Brodie Rolls Over and Army Crawls! (10w2d)

I set Brodie down for his first official tummy time on his ocean mat and within 3 minutes he was army crawling and then he rolled over! I was lucky enough to be filming him when he did it and have it on video forever now! I also videoed him again a few minutes later and he rolled again and army crawled some more. Here is the 2nd video because it shows both! :) Several people have told me that this is EXTREMELY early for him to be able to roll over and crawl like that. When did your children first roll over?

Mini Golfing with the Mei Tai (9w6d)

We went mini-golfing with my friend Andy and all I can say is THANK GOODNESS for a mei tai wrap! I LOVE mine and am so glad I am babywearing. :) I was able to play golf, keep my baby warm and close, and not worry about carrying around heavy carseats. Here are some pictures from the night

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2 month pediatrician appt (2m)

At Brodie's 2 month appointment he weighed 10lb10oz (50%tile) was 23 3/4 inches long (75%tile)' and his head was in the 25%tile.

My poor lil guy also had to get his 2 month shots, which were the first shots he's ever had. He had a 3 in 1 shot, a 2 in one shot, and an oral medication. He cried the saddest cry I've heard from him when they stuck him with the first one. It was so sad I started crying. He got bugs bunny band-aids and fell asleep in the car on the way home. He was very sleepy that whole day and had a hurt cry whenever we shifted him on our body. He cuddled me all day long and had a fever that day and the next.

We discovered when we took the bandaids off a few days later that he had developed red welts on his legs where the sticky was. That means he inherited my allergy to medical adhesive :( The welts/rough redness lasted for several days and finally disappeared. My grandma who was a nurse said we will have to ask for silk or paper tape instead of band aids from now on. I will have to find that at the store too, since he is going to be getting cuts/scraps when he gets older. That's going to make first aid more difficult on him.

Here is the little man before shots, for his 2 month photo:

And here are his sad little band-aided legs:

Brodie's Nicknames

Brodie has a few nicknames already (I didn't think he'd have any but I guess I was wrong!). :) Here are the ones that we use for him so far:

*Broders
*Brodster
*Brodie Bear
*Brodielicious
*Broderson

*

I love our little Brodster!

Brodie's Songs

Nicholas quite often sings songs to Brodie using popular song tunes and substituting Brodie's name into them. I started making a list when I heard Nick singing one to show off his genius song making skills. I think Brodie enjoys his songs and he definitely likes music in general! Here is the list I have so far, and I'm sure there are more I can't remember.

My brodie co-o-ole (to the tune of Sun Eyed Girl by Beck)

Brodie like a melody in my head (Replay tune)

Brodie, Broooodie (Hey Heyyyyy by Train)

Brodie, you and me in our sport utility vehicles (Veggie Tales silly song)

Brodie...Broooodie (to the tune deo deoooo me light come shining on my home)

Beautiful Brodie (tune of Beautiful Boy song by BOB)

I'm a baby and I'll cry if I want to...you would cry too if u were hungry like me! (Tune of It's My Party)

Sugar Pie Honey Buns

Put up your rock fist!

We also had a song about how much he barfs but I forgot the words lol.

~me

Another first happened last night! (at 7wks)

Last night (so when Brodie was at 7wks old) Brodie starting cooing "talking" in different tones. Before then, it was always just the same tone and one coo at a time. Last night, he continued to coo and moved his voice up and down like he was talking. It was soooo cute. He was in his co-sleeper and we were brushing our teeth. I think that he wanted to talk to us and let us know he was still awake and wanting attention. I have a feeling we are going to have a chatterbox child on our hands :)

~me

Pediatrician Appointment Delayed Post (From 5w6d)

When Brodie was 5w6d old I went to the pediatrician with him. I wasn't planning on going in, it wasn't a scheduled appointment or anything. Brodie just hadn't pooped...in a week...

I walked in for an appointment because the nurse had told me if he hadn't pooped in a week that they were going to give him a suppository. :( My poor guy! They weighed him when I got there and he weighed 9lb 12oz (a gain of 1lb 2oz in exactly 3 weeks). Then, the doctor came in to examine him. He said that his belly was nice and soft, he didn't seem uncomfortable (he was smiling at the doctor the entire time), and that he was gaining weight so he was ok. He told me to give him 2oz of prune juice with 2 oz of water in a bottle 1-2x a day for 5-7days to help with get the poo moving. He wasn't constipated, because he is breastfed, but he still said he likes to see breastfed babies pooping at least once every 5 days.

I felt very wary about giving my baby prune juice, but went and bought it anyway. I called my mom to ask her advice and voice my concerns. She suggested I try giving him an oz or 2 of water first to see if that helped. So, I filled a bottle with 2oz of water and gave Nick the bottle to feed him (it was his first bottle and I didn't want him confusing the food I give him with the bottle). Well, he got less than 1/2 an oz of water "down." By down I mean he gagged on some water, drooled a lot out the sides of his mouth, and sucked down a little bit. After he was done with 1/2 an oz he immediately starting pooping, EVERYWHERE. Nick was holding him and he pooped all over Nick, himself, Nick's office chair, and was dripping a puddle of poo on the floor. I bet he lost 1/2 a pound from it! We were so happy we didn't have to give him prune juice! Daddy and Brodie went right into the shower to clean up and he was fine from there on out.

Here is a picture of the puddle of poo (that's not including what was on the chair, Nick, Brodie, or in Brodie's diaper). It was pretty epic!



~Me

Brodie's first laugh! (5w5d)

Today I was at my mom's house and had finished up working. My dad was in her office holding a very happy Brodie and I suggested he play with his toy. Brodie has this little jingle lion toy that he likes to hit in his box at my mom's office and I had been pretending to kiss him with it earlier which produced big smiles.

