Whew.

We're two weeks and four days in.  Sleeping has gotten better.  We switched to a lactose sensitive formula and it has helped with his gassiness and fussiness at night.  However, the only way we can get him to sleep well at night is...to put the bouncy seat in the pack 'n play and buckle him in.  =(  I hate that!!  I just can't handle the not sleeping at night.  Mommy has to function the next day.  Hopefully in a couple of weeks we can work something else out.  We're still trying to figure out how he likes to be swaddled.  It seems like he hates having his arms down at his side, but if we swaddle them at his belly he busts out immediately.  Strongest.  Newborn.  Ever.

Oliver is getting more and more interested in Jonah, though, and that makes me happy!  It's hard having them both be so young right now, but I know I will love love love it when they are a little bit older and they are BFFs. And I joke about sending all the boys (Levi included) to Scout Camp in the summer, but honestly, I can't wait to see how Levi is with them when they are older!!  It's so different for me.  I can remember a time in my life where I couldn't even imagine the future.  Now I can't stop thinking about it!  I will definitely have my hands full with a house full of boys, but it will be so much fun.  I feel so blessed.

I'm itching to get out and play with my new Mommy friends and their kids, but I still haven't felt brave enough to take both kids out yet.  I would feel better if I could find my Ergo baby carrier!!  I have been searching for it and Oliver's potty for weeks...to no avail.  The only place left to look is the boxes in my closet.  I'll get to it eventually.  Anyway, Levi's mom, dad, and brother (and maybe his sister?  I don't think she's going back to Japan until after this visit, so hopefully she's coming, too.) will be here next week for Spring Break, so maybe they will have a day with Oliver and I can take Jonah to see the Mommies.  I miss the gals!

Stephanie and Robert will be coming out to visit next month, and I'm super stoked!  They get to meet the baby (actually Robert will probably meet him next week when he's here on business, if he has time), and they're going to be apartment hunting.  It'll be nice to see some familiar faces!

Anyway, things have been going well.  I'm pleased.  =)

Updates!

We were disappointed to miss church on Sunday.  Oliver has been snuffly and coughing, and we didn't want to leave him in the nursery...I know if someone else did that, I wouldn't be pleased.  Anyway, we can listen to the message online.  Hopefully we can do that tonight!

Later today is my baby shower.  Yay!  I'm looking forward to eating at the California Cafe...heh.  I can't help it!  The food looks so good online! I also thoroughly enjoyed my shower and fixing my hair.  I feel like a new woman!  I also got a good bit of rest last night, so that helps, too.  I can't wait to get dressed up and go out with my little family.  =D

We've switched from breastfeeding to me pumping instead.  It's far less stressful for me!  It also puts my mind at ease because I'm able to see exactly how much breast milk he's getting.  We are currently feeding him one full ounce of breast milk per feeding, and 50mL of formula.  Yay!  A whole ounce for one feeding is amazing production for me, because I had a breast reduction in 2008.  So I'm producing a little over eight ounces.  It's not exactly on par with what is expected (of a mother who HASN'T had extensive breast surgery), but it's close!  The expected amount in about twelve and a half ounces.  Not too shabby!  I've been working on pumping extra and pumping longer to build a better supply, but I am SUPER happy with where we are feeding wise.  Yay!

Oliver has been a handful lately.  He is throwing fits regularly and time out is a common occurance in our house these days!  I am hoping that things will level off soon, but we'll stick it out.  Oliver is a good kid.  He just needs time to adjust.  I am hoping we will strike a balance and figure out what we'll do once Levi goes back to work...lol.

Gonna try to fit in another pumping before we leave.  We have some errands to run before the shower...I need stamps for my adorable moving announcements (look for yours in the mail!), I need to pick up a hands free pumping bra, and I have to run by Pottery Barn Kids to get the baskets to go with the personalized basket liners for the kids for Easter.  Good thing I ordered Jonah's, too, seeing as he wasn't to arrive until after Easter!  Anyway, it should be a good time.  I'll be sure to post about it!

Super Successful Saturday, and a taste of things to come!

