tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36088000916687819352024-03-13T21:27:29.077-05:00The HarnessesMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-10774894548825904642017-01-09T14:27:00.000-06:002017-01-09T14:27:42.766-06:00Ingrid: 5 months* adding pictures soon<br />
<br />
I will never get over this baby. I know I gush over her constantly, and I'll probably never stop. She's beautiful, sweet, fun, easy, and 100% what dreams are made of. She can roll both ways, and can sit up for a tiny amount of time on her own. She smiles all the time, and is easy to make laugh. Her favorite is still when I just sit and talk to her. She beams! She's finally showing some interest in her toys, and she's catching up on her growing. She's a little over 14 lbs, and she wears size 2 diapers and 0-3/3-6 month clothing depending on what it is and where it's from.<br />
<br />
She has been on a routine her whole life. I know I talk about baby routines a lot, but it's because it is my key to sanity and I think in lots of ways the key to better sleep. Right around 4 months, Ingy started increasing her wake time, which meant a shorter nap because I was consistently having to wake her up to keep her fed every 3 hours. I could tell her needs were changing, but wasn't sure exactly what move to make. At 4 months, I decided to try a 4 hour routine with her to see how she did. It's exactly what she needed! She eats better because she's hungry, she still naps really well, and I'm not having to wake her up to feed her. She's able to stay awake however long she wants and still get a sufficient nap. She sleeps 8-8 with no wake-ups. Here's her routine:<br />
<br />
8:00- eat (She almost always wakes up 8:00, although sometimes before and sometimes after)<br />
9:30/45- nap<br />
12:00- wake and eat<br />
1:30/45- nap (For both kids, every single day)<br />
4:00- wake and eat<br />
5:30 or 6:00- catnap (usually 30 mins or so)<br />
7:30- eat and in bed sometime between then and 8:00<br />
<br />
As she extends her wake times a little more, her naps will be a little shorter. We soak her up and wear her out during her wake times, that's for sure! She is loving her toys, especially her little crinkly doll and sophie the giraffe. She wants everything in her mouth. She's obsessed with Owen, who now loves giving her hugs and kisses. She laughs out loud at the smallest things (like me telling her "hey!"), and I love it. She still has the brightest smile in the universe and is an easier baby than I could have even dreamed up. She sleeps swaddled with her arms out. We tried just a sleep sack and she did great, but I can tell she prefers the tightness of a swaddle on her chest, so we usually use the Halo or a Summer Infant one and just secure it under her arms. She still loves baths, still puts herself to sleep as soon as we lay her down, and is still stealing our hearts.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-79109205523328291822016-11-04T15:38:00.002-05:002016-11-06T13:24:56.951-06:00Owen: 2.5 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlXFwfsqgjS7N_ZvIKM4sOMVbUj9C7WaP1SwIGMwdz3TEb2gCCEFNiX1-VMdSq1DlXHz9Ozt4qAduCal4GwOw67lIlbGT45i00rY3P3HT78dSZQVimC2WECopeuQyWuHjpNBL9S3TL9E/s1600/Harness9colorweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlXFwfsqgjS7N_ZvIKM4sOMVbUj9C7WaP1SwIGMwdz3TEb2gCCEFNiX1-VMdSq1DlXHz9Ozt4qAduCal4GwOw67lIlbGT45i00rY3P3HT78dSZQVimC2WECopeuQyWuHjpNBL9S3TL9E/s400/Harness9colorweb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Two
and a half came with the force of a raging rhino. Owen is
simultaneously syrupy sweet and deathly spicy. If you don't understand
that sentence, you probably don't know him well. Let's just say that
Owen is a good 7-10 on the Richter Scale. I remember praying that he
would have those qualities, and there is no denying that he does. My
prayer these days sounds a little less like "please let him have a
strong will" and more like "Lord, help him channel that for good and not
for harm." He chooses to obey <i>mooost </i>of the time; I want to be
clear that having a strong will is not synonymous with being
disobedient, although yes he does choose to disobey often enough. He's
also extremely independent. Yes, like a typical toddler, he wants to do
things for himself. He is independent in that way, but he is truly an
independent person. He plays by himself like a champion. Sometimes I
wonder if he even cares that I'm home. He doesn't need anybody to
entertain him or be with him or do anything for him. He loves to be
around others, but he has fun by himself, too. He explores and figures
things out for himself. He will go upstairs by himself and just play and
play. He has been this way his whole life! (I do play with him, I
promise.)<br />
<br />
He is smart. Ridiculously smart. He knows a
million words and says them well. I'm blown away by how clearly he
speaks; sometimes in the middle of a conversation I have to pause and
remind myself that he is only two because it feels like I'm talking to
someone much older. It is my favorite thing! I couldn't wait for the day
when we could have conversations. We now can, and I am here to report
that he never, ever, ever stops talking. Ever. If he runs out of things
to say, he'll fill the silence by saying "I am talking!" It's hilarious,
sweet, and sometimes annoying. A few things I want to remember... he
thinks the verb associated with scissors is "sharp." Example: "Mama, I
don't want you to sharp yourself, okay?" "Don't sharp me!" "Are you
sharping that paper?" He also thinks the verb associated with a broom is
"brooming." "Mama are you broomin'?" I also love how he says "mines"
instead of "mine," every single time. Other things that I think are
cute: For some unknown reason, I always ask "Owen, are you crazy pants?"
and every single time, his response is "no, Ingy is crazy pants." Ha!
He tells on Ryan and me: "Mama, I wanted to ___ and my dad said no!" He
always says "<i>my</i> mama" and "<i>my</i> dad." Precious. When we act
excited to see him or be around him, he feels like the king of the
world. I started writing this post at the end of September since he was
turning 2.5 on Oct 1. Today is November 4th, and some things have
already changed. He has very recently stared hugging us a lot. He's
never been physically affectionate, so this is a big deal, and I love
it. He really can be so sweet. <br />
<br />
Owen loves being
around people, and knows nothing about stranger danger. He's crazy about his whole extended family. He loves
socializing. See previous paragraph about talking. ;) He'll talk to
anyone and everyone about anything and everything. That being said,
there are a few people with whom he is consistently scared, and instead
of disrespecting his feelings or pushing the issue (which can be
harmful, in my personal and professional opinion), I respect and trust
his feelings. It's my job to take care of my child. It is not my job to
make other people happy, nor is it his. Boom.<br />
<br />
He is deeply
intuitive! He cares about how I feel. He notices how other people feel
("mama, that lady looks mad/upset/sad/excited/happy/whatever"), but it
bothers him when he thinks I'm feeling any negative emotion. When I
first started realizing this, I wasn't sure how to handle it. I do not
want him to do things just to please others, so I watch my words and
reactions very closely in this area. He always says "you is happy!" or
"I need you to be happy," or "you is sad?" (Since I started writing this
post a couple of months ago, that "is" has changed to "are," but I
can't bring myself to change it here. "Mama, are you happy?" "Mama, are
you frustrated?" Bittersweet.) If he hurts someone or something, or
makes a poor choice, he has started feeling remorseful on his own. A few
minutes after whatever it was, he will say "Mama, I'm sad. I'm sad
about _____." Example; "I'm sad about throwing the ball at your face."<br />
<br />
He
pays attention to details and becomes obsessive about things. He
listens to every conversation his ears can hear, and stores up what he
hears for later use. He corrects us frequently. The other day I said
something about a UPS truck, and he said "no mama, it was a Fed Ex
truck." He was right. He's usually right about things. (eye roll.) He is
freakishly good with directions. He can give you directions to our
house, and seems to know how to get just about anywhere. When we go
places, he just watches out the window the whole time and pays
attention. <br />
<br />
This summer I started teaching him some
Bible verses. I intended to teach him one per month, thinking that's
how long it would take to learn them, but he learns them the first day I
try to teach them to him. We've stuck with one or two per month anyway.
I know that he understands some parts of them, yet can't fully grasp
other parts of them. Still, it's important and I think it's helping to
shape his worldview from a Biblical standpoint. Off the top of my head,
he knows Genesis 1:1, Psalm 136:1, Colossians 3:20, Psalm 118:24, and
Proverbs 3:5. Owen, you teach me every single day not to underestimate
your abilities. <br />
<br />
He's still sleeping in his crib. He <i>loves</i> his
crib. I ask him all the time if he wants a "big boy bed," and he
usually responds with "mama I just want to still sleep in my crib." He
can sleep in there until he's 5 for all I care. He usually sleeps
8ish-8sh with a 2-3 hour nap around 1:00pm. He is still wearing diapers
and we have made no attempt to potty train. We are starting to have
those conversations, but I'm in the camp that believes he'll let us know
when he's ready. He can count, sing the alphabet, spell his name, and
memorize every word you say at any point in time. He is constantly
singing, and it's our favorite! He is obsessed with Daniel Tiger. He
loves to play outside, and spends most of his time playing with his
construction trucks and tractors. He loves playing soccer, and Ryan says
he's impressed by Owen's skill. ha. He also enjoys Play-doh, balls,
puzzles, giving us check-ups, and all sorts of imaginative play. His
current favorite activities include wandering through our neighborhood and
checking out the construction sites where new houses are being built, and riding his pony around the house (i.e. Ryan crawls around on all fours and Owen rides on his back. He says "yeehaw" and "whoa Nelly," and gets on and off just like he would a real horse. Hi-larious.) He is the most fun! He watches tv during his breakfast because that is when I get
ready for the day. Sometimes it's on all day, but most days we turn it
off after breakfast and don't ever turn it on again. I always ask him
what he wants to watch, and his answer is always either "Daniel" or <i>The Fox and the Hound</i>.
He goes to Kids Day Out once a week, and then his class at church on
Sundays. He looks forward to those things and I usually have to remind
him to tell me bye. His teachers always talk about how sweet he is. I
wish I could spy on him all day long to see what he's like when I'm not
there! <br />
<br />
I still think Owen is a quality time guy.
We go on "special outings" and I can tell it is exciting and meaningful
to him. He is in 3T clothes, although I bought him 4T shirts for fall
and winter in hopes that he can make it through the whole season without
needing to go up a size. He's in size 9 shoes. He weighs 37 pounds and
is 3 feet 5 inches tall. He's still off the growth chart! He is a lover
of life and easily excitable. He is super serious at times. He's fun,
joyful, and ridiculously perceptive and thoughtful. He will concentrate
on something for a long period of time. He can read me just as well as I
can read him. Seriously, there have been times when I have tried so
hard to hide my frustration, etc. (and felt successful), but he somehow
still called me out on it. He likes to do things fully; he likes to do
things well. He doesn't like unfinished business. He has a hard time
leaving his playroom without cleaning up, or leaving a room without
closing a drawer, etc. For a toddler boy, he's actually pretty neat and
clean. I love all this about him, but I do hope he learns to be okay with the unfinished and the messy.<br />
<br />
Lately
we have had some rough days (see paragraph 1 regarding strong will),
but overall we do have more good days than bad days. This past week has
been so good. Things have been a little rocky since Ingrid came along,
but he is (finally) sweet with her and loves her so much. If she isn't
in the car with us, he says "wait mama, where's Ingy?" Someone Owen
doesn't know was holding her the other day, and Owen straight up
panicked and sharply screamed "I want you to get our baby back!" I hope
and pray that they become good friends. He's becoming increasingly more
interested in her as she is able to smile, babble, kick her legs around,
etc.<br />
<br />
Owen, as I always say, "I love you so, so, so,
SOOOO much." Some days I wonder if we're going to make it, but I know we
are. You are handsome, fun, smart, funny, sweet, spicy, thoughtful. I could go on and on for days about who are you and the funny things you say or do, but this post is already longer than I intended. You
are a joy--a gift. I am confident that you are going to do great
things. <br />
<br />
*I want to add some pictures, but if I keep waiting for that, this will never get posted.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-2882851749543650892016-10-06T10:33:00.001-05:002016-10-11T21:55:58.471-05:00Ingrid: 2 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_q8pR_zVFEOdqf7NwToITmVw8PRwaWilR1J2CltlMZQJShofFQbgu3I0f93VVcY1TIBfU44pQp0qPlpgMnWaK0rd90dgOi-829u-9guxs-J6L6-1wYisJiKjaF6lRju08f5mI3QioCI/s1600/IMG_9311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_q8pR_zVFEOdqf7NwToITmVw8PRwaWilR1J2CltlMZQJShofFQbgu3I0f93VVcY1TIBfU44pQp0qPlpgMnWaK0rd90dgOi-829u-9guxs-J6L6-1wYisJiKjaF6lRju08f5mI3QioCI/s400/IMG_9311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Ingrid is two months old! She is beautiful. She is smiling and cooing now, which melts me instantaneously. Her smile is ridiculously bright. She still loves taking baths. She also loves soft things touching her face. If she is close to falling asleep but not quite there, she usually closes her eyes the moment a soft blanket touches her face. She is a calm, easy-going baby. She is content in her carseat, in her swing, on her playmat, in my arms, in her crib, on the floor. She's easy peasy! Owen, Ingrid, and I have lots of fun at home, but we do still leave the house every single day just to change it up a little and maintain the sanity of our family. Before she was born I worried that we would never be able to leave the house. I actually ended up getting out of the house with both of them before she was a week old because I was so panicky about it.<br />
<br />
She weighs 11 lbs 6 ounces and is 22.5 inches long. She is wearing size 1 diapers (and some newborn that we're trying to use up, but it's a stretch) and 0-3 month clothing. She's been sleeping in her crib for night time and one nap since she was 6 weeks old. The transition from our room to hers was nothing for her. The first night she took short naps for the first couple of hours instead of a solid sleep, but that was the only "rough" part. <br />
<br />
I've done the Babywise eat-wake-sleep routine with her, just like we did with Owen. It was the best thing for Owen and me, so I knew I was going to do it with Ingy, too. It helps us know how our days are going to go, and it also helps establish good night time sleep habits. She's eating every 3 hours during the day, usually 7:30, 10:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 745ish for her bed time feed. I am more flexible with it than I was with Owen. For example, sometimes her first feed is at 7, so then we do 7, 10, 1, etc., but sometimes it isn't until 8, so we do 8, 11, 2, etc. It almost always falls somewhere in between, though. She's usually awake an hour or so and then asleep for two or so. I wake her up if she is asleep when it's time for her next feed, again for the sake of night time sleep. If I don't wake her up, she usually wakes up sometime soon after that 3-hour mark anyway. For the past month, she's only been waking once a night to eat... except for the week we got home from the hospital. I think she got used to being woken frequently at night by the nurses, and it took her a while at home to sort that out again. Her night time feed is usually at 3 or 4 am, and then she goes back to sleep until sometime between 7 and 8. I always lay her down awake for naps and bed time, and she puts herself to sleep. We've done it that way since her first week of life, and it is <i>so nice</i> to be able to lay her down and walk away. Sometimes I rock her because I want to, but she won't usually go to sleep that way.<br />
<br />