So, while my dad was holding him I jingled the lion and had it "kiss" Brodie 4-5 times before pulling it away. Brodie did a HUGE smile and then that adorable baby laugh that sounds like they are gasping and chuckling. I was SOOO surprised because I didn't think he could socially smile or laugh this young. Maybe my child is just doing these things a little earlier? There is no doubt in my (or Nick's or my parent's) mind that he is smiling at specific sounds or circumstances now instead of just gas. I don't mind the social smiles/laughing at all...makes me sooooooooooo happy to see him reacting more to us!

Here is a picture I snapped right after the laugh. He is dang cute isn't he?


~Heather

I failed at NaBloPoMo but was productive today!

Well, It's only Nov 5th and I already Failed at NaBloPoMo. I didn't post yesterday because I fell asleep with Brodie on me at like 9pm and didn't wake up again til 12:30am. Oh well, it was good while it lasted lol.

In other words, it's only 1:35pm and I have been really productive today. I cleaned the kitchen (dishes, cleaned stove, and and counters), took out the trash, did laundry, vacummed, changed the sheets, and made chocolate chip banana bread! :) I did all that before 12:15pm and while taking care of Brodie- GO ME heh. Oh, and did I mention that I also got Brodie and I showered/dressed this morning and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast? WOOT

Ok, I'm going to go take a nap now... I need it!

~Me

Miss Selah Desirae

Yesterday 2 of my preggo mama friends gave birth. Yes, that's right. They gave birth on the same day! One of my best friends, Heather, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Selah Desirae. I will save all the stats and details for her to post on her blog. Anyway, they came home today and I was able to stop by for a few hours to meet her and visit with Heather.

This was also the day that my Brodie and her Selah, "cousins" born exactly 1 month apart got to meet. They were bumped together while in our bellies many times, and Selah had kicked Brodie while Heather held him on her chest while still preggo. They seemed to enjoy each others company and cooperated for a picture.


Selah is dang cute, with bigggggg chubby cheeks and a very round head. She seems so small compared to Brodie, but really isn't that much smaller weight/length wise. It's nuts how much more alert Brodie is than her after just a month.

I can't wait for Brodie and Selah to play together and grow up side by side! I love having so many friends giving birth in the next few months...it makes for an instant play group and lots of potential girlfriends for Brodie when he gets old enough.

~Heather

Happy One Month Brodie! (4w3d)

My son, Brodie Cole, is already one month old today!!! I can't believe how fast time has gone by during this first month and know I am going to be saying this for the rest of my life as he grows up before my eyes.

Brodie is growing up a storm, and is more fun to be around every day. He stays awake for much longer periods (sometimes for the entire time in between feedings now) and also has days where he sleeps for a long period. Last night, he slept from 10pm until 4am. This was nice for me, because I got a 4 hour stretch of sleep.



Brodie is exclusively breastfeeding, and looooooves the boob. He gets excited when I whip it out, and eagerly sucks on it to the point of over-stuffing himself. He spits up 3-5 times after every feeding, sometimes before he falls asleep and sometimes a few hours later when he wakes up. Not just a little bit of spit up either, I'm talking a large amount that leads me to think he isn't getting any milk at all. But, I know he is because he gained a pound in the two weeks between his ped. appts.

Brodie makes the cutest faces and expressions, and does the "smiles" that indicate he has gas or something so many times every day that it is hard for me to think they aren't directed at me. I know he can't smile smile until 6-8 weeks but I like to imagine he can.

Brodie is obsessed with sucking on things. He will suck on his hands, his arms, my fingers, my arm, my cheeks, my chin, and his pacifier. Often times he will be fussing (the very little bit that he does fuss) and we narrow it down to just wanting to suck on something.

Brodie likes to stretch like his daddy, and Nick sings him lots of songs. He is SUCH a great dad!

I love my little man and can't imagine life without him now. I am looking forward to seeing him grow and develop in the next month and see what changes between now and then.



I love you Brodie Cole! You have come into a very loving family, I hope you feel loved.

Love
Mom

What is the definition of fast food?

I know this is a random question, but my husband and I were debating it yesterday. It seems like we discuss a ton of random topics now that we have a kid...haha. I guess anything for some adult conversation is welcome in our house.

It all started with me saying that Pick up Stix was fast food and Nick saying it wasn't. That led to a conversation of how we defined fast food.

To Nick, fast food is any place that has a drive through...if it doesn't have drive through then it isn't considered fast food.

To me, fast food is any restaurant that you don't have a waiter/waitress or leave a tip at. Basically, any restaurant where you go besides a sit down restaurant you'd have a nice date night at.

I posted this on my facebook to see what people thought and an overwhelming majority agreed with me. I'm interested to see what the rest of the world thinks. How do you define "fast food?"
~Heather

Babywearing is AWESOME! (4w2d)

Today is the start of NaBloPoMo... National Blog Posting Month (http://www.nablopomo.com/faq). I am going to try to write every single day for the month of November (that's what the goal of NaBloPoMo is) and document more stuff in our lives.

So, for Nov 1st, I am going to write about babywearing and how it is awesome :) We only have 2 sleepywraps right now (a soft stretchy wrap good for newborns and up to 18ish pounds). Both Nick and I have worn Brodie in them and he conks right out when we put him in. I love being hands free and having my baby safe and secure against my chest. I'm so blessed that Nick is into babywearing and willing to wear him as well. I think I convinced him to wear Brodie when he saw me loving being hands free and when he realized he could play video games that way! I have gotten better at putting the wrap on (both in speed and accuracy) and am more comfortable every time I put him in it. I am also borrowing a Babyhawk Mai Tei to see if Brodie/I like to use that as well. If it's a good fit for us, I will be purchasing one of them in the near future as well! Here are a few pictures, followed by a definition of babywearing and a list of benefits for babywearing:

First attempt at babywearing (Brodie is too low and my wrap was too loose but it's all good!)



In the wrap while mama cooks dinner- he was fussy about 2 minutes before this pic was taken.

