Thanksgiving

We had a lovely time in St Louis for Thanksgiving. It was only our 3rd out of town trip with William and we learned from the first two that driving overnight is a must at this age. He slept the whole way there and back and only cried a bit when we stopped for gas on the way home.

William got to experience his first snow on Thanksgiving! It was fleeting but beautiful. The first snow brings out the kid in me and made me smile all over.

Fall Pictures

9 Months Old

William is doing great. He is crawling every where and getting into every thing. Naturally his favorite things to play with are not his toys. He loves getting into Chris's work bag and will pull any cord with in reach. He is pulling up to his knees and is doing a ton of babbling. He still loves books, Mickey Mouse, and smiles all the time. He is such a joy to be around. He has 8 teeth and is eating solids 3 times a day. His new favorites are avocado, strawberry carrot yogurt, and blueberries.

Granny and I took William to get his first hair cut. He was so good. Not one tear was shed

Pictures of William

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Best Laid Plans

This past month has been pretty busy for us. I lowered the crib mattress, cleared my coffee table, and my dad installed a gate at the bottom of our stairs.

That's right! William's gone mobile. He's crawling, trying to stand, and trying to pull up. Luckily for me, he's not very fast yet, so I have a little more time before I have to grow another set of eyes.

He has 5 teeth and I will tell you that we all have felt every one cut through. William wakes every 2 hours at night for at least a week when cutting a tooth. I end up just nursing him all night because I am too tired to stand up and bounce. Probably not good for sleep training.

He doesn't take a pacifier, and really hasn't had a bottle but a few times so we have started with a trainer cup. He likes it so far, and I am hoping to go from nursing to a cup at some point around a year. It stresses me a bit that I have absolutely no idea how it is all going to work out. I am hoping William takes the lead on this. His doctor says he will cut back his nursing to 5 times a day..at some unknown time. He's eating solids 2-3 times a day. His current favorites are chicken and rice, green beans, and squash.

I don't really even know what to say about his sleep patterns because there doesn't seem to be one or I am just too tired to figure it out. There were a few nights this month where he slept from 8-5, and I enjoyed 8 hours of sleep. However most nights he's up after 5-6 hours and some nights he's up every 2-3. I haven't tried any sort of sleep training yet. Our doctor says that sleeping through the night means 4-6 hours at a time, and that babies could still be hungry in the middle of the night up to the age of 9 months. So I am waiting until then to try to sleep train (I think).

Apricot Oat Bars

I made these awhile back but just never got around to putting up the recipe. Let me just say this. There are recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even those that are labeled for snacks.

These I will call anytime apricot oat bars. Eat for dessert, eat for breakfast, eat for a snack, eat anytime..just because they are that good. I guarantee you will love them all day long.

If you happen to have any left over pop them in the freezer. They taste just as good as the day you made them. If only I could take credit for the recipe...(got it from Food Network...Giada never disappoints me).

Apricot Oat Bars Recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/apricot-oat-bars-recipe/index.html

6 1/2 month Doctor Visit

William's stats for this visit.

Weight:17 lbs 12 oz

Height: 27 1/4 in

Head: 44 1/2 in

Everything looked good the doctor said and William got his last round of newborn vaccinations. He ran a fever again and was very unhappy yesterday. But this morning he's back to his happy self.

From Swaddlers to Cruisers

Did I mention I love this age? This has to be my favorite stage so far. William is so sweet and I just can't seem to get enough of him. He loves to look at books, play with toys, and is trying to crawl already! I have to admit I was a little sad yesterday when I bought Pampers Cruisers for the first time. He's up on all fours now, can scoot, and roll. It won't be long now before I am chasing him around the house. I guess I have to start cleaning my floors again :)

As for food, I am still nursing and we have introduced quite a few solid foods. Rice Cereal, Squash, Sweet potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Bananas, Apples, and Green Beans. He really liked the squash, the sweet potatoes, and the green beans. The banana and apple introduction was funny. He scrunched up his nose and made a "this is gross" face. And he has three teeth (all on the bottom).

