Monday, September 28, 2009

Wk recap, 9 wk highlights, Jr sleeping 9 1/2 hrs!

I think someone has hit the fast forward button in my life ever since Jacob has arrived. It seems like I take a deep breath at the end of the day and then fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow, only to wake up the next morning and realize another week has almost gone by. I can’t believe my last post was last Monday; wow, has a lot of stuff gone by since then. Nonetheless, mommy world is awesome and I feel so incredibly blessed each and everyday for my sweet little family.

Wednesday was kind of a sad day because Nancy had to head back to WA. I really enjoyed her being here to help out and just seeing her with Jacob was priceless. I can’t count the times when I saw Grandma and Jacob snuggling together and could just see the presence of God in the room. What a wonder picture! It’s always nice to have an extra pair of helping hands, especially now since Adam only has one arm. She helped in so many ways and I’ll be forever grateful for everything she did. It’s always hard on me when family leaves, because it’s just a reminder of how far away our family lives. However, I always give thanks that we live as close as we do (knowing that we could be in NY or somewhere way out on the east coast). We really appreciated her coming down to help out and I think her and A had some really good mother/son bonding time too (just an added bonus). Wednesday was another busy day for Jacob; we met A for lunch at HuHot, took a stroll through the neighborhood, and headed to the airport so Grandma Nancy could make her flight. It was quite interesting trying to feed a baby in the stroller while walking through the airport, but some how I managed to give him half the bottle and the rest while Nancy went through security. Both A and I were sad to see Nancy leave, but are anxious about more family coming in November for Thanksgiving, so it gave us something to look forward to as she waved good bye.

Thursday was yet another busy day for Jacob and mommy. After 2 changing pads, 3 diapers, and 3 outfits we finally headed out the door to bible study with the wives. Jacob did wonderful at bible study; he just slept the whole time and took his bottle at the end. Bible study really hit home with me and gave me something I really need to work on. We’re reading the book “Trying to be more like Mary, in a Martha world.” I’m truly a Martha and sometimes (most of the time) forget to be more like Mary. I know I should take the time to smell the roses, rather than think of my to do list and what I’ve accomplished today. Here’s a classic example of me being a Martha and someone else being a Mary, as I was waiting on A and his mom to come out from Cracker Barrel, I actually saw someone take the time to smell the flowers planted out front. As I just sat there and looked at this “Mary” taking the time to “Smell the roses” it was a reminder to me that I need to take time each and every day to smell the roses in my life. Anyway, at bible study we also talked about setting our priorities straight and not forgetting about what is really important in our lives. A is really helpful in helping me to be more Mary like and taking the time for God, him, and Jr is one of the most important things in my life. Thursday night our little “bottomless pit” decided to just keep eating on & off for 5 hrs. It was crazy and it was so peaceful when we finally got him down after 16+oz; what can I say the little guy likes to eat! We’ve come to conclude that the kid eats so much during the day to make up for his night feedings, which is completely fine by his mommy!

Friday night A and I went out for our “date night,” while Tina and Annie watched Jacob. We had a great date night; a movie, dinner, and even ice cream to end our awesome (and much needed) evening together. It was really nice to spend time with just A and have some good quality “us” time.

Saturday we watched college football and went to church for the first time in awhile. We had planned on going last week, but I wasn’t feeling good and Jacob had a rough night so we just stayed home. Before the service Jacob got to meet Pastor Greg and Jon. They’ve been anxiously waiting to meet him and were so happy we brought him by to meet them. We put Jacob in child care, while we enjoyed an awesome service. It never fails, every time the worship music starts my heart gets heavy and I can just feel the presence of God in our lives. To be honest I can’t even describe the feeling that I get in my heart and soul when I hear everyone praising our Lord. “The earth is filled with His glory!!!”

