I’ve been so excited to share Lilly’s sweet and oh so beautiful nursery with you! In true second baby fashion Lilly’s room has been a work in progress for several months! Time has flown by the second time around and my mom and I had so much fun together making this room come to life! I knew I wanted soft pinks, buffalo check, rattan, and bows. I got the first piece of inspiration for her curtains from the Atlanta Holiday home before I was even pregnant and the rest of the room was designed around that! I absolutely love how the curtains turned out! Isn’t mom so talented!

She designed and hand made her drapes, bumper, dust ruffle, and pillow. My mother-in-law painted a beautiful swan oil for over her crib and I’m in love with how they turned out! My dad hand made a wooden frame for the paining!

I had a beautiful baby shower thrown for our sweet girl and we received so many gifts! Our nursery wouldn’t have been possible without all of the love and support from our family and friends.  

Jolie Paints

I worked with Jolie Paints to help refresh some old pieces of furniture we had for the nursery! I got to pick from their wide variety of water-based, non-toxic paints. I feel in love with the Palace White and choose that one. I couldn’t believe that one can of paint and one can of wax covered a side table, a corner bookshelf, and touched up a full-size dresser! The paint goes a long way and the best part about it is that you can paint right there in the same room without any toxic fumes! Mom and I had the best time seeing these old pieces come to life with a little Jolie TLC.

If there is a space in your home you are looking to transform I can’t recommend Jolie Paints enough! Shop here to get started today!

There are so many stories that made up this room that I love sharing with Lilly. There have been so many sweet memories already made here!

If there’s something you want a link for send me a DM! I always love chatting with y’all.  

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Nursery & Decor

Transportation

Bath Time

Baby Essentials

Inspired, Maryashley

The post Lilly’s Nursery Reveal appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Happy birthday to the most patient, supportive, and loving husband and father! We’re so lucky to call you ours! 

I had so much fun creating my first iMovie and sharing some of my favorite memories of you from the past 3 months!

We sure hooked a keeper!

We love you!

xoxo, Maryashley, Brooks, and Lilly

Birthday Video!

The post Happy Birthday, Michael! appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Thank you so much to my mom, sister, and Kathy for making my baby shower for Lilly and I so special! It was everything I had envisioned and more. Every detail was perfect and the people that came made it even more special. Even in a pandemic my home was full of my most favorite people!

Lilly and I were spoiled and received so many items from our Babylist registry. Some of our favorites were: Still Novel poster, engraved silver cake knife, books, lovies, monogrammed girly clothes and diaper covers, bibs, swaddles, blankets, new monitor, UGG booties, wooden monogram for nursery, engraved silver cup, bathing suites, sun hats, and sunglasses. You’re already loved by so many, sweet girl.

It was defiantly a weekend I will never forget.

The Details

My dress, shoes, bow, and earrings:

Custom Cake and Sugar Cookies – Made by my talented sister, Amanda! The attention to detail and absolute perfection blows me away. Not only are her sugar cookies and cakes beautiful, they are also incredibly delicious!! She even individually wrapped some of the cookies, making for the perfect party favor!

Lunch – Chicken salad and pimento cheese from Chicken Salad Chick. Everything else from my favorite, Trader Joes.

Balloon Arch – Made by my talented sister! I’ve linked everything you need to make one yourself.

Overall Design and Table Linens – My talented mom, Lisa Whitaker!

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We can’t wait for you to arrive and complete our family, sweet baby Lilly!

Inspired, Maryashley 

The post Lilly Ryann’s Baby Shower appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

We were on vacation in Naples, FL. and since we got the news from our doctor earlier than expected that our baby was healthy and all of our repeat ultrasounds and bloodwork came back normal, we had our neighbors go inside our house grab Brooks’ big brother outfit, and the gender reveal golf ball we bought!

I wanted to stick with the golf theme for our gender reveal, since it was Masters weekend when I told Michael we were pregnant and surprised him with a Masters caddy onesie.

I sent them the gender results and had them mail us our goodies for the big reveal. We have the absolute best neighbors and friends! We received the package and immediately got ready! We went outside of Michael’s parents’ home in Naples, FL. right there on the golf course. That’s where we found out…

It’s a Girl!

I knew it all along! I had a strong feeling about both of our kiddos. I knew Brooks was a boy and this was a girl! We FaceTimed with my family and went out to dinner right on the beach to celebrate! It was a wonderful day and we feel so truly blessed.

As you can tell we are over the moon excited for baby girl’s arrival in December!

