Dillon Isaac {Part II}

Welcome back!  If you missed Part I of Dillon's birth story you can catch it here.

Saturday morning, March 2nd, Lenora arrived back at the hospital right around 6 AM.  Right about the same time I started having some contractions again.  They were strong but not necessarily painful and were about 10/15 minutes apart.  We were told to check back in after breakfast, so I walked around for another 20/30 minutes, then at 7 AM we headed to the breakfast buffet.  Right around this time my contractions were getting more painful, but still about 10 minutes apart.  I grabbed some yogurt and granola from the buffet, but when the next contraction came I was too uncomfortable to even sit down.  We quickly finished our breakfast and headed back down to L and D. 

A few minutes later I met my Midwife for the morning, Birgit, and was hooked up to the fetal monitor once again.  The number on the chart wasn't very high, but the contractions were much more painful than any that I had had the day before.  Probably around 7:45/8 AM my Midwife came back in and did an internal check.  I was dilated to a 5.  For some reason hearing that didn't really phase me.  I guess I had figured since my contractions were still 10 minutes apart and I hadn't progressed any the day before, this wasn't really "it".  I've never experienced the "build-up" of contractions with a clear break in between.  But....the next words out of my Midwife's mouth were, "Let's get you into the delivery room."  (I still thought she was a little crazy.)

We moved down the hall to a delivery room and they brought another Midwife Student in to assist (also named Laura).  The plan at this point was to let me labor a little while longer and then the doctor would come in and break my water.  Because Dillon was sitting so low the chance of my water breaking on it's own was slim, but they were confident that once my water broke the rest would go quickly. 

At this point, the talk of an epidural also came into play.  In my last two labors, I never had the option of asking for one.  I was really torn on what I wanted to do.  I was fearful of the pain, but there are so many other reasons I wanted to go natural.  After a few conversations with Birgit she greatly encouraged me to go without and offered some pain meds through my IV if needed.  Birgit was confident that I could handle it and was afraid that if I wanted the epidural it would only prolong the labor since they wouldn't be able to break my water until the epidural kicked in.

Again, I'm completely lost on time here...but the doctor came in to introduce himself and to review "the plan".  At that point, I believe he did an internal exam.  It pushed me over the edge.  I needed some pain relief.  Birgit and Laura quickly got me hooked up on some goods.  While the contractions were still extremely painful, it took off the edge in between and allowed me to relax a little more.  The doctor left and at one point came back ready to break my water, but he ended up having to leave again to help out another woman in labor.

A few contractions later, he was back in and after some very uncomfortable minutes my water was broke.  I'm guessing that was right around 9:30 A.M.  The doctor left and I would say about two/three minutes later I felt the urge to push.  Laura went and called the doctor back in.  I wasn't completely dilated so Birgit had me lay on my left side and sit through two or three contractions to allow the cervix to finish opening.  A few minutes later I was given the go to start pushing.  (The part that I'm most horrible at and generally causes the most fear in regards to labor.)

I would say I struggled through one or two contractions, but then I did my best to focus.  On the next contraction I had Dillon's head halfway out.  He even started crying and we could hear him.  It was strangely cool and definitely a first.  At this point I asked if one more contraction would have his head out.  They said yes, which gave me a great goal.  One contraction later Dillon's head was out!  I felt so relieved (emotionally) having his head out; knowing that it was the hardest part and that soon I would be holding him.  A short break, one more contraction, and Dillon Isaac was born!

10:07 A.M. on March 2, 2013.  8 lbs 3 oz and 21.25 in.

I have to say I felt quite proud of myself.  While I still screamed, "I can't do this!", multiple times, and I still mis-focused, I feel like Dillon's labor was my personal best.  (Not that I care to challenge it anytime soon.)

Germans are big on skin to skin contact right after birth (which I LOVE!), and I was able to hold Dillon for at least 45 minutes before they even took him to weigh or measure him.  I was also able to call Tim at this point and share the news with him.

A few hours later they moved us up to our room.  Lenora had brought the computer back with her that morning, so I was able to Skype with Tim and he was able to see Dillon for a bit.  Lenora had gone home to rest for a bit and then brought the boys up to see us later Saturday afternoon. 