I might write a separate post about this so I will spare most of the details here, but this month we spent four nights at Arkansas Children's Hospital. She had Urosepsis, which is basically a complicated UTI. Look it up and you'll find it's a "life threatening emergency." Her white blood cell count was 49,000. Apparently "normal" is 5-10,000. On the copy I have of her lab results, it actually breaks down her white blood cell count into microliters. A normal range is 0-9. Hers was 132. Terrifying. We are having to also treat her for meningitis due to that insane number and inconclusive spinal tap results. We're home with a Picc line, which she'll have in until October 7th. When we got home from the hospital, her night time sleep was whack for a whole week (i.e. she woke up almost every hour, probably because she was woken up by nurses for a week), but she is now back to normal. <br />
<br />
Her first real smile happened while at the hospital, and I teared up. In fact, it happened during her VCUG, which is a very painful test. The significance of that is not lost on me. I'd been waiting for her to smile, and for her to do it at a time when I felt so hopeless is not something I will forget. I think it's a small glimpse into who she is. I know I say this often about both of my babies, but I am so proud to be her mom. She is the loveliest and sweetest little thing. She is already such a bright light in our lives! I pray the Lord uses her in a special way.<br />
<br />
Here are some of my favorite pics from the past month:<br />
<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-58126148378140536632016-09-08T14:59:00.000-05:002016-09-13T15:09:04.066-05:00Ingrid: 1 month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How does time still manage to take me by surprise after all these years? Ingrid is one month old. Wasn't I just dreaming of having a second baby yesterday? Ingrid is the type of baby that makes a mom say "maybe we'll have more" while taking care of a newborn. Can't comprehend that? I couldn't with Owen, either. Ingrid is a DREAM baby. She's six weeks as I write this post, and I have enjoyed her so much. I rarely let her go during her first week of life. I remember one night that week I made myself lay her down in her bouncy seat while we ate dinner, in an attempt to make things "normal" for Owen, and I immediately had to run to my bedroom and cry because it was so hard for me to lay her down. Since that first week, I haven't been able to hold her as much because 1) it's best for Owen that I don't, and 2) I am a freak about good/bad habits, such as holding to sleep. It was fun while it lasted though. :)<br />
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Ingy loves to eat and sleep. She also loves to take baths; she has never cried during a bath! I remember googling "how to make my baby like the bath" when Owen was younger. ha. She is not a fussy baby <i>at all</i>. She has already changed so much. I swear I'll never forget a single moment, but I also know my present memories will soon fade to make way for new ones, so here I am, documenting her life as backup version of my mind. I don't want to forget the fullness of her cheeks, chins, and necks--my bulldog. I don't want to forget the way she puts her hands by her face when she's nursing. The way she bangs her head on my shoulder when she's wanting to eat. The way she makes a crying face for several seconds before any sound comes out. The way she looks around for Owen every time she hears him (which is basically every second of the day). The way I loved her instantly.<br />
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I have her on the eat-wake-sleep routine (Babywise), or the EASY routine (Baby Whisperer) just like I did with Owen. It was my lifeline with him, so I assumed with two kids it would be even more important for my sanity. At this point with Owen, we were on a schedule. His eating and napping times were the same each day. With Ingrid, I haven't done that...yet. I have a note on my phone that I started when she was three days old where I have kept record of her feedings and naps and wake times, all day every day, and it's still going. Yes, I am an insane person. I was intending to track her habits so I could make a schedule, but I haven't done that because what we have going on right now is working really well for all four of us. She typically eats every 3 hours during the day, but sometimes she'll go only 2 hours instead. On the three hour days, she's usually awake for one hour, then asleep for two. I do our bedtime routine and feed her usually between 7:30 and 8:30pm, and then lay her down for the night. I've done this since she was two days old. I'm almost always able to lay her down awake. She has always gone a long stretch at night. The first couple of weeks it varied from 4-6 hours, but now it usually varies between 6 and 9 hours. No, that's not a typo. Refer back to my "DREAM baby" comment. She'll usually wake once in the night to eat for 10 minutes, then go right back to sleep until sometime between 7:30-8:30am. I was scared to tell her doctor at her one month appointment, fearing reprimand or something, but he was impressed and made no mention of needing to do anything differently.<br />
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Speaking of the doctor, around week 3, Ingrid broke out all over the place with severe baby acne. It got so bad that I thought for certain it must be something else, but her doctor feels confident it's just acne, and encouraged me to wait it out. Now that she's 6 weeks old (today), it is improving, but still there. She's starting to outgrow her newborn clothes and diapers. She's wearing a mix of newborn and 0-3 month, as well as a mix of newborn and size 1 diapers. At one month, she weighed 9 lbs 7 oz, and was 21 & 1/4 inches long. She basically grew 3 lbs and 3 inches since we brought her home from the hospital. I'm sure she's added more than that by now, but I will update her stats in her two month post.<br />
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Ingrid, you're perfect, darling. I am thankful to be your mama. <br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-64827568090898515822016-08-24T15:36:00.001-05:002016-09-08T17:08:27.456-05:00Ingrid Ryan Harness: labor and delivery<br />
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<br />
My due date with Ingrid was August 4th. Owen still wasn't here by his
due date, so I was induced with him the following day. Although my
induced labor/delivery experience was fast and easy with Owen, this time
I said I didn't care how long I was pregnant; I wanted to go into labor
on my own. I just wanted to experience spontaneous labor. Well, at my
36 week appointment, my doctor mentioned that I could be induced at 39
weeks. You can't dangle something like that in front of me and expect me
not to bite. So, I did. That's all I'm going to say about that.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>July 28th, 4:50 <span style="font-size: x-small;">A</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">M</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ryan and I left the house. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> I had been contracting all night anyway and had also been seeing blood,
so I had been watching the clock, trying to wait until our
scheduled time to go. I was completely silent the whole way there except to say "men have it so easy." We were on our way to the hospital for me to deliver our baby; he knew better than to argue, so he just smiled.<i> </i>I was excited to meet Ingrid, but I was nervous about how the day was going to go, and even more nervous about what life would be like once she arrived. I had a terrible time both physically and emotionally after I had Owen, and I dreaded the possibility of that happening again. (It didn't!<i>) </i>I hard a hard time thinking about anything else, though.</span><i><br /></i><br />
<i><i><br /></i></i>
<i><i>5:15 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
We arrived at the hospital. I was already so tired. We got to
our room and there was someone waiting for me with a gown in her hand,
instructing me to go straight to the bathroom and put it on. Once I put
it on, I hadn't even opened the bathroom door all the way and she was
already starting to put the wristbands on me and ask what felt like a
million questions. Then several more nurses came in to help get
everything started. It felt chaotic from the second I stepped into that
room. I kept thinking <i>they don't mess around</i>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>6:00 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i> <br />
As
with every hospital experience of mine, there was a huge ordeal with
the IV. A different nurse finally came in to do it after the first nurse
couldn't get one started. I had to change gowns shortly afterwards
because all the pokes and blows to my veins made me so sweaty as I tried
not to pass out. That being said, I fully expected every bit of that to
happen because it always does. In the middle of all of that, there were
3 or so nurses in there, all asking me questions. I ignored them
because I was trying not to pass out, and my nurse finally asked them to
please just wait. Once the IV ordeal ended, the nurse then checked me.
My doctor let me skip one of my weekly cervical checks because they were
so painful for me. I was "extremely posterior" and we were both having a
difficult time with it. I warned the nurse, and sure enough, she put me
through misery and then said she would have to get a different nurse to
check me because she couldn't reach it. (<i>Excuse me--what?!</i>) They
then told me I wouldn't have to be checked again until after my
epidural. Thank you! The same nurse who successfully started my IV also
successfully checked me, and I was at a 3 and 60% effaced. I said "but
yesterday I was a 3 and 70%, and I've been contracting all night." She
smiled and said "we're stingy with our measurements, so you really are
at least that much." Ha. They left for a few minutes, and Ryan asked me
what I needed. I remember saying "I just need to be left alone." Ha. Ha
ha. That never happened. I think a med student came in 5 seconds later,
shooting the breeze, asking random questions and telling me about his
own kids. In my head I was saying <i>There is no part of me that cares one bit right now. Shut up and leave</i>.
Out loud I said "ok thank you" several times, but he never seemed to
get the hint. Eventually he decided to quit chatting to himself and
left. I did say out loud to Ryan, "I'm just a ray of sunshine today, I
know." :) <br />
<br />
<i>6:30/7:00 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i> <br />
They
came back and started my Pitocin and informed me that the
anesthesiologist would be in soon to start my epidural. I responded,
"wait, did you just say they're going to start my epidural? I haven't
even asked for it." The nurse smiled and said yes. Dr. Terry came in
shortly afterwards to check me, and I said "hold on; they told me I
didn't have to be checked again until after my epidural!" to which he
responded "you haven't gotten your epidural?" He then made some jokes
about not being needed and left. Ryan heard him complaining to the
nurses that anesthesiology was behind. Family came in around this time,
too. <br />
<br />
<i>8:00 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i><br />
The
anesthesiologist came in to do my epidural. After the epidural, the
nurse inserted my catheter and instructed me to lay flat. She then said
Dr. Terry would be right in to break
my water. Again, I replied "did you just say he was going to break my
water? Why?" Dr. Terry returned around 9:00 to break my water and check
me. I was at a 4. I also asked him why he was going ahead and breaking
my water. He said something along the lines of, "we're trying to have a
baby here." Right after that, a bunch of nurses came in and just started
swarming me and putting the oxygen mask on me and saying a bunch of
things I didn't understand. I remember consciously smiling through the
oxygen mask and being calm as the charge nurse stood by my side and
matter-of-factly explained some possibilities as to why my baby girl's
heart rate was dropping. They had to stop my Pitocin after that. Once
they left, so did my adrenaline. I suddenly felt the weight of what was
going on and just started crying into my pillow. I turned on my Pandora
station that I'd been carefully grooming for months, and texted my close
friends (around 9:10/9:15) to please pray for me because I was feeling
really discouraged. I laid there in silence as long as I could, trying
to take advantage of the few seconds there wasn't a healthcare
professional or 10 in my room. I totally get it, but I felt so bothered
the entire time. It all felt so rushed, and in the back of my mind I was
remembering how quickly I had Owen, despite him being my first and it
being an induction. Once I felt calmer, I said "she's not even here yet
and this girl is already DRA-MA." :)<br />
<br />
<i>9:30 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i><br />
For
the next hour, I kept complaining that my epidural had mostly only
taken to my left side. I was in pain on my right side, mostly in my
back. While it hurt, I was mostly bothered my how numb my left side was.
They called for the anesthesiologist, but she never came. They tried to
help me even it out, and the nurse pumped more of the medicine into me.
I did not enjoy that feeling because I just ended up extremely numb on
my left side. They finally just said the needle must be pointed more to
my left, so I kept laying on my right side to try to even it out.<br />
<br />
<i>10:30 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i> <br />
We
dealt with that off and on for an hour or so when the whole nursing
crew rushed back in and started rolling me from side to side and having
discussions that didn't include me and that I wasn't understanding. (My
nurses, at every step of the way, were <i>wonderful</i>. The experience
was just chaotic.) It turns out Ingrid's heart rate had dropped again.
Again, they pumped more fluids, moved me around every few seconds, etc.
to try to "make her happy," they said. They were trying to figure out
why it was happening.<br />
<br />
<i>10:35 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i><br />
The
nurse decided with everything going on that she should check me. I was
at a 6. They continued exploring their options for about 10 more
minutes, rolling me from side to side the whole time. Nothing was
working. I remember asking "what is about to happen?" because I had a
feeling we were getting to the point where action was necessary. I
really have no idea, but it felt that way. The nurse said "sometimes it
can happen if you progress too quickly. I'll check you again..."<br />
<br />
<i>10:45 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM</span></i><br />
She
checked me and said "you're complete." I sat straight up and said "WHAT
DID YOU SAY?" She said, "you're complete." My main feelings and
thoughts at the time were <i>oh my gosh. I just got here. All I wanted
to do was rest a few minutes and that still hasn't happened. Now my baby
is about to be here and I'll never rest again. </i>Then my adrenaline
kicked in and I was ready. I had Ryan text my friends to say I was about
to push. That was at 10:49. They then got everything ready, and the
action began. Dr. Terry sat on the end of my bed and just asked me to
push so he could get a feel for how this was going to go. I said "ok,
tell me when and what to do," and he responded with some piece of simple
sarcasm to indicate that it was unnecessary for me to say that. Ha. (I
chose him as my doctor because I love his personality and his sarcasm.
It really did help me throughout the morning. :)) I finally said that I
just needed something to do with my arms to help me push. They had me
grab the backs of my legs, but that wasn't helping me much. They got out
some bars for me to hold onto, and that helped. I looked during one of
my last pushes and saw Dr. Terry pulling her out. I didn't know what I was going to see, if
anything, so sitting up and seeing her was completely overwhelming.
My sister happened to take a picture at that exact moment, and it is
the most precious picture to me because I saw it in real life and
remember that moment more vividly than any other in my life. In fact, I
immediately laid my head back down and covered my face with my hands
while I cried.(Congratulations, baby girl. I've never cried at any other
special moment in my entire life. <i>Ever.</i>)<br />
<br />
<i>11:01 <span style="font-size: x-small;">AM </span></i><br />
Ingrid
was born! 6 pounds, 15 ounces. 18.5 inches. They handed her to me immediately, and we did skin to skin. I
loved every second of it and couldn't have asked for anything sweeter. I
did ask a couple of times, "is she ok?" because I hadn't heard her cry.