Watch it here!

iMovie by Michael Fisher

Music by Brett Young  

Gender Reveal Golf Ball

Sharing the gender old wives tales:

• Chinese Calendar – Boy
• Heart Rate > 140 – Girl
• Morning Sickness – Girl
• Cravings – Boy (I’ve had no specific cravings at all (so nauseous), but if I had to choose it would be salty)
• Not Breaking Out – Boy
• Moodiness – Girl (extremely emotional)
• Dream – Girl (dreamt it was a boy, which means girl)

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Inspired, Maryashley

The post Gender Reveal – It’s a Girl appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Things that helped me during my pregnancy:

• Diclegis
• Breathe Right nasal strips
• Pepcid (first thing in the morning and before dinner)
• Warm epsom salt baths
• Humidifier
• Pillow for in between your legs
• Arm brace at night for carpel tunnel  
• Chiropractic care

11/20 – 4/9 Got pregnant on our 4th full period cycle.

4/8 Started to experience period like cramps. Thought I was going to start my period. Couldn’t sleep at all and was up all night wondering if I was pregnant or not. If I had a pregnancy test at home I would have taken one! I didn’t say anything to Michael because I wanted to surprise him!!

4/9 9am Positive pregnancy test!!! I swung by Julie’s house after dropping Brooks off a daycare to take a pregnancy test. Around 11:30am I started spotting. I called the OBGYN and talked to the nurse on duty. She said since I’m about to leave town to just monitor the bleeding and if it continues to come in for bloodwork on Monday. Luckily it went away after about an hour, but I was so worried.

We were headed to Charlotte for the weekend later that afternoon, so I called my mom and told her I was pregnant and wanted to surprise Michael! I asked her if she would make a Masters caddie onesie and wrap it! She absolutely nailed it!

Around 6pm we arrived in Charlotte and I got to surprise Michael!!!

How I Surprised Michael

We both agreed on when we would start trying for baby #2, but when it’s actually going to happen you never know. I didn’t keep him in the know each month because I really wanted this one to be a surprise!

I was scheming ways to surprise him and the week leading up to Masters weekend I just had a feeling I was pregnant.

We headed to Charlotte for the weekend, so before we left that Friday I took a test. I was right! I called my mom and said, I’m pregnant! Here’s how I need your help! I wanted to do something around the Masters since that’s how Michael likes to think we came up with the name Brooks I knew exactly what I wanted. I asked if she could embroider a onesie to look like the Masters caddy outfits. She nailed it (like she always does!)

Crazy enough it was also the week Michael started his new job. I said when we get into town we will all sit down and catch up like we normally do and I want you to hand Michael a congratulations gift for starting his new job so he’s thrown off. It worked! Michael slowly opened the gift, put the two and two together and tears of joy started flowing! It was truly so special! My mom hadn’t told anyone, so my dad got to be surprised in that moment as well!

4/12 Increasing appetite, weakness, exhaustion, slight nausea, and some cramping. Boobs were sore when I breastfed Brooks.

4/21 My slight nausea became intense all-day nausea. (spoiler alert: lasted the whole rest of my pregnancy!)

4/23 had my first appointment to confirm the pregnancy with my Dr.! It was a 2-hr. appointment. He did a vaginal swab for infection. Took all my labs 6 tubes of blood. Practice doesn’t standardly provide ultrasound this early at first appointment, but he wanted to since I had bleeding during implantation. Baby was 5 weeks 6 days heartbeat was about 105. A little blood spot was found, but Dr. wasn’t worried and told me not to be either.

Scheduled my next appointment (5/18) for an ultrasound and Panorama, which is a blood test for trisomy disorders and gender.

4/24 Slept in and napped when brooks napped. Extremely nauseous and tired. Breasts are becoming less sore when breastfeeding brooks

4/25 Started to feel extremely nauseous around 3pm. At 5pm started throwing up and threw up everything I had inside me. Felt a little better after that but still extremely nauseous. Ate saltines and ginger ale.

Dr. prescribed me Diclegious and I took that twice a day.

4/30 and 5/1 Had a few good days, felt a little better, and got out and about.

5/2 Back to being extremely tired and nauseous.

5/6 Had my first call with my assigned Cigna nurse through our companies Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Babies program.

5/18 9-weeks. OBGYN appointment with Dr. Ultrasound, Panorama blood test, and meeting with my Dr. I have an anterior placenta. Normal just the placement of my placenta.

My Dr. came in and told me that the ultrasound had detected nuchal edema in the first trimester may identify fetuses at increased risk for chromosomal defects. Ultrasound failed the NT test. I was by myself at the appointment since COVID they didn’t allow any visitors. My heart sank and I started crying. I called Michael right away. It was hard for both of us to grasp especially after seeing the strong heartbeat and baby bean on the ultrasound just minutes prior.

They are having the genetic counselor call me to schedule and appointment week of June 1^st after the Panorama results come in. We have to wait and see if this corrects itself. It’s hard we’re emotional. Still nauseous and exhausted.

5/19 scheduled my Georgia Perinatal appointment for 6/3 at 1pm with Dr. Tiegen. Perinatologist / Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists are Obstetrician-Gynecologists who undergo an additional three years of specialized training in the assessment and management of high-risk pregnancies. Physicians who practice Maternal-Fetal Medicine are also known as Perinatologists.