I have to say although it was a long hospital stay, it was a relaxed hospital stay.  No lab workers came in at 4 AM to take my blood.  Minus the 4 PM blood pressure and temperature check, the nurses left me alone.  I'm not sure if was due to the fact I didn't speak German or that this was my 4th kid, but it was kind of nice.  There were no security bracelets strapped to his ankle and I was never even given a wrist band.  I didn't have to chart his pee's or poo's.  (He had his first poo late Saturday night and I had made note of the time in my mind thinking someone would ask me the next day.  Nope.  No one asked.)  I wasn't waken up every two hours to wake Dillon up to feed him.  I even fell asleep with Dillon on my chest and I didn't get scolded for it.  They had a nursery and I was able to send him there for two/three hours in the middle of the night to get some rest and for a few minutes in the morning when I wanted to shower. 

We enjoyed multiple visits from other friends over the next few days and were finally released on Tuesday.  I was elated to be heading home!  Lenora stayed with us till March 12thz.  She flew out that morning and my mom flew in and stayed with us till this morning, March 29th.

Tim finished his school on March 20th and flew back in on March 22nd.

 

(Holding Dillon for the first time.)

In retrospect.....
After having a short labor with Colin and having no pre-labor signs, I was expecting a short labor with Blaine. With Blaine, I started praying for a clear sign of labor. God heard my prayer and my water broke giving me the clear sign that I was praying for. With Dillon, for the longest, I was unsure of what to pray for. Looking back, I realized that I had whispered prayers throughout the day asking for a pre-labor sign. Something that would let me know it was about time so that we could get to the hospital and I wouldn't have to have this baby at home (a genuine fearful thought).  God once again heard my prayer, and the prayers of others who were praying similar, and I was at the hospital A WHOLE DAY early!  I think He's a pretty funny guy sometimes.  haha.  Dillon was quite content in letting Blaine hold the record of fastest labor.  Dillon's was still quick, being active labor from 6-10 AM, for a total of 4 hours!

Although, those last three days were stressful, with lots of ups and downs, and I was in the hospital MUCH longer than I wanted to be...I am pleased with the important parts.  I made it to the hospital, without a ride of chaos, I labored and (eventually) progressed naturally, and I have a healthy new boy.  I was so glad to have Lenora there and I was blessed with great Midwifes, and a great doctor.


Currently.....
Dillon is doing great!  Minus the occasional moments of crankiness (normally due to the soda I gave in and drank), he is such an easy baby.  A refreshing change compared to the difficult baby that Blaine was.  We had some minor feeding issues those first two weeks, but we've worked through it and he's eating like a champ.  He will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and currently weighing in at 10 lbs and 4 oz!  He's put on a pound a week the last two weeks.  Since the day he was born he was holding his head up and that only improves every day.  When he's awake he loves to sit up and to look around.  There are times when he's laying down where he is clearly trying his best to sit up.  I think he'll be rolling over sooner than I'd like.

 

Dillon Isaac {Part I}

Here's our story.....with a little backround info...

As many of you know, I tend to have quicker labors than most.  My labor with Ryan lasted 5 hours.  With Colin my labor was 2 hours and 45 minutes.  With Blaine, my labor was  2 hours and 30 minutes; including a ride to the hospital in an ambulance. 

When I found out I was pregnant with Dillon, my anxiety over getting to the hospital on time was greatly COMFORTED by the fact that Tim would be here this time.  Tim's work is 3 minutes away, and the hospital was only about 15 minutes away.

And then....Tim got his school date.  January 22nd - March 20th.  My due date was March 5th.  There was no way Tim would be around for this baby.  He would be in Virginia.
 
Once we were certain he would be gone, both my Mom and my Mother-in-Law started making plans to fly out to help me.  I started making plans for childcare arrangements and getting to the hospital prior to my MIL's arrival (just in case I went early/early).  Backups were found for my backups.  Once again, the Lord has blessed us with some AMAZING friends who were a great support to me both before and after I had Dillon. 