They kept assuring me she was. I also freaked out and thought she had
teeth at first. Turns out she has a lip tie that goes all the way down,
and the division it creates in her gums looked like teeth to me. I think
it's the cutest thing. After some time, she pooped all over me, so our
time was cut a little short because I called the nurses to come clean us
up. :) That night in the hospital, she slept 6 hours straight without
waking up to eat. We tried to wake her for 10-15 minutes like the
lactation consultant recommended, but she would not wake up to eat, so
we let it go and all enjoyed some rest. It wasn't a fluke. She is a
wonderful sleeper. I bonded with her instantly, which didn't happen with
Owen. I hogged her the whole time we were in the hospital. Actually, I
still hog her.<br />
<br />
Ingrid Ryan. I love her name. I love her. I
love everything about her. She is beautiful. She is sweet. She is so
good for my soul. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FpIJOv6koW14YQRsXtyMF1M9TGQ-0KYWlVAbPyJ646jOWH6JbEoNnJhX2guOyY03ttaKqWhLRUN3ASZ8xc-28M2fQsQETew2fIQ07HVA8RsigAgYXO5AUr1GMCbZ2gcP2Tje2uG5H_w/s1600/IMG_8015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FpIJOv6koW14YQRsXtyMF1M9TGQ-0KYWlVAbPyJ646jOWH6JbEoNnJhX2guOyY03ttaKqWhLRUN3ASZ8xc-28M2fQsQETew2fIQ07HVA8RsigAgYXO5AUr1GMCbZ2gcP2Tje2uG5H_w/s400/IMG_8015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She stared at me throughout our entire skin-to-skin time.</td></tr>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-3387868376259838562016-05-22T16:18:00.002-05:002016-05-22T16:18:49.776-05:00Ingrid Ryan: 29 Weeks<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm pregnant again. I just exited a "busy" season of life and am now able to give this baby girl some attention! I say "busy" in quotation marks because I just hate that word and try my best to never use it. I'm 29 weeks and suddenly regretting not keeping up with weekly changes like I did when I was pregnant with Owen. I can't go back, but I can give a current rundown. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: 28 weeks</td></tr>
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<b>Weeks: </b>Currently 29 weeks + 3 days<b> </b></div>
<b>Baby</b>: Should be around 3 lbs and 15 inches long, according to my app.</div>
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<b>Total weight gain: </b>14 lbs</div>
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<b>Maternity clothes? </b>Mostly maternity</div>
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<b>Stretch marks? </b>Not yet</div>
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<b>Sleep:</b> I am mostly sleeping well, although reflux started this week and has affected my sleep. I've been taking Doxylamine like I did when I was pregnant with Owen. It helps me sleep!<br />
<b>Favorite moment of the week: </b>I haven't started on her nursery. I have bought her a few outfits, but that's it. Not one thing more. Her room is currently full of boxes or bags of Owen's baby things, and every single day now he goes and visits "sisser's room." He said he wants her to come home so he can show her his play room.<b> </b></div>
</div>
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<b>Miss anything? </b>My energy. Pregnancy is literally having someone inside you sucking the energy out. </div>
</div>
</div>
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<b>Movement: </b>She moves a lot!</div>
</div>
</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>Cravings? </b>None at all</div>
</div>
</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>Anything make you queasy or sick? </b>No!!<b> 🙌🙌🙌</b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>Gender: </b>Girl</div>
</div>
</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b>Labor signs: </b>Nope</div>
</div>
</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3608800091668781935" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Symptoms: </b>Reflux, large belly, can't breathe. I've had this weird heaviness in my arms that comes and goes at random times. I hate it. At my appointment last week, my blood pressure was 108/60. That's probably good, but I think I'm feeling some effects from it because it seems low for being in my third trimester. </div>
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<b>Belly button in or out? </b>Out. </div>
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<b>Wedding rings on or off? </b>On</div>
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<b>Mood: </b>Normal </div>
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<b>Looking forward to: </b>I wasn't expecting to have any sort of baby shower for this baby, but two of my friends and my sister are having one for us next weekend! I don't know if anyone will come, but I'm excited nonetheless. :)</div>
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<b>Freak-out moment of the week</b>: I've been pretty relaxed--maybe too much so. See previous comment about having done nothing to prepare despite being due in 10.5 weeks.</div>
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<b>Thankful for: </b>I'm so thankful one thousand times over that this is not my first pregnancy. I am not having to spend my time learning about my body, baby gear, labor, etc. I'm even more thankful this isn't my first because my experience with doctors this time has been completely different. I got so spoiled by Dr. Allison when I was pregnant with Owen. I've probably spent a total of 10 minutes with a doctor this whole pregnancy, but luckily my needs are different this time.</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-266876986639942822015-07-28T23:17:00.003-05:002015-07-28T23:17:55.162-05:00Leslie<div class="MsoNormal">
Other than blogs of personal friends of mine, I follow two
blogs. The writer of my favorite blog passed away yesterday. It’s so strange to
grieve the loss of someone I didn’t actually know, but the thing is that it
always felt like I did. I have real friends (Ok--I should probably file them under "acquaintances.") whose children’s names I don’t know
or can’t remember. But hers? I know their names, their birthdays. I remember
her pregnancy announcements, her cute outfits, the house she and her husband
bought not long ago. Several times a week I checked for and devoured her posts
about life, fashion, the hogs, babies, whatever. The one thing in all this
sadness that has made me smile today is looking back at her blog. I kept
scrolling, page after page, thinking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wow,
how wonderful for her baby girls to have this to look back on when they grow up
and can read so many of their momma’s own words about how much she loved them</i>.
Please keep her family in your prayers. She’s 30 years old and has left behind a husband she adored, a not-quite-2 year old, and a 7 month old. Devastating.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am allowing myself to feel the sadness, and I’m choosing
to draw inspiration from her life. I need to write more, both for myself and
for pure documentation/family keepsake. I didn’t write a 12-month post for
Owen. I had so many feelings that were too raw at the time, and by time I came
to terms with them, I felt like too much time had passed. I actually have part
of a post saved, so I might go back and post it soon. I regret that I didn’t.
I’m still upset that I only got to be with Owen for 10 minutes on his first
birthday, but I’m thankful for the enormous amounts of time I get with him on
most days. He and Ryan bring me joy after joy. I really don’t have much more to
say tonight, but I think it’s important to name and express our emotions in
whatever way we can, and be vulnerable enough to allow our experiences to
change us in both big and small ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Until next time, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Megan<o:p></o:p></div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-34383586891954456602015-03-14T21:28:00.000-05:002015-03-14T21:28:01.808-05:0011 Months<div style="text-align: center;">
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My baby boy is 11 months old! We got <i>one</i> picture of him looking at the camera with his sticker on. The rest look a little more like this. :) He is so fun. We are never, ever bored. My favorite thing is watching him eat. His little mouth is adorable. He is still obsessed with blueberries. If I put them on his tray with other foods, the blueberries are always the first to disappear. He likes them more than strawberries and more than bread. He seems to love all fruit.<br />
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He's learning and growing so fast I can't keep up. He's in mostly 12 month clothes, but we've had to move him up to 12-18 month pjs and size 5 diapers right at 11 months. One day something fits, and the next day it doesn't. It's the craziest thing! I'm not sure how big he is, but I'll find out at our one year appointment early April. He had an ear infection a few weeks ago, and he was over 24 lbs then. He has six teeth and more visibly on the way.<br />
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One day he suddenly started pulling up on everything, and that's been his favorite activity ever since. He's always just standing up and holding on to something. It's so funny. :) He is walking all over the place with his walker or by holding on to furniture or various objects. He's used his rocking chair as a walker, too. He's a creative little boy! He still says "uh-oh" all the time. He also says dada and mama! It's sweet. He loves music and really started noticing it and paying attention to it a few weeks ago. He usually stops what he's doing and starts dancing or at least looks at the tv or speaker or wherever the music is coming from. He is really interested in books now and sits still for several stories in a row. He loves taking baths. He is getting better at using his sippy cup on his own. He still loves his bottles, and eats like a champ at every meal. He loves playing with his toys, but I think he would be fine if he didn't have any. He's always playing with random things for long periods of time. The other day it was bibs; today it was an empty box. He is so good at playing independently, especially if he has some room to explore. We try to give him quite a bit of independence. We don't usually follow him around at his heels when he crawls around the house, as long as we know certain doors are shut, the floors are clean, etc.<br />
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His favorite thing to do right now is put in, take out, put on, take off, open, close, etc. He is constantly stacking stuff, and is so good at his stacking rings and making towers out of blocks. He can build a tower that is 5 blocks high! He opens and closes doors, cabinets, and drawers. He's obsessed with my jewelry armoire and has broken one bracelet already. Ha! :)<br />
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He takes a short, usually thirty minute nap at 9am and a 2-3 hour nap at 2:00. He goes to bed around 7/7:30 and usually sleeps for 12 hours, although he's getting to where he can stay up a little bit later and still sleep 12 hours. He used to wake up by 7 no matter what, even if he hadn't gotten enough sleep. He's still Mr. Happy, and we are SO crazy about him!<br />
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I'll be adding my favorite pictures from this past month at some point... hopefully soon. :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-70075268352089516362015-02-02T18:44:00.001-06:002015-03-09T13:16:33.615-05:009 & 10 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a name='more'></a>Owen is 10 months old! Over the past two months, he has grown and learned so much. He is more fun than ever before, and when I have to leave him, it's so much harder for me now than it was when he was tiny. It's been lots of fun at our house since he learned to crawl a few weeks ago! He's so happy now that he's able to have some independence.<br />
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He loves to eat! The only two things I've seen him refuse to eat so far are ham and mac n cheese. So not my kid. He <i>loves</i> bread, and when he has it, it's always the first food to disappear from his tray. Definitely my kid. :) At 9 months, he was almost 24 pounds and a little over 31 inches. He's a big boy! He's wearing 12 month clothes (9-12 or 6-12) for length and size 4 diapers. He still loves his bottles, and he hyperventilates when he sees them. He enjoys drinking water out of his sippy cup, but he prefers drinking out of real cups. He's been doing that since he was about 6 months old. He currently has six teeth and seems to be working on more. He can also sometimes stand for several seconds on his own, but he doesn't like it. His first word was "uh-oh" right after he turned 8 months old. He also says "dada" and variations of "hi," "hey," and "hello." He can make the consonant sounds for b, d, g, h, n, and we're working on m. His motor skills impress us daily. He can put things in exact spots where he wants them, and even added a block on top of a tower we made the other day. I was impressed!<br />
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People are always commenting on Owen's demeanor. Whether we're at the mall, grocery store, park, church--wherever--people always make comments about his happiness. Last week when I picked him up from the church nursery, the volunteer said "We were just talking about how rare it is to have a baby as happy as he is all the time." I love hearing that! It never gets old. I usually just smile big and say "I know!" as proudly and graciously as I can. (It's not something I have any control over, so I don't usually take credit for it by saying "thank you.":)) We went to the mall the other day, and people made very similar statements. It honestly happens almost everywhere we go. I sometimes also say "he screamed for the first four months of his life, so that's good to hear!" Ha! Owen loves being around people. He LOVES it. He usually looks at every single person and flashes his precious grin nonstop. I'm hoping that if he ends up being as extroverted as he currently seems to be, that I will be able to meet his needs in that way without going crazy myself. If the past 10 months are any indication, though, we'll be just fine. It's crazy how meeting your baby's needs is as natural as breathing air. It really is. He is such a joy to both of us!<br />
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Favorites:<br />
bubble wand<br />
blocks<br />
music set<br />
hen and baby chick<br />
touch and feel books<br />
baths<br />
people<br />
crawling everywhere<br />
independence<br />
being outside<br />
cords, blinds, doorstoppers<br />
eyelash curler :)<br />
blueberries<br />
music<br />
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Dislikes:<br />
ham<br />
mac n cheese<br />
snuggling<br />
nosefrieda<br />
anything touching his face or crowding his space<br />
anything that gets in the way of his independence<br />
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I'm feeling under-the-weather, so that's a wrap for now. I will add his monthly picture and other pictures from the past two months later this week. :)<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-82975654305403939312014-12-11T23:12:00.001-06:002014-12-11T23:12:41.586-06:008 Months<br />
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My sweet Owen is growing and changing at the most rapid pace. I mean, obviously, but I just can't believe how much change happens in what is truly such a short amount of time. He is wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes. Most 6-12 month tops are a little too big for him, but he can wear a few. He can wear some 3-6 month pants in the waist, but he's too long for them. He's in size 3 diapers. He eats three 6 oz bottles a day and one 8 oz bottle. He loves drinking water out of his sippy cup or real cups. He also eats cereal at breakfast, and fruits and veggies at lunch and dinner. I've been feeding him table food at lunch and dinner if I am eating something he can eat. He has had and loved chicken, roast, and turkey. He loves eating Puffs and usually reaches for the container when he sees it. He can feed himself Puffs like a pro, but I usually still feed him at meals because it's faster. I try to strike a balance between helping him and letting him be independent. A lot of times he actually won't let us feed him his Puffs. He'll keep his mouth closed and try to get it out of our hands and do it himself. He is Mr. Independent. He still hates, <i>hates</i>, snuggling, but he does like to be held. If I hold him where he can look around and grab whatever he wants, he loves it. As soon as we try to snuggle him, he gets upset. It's funny and sad. My mom has always said that I was exactly like that. He definitely enjoys being active, and we always say "he sure is a busy boy!" He's been babbling constantly, and these past few days he has been saying "dada" a few times! He doesn't seem to be associating it with Ryan, but we are trying to teach him.</div>
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He goes down for bedtime and naps pretty much as soon as I lay him in his crib. No fussing, no anything. He's still sleeping great at night, and he's taking longer naps on a consistent basis. He's able to put his pacifier in his mouth if he finds it in his crib or wherever. I've been waiting for that day ever since we introduced the paci to him! Ha. Diaper changes have become extremely difficult because he either scoots across the room on his back, or rolls incessantly. The only thing that works for me? Giving him a diaper sack or box of wipes to play with. Great parenting, I know: <i>this is not a toy</i>. :-) He has four teeth, although one is a new development and therefore quite tiny. He enjoys having his teeth brushed each morning and night. He still smiles frequently, and he enjoys observing his surroundings.<br />