5/18 – 5/24 Extremely emotional, emotional/sick to my stomach, morning sickness, and couldn’t stop worrying about the baby.

5/24 My Dr. called me 3 times and finally left me a voicemail saying he has no bad news!! I called him back and talked to him late that afternoon and we received the best news! My blood tests came back negative/low risk!!!! He still wants me to see the Perinatologist on 6/3 at 1pm for the additional confirmation, but Michael and I are overjoyed!

Gender Reveal!

5/27 Gender reveal! We were on vacation in Naples, FL. And since we got the news earlier than expected that baby girl was healthy, we had our neighbors go inside our house grab Brooks’ big brother outfit, and the gender reveal golf ball we bought. They had it all mailed it to us! We have the best neighbors and friends! We received the package and immediately got ready! We went outside of Michael’s parents Naples home on the golf course and found out…

IT’S A GIRL!

I knew it! I had a strong feeling about both of the kiddos. I knew Brooks was a boy and this was a girl! We FaceTimed with our families and then went out to dinner to celebrate! It was a great day and we feel so truly blessed. We can’t wait to meet you sweet girl!

6/3 11-weeks. My first Perinatologist appointment. An hour before the appointment they called and said they are now allowing a support person to come to appointments, so Michael got to be there! We met with a genetic counselor first. Then had a 2D ultrasound with a technician. Following that the Dr. came in and did his own ultrasound. We immediately got the best news ever! He didn’t see anything alarming! Strong heartbeat and growing perfectly! I honestly felt a ton of bricks were lifted! I just melted into the ultrasound table in such relief!!

Since the original diagnosis the Perinatologist team wanted to do the rest of my ultrasounds. I booked my 20-week anatomy scan with the team and at the same time she will have an echocardiogram (just standard procedure) that comes with this original diagnosis, but said it’s nothing to worry about at all!

We’re over the moon!

6/7 Got a cold. Took Tylenol when needed and drank 2 EmergencC a day, drank Echonasea tea w honey and went to bed early. Body aches, tickle in my throat. Felt better on 6/13.

6/9 My morning sickness became even worse in the late afternoons and evenings. Still have full all-day nausea.

6/14 Since I had Gestational Diabetes with my first pregnancy. Read about my Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis here . I had a 12-week glucose tolerance test. It was a 3-hour test L I was starving, queasy, and had a headache, but they gave me a room to myself so I got to lay down. The dr. said I looked great and overall had a good appointment. My left arm is already bruised.

7/25 I felt the baby move for the first time! We’re in Seaside, FL on vacation with my family.
7/26 Announced her first name, Lilly!
7/28 Michael and I both felt the baby for the first time and saw her kick outside of my belly!

8/3 20-week appointment with my Dr. I’ve gained 14 lbs so far and baby and I look great. I’m 20 weeks and 4 days.

9/17 27-weeks pregnant and took off my engagement ring. Left the bands on.

9/29 28-week Dr’s appointment. tdap vaccination and flu shot, got to listen to baby’s heartbeat on the doppler and had the 1-hour glucose tolerance test. Went to bed with full body aches from the 2 shots. Took Tylenol and didn’t sleep that well.

9/30 Gestational Diabetes diagnosis. Results from LabCorp came in and I have Gestational Diabetes again with my second pregnancy. I refused the 3-hour glucose retest and told them I’d proceed with the full diagnosis and treatment plan that I did with my first pregnancy.

10/15 31-weeks pregnant. Dr’s appointment. Reviewed blood sugars. Told me to keep another 2-week log and watch morning fasting levels. My morning fasting levels were the only levels that were off. If they were consistently high call and they will get me in with Georgia Perinatal.

Put me on a small dose of Metformin before bed for overnight fasting. They plan to take the baby at 39 weeks (December 10th) if I don’t go into labor before then.

11/7 Carpel tunnel started. I also had this with my first pregnancy.

11/9 33-weeks. 1^st Non-Stress Test appointment for Lilly and she did amazing! I have a NST scheduled every week until delivery.

11/15 Started going to chiropractor 2x a week. Wish I’d started sooner!

11/20 Experiencing consistant lightening sensations down my legs.

11/24 25 lbs gained. More and more lightning sensations down my legs and feeling lots of pressure. Feeling a painful sensation and having continued pressure.

11/30 OBGYN appointment with my Dr. and told him about my lightning pains and pressure. I told him I didn’t want to be checked, but he insisted on checking me. I’m 50% effaced and 1 to 2 cm’s dilated.

12/3 Perinatal appointment went well and baby looked great!

12/7 Last OBGYN appointment. Measuring 3cm dilated and Dr. Gave me paperwork to come in on 12/12 for a scheduled induction. Praying we make it!

12/8 My mom gets into town for babies’ arrival!

12/9 Lost my mucus plug.

12/10 My last Perinatologist appointment. It went well and baby and I look great. Her heartbeat was 157 and she still has plenty of fluid. She weighed 7 lbs. 15oz.