Tim's mom, Lenora, arrived the morning of Wednesday, 28 February.  That afternoon we took a drive off post and I showed her how to get to the hospital.  That night, I was up extremely late and was having trouble sleeping.  Laying down was probably more uncomfortable than sitting or standing.  When laying I felt like every cell in my body was on edge and every feeling was magnified.  Dillon, like my other boys, dropped early and created an immense amount of pressure.  It still felt much more than just pressure though....I felt like his head was just going to pop out of me.  I also vividly remember my water breaking with Blaine.  It felt like two soft punches inside of me and then a huge gush of water.  With every little twitch Dillon made I felt like water was just going to rush out.  There was a part of me that felt like I was in labor, without any of the contractions.

On Thursday, Lenora and I made another trip out to the hospital to help her familiarize the route.  After dinner I started to feel a little "off" again.  The boys went to bed and Lenora and I sat down and finished going over any/all details of who to call, where to go, what paperwork was needed, etc.  During that time I was having some contractions and after a few trips to the bathroom, in a short amount of time, my body had naturally cleared out it's system (a good sign of labor for me).  I was getting a little anxious, but unsure as to if this was it or not.  Lenora had me lay down on the couch and after about ten minutes things seemed to calm down.

Friday morning, 1st of March, I had an appointment with my OB.  I woke up feeling a little weak and shaky.  I had originally planned on going by myself, but decided I would feel better if she came with me.  (Especially considering I had to park the car and walk 3/4 blocks to get to the doctor's office.)  I called my friend Marque and we dropped the boys off at her house prior to my appointment.

My doctor confirmed that Dillon was sitting even lower than he was the week before and she was confident that he would come on his own in the next two days.  My doctor also knew of my history with quick labors and that my husband was out of town and my MIL was only here for a certain time.  I think she saw the stress/anxiety that I was feeling and offered the option of going to the Klinikum (the hospital) and being induced.  {Side note:  Being induced in Germany is different than being induced in America.  They do not use pitocin in Germany.  They first offer you a drink, they call it a cocktail, that is supposed to help start contractions.  If that doesn't work then they give you a pill to take that is supposed to help soften the lining of your uterus.)

At this point, I was tired, stressed, anxious, and generally immensely uncomfortable.  (But of course, what pregnant woman isn't?!)  I couldn't make the decision.  I prefer for labor's to go naturally and I didn't really want to be induced...although in my mind I qualified the "cocktail" in a different category than being induced with pitocin and figured it would just be something that would be enough to put me over the edge.  At the same time, I was feeling stressed and SUPER uncomfortable and I wanted to get it over with.  We called Lenora in and my doctor explained the option again, and she thought it would be a good idea.  My doctor made some calls and after my appointment we headed straight to the Klinikum.

We probably got to the Klinikum around 12:30 PM and waited around for at least another hour before I was called back.  At that time one of the midwives examined me.  After speaking with the doctor on duty, they agreed that inducing me was not a good idea.  Dillon was sitting too low and they were afraid that even the cocktail drink would make him come too hard, too fast.  I was also having some steady, but not real painful contractions at this point.  They wanted me to do some more time on the fetal monitor and then do some walking to try and see if labor would progress on it's own.

At this time, they also decided to start an IV line.  I tested positive for Group B when I was pregnant with Blaine.  Once positive, always positive.  They wanted to go ahead and get a dose or two of antibiotic in me.  This to me was encouraging.  I figured if they were going to start poking holes in me, active labor was close!

Somewhere around 3 or 4 PM (I really didn't keep good track of time during all this.) the Midwife came in and told us that they were assigning me a room.  She suggested taking my things up to the room, getting something to eat, and then walking around for a few hours.  I was then to come back in a few hours to be checked again.

This was all new to me as I have never been in a hospital that long before giving birth, and I have never been checked into a room before having a baby.  And from what I've heard in the states they send you back home if you aren't progressing...they don't check you in.  So again, I was a little encouraged by this...but still unsure and confused.

I was definitely hungry at this point.  All I had eaten so far that day was a fried egg for breakfast.  Lenora and I went downstairs to the restaurant for an early dinner.  After that, back up to the room and lots of walking. 

Somewhere around this time I made some phone calls to Tim, my mom, and Marque.  I had spoke with Tim around 1 PM after we initially got to the Klinikum, and Marque had been calling him to keep him updated, but with no changes in my status, it had been a while since he had gotten a call.  The general consensus was surprise that there was no baby by this time.  Tim's words, "Why hasn't anyone called me?!  It's been six hours."  I think we were all expecting another quick labor. 

