Baby's First Christmas

My handsome baby boy on Christmas Day - all dressed up to go to Great Grandma's house (and his biggest sister, Madison)

Jack got a Bumbo from Santa for his first Christmas. It's this funky little foam seat that holds them upright so they can see the world without flopping over. He digs it.

He digs wrapping paper even more...

More family Christmas pictures -
Jae and Piper ready to leave for Grandma's in front of our tree. You can see the Mickey ornaments all over this year - we have hand painted ones with each of our names from the Christmas shops in Downtown Disney and the Magic Kingdom. Jack's is accidentally twice as big as the rest, so we need to order a new one for him next year.

It's quite the challenge to get all five looking at the camera, much less smiling...

A little bit better...

Okay, Mom - that's as good as you're going to get. Can we leave now?

TWOOTH!

Two Teeth, that is!

Normally I don't blog just two days later, but this was worth a brand new post. Scroll down for Jack in his "Mom Tattoo" shirt if you haven't seen that. It's worth a pause. Go on. Do it now before you forget. I'll wait.

Oh, just go look. Trust me. It's worth it.

Back? Okay, good.

Jack was just laying across my lap, griping, and when I looked down I saw that his second tooth has JUST broken the surface.
It wasn't there last night, so it either came through this morning or perhaps overnight. He's been a GRUMP all day, so that explains it. God willing, we'll all get a bit more sleep tonight (or maybe tomorrow - depending on how much still needs to come in). But I can see the top 2/3rds are through. It looks silly next to his BIG other tooth, now that it's in almost all the way! He's like a little can opener with one sharp baby tooth.

We baked spritz cookies yesterday with the kids. Jack was a good boy and slept through most of it, then played in his 'saucer. The beauty of homeschooling is that baking quickly turns into a math and chemistry lesson.

I'm still feeling Grinchy and not at all in the mood for Christmas yet. I'm going through the motions for the kids' sake, but today I have a headache and Sir Grumpsalot isn't allowing for much creativity in the kitchen. We need to grocery shop still, and I have so much more baking I'd like to get done, my Christmas cards are not yet sent, I need to mail an ebay auction, and we STILL haven't finished the vacation laundry. Will life ever return to normal?


What IS normal for a family of seven?


Chaos.

You're my heartbreaker, dream maker...

4 1/2 months already!

That bottom tooth is quite the chomper now, and occasionally Jack will scream, we assume, because he bites his lip on accident with it. We're hoping tooth #2 breaks through very soon, so we can all sleep a little better.

The shirt he's wearing here is a size 12M and there isn't much room for growth. He's getting so strong, arching his back, rolling from side to side, and getting his feet up under his knees to scoot toward things he wants. His favorite toys right now are a litlte horse with polka dot feet that hang on his baby gym thing (he can get the feet in his mouth and chomp down), a knotty doll that has knots for its hands and feet, and any burp cloth or blanket that comes near him. Oh - and sleeves! He pulls his hand up into his sleeve and chews on the cuff until it's totally soggy and gross. But, he's quite the heartbreaker!

Back from our first vacation with JB

Forgive the cut and paste - I just typed it all out for my friend and thought I'd save my wrists from doing it all over again. :)

The trip was good, but terribly exhausting. We went to Hilton Head first. I have always wanted to go to Savannah and the hotels were about half the price on Hilton Head (which is maybe an hour from Savannah - but not terribly far - just kind of winds around and you have to cross the river and some other major body of water to get there). Hilton Head was beautiful - but cold!!!!! We didn't get to swim, but we did get a chance to walk on the beach a couple of times. We've never seen the Atlantic before, and JB has never been to the ocean, of course, so it was fun.


The drive down was a little crazy. We hit rush hour traffic on a Friday in Atlanta. It took us two hours to get through - between holiday shopping and rush hour, it was a nightmare. Jack took that time to poop and be hungry, so he screamed for most of it. Then the check engine lights came on in the car!!!! We called the dealership back home and tried to figure out what it could be, and they speculated it could be a hundred things but that it was probably okay.

The next day they squeezed us in at the Toyota dealership, which was in a terrible neighborhood (oddly enough). We had to call the main Toyota corporate number to get our warranty faxed over, and then they ran the diagnostic (which we had to pay for - just to see what was wrong). It was a "random misfire" - they said probably caused by bad gas (we did stop at some little weird gas station and the pump wasn't working right). BUT - the kicker was - our front tires were bad!!!! We JUST had them checked and apparently we had a one inch groove that had worn in the left one, and a larger one in the other side where there was almost no tread. We ended up deciding just to rotate them to the back and they didn't balance them properly, so the car shook like mad the rest of the trip. (But, we were very happy that it wasn't a major engine problem!)

In Savannah, our main objective was to go to Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. (We're big Food Network fans - have been for our whole marriage. We still remember sitting on the floor of our first apartment, drooling over the food Emeril would make on his OOOOOLD show.) John got me an autographed cook book a while ago, signed by Paula and her boys (I have a big crush on her older boy and John gives me trouble about it). We were able to have some strings pulled for
us, and got a reservation.