Sunday Jacob went to his first NFL game. We had to be to the dome at 9:45 so A could get his pass to sit up in a box. We sat around talking to James Larinitus’s parents, of whom his dad is known as the “The Animal” from wrestling. A enjoyed talking to him about wrestling. At 11 I fed Jacob in the daycare area and then decided to just leave him there while I went and watched the first half of the game. Jr did really well in daycare and when I came to feed him again at half time he did something that amazed everybody…….he took 9oz. The most Jr has ever taken was 8oz and here he had taken 9. I couldn’t believe it, either could A or the ladies. We headed out to eat with A’s agents after the game. We had to wait on them for quite sometime, but somehow Jr managed to have a good day despite being gone for 9 hours. I gave him his 8:00 feeding (took 9oz again) and we put him down around 9 and he was asleep by 9:15. He then slept till 6:40!!! I had gotten up at 1:00 to pump, slept through my 3:30 alarm and then woke up at 4:30ish. I got up pumped again and watched him on the monitor. He was sound asleep, so I decided to let him sleep till he woke up on his own. The night before he was sound asleep and I woke him up at 5, but given we did have to go anywhere on Monday, I thought why not give it a try. He started wrestling around and woke up about 6:40. I got up, changed him, gave him his paci, and we rocked and slept till 7:15. I was so excited that Jr slept so long and now we can drop the 5 AM feeding.

Today I’ve been busy doing laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, and doing this and that. Jr has been super sleepy today and I think we’re moving him onto a 3 ½ hr schedule now, rather than just 3 hrs. He’s been eating away like usual, but it’s what we expect because he is missing 3 feedings at night.

9 Week Highlights:
-Loves to mouth his fist. Doesn’t care for his paci (we always have to hold it in his mouth or he’ll spit it out), but he sure likes to suck on his fist.
-Smiles all the time. Loves to smile back at you and show off his gums. Is a very happy baby and is always smiling.
-Turns his head to your voice and makes eye contact with you. A was talking to him the other day and Jr was just staring off into space, when all of a sudden he flipped his head and looked at A. He just stared at him and was like, “What are you talking about Daddy!”
-Loves to stair at the ceiling fan and lights.
-Out of all New Born clothes. Need to start moving him into 3-6 month, because 0-3 are starting to be a little snug.
-Moved up to size 1 diapers!
-Went to church for the 1st time. Slept in child care (woke up at the end, but was just content to be held and walked around), while mommy and daddy went to service.
-Went to 1st NFL game, although spent the whole time in daycare. He did really well the whole day and was ready to crash when he finally went down.
-1st time in daycare. Jr did great in daycare. He really enjoys just watching all the kids and stairs at them in amazement.
-Slept from 9:15-6:40!!! Slept 9 1/2 hrs!
-Took 9 oz for the first time (twice in one day). Still averages 6-7 oz.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”-Hebrews 10:35-36

Monday, September 21, 2009

2 month Dr visit!

Today has been quite the busy day for our little trooper. We headed to A's pt this morning, followed by a quick lunch, then to the docs, and finally back home for a peaceful evening.

Jr's 2 month checkup went great and it's always reassuring when the dr tells you, "Keep doing what you're doing because he's healthy and happy. You're doing a great job!" I definitely had a mommy high when I heard that and can see how big my son is getting. Today Jr received another dose of immunizations: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, H. Influenza Type B, Polio, and Strep Pneumonia. He got 2 shots in each leg and then an oral dose of one of them. When the nurses pricked him in each leg, he just froze (in a scream looking face that was beat red) for about 5 seconds and then came the tears and crying. He only cried for a couple minutes and then was happy to have his bottle and be in mommy's arms. The dr said he probably eats so much during the day because he is missing some feedings at night and makes up for them during the day. Dr. H also said that he probably eats the most right before bed, because he knows he's not getting feed for another 7-8 hrs. He said if we wanted to use rice cereal at night in his bottle we could to help fill him up a little more. He didn't strongly recommend it though because Jr is already sleeping through the night and that's what they usually suggest for babies who are still waking up during the night to feed. So after talking about it we've decided that unless we really felt like he needed it, we'll probably wait until at least 4 months to re-introduce it. We also talked to him about how long it takes Jr to eat (sometimes almost an hr) and what we could do to speed the process up. We decided to try a faster flow nipple and see if he would take his feedings a little faster (without drowning the little guy). After we left the dr we headed to Target to grab some new nipples (faster flow) and some baby Tylenol (to help with pain & possible fever from the shots). Jr took a little more of his feeding and the was out until his 5 o'clock feeding. He took just shy of 7 oz and slept again until mommy got him up around 8:15. Grandma gave him a bath and gave him his feeding right before bed time (took 6 oz). It's truly been quite a busy day for our little porker, but as always he did awesome!

