sleepy pie

Just thought I’d give a general update since it’s...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:19:00 -0400

Just thought I’d give a general update since it’s been months since I last posted here. Between doing the mommy thing, my photography business, and running my other blog, I just couldn’t keep up with this blog. But that’s not to say I’ll be leaving anytime soon. I’ll pop in when I get the chance. I’m over on IG way more often though!

Anyway, let’s start with Auggie. He has grown into such a sweet boy. He’s 8 months old and is the silliest, most playful cuddle bug. From the second he wakes up and sees me or daddy, he’s all smiles. He truly only cries when he wants to be held or wants to eat/sleep. We got lucky with such an easy baby. (must mean the next one will be a handful!) As far as milestones go…as expected, he is behind on growth and doing certain things. We’re working really hard on getting him to sit up independently and he’s pretty much there, still a bit wobbly though. He’s now reaching out to grab toys too which is so sweet to watch. He is very small for his age, and I sort of cringe when strangers approach me in the store and ask how old he is because everyone feels the need to add in how small he is for his age when I reply. He’s roughly 14 lbs and 24 inches long. But he’s doing great, considering he was born so tiny, at 4lbs. He’s eating, gaining weight, and growing and that’s all that matters. So that’s that. I can’t believe he’s going to be a year old this Summer!

And everything else. We’re doing really good! The snow is melting and I’m so excited for us to hike and enjoy outdoor fun with my family and friends. Jimmy and I have made a nice home here and have made great friends and memories. I have my four friends here I see and talk to often and that’s enough for me, I don’t need any more. Auggie has two buddies here, Hank and Caden. Us mamas meet every week for playdates and it’s so sweet seeing the boys play. Since Auggie isn’t crawling yet, he just watches contently and the boys come over and sit with him. It’s super cute. This is our last full Summer here in Alaska and we’ll be moving June 2014. Honestly, I can’t wait. We won’t know until early 2014 where we’ll be heading to next. We do like it here and it’s beautiful, but we are so excited to move on and plant our roots somewhere else. We are either hoping to stay overseas in Germany, England or Hawaii, or come back to California. All of our choices are very possible with Jimmy’s career field! I’m going to miss my friends and the relationships I’ve built here so much. But we are so ready to go.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Hopefully I won’t be so inactive here from this point on!

whats your IG? and whats your hair routine?

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:47:53 -0500

IG: jenmariehammer

hair routine: I wash it at night, put Morrocan oil or Super Skinny Serum in it while it’s wet and brush it out, braid it in a single french braid, sleep, wake up and take out the braid, fix a few kinks with a curling iron and that’s it. My hair is naturally wavy so I don’t really use wave or curl enhancer cream/spray products of any kind.

Do you read Kelle hamptons blog? If not, you may be interested in her latest post called 'nella's triple crown'

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:21:59 -0500

I follow her on IG more, but I read her blog when I get around to it. I haven’t read that post, but I’ll go check it out. Thanks!

It’s been a long time and I’ve stopped using tumblr...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 04:33:10 -0500

It’s been a long time and I’ve stopped using tumblr for the most part, but Merry Christmas anyway :)

Since you had a baby with Down Syndrome, is there a chance your next baby could have it too?

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:26:12 -0500

There is a 1% higher chance. It’s happened before, but it’s pretty unlikely. There are three types of Down Syndrome. Trisomy 21 (the standard and most common form of DS) Translocation DS (the kind that could have been passed down and came from one of the parents) and Mosiac DS (they don’t have the extra chromosome on every cell, have higher IQs, and less physical features of DS). Since Auggie has Trisomy 21, it’s likely him having it didn’t come from one of us. We were just the one in 700 who had a baby with DS. The lucky ones, I might add :) If he had Translocation DS, it would be more likely we could have another baby with DS. I probably explained way more than you wanted to know, but this is just an answer for everyone to read in case I get this question again.