So, we thought we'd head over to Savannah that morning and spend some time seeing the sights. Well, that was overly-ambitious with the kids and we ended up not eating lunch because it got too late. Then no one had taken naps, and it was just - insanity. We got an excellent parking spot in this tiny lot across the street, and sat there for a bit before lining up for the dinner bell. We found out Paula was in town - but she was the Head Marshall in the parade, and we wouldn't
get to see her at the restaurant at all - but we COULD have seen her in the parade (for free!). Oh well.

I did get to visit the Savannah Candy Kitchen, and we ate warm (just made) pralines, which were SO amazingly good. Oh, and we had divinity for the first time, too. Yum! We also drove around Forsyth Park - where the mansions all line the squares - and saw some gorgeous homes and the fountain/park where that movie was made (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil or something like that - not enough coffee in me yet to remember).

The food was okay at the Lady and Sons. Honestly, nothing spectacular, but SERIOUSLY overpriced. They offered the kids chicken tenders, but they were appetizer plates (for $8.95) and drinks were another $2 - so we paid a huge price for the kids to pick breading off and not eat because they were too tired. Then Jack started freaking out, and not wanting to disturb the people around us, we decided to leave.

The next day we drove to Orlando. Our cabin was awesome - we couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. We were able to park right there on the parking pad in front of our door, the cabin was METICULOUSLY clean, and our housekeeping was awesome. There was a bedroom and a living room bed that pulled down from the wall, plus a full kitchen, so we got to spread out a bit and really enjoyed it. Plus, the whole thing smelled like cedar - and just woody and fresh.
It was a big change from the hotel in Hilton Head and really felt like vacation. We're not "campers" per se, but it was a great balance between hotel and camping (all the perks - but no creepy bugs!). :)

Our first day at Magic Kingdom we managed to only watch a parade. It took us about three days at the parks to figure out that Jack only wanted to be carried and hated the stroller. But once we figured all of that out, things went much better. By the end we were able to go on five whole rides that morning!

Skylar ended up getting sick on our anniversary, literally JUST after we checked into the restaurant we were eating dinner at. :( We leftand got carry out from another place, which was okay. The next day her birthday kind of sucked, too - a combination of them losing our cake order and serving us freezer burnt cake that said "congratulations" (even Piper spit it out!) and her still not feeling well. But, we went to MGM and were chosen as family of the day at the Playhouse Disney show, which was cool - and then during the parade we got Sky a huge birthday cake hat that everyone saw and all the
princesses said "Happy Birthday!" to her from the parade, so that kind of made up for it. :)

Our last night we ate at our favorite (awesome!) restaurant and it was amazing. It was on the dining plan as a "two credit" meal (meaning worth twice as much as the other restaurants) and our bill would have been $350 after gratuity!!!!! Thank goodness we didn't have to pay that out of pocket!! But, it was sooooo good. Really just a perfect finish to our trip. The kids were *excellent* the entire time, we ate for almost two hours, and my chocolate lava cake was TO DIE FOR! :) We even had other diners (especially adult couples without children) stopping by our table to tell us how well-behaved our children were, which was a welcome change from earlier restaurant experiences in the week. :)

We were up on the 15th floor and there are windows all around, then they dim the lights and pipe in the music from Wishes (the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom). It's always just breathtaking to see the fireworks from up there, and was the perfect "do over" for our anniversary. :)

Then, we drove home. Nothing terribly exciting - a LONG drive home, but the kids did much better on the return trip (a little toy and treat bribery goes a long way) :)

It's a bird...it's a plane...

Nope - it's A TOOTH!

Here he is the day before it came in - you can see him feeling it with his tongue. I think part of it may have broken through that night and it was in entirely the next day!

How Blessed Are We?

Saucy!

While holding Jack today he positively refused to relax his legs - he wanted to stand. I had the girls get Piper's exersaucer out and we cleaned it up. He's so little we won't use it for very long, but he seems to really be enjoying himself.

Check him out!!! Big boy standing up!

How sweet it is to be loved by you...

I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

3 Months Old - 17 pounds!

Jackson has become so much fun lately. He's starting to play games with us - sticking out his tongue, smiling at his sisters. He's such a sweet, sweet baby. He knows how to get his hands into his mouth these days and can be heart slurping (loudly!) on his thumb and first finger from the back seat. We recently gave him the taggie blanket and he can manage to suck on the tags with deliberate movements!! His sisters all fight to take care of him and he smiles and coos when one of them comes near.

He realy loves his play gym these days. There is a cow on it that he just grins at and talks to, and a mirror that he loves to look into. He can roll a little from his back to his tummy, but he really hates being on his stomach. He's getting so strong and can hold his head and look around when he's in a wrap or front carrier.

He slept through the night this week! He's our best sleeper yet, going to bed around 9:30 and only waking up once most nights - but he is smiling and ready to get up pretty early.