Um, can I just say that we are geniuses?  Our feeding plan went off without a hitch last night, and I'm proud to report that I got a full five hours of sleep...IN A ROW...last night!  I feel like a normal person today!!

Jonah had his post-discharge pediatrician appointment this morning.  He gained an ounce and a half in two days, and the doctor said that half an ounce to an ounce a day is great progress!  He wants to see Jonah again on Thursday to check to see if he's made it back to his birth weight (6 pounds, 1.4 ounces).  I think he's doing such a great job eating, that ought to be no problem!

I was also able to get out with the family today to run errands.  I'm not supposed to drive for two weeks since I had the c-section, but had some things to pick up.  Levi's company is throwing me a baby shower on Monday, and I had no shoes to match my dress.  Which, by the way, is this super cute maternity dress I picked up on clearance at Old Navy and never got to wear while pregnant.  =(  I think I will wear it anyway on Monday, because I'm not yet back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  Oh well...I've got time to lose it.  I was also able to run by Target to get a few baby related items, which was nice.  Heh.  I had to pick up some "hooter hiders" so that, if I choose to, I can breastfeed in public without flashing everyone.  I dunno how comfortable I will be with that, ever, but I have some hooter hiders in case I want to breastfeed while we're out.  =D

Levi and I also managed to swing by the Krispy Kreme while the fresh hot doughnut sign was on!  No, we didn't eat six in the car...or did we?  I'll never tell!

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to hearing Lee Strobel speak at church.  We've decided to just pack up the whole family and brave it with a newborn.  The church has a "cry room", which is basically just andi enclosed room with a huge window so you can see out, but it's soundproof, so the babies and holler.  One of Jonah's feedings falls right during church, so perhaps my hooter hiders will be of use after all!  LOL  Dunno if I can breastfeed in public, let alone in church!!

And as I mentioned before, Monday is my baby shower.  I'm so excited to get to celebrate this new life!!  I read this blog post and was so touched by the prayers and blessings offered to the baby.  I cried.  lol  I am amazed at how quickly I have bonded with Jonah compared to last time with Oliver.  Not that I don't love Oliver the same...I think the stress and concern with being a new parent prevented any real bonding from happening for a few weeks.  This time it was almost instantaneously.  It's a little scary how I can love these two little boys so much...I didn't know I had room in my heart!  I thank God daily for my little family.  I am blessed beyond measure.

Gotta go feed the littlest boy!

The Second Time Around

Being a Mommy again has been so wonderful!  Since I have been through the stress and craziness the first time, I have gotten to simply bask in the adorableness of my new little man.  Jonah and I have spent the past couple of days bonding, and breastfeeding has helped.

I'm happy to say that breastfeeding has gone more smoothly this time around with the help of the Medela Symphony pump I've rented.  Last time pumping was SUCH a chore, and while it's not exactly fun this time around, at least it only takes 15 minutes!!  My plan as of now is to breastfeed and supplement for at least a month, just like last time (except last time I didn't breastfeed at all because Oliver was so not into it).  We've been doing ten minutes per side (which sounds like it ought to take twenty minutes, but it's more like forty minutes).  We also supplement with the pumped milk from the previous pumping and about an ounce of formula. It's been hard on me at night, so tonight I think we're going to start doing two ounces of formula for the two middle of the night feedings (the one at 12:30am and the one at 3:30am), and I'll pump during the 12:30am feeding and skip the 3:30am pumping...that way I can sleep from about 1am til the 6:30am feeding.  Just the mere thought of five consecutive hours is like a dream come true!  Hopefully it'll help me be more pleasant during the day.  Heh.  Poor Levi.

Oliver and I even got to spend some time together today.  I've missed spending time with my big guy!!  I admit, I'm jealous that Levi gets to spend more time with him than me.  Even though I'm exhausted from breastfeeding and pumping and trying to sleep, I still wish I had the energy to take him to the playground and hang out in the wagon and do all that fun stuff.  Today, I caught the boys watching Wall-E together.  <3  So cute.  Anyway, Oliver and I spent supper time together, and he was being really sweet.  He's been having a little attitude with me the past few weeks (and believe me, it was trying my nerves!!), and I was glad to get a little snuggle time with him.