Hi Jen. I love your blog, and think you have a beautiful family! I always admire your positivity, and outlook on life. I was wondering if you had any advice for trying to get over a break up. I recently got left by my ex so he could date someone else and am having a difficult time. Thank you <3

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:14:31 -0500

Thank you very much! In the past, these few things have helped me:

1. Keep yourself busy. Once you get through those first 48 hours when all you feel like doing is laying in bed and crying, make yourself get up, take a shower, and go out. If you choose to sit at home and be sad, it’ll be that much harder to motivate yourself to get up and move on.

2. NO LURKING. No Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr lurking. Don’t do it! Block him from all of it. Trust me, it’ll only crush you more to see status updates/pictures.

3. Surround yourself with family/friends. Ignore the ones who feel the need to put in their 2 cents about your former relationship. Keep the ones who will listen to you cry and vent, or will simply change the subject when it just hurts too much to talk about it.

And lastly, rebound dating/sex will usually just end up with you comparing everyone to him and making you feel like you’re back to square one. You can’t truly be happy with someone until you’re happy on your own.

Hope I helped. I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. Break ups are really hard. It may not feel like it right now, but you’ll get through this :)

http://jenhammer.com/babywearing-my-boy

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:07:20 -0500

http://jenhammer.com/babywearing-my-boy

Late (as usual), but Auggie turned 3 months on the 21st! His...

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 02:00:00 -0500

Late (as usual), but Auggie turned 3 months on the 21st!

His likes are: Watching tv, watching mommy and daddy talk, tickles, pulling hair, smiling and laughing up a storm! and of course, eating. Always eating.
Dislikes: being put down when he was so comfortable in our arms, tummy time when he’s sleepy, and his car seat.

Oh and it has been brought to my attention that apparently my child is always sleeping in the pictures I post. Really? Hopefully this proves otherwise, because some days I feel like he does everything BUT sleep.

When I was pregnant with Auggie and we found out about him...

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:45:02 -0400

When I was pregnant with Auggie and we found out about him possibly having DS, tons of thoughts flooded my head. Among many of them was the worry that he wouldn’t look like us.

Will he look like me or Jimmy? Will he have our characteristics? Down syndrome babies all look the same…will it even be evident that he’s our son?

He turned three months old yesterday and I realized that I have never been so wrong.. He has my nose, my hair color, and he inherited my love of sleeping in. He looks just like Jimmy when he whines (see above) and he is grumpy when you wake him up, just like his daddy. He also has his smile, which I have yet to document but oh, it’s the sweetest thing. How did I even question it? His extra special chromosome made no difference and the older he’s getting, the more evident it has become. He is so our son.

This is probably a weird question, but what does the Bible say about alcohol? I knew Jews and Muslims aren't allowed to drink, but I have no idea about Christians. You're the only Christian I know, so I figured I'd ask you:) Sorry for the bother...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:25:00 -0400

Not a weird question and please don’t be sorry. I couldn’t come up with what to say in my own words though, so here is something I found and c+p:

“What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible condemns drunkenness and its effects (Proverbs 23:29-35). Christians are also commanded to not allow their bodies to be “mastered” by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). Drinking alcohol in excess is undeniably addictive. Scripture also forbids a Christian from doing anything that might offend other Christians or encourage them to sin against their conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9-13). In light of these principles, it would be extremely difficult for any Christian to say he is drinking alcohol in excess to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).”

And if you’re wondering, I do socially drink sometimes. But 1 or 2 (depending on how strong the drink is) is my limit. I love a glass of wine, margaritas, and white russians. But I am so turned off to drunkenness due to alcoholism with both of my parents and it running in the family that I know my limit and even if it wasn’t something against my religious beliefs, I still wouldn’t be a big drinker.

These were taken a few weeks ago and he already looks much...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 06:40:27 -0400

These were taken a few weeks ago and he already looks much older. He may take longer to do certain things and he may be smaller than most babies his age, but I’m okay with that. I’m done comparing and I’d rather celebrate when he does accomplish something or hit a milestone. He is such a strong little boy and I’m so proud of him and how much he wiggles, kicks, lifts his head or tries to roll over.