Here's the numbers from today: (8 wk 6 day; 2 months)
-Weight: 11 lb (34%)
-Length: 21.5 in (7%)
-Head Circumference: 15.5 in (37%)

Compared to last month: (4 wk 5 day; 1 month)
-Weight: 7 lb 14.5 oz
-Length: 20.5 in
-Head Circumference: 14.4 in

*They measured his length the best they could, but Jr really didn't want to stretch out for the nurse, so who knows exactly how long he is. Nonetheless, he's growing every which way!

Jr 8 wk highlights:
-Holds head up more often and for longer periods of time. When holding him he supports his own head and lifts it off your shoulder. When lying on his belly holds his head up and looks around for a few seconds.
-Loves to look around at everything especially people, lights, and the fan.
-Moves all over his gym on his belly by pushes off something (usually my hand) with his feet.
-Starting to smile a lot more. I love seeing his gummy smile. He'll sometimes smile in response to your smile.
-Eats about 6 oz on average.
-Has turned into our "Noise Machine!" He's always making noise whether it's sleeping, eating, hanging out, pooping, etc., he's always making some type of noise. We call him our "Lil Noise Machine!"
-Started sleeping through the night (8 wk 1 day). Has continued to sleep through the night; if he wakes up early mommy just goes in and gives him his paci and we rock for awhile. He falls asleep almost right away and sleeps till 5. At 5 he only eats about 3-4oz and then goes back to sleep until 8.
-Tried fast flow nipple for the first time. Liked one kind, but didn't really care for the other kind. I think we'll keep to the one fast flow nipple; it really seemed to help tonight in speeding up his feeding.
-Started going to pt with daddy.
-Received immunizations. Did fairly well and only cried for a couple of minutes.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. -James 1: 17

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sleeping through the night!

Oh so much to talk about, now where to begin.....let's start with what Jr has been up to.

Recently Jr has begun to fight a new battle, "The battle of the arm." Jr is attempting to get himself onto his side, except there's a problem.....the other arm is getting stuck. It could be awhile before he figures out how to get it under himself and roll over. I've never seen a baby work so hard and be so determined to move himself. I love his determination to conquer this challenge; a true characteristic of who he is (something he gets from his mommy and daddy).

Jr is sleeping through the night! I can't believe it our 8 wk old son sleeps from 9:30ish to 5:00! Wednesday was the first night he slept through the night and has continued thus far. After he had another bottomless pit night where he ate just shy of 8oz, we put him down right around 10 and he slept till 5. I set my alarm to get up and pump at 1:30. I pumped and headed back to bed. When I woke up I felt like I needed to pump and go the bathroom and then Jr started to cry. I couldn't figure out what was going on, because I thought it hadn't even been an hour since I'd done all of those things. I grabbed my watch only to then realize it was 5 in the morning. I jumped for joy after figuring out what was going on. After I fed him about 4oz he fell asleep again and slept till 8. So our new routine begins: last feeding 8:30, change, then to bed, wake up at 5 change and feed, then sleep till 8 and start our day.

Thursday morning my mom called me on her way to work to tell me about her and my dad's night. She explained to me how the state patrol had called my dad and told him they needed him to come down to my brother's pivot. They told my dad they couldn't explain it over the phone, but really needed him to get over there. Everything was racing through my parents mind to why the state patrol needed them to come over to the field. Was it an accident, fugitive loose, or the end gun hitting the road, what could it be? When they finally got to the field there were about 7 state troopers and a helicopter flying around. The state patrol man then explained to my dad that some people had been growing marijuana in my brother's field. They took out four rows of corn the length of the pivot and planted weed in place. My brother than took care of the weed not even knowing it by watering and spraying it. Only in rural NE would something like this happen. My parents couldn't believe that less than a mile from their house were people growing marijuana; it's kind of scary.