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People still, for the most part, say he looks like whichever one of us (or random family members) they know best. I'm really sensitive to people saying who he likes like, or who he acts like, etc. (although I'm guilty!) because Owen is his own person. He is not an extension of us. Actually, to quote a post I read several months ago (with no citation, sorry... can't remember where it came from): "My children are neither my possessions nor extensions of myself. They are image-bearing individuals with souls that will last forever." He has his own personality which is both innate and learned. He has his own feelings, hopes, dreams. He has his own beliefs, likes, dislikes, and worldview. As much as we can try to shape bits and pieces of him, he is who he is, and I will love him unconditionally no matter. I absolutely cannot wait to get to know this amazing tiny human. :)<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-75336397205243201202014-11-22T21:23:00.001-06:002014-12-11T23:16:41.855-06:007 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Owen is 7 months. Lately he's been doing many things that remind me of our earliest days, and I love it. He still makes a fist with his thumb under his index finger. Sometimes he still curls his toes under his feet. He still crosses his ankles, and it's possibly the cutest little mannerism. He watches intently as we do <i>anything</i> in front of him. A couple of times recently he even held his leg up in the air for a little bit. I get so focused on how fast he is growing that I forget we've only had him for such a short time. Each time he shows one of his earliest mannerisms, I'm reminded that it actually wasn't that long ago, and I like to sit with that feeling and enjoy it for a bit.<br />
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He's in size 3 diapers and mostly 3-6 month clothing. He's sleeping well and eating well, and he is working on cutting some more teeth. He drools like it's his job. He loves basically everything, but mostly just looking around and observing everything. He loves riding in the car and seeing out the window, and he his favorite thing to do is pull my hair. He reaches for it from far away. He reaches for everything he sees, actually, and I've almost dropped him several times because he is ridiculously determined. He hates snuggling. He won't do it. He's never really done it, but it was possible to force it a little bit. Not anymore. I didn't realize how not-snuggly he was until I held several of my friends' babies recently. Every single one of them immediately melted in my arms and laid their heads on my chests. Owen did that one time. One time. And I took pictures. It was a big deal. ha! My mom has always said that's the way I was, and I now understand why that is something she remembers: it's sad. I'll have happy Owen in my arms, but when I try to make him nuzzle in, he gets upset. It's a little bit funny; he is too interested in his surroundings to have time for that. He also hates the nosefrieda. If I recorded his screaming, you would think I was setting him on fire. Same goes for brushing his teeth, although that's hit or miss. Some days he loves it, some days he hates it. He has learned to use his arms to push mine away from him, and I'm not strong enough to physically handle him a lot of the time. He's strong. He always has been! We have always speculated about his personality, but right now I'd say he's quite the determined fireball. He's so sweet, too. And freakin' cute. He smiles all the time, and I'm curious to know how much of that is innate and how much of that is learned because his mama has a case of the smileys, too.<br />
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I love him. Ryan and I both love him. I'd be leaving out something important if I didn't include that Ryan is seriously Owen's favorite human on earth. I'm ok with it; I think he's a great person to favor. :) Owen is so fun--such a gift--and I'm proud that he is my son.<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-34117247772226016452014-10-07T22:49:00.001-05:002014-10-08T07:03:38.381-05:00ScheduleOwen and I thrive on our schedule. It keeps me sane, and I'm basically obsessed with it. I admit that it's just as much, if not more, for me than it is for him, but he does <i>so</i> great with it. I did build it around his needs, so it makes perfect sense. It's easily the best thing I've done for myself since he was born. As you'll see below, his nap times are relative. It depends on the nap he took before it. It sounds chaotic, but it isn't. He's extremely predictable!<br />
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<ul>
<li>7ish- Owen wakes up. I never wake him up; I'm not that crazy! He always sleeps until at least 6 (if he falls asleep later than usual, he'll wake up earlier--just one of those weird baby things), and sometimes sleeps until 7:30; he usually lands somewhere around 7 though. When he wakes up, I feed him 8 oz. of milk.</li>
<li>play</li>
<li>2 hours after he wakes up: nap (usually 9 or 9:30)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>11- eat veggies and drink 8 oz bottle</li>
<li>play</li>
<li>2.5-3 hours after he wakes up from previous nap, take another nap</li>
<li>play </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>3- 8 oz bottle</li>
<li>play</li>
<li>2.5-3 hours after he wakes up from previous nap, take another nap </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>6/6:30- eat veggies, then do bedtime routine: fresh diaper, pjs, read a book (or two or three) if we have time, smiles, laughs, snuggles</li>
<li>6:45ish- 8 oz bottle</li>
<li>7ish- after bottle, lay him down in crib. I go in every 10 minutes to give him his paci if he doesn't fall asleep on his own (he doesn't cry, just plays). I've never gone in more than twice.</li>
</ul>
Repeat. :-) He typically sleeps 11-12 hours. He never needs us in the night anymore. I don't think I've gotten up in the night for at least the past month or month and a half. He hasn't eaten in the night since he was 3.5 months old. A month and a half ago I decided to see what would happen if I didn't go give him his paci if/when he woke up in the middle of the night. My rule was 10 minutes. If he's still crying or awake at 10 minutes, I'll go in there. Well, I never had to go in there. Two nights in a row he cried/played/rolled around for 7 minutes and went right back to sleep. The next two nights he did that for 2 minutes or so. I haven't heard from him since. He goes to sleep like a champ, seriously. I want to rock him, but he usually tries to touch my face, put his hands in my mouth, and grin so much that he just won't fall asleep that way. I lay him in his crib and he either plays or goes to sleep. He doesn't cry, but if for some reason something is wrong and he does, I give him his paci (he's cried at bed time maybe once in the past month). If that doesn't work, I'll rock him. I don't do "cry it out" at this time (or ever, besides those two nights of 7 minutes) because, quite frankly, he's never given us a reason to do that. Bed time is a breeze for us these days, but I do remember when it wasn't. :) I have not forgotten those days, and I don't see my memory letting go of them any time soon. <br />
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He isn't a marathon napper most days, but he is consistent with what he does. He usually takes a few 30 minutes naps. Every now and then he'll sleep for an hour or two, but usually it's 30 minutes. It actually works really for us. He's even gotten to where he'll sleep practically anywhere. The past few weeks he's taken naps in his swing, carseat, stroller, the couch, our bed, his playmat, our arms, and a few other places away from home. Wherever he gets tired, he usually sleeps. Again, it used to be the extreme opposite. Oh, how badly I wish I'd known how quickly it would all change!<br />
<br />
Schedules aren't for everyone, but it is definitely for us. I mentioned in Owen's 6 month post that I've only had him out past his bed time a few times. (As in, literally 2 or 3.) We aren't suffering one bit because of it; in fact, it's been glorious for all of us. Highly recommend it. We've gone out of town multiple times, been to weddings, stayed in hotels, etc. but we still stick with it. Is it always easy? Nope. Worth it? Every bit. I'm Owen's momma. Part of my responsibility is to protect him, and to make sure he gets what he needs (decent bed time, etc.) is one way I can protect him. Not one other thing I could possibly be doing is more important than him, so he wins. <br />
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One more thing: as with anything you decide to do with babies, consistency is key. There's no point in making a schedule/routine if you aren't going to stick with it. Whether you're choosing an anything-goes approach or a more structured approach, embrace whatever works for you and your family! Babies (and mommas) are all different. :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-34360278412245430232014-10-07T22:44:00.005-05:002014-10-07T22:44:54.425-05:006 Months<br />
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Six months. Six. I can't even talk about how it's been half a year. My thoughts are not coherent at all, which means this probably won't be a very concise writing. If this were paper, I'd stain it with my tears and leave it at that. In fact, I might do that in the journal I have for Owen. Here, though, I'll try to make my feelings palpable.<br />
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Actually, I won't. (See, told ya--not coherent.) I think I'll keep it light. I've had anxiety and general uneasiness lately, and finally just had an all-out meltdown one night last week about Owen growing up. I don't want to have another one any time soon. ha. He's worth it. The pain and heartache I feel from loving him so deeply is something I wasn't prepared for, and I don't think I would have understood it if anyone had tried to prepare me. <br />
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For the first time in possibly my entire life, my reality has far, far exceeded my expectations. If I could freeze time and stay 27 and Owen stay 6 months, I would probably do it. I now tear up almost every time he and I drive down the road. I see him back there, just staring out the window with eyes full of wonder. I've been able to see many things through fresh eyes because of the way he looks around and takes it all in. It's fun to watch him check out his environment before settling in any time we are at a new place. It's one of my favorite things! <br />
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I absolutely cannot believe how much fun I have with Owen. This past month has been the absolute best! He smiles and laughs all the time. He's so joyful all the time; it's no fluke that we have so many smiley pictures of him! People in public are always commenting on his happiness, smile, and beautiful eyes. I'm just so proud to be his mom. I really am. He is sweet. So sweet. He's rolling over like a pro, trying to crawl, successfully crawling on his back, starting to sit up on his own, and jumping like crazy when he stands up with our help or the help of his Baby Einstein activity jumper. He also has two teeth! One day I said "I really think he's teething," for the first time, and later that week a bottom front tooth broke through. Two days later, there were two teeth! It's the cutest thing. I thought he was teething because he was suddenly spitting up a <i>ton</i> for a couple of days in a row, and he was extremely congested. I don't know why, but it just seemed like that meant he was teething. It was all out of the blue and happening at once. They are so sharp, and so cute. <br />
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We also started "solids" (pureed foods) right after he turned 5 months old because he was consistently showing signs of being ready: watching us eat, reaching for our food and drinks, opening his mouth for a spoon. He loves his veggies! He's had green beans, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, and squash. I originally thought carrots were his favorite because it was the first container he finished completely, but now he does that with all of them. haha. We've also tried peaches multiple times and he doesn't like them. I tried a banana with him last week and he was super dramatic about disliking it. He's hilarious. :-) Since last month, we have dropped his 10:30pm feeding, so he's down to four feedings a day. <br />
<br />
He is 19 lbs 13 oz, and a little over 29 inches long. He's in size 3 diapers and size 3-6 clothing for the most part. He is wearing a few 6-9 month pieces. He's sleeping 11-12 uninterrupted hours a night, putting himself to sleep (without crying or rocking) every night. I wish I could still rock him, and I still try sometimes, but he usually just plays with my hair or face and smiles constantly. You know how difficult it is to put a smiling baby down in his crib at night? I want to hold him and snuggle forever. When I put him down, though, he goes to sleep, so I better keep doing what's best for him instead of what's best for me. Speaking of which--his bedtime is around 7 p.m. He's usually in his crib from 7p.m.-7a.m., and sometimes even 7:30 a.m. I can count on one hand (without using all of my fingers) the number of times we've had him out past his bed time <i>since he was born</i>. I'm a major stickler for it because it affects him in huge ways. And you know what? I love being home in the evenings and nights. It's such a special time. When he's old enough to be involved in organized activities, we won't exactly have evenings at home like we do now (even though Ryan works til about 8:30). Plus, he's the best sleeper, and we both completely thrive with our schedule. We've never been off of it. I'll just write another post about our schedule because I could talk about it all day. Such a life saver! Dr. Allison was asking about what all he's been up to lately (milestones, etc.) and his sleep. She seemed a little surprised and said something along the lines of, "I wouldn't count on that with any of his future siblings." haha. He's more than I could have ever imagined. I'm thankful.<br />
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Owen Beckett, you are such a gift, my little love. Your joy is infectious!<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-75977394807812970482014-10-07T22:42:00.001-05:002014-10-07T22:42:28.334-05:005 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My little love is 5 months old. I've called him "little love" ever since we brought him home from the hospital. It's a funny name to call him because although he is little, my love for him is quite the opposite. There is a song that I began singing to him when I was about 8 weeks pregnant with him, and I still sing it to him; part of it says <i>how does someone so small hold my heart so tightly?</i> My sentiments exactly. There really isn't much I can say here that hasn't already been said. I'm basically in love with him and I don't see that changing any time soon. :)<br />
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Between four months and five months, Owen became quite a busy boy. He is rolling over both directions like a champ, playing like a big boy, and constantly talking and squealing. He smiles and laughs all the time, and it's always adorable. He is fairly consistently sleeping from 7pm-7am without needing us at all. Ryan is still feeding him a bottle around 10:30, although we are working on weaning him from that feed. He doesn't even wake up for it half of the time, but that is the only disruption from the time we put him down to the time he gets up in the morning. We still lay him on his back every night, but he quickly rolls over to his side or belly and seems to love sleeping that way.<br />
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He sometimes crawls on his back, and he looks like a little worm when he does it. It's so funny! We've caught him trying to crawl in his crib, but he has only attempted it once or twice out in the open. He also tries to imitate us. He's on a 4 hour routine now, and he eats around 8 oz. every 4 hours. He's in size 2 diapers, but size 3 for over night. He's in 3-6 month clothing, but can definitely wear a few 6-9 month clothes. He's still the cutest thing I've seen in my entire life, obviously. <br />
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Our days keep getting brighter and brighter, little one. Love you to pieces.<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-47675698281516741202014-08-15T22:28:00.002-05:002014-08-15T22:35:04.299-05:004 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've written out a 4-month post three different times now and have deleted it each time. I've been unable to find the words I want to say, which ironically enough perfectly captures how I have felt since Owen's birth. There aren't enough words. There aren't right words. <i>Ineffable</i>.<br />
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I understand deeply why babies are often referred to as bundles of joy. He is quite literally a bundle of joy. His smile lights up my life, as well as the lives of our family members, friends, strangers. I love watching elderly people do what they can to catch a glimpse of him. In their faces I see the connection they are making between the beautiful baby in my arms and their own beautiful babies who grew entirely too fast. I can't help but notice the juxtaposition of the hopeful glimmer and painful wince in their eyes as they instantly begin reflecting on the blink-of-an-eye that was their children's lives, and I allow it to remind me to slow down, relax, enjoy, and hold closely. Especially to hold closely.<br />