We got some good shots that really show his personality. I love the one on the top right, myself.
You can always click the pictures to get a bigger view:

Picking Pumpkins

For nearly a decade we've been visiting Rombach's Pumpkin Farm. When I was still a little girl, my Dad's then-girlfriend took me there and I still have the cheesy pictures in front of the pumpkin pyramid taken with my little 110 Fisher Price Camera. Now my girls want the Fisher Price Digital Camera! Things have certainly changed, but Rombach's hasn't. Well, I don't remember the funnel cake stand (yum!) but other than that - they're reliably consistent. We paid $12.45 for five huge pumpkins - they were on sale, I suppose, or the gentleman with the eyeball glasses didn't exactly have math as his strong suit. :)

Anyway, it was a gorgeous day here - 70 degrees, sunny, and (as you can see) very windy. The girls had a great time riding ponies, picking out their pumpkins, and creating a virtual powdered sugar storm in the car with their fried doughy deliciousness. JB did well. He was decked out in his Bulldog romper and his little knitted pumpkin hat - and got many "awwws" from passers-by.

Without further ado (if you click the picture you can see the collage in larger format):

That's A Winner!

Big JB says little JB has to play ball now - "It's a sign!"

Here's my other boy ;)

The quest for the perfect stroller

In 37 days we leave four our 10th Anniversary Trip. We're going to Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah, GA. Then we go on to Orlando for 7 days at Disneyworld. We're veterans of the resort, but this is our first experience staying onsite and we're all very excited. You know that commercial where the little boy says "I'm too excited to sweep" and the Dad says the same - that's our house. J and I are like little kids. I think we get just as excited as they do!

So, in this countdown to the biggest, bestest vacation yet, I am trying to find the perfect stroller. I will bring a few carriers for JB - a sling, an Ergo, maybe a wrap, too. But, I know that at some point he'll need to be strolled. I also know that Pi will need a seat most of the time, and will likely need a seat comfy enough to sleep in. And even little Jae will need a resting place on occasion.

The rental strollers down there are awful - hard, molded plastic. Not ideal at all for napping and definitely not an option for a little baby. We have (ahem) a few strollers but none of them is perfect for this situation and I'm on a quest to meet the needs of our ever-growing crew.

I need a stroller that can fit through the tram lines - which are roped off and have concrete poles *just* narrow enough that my side-by-side won't fit. It's hard to wait for trams while your littles are unharnessed, and really hard to wait for trams when they're sleeping and you have to wake them up, but they can't bear their weight on their tiny legs because they're just so sleepy. However, I'll also need to bring it on Disney Transportation busses once in a while - like in our resort because the cabin will be so far from the dock for the ferryboat. So, I need to be able to collapse it pretty small.

I need a stroller that I can collapse like my Graco - it has a touch-button collapse mechanism that lets me do it totally one-handed. I love it, but it's huge - and bulky - and heavy. And it only seats one.

I'm thinking about the Joovy Caboose - which is a single stroller that has a funky little seat in the back.






The problem is - it isn't a seat that can be slept in by any means, if Pi should want to nap, which is inevitable at Disneyworld. Technically she could ride in the front and Jae could sit on the back while JB slings or is in the Ergo. That might work.
It also solves my line problem - in that it fits through the lines for the tram.

Another option is the Zooper Tango - but that is a side by side that won't fit. The Baby Jogger double is easy to fold, but again, won't fit through the tram lines. A Combi Twin Savvy folds small, and then book folds in half, but it may not fit through the tram lines.

We may be able to get a diamond parking pass from AAA. If we can, the parking spots are usually close enough to the park that you don't have to take a tram. Except Magic Kingdom, but that's on the ferryboat line from our resort, so we can just go down to the dock.

The quest for the perfect stroller has become my Holy Grail.

Almost 11 weeks ~

As he starts smiling and interacting more every day, I am capturing a few better shots. :)

Yesterday he got his first baseball hat. Polo.com has a "custom" option that allows you to monogram or initial one of their items, as well as pick the color of the garment and the polo symbol. We ordered a navy polo guy with the initials "JB" on the back (Daddy's initials and sometimes work-nickname). It looked so small I thought fat boy slim would have already outgrown it, but we lucked out...a bit of growing room in it yet!



We also fell in love with the (limited) "Rock and Crawl" line by Old Navy - I picked up this shirt for him a while ago, and a friend made the pants to match. They're black with a funky bandana "skull" print down the sides - very pirate-y :)

He's so "hard core!" (hahaha)

I am SO DARN CUTE!

How can you not love this little boy???

Those dimples are going to break hearts one day :) (as if they don't already!)

Pediatric Gastroenterology appointment

Forgive me - Jack is waking up and I don't have much time to type, so I'm going to C&P the email I sent to a friend earlier today.

I guess I'm sort of frustrated because we don't have any real answers and we've been doing some things wrong
(which reinforces my desire to go to a pediatric gastroenterologist in the first place).

She was awesome - did a thorough exam and said he looked great and she didn't see anything alarming. She said to try some different things -she wants him laid on his tummy for 30 minutes after he eats when he's awake, and she wants us to only burp him at the end of a feeding. (which we already do) She also said that the studies show babies
should lie flat - on their tummy is best but with the risk of SIDS they have to do back or side sleeping. She recommends back when sleeping, tummy when awake, and NOT inclined in his seat. I didn't have the nerve to do it last night, since he sleeps so well in his seat, but we got another sheet at PBK last night so I could try it tonight. (He only has one sheet because he doesn't actually sleep on it, so I was never worried about having a backup). The cause of reflux is an immature sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach, and since his esophagus is only a few inches long, it doesn't take much for it to back up into his throat. When they lay on their tummy, because of the positioning of the stomach, it allows the air bubbles to rise to the top and escape instead of forcing the food back out.