We finally got a big belly laugh out of him yesterday. His laugh is the best sound I have ever heard. My heart swelled with joy.

The truth is..

The first 5 and half months of my son's life I walked around my home in a fog. I fed him, changed him, hugged him, kissed him, bounced him, read to him, rocked him, and played with him. By month four I even managed to clean my house a couple of times, and started doing laundry again. But still I was completely exhausted.

Sadly, I don't remember many conversations I had with family, and/or friends, and most of the time I remember just zoning out while people talked all around me. I cried once a week (usually on Fridays) after yet another week of feeling completely exhausted, unsure, and overwhelmed.

Luckily I wasn't alone, and it wasn't all bad. On Fridays, Chris would hug me and tell me it was going to be okay and that I was doing a good job. My best friend was always available by phone to cheer me up or listen to me vent. And my mom was here most days for a couple of hours to play with William if I needed a short break or a nap.

Magically, sometime during month 6 I woke up one day and just felt better. I was no longer walking around in a fog, and the exhaustion I felt seemed to subside. The truth is there is nothing I can pinpoint to explain the change. My baby still doesn't sleep much, and I haven't had more than 5 or 6 nights of 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep in over 6 months. I am the only one who feeds him, and I am the only one who puts him down to sleep. I haven't left him for longer than a few hours and I haven't had a day to myself in 6 months. I am a stay at home mom who does laundry, cooks (sometimes), cleans occasionally, and takes care of a baby 24 hours a day.

Call it what you want...new parent exhaustion, wacky hormones, postpartum depression,...who knows what it was? I am just glad to be out of it.

6 months old

My sweet baby boy, you are now 6 months old. You love to be on your tummy so much that as soon as I lay you down you immediately flip over. You sleep on your side or on your tummy with your fleece blanket wrapped between your fingers next to your face. You are so interested in everything that is going on around you. Your eyes are wide and it seems as if you are listening intently and taking everything in. You love music, going outside and watching the trees, and reading books. It is my pleasure and greatest joy to be with you as you experience this life. Your daddy and I love you so much.

Johnny Jumper

William loves his johnny jumper and his new cardinals hat his daddy got for him.

For my sister

We have a picture of my dad putting my sister on top of the fridge and now we have one of him and William. Her thoughts on this were "Why do men (specifically Dads) feel the need to put babies in places a mother never would?"

The other side of teething

Now that I am on the other side of the first two teeth and teething I can see that it was way worse than I ever could have imagined. The constant drooling and gnawing on everything (including me) was quite the challenge. Not the mention the extra night wakings, the extra crying at night, and just over all fussiness. All teething related. Only 18 more baby teeth to go!

We now have a very happy baby who smiles most of the time, takes 2-3 45 minute naps a day and who (most of the time) goes to bed without too much of a fuss. Right now he has a meal around 8:45 p.m. then goes to bed, and wakes to eat around 11:30p.m. and then between 4 and 5 a.m. Typically he goes back to sleep for about an hour after that and our day starts (with lots of coffee) somewhere between 6 and 7:30 a.m.

He also has had plenty of firsts the past couple of weeks. First ride in the stroller with out the infant car seat, first bites of rice cereal, first swim in a baby pool, and first bath in the big bath tub! It's all so much fun..now if I could just get this baby to sleep longer than 5 hours at a time :)

The Doctors

I was half listening/half watching that show The Doctors today while William and I were playing on the floor. They had a list of 10 ways to be healthier on a budget. Lots of things were mentioned like exercising at home, using coupons, at home beauty treatments, and affordable health foods.

The one that applied to us right now was "Studies have shown that people who get 7 hours of consecutive sleep are less likely to be overweight." They went on to say that a person who is not getting 7 hours is likely to gain up to 3 lbs per week! I am sure they didn't do the study on new parents, even so it made me feel better for not having gained 35lbs over the last 3 months. That's right...not that I am counting or anything but it has been 8 weeks since I last had 7 hours of sleep in a row.