Thursday Jacob got to meet all the ladies at bible study. I'm excited about this year's study; it should be quite interesting because we have some nonbelievers so their insight on things should be interesting. After study it was off to PT. Jr does wonderful with us taking him everywhere and we couldn't ask for anything else from him.

Friday was quite the busy day for baby Jacob. We started the day off by heading to daddy's PT, which he started on Wednesday. We'll have to take him every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was then a rush to get home, pump and leave for lunch with the girls. Shannon J is expecting in Nov and her husband was recently released from the team; however we didn't get to throw her a shower before all of this happened. She insisted that she didn't want a shower, so we agreed that a lunch with some of the wives would be fun. It was so nice to visit with everybody and talk about babies. Molly brought Georgia, who is 2 days younger than Jr is, so it was fun seeing them together. Georgia kept staring at Jr, but Jr wanted nothing to do with her. I'm sure this won't be the case for long. By the time we got home Jr was shot and mommy felt terrible for dragging him everywhere. He was a little restless, but after a good solid feeding he was doing a little better. We went out to Red Robin for supper and topped the night off with some ice cream.

Saturday we spent the day watching college football and relaxing. The Huskers lost, so it was kind of a sad day. Overall though it was a great day with my son, hubby, and mil.

Today I woke up with a terrible stomach ache and really did not feel well. I'm finally starting to feel better and am really glad I decided to take it easy today.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”-Philippians 2:1-2

Monday, September 14, 2009

A recovering & 7 wk highlights

I can't believe Jr will be 8 wks old tomorrow! Time is going by so fast and before I know it he'll be sitting up and crawling around. That's going to be so crazy to even see him roll over.

Saturday was a great day. I had a fun day with Jacob and really enjoyed some mommy and son time. We watched college football all day long and just hung out together. He's really one of the greatest gifts God has given me. The love I have for my son is unconditional and something I can't even explain. I can now fully understand how God the Father loves each one of his children (us) so much. Saturday night PJ & A finally made it back home. Nancy also flew in Saturday night. She's here for 11 days to help out around the house. It's been nice to have an extra pair of helping hands to help with the baby and A. We finally got A's meds changed today in hopes that he won't get sick anymore. Since he's been home the nausea hasn't let up and today he felt terrible. I really hope this new medicine helps A's pain, but without the nausea feeling. I feel so bad for him, and hate when there's nothing I can do for him.

I've gone back to pumping every 2 hrs during the day and every 3 hrs during the night. I'm slowly getting my extra supply up (to store in the fridge) and some how manage to feed my hungry hippo his 6-7 oz that he wants at almost every feeding. I tried rice cereal in his bottle Friday night in hopes that it would help fill him up a little more, however it didn't work quite as planned. I'm going to call the dr tomorrow and see what I can do for any possible supplementing (without using formula). I'm also going to ask him about my supply and what I can do so it meets baby J's demands. Jacob is really starting to fill out in his legs, belly, and head. It's so exciting for me to see him grow out of his "newborn" clothes. I still can't believe how much he eats some times. I really think he's going to be big like his daddy and uncles.

Today Jacob threw up his 11:00 feeding all over himself and me; poor guy and poor mommy. Obviously something upset his stomach, which wasn't a surprise considering my stomach has been upset lately. Nonetheless, his next feeding he ate just under 7 oz and probably would have ate more, but I didn't want everything to come back up again. At least the rest of the day everything has stayed down.

It's been really strange having A around this past week. It was even stranger to watch the Rams play yesterday with him. The Rams not only lost, they didn't even score. I really hope this year goes better then the past 2 years have gone.