Sharing some of my favorite bump picture memories below!

Lilly Ryann Fisher – Birth Story here!

And that’s a wrap! You complete us, Lilly Ryann Fisher!

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Inspired,

Maryashley

The post My Pregnancy with Lilly Ryann appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Well things look a little different today than they did when Brooks came into the world so as it got closer to Lilly’s due date, I became more and more anxious! I really wanted a good experience and with the nurse shortages (thanks COVID…) I was starting to worry. I also really wanted to have my Dr. deliver Lilly! Like they say, you can’t predict when and how they will come into the world!

November 15th Started going to chiropractor 2x week.

November 20th Started feeling regular lightning sensations down my legs.

November 24th 25lbs gained. Feeling more and more lightning sensations down my legs and lots of pressure.

November 30th OBGYN appointment and was 50% effaced and 1 – 2cm’s dilated.

December 3rd Perinatoligist appointment went well and baby looks great!

December 7th My last OBGYN appointment. Measuring 3cm dilated and Dr. gave me paperwork to come into the hospital on December 12th for a scheduled induction. He’s on call 12/12 so praying Lilly comes then!!!

December 8th My mom came into town to be with us until after Christmas and my dad drove back and forth for three weekends in a row.

December 9th I lost my mucus plug.

December 10th Had my last Perinatologist appointment. Baby and I looked great. Her heartbeat was 157 and she had plenty of fluid. They measured her and she is weighing 7lbs 15oz. They say they can be off by 1 lb either way…

Since my Dr drew up paperwork for December 12^th, I knew that December 10^th was going to be my last day of work. So, I put my away message on and enjoyed the weekend with family, one more date night, and decorating the house for Christmas! This was also the last weekend with Brooks still being the only child.

I made it to Sunday, December 12^th, when my Dr. was on call! I really really didn’t think I was going to make it, but I’m so glad I did! I’m 29 weeks and 1 day today.

Here it goes!

As directed by my Dr. I called the charge nurse station at Northside Hospital at 5:30 AM on December 12^th to see if they had space for me to come in for my ‘scheduled’ induction. My Dr. told me that he has me on the list for an induction, but it wasn’t up to him what time they would have me come in. They didn’t have an available room, but asked me to call back at 8am. I called back at 8am and they still didn’t have any rooms available. I was getting anxious, but decided to round up my family and head out to brunch to keep myself busy. I at least wanted to have a good meal in my belly in case they called me to come in! We decided to take two cars in case they called me while I was out and we had to head there. We loaded up the cars with our things we were taking to the hospital and got in the car to head to Upbeet. We were driving out of the neighborhood and I noticed I had missed a call from the Hospital. I called them back and they told me to be there by 2:30pm.

I was SO RELIEVED and so excited to have my Dr. deliver baby Lilly!

I rode with my mom and Brooks and mom had said, “I think we have a sleeping baby.” I pushed myself up to turn and look back to see and felt a huge gush. I said oh shoot I peed myself. My mom looked at me and asked if I was sure my water didn’t break? I said, “No way!” However, I had just gone to the bathroom before leaving and this did feel different!

We got to Upbeet and I ordered a smoothie bowl and iced chai lattee and ordered the Guac it Out to eat at the hospital.

I was halfway through my bowl and had increasing pressure and went to the bathroom. When I got there there was another gush, but this time it was blood. I said to myself, “Holy cow, I’m in labor!” Another one of my kiddos coming on her own terms!

I calmy walked back to our table and said ok, we have to go to the hospital now! Michael and I got in the car after saying “see you soon” to Brooks and my parents. I called the hospital and they said they would get a room ready and to call my Dr. I called the Dr’s office and the nurse said she would let my Dr. know I was in labor and on my way in. He called me back within mins and said, “Way to go buddy! You did it! You’re going to have a baby today!” I was so excited and oh so relieved!

We made it to the hospital and I had intese pressure, but my contractions weren’t unbearable and were still 10mins apart.

As soon as we pulled up to the hospital, I tried to get out of the car myself but couldn’t! The contractions started to get more intense and closer together.

We checked into Northside Hospital at 12:30pm and were in our Labor & Delivery room by 12:45pm.  My contractions were still about 10mins apart, but growing closer together and getting more intense.

Around 1pm our nurse, Hope, came in and introduced herself to us and got things started. She said I talked to your Dr. and he said we need to get your IV in before we start any paperwork, etc. We all knew it was going to go fast and with Brooks the IV was the worst part of our whole experience. Brooks’s birth story linked here.

By 1:24 pm, my IV was in and Hope drew the blood vials to test and administered a bag of fluids. At this time, my contractions were 2-3 mins apart and I couldn’t wait for that epidural.

1:35 pm – My Dr. came in for the first visit! I was so relieved to see him! Things already were going much faster and smoother than with Brooks!