Two nights before last Chris, William, and I slept all night. When I say all night I mean we got 8 hours the first night, and 9 hours the second night.

God and I had a talk last week around 2:00 a.m. I asked him for strength because I was close to a mental/physical breakdown. He answered my prayers, and blessed us with a couple of nights of good rest.

Unfortunately, last night William did not sleep all night (tummy trouble I believe, and rolling over issues). Even so, I got about 6 hours in a row (way more than I have had in a long while).

So, today I am grateful I haven't gained 35 lbs. I am grateful for the last three days, and I am grateful for my happy healthy baby boy.

William's 4 month Photo Session

We had pictures taken of William again at Reverie photography at 4 months old. The pictures are available online now for viewing and for purchase for one week just like before. Check them out at http://www.reveriephotography.photosforalifetime.com

The password is william4.

4 Month Check Up

William's 4 month check up was yesterday. They really do grow so fast. The shots were no fun (of course) and to top it all off William is already getting his lower two front teeth! The doctor said he thought they would break through this week. William's stats are below...looks like we may have a son taller than the both of us in the future.

Weight: 15 lbs 1 oz 65%

Height: 25 3/4 in 91%

Head: 42 1/2 79%

Mother's Day

I am a little late on this..we have been very busy lately it seems. Mother's Day was so wonderful. Chris, William, my Mom, Blake and I had a lovely brunch at a local bookstore. I had French Toast (yummy!) and we were able to browse for books a bit after brunch. I felt so proud and happy all day to be a mother!

Grateful

This morning I am reminded of how lucky I am to have a family and to be fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom.

To my parents:
I am so grateful for all you have done for me. I am now only beginning to understand the sacrifices you have made for me the past 30 years.

To my husband:
You inspire me to be great every day and are the love of my life.

To William:
My love for you is unconditional and it is my pleasure to watch you grow.


My inspiration:
To Little A, GMA's mother of the year..winner of breakfast in bed. You remind me of what's really important in life.

Watch the video to be inspired:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/inspiring-housekeeper-wins-emerils-mothers-day-breakfast-bed/story?id=10579164

Elin Woods Part 2

According to my best friend and husband, apparently I was not as clear as I thought..my interpretation of that dream.

1. I am so tired that I am dreaming about napping.
2. I miss working out and I wish I was around other new mommies more.

P.S. I have a wonderful loving husband who is nothing like Tiger Woods!

Elin Woods

Elin Woods visited me in a dream yesterday. Elin and her children had moved into our neighborhood (without Tiger) and came over to our house to introduce herself. Of course in my dream I was napping and my mother was over watching William. Elin apologized for waking me from my nap in my dream and said she would like me to join her mommy workout group.

No dream interpreter needed for me...this one is clear.

Necessary Evils

1. The yard guys on their lawn mowers.
2. The UPS man ringing my doorbell.
3. The Garbage Truck.
4. The U.S. Census recorder.
5. Loud Thunderstorms.
6. Practice Severe Weather Sirens.
7. Real Severe Weather Sirens at 4:00 a.m. for 1 hour last night.


What do all 7 have in common?

30

I am 30 today and my greatest accomplishment is you baby boy!

On sleep

I have read a few different books on baby sleep. I am surprised at all the conflicting information out there. I just feel like I don't know what I am doing. I am trying not to over analyze...it's hard for me though.

Here's what we are dealing with:

From birth to 9 weeks William was up every 2 1/2 hours to eat all day and all night. There were a few nights where he would stretch one of the night time feedings to 4 hours at a time. At 9 weeks he started sleeping 6 hours and then 3 hours and was pretty consistent from 9 weeks to 11 weeks. He even slept 8 hours a few nights without me imposing any type of routine or sleep training on him. He was even completely night weaned for over a week. As you can imagine I was quite pleased and was just praying this would last because I just felt so much better! Of course, it did not last, and week 12 William woke every 2-3 hours again, not necessarily to eat, but because he was practicing rolling over, or rather practicing trying to roll over. Now we are in week 13 and things haven't improved a bit. In fact I feel as if we are moving backward. He's going to sleep earlier..like 8:00 and waking sometimes 4 times between then and 6:00. So you are probably thinking, "Oh he must nap a lot then"....nope..he takes three 30-45 minute naps every day. Oh and he's been sleeping in his bed since about week 3.