Wearing Brodie while I am at work makes me feel better about working while he is awake (tho he falls asleep right when he goes in the wrap as evidenced above)


Using the wrap to go out and about with Brodie. This is at a park for Cali's first birthday party (he is my "nephew" on the left in the pic with his mom- my cousin). It was a bit chilly but the sleepywrap keeps both of us very very warm so we were fine in the outdoors for 4 hours. It was awesome to be hands free during the party so I could eat (tacos YUM) and visit with the rest of the guests without worrying about my arms getting tired.


Nick's first attempt at putting on the wrap and sticking Brodie in it (HE DID AMAZING). Brodie is dang comfy and Daddy is a happy panda.



Babywearing your child while playing video games...the ultimate Bad A dad!

I strongly encourage all preggo/new moms to babywear. Its good for you and baby! Check out these sites for a TON of info:

http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a375/babywearing

http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/index.php



AND NOW...THE DEFINITIONS/BENEFITS:

Babywearing is basically what it sounds like...wearing your baby on your body so s/he can be close to you and secure. There are a TON of benefits to baby wearing (Take directly from the sleepywrap website-http://www.sleepywrap.com/index.php?page=benefits-of-babywearing):

"Wearing your baby is incredibly helpful in integrating your baby into your daily life. Not only is it practical to wear your baby but it is wonderfully reassuring to know that you are providing the richest and most beneficial environment that you possibly can.

Carrying your baby-

• creates confident parents
• allows you to safely move about with your baby regardless of terrain
• is convenient
• enables better communication between you and your baby
• provides security
• is good for your soul
• makes discreet nursing possible
• helps you to interact with your other children and hold your baby close at the same time
• allows you to decide who may touch or interact with your baby
• aids digestion
• allows you to go places, together!

Your baby will feel loved and secure. You will feel confident and free.

and the best of all...YOUR HANDS ARE FREE! You can cook, shop, paint, hike, sweep, read a book with your toddler, go for a stroll or even treat yourself to a nice lunch out in the town. "

Carried babies-

• learn more
• are allowed their necessary period of exterogestation which is often overlooked
• become independent faster
• regulate their own physical responses
• are calmer
• cry less
• get a better view of the world
• sleep better

TTFN- time to hit the hay
~Me

A few more things I've observed/discovered (4w1d)

A few more things I've observed that people said I should post about:

-Any old type of "support" plastic bracelet (like breast cancer awareness etc) can be used to help remind you what side you need to nurse on next. Yes, usually you can feel which side is more full but at the beginning before your milk comes in and when you are super engorged it can be extremely helpful. It is most helpful for middle of the night feedings when your brain is not fully functioning. It is also helpful if one boob feels perpetually bigger than the other no matter which side got nursed on last (this is my case). You can see the bracelet in this picture:



- You can convert outfits that have buttoned legs without footsie bottoms into gowns to get more use out of them and make them easier in terms of doing diaper changes. Brodie's going home outfit was one of these and was newborn size, which he has outgrown. But, I can still use it as a gown for nighttime underneath the swaddle blanket or around the house to do diaper changes. Observe pictures below:



-When baby is crying go through the quick checklist of what could be wrong instead of getting frustrated that the pacifier isn't working to stop crying. Are they cold? Is the outfit covered in barf? Are they hungry? Are they wet? Do they just want to be held? Do they want the pacifier?

-Try and keep up on laundry...it is seriously never ending and piles up so fast. I haven't mastered this yet. I currently have 2 baby loads, 2 of our loads, and 2 sheet/linen loads to fold. (Hey at least they are clean!). I already have another load of ours to wash and a half of a load of baby stuff... and I just did laundry 2 days ago.

-It's better to be over prepared than under prepared when going places, but to be honest you won't use about 50% of what you pack in the diaper bag.

Ok...off to eat!
~Me

Happy Halloween! (4w1d)

Happy Halloween from Nick, Brodie, and Me! We are spending the day relaxing as a family and tonight will be passing out candy to any trick-or-treaters. I can't believe that Brodie is already over 4 weeks old. We are having a blast being parents to our precious little boy.

Brodie's Birth Story

I know it is almost 4 weeks after his birth, but I am just now sitting down to write out the birth story. I'd better start before Brodie wakes up.

On Friday, October 1st, 2010 I was sitting in bed talking to Jessica Frausel about her birth plan for Whitney. I had been pretty "crampy" the last 3 days and was crampy as I was on the phone with her. Because I had been crampy for so long, I didn't think anything of it. Well, at 9:56am I heard a pop- sort of like a twig snapping far away followed by an extremely hard kick from the baby near my belly button. I thought, "that was weird..." and just laid there while on the phone for a minute. Then, I got up to go to the bathroom just to make sure everything was OK (while still on the phone hah) and as I stood up I felt a bit of wetness. I sat down on the toilet and thought, "Oh dangit! I must have peed myself or something." I told Jessica I needed to call her back and called Nick into the bathroom. I told him my water may have broken but I wasn't sure. My doctor had given us a sheet which outlined what to do when you thought your water broke or you are in labor, and on that it said to put a pad on and wait an hour to see if you soaked through it (if you did the paper said your water may have broken). So, I put on a pad and went back in bed and was about to turn on the TV. I was sitting up in bed for about 30 seconds and suddenly felt a giant gush which I could not stop. I leaped out of bed while yelling to Nick, "Yea...my water definitely broke!" I got to the bathroom as fast as possible, but unfortunately left a trail of fluid all along the bathroom floor. I ended up just putting a hand towel in between my legs because I was sick of soaking through clothes and proceeded to text my mom (she was at an appointment for a client) and started to get the last couple of things in our hospital bag. I called the OB office and they said to go to the hospital right away. Nick started freaking out at this point and trying to hurry me along, but I told him I wanted to take a shower and shave before we left.