2:10 pm – Epidural in (contractions 2-3 minutes apart). I have to say, I felt every bit of this epidural and it was the worst pain of my life. I wish I’d asked to be given a pain medication before it was put in! If you’re going into labor soon keep this in mind!

2:18 pm – I had my blood sugar taken. Since I had Gestational Diabetes again with this pregnancy they had to do this. My sugars were at 98, which was perfect.

2:25 pm – Catheter in.

2:50 pm – My blood pressure dropped so they gave me Phenylephrine to help increase my blood pressure. I was extremely nauseous, shaking uncontrollably, and freezing! The nurse brought me the only 2 heated blankets left and Michael laid both of our coats on top of me. I was so uncomfortable.

2:57 pm – My BP was still low at 88/43 so they gave me a second dose of Phenylephrine to help increase my blood pressure.

3:30 pm – After all of that, my contractions started to slow down to about 10mins apart. They say contractions can slow down once you have an epidural. They administered a small dose of pitocin.

4:00 pm – I was uncomfortable so the nuse flipped me to my other side since I was completely numb.

4:35 pm – I was fully dilated! The nurse told me to relax and she was going to call the Dr. He was 15mins away so I really tried to stay calm.

4:50 pm – My Dr. arrived and got suited up. It was so calm and was just the nurse, my Dr., Michael and me! Completely different than with Brooks. The light was low and my Dr. just said when you feel the next contraction lets start pushing.

5:02 pm – In 2 pushes and 7 mins, Miss Lilly Ryann Fisher was born at 5:02pm.

Joyfully Welcoming

Lilly Ryann Fisher

Born December, 12th 2021 at 5:02pm

8 pounds | 5 ounces | 19 3/4 inches

Apagar Score was an 8/9 on her first test. She’s already getting A’s. Lilly’s face was bruised because she came down really fast, but has the most perfect round head and features!  

We thought we would just be in the hospital one night, but Lilly saw the Peditrician in the morning and they want us to stay another night so Lilly could be watched for jaundice and a heart murmur. They just want to make sure it resolved by the next morning.

Lilly was checked again and didn’t have jaundice (which I learned can be common with mamas with O+ blood type, which I have). The Peditrician wanted her to get an echocardiogram while in the hospital just to be sure the heart murmur wasn’t serious. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon on December 14th that we received her results and everything came back normal. Phew! We finally got the ok to go home!! We were already packed and ready to go but it took several hours to get our paperwork to go home.

At 5pm, we were home in time to welcome Brooks home from school with our newest family addition!!

Maci and Brooks got to meet baby Lilly and we celebrated with a pancake dinner!

Here’s a peek into Lilly’s first 48 hours!

Birth Story and first 48 hour Video HERE!

We’re so incredibly blessed!

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Inspired,
Maryashley

The post Lilly Ryann Fisher – Birth Story appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Just thinking about Brooks’s first birthday makes me so emotional! Did you feel this way too with your baby’s special day? I thought to myself, once he’s one he won’t be my baby anymore. Spoiler alert, that’s not true!

Family and friends would ask me what we were going to do for his birthday and I kept saying I just can’t think about it yet. It was a month before his birthday and I was finally ready to start planing this special day. I went straight to Pinterest typing in preppy, sweet, baby boy themed parties…Well, really the only theme that kept reappearing was Peter Rabbit so I went with that. It turned out to be so much more than just a theme. Once we told our families, we remembered. My mom had the original Beatrix Potter Wegdgewood china from when I was a baby that my grandmother had brought back from England. She also had books, music boxes, and other figurines from when I was a baby. When we told my mother in law she had the same items from when Michael was a baby. It was so special having these sweet memories out on display throughout the house for the party. In fact, I kept the house decorated for a whole month!! From there everything else came together and can’t wait to share more of the details with you!

The Invitation

Given our current environment (thanks COVID) we decided to invite our immediate family only to celebrate. My parents came in from Charlotte, NC, and my sister, her husband and their three babies came in from Winston Salem, NC. Michael’s parents drove in from Nashville, TN. Even though we only invited family, I knew I still wanted it to be special and send out invitations. Another one of my sweet friend’s baby is 3 months older than Brooks and I absolutely fell in love with her invitations. I called Bailey, the talent behind Piper and Finch, and asked if she would work with me to design an invitation for Brooks. Y’all, how did I get so lucky? She answered the phone and said yes! She designed the sweetest invitation for Brooks and I will forever keep a copy in his baby book! I had one of the invitations framed and on display for the party. If you’re looking for a custom invitation for an event, Bailey at Piper and Finch is your girl!

Capturing the Day

Once we decided on the theme I knew I wanted to hire a photographer. I also wanted our family to put away their phones and truly enjoy the party. Mission accomplished! We hired Irina, who I had met at my sweet friend’s baby shower and I fell in love with her. I told Michael that we could do our family shoot and capture Brooks’s first birthday party in the same day! It was everything I had envisioned and MORE! If you’re in Atlanta and looking for a photographer that’s amazing with kids then she is your girl!!