Yesterday Jimmy was upset with me because a massive pile of...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:21:00 -0400

Yesterday Jimmy was upset with me because a massive pile of clean laundry was still piled on the bed, unfolded and not put away. He had to dig through the clothes to find his uniform when he was already fearing he may be late. I got mad at him for getting mad (because I’m petty like that) and stormed off to do the dishes. I went into the living room after I was done and sat next to him and Auggie on the couch. He turned to me and said, “I love how much you care about our son. You’re such a good mom.”

Parenthood has definitely brought us some struggles and adjusting. It wasn’t what I imagined or expected it would be. For the first six weeks following Auggie’s birth, there were constant fights, tears, and frustration. New hardships and tension arose between us that we’ve never experienced in all of our 3 and a half years of marriage. But through it all, we’re finally starting to recover and get closer as a family. Fatherhood particularly hasn’t been easy for Jimmy. But seeing him gain confidence is probably the sexiest thing ever and makes me remember the man I fell in love with four years ago when I had almost forgotten. And the one person whose opinion matters the most to me thinks I’m an amazing mommy to our son. that basically makes my heart swell with happiness. Things are finally starting to look up.

Happy belated two months, Auggie James. You have brought us so...

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 05:57:00 -0400

Happy belated two months, Auggie James. You have brought us so much joy, more than we could have ever imagined. Every day you continue to make us laugh, smile, and wonder how in the world we were blessed enough to be your parents. We love you so much sweet boy. Rain or shine, I’m so glad you’re mine.

Oh hey there tumblr I forgot about you :\ I’m on too many...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:33:00 -0400

Oh hey there tumblr I forgot about you :\ I’m on too many social networking sites.

instagram: jenmariehammer

he’s been making eye contact more often lately and it...

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:29:00 -0400

he’s been making eye contact more often lately and it makes me melt each time he looks into my eyes. sweet boy.

New blog post.

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:18:10 -0400

New blog post.

a boy and his dog.

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:27:21 -0400

a boy and his dog.

Are you going to be writing August's birth story soon? I'm so looking forward to reading it! I admire your strength and the way you seem to be so graciously navigating these new waters you've found yourself in with your son. You are truly an inspiration and I can't wait to see the impact your sweet August has on the world!

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:25:58 -0400

Thank you so much for the encouragement. :)

I honestly haven’t decided if I will or not. On one hand, it’s definitely a story worth telling. So many crazy, unexpected, and terrifying things happened. It’s definitely a beautiful story that I think people will enjoy reading. However, I am attracted to the idea of keeping it just between us. It’s very private and intimate and I don’t like the thought of strangers knowing and judging our decisions and whatnot. Not saying you specifically will…but anyone. So without rambling on even more than I have been…I don’t know. If I decide to, it’ll be up soon. If you don’t see it up within the next month or two, that means I probably decided to keep it private.

Would you be willing to share some of the differences in having a baby with DS vs a baby without? I know you mentioned some early intervention things and some medical appointments, but I find myself really curious about if there are many other differences, especially in the early days and years.Your son is so lovely, I think of you all often. Thank you, and take care!

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:21:00 -0400

I wish I could give more in depth answers, but August is only 6 weeks old so we don’t know very much right now. We know what kind of appointments we will have to go to, but not much about what goes on at them yet. We know that he will begin physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. We also know that every once in a while he will need to see an infant cardiologist and endocrinologist to check on his heart and hypothyroidism. There are indeed levels of severity when it comes to DS and only time will tell how severe Auggies is. I know that for most babies with DS it takes a little longer to reach milestones. But honestly, he just seems like any other baby to us. Not saying that to be sentimental but it’s the truth. He eats well, has good muscle tone and isn’t floppy which are issues in most babies with DS. For being the parent of an extra special chromosomed babe, I don’t know nearly enough about Down Syndrome as I should, but we’re learning as we go and will be able to better answer your questions as he gets a little older. Thanks for being so kind!

1. my dress for the AF ball. 2. mama and baby cuddles while we...

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:02:57 -0400

1. my dress for the AF ball.

2. mama and baby cuddles while we wait for daddy to get ready.

3. sneak peek of his nursery (it’s nowhere near finished, though).

4. freshly bathed and happy boy in his aunties favorite color on him.