Here's what I have read or been told.

About sleep training:

You can start sleep training at 3 months.

You can't start sleep training until 4 months.

You can't sleep train until they can talk.

You can't sleep train until they start eating rice cereal.

You can't sleep train until they start eating baby food.

About night weaning:

Breast fed babies should get 9-10 straight hours of sleep at night at 3 months old.

At 3 months babies should be sleeping 12 hours waking twice to eat.

At 3 months babies should be sleeping 10-12 hours and not waking to eat.

About naps:

At 3 months babies should be napping 1-1 1/2 hours 3 times every day.

A 30 minute nap is not a nap for your 3 month old and you should train him to sleep longer using cry-it out method.

About bedtime:

Keep him up late he'll sleep longer.

Put him to bed earlier he's over tired.

I mean really? At this point I am giving up, and putting the books away. I am putting him to bed when he's tired, I will feed him if he's hungry in the middle of the night, and I will not let him cry himself to sleep. All I can hope is that this doesn't last forever and that I can stay happy and try to enjoy this time without sleep.

3 months old

My sweet baby boy you are now three months old. Every morning no matter how early your daddy and I look forward to seeing your smiling face. You still love your mobile, books, and bright colors, but most of all you love when we talk or sing to you. You talk all the time now in the form of 0's, goo's, and aah's. I predict you will be a talker just like your daddy. You just learned to roll over one way and have spent the last few nights practicing in your sleep all while fussing and grunting. You are sleeping good at night but refuse to take a nap that is longer than 45 minutes. You still like to be bounced or rocked before bed and would still rather sleep in someone arms than your crib. You bring such joy to our lives every day!

Pictures-William First Three Months

I finally got around to loading our pictures on snapfish..check them out.

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=3841443009/a=79002081_79002081/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Visitors

We have been busy with lots of visitors over the last two weeks. William has had lots of loving arms around him.

Waking up

For the first time last week William woke up with a smile. I cried.

Miranda's Wedding

My little sister got married this weekend. She was a gorgeous bride and it was a beautiful wedding.

2 month Checkup

William's 2 month check up was last week. The good news was that he is now 12 pounds 7 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. Of course I asked if this was too much weight gain, and the doctor said no...maybe he was going to be a ball player!

Besides the checkup William had to have his first round of vaccines. I prepared myself for the visit and even when he screamed at the doctor's office when the nurse pricked him I was okay. However when we got home I was not prepared for the 2 hours of crying...keep in mind this was not regular fussy crying..this was an I am hurting cry. Eventually I started crying...I couldn't take it.. and my mom and I took turn holding him all afternoon. By 10:30 that night he was back to his regular happy self!

Sleep Deprived

I believe that last night speaks for itself on how we are all dealing with the sleep deprivation. Oh and before I get to last night here's what happened yesterday. I took myself, William, and a grocery cart into the men's restroom at the grocery store. Luckily I realized quickly where I was when I saw the urinal.

William went to bed around 9:00 (early for him)..so I stayed up till 10:00 thinking he would wake up (of course he did not so I went to bed then). Chris stayed up to watch March Madness and told me he was sleeping on the couch. Fast Forward to the middle of the night.

I had just finished feeding William and was heading back to our room to pump. I was trying to be extra quiet because Chris was on the couch. I closed the door to our room quietly, turned on the light, walked around to sit on the bed, and plug in the pump. All of a sudden the covers are thrown back, and someone sits up and starts screaming (Chris of course) which makes me start screaming louder. This goes on for at least 10 seconds. We finally both truly woke up and I haven't stopped laughing about it since .