The Cake

I decided I wanted to focus most of my attention on his smash cake. My mom ended up making us a homemade carrot cake for everyone else to enjoy! I reached out to a local bakery recommended to me by some of the neighborhood mamas. They took my vision and ran with it and did an amazing job! Brooks enjoyed picking off the little fondant carrots and eating them. He played with the icing on his cake and dug in a little, it was so sweet! It was his first time really having sugar. We shared a slice of carrot cake every morning for the following week…mainly because I wanted it, but he wasn’t upset about it either!

My sister graciously agreed to make these beautiful homemade custom sugar cookies and they turned out so good! Not only are they beautiful they taste amazing! She also made these beautiful cake pops! They are defiantly a crowd favorite!

The Details

I went back to Pinterest and gathered some inspiration to show my mom and she brought the vision to life! She has a gift for doing that! It was all so perfect and everything was done in advance, so we got to enjoy our family that traveled into town for the weekend! Waking up slowly the morning of Brooks’s party, getting ready with my little sister while the babies slept, it was all so special.

Gifts

Brooks was so loved and I’m sharing his favorite toys and items from his birthday!

Our Family 

This was a day I will never forget! Having our families in town to celebrate was so special. Thank you again for capturing this day so perfectly, Irina! I’ll treasure these photos forever!

Brooks, one year ago today you made us parents and taught us a love like no other! Your sweet, calm, content, and playful personality brings so much joy to our lives! We love you beyond words!

Inspired, Maryashley

Photos by Irina Chepko

The post Brooks’s Peter Rabbit Themed 1st Birthday appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

Towards the end of my pregnancy when I would visit my OBGYN and Perinatologist each week they kept saying “I can’t believe your still pregnant!” I thought that was so strange since I wasn’t even considered full term! Everyone thought Brooks was coming early!

Here it goes!

I was having stronger than typical contractions starting on Friday, October 19^th and ended up losing my mucus plug on Sunday, October 21^st. Even though I didn’t feel 100% we had brunch plans with friends and went straight out and it kept my mind off of things! The busier I stayed the less I focused on how I felt. After talking to family, they suggested that I go get seen by my OB the next day. I went in on Monday to get checked and the OB on call said I wasn’t in labor. My family wanted to come into town that weekend just in case something happened, so my mom came into town on Thursday late afternoon and my dad got in on Friday late afternoon. I decided that Friday, September 27^th would be my last day of work. I went through the week as I normally would with Braxton hicks coming and going all week, but I still felt really good! I went to my scheduled OBGYN appointment on Friday, September 27^th and was fully effaced and 1 centimeter dilated. Since most of my friends have kids and my sister has three I know that everyone is so different so that really didn’t mean anything to me! I sent my last work email at 4pm that afternoon and turned on my away message!

Mom and I ran out to go get a massage and boy did that feel good! My dad was coming into town that night and I knew Michael and I wanted a date night at some point that weekend. Mom suggested that we go on our date night on Friday. When I got home from the massage I took a body shower, got dressed and did my makeup and even wore heels! All I wanted was some parmesan truffle fries so we ended up at JCT Kitchen! After dinner we walked around and listed to live music on the rooftop. After dinner we were so full so we went straight home. On the way home Michael said here read this…I immediately burst into tears (my first real cry of the whole pregnancy). Earlier that day Michael had written a letter to our unborn son. It was the sweetest little letter and still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. When we got home my best friend who was also pregnant and our original due dates were 2 days apart sent pictures of her in the bathtub. I thought to myself wow that would feel really good right now. I went upstairs and got in the bath for 30mins. When I got out I went downstairs and joined my family in watching one of our favorite TV shows. It was almost 11pm when the show was over and I got up to pee. I was practically limping to the bathroom in so much pain. I felt so much pressure, but thought it was just because I was holding my pee too long.

When it all began!

By the time I got ready for bed I had another episode of that same pain! I finally fell asleep holding Michael’s hand and 45 mins later, I was awake again. I woke Michael up and told him that this wasn’t the typical Braxton Hicks I was having the last couple of weeks. Michael was frantically Googling signs and symptoms of labor and landed on a contraction app that he quickly downloaded. I texted my sister asking if she was awake. She wrote me back immediately saying yes because there was a bad storm that was passing thought North Carolina so she couldn’t sleep. That was a total blessing y’all! I called her and she talked us though every contraction with them getting closer and closer together. I finally felt like I had to pee so I got up and noticed I was sitting in a puddle of blood. My sister said have Michael go wake mom and dad, get dressed, pack, and head to the hospital! You’re in active labor! She was so excited and stayed on the phone with us until we checked into Northside Hospital at 3:30am. I was at 4 cm dilated and all I could think about was making it in time to get an epidural!