Jr 7 wk highlights:
-Went on first big trip out of state. Traveled to Houston for daddy's surgery.
-1st airplane ride. He did wonderful and never fussed the whole way.
-1st time staying in a hotel. Slept in his stroller and didn't seem to mind it.
-Met Grandma Carriker for the first time. She came to help out since daddy had surgery and only has one operating arm right now.
-1st time had rice cereal threw his bottle. He seemed to like it a lot. I only did Friday and Saturday night. I want to talk to the dr before I keep doing it.
-Holds his head up for long periods of time.
-Continues to grab at everything.
-Moves his arms like crazy. Doesn't matter if he's feeding, hanging out, or sleeping, his hands are always up and usually moving.
-Goes down at 9:00ish and wakes up at 2:15-30ish for a feeding, then back to bed until 7:00ish.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”-Philippians 2:1-2

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Trip back from Houston & rice cereal

I don't even know where to begin....let's just say yesterday was a very stressful day for Phil, A, Jacob and myself. A said it was probably the worst day of his life.

The day started off great and eventually ended well, but the middle was a mess. I got up around 6 so I could pump, get myself ready, get baby ready, and then head over to meet PJ and A. I got to A's room around 7:15. They were still sleeping, but Jr soon woke them up with all his squeaks and moans. I finished feeding Jr and put him in his stroller so we could finish eating breakfast and get ready to be discharged. About 5 min after I put him in his stroller, he threw up (projectile vomit-it went a couple feet). It got on everything: stroller, car seat, him, etc. PJ and I got it all cleaned up and got Jr changed into outfit #2. For a child that rarely spits up, this was a shock to A and I. Jr had been having diarrhea for about three days, so after this happened I called the dr to see what we should do. I was told to change a couple things in my diet, watch him carefully, and if he spikes a temp I need to take him in. He never did spike a temp or threw up anymore, thank goodness.

A had been in a lot of pain the day before, through the night, and then that morning. They kept giving him meds, but they didn't seem to be helping very much. Nonetheless, we got him discharged from the hospital and headed to the Dr's office for PT. Then came a whirlwind of events: getting A's Rx filled, pumping in a PT office, A throwing up, changing flights for the guys, etc. PJ & I decided it would be best if Jr and I headed back home and for him and A to come back on Saturday. They got A readmitted to the hospital after they got the run around and had a somewhat relaxing evening. Somehow I managed a stroller, car seat, backpack, diaper bag, one big bag, and a 7 1/2 wk old all by myself at the airport. It was a rush at the airport, because I didn't have much time before the flight took off. With what time I did have I pumped, fed child, and managed to feed myself. The flight went well and I was so happy when I finally got home. Jr did awesome during the flight; he just slept the whole way in mommy's arms. He took his paci going up and ate a little on the way down. It was so nice of some people at the airport to offer me a hand. I managed it by myself, but it was nice to see people being so kind. Oh ya, we went through 4 different outfits; good thing I always pack extra!

Tina and Annie came over last night to watch Jr for awhile so I could unpack, start some laundry, and shower. After they left Jr had quite the evening. He was a bottomless pit that would scream if he wasn't being fed. I think part of the reason he was like this was because we had to snack feed all day, because we didn't want him to throw up a whole feeding again, so by the end of the day he was super hungry and wanted food! Well I didn't have any milk stored up (he's eaten everything, even the frozen milk), so after nursing for quite some time and feeding what milk I did have, I finally decided it was time to try some rice cereal. Bob, bless his heart, ran to the store for me to pick up some rice cereal. We mixed it with some breast milk and gave it to Jr. He chugged the 1 1/2 oz that we gave him, so I gave him a little more. I finally put him down around 10:45ish. He woke up at 2:30, ate a little and then went back down till morning.

Today he's been awesome and I think really happy to be back into a normal routine. Even while we were in Houston, I kept to the schedule as best I could, which in turn made both of our lives more enjoyable. I've managed to get some things done around the house and even had time to blog....amazing! PJ & A are suppose to get back tonight around 8. I can't wait to have A back home and to be taking care of both of my babies'! PJ has been a real blessing to us and we really couldn't have done this trip without him.