2 months

My sweet William, today you are two months old. Your daddy and I feel so blessed to have you in our lives. You are more alert now than in the first month and you love to look around and see what the world has to offer you. You love to look at your mobile, your baby books, and you love it when we talk to you. You are learning about your voice and your hands. You like to be rocked and held close before you go to sleep. You have a strong grip and a beautiful smile. We are enjoying every minute and love watching you grow.

On not being Baby Wise

As a note to my future self:

Never ever blog that you are getting 4 hours of sleep at a time because as soon as you do your baby goes back to a 2 hour sleep schedule. I hoping this is just a growth spurt.

In a effort to try to learn how to take care of my child and because 3 people recommended it I am reading the popular book Baby Wise. Based on what I have read a 2 month old baby should eat for 30 minutes, be awake for 30 minutes, and then sleep for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and then repeat this cycle for 24 hours.

When I first read this I found this hilarious..because my babe doesn't nap like this. We typically get one nap this long each day not 8 naps. I thought that possibly he was overtired and that was why he was crying so much in the late afternoon.so I decided to try the whole eat, wake, sleep thing. I have to admit that the first day it worked quite well. He actually went down for many of the naps, stayed asleep about 45 minutes each time, and slept his normal amount that night. That was a good day!

Unfortunately, it ended there, and even though I have been trying to follow the schedule somewhat it has proved unsuccessful for us at this point. What I have learned in my very short time being a mom is that you can't make a baby eat, stay awake, or nap.

My 6 week checkup and running

It quite possibly has been the fastest six weeks of my life. My 6 week checkup was last week, and I finally got the ok to resume all normal activities. It was a tough 6 week recovery, but we survived. Since I haven't been able to run or even walk really for six weeks it will be a challenge working my way back up to what I was doing before. I have only been out once on my own for a short walk and honestly didn't make it far before I got tired. Finding or should I say making time to do something for myself other than sleep has been quite the challenge. I am hoping that I will either get used to the no sleep thing or that William will start sleeping for longer stretches. This week has been considerably better than the previous weeks. He's going to bed about 9:30 and waking up to eat twice before 7. It's nice to get 8 hours of sleep even if it's broken into pieces. I am hoping to start walking/strolling with William a few days a week when the weather permits and then working up to walking and eventually running on my own again. I know I need something to call my own I am just not sure what that is yet.

10 things I currently could not live without

1. Bottled water--As a breastfeeding mom I find that I need a ton of water. I have three breastfeeding stations set up in my house. Each station is complete with a bottle of water, a burp cloth, and a pacifier.

2. Newborn Soothie pacifier--The only one William really likes and is currently sucking on before each nap for a few minutes.

3. Multivitamin--One good habit I plan on keeping from pregnancy

4. Boppy breastfeeding pillow (our sleep prop)- It helps support my arms and is apparently comfortable enough for a baby to sleep on (all the time) :)

5. Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Diapers- An essential for new parents when you are first learning when to change your baby. The yellow line turns blue when the baby is wet.

6. Keurig one cup coffee maker-this was a gift from my mother in law and has been a god send in terms of a quick caffeine fix. (It only takes 60 seconds to make a cup.)

7. Sweatpants- at almost 7 weeks postpartum I am still in sweatpants, not because I am lazy, but because that is all that fits at the moment even though I am only about 8 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight.

8. Sleeveless shirts- My baby boy does not like to wait long to eat and will wail until he's red in the face all while I am trying to take a shirt off over my head. I have found that sleeveless allows a quicker easier access for him and less of a headache for me.

9. Breast Pump- Helps with engorgement, gives me a break when I need it, and allows for daddy/baby bonding time.

10. Bravado nursing bra- I have three that I rotate, because I wear them 24 hours a day stuffed with breast pads. They are great..really comfortable and easy to undo. (Thanks Michelle)

A night with a newborn

11:00 p.m. William fell asleep

11:15 p.m. Mommy fell asleep

4:00 a.m William wakes up to eat

4:20 a.m. William projectile vomits on himself and all over Mommy (including in her hair)

4:22 a.m. Change William's clothes... too tired to change Mommy's clothes

4:30 a.m Put William down thinking he's asleep

4:35 a.m. Go to living room to pump because William only ate on one side

4:36 a.m. William starts crying (still hungry?)