We were sitting in the room for what felt like forever before anyone came in to check on us. At 4:55am we were finally signing waivers. While we were signing they informed me that they needed to test my blood and administer one bag of fluids before I could get an epidural. I had a team of nurses trying to find a vein that wouldn’t immediately blow. They finally found a vein and I was finally given an epidural at 5:45am. After being in natural labor for over 7 hours I was absolutely exhausted!

After the epidural was administered my blood pressure dropped and I had come down with a fever. The nurse had to give me a shot of medication. I immediately felt nauseous and so weak. It was scary for everyone in the room. Around 7:30am I started feeling better and my blood pressure was back to normal.

Once I started to feel better we asked our whole family to guess the weight of the baby. Trying anything to keep calm and rest.

Here’s what we guessed: Me 7lbs 5oz; Michael 7lbs 14oz; Dad 7lbs 1oz, Mom 8lbs; my sister 7lbs 6oz; Barbara 8lbs 5oz; Fred 8lbs 10oz; Bryan 9lbs 3oz; and Tiffany 8lbs 2oz.

My sister, Amanda, came closest!

Since my OB was on vacation I had no idea who the Dr. on call was. At 8:30am the Dr. came in to introduce himself. I immediately felt calmer and absolutely loved him! He was light hearted, funny, and had such a positive attitude. He said he would be back in an hour to check me. While he was checking me my water broke. The plan was to check me again at 12pm. By 11am I began to feel a lot of pressure. By 12pm I was 9.5 cm dilated. The nurse looked at me and said I’m going to do a practice push with you, but when I say stop I want you to stop until the Dr. gets here. I don’t want to deliver your baby and you look like someone who will be a good pusher. Within an hour the room was set up and the Dr. came in. We started pushing at 1pm and after a couple of rounds of pushing the babies heart rate went down. They gave me oxygen and said give us a few more good pushes and you will have a baby! They would count to 10 and I would keep pushing until I couldn’t anymore. Determined to get this baby out! At 1:34pm our sweet Brooks Lawson Fisher was born! Michael and I both crying he was placed on my chest and from that moment our lives changed forever! My mom and dad left the room to grab us lunch so we could bond with our baby during the golden hour. It was such a special time. The nurses were great and were monitoring baby Brooks on my chest so we could have that time, until they said we have to take him to the transitional nursery for grunting. This is common in newborns, but of course anytime the baby has to be taken away it’s scary. Since I had gestational diabetes he had his blood sugars being monitored as well. He passed all but one value so he had to stay until 7pm. Michael never left his side and held his little finger the whole time. At that point I was so glad I had my parents with me! They helped me transition from the labor room to the recovery room and since my epidural had worn off at 3pm. I was grateful for the help and company!

I fall more and more in love with Brooks everyday. I am pure waterworks over here finishing this blog post. I can’t believe I return to work next week after being with him for 14 weeks. Once I got home from Christmas break it hit me hard. I know the transition won’t be easy at first, but will be the best for both of us. Would love to know what made the transition easier for you in the comments below!

Watch our Story below

Thank you all for the love and support! Brooks was the highlight of 2019 and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2020!

Inspired, Maryashley

The post Books Lawson Fisher – Birth Story appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

It’s hard to believe that we are a couple of months into being parents! When they say time flies they really mean it! Brooks’ is now 8 weeks old and now that we have some time under our belt I’m sharing our mom and baby essentials as well as our newborn photos!

When Brooks was 13 days old we had the talented Alea Moore come over to the house to capture our life with our precious newborn. She spent three hours capturing our little family during it all! Naps, wake time, diaper changes, and a feeding. It was so special. I’ll treasure these sweet photos forever!

Newborn Essentials

Nursing Pillow – This is extremely helpful especially in the beginning to help with positioning during breastfeeding. Since we spent the first three weeks in our bedroom this helped prop him up while I was still in my bed.

Changing Pad + Scale – This has been a game changer for us. During the first two weeks we would track every single feeding, diaper, nap, and his weight on the app. It really helped us discover patterns and get on a loose schedule. I can’t recommend this enough.

Night Light + Sound Machine – This is a two in one! After a week of Brooks being in his crib I realized we didn’t have a soft white light to turn on for the middle of the night feeding. I did a little research and found this night light that can be controlled by your iPhone. It’s made a huge difference.

Portable White Noise Machine – You must purchase this item! It’s perfect for on the go naps. We don’t leave the house without this and once we turn it on Brooks now knows its time for a nap and falls right to sleep. Y’all it’s magic!

Baby Wipes Dispenser – This item may come as a shock, but hear me out! Since this dispenser is weighted and has a lid the wipes are easy to pull out with one hand and they don’t dry up! It’s a must, I promise!

Bath Toy Organizer – Holds all of the essentials for bath time and is easy for water to drain so there isn’t buildup or mildew.

Carrier – My favorite baby wearing wrap so far! It’s so easy to put on and has the perfect amount of head support so that you can still get everything you need to get done! I use this EVERY SINGLE DAY! He naps in this, we take walks in this, he absolutely loves it and so do I!

