Coffee talk + life lately

Hi guys, I'm back!! My poor blog has been totally neglected lately. I do have a pretty good excuse though... I have been slightly busy trying to keep a newborn baby alive. I am hoping to get back into the swing of things as we start establishing a routine. So here is a huge dump of all things baby and what my life has consisted of lately:

+ Speaking of my newborn, Vivian is 1 month old today! How in the world is that possible? It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital! I love her more and more every day.

+ Last weekend we had newborn pictures done with the amazing Amanda Nichols and I am so in love with the sneak peak we have seen! I cannot wait to get them back and show you guys! I was a nervous wreck thinking Vivi was going to cry and stay awake the entire time but surprisingly she did amazing and slept until the last 20 minutes, at which point she was starving and just totally over it.

+ My favorite time of day is during the mornings right after we wake up and Garrett leaves for work. I make my coffee and we head into the nursery to rock and snuggle. I do my daily devotional, catch up on blog reading, and we listen to Lauren Daigle pandora. It's so relaxing and really starts my day off on such a sweet note.

+ I am beyond thankful to have 12 weeks off from work. Before I had Vivian I thought I would be itching to get back to work at like 6 weeks but now I am dreading having to go back and leave her.

+ Speaking of work, I have some exciting news... I am going back part time! One of the main reasons I went to PA school versus medical school is because I knew I wanted to raise my own children and have a work/life balance. My work has been so accommodating and has agreed to let me work 3 days a week after maternity leave. I am so thankful God opened this door for me and I know it will be perfect for our family.

+ Vivian took her first of many trips to the beach last weekend. Sadly, we never even stepped foot on the sand because it was freezing cold and raining but it was so great to have a change of scenery with lots of basketball watching, snuggles, and champagne. Pretty soon we will be going every single weekend and I can't wait to see her become a beach lover like her momma!

+ Speaking of basketball, my (and Garrett's) alma mater UNC has made it to the Sweet 16! Vivi has no choice but to be a Tarheel baby and our home bleeds baby blue during this time of year! We are hoping Vivi brings them good luck and a W tomorrow night! Go heels!

+ At Vivian's first peds appointment her doctor heard a heart murmur. Due to the fact that IVF babies have increased risk for heart defects, he wanted us to be seen by a pediatric cardiologist. We had our first appointment and she had an echocardiogram to look at her heart valves as well as an EKG. She has been diagnosed with a VSD [ventricular septal defect], a small hole between the bottom two chambers of her heart. Luckily they think it should close by the time she is one and we don't need to do anything about it right now except for repeat echos and EKG's every few months for monitoring. Scary for this momma though!

+ Shout out to my absolutely amazing husband. I knew he would be such a great dad but he has exceeded my expectations. The way he cared for me after my C section and the way he takes care of our daughter has made my love for him grow 10-fold. There is nothing sweeter than seeing the one you love most in this world holding the baby you created together. Shew hormones!

+ I am finally feeling comfortable taking her out in public by myself. The first 2ish weeks we basically just stayed home or at my mom's because the thought of taking her in public gave me so much anxiety! We are going on lots of lunch dates, walks, running errands, etc and it has helped keep me sane!

+ I'm working on her birth story, nursery reveal, postpartum update, and lots more so check back soon if you are interested in those boring mommy things ;)