She wants to see him back in a month and said if we're still having problems, she's going to have speech therapy do a swallow test on him (not sure what that entails). She said Zantac doesn't work at all, and that if we were formula feeding there was a formula we could try - but that breastmilk is best and is more rapidly and efficiently digested so she didn't want us to try that (um - good thing, sista!).

So, no real answers - just kind of getting a baseline going and trying to figure out where to go from here. She said she suspects he'll outgrow this without any problems, and I am starting to think all the doctors are just stalling and waiting for nature to help him keep the food in his tummy.

A few little updates

A few updates

First - the shoes ended up going back. John noticed, as did I, that the edges were scalloped and frilly when they arrived. Duh, mom - you have to look at these things now! The joys of having all girls for 10 years! I didn't even think about it. But, we lucked out and a local shoe store swapped them out for some Pirate shoes. They're a size too big, but we'll have them for the fall.

Second - we're going to a pediatric gastroenterologist today. Suddenly Jack's reflux has gotten much, much worse. He is having almost a dozen really bad gasping/choking episodes a day now, and yesterday was the last straw. He was choking so badly yesterday morning that he wasn't breathing properly for a good two minutes straight. He'd suck air in, but then would flail and couldn't breathe in between because he had too much liquid in his upper esophagus and sinuses. We called the local Children's hospital and spoke with their pediatric gastroenterology department. They wanted us to come in immediately, which is a relief, but also concerns me because they see things like this ever day - yet they had a sense of urgency, too. I'm hoping to get some answers, discuss treatments, and get some answers about the safest sleep positioning for him (whether to continue having him sleep in his carseat/bouncy seats or get a crib wedge and sling). I also would like some answers about the risk of SIDS and aspiration pneumonia as related to reflux and his sleep position. We leave here in about an hour, so I'll update when I can.

Finally, a new picture of chubba lubbs - we estimate he's about 14 1/2 pounds now! At two months!!! He'll be outgrowing his infant seat in a month if he keeps this up!

Baby's got a new pair of shoes

"Shoes," you say? Yep. Jacky's got a new pair of shoes. We found a great sale on our all-time favorite shoes this week and mama stocked up! :)

Robeez (pronounced "Robbie's" for the founder's son) are the best thing since, well, since Robeez! You might see knock-offs everywhere from Gymboree to Gap to Wal-Mart, but nothing is quite like that first real pair of soft soles by the originator in fine footwear for peanuts!

My third baby was the first of my kids to sport these stylin' kicks, and she wore them everywhere. Our pediatrician gave them rave reviews, attesting to their contribution to leg and foot muscle development. Sure, they look like slippers, but they're the closest thing to bare feet, which is the best thing for babes. It protects them from carpet burn when they're little and crawling, and helps them to curl under their toes and manage balance as they become mobile.

"But, San," - you say - "um - Jack is only 8 weeks old!" Yep - right you are! But, you know what? They work SO great at keeping on the socks that I had to get him a pair now. (Plus, the aforementioned sale!!!! They're much more expensive at my Stride Rite store, and I love a bargain!) So, this fall be on the lookout for these stylin' shoes - coming to a baby's foot near you (or on this blog!) :)

http://www.robeez.com

Jack's Baptist!

That's what his sister says, anyway. J keeps saying "when is Jack going to be Baptist again?" or "What is he wearing to his Baptist?"

She is still working on the terminology, but she was a good kid the entire time. Father Tom was fabulous and included the kids in everything he could. M got to get the holy oil for anointing his head, S and J helped with the water. When it was time to bless the water, I think the kids were expecting a magic trick as the priest turned the tap water to holy water. It was very theatrical and the ceremony was better than I could have hoped for. It can be overwhelming sometimes, seeing all of our kids - realizing that there are five. During the blessing over me, which God knows I needed, I choked up hearing Father say how very blessed we are. My four beautiful girls, my handsome son, all in there - in perfect health with our amazing, supportive family and friends around us (or with us in spirit - Vic!).

Blessed indeed!

I finally meet Grandma and Grandpa B

Grandma and Grandpa came over this weekend to meet me. I was great the whole time and never even cried. I had a good time hanging out with them and went to bed early. Don't I look so handsome in my little duck polo romper? It's Mom's favorite and I've just about outgrown it.