Soother – the Bibs are our favorite. This helps with soothing Brooks before he goes down for a nap or bedtime.

Zip-Up Sleepers – The only sleepers you will want are ones that zip up and have footies, trust me! It makes for the middle of the night diaper change so much easier at least for the first 3 weeks! Our favorites are linked here.

Stroller – The stroller comes with a bassinet and that’s what we used for the first 3 weeks when he was sleeping in our room. I love everything about this stroller, but especially love the amount of storage it has. It makes shopping so much easier. I just put everything in the stroller then check out.

Play Gym – Our favorite tummy time mat! He started rolling from tummy to back at just 4 weeks! This mat is perfect for every stage. They even have a subscription box that is perfect for each month which is on our Christmas wish list! Check it out here.

Swaddle – This one is my favorite so far! Brooks loves having his hands by his face and with the two-way zipper it makes the middle of the night feeding easy. I just unzip his hands out and then zip them back in without undoing the whole swaddle.

Diaper Pail – This diaper pail is hands free and lightweight and blends in with our nursery décor perfectly. It also holds so many diapers!

Cradle ‘n Swing – Brooks loves looking up at the little animals going around and round. We keep this downstairs for when we have to occupy him while we eat.

Bouncer – I keep this upstairs in our master bathroom for when I shower, get dressed, or do laundry! He loves lounging in this. Now that he’s a little older I want to get a toy bar to attach to it, but haven’t found a neutral one I like…would love your suggestions!

Lounger – This lounger is so lightweight and easy to carry from room to room when you need. He loves spreading out in this and has even taken a couple of naps here.

Essentials for Mom

12 ft iPhone Charging Cord – Since you spend most of your time either breastfeeding or rocking your baby to sleep having a long charging cord in the nursery is a must. My husband would say differently with the amount of online shopping I now do, but hey!

Diaper Bag – This is my new purse. I absolutely love this diaper bag. It has the perfect number of pockets and keeps all of our diaper bag essentials organized.

Nursing Pads – These and these are my favorites.

Stool Softener

Perineal Spray and Bottle

Nursing Bras and these

Nursing Pads + Nipple Butter

Nursing Tanks

Nursing Cover (I bought two Carseat Covers that can be used as a nursing cover too!)

My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow

Pajamas (my favorites are these and these)

Loungewear (favorites linked here)

Lightweight Robe (gifted to me by PinkBlush)

30oz Yeti with Metal Straw

photos by Alea Moore Photography

Inspired,  Maryashley

The post Newborn Essentials for Mom and Baby appeared first on Simply Maryashley.

I can’t believe I’ve been dreaming up his room since March! Time has truly flown by and I’m so excited to share his sweet nursery with you. The weekend of our gender reveal we finalized his name and picked out the fabrics for his nursery! When you know, you know. My mom, aunt and cousin were in town to make dreaming up his space so much fun. I knew I wanted blues, neutrals and a tailored look with lots of monograms. Well that’s exactly how this space turned out.

I’m so lucky that my mom is so talented! She designed and hand made his drapes, bumper, dust ruffle, and pillow. My mother-in-law painted 2 oils for over his crib and I’m in love with how they turned out! We were so blessed to have two beautiful baby showers thrown for us and we received so many gifts! Our nursery wouldn’t have been possible without all of the love and support from our family and friends. Baby Brooks is already so loved! While Michael was away on his “dadchelor” party, my mom came in town to help me get everything washed and set up for his arrival!

Jolie Home – Paint

Jolie Paints reached out and wanted to help us refresh some old pieces of furniture we had for the nursery! I got to pick from their wide variety of water-based, non-toxic paints. I fell in love with the Palace White. I couldn’t believe that one can of paint and one can of wax covered two full sized dressers, a mirror, and a side table! The paint goes a long way and the best part is that you can paint right there in the same room without any fumes! Mom and I had the best time seeing these old pieces come back to life with a little Jolie TLC.

If there is a space in your home you are looking to transform, shop this link to get started!

How to Polish Brass

My mom got all of the hardware looking so beautiful on these old pieces! I wanted to share how she did it! Soak all hardware in vinegar for about 30 minutes, rinse with warm water, and buff with steel wool. Voilà, your old furniture immediately comes to life with shiny polished brass.

There are so many stories that made up this room. We can’t wait to make sweet memories here when he arrives.

GIVEAWAY

I’m partnering with Sumhr from @pollyanncollection to give one of you a 24″ insta-worthy wooden sign of your own! She made baby Brooks this one for his nursery and we’re obsessed! Click here to enter! Giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, September 25^th.

Shop the Post

Nursery & Décor

Clothes & Accessories 

Transportation

Bath Time

Baby Essentials

The official countdown is on!  

Our decorated new home tour is live on the blog here in case you missed it!

Inspired, Maryashley

The post Brooks’ Nursery Reveal appeared first on Simply Maryashley.