As the day went on, I started to feel much more "normal".  Not nearly as uncomfortable or stressed as I was that morning.  Walking was even much more natural and not a painful waddle.  At some point that evening we went back down to LandD for more fetal monitoring.  Throughout the day my contractions were getting much stronger, but they also started getting further and further apart.  Things did not seem to be progressing at all.

The options at this time were the following...
1.  Get a enema now to see if that will help contractions start.
2.  Go sleep/rest, and then be rechecked in the A.M.  If nothing changed..
a.  I could talk to the doctor again about being induced.
b.  Be sent home to come back when I was in active labor.

I couldn't believe I was doing it, but I agreed to the enema.  Then more walking, and then back for some more fetal monitoring.  Still nothing.  No changes.  No progression.  Contractions were few and far between.  My midwife was clear in stating that she would not classify me as being in labor.  While I thought the same, it was somewhat disheartening to hear it.  I even asked if I could go home at this point, but the answer was "no", so we we moved on to option 2...going to bed and starting over in the morning.

I was extremely discouraged at this point.  Not just the fact that I wasn't in labor...but I felt like I had "jumped the gun".  I felt like in my weariness and unclear thinking I agreed to being induced, which landed me in the hospital, NOT in labor, stuck with an IV line, away from my boys, and unable to go home and sleep in my bed, and just feeling somewhat foolish for trying to rush it.

There is no space for a visitor to sleep, so I sent Lenora home to hopefully get some rest with the promise that I would call her with the slightest change.  I was still discouraged and a little on edge again thinking about the decision I might have to make in the AM if I didn't start progressing naturally.  Now that I was feeling better and thinking more "rationally" I wasn't sure I wanted to be induced.  There was a security in already being at the hospital though.  I was able to talk to Tim again and go over the options with him.  He encouraged me that if I didn't progress at all and they offered me the drink in the morning, to take it.  I was already there, his mom was there, the boys were taken care of, etc.  With that, I headed to bed around midnight.

(click here for Part II)











 

First Trimester Fog

I woke up Sunday morning feeling invigorated.  I think the First Trimester Fog is starting to lift!!!  Praise the Lord!!!

 

 

Although, I still managed an hour and a half nap yesterday :), things do seem to be getting better.  My brain has been able to entertain a thought through to it's completion!  The nausea seems to be few and farther in between.  In the last two days alone I've started and finished about three extra projects...plus cooked dinner (that was something other than grilled cheese or hot dogs)!!!  That's quite an improvement!  I've managed to keep up with some of the regular chores the last few days, ran two errands off post, and typed up a few blog posts!

 

 

The first trimester definitely doesn't hit me as hard as it does others, but it still makes a visible impact!  Grateful to be leaving it behind!   Continuing to pray for a smooth, healthy road ahead!

 

 

So Dramatic Already!

I'm always amazed at how dramatic a baby can be!  No matter how little.  Although, this one is on the not-so-young side, it's still quite entertaining.  ;)

Milestone {Blaine: 9 Months}

Blaine is actually 10 months now, but I took these SUPER cute pictures of him back in July that I've been meaning to share.

Blaine started crawling a few weeks after Tim got home in June, so by the end of July he was a pro!  He also started pulling himself up onto the couch and he bee-lines it for the stairs any chance he gets.  He's quick too.  We got behind on a shot, so we took him he for a 9 month well-baby check up and he weighed in at 22 pounds and was 31 inches!  He also decided, right about nine months, that he no longer wanted anything to do with baby food.  Or being fed from a spoon, period.  It wasn't a gradual decision either.  One day he ate it, the next day he refused.  He looks like a little hillbilly sometimes with his two front teeth poking out when he smiles and he still screams, instead of laughs, when you tickle him.  He tries his best to get in on the wrestling action with Tim and the boys, and he knows that the best place to be is upstairs in the toy room or outside.

When we visited Tim's parent's this last time around, Tim's mom gave me a few more pieces of clothing that Tim wore when he was a baby.  The pictures I took of Blaine at 9 months are in one of the outfits.  I'm glad Tim's mom gave it to me when she did 'cause he barely fit into it.