32 weeks VS 3+2 weeks

As you probably remember, we did the 3D/4D ultrasounds with Jack's pregnancy. It was our first time with them and Jason and Julie are just AMAZING! (Julie is also a radiologist at my OB's office so we got to be good pals those last months, and I talked to her and Jason (via Julie's phone) on the day of my last appointment). I was actually sad to leave those weekly visits. I was blessed to find an awesome obstetrician, whom, I have no doubt saved my uterus from another cesarean scar with her quick thinking during the prolapsed cord incident. The support staff, though, really makes it or breaks it for me with medical care. I've found a lot of good doctors with terrible support staff over the years, and it's just such a hassle to deal with crabby people all the time that I'd rather keep looking than listen to griping. My OB's office is just amazing - great nurses - the best - and awesome receptionists. Even the hospital nurses told me that they love my OB and that she's so wise beyond her years, which is very true. She's young, but not inexperienced, they said. And I loved that she was so laid back, very calm even in the midst of a panic situation. She almost exudes peacefulness and you can't help but feel relaxed when she's around. (But she also takes you seriously, when you have a concern, which is crucial). Can you tell I've been to a dozen OBs in the area?! It's important to remember that you are paying them for a service - often thousands of dollars over the course of a pregnancy.

Anyway - so Julie and Jason at www.gatewayultrasound.com did both of our ultrasounds with Jack. They were awesome and we have tons of pictures now to keep for him when he's a bit older. I set up a side by side comparison - similar pictures, but he's holding his ear instead of trying to suck his thumb. It's amazing, I think.

A month gone by

My how time flies!

Well, little Jack is a month old now (as of yesterday). He spends so much time awake now - looking around, starting to smile, cooing and "talking" to us. He's sleeping pretty well, waking up every 2-3 hours or so but pretty much going right back to sleep. He loves taking baths and widens his eyes as soon as he hits the warm water, as if to say "oh yeah - I remember this!"

The girls are still utterly smitten with this little man, as are we. They want to be near him every second of the day and I have to particularly be careful with the little two around him - so they don't "love" him too rough. ALL of them can't keep their voices down in the slightest bit, so hopefully he'll adjust soon and stop startling awake when one of them shrieks or there is a crash (which happens several times a day).

I still can't seem to eat dairy without him projectile vomting. He got J last night BIG TIME - poor guy had to take a shower. It's really hard - it seems dairy is in everything (even our bread). I have to go through my grocery list again and try to figure out meals for next week and right now I feel sort of disenchanted with the whole eating process since so much is off limits right now. But, it's worth it to have a comfortable, happy baby - definitely. I crave cheese like crack, though.

We are in the process of planning Jack's Baptism and his biggest sister's birthday. It just worked out that we could do both on the same day, so that's a big relief to Mom the uber-planner. I've ordered their cakes and just need to figure out what food we're going to have so I can place that order as well. I AM NOT cooking this time! Sorry, guys ;) I just don't know what to get yet. But she's very excited that he's being baptized the day after her birthday. Since she's having a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed party, she wants him to dress up like Captain Jack Sparrow. Um - sorry kid! No chance. Can you see that Baptism?

Made up a new collage for you guys - so I'll upload that and then I'm off to find something to eat for lunch. Crackers and water, perhaps? :)

Sweet Dreams, Little Man

Dragon tales and the water is wide
Pirates sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, we'll find the mouse
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears "Amen," wherever we are
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Godspeed
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

Focusing on the present

Okay, I know I promised an update on the recovery process but I've decided that it needs to stay in the past. Long story short, I leaked spinal fluid and had to get a blood patch (google that one!). It took me three weeks to get back to the point where I felt human again, and I think that for my own sanity and mental health I need to leave that whole experience in the past and focus on the present with my gorgeous, whole, healthy miracle.

We're entering week four of his life today and getting back to regular life. The kids are having a great time with their new homeschooling schedule, and Daddy packs up their assignments and lunches every night. When they wake up, they have all their work in folders, inside their backpacks, and their lunches and snacks are assembled and ready to go. This makes my life so much easier, since I'm pretty much constantly attending to feeding or changing the baby. If they have questions or need help, I am right here, but they're learning self-motivation and independence at the same time. It works out nicely for everyone.

Last night Jack decided that from 2:30 to 4, he was going to fall asleep and then wake up about every ten minutes (or so it seemed). We've been dealing with some milk sensitivities in him. He started projectile vomiting, which scared the heck out of all of us (including him!) It may just be overactive letdown (another one you can google - but it basically means when he latches on and my milk comes down into the ducts, it comes down FAST - so he gulps and eats very quickly and overfills his tummy) or it could be a milk sensitivity. Since 75% of the population is lactose intolerant, including over half of our family, it's not unlikely that Jackson is, too. I've elminated dairy from my diet for five days now and so far, no major puking from the peanut. He's also got reflux, and was prescribed a homeopathic remedy called silica for that. Our doctor says 1 in 4 kids are prescribed Zantac at birth now, and once you get them on it, it's very hard to get them off it. So, he wanted to try something else first. Once we can pinpoint the cause of the vomiting, we'll work on controlling the reflux. Right now he sleeps semi-upright (in a bouncy seat or his carseat) and that helps a little. He chokes a lot, though. I hate that sound - hearing him gasp for air, the gurgling deep in his throat. It's miserable.

Jack, however, is growing like a champ and doing very well - despite the vomiting and reflux. He weighed 10lbs, 8ozs at his last checkup, so he's gaining perfectly. He's just at the end of the toes on his newborn sized sleepers, but the 0-3s seem huge on him. Oddly enough, the newborn ones say 5-8lbs. Ha! Who works for Carter's design department, anyway? They're cuckoo-nuts, as my daughter would say.

