odds, it is imperative that the students choose the right programs in their "league" in which to pursue so that they have the best chance of being chosen by that program for an open position. each program has between one and four open spots.

this was jack's greatest question mark: what were the right programs for him? where would he be the best fit? 

his number one choice, was of course, scripps mercy in san diego. the only problem for us was that it is an extremely competitive program. just a few of the reasons everyone wants it is because it's:

• on the west coast {better chance of getting a job on the west coast after residency}
• at a high powered hospital with a stellar reputation
• has an amazing residency director and team
• three of the four positions offer their third year at a kaiser {top training and networking}
• ...and let's be honest... is in san diego.

something that sweetened the deal even further for us is that jack is born and raised in san diego. all of his family is there. it's where we met and fell in love.

we basically accepted that we wouldn't get this spot because it is so sought after by the top students in the country. we figured out that the stars didn't align to be matched in washington state near my family {sob}, and the chances of him getting a place in san diego were just way too competitive to get excited about. instead of being picky & spoiled by counting on the perfect program near family in a place we wanted to live, we shifted our focus to getting the best program we could with great training - location aside. it was just three years, right?

fast forward to the morning of match. we decided to make a morning of it and head to our little pinecone cafe up the street to log in and see where we were going. of course it's like a clown car to get all of us out of the house in the morning. had to time changing & feeding ella with her morning nap, get myself ready, and her carseat & bag together...well, we finally got to the cafe at 8am {match announcements are at 8...we planned to be there a half hour earlier to get settled and connected to internet}. of course, we sit down and get no cell reception on the ipad. then our phones weren't getting bars of service either and the wifi was down. ughhhH! we were about to leave and finally we got enough cell phone bars on my iphone and logged in. our hearts were pounding in our chests. jack made me click on the match tab and there it was:

ahhhhh!!! tears of joy. jack had me log in and out a few times to make sure it wasn't a mistake. suddenly all the worries of a cross country move to a place with no network melted away. it started sinking in that jack got matched at one of the most coveted residencies in the country! we are still pinching ourselves two days later!! GOD IS SO GOOD you guys!

{family portrait right after we read the results. we were too crazy excited to get out of the house for makeup or to get dressed! ella was so excited, she fell asleep haha.}

we are going back to san diego!! ella and i will have jack's family while jack is sooo busy at the hospital. we have a church with a network of new christian moms and their babies. our third year will be at the kaiser in ontario/fontana. we will move about two hours northeast of san diego and that will be a super fun adventure, too!

we are so thankful for our supportive friends and family through this process. i'm really sad to be leaving my wa family, but i know this is God's plan for us. we did a lot of praying for His will and plan for our family and this is where He lead us. He opened doors that we thought could never be opened.

ok, ella is awake! gotta go feed my little biscuit!

newborn photoshoot.

ella had some newborn pictures taken at 10 days old. i'm so glad we ended up having courtney irene-marie photography take these photos for us. she did a beyond amazing job!