At about 11 we left our house (with the hospital bag, the baby bag, and the car seat in tow) for Pomerado and at that point my mom was able to call us and talk to us. She was just going to meet us at the hospital on her way back up the hill and we would evaluate from there. All the way down there I continued having "cramps" which Nick insisted I tell him about so he could time them. Turns out they were 3 minutes apart, and Nick said I had to start calling them contractions and not cramps. When we arrived at the hospital, Nick dropped me off at the entrance while he went to park the car/bring up our bags. I walked to the elevator, got in with another couple, and asked for the 5th floor. On the way up, I gushed some more water...which I'm sure looked lovely to the other people in the elevator. I walked to the nurses station and checked in with them fairly quickly (since I had done pre-registration). Nick met up with me there and we got checked in to a room.

The nurse had me change into the lovely gowns they provide (and I told her she better have me put on some undies or something since I was still leaking amniotic fluid everywhere) and then I got put on the monitors for initial assessment of me and baby while she asked me a million questions. She honored my wishes for a hep lock and while I was answering a bunch of questions another nurse came in to put the hep lock in my arm. My mom arrived during this time. After the questions were done, the nurse checked me to see where I was at. I was still at 3cm (which was what I was on that Monday) and 60% effaced. She told me to just relax while they did the first hour of monitoring and then I could get up and walk around. Well, baby decided to lay on the umbilical cord or something because the heart rate decelerated as soon as she said this and she freaked out. She said that I basically signed myself up for almost continuous monitoring and would only be able to walk for 15 minutes after every hour of monitoring. I was super bummed about this. Also, she said that I had to get some fluids in me because that could help the heart rate. Baby kept moving and hiding from the monitors if I shifted so I had to stay in the same position and couldn't move during contractions.

Speaking of contractions, by this point they were getting a bit stronger but were still manageable. It sucked to not be able to move around, especially since the pain was 80% in my back and I was laying on my back. I gladly welcomed the 15 minutes when I could walk and booked it up and down the hallway (just ask Nick and my mom how fast I walked). After the 15 minutes was over, back to the monitors I went and sat again. The contractions were getting stronger to the point where I had to stop and breathe through them and close my eyes. Nick would tell me "you are doing so great" every single contraction and for some reason it annoyed me so I told him not to tell me that. Hahaha I'm a mean wife. After my second round of walking, I was hooked up again and at this point the contractions were pretty dang strong. I was whimpering during them and felt pretty dang crappy. I know I would have felt better if I could have been on the birthing ball or walking or in different positions, but I was confined to that dang monitor.
A new nurse came in and said that she got confirmation from Dr. Lasting that I could now do 30 minutes on the monitors, 30 minutes off. When my 30 minutes to walk started, a guy came in with a cart of tubes and said he needed to take my blood. Apparently, my Ramona doctor had lost all my prenatal blood work so I got to get stuck with a needle 2 times (first vein blew out) and get blood drawn during contractions. That wasn't too fun. Then, I told the nurse I had a pretty bad headache (which was from not eating from 8:30am til 6pm). She said "Nick" could have yellow jello and give it to me. I gladly took that and ate a few bites. As I was eating my jello and sitting up in bed I felt more gushing of fluid...I thought I was done leaking water everywhere but apparently not! I told Nick, "Oh my gosh I'm leaking and not stopping, it's not stopping...oh my gosh!" He told me to get up and go to the bathroom but I knew that would be disastrous. Then I started hearing dripping and looked over the edge of the bed to a huge puddle with more dripping into it. Nick paged the nurse and said, "Um...she is leaking a LOT...I think we need some help in here." My sweet nurse came in and thought we were just going to get up and go to the bathroom, but when I moved she said, "Uh...lets get you some new gowns and sheets." Needless to say I left a trail to the bathroom again and was dripping amniotic fluid all down my legs and feet as well.

After I got cleaned up the nurse regrettably informed me that my 30 minutes off the monitors was up and I had to be hooked up again. My contractions were just getting stronger so I sadly said OK and laid in bed. Now, every contraction was bringing tears and I started to shake. Nick and my mom stroked my hair, held my hands, and were very supportive. I told them I couldn't take much more contractions like this because I was in so much pain. Nick told me I could do it, but I was weak. Then, I got nauseous and 2 contractions in a row I projectile vomited into the little vomit bowl and on Nick. I was still stuck in the bed and couldn't move...I was done. I told Nick a million times that I was done and that I wanted the epidural. The nurse said that my contractions were TWO MINUTES LONG and I was getting a 1 MINUTE BREAK between each one (normal contractions are between 30-60 seconds long....I don't know why mine were so long). I told her I wanted to be checked and had resolved in my mind that if I was in transition (7cm or more) then I would tough it out since that is the worst part. I was devastated to hear that I was only 5cm/95% effaced (so 2cm more and 35% more effaced in 9.5 hours). I knew I could not handle contractions/dilation at that pace if I was stuck in bed. So, I caved and got the epidural. I felt extremely guilty and like a failure, especially since Nick kept telling me, "You told me to not let you get one and that it would get bad like this." I felt like I let him down and that I was letting our baby down. My mom and Nick both assured me that I wasn't a failure and that we just wanted a healthy baby/mom in the end.

The anesthesiologist came in at about 7:30pm and administered the epidural. When he came in so did my 3rd and final nurse (Anna- she was amazing). She held my shoulders and helped me breathe/stay still during contractions while Nick kept encouraging me on the side. It took about 15 minutes to get the epidural in and on, and the contractions I had during then were HORRID. The doctor said the epidural would start working immediately and would just keep working better til I felt no pain at all. It took a while for it to kick in, but each contraction got less intense and it got to the point where it was just a back cramp on my left side each time I had a contraction. I relaxed and started watching TV with Nick/my mom (we watched comedy central- Jim Gaffigan). After 30 min or so I said I was still feeling a bit of pain and needed to have the epidural upped so I didn't have that back cramp. He upped it ever so slightly and left. I guess it's common to have a "pocket" where the epidural doesn't work and I had one in my right lower side so each contraction was like a period cramp that wrapped around to the back. It wasn't super comfy but was much more bearable than the contractions before the epidural.

Dr. Lasting came in at about 8 pm and I told him, "Yea...I caved and got the epidural." He told me I did great, and most of his patients get one immediately upon hospital arrival at like 1cm. He thought I was awesome for lasting 9.5 hours. Dr. Lasting checked me and said I was a "good 5cm and completely thinned out." He said he would come back in an hour or so to see how I was doing. He did come back at about 9:30pm and I was already at a 7cm- which was a good sign that I was progressing quickly now that my body was relaxed. He said he would see me soon and left to go home (his wife was sick with the flu and he was taking care of his 3 daughters who are all 15 and under).

At 11:30pm, Anna came in and checked me again. I was surprised to hear, "Well, you are complete and ready to start pushing!" I had progressed 5cm in 4 hours as opposed to 2cm in 9.5 hours before the epidural. The nurse said that a lot of times a mom just needs to relax and her body starts moving a lot quicker. She left to call Dr. Lasting and have him leisurely come over. She told me that it usually takes first time moms 2 hours of active pushing to birth the baby so there is no hurry for the doctor to get here. Well, we got my legs in the stirrups and I was partially sitting up (to have gravity help with bringing the baby down). She wanted me to push through a few contractions before the doctor got there to get the baby started on it's way out and to get used to what pushing was like. Apparently my contractions had spaced out to 4-7 minutes apart so I had a big break in between each one to rest after pushing. I pushed through 3 contractions, with my mom holding my left leg and Nick holding my right. Anna was very impressed by my pushing ability and after the 3rd contraction she told me I needed to stop pushing during contractions and wait for the doctor to get there. I asked her, "Why? Is my baby against my cervix or something?" She responded with, "Oh no...reach down and feel your baby's head!" The baby was right there and she told me that the baby wasn't bald- which surprised me since I didn't really have much heartburn. After waiting 20 minutes or so without pushing she said I could maybe push every other contraction until Dr. Lasting got there for relief of pressure. Well, I pushed 1/3 times for the first contraction after that and she quickly said, "Woah...yea...we are definitely going to have to wait for the doctor."

Very soon after that, Dr. Lasting walked in and said, "Are we ready to have a baby?" Anna replied, "Oh yea, she is right there...you need to get dressed fast." He quickly put on his outfit and came and sat down at the end of the bed. He wanted me to do a "practice push to see where you are at" the next time I had a contraction. So, the next time I felt pressure of a contraction I pushed for about 5 seconds and he frantically said, "Stop pushing stop pushing stop pushing!" I stopped and was trying to do a kegal (which was impossible at this point) and told him, "I'm not trying to!" My mom told me, "The baby's head is out!" and I guess Dr. Lasting was trying to suction the nose/mouth before the rest of the body shot out. I don't know how well he was able to do that because not even 10 seconds later I heard crying and the baby was born at 1:06am on October 2nd...which was the due date!! Literally, it was the FIRST push that I did with Dr. Lasting being there....good thing we didn't do anymore practice pushes before he got there!


Dr. Lasting tried to put the baby on my chest but the umbilical cord was too short. He actually tugged a little bit to see if there was more and there wasn't...he said it was only 8 inches long! So, he put the baby on my lower belly until the umbilical cord stopped pulsating and then asked Nick to do the honors of cutting the cord. Nick did (he wasn't sure if he wanted to or not) and then they handed me my baby. I said, "It's a boy-Brodie Cole!" and cuddled him directly skin to skin on my chest. He was perfectly colored- pink with no vernix caseosa or blood at all. It was like he was perfectly clean already, just wet from the amniotic fluid. The nurse got him a little drier while he was laying on me and then put a warm blanket over him and me while we cuddled. He did poop right away on me and then opened his eyes and stared at me with his wide eyes and started sucking on his hands. Nicholas and I just sat and stared at him for a long time. Nick held him for a few minutes and then put him back on my chest. I was allowed to have him on my chest, feed him, and just cuddle until 2:30am. Dr. Lasting delivered the placenta and stitched me up (I had a second degree tear) while we were cuddling but I didn't even notice. At 2:30 they took him to get weighed (8lbs 2oz), measured (21 inches long), get a vitamin K shot, and give him his first bath on the other side of the room. Nick was right there with Brodie the entire time holding his hand and taking pictures for me. Then, he was burritoed up and given right back to us.
My mom had gone out of the room and called my dad while Nick and I were bonding with Brodie that first hour and came back in to hold him after his bath. She held him for a few minutes and then decided to go home (she had been up for 24 hours at this point) and let us get some rest with him. We sent out a picture message to our close friends/family at about 3am and stayed up with him until 5am...when we finally passed out until about 7:30am.
We had an uneventful rest of the hospital stay- he got his vitals taken a bunch of times when I got mine taken, got a 24 hour weight check (7lb11oz), got his hearing checked, got a PKU test, got circumcised, and FINALLY at 11:30am on Sunday, Oct 3rd we got discharged with him and got to take him home.
A few people saw us at the hospital, and a few right after we got home, but besides that those first couple of days are a good blur. I am glad that I had a good birth experience (minus being strapped to the monitors and caving to the epidural) and that I didn't need any other drugs besides the epidural (no pitocin or anything like that).

We have been blessed with an extremely relaxed baby, who nurses GREAT, sleeps a lot, and is pretty much the cutest baby in the ENTIRE WORLD. :o) We are in love with Brodie Cole, and every day that we are parents is better than the last. He turns 4 weeks old tomorrow...I can't believe it's been that long already and everyone tells me that I will be saying that phrase the rest of my life! OK, my darling baby is waking up...so I need to go love on him. :o)

~Heather

Almost 3 week Pediatrician Appt (20 d)

We went to the pediatrician today... Brodie is a growing little boy.