I'm starting to worry a little about how life will be once Levi's not here to help all day.  We talked about getting a nanny, but YIKES, it's so expensive!  I figure I'll gain more and more confidence (and get cleared for lifting Oliver again!), I'll feel more and more comfortable with the idea.  I have my Mommy group to keep me busy as soon as I feel up to getting out and about.  I might try to take Jonah to the pediatrician tomorrow (I'll have to see if they have an appointment available, I forgot to call today, lol), but if not we'll get him there Monday or Tuesday.  Sunday morning, we're going to visit the church that we found, Cherry Hills Community Church, for the third time.  Lee Strobel is speaking, and Levi and I are both big fans of his.  Though we already know his story, it'll be awesome to hear him speak in person!  Anyway, the upcoming outings are going to be like little test runs of what our new life as a family of four will be like.  I'm excited and nervous at the same time!

Gotta get things ready for the little boy's next feeding, and then sweet, sweet sleep awaits!

We're proud to announce...

...the newest addition to Team Awesome!  This is our little Jonah boy!

There are more pics to come, once I have a chance to deal with that.  For now, the birth story!

So as you might have read, at my 35w4d OB appointment, my amniotic fluid was found to be at the lower level of normal...a 6.5. Five is considered low and 4 is low enough to be hospitalized. My OB had asked if I thought I had been leaking fluid, and honestly I didn't. So he prescribed taking it easy, upping my fluid intake, and hydrotherapy to try to get my levels back up. I did all of the above (with the exception of maybe doing a bit too much on Saturday (but thank goodness it got done!!).

On Sunday, April 3, 2011 after church, I noticed that my undies were a bit wet, and I thought it smelled a bit sweet, which is indicative of amniotic fluid. I was worried, so I decided to call my OB...better to be safe than sorry, right? So I called the answering service, and luckily my regular OB was on call! So he called me back, asked me what was up, and said that I should go to L&D to have a test done to see if I was indeed leaking fluid.

We got to the hospital a little after 2pm (we had to wait for the lovely, wonderful, spectacular Aunt Jan to arrive to keep an eye on Oliver for us...THANK YOU AUNT JAN!! <3) so of course while we waited I did dishes and straightened up and packed a bag just in case. We called the Grandmas and a couple of friends and then headed on out. The ER waiting area was the calmest I've ever seen, and the admitting staff was super nice. I was met by a wheel chair and wheeled up to L&D on the third floor. We were taken to room 316 (on a Sunday! lol) and waited to start the whole rigmarole of being admitted to L&D...tons of questions, monitoring baby, and finally getting to the test to see if the fluid I was leaking (which was a slow trickle) was indeed amniotic fluid.

There are two tests...one is a strip test that turns a dark navy blue instantly when it hits amniotic fluid. This test came back negative for me. There's a second test called Amnio-sure, which is a swab test that takes about ten minutes to develop. While we were waiting on that, my OB came in and did and ultrasound to measure my fluid pockets. The way they measure is they split your belly into four quadrants and measure the largest pockets they can find with no loops of cord in it. I had two quadrants with pockets, one measuring 1.5cm and one measuring 3.5cm. However, the 3.5cm pocket had tons of cord loops in it, meaning it couldn't be counted...so my fluid level was 1.5.  So even though the Amnio-sure eventually came back negative as well, it was decided that we were having a baby!! The funniest part? 04/03/11 happens to be Stephanie...or "Aunt Sappy"... birthday. Divine appointment, I tell ya!

We had eaten lunch around 11am, so the anesthesiologist said we would have to wait until 5:30pm to be on the safe side to do the surgery. We called the Grandmas again and filled them in, texted a few folks, and by then, it was time to rock and roll!

For a repeat c/s, they perform a spinal block instead of an epidural. The spinal was SO much more effective than the epidural was! I could feel it almost immediately, and the entire process was far less traumatic than my epi had been (which was given to me while I was having one on top on another pitocin contractions last time...yikes!!). I was alert for both the c/s and the tubal after. Any time I had a complaint (woozy, groggy, etc.) the anesthesiologist adjusted and took care of me. I'm happy to report I didn't even vomit after the c/s! Hooray! The tubal didn't go quite as planned...because the blood vessels were enlarged, he removed a portion of the tubes instead of the whole things to avoid bleeding issues. However, things went smoothly, and I'm happy to report that we are done growing small humans in my body. Any other children we have will grow in our hearts through adoption.