So, that's our "Life, In A Nutshell" this Monday morning! :)

We're in trouble...

"One Eyed Jack" - quite the lady's man!

Could I love this little guy ANY more?

Finally - the arrival of Jackson (7/29)

Sorry it took so long for me to get this up. I am *finally* feeling well enough to sit and publish. This was written right after we got home the first time. Forgive the poor grammar - I was on some heavy duty meds still.

Went to the hospital Saturday morning after calling my doc from all the prodromal labor all week. She was the house doc for 24 hours Saturday morning to Sunday morning. Took the girls to my sister-in-law's, no traffic on Saturday (yay) and made it to the hospital in about an hour and a half total. Got in and put on the monitor and my contractions were about 4 minutes apart. Doc checked me and I was 4.5cm, and as soon as she checked me things suddenly kicked. It was as if he was waiting for us to be settled in - considerate little one. Since last time I went from 4-10 in twenty minutes, I agreed to a combination spinal epidural (which provides a little instant relief and a push-button control on the epidural). I ended up not needing to push the epidural button and had a lot of good feeling and control on my lower half (could move around, feel contractions, etc.)

My water broke, then the nurse checked me and I saw the look on her face change from anticipation to concern. She stayed very still and called the charge nurse and "house doc" (my OB). I asked what was going on, and very calmly she said she thought she felt a loop of cord. My doc came in, it was a bit of a flurry of activity, and Jack's cord had indeed prolapsed. The charge nurse had an OR prepped and "all hands were on deck" so to speak. (Actually it felt more like all hands were on me as they tried to get his head backed up enough to move the cord). I laid very still, trying to consciously will him into position - trying NOT to panic. My doc was amazing - moved the cord to the space between his ear and shoulder and then turned on pitocin. She was concerned that if I didn't dilate quickly at that point, the cord would just come right back to where it had been. I was a "stretchy 6" at that point, but his head was still not coming down very far.

From there, Jack took his time. It was another five hours before I was complete, and that last lip of cervix took an hour and a half to get thinned out and out of the way. We were all amazed at how this labor was so unique. (And impressed that Jack already knew how to get the attention of all the ladies - we had 7 nurses in the station watching his strips and popping their heads in to check on us).

I pushed through four contractions and out he came. His cheeks took a push of their own, they were so chubby. He passed meconium as he was coming out, but thankfully after his head and chest were delivered. He must've been laying on his right arm or somehow strained it because he wasn't using it for about the first hour after delivery - but we were all relieved to see that he started moving it normally shortly thereafter. He wasn't too sure what to do with that nipple in his mouth for the first five minutes, then latched on and is nursing like a champ.

Making it official - he's ours!


His first bath - they were kind enough to oblige our request to admit him in our room and the nurse brought everything down from the nursery (check out those curls!)



Sunday we had a little setback in my recovery when I developed a spinal headache/neckache. They think it will resolve itself, so I am limited in how much time I can spend vertical. It's much better when I'm lying down. Jack also seems to have pretty bad reflux - in fact, worse than any of the girls. He aspirates and chokes and then screams. It's a heart-wrenching sound and nothing helps (it even happens when he's almost entirely upright). We'll need to follow-up with our doc and probably a GI doc very shortly (as soon as I can be upright enough to ride in the car comfortably).

So, all is fairly well. I'm so glad John is home to take care of everything. I'm back off to bed.

Oh - Jack was 9lbs, 1 oz and 22 1/4 inches long.


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Phase II of my recovery coming soon...

Sweet dreams

Could it be that a week has already gone by since this sweet boy came into our lives?
Here he dreams of happy things...

Jackson - one week old

Self-soothing already

Welcome home sweet boy

The end of an era...

Today is the last day I will be a mom of all girls. The whole premise is rather bizarre. I can't believe that tomorrow at this time I'll have a son - and that he's going to be in our arms and joining our family so soon. At this point it's unfathomable what it will be like to walk into the house with him. I keep thinking of where we'll set him down first, remembering what it was like when we brought home each of the girls - how strange to see them there, a whole other person living separate from me, snuggled up in the carseat that consumes their tiny little body. I remember how strange the feeling was knowing they would never again be this theoretical entity, but forever a separate, independent person.

It has been a flurry of activity around here. We've gone to the post office, the bank, the bookstore - anything and everything we can think of to keep our minds off the ticking clock. Part of me is filled with nervous energy, fearful of the reality that is childbirth pain while at the same time so anxious to see this little soul with my own two eyes that I can hardly sit still. We're trying to get everything into place, imagining what we will need to make our lives easier those first days, and hoping that we haven't forgotten anything too terribly important. I did make the realization today that I've only gotten one of my favorite chamois crib sheets from Pottery Barn Kids - whoops! I might have to dig around and see if I at least have a backup sheet somewhere. (Those of you who are parents, especially breastfeeding ones, know how quickly sheets can get exploded on!)