At 2 weeks 6 days here are his stats:

-He gained a pound in the 2 weeks between visits, and went up from 7lb 10oz to 8lb 10oz now! (50th percentile)

-He grew an inch since birth- now 22inches long (75th percentile)

-His head circumference went up from 25cm to 37cm (Almost 50th percentile)

The doc was very very pleased with him and with his progress. He was STOKED that I was still exclusively breastfeeding and how healed his circumcision was. He said continue to do what I was doing and that he would see me when Brodie was 2 months old for his first set of shots. I'm not looking forward to the shots but am happy he is doing so well.

~Heather

My personal list of baby essentials

MY MUST HAVE LIST OF ITEMS FOR A NEWBORN

(what I've really used these first 2 weeks)

Big Baby Gear
-car seat with infant insert
-co-sleeper/bassinet with a king size pillowcase for sheet
-2 pack of waterproof multiple use pads
-pack n play with changing table/bassinet attachment
-swing
-bouncer/rocker chair
-Sleepywrap/other type of stretchy wrap

Clothes (In newborn size or 0-3 month size depending on brand)
-4-6 gowns
-4-6 zip up footsie sleepers
-10 or so onesies
-3-6 pair of socks
-3 hats-2-3 bibs

Feeding/Changing
-4-5 36 packs of newborn diapers
-box of Costco wipes
-12+ cloth diapers for burp clothes
-manual breast pump
-Boppy pillow w/ water resistant cover and one cloth cover
-nursing wrap

Warmth/Comfort
-12+ receiving blankets
-2-3 heavier blankets
-2-3 simple infant toys
-4 Soothie pacifiers

Bathing/Hygiene
-baby bath
-1 bottle Johnson/Johnson all over body wash
-6 or so washcloths
-3 hooded towels
-Johnson/Johnson baby lotion-baby hair brush with soft bristles
-nail clippers
-dye/scent free detergent

For Mom
-1 tube nipple cream
-3+ boxes (60ct) of breast pads and a few pair of reusable
-3-4 soft sleep nursing bras
-3 normal nursing bras
-overnight sanitary pads (I've used about 60-70 in these first 2 weeks but haven't had HORRID bleeding)
-maternity or bigger undies to wear with the pads
-2 containers of witch hazel cooling pads
-squirty bottle to fill with water for cleansing "down there"
-800 mg ibuprofen every 6 hours for the first 5 or so days
-2-3 outfits that are very comfy to wear in the first week or so exclusively after delivery that are also "breastfeeding friendly"


And that's all (hah it's actually quite a bit) the items we've needed these first two weeks around here. Hope this helps someone out!
~Me

Happy Belated 3rd Anniversary

Last Wednesday was Nicholas' and my 3rd anniversary. There were no special plans, no special meals, no dressing up to try and impress each other. I stayed in my pajamas until late afternoon and got housework done. Nick worked all day and sat on the couch while I made Spaghetti (my first time cooking a dinner since Brodie's birth). We watched a few hours of TV together and I passed out on the couch after one of Brodie's feedings. Nick finally took Brodie off my chest, placed him in the bassinet, and woke me up. I stumbled through brushing my teeth and collapsed into bed before waking up a few hours later to Brodie wanting to eat again.

It's true, there were no plans, no special meals, no going out, no romantic fireworks.

But there WAS Nick, Brodie, and me all together in our house. We were all happy, healthy, and together.

And THAT ^^^ is what made our 3rd anniversary by far the best anniversary we have celebrated in my opinion. Being home with my boys= amazing. <3 Happy belated anniversary my love, I am so happy with my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. So much has happened in the past three years and I look forward to many many more years of memories with you.

Love,
Me

Random Thoughts on Parenting so far (12d)

Real quick: I weighed myself today and I am currently NINE POUNDS LESS than what I weighed BEFORE getting pregnant. I can officially say pregnancy was a weight loss plan LOL. I just had to document that here so I don't forget. :)

NOW...

My advice (in no particular order) to soon to be moms/myself for the next kid I have when I don't remember. More like observations in these first 12 days:

1. Outfits with lots of buttons SUCK! Instead, go for zippered outfits, gowns with no buttons, or a traditional onesie with only 2-3 buttons in the crotch with socks/a hat if necessary.

2. WAIT for a bit after nursing to change the diaper, even if you know it is already wet. Chances are the baby is going to pee again or (and this is more likely) poop explosively in the next 10-15 minutes which would just necessitate another change and waste a diaper.

3. Let the baby tell you when they are hungry- don't wake them up every 2-3 hours. You both get more sleep this way. Also, (at least for Brodie) when they are still tired/not ready to nurse and you try to make them they will not be able to focus on latching/sucking and will get more frustrated than if you wait til they truly are hungry. They won't let themselves starve, and will cry when they want something to let you know it's time.

4. Relax and chill out with your new baby. The more relaxed you are (with nursing/changing/in general) the more relaxed you baby can be. They sense stress and get stressed from that. Plus, being relaxed helps you stay happier!

5. The baby isn't as fragile as you think. They just got shoved out of a little area and man-handled by doctors...and they didn't break. Just be cautious to how you are holding them and you will be fine. Most things don't phase them as much as you'd think they would.

6. Be noisy around your baby so they get used to normal volumes of every day life. You don't want to tiptoe around them because it will make them super sensitive to noise. Yesterday I threw Brodie in the Sleepywrap (while awake) and vaccuumed my entire house... he passed out during the chore and stayed asleep until way after I was done.

7. Do lots of skin to skin. Babies love it, mama's love it, and it promotes bonding and helps with breastfeeding.

8. Don't give up on breastfeeding. I understand there are circumstances where medically it will not work out (I'm not talking to you guys) but MOST people can breastfeed successfully. I am still new to it, but everyone I've talked to says it takes 6 weeks to be a pro, and those first six weeks SUCK. It was hard in the beginning to get Brodie to latch, and when my milk came in I got SO engorged. The lactation consultant in the hospital told me I had 2 strikes against me (very large breasts and flat nipples) but said to try try try and hopefully we'd get it. With creative manipulation (me holding the breast and aligning the nipple to his mouth during a feeding) and using the manual pump to express some milk while I was engorged so he could attach to my flat nipple we were able to get past a hard hurdle. It was hard though, and a 2:40hr try to get him to eat for 10 minutes was very frustrating. Now he latches on in 10-20 seconds and nurses like a champ!