LOVE this boy!

Getting Our Craft On

Two of my friends, Sarah and Mandy, and I decided to go in on a table at a local business expo thingy (not exactly sure what to call it).  It sounded like a good idea at the time.  While I'm still excited...I'm exhausted.  I'll be happy to not have to sew/craft for at least a week.

   Thankfully, I finished all of the projects I set out to do around noon today; minus a few last minute, minor touches.  The sale is from 2-6 PM tomorrow.  The girls are coming over tonight and we are going to do a trial set up of our table.  Between the three of us we made a WIDE variety of items to choose from.  It actually kind of worked out great in one way.  We are all getting pretty excited (and nervous) and just praying that something sells.  Below are some pictures of what I have been working on.  I visited a business expo a few months back and noticed that there were TONS of options for little girls, but nothing for boys.  So I tried to focus a lot on boy stuff.  A few of these things I've made over the last six months, but a majority of it has been in the last two weeks.  It was really hard to keep focused on only making a few things!

4" Growth Chart (All of my growth charts go up to 6 ft in height, but a majority of them start at two feet.)

 5" Growth Chart

For Mom:  A cute tissue pouch for your purse.

Coasters, set of 4: Can be made to match anyone's decor and the entire bottom is covered in felt so they won't scratch up your furniture.

Burp Cloths/Bum pads.

6" Wristlet keychains.

 Tummy-time Play Mat.  Made out of flannel so it's nice and soft for baby.  Just throw it down underneath them during tummy time that way if they drool or spit-up you can just throw it in the wash and not have to worry about cleaning your carpet!  (One of my favorite baby items!)

Little Boy Onsies: Size 0-3 mo and 3-6 months.

What little boy doesn't need a little onsie that looks like he has a sweater vest on?!

  

You can also go here to see some of Sarah's stuff.  (I know for sure that Sarah's going to sell something!  I LOVE the pin cushions and I am in need of something bigger than my miniature one that came with my all-in-one kit when I first got my machine.)

I can't wait to see everything in person and praying we all sell stuff!!

8 Month Update

I know I've been pretty quiet on the blog front lately.  Thought I would break the silence today though to write an update on Blaine.

Tomorrow Blaine will be 8 months old!  Currently weighing in at 22 lbs (feeling like 25)!  Blaine's last week of being a 7 month old was very exciting!  About four days ago he started crawling!  He's getting better and better everyday.  He doesn't like the tile floor and he always makes a bee line for any shoes or matchbox cars left lying around.  On top of crawling this last week Blaine has had FOUR teeth break through, with THREE more on the edge!  I have never seen that many teeth come in at once.  (Granted he's only my third child.  Still craziness.)

He loves his brothers and has adjusted very well to Tim being home.  He can still be quite sensitive and seems to have trouble with new faces.  We were at the mall last week and when we walked into one of the stores two other ladies started admiring him and he puckered out his lower lip and started crying.  Then, just two nights ago, Tim was holding him and went over to talk to some of his friends and he just about had a meltdown. 

Here's just a quick clip of him a few days ago....

6+ months

Blaine has grown so much in the last two months.  The week we were in Oklahoma there was dramatic change in about a two/three day window in his behavior/awareness.  In the last two weeks he's finally rolled over!!  YEAH!!!!!

In the last two weeks he's gone from just learning to roll over to sitting up for extended periods of time on his own!  I love it when they start sitting up on their own.  It's the cutest thing!

Here's just two more pics of our handsome man!

We had his 6 month appointment last week and he was 20 lbs, 6 ounces, and 27 1/2 inches!  He's pretty solid though so his 20 lbs feels more like 22/23.

Ok..and one more video.  (I can't help it..he's just so stinkin' cute!!!)

Stylin' in a Onsie

Last year for Mother's Day my dear husband bought me a sewing machine.  At the time, I had recently seen this post on my friend's blog that showed those little onsies with a tie sewn onto them.  I loved them and it was the very first thing on my list to make with my new sewing machine.  I also wanted to make some though that looked like a sweater vest.  I had made a few for my nephew and a few for my friend's new baby.  I never got around to making any for myself so I was super excited when I found them in a box of clothes Liz gave to me when we were in Oklahoma!  One day I'll make some more!  It is one of my absolute favorites!  And this isn't the best picture..but you get the idea.

He's So Close!

Yes, my baby is 6 months, 1 week, and 2 days old....and we are still encouraging him to roll from his back to his belly FOR THE FIRST TIME!  :)  He's been quite content just laying around and hanging out.    He just found his feet about a week and a half ago.  Both are normally things you'd normally see around 3 to 4 months.  hehe.  I love how every baby is different and they all seem to get it eventually.  He seems to be getting frustrated though and frustration leads to motivation.  (No matter our age/circumstance that seems to ring true.)  You can see in the video though that after trying for a bit he decides it's better just to lay there and suck on his left fist.  I have a feeling it will be soon though!

I Think We've Got Another Screamer: Part 2

So....there was supposed to be a video of Blaine at the end of that last post.  I had typed up the post a few days prior and set it to post automatically.  I meant to get the video of Blaine uploaded and added before it posted, but...come Wednesday night I had a minor setback.  My back went out.  That's a story for another day.  Here's the vid. 

 

I Think We've Got Another Screamer

When Colin was a baby he did this really wierd screaming thing as his way of talking.  Here's an old video...

Yes, I'm 100% positve he wasn't pooping.  He was right about 6 months when I took this video.  I remember he really liked to do it at dinner time for some reason.  It would drive Tim & I nuts!

Blaine loves to talk as well and he seems to be leaning in the same direction.  He's 5 months now.  At this point it's mainly when you tickle him.  He doesn't really giggle...he screams.  :)

Recieving Blankets

Did you get gifted too many recieving blankets?  Or has your baby grown out of needing them?  Don't give them away!!!  Most recieving blankets are made out of flannel, and flannel is perfect for tons of things.  Play mats, burb cloths, taggys, bibs...the options are endless!!!!  Here's a playmat I made for Blaine using a set of receiving blankets.....

 

I just had to buy material for the back of the playmat.

I whipped up a small little taggy for Blaine.  (Hint: Cut up one of your plastic grocery bags and sew it inside so it makes that squishy, squishy sound that babies love.)

 And look at all the material I still have left!!!!!!!  I think I only used about half, maybe a little less, of each of the blankets. 

 Blaine enjoying his play time.

Sssstttreetchhhh!!!!

I think one of my favorite things about babies is when they stretch when you get them out of bed.  Colin used to pucker his lips, eyes still closed, and his little round head would stretch out from his neck...sticking his chin out, moving his head from side to side.  Oh so cute!  The arms go up above the head, the back arches, and legs go straight, and they let out a little grunt.  Love it! 

2 Month Check-up

2 months already!!!  Well, Blaine was 2 months on Christmas..I'm just a tad behind. 

For the most part the "roughness" we experienced I am glad to say (for the most part) is over!  He is still a bit crankier in the evenings but nothing like he was before.  He has taken beautifully to his schedule as well!  He was doing 7 hour stretches at night here and there, but for the last few nights he's slept 9 hours straight.  As I'm sure anyone can testify, a good nights sleep makes a huge difference the next day (for mom). 

Blaine is still 100% a belly sleeper.  He's not so fond of that position when he's awake (he'd rather be facing out to see what all is going on), but rather quickly after you lay him down, he finds his left hand to suck on, and he's out.  Maybe it was a fluke ('cause I haven't seen him do it since) but there were three times I found him on his side/back after I had laid him down on his belly.  Once was right before Christmas, and twice right after.  The first time it was in the middle of the night.  I didn't say anything to anyone 'cause I thought I was crazy (delusional from lack of sleep).  2 months is way too early to be rolling over anyway.  A few days later he did it again.  So I wasn't crazy.  I know it's not tummy to back (the more accomplished roll) but I'm still somewhat impressed/surprised.  I honestly think it was in part due to the sides of the play pin, him being mad, and pushing up on his arms, but I don't particularly care to lay him in the middle of the floor, let him get mad and scream just to see if he does it again.  So I'm patiently waiting for him to do it again.     

The only "complaint" I really have about him is his dislike for the car.  I mean..what baby doesn't like the car?  The car is the secret weapon used to get many babies to fall asleep.  Not Blaine.  He hates it!  There have been a handful of times where he has actually fallen asleep and the car ride was peaceful, but a majority of the time he gets really mad.  I was hoping to take a trip with the boys to see Tim's Mee-maw, Aunt, and cousins, then up to see Tim's parents and his sister's family in a few months, but if Blaine doesn't get used to the car it doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere.  Praying that this will change in the next few months.

Well, since we were out of town we just saw his doctor yesterday for his 2 month well-baby.  He weighed 13 lbs 14 oz and was 24 1/2 inches long.  I'm pretty sure he was already at 13 lbs when I weighed him at home at 1 month, so he's slowed down a bit this past month.  If I remember correctly both Ryan and Colin were right around 12 lbs at their two month so he's growing just about the same considering he started out a little bit bigger.  Considering his appointment was during his normal nap time he did very well.  He even cooed and smiled for the nurse (before she administered his shots).

On our way home though, his doctor called me about his newborn screening blood tests.  In Texas they take blood at birth and at two weeks and send it off to be tested for certain diseases.  Apparently, on both tests, the markers were a tad high for cystic fibrosis.  With the weight gain he has shown so far the doctor said she wasn't overly concerned but she still wanted to refer him for more testing.  So at this point we are waiting on a phone call from a local hospital to set up an appointment for Blaine to take the sweat test.  They will be testing the amount of salt in his sweat to help determine a diagnosis.  There is a part of me that is concerned but I do feel a peace about it, no matter how it might turn out.  I'm definitely not stressing about it at this point, but prayers are appreciated!

(He REALLY likes his left hand!)

Would you like a cookie with those sprinkles?

 Yeah...there are cookies under that red mountain of sprinkles.  See...I thought it would be safe to give Colin the sprinkles with the little holes on the lid opposed to the one without.

I was SOOOOO wrong!

One Month Old

Blaine turned one month on Thanksgiving.  It's been a rough first month and I can only pray it gets better.  Blaine has been difficult since day one.  He likes to be held 24/7.  He's gotten a little better about sleeping on his own, as long as he's on his belly.  When he's awake though, he's very unsettled.  He doesn't stay satisfied for more than five minutes if put down.  I've been thankful to have my mom's and Tim's mom's help to juggle him and the boys, but I am still a little nervous about how I'm I'm going to handle it on my own.  Especially if his demeanour doesn't change much.  We have some theory's and plan on "experimenting" the next week or so.  I love my little man to death, but sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. 

In other first month news....Blaine got a really bad diaper rash and with the help of Tim's mom we finally conquered it.  Blaine has sprayed me more in the last month than both Ryan & Colin put together ever did.  Last, but not least. he weighed right around 13 lbs on his one month birthday. 

$0.91 Burp Cloths

I didn't really keep a lot of baby clothes or basic things from my previous two boys.  I knew there would be a possibility of having more kids, but maybe there was a small part of me that was thinking, "There's no way I could have three boys in a row"!  Haha.  The things we convince ourselves of!  Plus, a lot of the stuff I did have had made it thru two boys, which meant lots of stains.  (I'm horrible at getting stains out of anything.)  In the past I've just used the plain white cloth diapers as burp cloths.  They definitely serve their purpose...they're just not so "cute".  I was debating for a while whether I should buy some more, but then I came across this pretty cheap material at Walmart that would suffice for the back side and I picked up some flannel at HL for the front.  There weren't too many patterns in flannel to choose from, but four was enough.  All in all, there were 4 yards of fabric which allowed me to make 16 burp cloths, averaging at $0.91 a burp cloth.  Not too shabby!.  Plus they have some character to them opposed to the plain white cloth diapers!

Baby Bump #3

I'm telling you..while we were in Oklahoma we had a packed schedule.  A good friend of mine, Jess, agreed to do my materinty pics while we were there.  I was still a few weeks early as far as prime maternity pics go, but I'm glad we did it anyway.  I was also able to convince my sister-in-law, Liz, to tag along for the ride.  I'm not going to share all of them, but here are some of my favorites..in no particular order.  (Yes, this is a "few".  haha)  Thanks again Jess!  You're amazing!!!!