Overall, I have to say my second c/s was even better than my first. We cracked jokes, laughed, and had a generally good time! My OB sang Jonah happy birthday as he pulled him out, and Levi got to take pics, cut the cord, and I even got to hold him after he was cleaned up! I didn't get to do that with Oliver, and it was really special. <3 My first thought when he cried was, "He sounds so tiny!!" Turns out he had a lot of mucus and such, and once that was cleaned out, he sounded more like a big boy. Jonah was born at 5:56pm, weighed 6lbs. 1oz., measured 19.5 inches long, and had a head circumference of 13.5! That's from my hubby's side.  =D

We are so blessed, and our family is complete for now!  God is so good.

36 Weeks and Adventures in Rec Centers.

Today marks my 36th week of pregnancy!  I'm officially nine months pregnant.  Another week and I'm considered full term.  And another two weeks and four days after that, I'm scheduled to deliver!  Barring any other issues with my placenta and/or fluid levels, we should see our little man in just over three weeks.

I have been taking my doctor's orders very seriously.  I have upped my fluid intake as much as humanly possible (I was drinking a lot before, I promise!!), and have been using hydrotherapy to try to increase my fluids.  From everything I have read on oligohydraminos, I don't have any reason to have this issue...I'm not past my due date, I'm not carrying multiples, I am not leaking fluid, I haven't got a placental abruption, I don't have chronic high blood pressure or preeclampsia or diabetes or lupus...so what gives, uterus?  You just tired of doing your job?  =P  Lame.  Anyway, I've been soaking at least once a day for fifteen minutes or more.  It feels delightful as I've felt huge (though baby is less than six pounds still!)...the floating is wonderful. m As my tub is too small (or my belly too large, depending on how you want to look at it), we decided to take advantage of the rec centers in our area for the use of their pools/spas/therapy pools.

Since we live in Highlands Ranch and I had visited one of their four rec centers on a playdate, we decided to go there first.  The lady gave me a form I needed to fill out as I told her we were renters, and she said I just needed to get the form filled out by the management company.  Only she LIED!!  Folks who rent apartments aren't allowed to join the HR Community Association...only homeowners and folks who rent HOUSES in HR are eligible.  Sad!!  So the man told me that we could try the South Suburban rec centers instead.  Colorado takes recreation very seriously...in about a ten mile radius, I know of seven rec centers!  Anyway, we went to one of the South Suburban rec centers, and it turns out that we aren't in district for them, either.  According to the lady there, we are in a special little part of Douglas County..."unincorporated Douglas County".  So, even though we can use the SS rec centers, we are considered out of district (for ANY rec center) and have to pay more.  Ugh.  At least they allow us to use the centers, though.  I'm allowed to go to the HRCA rec centers as a guest of a member, but have to pay $7 every time.  Anyway, we've visited the SS rec center in Littleton several times already, and it's pretty nice.  We'll probably buy a package there next week, when they are running a sale for 10% off.

Anyway, we took Oliver swimming today, and he had a blast!  After awhile, Levi and Oliver swam alone so I could soak in the therapy pool...it's a five foot deep pool that's heated to about 92 degrees.  Usually, there are a gaggle of octogenarians doing arthritis therapy, but they also do therapy for mentally handicapped folks, too.  It's a little weird, because I'm usually the youngest person there, and no one talks to me.  Oh well.  The soaks are so relaxing for me, but they aren't helping with the pain I've been having.  My hips and pelvis are still ALWAYS achy and sore, and I've been having a lot more sharp pain in my lower abdomen.  I have another appointment on Tuesday for another ultrasound and NST.  We should know more if the floats and all the water I've been drinking has helped!  Until then, I know Jonah has remained super active, so I'm not concerned.

Anyway, that's all for now!  More to come.