9. Take lots of pictures, you will never get the day back once it is past. I just sent off to get 93 pictures printed yesterday of Brodie's first 11 days of life. Obsessive, maybe. But I will be so happy to have a book of baby pictures to show people (and show Brodie) in the years to come.

10. Enjoy your baby!!!!!

Now...off to nurse! :o) I <3 my little man!!!!
~Heather

Introducing Brodie Cole! (6 days 22 hours)

I haven't been on my computer all week... and that is because we had our beautiful baby boy!!!!

Brodie Cole made his appearance into the world on his due date, 10/2/10 at 1:06am. He weighed 8lb 2oz at birth and is 21 inches long with a 14cm head. He got a 9/9 on his APGAR tests and passed the hearing test with flying colors.

We are thoroughly enjoying our little man, and getting adjusted to the sleep deprivation and time requirements of a newborn. I will post the whole birth story later on... but here are a few pictures until then. :o) I can't believe in exactly 2 hours he will be a week old already!

Nick and I are in LOVE!

Til later,

~Me

Baby Nano...COME OUT! (39w3d pic- plus 39w2d appt update)

I had my hopefully last OB check-up yesterday and it was sorta intense. First, the stats:

*I gained 3 lbs (so basically made up the 2lbs I lost because I had the flu last week and didn't eat plus 1 more lb). That makes me at +17lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.

*My blood pressure was "great" this week. I am so glad because I was worried it would slowly creep up at the end.

*The fundal height was 42, still 3 weeks ahead.

*I am now 3cm dilated, 60-70% effaced, and still have the low/soft cervix. This is good news because I more than doubled my dilation in a week and am thinning out. The baby is high though.

*The ultrasound to check growth indicated the baby weighs about 8lb 10/11oz. Obviously it could be +/- a lb like last time. This led to the "intense" part.

The doctor is concerned about the baby being too big if we wait much longer to deliver vaginally. He doesn't like to deliver more than a 10lb baby without a c-section. He wants to do this Thursday, but did give me the option to have a more detailed ultrasound done down in SD to verify weight, but I told him I wanted to talk to Nick about it first. We decided not to do the 2nd ultrasound because we are fairly convinced our kid is big. But, we did decide that we want to wait til after Saturday (my due date) to induce if possible.

I talked to the nurse last night to see if we could wait til Monday/Tuesday instead of Saturday (she is the one who returned my message). She said it could be possible because the doctor does do inductions those days and that she would ask the doc and let me know. I also asked her to ask him if he could strip my membranes Friday so there would be more chance I could go into labor on my own. She said he usually doesn't do that, but that she would ask him and get back to me yesterday or today. I am very bummed because I never got a call today like I was supposed to...hopefully early tomorrow morning I will know more.

Nick and I were both sorta bummed that the doctor is pushing the induction so much, as we really really wanted to do everything natural. But, since I could have an almost 10lber now, or almost 8lber now (I wish the measurements were more accurate) If i wait til next monday the baby will be at most 10lb3oz and at least 8lb3oz. That's why I'm not sure if he'll let me wait til then. Until I get a call, I'm waiting on pins and needles.

I guess regardless I know I will have a baby in a week or less...sorta scary but exciting at the same time! If everyone could please pray that that Nano decides to come on his/her time instead of me needing an induction that would be great. I'd love to not have to use induction meds and have to deal with more pain because of them. I am looking into various natural induction techniques to see if one of those will help kick start labor. Wish us luck!

~Heather

Feeling Icky + 38w2d check up appt

Hello to my few loyal readers:

I still am feeling very icky (I think I have a stomach bug), my lower back is constantly hurting, and all my stomach/upper thigh/knee muscles are very sore. I have a feeling going to Sea World on Saturday and walking around for 6 hours there followed by final baby shopping for another 2ish hours that night is what did me in soreness-wise. I am definitely feeling "pregnant" and can say that last night was the most uncomfortable night for me this entire pregnancy. I was up every 30 min to an hour and finally just woke up at 4:45am since I couldn't sleep. I'm looking forward to not being so sore from a big belly/pre-labor type pains. :o) Hopefully this explains the tired/gross expression on my face...

I went to my appt this morning even though I was feeling bad because I wanted to make sure baby was ok, get an update on my dilation progress, and make sure my blood pressure /weight was ok.

Quick facts since I'm not feeling good:

*I LOST 2 POUNDS- making me at +14 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. The doctor told me that I would definitely lose that much if not more when I went to the hospital to give birth (average sized babies =mom losing about 17lbs on average, bigger babies like mine is looking to be= mom losing about 19-20lbs). I joked with the doctor and said I guess pregnancy was my version of a weight loss plan :P

*Blood pressure was normal

*Fundal height was 41 (should be 38- so same 3wks bigger as usual)

*I am now 1.5 cm dialated (I was 1cm 2 weeks ago), 50% effaced (same as 2 weeks ago), and cervix is still soft/low. The doc said for women giving birth for the first time the checks don't really tell them when baby will come (I already knew that) and that I could go into labor tomorrow for all anyone knows. :P

Now I'm just a ticking time bomb....waiting for Nano to make his/her appearance into the world. I guess my doctor usually lets women go 1 week past their due date before seriously considering/discussing induction. I figure we take that part as it comes- and at least we know that Nano will be here in 3 weeks or less regardless!

~Me

Belated 37w3d appt post (37w5d)

When I was about 7 minutes away (driving wise) from the OB's office for my appointment I got a call from the nurse there saying that the doctor had gone home sick for the day. She wanted to know if I wanted to reschedule the appointment. I responded with, "Um...I am literally 5 minutes away from the office and had to leave my house 25 minutes ago to get here on time." She then told me she could, if I preferred, still do all the "check-up" things for my appointment except the cervix check. I jumped on that choice, since I didn't want to make another trip down the hill when I was already scheduled for an appointment a week away.