So, that's that. Tomorrow morning we'll wake up very early to drop off the girls and then head to the hospital. My stomach is flip flopping just thinking of those first moments - filling out the little questionnaire, getting your bloodwork and IV put in, feeling the first contractions consume your body - changing very quickly from charming little constrictions of the abdominal muscles to the intense gnawing at your core, and the welcome visit from the anesthesiologist who brings a bittersweet mix of bee stings, popping pressure in the spine, and the release from pain as the meds slowly travel through the body. If history repeats itself, it will be only a short time after that when that primal force will transition our lives from pregnancy to parenthood once more. Each time it is no less amazing than the first, no less miraculous.

I hope I can sleep.

New things for you...

A belly shot and a ticker, too.

Closer than you think....

In fact, up until yesterday, closer than WE thought. I had an appointment yesterday with some high blood pressure, so the doctor was a bit concerned. Jack's heartrate was up in the 180s (usually more like 140-150). She had me rest and re-checked it, then sent me on my merry way when it went down.

Jack's head is "right there" - he reacted to the cervical check by turning his head back and forth as if to say "Hey, someone else is in here!" (per Dr. M). I am now dilated to 3cm and "highly favorable" for an induction, which she and I agreed to move up a bit to Saturday morning. She'll be working a 24 hour shift on Saturday and I've abandoned the notion that Jack MUST be born in August. It will be nice having here there, on staff, the entire time we're admitted (barring any major complications). At least if I need additional pain management or have any questions or concerns crop up, she will already be there just outside the room.

At this point, I'm just anxious to have him in my arms and to know that we are all safe and healthy. Things are falling into place at home. It's hard to do the little things - even cooking or planning a meal. I want to just get take-out all the time. You know that feeling when you've cleaned your house and you're going to have a party so you can't possibly mess it up again before then? That's the feeling - times a hundred. But, we're trying to stay home and eat what we have here so that we'll be able to get takeout or convenience foods next week when we REALLY need them.

I've been having a lot of contractions today (and yesterday). Dr. M. stripped my membranes yesterday at the visit and it definitely stirred up a little activity, but I don't think it's going to send me into full blown labor. The bags are packed and in the car, ready to go. The "It's a Boy" hand-outs are ready to go. We still aren't 100% on the names, but time will tell. J is the only one in disagreement at this point, so I think team estrogen will persevere. But, we'll see. I had to run out today and get a new Boppy, since they seem to smoosh down every time you use them and I need as much arm support as possible to nurse. We also grabbed some bread/milk/juice at the store, to be sure we were stocked up. I was lucky enough to have time to get my haircut, highlighted, and brows waxed. I may actually even feel HUMAN after he's born - not to mention LOOK human in the pictures. I hope. Tonight we'll watch a movie from Blockbuster home delivery, and try to relax. I think there are still a few things to be washed in preparation, and then we could stand to be sure everything is properly packed in my bag again. But, that's that. I just need something to keep my mind off contractions and on getting through to Saturday!

I'm about over it

I have to gripe - because my kids don't care and my poor, sweet, sympathetic husband hears about it all the time - so I'm just going to get it off my chest and then try to sleep.

I'm about over it. I want to cherish these last days/weeks - I want to hide Jack from the world and relish in every kick. I want to sit and daydream about what life will be like when he's here and sit in wonder at the size of my swelling belly.

And, yet, the truth is - I'm miserable. I'm sick of it. I'm tired of being tired - I'm sick of being in pain. I want to sleep! I want to lay in bed without fifteen pillows strategically positioned under my belly, behind my back, between my legs, propping me up. I want to walk up the steps without having to stop halfway to catch my breath, or feel my knees buckling beneath me. I want to lay in bed and not have to pee the second I get comfortable. I want to sit in a chair at the end of the day, then walk across my kitchen floor without limited range of motion in my feet because they're so swollen it's like they're inflated. I want to drive down the street, or sit in the bed, without watching the clock struggling to remember exactly when that last contraction was - how long it has been - and when the next one would come. I want to not feel the pressure radiate to my back, wondering if the baby is posterior and if it will cause back labor. I want to go to sleep at night and not wonder if *this* trip to the bathroom will be the one that is preceded by a gush of fluid, and not wonder constantly what traffic is like on the bridge. I want to send J off to work without the concern that he won't make it home in time for the birth, much less time to get the kids somewhere *and* me to the hospital.

And, sometimes, when I'm sitting alone or soaking in the tub, I want to be pregnant forever - and never have to return to life without the magic that is carrying a child. Not have to return to life with stretched skin and wilted muscles and that empty feeling that all is quiet and still within.

37 weeks and beginning to dilate!

There you have it, folks - it DOES get bigger than last picture! Can you believe it?

Had a good doctor appointment today. I feel so blessed to have found such an awesome obstetrician and her support staff makes it so great. I'm actually a little sad to think that I won't be seeing these women regularly after Jack is born. But, I think I'll be busy enough to manage somehow. :)

She checked progress today and all the aches and pains aren't in vain - I am dilating already and she was happy to announce that I was at 2 centimeters. This is a big difference from the last pregnancy, where I was "thick, high, and closed" all the way until the pitocin drip was put in. However, this also means things could go VERY quickly from here. Last delivery I went from 4cm to 10cm in about 20 minutes. Yikes! Hopefully we'll have some advanced warning before we get to that point, though. I keep halfway expecting to feel a gush every time I hoist myself out of bed in the middle of the night. So, we shall see. The doctor said she'll see me next week, if I make it to that point.