Overall, Jr did awesome on the trip and we couldn't have asked for a better baby the whole time. I wish A wouldn't have gotten so sick and I pray this is the last time we have to go through this type of thing. I somehow managed to keep Jr fed and happy the whole time; yeah for mommy's sanity. I pumped in an air plane bathroom, airport bathroom, and some PT room. I'm finally back ahead of the breastfeeding game and now have some milk in the fridge, so Jr can eat his 6 oz at every feeding. I think I'll still give him some rice cereal in his last feeding and see how he does through the night.

Now its off to fold laundry, pump, and try to get anything else done that I can before Jr wakes up from his nap (which he's taking in his crib). YEAH!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”-Philippians 4:4

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Pumping every 2 hrs and trip to Houston

Jr had a little rough evening on Saturday, but an amazing night. Once he fell asleep around 9:30-10:00, he slept until 3:00 (with no soothing techniques from mommy)! I found myself looking at the clock every 2 hrs wondering when he would wake up considering the evening we had with him. And then once 3:00 rolled around he woke up and was ready to be fed. On Friday I started pumping every 2 hrs around the clock, in hopes that my milk supply will soon meet Jr's demands. I continued this till Wednesday when we left for Houston.

Sunday was full of doing this and that. I told myself I was going to take it easy, but yet again I was a busy body and feel completely worn out at night. Jr had a pretty good day and loved hanging out with Uncle PJ & Auntie Shannon. Friday was the first time he got to meet any of his aunt and uncles.

We now have a tent in our room. It looks like A decided he wanted a fort in our room, so he moved the bed and put up a huge tent thing in our room. Anyway, this tent is from CAT (Colorado Altitude Training) and is suppose to help with A’s training and recovery. It usually goes around the bed, but since A is going to have to sleep in 2 chairs pushed together we put it around them for now.

It's been supper nice just having some extra hands around to help hold and feed baby Jacob, since mommy is on a 10 min date every 2 hrs with her lovely pump. If I wasn't so pro breastfeeding there is probably no chance I would still be doing this. I think the other thing that helps me is that I like to conquer things and this is just something I'm going to have to tackle straight on. It's been a lot of work, especially for something that is suppose to be so natural, but in the end I know it'll be worth it. It is the best thing for baby Jacob and therefore I will do whatever it takes.

Our schedule kind of went something like this when I was pumping every 2 hrs, now I’m just pumping every 3 hrs (around the clock still so I have some stored up) right around his feedings: wake up at 7:00, pump and hold Jr off till 8:00 for his first feeding, waketime followed by a nap (usually 1:30), pump at 9:00, pump & feed at 11:00, waketime followed by a nap, pump at 1:00, feed at 2:00, waketime followed by a nap, pump at 3:00, pump & feed at 5:00, tries to nap a little but usually stays awake longer, pump 7:00, feed 8-8:30, put down for the night, pump 9:00, pump 11:00, pump 1:00, pump & feed 3:00, pump 5:00 and repeat! A wholes day work for mommy and baby Jr.

Most of Monday was spent doing laundry, packing, and cleaning the house. Packing a seven week old took longer than expected, who knows how many wipes, diapers, clothes, etc. you’re going to go through?!

Jr turned 7 wks on Tuesday and had quite the eventful day. We headed to Houston for A’s surgery. Jr did amazing on the flight; we were sooooo happy not to be the parents with the child who cried the whole trip! We meet with the dr and had quite the run around with the Rams and getting the MRI A had done. They said they couldn’t send it and wouldn’t pay for another one, so we weren’t even sure if A was going to have surgery on Wednesday or not. The dr was really professional and said he really wanted to see an MRI of A’s shoulder and not just go in and look around. In the end the Rams said it was ok to have another MRI done.

Wednesday A headed to get an MRI late morning and PJ arrived around 11:30ish. PJ & I headed to lunch; we ended up running into A after we were done. He told us he was headed to surgery, so off we went to the surgery waiting area. After they got A all ready we headed back to the OR prep room. A & I headed back to where they were going to start his IV, while PJ stayed with Jr in the waiting area. I stayed with A for awhile and then headed to take care of some mommy duties (pumping and feeding). The dr came out and said, “Everything went well. It just took awhile to wrestle the bear, but after digging through all of his muscles we fixed him up.” They fixed his Labrum via scope and then cut him open to fix the subscap. We got him situated in his room after only an hour or so in recovery. PJ stayed with A through the night and Jr and I headed back to the motel. It’s a really nice facility that connects the hospital with a motel and some other things, so you never have to walk outside.