4:45 a.m. William resumes eating

5:00 a.m. William falls asleep on Mommy

5:15 a.m. Mommy goes to sleep with vomit still in her hair and on her clothes.

7:15 a.m. William wakes up to eat

7:30 a.m. William decides to take a nap..Mommy takes one too.

8:15 a.m. William and Mommy both have breakfast

10:00 a.m. Mommy gets a shower thanks to Daddy!

4 Weeks Old

Update on me
I can't believe it has been 4 weeks since William was born. Time really does fly by when you are caring for an infant. The past couple of weeks are a bit of a blur and I wake up each day not really sure what day of the month or week it is. Again I am humbled by this whole experience. I can't claim I didn't know that babies don't sleep for long stretches the first few months, I just really thought I would still be able to complete the most basic of tasks. I haven't figured out how to do anything around the house like cleaning or laundry or even cooking dinner yet. I am hoping I will figure it out soon or Chris and I may starve..at some point I know my family is going to stop cooking and cleaning for us.

The one thing I have managed to do is shower each day..which I hear is a big accomplishment in itself..and this has only been possible because my husband is home in the morning. The sleep deprivation gets to me sometimes...I am breast feeding, and am responsible for almost all of the overnight and daytime feedings. I understand now why so many women choose to use formula.

Update on William
Right now William eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, and hasn't slept longer than 4 hours at a time. Before you get jealous, the 4 hour thing only happened a couple of times....mostly it's 2 1/2 -3 hours at night and 1-2 hours for naps during the day. The pediatrician said babies this age sleep anywhere from 11 to 22 hours a day....we are definitely on the low end of that scale.

As for William, he is doing great so far. His 2 week checkup went very well. Everything we asked the doctor about was deemed totally normal and he had gained a whole pound from his birth weight! It's amazing how a trip to your kid's doctor can inflate your mood..validating all you've done.

Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Part 2

The first night was the worst I am not going to lie to you. I was still hooked up to an IV of fluids, had a catheter, and a nurse came in every hour or two to check my blood pressure, temperature, wound dressing and bed pads which she had to change almost every time. Chris suffered as well having to sleep on a miniature couch for the 3 nights in a row..all while still having to get up and go to work each day.

The next 2 nights were less restless than the first although the nurses brought William in to me every 2 hours to feed..not exactly to best environment to recover from surgery, even so I looked forward to seeing baby William at each feeding.

Breast feeding was a challenge the first week. My milk wasn't in and didn't come in till Friday and I was having trouble sitting up, standing up, and getting out of bed. Any movement involving using your core muscles is painful to do after a C-section even with pain medicine.

Once we got home breast feeding became much easier and we aren't having any trouble now. I wish I had known while I was in the hospital that it was going to get easier. Many tears were shed and many lactation consultants tried to help us.

The rest of the hospital stay was fine and each day I started to feel a little bit better. We had many visitors and the whole family was great through it all. There were two nurses who were a great help to me..they were such a blessing. God bless nurses!

Thursday night we were released and got to take William home. The first night at home was rough..again I still had no milk and none of us got much sleep. My in laws stayed with us the first weekend, they were a great help, and my mom, dad, sister in law, and brother in law have been by many times with food, and/or comfort..whatever we needed. William is so lucky to have such supportive grandparents!

As for my recovery I really didn't start to feel like myself until I reached the 2 1/2 week mark and even then I haven't done anything except eat, sleep, and take care of William.

Today William is 2 weeks and 5 days old and is such a joy! He loves to be rocked and snuggle and would rather lay on your chest than be cradled unless he's eating of course. He likes to look at his mobile, and a baby animals book while he lies in his crib. He is such a sweet baby and we feel so lucky and blessed to have him in our lives.

My Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Story part 1

At 41 weeks pregnant Monday Jan. 18 we were scheduled to induce at 4:30 a.m. Chris and I didn't sleep much because we were so excited. I woke at 2:45 with contractions 15 minutes apart, so we headed to the hospital about 3:45. The contractions weren't bad at that point, they just felt like mild cramps. We got checked in to the hospital by 4:50 and at this point the contractions were getting stronger and more painful. The nurse started me on an IV of fluids and on Pitocin to help make the contractions more productive. At this point I was still only 1 cm dilated. She recommended waiting until I was 3 cm to get the epidural. By 5:30 I was in a lot of pain, basically sobbing through the contractions which were very strong and very close together. My nurse got off at 7:00 a.m. and a new nurse came on then. Thank God for her..because when she saw how much pain I was in she said, "Honey you don't have to be a hero..go ahead and get the epidural."

By 7:30 a.m. I was not any more dilated. At this point I was in so much pain that I agreed and she ordered the pain meds. By 8:00 a.m. the epidural had kicked in and I felt SO MUCH BETTER. And I have to say that I was a bit worried about the pain of a needle in my back, but by that point I was hurting so bad that I didn't care about the epidural..I just wanted the pain to stop and it magically did. At 9:30 the doctor came in to check my progress...there was very little even though I was having contractions. A procedure I had a couple of years ago on my cervix caused a band of scar tissue on my cervix and was preventing me from dilating...even though I was very effaced and the contractions were strong.

My doctor broke my water and dilated me manually to 3 cm and told me she would be back that afternoon to deliver the baby. Unfortunately by 4:00 p.m. I was only 6 cm dilated, had a fever, had an allergic reaction of some sort...they think to the penicillin, and the baby was not responding well to the contractions....his heart beat kept slowing way down. At this point the doctor recommended a C-section, I agreed, and she left to prepare the OR. I cried.

They prepped me for surgery and wheeled me in quite quickly. I was shaking uncontrollably the whole time from the meds and kept my eyes closed until they let Chris in the room. I didn't feel any pain during the procedure. Five minutes or so after Chris arrived I heard William's sweet cry for the first time..I turned my head to look at Chris. He was crying and taking pictures and telling me he loved me and that William was ok. After he was checked out they brought him to me and I kissed him and told him I loved him..I couldn't wait to hold him. They wheeled me back to recovery where I was for about an hour and then took me up to the room where we would spend the next 3 days with our son.

William Christopher Vernon

William Christopher Vernon was born at 5:00 p.m. on Monday January 18 weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz. We are at home now and a recovering well.

Today's appointment

Everything is still fine. Another biophysical profile showed baby vernon is doing well.
Here are today's stats.

B/P : 110/74

Baby's heart rate: 145

Weight: down another pound

Cervix: No change


As for how I really am, I am sleeping very lightly..waking every two hours..which I hear is much like a newborn's schedule and my back has starting hurting. I can't eat much at night or I have terrible heartburn, so I have to eat the bulk of my food during the day when I am not going to be lying down. I am still walking 2 miles every day and it takes me 30-40 minutes depending on how I am feeling that day. I am not having any painful contractions at all, only Braxton Hicks that cause my heart to beat fast and my tummy to tighten. I still feel the shooting pains from time to time when I am walking or sitting which I can only assume is pelvic pressure or muscles stretching.
Other than that there is not much to report except that I am so looking forward to sleeping on my back or my stomach, and I have faith that we will get to meet our son very soon.

Overdue

Since we are overdue we have two appointments this week both with ultrasounds to monitor the baby's progress. Today's appointment went well. The ultrasound showed that the fluid levels are fine, and that the umbilical cord is still functioning properly. His heartbeat was strong and he was breathing well. The ultrasound tech measured him and approximates his weight to be 8 pounds 4 oz. as of today. Of course that could be off up to a pound in either direction. Either way this is a healthy weight. My doctor said she had no medical reason for induction as of today but would if I wanted. I told her we would wait until Friday to schedule an induction if things still haven't progressed. I really hope he will come on his own before then. If not I may be holding my baby boy this weekend or even sooner.