I arrived at the office shortly after hanging up with her and was surprised when I opened the door. All the waiting room lights were off, no one was in the room, and only the light behind the counter where the receptionist sits was on. The nurse came out from another room and immediately took me back to get weighed/give a urine. I was stoked that I didn't have to wait at all to go back (usually I wait between 30 min and an hour to see him). The entire appointment start to finish took 10 minutes and I drove home happily! I thanked the nurse for waiting for me to get there and letting me get my check up done. She could have gone home and told me I had to reschedule, yet she waited for me and closed up shop as I left.

Here are the stats:

*I gained NO weight this week!!!!! :o) GOOOO ME! That makes me still at +16 pounds pre-pregnancy weight. Not bad for being almost done!

*My blood pressure was "really good"- whatever that means

*My fundal height was 39 (2 weeks ahead- still consistent with previous measurements)

*Nano's heartbeat was 145- perfect! It took a long time to get a good reading on the heart beat because my child is a stinker already! As soon as she put the doppler on my stomach Nano scooted away from it towards my left upper rib and continued to do so until trapped in the corner. I told the nurse that s/he was moving away from her and she replied, "Yes, it's very evident...your belly is totally shifting shape!" She finally got a good hit on it and the little galloping horse sound filled the room.

*She didn't have my Strep B test results when I went in for my appointment, and said that usually they just send them to the hospital without telling the patient so they can stick the antibiotics in the IV. I told her I was having the hep-lock instead and was interested in the result so I could know if I needed to be hooked to something AT ALL during labor. She said she would call me when the results got in. Well, the next afternoon I got a phone call saying I was NEGATIVE FOR STREP B!!!! WOOHOO!

That's all the appointment consisted of. I have also included my weekly belly shot that I took that evening. :o) Next week is an appointment with a cervical check and afterwards I have an appointment with the pediatrician's office to meet them and ask questions. We are SO close to meeting our baby!!!! Only 2 weeks 2 days left!

~Heather

Baby Clothes (37w2d)

I was blessed with a lot of 0-3 Month clothing at my shower yesterday. I washed a load of clothes, towels, and blankets today so Nano can have some clothes when s/he gets home from the hospital that are fresh and clean and I noticed something interesting.

Every brand of baby clothes in the 0-3 month at least is a different size. I got Gerber, Carter's, Disney, and Faded Glory brands at my shower and while folding them I was astounded. I lined up the 4 brands on top of each other smallest to biggest and there is a big difference.

***All four brands on top of each other Gerber, Carters, Disney, Faded Glory from top to bottom***

Observations:

Gerber is the TINIEST, more what I would think a small newborn would wear. I actually refrained from opening the 2nd 5 pack of onesies in the 0-3 month size from Gerber because I don't know if Nano will even fit in the ones I did open/wash.

***Gerber on left. Carter's on right***

Carters is the LONGEST, but seems sort of slim. I don't know if it is because it is so much longer or what?

Faded glory is the biggest, but still seems so itty bitty for a baby to be in (I guess I'm not used to baby clothes yet). :o)

***Gerber on left. Faded Glory on right.***

Disney brand is in between Carters and Faded Glory.

It's so surreal to wash and put away baby clothes! I also assembled my pack-in-play today and the stroller is in front of the love-seat. We are getting close!

~Heather

36w3d OB appointment (with ultrasound and facts!)

My OB appointment today was a busy one and my favorite one because Nick was able to take off work and go with me. :o) I feel sometimes like he is missing out on all the little updates and the growth of our baby (pictures aren't nearly the same as an ultrasound). It isn't his fault, he just can't take off work for every appointment and as a result has only been to 3 total. He went to meet the OB 3 days after we found out we were pregnant, he went to the crappy 20 week ultrasound to see the baby cause it was supposed to be great (and he was extremely disappointed), and he went to yesterday's.

<<<--- Me at 36w3d pregnant! GIANT BELLY!!! Yesterday we knew we got to see Nano on ultrasound (to check growth) and I had the strep B test on top of the regular check up stuff. It was a great appointment and I think Nick really enjoyed the ultrasound! Dr. Lasting is awesome with ultrasounds- he really is interested in seeing the baby, getting a good picture for us, and making sure everything is going well.


I gained 6lbs for 16lb total weight gain. I'm not happy with this weight gain AT ALL but everyone assured me I'm still doing great and I'm fine. I just don't see how I gained 6lbs in 10 days!

We got called into our appointment 50 minutes after our scheduled time (he is a very popular and therefore busy doctor) and got a briefing from the nurse about when to call/go to the hospital if we thought we were in labor. Then, I was instructed to strip from the waist down and wait for the Dr. to come in. Dr. Lasting came in shortly thereafter and took my fundal measurement (he didn't tell me what it was but I figure it's the same 3wk ahead as normal since that's what it always is). Then, I got the lovely Strep B swabs from him (which wasn't bad at all- I expected worse).

Then, I got my first cervical check which was not as bad as I expected, very little discomfort and it was really fast. I was pleasantly surprised at the results and know they are normal. I was:

1cm dialated; 50% effaced; soft cervix

Then we got to see Nano on the ultrasound! We have a cute (yet chubby looking) child! I asked the doctor to calculate the weight for us, and he said he would but would have to call us the next day with it. I was SHOCKED when I got the call this morning and found out that our baby WEIGHS ABOUT 8, YES EIGHT POUNDS right now!!!!!! Our kid is huge and is going to get bigger and bigger every week (by a 1/2 lb or more a week til birth)! Eeek! I guess I know my child is not going to be super fragile!


Lastly, I got my blood pressure taken. It was better than last time, and was good at 124/70.

That was the appointment! It is crazy that we are so close to meeting our baby and that our baby is so big already!

~Heather