Today we’ve just been hanging out in A’s room and taking it easy. The agents came by and were here for a couple of hours. It’s been nice to just have some down time. A seems to be recovering pretty well and Jr continues to be amazing, so of course mommy is all smiles today. We’re headed back home tomorrow; I really hope traveling goes well.

Week 6 highlights:

Jr is only waking up 1 time during the night. We usually put him down around 9:00-:30 ish, he usually wakes up around 3:00 eats 5 oz or so and goes back to sleep. I can’t wait till we drop all his night feedings; however I won’t complain about a 6 ½ wk old waking only once during the night.

Jr is really starting to grab onto things, which means no more necklaces for the next 2 years! He especially likes to hold my finger when he's being fed. The smiles and alertness keep coming more often everyday. He's really a great baby and I feel so blessed every time I hold my precious peanut!

He’s averaging between 5-7 oz. He has had a lot of bottomless pit feedings this week; I guess he wants to grow big like his daddy.

"Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting." ~ Author Unknown

Saturday, September 5, 2009

A surgery & Jr only 1 night feeding

So life threw us a curve ball Thursday night, A was injured in his first game this year. Jr and I stayed home, while Adam played in his first preseason game; however, it was the last preseason game for the team. Into the third quarter he was taking on an o-lineman when he heard popping in his shoulder. He knew exactly what had happened, because it had happened his first year except it was the other shoulder. I learned of the news after the game when I was talking to A to see how he played, since it wasn't on TV like it said it was going to be.

Friday he had an MRI done and they concluded that he will need surgery on his subscapularis muscle (which suffered a 75% tear). We're all in good spirits, but it's definitely a downer for the season. A will most likely have surgery at the end of next week either in AL or TX, depending on which dr we decide to go with. The plus side of all of this is we've been through it before, so we know what to expect. Also, another positive is that he will be home a lot more and will be able to really watch Jr grow these next couple months.

Friday night Jr took only one feeding during the night. He slept from 9:30-3:00! I fed him 6oz at 8:30 and put him down at 9:30. My goal was for him to last until 3, of which I would then feed him again and hope he'd last till at least 7:30. He woke up at 12:30, but after a diaper change, paci, and some rocks with mom he was out. Somehow we made it till 3:00, which I was impressed by especially when he woke up earlier then I expected. At 3:00 I fed him 5oz and back to bed he went till about 6:45 this morning. I got up and did my best to pacify him till 8:00, which really wasn't that hard as soon as he fell asleep. I'm really hoping tonight goes just as well as last night did.

Last night PJ & Shannon got here really late and will be staying through Monday. Today we've been taking it easy watching college football and enjoying each others company!

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”-Psalm 119: 130

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Successful naps and catching up on things

So every time I go to finish what I've been writing, mommy duty calls and I'm left to finish my blog during the next nap. So here I am Thursday afternoon trying to finish what I started days ago. Welcome to motherhood Angie!

Nonetheless here's yet another quick recap of what we've been up to:

Saturday- Today we really started to notice how Jr lifts his head and holds it up for awhile. He is really taking in the whole world and watching his eyes focus on different objects simply amuses me. I love watching him grow and experience the world for the first time. Tonight was the last night I would have help during the night shift. My mom has been a true blessing and such a big help around here. I'm really going to miss her when she leaves.

Sunday- My mom left today; it was hard to see her leave. Having my mom around this past week and half has been great. She was so much help in so many ways and I'll forever be grateful for everything she has done for Jr, Adam, and I. It was nice to have some mother/daughter time too. I really wish I could tell her how much it meant having her here to help us out, but I just can't find the words to explain how thankful I am for all that she has done and does for my family. Jr and I had a pretty good afternoon together and A got home around 5:30. It's so nice to have him back on a normal in season schedule; no more 14 hour days and getting home at 8:30...YEAH!

Monday- Today was the 1st day of Mommy and Jacob since my mom left. He had a pretty good day. I had the proud mommy feeling today, because Jr took 2 successful naps in his crib! Oh ya, hour and a half naps to boot! I was so excited that I was able to lay down for a little bit and even managed to get quite a bit done around the house. He's finally taking normal naps and is not staying awake for 3 plus hours. I'm so thankful we figured out why he was acting the way he was. I started working out today. Tina came over and watched Jr for me while I went to the gym. It was nice to get away for awhile and go break a good workout sweat (not a night sweat)! Overall my day was considered a success because Jr had a good day!

Tuesday- Jacob turned 6 wks today! Jr took two successful naps in his crib again!!! I finally feel like we're getting back into a routine, which is key for my sanity now days. Once A got home and after I got a much needed back massage, we were off to HuHot's for a family outing. Jr did great and had his first bottle in the car seat on our way home. Luckily I had planned accordingly and brought a bottle I just had pumped, knowing that when 3 hrs hits he is ready to eat. It was quite interesting feeding him in the car seat and trying to eat my ColdStone's ice cream a the same time, all while A dealt with rush hour traffic. I talked to Cass about her whole baby story and it was fun comparing notes about both of our experiences. I can't wait to watch our little guys grow up together and to keep comparing mommy notes as they grow. Jr had another bottomless pit night. He took 4 oz from a bottle, then I gave him another oz I had pumped. He still acted hungry so I heated up a half oz, gobbled that down, so I did another half, and down that went. I finally let him nurse awhile and put him down at 10:30. I think he probably ate around 6 1/2 oz! He slept fairly well waking up at 2 and 5. I'm really hoping to drop one of these feedings this coming week; I guess we'll see what Jr thinks of that idea next week?!

Wednesday- A got home around noonish and then his marketing agent came by for a little bit to see the baby and do some work. Yet another day of successful naps; Jr and I are on a roll. A had to go to the hotel tonight, which means its the first official night of just Jr and mommy. A has a game tomorrow night and won't get home till around 11-12 tomorrow. My parents and I figured out how to use Skype, so I was able to talk and see them last night. It was really neat and I think they're going to enjoy being able to see their grandson almost every day.

Thursday- Today is going pretty good thus far. Jr woke up at 1 and 4:30 and took 3 oz from a bottle each time. Then decided to wake up at 6:30, so Jr and I snuggled till his 8 o'clock feeding, and went for a walk. After his 11 feeding, he went down for a nap and I was able to shower, work on my blog, bills, pictures, etc.. I seem to cram a lot of things into his hour and a half naps! The time goes by so quickly. A has a game tonight and I won't be there. It kills me not being able to go, but we decided it was the best decision for both Jr and I. Considering it's a night game, we really didn't want to screw up his schedule that we are working so hard to establish and I didn't really want to be out late if I was going to have to get up during the middle of the night. My neighbor is coming over tonight to watch Jr for a little bit, just to give me a break and allow me to be baby free for a couple hours.

Jr 5 wk notes:
-Lifts his head and holds it up on his own while looking at something. Only for a couple of seconds, but he's really starting to take in the whole world piece by piece.

-Likes to grab onto things especially clothes, hair, bottle, paci and fingers. As soon as he figures out his hands and fingers he'll be able to hold onto his own bottle and probably won't let you take it away.

-Beginning to really smile and show off his gummy smile.

-Has excellent hearing. Startles at sudden noises and turns toward sounds.

-Starting to really recognize mommy's sound and face.

-Is cooing, grunting, etc all the time, but especially when he sleeps.

-Taking hour and a half naps during the day.

-Took first nap on stomach, in his crib, and loved it.

-Eating 4-6 oz per feeding.

-Ate 6 1/2oz at one feeding! The most he's ever eaten thus far.

-Started giving a pumped bottle at almost every feeding so we know how much he's getting.

-Is starting to grow out of his newborn clothes.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”-1 Corinthians 6: 19-20