Here are my stats from today

BP:130/80

Weight: stayed the same (30 lbs total weight gain)

Cervix: 1 cm dilated and very effaced

Baby's Heart rate: 144

Estimated weight: 8lbs 4 0z

Baby's position: Head down and face down (he turned on his own!!!)

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

I love love love peanut butter and find myself purchasing granola bars for $3.99 a box weekly. They are such an quick and easy protein/carb filled on the go snack and sometimes breakfast.

So I have been on the hunt for a healthy delicious version I can make at home. This one comes from the original domestic goddess Martha Stewart.

I always play with recipes a bit......as Rachel Ray says "make it your own." I encourage you to do so as well. You could add your favorite dried fruit like apricots or dried strawberries, or if you are a chocoholic like myself mini chocolate chips would make a great addition.

I posted the original recipe below. I used reduced fat chunky peanut butter instead of plain and instead of dried fruit I replaced with 1/2 cup of a store bought chocolate granola (bear naked). They turned out great. Don't expect crunchy from this recipe though these are homeade fresh soft peanut buttery granola bars that are full of whole grain goodness. Enjoy!


Martha Stewart's Peanut Butter Granola Bars Recipe

1 large egg white
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 dup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon water
1/2 tsp cinnamon


1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8 by 8 pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Combine peanut butter, water, oil, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in a saucepan, and cook on low heat until the sugar is dissolved, and the peanut butter is melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (salt, oats, sliced almonds, cinnamon, and cranberries).
4. Beat egg white and add to cooled saucepan mixture.
5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and cook for 30 minutes or until the top is firm and golden brown.
7. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting or they will fall apart.
8. Once cooled lift the foiled/parchment bars out of the pan and cut into bars with a knife.
9. Store in an airtight container for 1 week.

To Induce or Not to Induce?

Between 32 and 37 weeks I was concerned that the baby would be early and now at two days before my due date my concern is that I will have to be induced.

Most of the information on the web seems to point to the negatives of inducing labor with Pitocin. Everything I have read says it can make labor longer and in some instances increase the chances of a C-section delivery, and I currently am not a fan of being induced or of a c-section.

After all my research, when I hear induced labor, I think long painful labor that results in a c-section that requires a 6 week recovery. A long painful labor and a 6 week recovery sounds like torture to a busy bee like myself. I know I can't get out of the pain of labor but it would be nice to have the smallest amount possible..don't you think?

With all that said, the real deal is that I trust God, and my doctor and I will do whatever it takes to have my baby in a healthy, safe environment whether I have to be induced or not, and whether it is through c-section or not. I take comfort in that many women have done this before myself. Pray for a safe labor and delivery for the both of us whenever that may be. I will post pics when he arrives!

No news is good news

I have given up on baby vernon being early and now am just praying he's not 2 weeks late.
We went to the doctor yesterday and everything still looks good. Next week I will start visiting the doctor twice a week and will have an ultrasound to check the baby's weight, placenta, and fluid levels. Inducing doesn't happen until usually between 41 and 42 weeks unless there is some sort of problem. My due date is Monday. I am hoping he chooses to come on his own, however I am not sure I can hold out 2 more weeks.

Here are my stats for this week

BP: 120/74

Baby Heart rate 154

Cervix: same as last week

Weight: lost a pound

Christmas Gifts

I finally put my three fantastic Christmas gifts to use. Chris got me a Kitchen Aid Mixer...LOVE IT!!!, and my new favorite cookbook "The Pioneer Women Cooks." I have already used my mixer twice in the past couple of weeks. First to make Giada's Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies...delicious and freezes beautifully. Check foodnetwork.com for that recipe.

And second to make Artichoke Dip from my new cookbook. You have to get this cookbook! Ree Drummond is a city lady turned country lady who has a food blog and has a collection of fantastic recipes...I have tried two recipes from this book already and both turned out great!

The third gift we got this year was from my mom...a new camera!!! We love it and can't wait to take pictures of our new addition when he gets here! (no he's not here yet..looks like we are going to be due or overdue) Oh well I guess I have more time to cook and play with my new camera.