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Owen is growing and learning so quickly that it makes my head spin. He found his voice and talks constantly. We hope his voice drops multiple octaves by adulthood. ;) Sometimes we have a difficult time distinguishing between his crying and his talking, but he is learning to make them sound different. He has mastered rolling from his back to his stomach, and although he has rolled from his stomach to back several times, he often gets stuck and frustrated. He offers smiles all the time, and there is not one sight on this earth that I would rather see. I know he feels joy deep in his soul when he smiles with his mouth wide open and his eyes shut tightly, sometimes even turning his head away in the process. Shut-eye smiles, the kind even an adult can't fake. Contagious. If we try really hard, he lets out laughs that sound like growls. It is impossible to witness it and not laugh in return. He is still enjoying kicking, and loves when we sing to him. He smiles <i>so</i> big every time Ryan talks to him and smiles. It doesn't matter if he is close by or across the room, it never fails. He is a pro at playing with toys now. I remember when I got so excited the first time he even looked at one of his toys, then again when he touched one (I think by accident). It's unbelievable how quickly he is changing. He is able to do whatever he wants with his toys now, which often includes ripping them down from his play mat! We did take him back to the pool a few weeks ago and he liked it much better than the first time. He was completely expressionless, but that's a win. He sat in his stroller and watched intently the entire time I ate an ice cream cone on Wednesday, and ever since then he has been sticking out his tongue. It's hilarious and scary how he is able to watch and learn! We are quite amused at the way Owen always has his leg or legs up in the air. It is so funny and weird, and I have dozens of photos and videos of it!<br />
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My sweet baby appears to be analytical and cautious (very strong qualities of mine). Time will tell, but my early assessment is based on the way he seems to favor taking in his surroundings before choosing to be comfortable or not, looking at a toy for a while before attempting to touch it, and preferring the safety of his carseat or stroller when we are in a strange place. Owen still doesn't like loud, high-energy people or places. He has always slept with white noise in the background, and I think it is comforting to him, so I downloaded an app so we can have white noise on the go. It has helped with car rides and public places. Last week (4 months 1 week) I had to start supplementing with some formula and I hate it. I'll write more on that later. We moved to a 4-hour schedule at that point, also, which is the first time our routine has changed since he was 6 weeks old.<br />
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Through 4 months he was still in mostly 0-3 month clothes, although now he is in some 3-6 month clothes. He is in size 2 diapers. At his appointment last week he weighed 15 lbs 9 oz (62%), and was 28 inches long (100%). He's finally able to sleep unswaddled in his crib, thanks to some prodding from his dad! He's been sleeping through the night again, although sometimes he needs his paci in the middle of the night. Our last middle of the night feeding was exactly one month ago today.<br />
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I love Owen's hands and feet. And everything else. His hands and feet have been my favorite since day one. His fingers are fattening up, and just make me stop and smile and think about how sweet he is. We hold hands a lot at home, in the car, wherever. He holds on to my shirt when I hold him, feed him, or rock him. We often talk about how hands can be used to hurt or to do good, and how he will use them to do good. We talk about how his feet will take him great places, wherever he chooses to go. Every night when I feed him and rock him, I affirm him. I know he doesn't understand yet, but I usually say something along the lines of <i>you are precious. you are loved. you are wanted. you are important. you are smart. you are capable. you are unique. </i>Owen, you are all of those things and more that I cannot express. <i>Ineffable</i>.<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-40404269674013873632014-07-19T15:25:00.001-05:002014-07-19T15:29:59.714-05:00Friday Confessions on Saturday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday was Friday, and I didn't even really realize it. :) Here are some confessions:</div>
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1. <b>I confess that I'm addicted to <i>General Hospital</i>. </b>This isn't anything new. I had to give it up during my pregnancy because it gave me crazy dreams and I couldn't get <i>GH</i> off my mind. Now that my life is crazy and I have so much running through my mind, it's unable to take over. The show annoys me to no end, but I can't. stop. watching.</div>
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2. <b>I confess that 3.5 months is my favorite baby age so far.</b> I am not an "every stage is my favorite" person. Maybe I am now, but I never would have said that before 2 months. Ever. So maybe we've turned a new page and every stage from here on out will be my favorite. Who knows?</div>
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3. <b>I confess that I am so ready to move back to Fayetteville that I might just start packing</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">. </i>I need two more years to finish my Master's here since one whole year is internship. I'm currently looking into how a transfer might work. I would <i>love</i> to move back to Little Rock because it's my favorite, but Ryan disagrees. Besides, it doesn't get any better than our friends and our church back in Fayetteville. Get me there now, please! No really. <i>Now. </i>(P.S. Two of my best friends in the world do not live there, but in a perfect world, they would. Hi Megan! Hi Lydia!)</div>
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4. <b>I confess that I cannot overstate how ready I am for fall. </b>It's by far my favorite season! I don't give a hoot about summer. Give me cute clothes, boots, crisp air, pumpkins and hay bales, cinnamon scents, and SEC football. Yes. Heaven. </div>
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5. <b>I confess that Ryan and I are going to Mexico in December</b>. Last year we decided to try going on a vacation for Christmas instead of doing presents or a vacation some other time of the year. We went to Chicago (yes, in December), it was the best trip ever. I still bring it up more than once a week (seriously). I would go to Chicago in December again in a heartbeat, but Ryan wants to be able to go to a Cubs game next time we go. So, we're going to Cabo, and we're so excited! No, Owen isn't going. :(</div>
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On that note, I have a crying baby who just woke up early from nap time. C ya! (Remember signing notes that way in junior high? haha)</div>
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-24880848135401271972014-07-10T14:39:00.002-05:002014-07-10T14:39:40.103-05:003 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture makes me smile. :) String bean, long-legged boy. </td></tr>
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I have a three month old! Holy cow. He gets more and more fun every single day, really. He has the best smile in the entire world. I can do everything in the world to try to get him to smile, and he might or he might not. But when I smile at him, he always smiles back. There is nothing better. Nothing!<br />
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He has grown so much. We don't go back to the doctor until next month, but I think he weighs around 14 pounds. I could be completely wrong. The day he turned 3 months, April 1, he suddenly couldn't fit into size 1 diapers anymore. He's still in 0-3 month clothing. He eats every 3 hours during the day, and when it's a bottle, it's 4 ounces of breastmilk. That's still all he's ever had! He can now ride in his stroller facing outward instead of being in his carseat, and he seems to love it! He's showing a true interest in his toys now, and it's been so fun for me to get them out for him because they've been sitting in his room for months and months, waiting to be held and licked. He is loving his playmat more than ever before. It's fun to watch him grab at the dangling toys, kick them, smile at them. He is enjoying staring at his fists that he always has right in front of his face. It's funny and cute! When we do tummy time, he comes really close to rolling over. Poor Owen... he has dad cheering "come on, buddy!" and me wailing "nooo, don't!!" :-)<br />
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His sleep has taken a turn for the worse, but it is slowly getting better. I'm pretty sure he went through a growth spurt last week because his sleeping patterns (or lack thereof) and middle-of-the-night eating changed drastically without warning. It's ok though. I'm his momma and it's my highest responsibility to take care of him, meet his needs, and make sure he feels loved, safe, and secure. Our overall "schedule" hasn't changed any from last month, except I'm gone for school three days a week now (5 hours each day). We have different family members watching him while I'm gone, and as far as I know, Owen has done well with them. On days I'm not going to school, we tend to stay home more instead of get out as much as we used to. I need my Owen snuggles, and I don't get them when we're on-the-go!<br />
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We took Owen to the pool for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and he hated it! I posted the video in my last blog entry. I love it. I'm hoping he'll like it once the water isn't so cold, although I feel cruel taking him out in the heat. I get mom guilt <i>bad</i> when it comes to getting Owen out of the house. I'm ready for him to be able to speak for himself. ha. Not really.<br />
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I love him more than my heart can handle. Aside from him being my precious son, there is something so captivating about this little innocent baby. I've had a few stressful moments with school and everything else, and to see him just smile in oblivion really does my heart good. I think there is a lot to be learned from babies. He is the very best tiny person I know!<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-37060683701225780722014-06-27T11:15:00.000-05:002014-06-27T11:15:43.912-05:00Confessional Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good morning!! I'm linking up with Leslie at <a href="http://www.blondeambitionblog.com/" target="_blank">A Blonde Ambition</a> for Confessional Friday! Her blog is one of my favorites, and I've been meaning to start this for like six Fridays now. So:</div>
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<b>I confess that I kiss Owen's cheeks one thousand times a day</b>, and I would do even more if there were more hours in a day. I mean seriously. Cutest ever or cutest ever? </div>
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<b>I confess that when it was time for me to wash my face this morning, I squeezed a big 'ol dollop of moisturizer into my hand instead of cleanser</b>. Whoopsies. Can't say it's the first time I've done that! I blame the cutie above for my sleep deprivation.<br />
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<b>I confess that it has been really, really nice to be back in class since I took last semester off to have Owen</b>. I'm working on my Master's in Counseling, and even quit teaching in order to do it. I have to leave him three days a week through the end of July, then my schedule will be a little more relaxed in the fall. Is it ok to say that going to class feels like a break? I love being with Owen, but those days at home can drag and drag... especially with Ryan working 12 hour days!<br />
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<b>I confess that I'm counting down the days til August 22.</b> That's when my next hair appointment is at <a href="http://crownbeautybar.com/" target="_blank">The Crown</a>! I missed my last appointment in order to give birth :), and once you get out of the rotation, it's challenging to get an appointment! I haven't gotten my hair done since February 7th. Dying.<br />
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<b>I confess that I'm not sad about Owen turning 3 months old in 4 days.</b> I have really enjoyed him so much since he's started smiling and showing interest in some toys. He's <i>so</i> much fun! I would never go back. I am a little mad at myself because I've been enjoying him so much that I haven't been taking as many pictures. Today's to-do: take cute pictures.<br />
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<b>I confess that I've watched this video about a million times</b>. We took Owen to the pool for the first time last Friday, and he hated it. I think it's hysterical!<br />
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And with that, have a great weekend!! We'll be laying low this weekend. In the mean time, if you want to pray that Owen starts liking the pool, that'd be grreeaaat. ;)</div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-23436845656164849172014-06-08T20:00:00.001-05:002014-06-09T17:18:17.261-05:002 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUpSnOvnFZmXkQb9bHH6GDQ3518hBWs3bKoH_P8PIvjsGi42SNLwlznqCkrx93hCJp7dAx3YjWKPZw581vXz6E_S_D9Ofmfhm6rXwuqSsqYRqpPXwLLQGTGrrcKPGqoBJX77LfEZr3cE/s1600/DSC01479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUpSnOvnFZmXkQb9bHH6GDQ3518hBWs3bKoH_P8PIvjsGi42SNLwlznqCkrx93hCJp7dAx3YjWKPZw581vXz6E_S_D9Ofmfhm6rXwuqSsqYRqpPXwLLQGTGrrcKPGqoBJX77LfEZr3cE/s1600/DSC01479.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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As of Sunday, I have a two month old. Tuesday, a 9 week old. Since I'm posting this a week after I wrote it (um, life with Owen is cuh-razy), this Tuesday he will be 10 weeks old. There is a certain ache that runs through my body every time I think about how quickly he has grown and changed already. I look at pictures from the earliest weeks and can't comprehend that it's the same baby in those pictures as the one in my arms. During these past two months, I have learned patience and selflessness like never before. Ok, maybe just with Owen. Someday it will carry out into other relationships :) Truly though, I've never had to give of myself in such a way, and I never imagined I could find such joy in doing so.<br />
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At two months, Owen is growing like a weed! He is 25 inches long ("100th" percentile), and 12 lb 10 oz (75th). Right now he's looking tall and skinny, although he's finally getting a little meat on those yummy thighs! He has been loving his playmat and his swing, and I enjoy being able to put him down every now and then. He's becoming increasingly aware of his tongue and is frequently sticking it out! It's so cute. He <i>loves</i> looking at lights, even natural light through the window, and he loves watching ceiling fans! Although it's gotten a lot better, he still fights sleep during the day and is almost impossible to console at times. Sometimes he insists on being held, but lots of times he'll cry and cry until you lay him down alone somewhere. I think he is starting to enjoy being alone some (a shining glimpse of my personality)! There aren't many things he seems to dislike these days. Although he will do tummy time for a few minutes and is impressively strong, he screams any time I lay him on his belly. Other than that, he is fairly agreeable for the time being! This week he started showing interest in some toys and started trying to grab them for the first time. He can also move himself 90 degrees when we lay him down on his playmat. Little guy has been busy growing and learning! He's been to the church nursery twice now, for three hours each time... we go to service and then to our fellowship class. I think he does ok in there, but I purposely don't ask for details just in case. Last week he was deep asleep in someone's arms when I went to pick him up, and I was truly so happy that he felt safe and loved enough to do that. <br />
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The best part about Owen being two months old is that he's smiling now! He started smiling quite a bit these past two weeks. It's hit or miss, and he doesn't always do it, but I become a puddle every time he does. It's the best smile I've ever seen in my whole entire life!<br />
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Our schedule:<br />
7:00- eat<br />
Lay on my bed or playmat while I get ready... usually I take a million pictures of him at this time! :)<br />
9 or so- nap (usually in swing)<br />
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10- eat<br />
11- leave the house and nap in carseat from 11 or 11:30-1<br />
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1-eat<br />
2 or 2:30-4 or 4:30- nap in crib<br />
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4 or 4:30- eat<br />
play on playmat, swing, snuggle, etc.<br />
6 or so- nap<br />
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6:45- bath (if it's a bath night), change diaper, swaddle<br />
7- eat, then snuggle and rock... I lay him down in his crib after he's asleep, and sometimes while he's still awake.<br />
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He usually falls asleep between 8 and 9, but most consistently around 8:15.<br />
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Repeat the next day! :)<br />
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I start back at school this week and will be gone from 11-4 on Mondays, and 4-9pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He will already be in bed by time I get home those days. Break. My. Heart. I love him so!<br />
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<i>Edit 6/09/14</i>: Things I forgot to include in this post but want to remember: Owen is in size 1 diapers, 0-3 month clothing, and is sleeping through the night from around 8 (sometimes as early as 7:45 or as late as 9) to around 6 (sometimes 5, sometimes 7, but almost always 6 or 6:15)! :)<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-38008155503666688062014-06-02T15:40:00.001-05:002014-06-02T15:41:37.426-05:00Must-Haves Months 1 & 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every baby is different. Heck, my baby is different on a daily basis. We do have some favorite items--some "must-haves," if you will--that helped us get through these first two months. Some of these we were lucky enough to have gotten right the first time. Others we discovered through trial and error. Also important to note is that just because your baby might seem to dislike something the first or second time doesn't mean he/she won't like it later! Owen seemed to hate his swing up until this last week! :-) Here are the things that I can't imagine doing without:<br />
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<b>1. <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/2686012?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227001130636&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=41818768630&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=34189486390&veh=sem" target="_blank">Sound Machine</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6uHejZyCeylty-C-cZNDaFnMnG1Pl2iOIlHHNidPwTQ1GdKeozB_yzMJXRzzjWhS9uut3nQ467_wbTTshqEXYQkYinaZ3CeLcCx1ykv-BXaBcG74fgWfSa0brujteXVPqzxLwM47-64/s1600/sound+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6uHejZyCeylty-C-cZNDaFnMnG1Pl2iOIlHHNidPwTQ1GdKeozB_yzMJXRzzjWhS9uut3nQ467_wbTTshqEXYQkYinaZ3CeLcCx1ykv-BXaBcG74fgWfSa0brujteXVPqzxLwM47-64/s1600/sound+machine.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>We use this HoMedics Sound Spa Portable Sound Machine ($20 at Wal Mart; $35 at Target for the exact same thing). I love the "white noise" sound, turned up all the way, without the timer. I turn this on at the beginning of our bedtime routine and I do not turn it off until it's time for his morning feed. If Owen is upset during a diaper change, I'll turn it on for that and it usually calms him right down! He loves it. I also turn it on when he naps in his crib. Not only does this sound machine help create a great sleeping environment, but it also helps drown out any noises coming from the kitchen, which is right outside of his room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3jsHY5bu7RnbYfVXMj7rX-mCTJOWwLogVG3rzjjW2VVkb2cVY7Xualn74_Ibk_0ZRNOSPHJ1iMGbz8g1AxQSp32IJjDcshLfuwBLaYZ2fLncAbbI9iYuKIWra1R0t99TSVtlak2ajb4/s1600/miracle+blanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3jsHY5bu7RnbYfVXMj7rX-mCTJOWwLogVG3rzjjW2VVkb2cVY7Xualn74_Ibk_0ZRNOSPHJ1iMGbz8g1AxQSp32IJjDcshLfuwBLaYZ2fLncAbbI9iYuKIWra1R0t99TSVtlak2ajb4/s1600/miracle+blanket.jpg" height="200" width="111" /></a><b>2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Blanket-Swaddle-Green-Beige/dp/B000MUBWTG/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401220462&sr=1-1&keywords=miracle+blanket" target="_blank">Miracle Blanket</a></b><br />
We have every type of swaddle and swaddle blanket on the market, I swear. They are all great, except Owen is a houdini baby who <i>always</i> managed to escape every single type of swaddle we would try. Those little hands would somehow always end up right up against his face. It was cute, but not helpful. This Miracle Blanket is the only swaddle that keeps his arms where they need to be for a proper swaddle. It's a little tricky to master, but worth it. He somehow manages to get his legs out, so...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CKVZ1t1D46cSB78dVPZEgWx3oG_DSYPpJnbnrH35ng0mN0EJ7FMh759kw9i1_G4-cVgM391YRCnHXmN6eidHjxr2dS-L9HG5MEpwj3VnGO0A4b0OoMB0CF-VaiGou55tT85ULIXgysY/s1600/summer+infant+swaddle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CKVZ1t1D46cSB78dVPZEgWx3oG_DSYPpJnbnrH35ng0mN0EJ7FMh759kw9i1_G4-cVgM391YRCnHXmN6eidHjxr2dS-L9HG5MEpwj3VnGO0A4b0OoMB0CF-VaiGou55tT85ULIXgysY/s1600/summer+infant+swaddle.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-SwaddleMe-Adjustable-Woodland/dp/B007XL658K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401220782&sr=8-1&keywords=summer+infant+swaddleme" target="_blank">Summer Infant SwaddleMe</a></b><br />
We actually have to put this on top of the Miracle Blanket or else he will keep himself awake by kicking constantly. Between these two swaddles, we have his arms and legs covered. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0MRt08uP-W0_4R1joP7Km8Zn4jFRf0t72CIDiGqg_QIjfroGREaQceKa8P5ZwqhaOo4Vy0Pqxxe21tivbG411VuB4VmAi4DCcyMmDlETyeojNs2NFoFU3W45Ue2ypJw0wJhd6Epw0JQ/s1600/wubbanub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0MRt08uP-W0_4R1joP7Km8Zn4jFRf0t72CIDiGqg_QIjfroGREaQceKa8P5ZwqhaOo4Vy0Pqxxe21tivbG411VuB4VmAi4DCcyMmDlETyeojNs2NFoFU3W45Ue2ypJw0wJhd6Epw0JQ/s1600/wubbanub.jpg" height="143" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><b>4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wubbanub-Pacifier-wabbanub-improvement-accessories/dp/B00DRANWAK/ref=sr_1_50?ie=UTF8&qid=1401220535&sr=8-50&keywords=wubbanub" target="_blank">Wubbanub</a></b></span><br />
We also own every type of pacifier on the market. Truly. Owen needs his pacifier to relax throughout the day, but he doesn't (or didn't) know how to keep it in very well. Ryan and I grew to loathe the pacifier because we were having to put it back in his mouth every few seconds. It was terrible. This is a Soothie pacifier. That type of pacifier actually did cause us some problems with breastfeeding both times I let him have that kind. We gave him a different kind of paci (Gumdrop) for the first few weeks, then I switched him to this. He loves it, and it stays in so much better. He has recently started holding the puppy with his hands, and it's really sweet to see. I sometimes give him a regular Soothie pacifier without the animal attached, and they fall right out of his mouth. Another win for the wubbanub is that when I'm driving, I'm able to reach back and find it easily so I can pop it right back into his mouth.<br />
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<b>5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-Snugabunny-Newborn-Sleeper/dp/B005IWM73S/ref=sr_1_14?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401220906&sr=1-14&keywords=rock+n+play" target="_blank">Rock n Play</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lyaQ1MZu6_TX3dOxdbsVZKLgYVvcZc75h4bDBbWus6CQThmtTyWKlAjmgiEv3Qjyjn6fhilr9PtSG59pMlAzlbHTRYUVyQdStz-HHHIgGF-mIbZZYalirjJwFL_yKQ2iCHuHnCCEkC4/s1600/rock+n+play.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lyaQ1MZu6_TX3dOxdbsVZKLgYVvcZc75h4bDBbWus6CQThmtTyWKlAjmgiEv3Qjyjn6fhilr9PtSG59pMlAzlbHTRYUVyQdStz-HHHIgGF-mIbZZYalirjJwFL_yKQ2iCHuHnCCEkC4/s1600/rock+n+play.jpg" height="200" width="174" /></a>We borrowed this Rock n Play from a friend, and it has been <i>wonderful</i>! Owen slept in it when he was in our room the first four weeks, and we took it with us when we had to stay in a hotel one night a couple of weeks ago. He sleeps really well in it! It's really cozy, and it's inclined. If he desperately needs a nap and refuses to settle down in his crib, I will sometimes put him in this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhp51eze9TZZoMK0xL37XE-0R6T5uVUifgABpl_O2J5xkXA6D0HguLVOzLfEoaFn_A7bl1WomOq7sT9BZUKbRNwfjMJGgIal_IEaQqSjgG5VPtz1quMiv9bcB9IyfzaSE7Gpa4aVJPms/s1600/boppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhp51eze9TZZoMK0xL37XE-0R6T5uVUifgABpl_O2J5xkXA6D0HguLVOzLfEoaFn_A7bl1WomOq7sT9BZUKbRNwfjMJGgIal_IEaQqSjgG5VPtz1quMiv9bcB9IyfzaSE7Gpa4aVJPms/s1600/boppy.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-2100133K-Bare-Naked-Pillow/dp/B000KW5I6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401220998&sr=8-1&keywords=boppy" target="_blank">Boppy</a></b><br />
I breastfed Owen without the Boppy for the first two weeks of his life because I'm an idiot. Sometimes I use this and sometimes I use a regular pillow, but I do highly recommend using <i>something</i>! This pillow allows me to have a hand (and sometimes even two!) free during those nursing sessions, which helps the time go by much faster (<i>hello, Facebook)</i>!<br />
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<b>7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blooming-Bath-Baby-Canary-Yellow/dp/B007S1T4Q0/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401224761&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Blooming Bath</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDUSajoU9DHJNmSS6oMp3Ho-ZttiUc6vDE81aXQ1Uw-3piHx8Hg52IbiWYUSvKaFwDSaSg-nWkZNQrx3J76l5SWhGFAh23fka0PGvPSCSQNuFAf5ciQSzykM2AICz_tmq3CqB1_0rJAw/s1600/blooming+bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDUSajoU9DHJNmSS6oMp3Ho-ZttiUc6vDE81aXQ1Uw-3piHx8Hg52IbiWYUSvKaFwDSaSg-nWkZNQrx3J76l5SWhGFAh23fka0PGvPSCSQNuFAf5ciQSzykM2AICz_tmq3CqB1_0rJAw/s1600/blooming+bath.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>We didn't use this until Owen was a month old because our doctor advised us not to really bathe him until then. It works well for us, and Owen seems to like it just fine! It's easy to use and provides a soft surface for him to bathe on. I love that we can just throw it in the washer when it needs cleaned rather than having to clean a baby tub.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5E7wkzTcKf5sVuitMz15W2hzpZIQ8tDV6hc6Ldxp2NzI0pyzBMp5MXCC3fq15-Mbubsmm-_2e1xlqejMrCsobnVfb5W6cBUotEaQmunylEnUMush_nZjnvDXrGwZiNjsiD1XuOX4swk/s1600/travel+system.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5E7wkzTcKf5sVuitMz15W2hzpZIQ8tDV6hc6Ldxp2NzI0pyzBMp5MXCC3fq15-Mbubsmm-_2e1xlqejMrCsobnVfb5W6cBUotEaQmunylEnUMush_nZjnvDXrGwZiNjsiD1XuOX4swk/s1600/travel+system.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Britax-B-Agile-B-Safe-Travel-System/dp/B00GSNFG84/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401221591&sr=1-1&keywords=britax+travel+system" target="_blank">Travel System</a></b><br />
We have the Britax B-Safe and B-Agile system, and we l-o-v-e it. The carseat just snaps into the stroller and we're ready to go! Owen often falls asleep in his carseat, and I absolutely loathe waking him up for any reason other than to eat. With this, I'm able to leave him in his carseat without bothering him at all. The stroller is great and easy to use, collapse, and open. It can be used without the carseat for a child who weighs less than fifty pounds, I believe. Another reason to have a stroller that works with your carseat is that with the weight of the carrier and my eight week old baby, I'd be lugging around 33 pounds in one hand. It's so nice to be able to just push him instead of carry him with that added weight.<br />
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<b>9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Swaddlers-Diapers-Giant-Count/dp/B00DGN23UI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401221360&sr=8-1&keywords=pampers+swaddlers+newborn" target="_blank">Pampers Swaddlers</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6rtVm4_R6iZuDXuMmA6uZq4ECf1pv55K-bVJnq_89hvXSAHJjkP6hp4F7z4rTb2xotuSwM6Y3UT6Y4kHn0FciKv-3TjplGFm7eRF6yAjFAK_D3ysfGXS_YYXluDX1fEacXgyM7V7dFc/s1600/swaddlers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6rtVm4_R6iZuDXuMmA6uZq4ECf1pv55K-bVJnq_89hvXSAHJjkP6hp4F7z4rTb2xotuSwM6Y3UT6Y4kHn0FciKv-3TjplGFm7eRF6yAjFAK_D3ysfGXS_YYXluDX1fEacXgyM7V7dFc/s1600/swaddlers.jpg" height="168" width="200" /></a>We have only used these diapers and Huggies Snugglers. I'm not sure if there is a huge difference. Our hospital put him in Huggies and sent them home with us, but all of our other diapers are Pampers Swaddlers. They work well for us! You know all those blogs and people who tell you that buying newborn diapers is a waste of money because size 1s will work just fine? That the hospital will put your baby in size 1s anyway? That's a bunch of bull. We didn't have any newborn diapers because I listened to that advice, and we had to go buy some once we ran out of the newborn diapers we brought home from the hospital. Owen's hips and legs were so skinny that size 1 diapers fit him loose like a pair of shorts around his legs. I don't know about you, but I didn't want to deal with poop and pee coming out of his diaper every single time he went. We had our fair share of accidents anyway, but a properly fitting diaper is important. :-) He wore newborns until he was about a month old.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGhUNpCdZZgYd0ZUJNKq0AAfP_8-Y8j3v9TbfdQi_gUrzgadnNRUqfpdaJwQkpEihyHrGdY5qkyE5jNxiXt8XD7BgHQmahM5nmJjUqzwzKPHw9PHcqZyEw1qjBccKBtx-9loN8ll-0c8/s1600/wipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGhUNpCdZZgYd0ZUJNKq0AAfP_8-Y8j3v9TbfdQi_gUrzgadnNRUqfpdaJwQkpEihyHrGdY5qkyE5jNxiXt8XD7BgHQmahM5nmJjUqzwzKPHw9PHcqZyEw1qjBccKBtx-9loN8ll-0c8/s1600/wipes.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Sensitive-Wipes-Box-Count/dp/B005DLCJX2/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1401221322&sr=8-12&keywords=pampers+swaddlers" target="_blank">Pampers Sensitive Wipes</a></b><br />
I've tried out a lot of wipes, but these are by far my favorite because they seem to be so much thicker than all the others. Highly recommend!<br />
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<b>11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Britax-USA-S864600-Back-Mirror/dp/B008HCXIU2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401223781&sr=8-2&keywords=baby+mirror+for+car" target="_blank">Mirror</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWvkwCK0IqxKgywx9pO-I1FzmZ7-9yZOJfHx6NoavRDmc8RO6yK5rOJlXXoV4OYeWmjat-uIvo6faYj6X2HX-AC_kbFuNCqRr_LS1qUON0JDW4vH0fOiYN8pMoCV2fMpfE1sC6F1bVWI/s1600/mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWvkwCK0IqxKgywx9pO-I1FzmZ7-9yZOJfHx6NoavRDmc8RO6yK5rOJlXXoV4OYeWmjat-uIvo6faYj6X2HX-AC_kbFuNCqRr_LS1qUON0JDW4vH0fOiYN8pMoCV2fMpfE1sC6F1bVWI/s1600/mirror.jpg" height="139" width="200" /></a>Owen and I go out and about, just the two of us, quite a bit. I love being able to glance into my rear view mirror and see if he is awake or asleep, or why he might be crying. It's my favorite thing to look up and see that he's sitting there content, looking around. It's so adorable! I really do believe this is a <i>must</i> if you will be driving your baby around without someone else. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgJSwyKFUYnVJkpL6B0A7D1t5GjiIPvlbK_IK31QkuVKrkVtkZeEeaYM87BxfoVTHYPKP47T4tJRrZxpCmIzG2os8kPIjRsP02vTpqDyju8Hzo7vyYIiVhMEiuCbV5Wyk97CIGgw-gXA/s1600/monitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgJSwyKFUYnVJkpL6B0A7D1t5GjiIPvlbK_IK31QkuVKrkVtkZeEeaYM87BxfoVTHYPKP47T4tJRrZxpCmIzG2os8kPIjRsP02vTpqDyju8Hzo7vyYIiVhMEiuCbV5Wyk97CIGgw-gXA/s1600/monitor.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>12. <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19131106&cp=2255957.2273447.12661883&parentPage=family" target="_blank">Video Baby Monitor</a></b><br />
We chose this Motorola one because it was about half off on Black Friday. I absolutely love being able to check on him without having to go into his room. If he starts fussing in the middle of the night, I can watch him on the monitor for a few minutes to see if he will settle himself before I barge in there and intervene. I believe it has prevented me from intervening too early many, many times! The first night he slept in his crib, I watched the monitor to see his chest moving since he was no longer next to my bed for me to physically check his breathing. <b> </b><br />
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<b>13. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moby-Wrap-Original-Carrier-Chocolate/dp/B000X4WORU/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1401224506&sr=1-4&keywords=moby+wrap" target="_blank">Moby Wrap</a></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTznnvrAcJIvuHB6VeeQIuaf7C1MI2kfdQWozQ_K_bvNr3c387rNFXLrjRydKhdEKlT6rifcCZAvVQNeYRgEQi6Wz6nGwPO2ppRD7VVJgDLgXj-jqQqqg6jmU3YdK5Y_5uhR2CZmixXWk/s1600/moby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTznnvrAcJIvuHB6VeeQIuaf7C1MI2kfdQWozQ_K_bvNr3c387rNFXLrjRydKhdEKlT6rifcCZAvVQNeYRgEQi6Wz6nGwPO2ppRD7VVJgDLgXj-jqQqqg6jmU3YdK5Y_5uhR2CZmixXWk/s1600/moby.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a>I have an Ergo carrier and an infant insert, but I quickly realized it wasn't actually very infant-friendly. Owen needed to be held and carried for a large portion of his first month of life, and although there is nothing more precious than baby snuggles, it just wasn't realistic or ideal for me. I decided to try to the Moby wrap, and we both really like it! It's a little tricky at first, and I'm looking forward to him getting big enough to safely use the Ergo, but the Moby has been a life-saver on many occasions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRjh3tpqDXfZcCyZUol2h45Wd8vUFDyKKJ0Ynd0mn_vm0ZInRb178_3RRfBIT9vseNdwJNIhXT4Dy0O8TbTfQbSi4BuD3edNJUGWhIW3M5t4SKUsknfrFs5v2nE6vnU7Dz155mSntUJw/s1600/eyefi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRjh3tpqDXfZcCyZUol2h45Wd8vUFDyKKJ0Ynd0mn_vm0ZInRb178_3RRfBIT9vseNdwJNIhXT4Dy0O8TbTfQbSi4BuD3edNJUGWhIW3M5t4SKUsknfrFs5v2nE6vnU7Dz155mSntUJw/s1600/eyefi.jpg" /></a><b>14. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Fi-Wireless-Frustration-Packaging-MOBI-8-FF/dp/B00CS4WPD6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401221178&sr=8-2&keywords=eyefi" target="_blank">Eyefi Memory Card</a></b><br />
A good camera is a must, but I'm
not going to tell you what to get. I will tell you to get this memory
card, though! I'm able to take good pictures with my camera and send
them to my wireless devices through this memory card's built-in wifi.
It's pretty awesome, and I love being able to share photos soon after I
take them instead of weeks later when I decide to pop my memory card
into my computer.<br />
<br />
<br />
And there you have it! There are many other things we use, of course, but I'd say there isn't really much else we've needed during these first two months! Gas drops, gripe water, swing, playmat, nosefrieda, etc. are all fantastic, but they'll play a bigger role later, I'm sure!<br />
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<u>Love and Stuff</u></div>
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Owen completely has my heart. Every time I look at him I think and often say aloud, <i>He's so darn cute</i>. Sometimes I even think the other D word in my head because he is seriously just that cute. Ha. I love him. I love him with every ounce of me. However, I've never once thought the whole "I never knew I could love this much" deal. I expected to love him this much. I knew I could and would. What I <i>didn't</i> expect is how protective I am over him. I shouldn't at all be surprised by that. I knew I would be protective. I knew I would be fiercely protective. But life took that and raised it one, because I'm some sort of protective that I never knew I could be. </div>
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This isn't the type of protective that should lead to my child being "sheltered." It's different. I can't even explain. </div>
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<u>The First Two Weeks</u><br />
Thank God everyone remembered to warn me about the first two weeks. Several of my friends have always told me that the first two weeks are the hardest. I probably said that out loud to myself 10 times a day during the first two weeks: <i>Ok, the first two weeks are the hardest. The first two weeks are the hardest</i>. I have always had a hard time seeing past my current situation, whatever it may be. I feel like all things are permanent, even though they clearly aren't, so repeating that to myself over and over really did help me remember and embrace the brevity of that season. More than anything I was bothered by our lack of routine. The lactation consultant who taught my breastfeeding class told us to not worry about anything at all the first two weeks except taking care of the baby. I'll admit I was also trying to clean the house, etc. We had people in and out, which completely exhausted me. Add to that the fact that I um, I don't know, HAVE A NEWBORN BABY AT HOME AND AM TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THE PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY TRAUMATIZING EVENT THAT IS CHILDBIRTH, yeah. Fun times. Not. I do feel a tinge of sappiness when I look at all of the pictures I have from his first few days, but that's it. I honestly didn't even get to be with him very much at the hospital or our first two weeks home because um, visitors.<br />
<br />
<u>After the First Two Weeks</u><br />
Weeks three to four were dramatically different than the first two weeks. Owen's routine started shaping up, we had a little time to get to know each other better and get used to each other, and it was the first time I had a chance to really spend time with him on my own. I cannot overstate how important that was/is. These two weeks were important for my sanity because I could see glimmers of hope that one day we would have a good routine down.<br />
<br />
<u>Fussiness</u><br />
Owen was extremely fussy from weeks 3-now, although it's drastically improving. He's not a good napper and will stay awake far too long. He gets overtired and very fussy, and it's difficult to calm him down... especially if your name isn't momma. We wondered if it was gas, reflux, colic, or if he was just a high-needs baby. At some point around week 5 (I think) I realized that the problem is that he gets overtired. There isn't too much I can do about it, but we have seen major improvements since figuring that out. I'm able to pour my energy into getting him to sleep after a sufficient wake time!<br />
<br />
<u>Schedule/Routine</u><br />
I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Baby-Wise-Giving-Nighttime/dp/1932740139/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400616418&sr=1-1&keywords=babywise" target="_blank"><i>Babywise</i></a> during my last couple of weeks of pregnancy, and again before Owen was two weeks old. I didn't concern myself with any type of schedule, pattern, or routine during the first two weeks. I focused on learning Owen's cues for his needs and fulfilling them as he demanded them. I still do this, but it's a little different. After the two week mark, I did what I could to get him to follow the basic feed-wake-sleep cycle that <i>Babywise</i> is all about. I wasn't concerned with how often he ate, how long he was awake, or how long he slept--just that those things happened in that order. He honestly followed it quite naturally. None of those things happened at specific times, and every day was different. At four weeks we moved him to his crib. The first night was really rough (just trying to get him to sleep in it), the second night was less rough, the third night was ok, and from then on he's been doing really well! It was also probably around that time that he started going three hours between feedings on his own. I began documenting every single minute of the day, noting when he ate, slept, etc. so that I could work on building a schedule around his natural patterns.<br />
<br />
Once that was established, I began tweaking his eating times and taking more control over his "schedule." At first I would base it off of what time he woke up. For example, if he woke up at 6 a.m. and I fed him, then that day he would eat at 6a, 9a, 12p, 3, 6p, 9p, and whatever time he woke up in the middle of the night. Obviously if he was hungry when it "wasn't time," I would feed him, but I don't remember ever really needing to after the 4 week mark. At around 5.5 weeks I took control over what time of the day he ate by feeding him at 7 a.m. no matter what time he woke up or what time he last ate. If he needed fed at 5 or 6, I'd still feed him at 7 so that every single day would be consistent and predictable. He eats at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10, and usually 3a.m. or so... just whenever he wakes up hungry in the middle of the night. He usually eats for around 30 minutes, and if he isn't actively eating, I cut him off at that point. However, if he is actively eating, I would never make him stop. His first feed of the morning and his last feed of the day, I try to get him to eat as long as he can. I don't know if that's necessary, but I feel better about it. ha. If he wakes up at 6:00 or 6:30, which he loves to do, I'll give him his paci and rock him until 7 so that we can stay on schedule. It has <i>immensely</i> helped me stay sane. He stays awake for a while after I feed him, and usually stays awake far too long. He gets overtired and can't relax enough to fall asleep. I've poured most of my energy the past two weeks into reducing his wake time and increasing his sleep time. Some people have said "maybe he just doesn't require as much sleep as most babies!" If that were true, he wouldn't be screaming because of how tired he is! We're still working on the sleep routine, but so far those eating times and the basic <i>Babywise</i> pattern are really working for us. This week Ryan has started giving Owen a bottle at 10 or 10:30 so that I can get a little extra sleep before getting woken up in the night. I'm usually exhausted by time I put Owen to bed, and Ryan likes to stay up later. It's working really well for us to do it like that. I've always gotten up with Owen during the night since Ryan usually has to go to work the next day, but he is definitely willing to help me if I were to ask for help. Other than the few "help! Owen pooped all over me!" moments in the middle of the night the first two weeks, I've only asked for his help one time. :-)<br />
<br />
Because Ryan works 12 hour days and is usually actually gone for 13 hours, he doesn't really get to see Owen on the days he works. The first few weeks I wasn't putting Owen to bed until 10 or later so that they could see each other. However, he was waking up around 6 no matter what time I put him down, so I decided it would be best for him to go to bed earlier. It has really helped! He goes down much easier now because I'm putting him in his crib at a time when he is naturally most tired, from what I can tell. He's also getting more sleep that way. Basically everything is trial and error, but we're slowly figuring things out. :) Owen has slept really well at night ever since day 1. We have had a handful of what I would consider to be rough nights, but truly only a handful. I expect him to wake up once or twice between the time I lay him down and the time he wakes up in the morning. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less, but most of his sleep problems seem to occur during the day rather than at night. We give him a bath every other night, so on a bath night our bedtime routine is to do a warm bath, turn on his sound machine (he <i>loves</i> it), lotion him up (I'll usually massage him a little as I lotion him), swaddle him, feed him, rock him if he's still awake, and lay him down in his crib once he's asleep. Sometimes it works to lay him down while he's sleepy but still awake, and sometimes it doesn't. When it isn't a bath night, our routine is the same but without the bath and lotion. When I rock him I sing him a song that I sang to him all the time when I was pregnant. If I anticipate that he is going to take a good nap, or that he needs to but is having a hard time, I will swaddle him and go through our night time routine before a daytime nap. It really does seem to help... sometimes. Ha.<br />
<br />
We leave the house every single day. We don't have to do anything super exciting, but we'll usually run through Sonic for a drink and then go for a walk. Sometimes we go to Target. I enjoy running little errands with him. I started leaving the house because he gets really fussy during the day, and he usually goes to sleep in the car and stays asleep the whole time we are out. When we're leaving the house without somewhere to be at a certain time, we leave right after I feed, burp, and change him, and we come back just in time for him to eat again. I've found if I come home before it's time for him to eat again, he will wake up and fuss the rest of that cycle. If I stay out and about, he stays asleep. Neither one of us very much enjoys having to be certain places at certain times. We have a good routine going, and there really isn't anything worth messing it up for.<br />
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<u>Hal.A.Loo.Yuh.</u><br />
Since I started writing this post, we've hit a major milestone: Owen has now slept through the night two nights in a row. The first night (Sunday) he slept from 9-6:15. He woke up at 3:30 and fussed a little, but he put himself back to sleep before I could even get up. Last night (Monday) he slept from 8:30-6. He woke up fussing a couple of times, but always went right back to sleep on his own. Saturday night, after multiple <i>rough</i> nights in a row, I made a couple of changes. For one, instead of feeding him at 4pm, 7pm, bedtime, and feed at 10pm, I added an extra feed. Now it goes like this: 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, bedtime, feed at 10:30. He doesn't wake up for the 10:30 feed. He stays asleep ("dreamfeed," ala <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Baby-Whisperer-Connect-Communicate/dp/0345479092/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400616490&sr=1-2&keywords=the+baby+whisperer" target="_blank">Secrets of the Baby Whisperer</a>). </i>The second change is that I've been putting a worn (or "dirty" if we're being technical :)) tshirt in his crib with him because I read that it might comfort him to have my scent near him. I'm not sure if either of these changes has made the difference, but something has! Even if he stops sleeping through the night, I at least know he can.<br />
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<u>Baby Crap</u><br />
I'm not talking about poo. I think we own every type of swaddle, every baby contraption (swing, bouncer, etc.), every book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=happiest%20baby%20on%20the%20block&sprefix=happiest+bab%2Cstripbooks%2C209&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Ahappiest%20baby%20on%20the%20block&ajr=2" target="_blank"><i>The Happiest Baby on the Block</i></a> is another one I've read but haven't yet mentioned). I have a theory: in a desperate attempt to find something that will work, the parents of fussy babies own more baby junk than the parents of calm babies<i>.</i> That's us! The funny thing is that none of it has really helped up until the past couple of days because he doesn't like to be put down. However, I think it is important for him.<br />
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<u>Other</u><br />
I kiss Owen about a million times a day. I love rocking him to sleep before I put him down. He's 7 weeks old and I've only been away from him for three hours total, leaving him home with Ryan each time. I left him for one hour to go to Target when he was 9 days old. I left him for another hour when he was three weeks old because we needed groceries, and I left him for one hour yesterday so that I could get out of the house and so Ryan could spend some much needed time with him since he hadn't gotten to the previous few days for various reasons. Overall I've enjoyed the past week or so much more than the earlier weeks. Those were not my favorite! We like to say that Owen is doing everything he can to make sure he gets to be an only child. haha. We love our little firecracker! So much. He is such a gift. Here's a picture from when he was only 12 days old. He was so cute and sweet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZDT1iRdXuXaz47fv8f8eo0MjKmkqOklysX3NPhsph_AIvHpOP2U9APmj5cRov9U0cJydlGtyTilv6AlqudeJh13x5EBvRXvJvkpIpJ_YDudqi20NO-7XS_QLRt7jTetTWfqnv5MDVw0/s1600/DSC_7386copycopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZDT1iRdXuXaz47fv8f8eo0MjKmkqOklysX3NPhsph_AIvHpOP2U9APmj5cRov9U0cJydlGtyTilv6AlqudeJh13x5EBvRXvJvkpIpJ_YDudqi20NO-7XS_QLRt7jTetTWfqnv5MDVw0/s1600/DSC_7386copycopy.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
P.S. He totally peed and pooped straight through my hand while taking this picture. ;)<br />
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<u><br /></u>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-86519750413806647112014-05-01T18:24:00.002-05:002014-05-01T18:24:26.079-05:00One Month <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how long those legs are?? I snicker (yep) each time I see them! </td></tr>
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My sweet, sweet Owen is one month old today. I've never known time to pass so quickly. It is truly bittersweet. We have had some difficult days where I have found myself looking forward to him getting a little older, in hopes of him growing out of his fussiness. Looking forward to his routine becoming more scheduled. Looking forward to his first smile, his first "I love you momma." There are also days where I feel my heart breaking a little, knowing that with the end of each day comes the stark reality that I'll never get these moments back. I feel an intensely deep desire for time to slow down so I can taste the sweetness of these days just a little longer. Should I really complain about spending hours on end putting my baby's pacifier back in his mouth when it falls out? I'm certain there will be a time when I am shattered over his lack of need for me. So right now? Right now I will treasure each moment. Each cry. Each adorable shriek. Every second he stares at me with those drop-dead-gorgeous eyes. Every time he wants to eat "before it's time to eat again." Every little whimper in the middle of the night. I know I will long for those again one day. Each time I feel a tinge of frustration, I remember how numbered these days are. I might not get anything done these days except loving my son, and doggonit, I'm going to do it well. Isn't it funny how looking ahead can sometimes root us deeper in the here and now?<br />
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At one month old, Owen has some definite likes and dislikes. It's so fun to analyze what we think is his personality. We have no idea, but it's still entertaining to point out his nuances and peg it onto one of our own personalities. He loves to be swaddled and snuggled. He loves being carried in the Moby carrier. He really loves to eat! He also seems to enjoy getting out of the house with me, riding in the car, going for walks in his stroller, and sucking on that darn pacifier. He enjoys looking at lights, and he seems to enjoy music. He likes to bounce around a lot, and really enjoys any type of movement like that. He also enjoys laying on his playmat for short periods of time. He does <i>not</i> seem to like large groups of people, loud people or noises, his swing, or being without a pacifier. He did hate diaper changes and bath time, but he is slowly coming around on those!<br />
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He is the most adorable person in the universe. Everyone thinks he looks just like Ryan, and he does upon first glance. However, Owen seems to have my individual features. He definitely has my mouth, and we think he also has my nose and my eyes. But somehow his face still looks like Ryan! I think they're both incredibly handsome. :-) Owen is super long (or "tall," if you prefer). He has the biggest hands and feet. My favorite thing in the world is to see him in just a diaper. He has the cutest little body, and I will never, ever get enough of him. We weighed him last night by me stepping on the scale and then Ryan handing him to me. According to that super accurate method, he weighs exactly 10 pounds!<br />
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Last night he slept in his crib for the first time. He woke up to eat every 2.5-3 hours, but he slept in his crib from 9:30-5:30. This morning we had to try on a couple of outfits before we found one that still fit him. I quietly folded the one he suddenly outgrew, in disbelief that this was already happening. We've also been paci-free (with the exception of 5 cumulative minutes) for about 26 hours now. Can somebody please go ahead and invent a time machine? Or some way to at least make time stand still? I'd give an organ.<br />
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Right now he is snoring on my chest in the Moby, and the top of his head is slightly dampened from a few tears of mine. I can think of no greater joy than being his momma, even on the hard days. Owen Beckett, you are loved. You are big and strong and handsome and valuable and important and loved. You, my love, are a blessing from the Lord. I will slow down. I will study each of your features over and over again, day after day, and will never tire of doing so.<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-65654675276759625992014-04-21T19:33:00.001-05:002014-04-21T19:33:28.600-05:00Owen Beckett Harness: labor and deliveryOur sweet Owen was born on 4/01/14 at 4:04 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and was 21 inches long. Every bit of perfection and then some.<br />
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My last doctor's appointment was Friday, March 28th--the last weekday before my due date on Monday. Dr. Allison asked me to choose an induction date just in case I didn't have him before 41 weeks. I asked her, "when <i>can</i> I do it? <i>Tonight?!</i>" She laughed and suggested we look at the calendar. The thought of being induced made me extremely nervous because I wanted to know what my body would do on its own. However, I couldn't handle the thought of being pregnant for very much longer. Ryan wasn't with me at that appointment, so I asked her if I could talk to him and call her back. I wanted to go ahead and have him on my due date because Ryan's vacation time was starting that day, but I decided it would be worth it to enjoy one last day together before Owen's arrival. Waiting one more day would also allow me to wave hello and goodbye to my due date. Yes, I'm that lady who chose to have her baby on April Fool's Day. Sue me. ;)</div>
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Tuesday we arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. We checked in, they got my IV started (although quite dramatically), etc. The first hour and forty five minutes were uneventful, although I did cry during that time because my nurse deflated all of my expectations for that day. She asked me to tell her what Dr. Allison told me to expect, so I told her: "Well, she said she would insert the catheter into my cervix this morning, then sometime around 1 or 2 this afternoon I should be ready for Pitocin, and then she said 'hopefully we'll have a baby by midnight!'" My nurse kind of scoffed and said, "well that's awfully positive. I'd say more like tomorrow." My IV was a huge debacle, and there were a few more negative comments thrown my way. I was nervous enough already, so I could have done without all of that. As soon as she stepped out of the room, I began to cry. I just needed a little encouragement and had certainly not been met with any. I was dying to see my doctor because, well, I love her.<br />
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At 9:00 Dr. Allison came in to get things started as we had discussed at my last appointment. At 9:15 she inserted a catheter bulb into my cervix to help ripen it. I had been dilated to about a 2 for at least the previous two weeks, and I basically wasn't effaced at all. It was uncomfortable, but not terrible. I confirmed with her what she told me to expect at my last appointment: "you said this should stay in until this afternoon, right?" Right. The point of it was to help me dilate before they started the Pitocin. The bulb would fall out on its own once it had done its job. I was told to lay flat for 45 minutes, and then I would be allowed to get up and walk. During this 45 minutes, I was having mild contractions that mostly felt like intense cramping. After 45 minutes I told my nurse I needed to pee. I went into the bathroom, felt a whole lot of pressure, and out it came! It freaked me out because 45 minutes is a whole lot shorter than 4 or 5 hours! She checked me and I was dilated to a 5. I went for a 30 minute walk around the floor with Ryan and my mom, and then it was time to start my Pitocin. I couldn't believe how quickly it was all happening! The Pitocin was not fun. The contractions started out fairly mild, then grew in intensity. I would squeeze Ryan's hand pretty hard and make a fist with my other hand. Sometime between 1:15 and 1:30 I asked for my epidural, and I had it in by 2:00. Those were the worst 30 minutes, and I kept saying over and over, "I'm so glad I asked for this when I did!" I could tell I was progressing during that short amount of time because my contractions were getting more and more intense, as well as closer together. When my nurse checked me I was at a 7, even though she said beforehand, "I'll check you, but I don't expect that you've changed any since last time." (Seeing a theme here?) She told me that the next thing I needed to be watching for was a lot of pressure and an urge to push. So, at 3:00 I paged her and told her that I wanted to be checked again. She didn't want to check me because my doctor doesn't like excessive checking; I understand she needs to make sure she doesn't get in trouble, so I asked her to make a note that I demanded it and to check me. Ha. She questioned me when I said I was feeling pressure because I said "I think I am feeling a lot of pressure." She asked if I was feeling an urge to push, and I responded by saying, "umm, kind of?" and she basically said something along the lines of "if you really were, there would be no doubt," although those aren't at all her exact words. Well, since I'd never given birth before, I really had no idea what to expect. I maintained that I wanted to be checked, so she checked me and I was at a 9. My water also broke right then. I'm pretty sure I wanted to stick my tongue out at her and wave my hands by my ears like a child. :) She told me that my doctor probably wouldn't come until after office hours (5:00!!), but 30 minutes later she walked in the door. She checked me and said I was at a full 10 and ready to go! I think I said something along the lines of, "NO! I'm not ready!!" and other such nonsense. She smiled and said they'd be back in 15 minutes for me to start pushing. At 3:45 they came back in, set everything up, and we were ready to roll. Before we started, I said "wait! What happens if I push for a few hours and get too tired to go on?" Dr. Allison smiled at me and said, "you won't be pushing long!" Ah, I love her. I have been consistently encouraged by her throughout my entire pregnancy, and she really came through for me on this day, too.<br />
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She asked my nurse to hold one of my legs and Ryan to hold the other, and she explained to me what she wanted me to do. With each contraction I would take a deep breath, push as hard as I could for 10 seconds, then repeat two more times before resting until the next contraction. My doctor let me push as I felt the pressure, and it was seriously awesome to see how my body worked with the contractions to get little Owen out of my body. My doctor had one of the nurses throw a sheet over the birthing bar so I could have a little resistance to help me push. It helped <i>so</i> much. I held onto it with my hands and pulled on it as hard as I could every time I pushed. My arms and upper back were incredibly sore for the next two days! I pushed during my contractions for only 15 minutes, and Owen was born at 4:04 p.m. I couldn't believe that my labor lasted only 7 hours. Ryan cut the cord, and then I asked them to clean Owen off just a teeny bit before handing him to me. When they did hand him to me, I was in such disbelief that I had just given birth to this little human! My thought process was pretty much "oh my gosh. you are real. you were inside of me and now you're not. i don't know how to be a mom. you are so cute. who are you? i love you but you freak me out a little." :-) Dr. Allison spent about 45 minutes stitching me up (...yep) and taking care of me while Ryan and I gushed over Owen, then they took him to the other side of the room to do all the things they needed to do. At least I think that's how it happened.<br />
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We stayed two nights in the hospital, and I was so thankful for that. I wouldn't have been ready after just one night! I asked the nurse in the delivery room if I needed to set an alarm to feed him that night, and she said that I probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep because of adrenaline. She was right. I didn't sleep at all that night, nor did I nap the next day. I know it was from adrenaline and hormones, but I was miserably tired and couldn't stop crying. (P.S. I hate all of you for not warning me about the "baby blues," as I've now learned it is called. It was possibly the most miserable 24 hours of my life, starting the morning after he was born and lasting til the next morning... and a little bit at home, but not that bad.)<br />
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Owen is a strong little guy. When the nurse first handed him to me immediately after birth, she commented on how strong his shoulders were, and then apparently he lifted his head up while the nurses were doing their thing with him after that. I love that about him because I was so nervous about handling such a fragile, new life. I still cannot believe this little man was living inside of me for 40 weeks. It did honestly take a few days for us to bond. I blame the crazy hormones and a lack of time to ourselves, but we made it through! We came home Thursday right after noon, and when we pulled into the garage I freaked out for a second and asked Ryan what we were supposed to do with Owen once we got inside! He said, "whatever we want!" Such a weird feeling. :-) I felt so proud for having carried Owen for 40 weeks and for the way labor and delivery went. I spent 40 weeks panicking off and on about that moment, and it ended up being incredible. I'll post about this separately, but every single day just gets better and better. We love him so much it's insane, and I now understand what people mean when they say they can't remember what life was like before their babies. I am so proud of him. So proud.<br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-40765746884197664792014-04-21T19:33:00.000-05:002014-04-21T19:33:17.238-05:00TomorrowWritten March 31, 2014--my due date. :-)<br />
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Tomorrow we meet our son, Owen. I have so many thoughts and emotions of all different kinds. I am really glad to know that come tomorrow, my nightly freak-outs can come to an end...although really I know it will just change to a different kind. Ha! Ryan is a champ and handles me perfectly. I am (we both are) so excited to lay eyes on Owen for the first time, but that doesn't mean I'm not fearful or nervous.<br />
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I know that couples who have kids right away definitely face challenges that come along with that. I can't even imagine. I have said numerous times that I am so thankful for the time Ryan and I have had--just the two of us--before having kids, but tonight I realized that the time we've had might make it more difficult to adjust. We've had almost five sweet married years together, just the two of us, and it's scary that it's all about to change. I was explaining this to him tonight and said, "I really like it just the two of us." He said, "I know; I do, too. But I think we'll like it the three of us, too." Cue my tears!<br />
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I know Owen will fit perfectly into our little family. I can't wait to become a parent with Ryan; I already know it will melt my heart to watch him be a dad because I melt every day just from him being my husband. Tomorrow our lives will change forever, and although it is scary to me, I am thankful to be walking into this season of life with my man.<br />
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You're my #1, babe. Love you darlin' sugar buns. ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo by Crystal Goss)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo by <a href="http://www.kelseytice.com/" target="_blank">Kelsey Crawford</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo by<a href="http://www.kelseytice.com/" target="_blank"> Kelsey Crawford</a>)</span></div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608800091668781935.post-57029314178484944972014-03-25T23:23:00.000-05:002014-03-25T23:23:09.194-05:0039 Weeks<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px;">
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I can't upload my picture from the computer I'm using, so I will add that later! :)</div>
<b>Weeks: </b>39<br />
<b>Baby</b>: The only thing left for Owen's little body to do is to decide he's tired of living inside of me! </div>
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<b>Total weight gain: </b>Pushing 30 lbs.</div>
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<b>Maternity clothes? </b>Yep</div>
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<b>Stretch marks? </b>Nothing visible </div>
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<b>Sleep:</b> Sleeping really well, especially for this stage I think.<br />
<b>Favorite moment of the week:</b> We unexpectedly got to see Owen on the ultrasound Friday! We had only seen him once at 8 weeks and once at 21 weeks. I almost didn't want to look because I don't want to ruin my own surprise, but you really can't tell that much on a regular ultrasound anyway. :-) He looks so chunky and squishy, and my heart is a big puddle just thinking about him. I mentioned my anxiety to my doctor by just saying "I worry so much when I don't feel him move a whole lot, and then I worry about whether there are enough fluids..." and my doctor immediately responded, "then we will check all of that!" I got to hear his heartbeat for 30-40 minutes, followed by the ultrasound. I've had a lot more peace since then. By comparing his movements on the ultrasound to how much movement I was feeling, she determined that I'm feeling about 30% of his movements, possibly due to the way he's positioned. </div>
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<b>Miss anything? </b>I want to say "not being pregnant," but that's strictly out of my desire to hold my baby! I'm really not missing anything.</div>
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<b>Movement: </b>I pretty much covered this already, but I will add that I have been feeling tons and tons of movements these past two days.</div>
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<b>Cravings? </b>Nothing consistent.</div>
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<b>Anything make you queasy or sick? </b>I actually haven't been feeling too bad!</div>
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<b>Gender: </b>BOY! </div>
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<b>Labor signs: </b>At my appointment Friday, I was dilated to about a 2. </div>
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<b>Symptoms: </b>Stiiiill pregnant. My main complaint lately has been this crazy leg pain. I hadn't mentioned anything to my doctor about it, but when she was doing the ultrasound she said, "you're probably having a lot of leg pain, aren't you?!" I was glad she said something about it!</div>
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<b>Belly button in or out? </b>Out. </div>
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<b>Wedding rings on or off? </b>On</div>
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<b>Mood: </b>Good</div>
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<b>Looking forward to: </b>Go time!</div>
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<b>Freak-out moment of the week</b>: Ok--this isn't even close to being a new thing. I used to panic about this exact thing any time we even thought about our future or mentioned having kids, and I often stated it as a reason for possibly not even wanting to have kids: social/familial obligations. I've done a decent job of putting it out of my mind during this pregnancy, but the closer I get to my due date, the more I am reminded of some of the more invasive changes that might be coming along with it. I'm not ready for it. At all. It's a strong enough feeling that I have even thought, "oh my gosh. I forgot I couldn't have kids because of this! Owen is coming soon! What do I do?!" ha.<br />
^ That's actually not at all what I'd like to say about it, but that little bit will be sufficient to jog my memory when I look back at this later. :) I will say that a lot of it is simply rooted in my personality. I don't like plans, commitments, etc. They make me feel super trapped. </div>
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<b>Thankful for: </b>Healthy, healthy pregnancy and baby. Couldn't ask for more.</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782125806684321310noreply@blogger.com0