Miserable with fat feet

Look at the size of those feet - and where did my ankles go??? Yep - that's the joy of my pregnancy right now. When I wake up they're like that, too. I sometimes can barely feel the floor beneath my feet because they're so swollen. My OB refers to them as "Fred Flintstone" feet. :)

I can squeeze into one pair of shoes and they're stretched-out flip flops! And yes, my nails are blue - all of ours are (well, all members of the family who are female). We did pink for baby girls, so we thought it would be fun to do blue. This is OPI something Azure.

While we're at it - did you ever wonder what pitting edema looked like? It's a lovely condition where when the skin is depressed it stays indented for some time as the fluid is moved away from that spot.

Here is the profile of my left puffy foot before pressing


And after

Nesting, Nesting, Nesting....never resting...

So much to do, so little time. Although the days are creeping by at a snail's pace, it seems that there isn't enough time in the day or enough days in the week to accomplish everything on my growing list.

A big part of my nesting has been mentally preparing meals (and ideas) for the coming months. Last week we went to the bakery and got 18 bagels, which are sliced and frozen individually downstairs - blueberry and chocolate chip for the kids (and the big kid!), multigrain and asiago for me. Yesterday I baked six loaves of quick breads for easy breakfasts and snacks, so those are in the freezer as well.

I've looked into Meal Makers (one of those make-ahead meal places) but for $18-$24 an entree, I think I can do it much better (and healthier) myself. If only I had the time and energy to do so. I did manage to start soaking some navy beans today for White Bean Chicken Chili, and we'll freeze that. But it will be hot - so I don't think we'll be wanting soups and stews. If only I could make fruit salad and pasta salad ahead of time. That sounds wonderful right now!

3 weeks until we meet our boy!

...and growing

35 weeks and 2 days - exactly four weeks from now we will be on our way to meet Jack!

The day is near

After much discussion with my OB, we have agreed it would be best to induce labor. In light of the fact that my last one was born in an hour from the first little cramp until she was out, it's just too risky to wait until spontaneous labor. I very well could end up delivering in the car, or not making it in at all. With J working 30 minutes away, and the bridge traffic as it is now, we can barely make it to the river within an hour of notification. So, we know the day our boy will be joining our family and cannot wait to see him!

(And, if you missed the edit to the Name Game post - we've decided to go back to the drawing board on the middle names. Sooo - his name will definitely be Jackson, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine!)

It keeps growing, and growing, and growing...

(See updated pic in the July post!) :)

Thought it was time to do another belly pic today (33 weeks, 1 day) and had a little fun in iPhoto with it and some older pics. It's hard to believe time has gone by so quickly. The first photo was taken on St. Patrick's Day (hence, wearing Daddy's "Dublin" tee shirt). It's long past and July 4th is approaching quickly.

With all the bridge work going on, I'm getting rather nervous that we'll even make it to the hospital in time. Our last OB visit took an hour and fifteen minutes just to get there. Add to that Daddy's commute of 30 minutes and we're looking at a van-birth somewhere on the side of the highway.

The whole crew is going out to tour the hospital this coming weekend, which should be fun. We're still trying to decide which hospital Jack will make his arrival from (assuming we make it to a hospital at all) :)

32 weeks - a peek into his crowded world

Well, I've been informed that I haven't been keeping up, so I thought I'd add Jack's newest pictures.

We are not doing a whole lot right now. I've been going to physical therapy for some horrible pain in my hip and pelvis, which doesn't seem to be working if you'd ask me at this very moment. I have to wear an SI-LOC brace, too, but it drives me nuts because I can't go to the bathroom with it on - and well, at 32 weeks that's about every fifteen seconds, on average. I managed to somehow squeak out three passing values on my glucose tolerance test, so I am free and clear of that label! Yay! Other than that, not a lot going on - just the typical aches and pains of pregnancy - reflux, sleeplessness, sciatica, etc.

The girls are getting so excited and can't wait for him to join the family. They recently had their dance recital and will be taking some time off from classic dance classes for the summer and just doing a few fun ones to keep in touch with friends.

Enough with us - let's get to the chubbster.

This is the 3D/4D ultrasound from www.gatewayultrasound.com - Julie works at my OB's office and she's a riot. We had far too much fun during this and Jack wasn't too cooperative, so this is the best we could get. They offered to have me come back this week sometime to see if he'd do better, but it's such a long drive. This is the picture I refer to as the "Uncle Fester" pic - you know, duh duh duh duht Uncle Fester? Anwyay - he looks like he's all smooshed up in there, face pressed against glass. This is the funny one. But you do get a good view of his perfect cupid's bow lips, and he looks so much like his sisters.


And then we have three of these, where his thumb keeps getting closer and closer to his mouth. I think he'll be a thumb-sucker (or whole fist sucker if he takes after his Dad, according to my Mother-in-Law, who managed to get his fists in his mouth right after he was born). But he sure is cute! You can see his little button nose here: