5 Months | Baby 2

I realized the other day that all of J's clothes were getting too small. Then it hit me that I was still trying to fit her into 3 month clothes. Reality check momma, she is FIVE months old!

Weight: She weighs about 16 lbs, 12 oz and is in 9 month footed pj's. I could hardly believe it when I realized her Christmas jammies were 9 month. This is all happening too fast.

Health: Baby girl got RSV this month. We had just done the RSV test the week before and it was negative, so when she was congested and couching I just started battling it with the nose frida, saline spray, and humidifier. A few days later, she began coughing so much that she would stop breathing and I would have to hit her back, making her throw up and start breathing again. After it happened for the third time in a day I rushed her to the pediatrician. RSV. Luckily, they got her on breathing treatments asap that helped so we didn't have to stay at the hospital.

Julip and her twin (aunt)

Sleep: We moved her to her crib this month because she completely outgrew the rock-n-play and would flip to her stomach in it. She sleeps mostly on her stomach and about 10-12 hours at night on most nights. I will forever love her good night time sleep, but the girl is a no nap ninja. The only way she will nap is in my arms (like right now, as I type).

Diet: She eats 8 oz. of Enfamil Gentlease every 3-4 hours. We are also starting to notice she mimics our chewing and we feel so bad eating in front of her. She stares us down like she is savoring every bite. I can't believe we are almost to the point of high chair and food.

Clothes: Julip is mostly in 3-6 and 6 month clothes now and size 3 diapers. Like I said earlier; 9 month pj's. I have so many un-worn clothes that we just couldn't get her in fast enough. I'm also getting a little worried that at the rate she will be wearing her summer clothes in February.

Baby Gear Love: Crib, sound machine, pacifiers, pacifier clips for our spittin' baby, boppy, bob & double bob jogging stroller, double stroller, activity gym, and aiden and anais blankets, the bouncer, nose frida, bumbo, footed pj's.

Crying: She is such a softy (like momma). She cries if something touches her head, if she is hungry, or tired. She is a really sweet baby!

Likes: Sticking her tongue out, eating, watching my face, talking, watching tv, sucking on her hands, looking at her feet, music, her brother when he isn't stealing her toys, trying to sit up, standing for short periods, kisses on her cheek, and going for jogs.

Dislikes: Poopy diapers, loud noises, laying down when she wants to sit up, her car seat, getting dressed, being tired, and baths with her brother.

Sibling Love: Abram is a very helpful big brother. He is always trying to give her the pacifier and brings me a burp rag when I need it. He is starting to get jealous when I have to feed her in the mornings (his hard time of day). He is also starting to get possessive over toys now that she can play with some. He will take them and say, "mine", and then hide them and move onto another toy. He is having to learn how to share all over again.

Milestones: Julip talks and smiles to anyone who will interact with her. She loves to eat her hands and play with hanging toys. She will roll from side to side, but will NOT roll over. She just has no desire.

This month Julip celebrated Christmas, looked at lights, and spent the night at Doodle's.

xo,
Nikki

3 Months Old | Baby 2

Halloween came and went so fast that I almost forgot it was Julip's three month birthday! She is no longer a newborn and is such a sweet baby; she's always trying to chat with us and her brother. I swear I could eat her up sometimes...I mean those cheeks!

Weight: She weighs about 13 lbs, 4 oz and is filling out most of her 3 month clothes. She will be in 3-6 month and 6 month clothes within the next few weeks.

My behind the scenes "help" haha

Health: She has been great this month! We have been giving her Prevacid once a day for reflux, and that's all she needs to feel better. Her nose has been stuffy, but it's nothing to worry about really. Wow! I think this is the shortest "health" section I have ever typed.

Sleep: When Matt got back from his two week trip to Ohio Julip would wake up every time he would move or get up for work. I was exhausted! I was trying to wait until 12 weeks to move her, but finally around 11 weeks I made the call to move her up to her room. We kept her in the rock-n-play (next to the crib) for night and give her naps in her crib. I'm honestly a little nervous about having to make the transition. As of 3 months, she will go anywhere from 5-8 hours, but has done a couple 9 hour stretches! No real schedule yet, I just feed her every 3-4 hours and change her into her pj's before the night feeding. I keep trying to wake her for a dream feed like I would do for Abram, but the girl WILL NOT WAKE UP! I am starting to think that trying to get her to eat is shortening her sleep. I'm trying to do as little as possible to jinx her sleep. ;) 

Diet: She eats 6 oz. of Enfamil Gentlease every 3-4 hours pretty consistently.

Clothes: Julip is mostly in 3 month clothes now and size 2 diapers. Her pajamas are starting to stretch on the shoulders so I anticipate a switch to 6 month pj's soon. It is so crazy to see these socks that were huge on her at birth getting way too small. :( They really do grow so fast!

Baby Gear Love: Rock-n-Play, sound machine, pacifiers, pacifier clips for out spittin' baby, boppy, swing, her carseat and stroller attachment, bob & double bob jogging stroller, double stroller, activity gym, happy baby wrap {the moby was so hot and heavy}, and aiden and anais blankets, footed pj's.

Crying: She cries when she is hungry, when she is cold, when she has the hiccups, and when her tummy hurts, when she's tired, and when I pull a shirt over her head {she HATES it}.

This picture just makes me giggle for some reason...I think it's the chunky legs

Likes: Eating, watching my face, talking, watching tv, taking naps on our chest, sucking {pacifiers}, warm baths {she is totally relaxed}, naps on her tummy, music, her brother, staring at lights and fans, going for jogs, and being rocked.

he was a little helpful...

Dislikes: Diaper changes, poopy diapers, loud noises when it's quiet (she startles and cries so much), having to do too much exercise (tummy time) being cold and naked, her carseat, getting dressed, being tired, and laying flat on her back.

Sibling Love: Abram just adores his sister and is constantly giving her kisses and hugs, trying to share his toys, and entertaining her. She will just look at him and smile as he jumps around the room for her. He is trying to help me teach her how to roll right now. Sometimes he tries to pick her up and put her in his lap. The times when she can go in his bed are some of his favorite times. 

Milestones: Whenever we smile or talk to her she smiles back and tries to mimic our mouths and sounds. She has much better control of her head, but still hasn't rolled.  When we kiss her cheeks she just laughs and laughs. She has also started to put her hands in her mouth and notice her feet.Those legs are also quite scrumptious these days.

       This month Julip celebrated Halloween, dressed as a witch and a cookie monster, went to her first pumpkin painting party, first play date, and went to the pumpkin patch.

Also, I am guest posting over at The Girl In The Red Shoes today. I'm sharing my breast feeding journey with both kiddos on Julie's Breastfeeding Diaries series. I began reading it back when it first started, and when I had Julip or any time I had a trouble accepting the difficulties that came my way I would refer back to the series to read other's stories. It's a great resource for new moms who are just trying to figure out the best way to nourish their new bundle! Click on the link above to read mine and other's stories.

xo,
Nikki

2 Months Old | Baby 2

       Julip turned two months last Tuesday and had her checkup the same day. She is really getting big and starting to get those adorable baby rolls. Her personality is also starting to show and she is such a happy little lady. I could literally copy and paste the section about hair loss from her brother's 2 month post. Around 6 weeks her hairline started to recede until she was bald on the top of her head, then right before 2 months little hairs started to appear. The new hair is no lighter than the hair she didn't lose, but it does seem her hair lightened a bit.

Weight: She weighed 11 lbs, 8 oz at her check up {57%} and was 23.25 in tall {85%}. Abram was always a tall baby and his weight was always around 50% or more, but one thing was quite different...his head size was always on the smaller side. Her head circumference was 15.24" {66%}! No wonder all the headbands I ordered, thinking she would be about the same as her brother, are too tight! Considering she arrived three weeks early she is doing great! 

Health: She was diagnosed with silent reflux and we tried AR formula, but that just constipated her. After trying out Zantac, she is now on prevacid with Enfamily Gentlease. She has been a little more fussy because of that and some gas, but we have been managing it with Dupois and baby wearing to keep her upright. {Love my happy baby wrap}

Sleep: She still sleeps in the rock-n-play next to our bed. She goes anywhere from 4-6 hours between feedings at night. I have started to swaddle her in the miracle blanket when she will not calm down and for naps in her crib. She is much more aware of her surroundings {and noise} now so napping has been difficult unless she is in a separate room. I loosely follow babywise, so she is on a "flexible" schedule and I try to do a dream feed at night. We are slowly getting into a routine, but it is not very well established yet.

Diet: This month we started feeding her every 4 hours when she wouldn't wake up at 3 or would only drink an ounce. She drinks 4-5 oz, every 4 hours like a champ! We were using Enfamil Newborn, then AR, then newborn again and when the gas got worse, we started on Gentlease...fingers crossed.

Clothes: She wears 0-3 and 3 months clothes, and has grown out of several headbands already...bummer. She is still wearing size 1 diapers and has a long torso like her brother did.

Baby Gear Love: Rock-n-Play, sound machine, pacifiers, boppy, swing, her carseat and stroller attachment, bob jogging stroller, activity gym, happy baby wrap {the moby was so hot and heavy}, miracle blanket, and aiden and anais blankets.

Crying: She cries when she is hungry,, when she has the hiccups, and when her tummy hurts, when she spits up, and when I pull a shirt over her head {she HATES it}.

Likes: Eating, watching my face, taking naps on our chest, sucking {pacifiers}, warm baths {she is totally relaxed}, staring at lights and fans, going for jogs, and being rocked.

Dislikes: Diaper changes, being cold and naked, her carseat, getting dressed, and laying flat on her back.

Sibling Love: She is starting to notice Abram. During the LSU photo shoot he kissed her and she wouldn't stop staring and smiling at him; her eyes followed him around the room. He is still in love. He tries to "help" with her by feeding  her and giving her a paci when she is crying. When she is sleeping in another room he wants to find her, "baby?". We absolutely love seeing him as a big brother. He will walk up and give her hugs randomly and just started trying to give her his toys, hat, blanket, etc...it gets a little dangerous.

Milestones: Whenever we smile or talk to her she smiles back and tries to mimic our mouths. She is ALWAYS sticking her tongue out {since she was born}, and is much better at holding up her head. She will sometimes coo or do a little laugh. When we put her on her belly she just about takes off, and she has rolled to her side on several occasions.

Julip and her future bff at the party

       This month Julip went to her first birthday party, went to the park, started going running with mommy, listened to live music outside, got the thrill of watching mom as a single parent, and went shopping a lot.

Mother's Day Weekend/ Daily Life Pics & 18 Month Update

I celebrated my second official Mother's Day yesterday, and it was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be. Matt went hunting with some of my family from Thursday to Sunday morning, so it was just me and my littlest man in my life. For some reason he was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday so we laid in his new big boy bed for about an hour before starting our day {well he poked me in the face while I tried to sleep a little longer}. We got to eat breakfast just the two of us, play/clean, and Abram watched "Up" all the way through for the first time! He wanted to sit on my lap while he ate and watched the movie, so I put my phone and chore list in another room and soaked him up. I needed that moment; it was my favorite Mother's Day gift.

Mother's day breakfast at the kid's table...still half asleep

 Then things got a little crazy and when I couldn't take being out of breath anymore from leaning over, at almost 26 weeks pregnant, my mom came to save the day. We ran some errands, I finally took the plunge and shopped at a maternity store {my first time}, and then we took Abram for his first fro yo to celebrate my new, lose fitting clothes ;).

 Sunday I got to just relax a little and go for a family walk. Matt Abram came through in the gift department more than I had anticipated, and got me both the Kendra Scott earrings AND Kelli Murray art I had been eyeing for a couple months. We have tons of art in our house, but so much of it was bought to fill space...I have been weeding things out and starting to collect art that I LOVE and that means something to me. This piece represents the new me, as a mother, and I am so excited that I can stare at the beauty every day and be reminding of the real joys in life. 

source

Later we went to my parent's house to have a Mother's Day lunch and then my mom, sis and  I met some of my friends for a mani/pedi session. Needless to say I did NOT want to have to stop the fun and go back to work.

 Time is passing by so fast...

Speaking of time flying; Abram turned 18 months last week! I look at his one year pics and cannot believe how much he has changed in 6 months. He went from just taking his first steps to running and talking. He is a full-fledged toddler these days and with that comes a lot of fun, hilarious times, but also a lot of exhausting moments.

Health: He was sick throughout most of the winter, and is now on Zyrtec every day. Sometimes we have to use an inhaler to stop his wheezing...it is crazy that getting his adenoids out didn't really help. The past few weeks {knock on wood} with the warmer weather has seemed to help us manage it better.

Abram sleeps great {most nights} and moved to his big boy bed last week. The kid turns 360's while he is asleep so I think moving to his full-size bed has just given him more room to not get tangled. I'll be doing a separate post on the transition.

What he will eat still changes daily, but we are managing. Grapes, watermelon, and yogurt of some of his favorites. 

Abram loves running, jumping, pretend falling, standing on chairs/etc, drawing with his water/juice, coloring, eating with a spoon, doing everything himself, dancing to music, baths, climbing the stairs, throwing balls, bubbles, food, going down the slide, his golf clubs, being rocked to sleep, reading books before bed, playing with legos {the larger ones}, sitting at his own table to eat snacks, and mimicking everything you do.

He hates when he can't move so he still despises being changed or dressed, sitting still, being strapped into his carseat and stroller, getting his face wiped, learning to share, getting his teeth brushed, waiting on food, and eating veggies.

Entranced by "Up"

Since his first birthday he has gotten tubes in and adenoids out, celebrated Christmas, gone to his first Mardi Gras parade, and hunted Easter eggs for the first time. He has moved up in classes at daycare, given up pacifiers and bottles, and moved to a big boy bed. His first REAL word was ball {spoken with a Russian accent}, followed by bubble. He can now say mommy, daddy, uh oh, more, ball, bubble, water {wawa}, doggy, owl, horse, moose, car, hot, eye, mouth, socks, and shoes. He will repeat just about any word you say and if he knows the sound affect to go with it, he will follow it up with that {doggy ruff ruff}. He has no clue what is making my tummy so big...

Have a great week!

4 Months with Baby #2

Remember that time I was 13 weeks and thought I had a belly...

Total weight gain this month: +9 pounds...oh man

Maternity clothes? My stretchy skirts from Old Navy and bella band I bought last time from Target
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Already starting to get uncomfortable

Best moment this month: the warm weather making its first appearance!

Miss Anything? A cold drink...it was Mardi Gras...

Movement: I felt some when I laid down pretty early on {14 weeks} and then it suddenly stopped which of course freaked me out so we had to get a check up to make sure everything was ok. It was and now I have felt a couple flutters this week {16.5 weeks}

Food cravings: Salty and sweet together. I'm not saying I have eaten pickles covered in chocolate syrup, but I wouldn't be opposed to it ;). I also loved chocolate milk and shakes last time, and while those still top the list, I my cravings have been more for strawberry flavored stuff this time. I also LOVE salad.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Coffee and spark sometimes {they rotate}, eggs, and fish still

Have you started to show yet: YES! I am popping way more than I did last time at 4 months. It is hard to hide and none of my pants button. My feet also look like balloons daily now.

Gender prediction: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out?  In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Stressed

Looking forward to:  The cold going away so the sicknesses in our house will ease up.

The funniest shirt for a pregnant gal at Mardi Gras {please ignore the lack of fixing-up)

So Long First Trimester...

You will not be missed...

I am now in the "blissful" period of pregnancy and am feeling so much better! I was sooo tired and coffee made me throw up :(. I also got a virus which took me out of commission for a good week; so it feels good to be back.

My tired Valentines Day

Total 1st trimester weight gain: +5 pounds (2 more than last time)

Maternity clothes? Nothing yet, but I am stocking up on stretchy pencil skirts and maxi skirts for work
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: great

Best moment this trimester: Finding out the gender WAY earlier than we thought we would!

Miss Anything?  A margarita and coffee/spark

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: CUPCAKES and PICKLES! Basically anything sweet and salty mixed together.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Coffee, eggs, fish...I knew I was pregnant when Matt left out deer meat and I couldn't stand the smell from across the house

Have you started to show yet:  I am getting a belly much quicker than I had at 13 weeks last time, and where I am lacking in belly I am making up for in swollen feet! I have had swollen feet on and off since 8 weeks and that didn't start until around 30-something weeks last time...it is killing my wardrobe for work! :/

Gender prediction: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out?  In
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and tired/moody

Looking forward to:  Working on the nursery and feeling better

Cheers {with my chocalate milk in hand} to an easy-going second trimester, and the return of my blog from its hiatus!

My baby is ONE!!!

I wrote this over 2 months ago (shaking my head in shame)

I will slowly but surely get back into this blogging thing. Oh the life of a working mom...

Well, the day has come. My baby is ONE! He is not a baby anymore {bitter sweet}.

Health: Abram STILL has a double ear infection! If you are keeping count, that is over 2 months since it was first discovered. I'm keeping count, and 6 antibiotics later I am DONE! I didn't even want to give him 1 antibiotic before 1 year... We visited an ENT and now we have a surgery scheduled for tubes in and his adenoids out. We have been trying one last, desperate attempt at chiropractic care for chronic ear infections and drainage, but it still seems his ears are inflamed and full of fluid. He is hearing like he has earplugs in {30-40% hearing loss, so we are at the point where we don't want his development to be interrupted...or worse. See why I have no time to blog... :/ One great thing we have discovered from chiro care is essential oils to help with his congestion at night...they are AMAZING and another bonus is that his room smells like a spa.

Visiting the goats at the fair

Sleep: Besides the lack of sleep from his ears and cough, he sleeps well at night and naps amazingly during the day. My little teenage sleeper; I love you!

       Abram still LOVES food, but is getting picky with his veggies. I have started giving him carrot juice as I wean him off of formula. I wanted to stay away from too much dairy because of his congestion, so I also give him almond milk which he loves and probiotic powder in that or organic apple sauce. ANNND I just realized {as I type} I am giving him nuts now...oops. He has teeth all the way back to his molars coming in;  more teeth than any baby that age our daycare worker has seen. This probably explains his constant drooling, runny nose, and ear infections. Our little man has molars! It is kinda crazy..."all the better to eat you with". 

      He took his first steps (that can be counted as steps) on the 19th; just after his one year pics. It was like he sensed it was time to grow up a little. On Halloween he started walking non-stop. He would get up, fall, get up, fall, over and over again until I MADE him go to bed. Ever since then he won't stop. Just after his birthday he was walking over concrete {parent of the year right here} and he crashed, face first. It was not our best moment and now he has a pretty serious battle wound {still in these pics}.

       He is into EVERYTHING and is just curious about the world. We cannot keep him contained and he will tonrado through the house in a matter of minutes. We left the Tupperware cabinet unlocked at the recommendation of friends, and well...that is getting a lock this weekend so we don't have to keep washing 50 containers of drool and dirt from the floor.

       He won't let you hold him for too long now. He hates getting dressed or a diaper change. He is not a fan of baths for some reason now and HATES the car seat with a passion. Bijou annoys him, except for when he decides he wants to tackle her {we are working on that}. He also get extremely frustrated when he can't figure out a toy or something and gets this temper tantrum where he screams and throws something...not the best look on him.

       Over the past month we took one year pics, celebrated his first halloween {he was a vampire because he won't wear hats}, got his first haircut from my friend in Lafayette, went to a pumpkin patch, and celebrated his first birthday with lots of friends and family!

11 Months!

{Written at 11 months} This is passing by so fast...very bitter sweet. Abram's 1 year pics are in a week and I cannot wait to get our first professional photos done since his newborn shoot.

Bad pic, I know...it's hard to get a clear photo of a moving target! He was bribed with a pretzel as long as he could stand it.

Health: I brought Abram to the Dr. for his persistent cough and a rash, and it turned out he had a double ear infection that he showed no signs of. He was still smiling all the time and never rubbed his ears. We have been battling it all month; even on our vacation, and 3 antibiotics later he still has the cough, infection, and is now fussy. We will be going in for a check up next week.

Sleep: Besides the lack of sleep from his ears and cough, he sleeps well at night.

       Abram LOVES food and will eat almost anything (including paper and crumbs from the floor). I have lost count of how many teeth he has. They started coming in fast and furious this month which probably contributed to the infections. Last I counted, he has 12 teeth (yes his canines came in on top and bottom)...but he may have 2 more on the bottom now. I can't keep up.

       He still pulls up and walks around furniture. He will also let go and stand and ALMOST take a step, but then he gets scared and sits. He is such a cautious kid...he even looks up to make sure he doesn't bump his head when he stands.

       Abram loves crawling, standing, chewing on anything, ripping paper, banging anything, screaming dada when he is excited, pizza, pacifiers, picking his nose, naps, music, art (mostly chewing on the crayons), dancing, baths, his mom and dad, washing his hands, walks in the stroller, remotes, the computer and dog toys.

       He hates being held down on his back, sitting still, getting his face wiped, getting licked by Bijou, getting something taken from him (he now screams), being woken up early, and staying up late.

       Over the past month we went on vacation to Tahoe, Napa Valley, and San Fransisco; where we got to hike, visit wineries, go to the urgent care (his fever from infection), and see the sites in San Fran. Abram got to go to his first County Fair where we pet goats and deer, and saw a momma cow and her calf (he thought they were hilarious). We also decorated for fall and ordered Abram's halloween costume (love it). We have tons a plans for this month; including the a trip to Louisiana, the pumpkin patch, halloween, family pics, and his birthday party.

10 Months!

       I've been working a month, and on top of that I am the newsletter editor for Junior League, painting murals and furniture for friends, and ya know doing the whole mom thing so this poor little blog and all the awesome tutorials I had planned in the line up are having to take a back seat. Things should be calming down a little after the holidays...so I can catch up and get back to making this place pretty.

Notice the transition to the use of props...I can barely keep this kid still. 10 months has come and gone, and we are gearing up for Abram's 1st birthday party and 1 year pictures. Really!? I cannot believe this is already happening! 

 

First "family" LSU weekend

Health: Abram still has a cough and congestion, so a doctor's appointment has been made. (this post is a month late, so more to come on this...)

We finally get sleep!

       Abram started daycare 2 days after he turned 9 months, and they only give ONE major nap. They sometimes give him a second nap if he is acting tired, but I think all the distraction over there helps him to hang all day. AND they don't give him a pacifier or blanket....crazy! As soon as he gets home, he is ready for a bottle and bed. I feel like I never see him, but I know it is just a phase. He typically sleeps from 6/7 pm to 6/7 am...or later on weekends. It is just insane to us that we finally have a sleeper. It feels AMAZING! knock.on.wood.....

Abram's 1st day of school

       Abram's schedule changed when he started daycare, but he didn't mind. He gets 4 bottles a day, and eats breakfast, lunch, and 2 snacks (am and pm) at daycare. He apparently eats table food like a champ and we constantly get comments on how much he loves food. If you know us you are prob. not surprised by this... I still restrict his food a little (no milk, eggs, nuts, or shell fish), but I had to loosen up when he started daycare or I would have a heart attack. I'm sure they still think I'm obsessive when I don't let him eat cookies and other processed junk, but they are at least nice about it.

       He mostly crawls like a normal kid now, but will crawl on his feet when he crawls on a rough surface or his shins are red. He pulls up and walks around furniture. We have seen him let go to stand, but he is just not balanced or brave enough yet.

       Abram loves crawling, standing, chewing on anything, banging anything, screaming dada when he is excited, pizza, pacifiers, naps, music, dancing, baths, his mom and dad, his bear, walks in the stroller, remotes, shoes, and dog toys.

       He hates being held down on his back, sitting still, getting his face wiped, getting licked by Bijou, and staying up late.

       This month he started daycare and I started my job, we went to Louisiana for an LSU game while Abram spent the day with Beebee and Baba, Abram got his 8th and 9th teeth, we celebrated his friend's 1st birthday, he had his first lazy-Sunday milkshake with us in a small town nearby, and we went for a bike ride for the first time.

9 Months!

       Oh hello there! You may or may not have noticed that I took an unplanned blogging hiatus. You see; I went and got myself a J.O.B. doing what I went to school for...FINALLY! It was totally unplanned and unexpected, but everything is going great and I'm starting to get back into the swing of things.

This post is all about the little man...

Health: Abram gets a cough every now and then, but is really good other than that.

We finally get sleep!

He still takes 2-3 longish naps a day and sleeps from around 7/8 pm to 7:30/8 am with a dream feeding at 10:30...that all changed after he hit 9 months and went to daycare.

Exploring his tunnel

       He usually eats solids two to three times a day and has not found something he won't eat. He ALWAYS makes a face when he eats yogurt, strawberries, or plums because of the sourness but will just keep eating them. We have started to give him table foods, and he loves them! When we go to restaurants he is no longer entertained by toys, so we either bring his puffs, yogurt melts, or get tortilla or bread for him to snack on with sips of our water.

40 weeks in | 40 weeks out!

       We pretty much give him anything that isn't too sweet or spicy...and of course no eggs, milk, shell fish, or honey. He LOVES cherrios and gold fish. {who wouldn't}

       Army crawling is built for speed, and crawling on all fours is more just for a leisurely stroll. Right around eight months he started pulling up and now there is no stopping him. He gets up on everything, and we have had to block off our stairs. He even ate the soot from our fireplace...parenting fail!

Going for the soot before we learned our lesson

       Abram loves crawling, standing, chewing on anything, banging anything, screaming dada when he is excited, all food, pacifiers, naps, babbling, music, throwing his sippy cup on the floor and watching it fall, water, baths, his mom and dad, and walks in the stroller, remotes, cords, shoes, and dog toys {you know...anything he is not supposed to have}.

       He got a bigger car seat this month and will tolerate it but still prefers not to be strapped in. He hates when he can't move so he still hates being changed or dressed, sitting still, being rocked (most of the time), getting his face wiped, getting licked by Bijou, and staying up late.

       He finished swim lessons this month and can now go under water when I blow in his face. He also loves to sit on the ledge and fall into the water while I catch him. This has all made him way more adventurous in the bath...he even tries to stand there {not cool}.

Taking a play break...

     Abram said mama first, but quickly followed with dadda and got stuck on it. Now it is virtually impossible to get him to say mama. He also has 7 teeth!

       This month we celebrated Matt's Birthday, me getting a job, we visited his daycare, and went to Louisiana.

8 Months!

       These pictures are getting more and more difficult to take since Abram is getting more and more curious about his world. He is ALWAYS on the go these days!

Health: Besides having a cold and cough from hanging around other kids, Abram has been great!

This is what I am dealing with...the drool monster on the move

We finally get sleep!

He still takes 2-3 longish naps a day and sleeps from around 7/8 pm to 7/7:30 am with a dream feeding at 10:30.

       He usually eats solids twice a day (occasionally 3) and has not found something he won't eat. He ALWAYS makes a face when he eats yogurt, strawberries, or plums but will just keep eating them. He has gotten to the point where he will suck/chew on a small piece of fruit or bread and try to swallow it instead of spitting it out; he is not always successful.

       This month he had peas, oatmeal, spinach, peaches, plums, yogurt, strawberries, mangos, apricots, lemon, and bread. His main foods are still prunes, pears, carrots, and sweet potatoes because they are so easy on him.

      His main mode of travel is still army crawling. He can crawl like a normal child, but chooses to drop to his belly and leave a drool trail as he drags his wet shirt across the floor. He is like a very quick slug. He HATES to be contained now and just wants to explore everything he is not supposed to. He started pulling up right around 8 months. The first time was in the bath tub of course which totally freaked me out! He still chews everything and usually has a pacifier while he sleeps, with a back up in one of his hands. 

       Abram loves army crawling, chewing on anything, banging anything, screaming when he is excited, all food, pacifiers, naps, babbling, music, throwing his sippy cup on the floor and watching it fall, water, baths, his mom and dad, and walks in the stroller.

He still hates his infant seat, being changed or dressed, sitting still, being rocked (most of the time), getting his face wiped, getting licked by Bijou, and staying up late.

Celebrating Father's Day

Before His first swim lesson

       This month we started swim lessons so Abram wouldn't be scared of the water. After one lesson he was cured and would kick and splash on his belly in the bath tub. He is now one of the best (and the youngest) kids in his glass. He loves to splash and kick his feet.

       Along with his crawling and pulling up came exploring electric cords, dog toys, shoes, and oh the fire place soot! 

Ashes were just as appetizing as his sweet potato!

       This month we celebrated Father's Day, my birthday, and July 4th. Abram's "best friend" made his debut and he saw fireworks for the first time. The fireworks were so intriguing to him...he would just stare like he couldn't figure them out. He started taking (and liking) big boy baths, drinking water out of a sippy cup, and pulling up.

My B-day dinner

July 4th

July 4th

7 Months Old

       Abram turned 7 months a couple weeks ago. I freak out every time I have to write these posts! Not only is he growing up so fast, but a lot of info goes into them. These posts are his "baby book" at the moment because I haven't had time to print pictures and write in his actual baby book so I don't want to miss ANYTHING! Lot of pressure...

Health: He managed not to get the nasty stomach virus we all got! :) Super happy about that one...and is getting in tooth #5!

Praise the sleep gods...
Abram has started to consolidate his naps, from 4 to 2/3. He is still taking 45 minute- 2 hour naps! We are STILL doing a dream feed at 10:30 at night, but have now started graudally decreasing the amount he gets at the feeding. He usually wakes up between 6:30-7:30.

Shut the front door!

       At the end of this month he went from barely eating a "cube" of purees to dominating 5 "cubes", and getting hungry more often during the day. I think he had a growth spurt or something. It did make us move from 1 feeding to 2, sometimes 3 feedings. He now screams and slams his hands on his high chair tray demanding I give him more, quickly! At lunch I try to give him real solids to chew on so he can learn...it usually just ends up on the floor. 

       He has now had avocado, carrots, pears, green beans, prunes, sweet potato, butternut squash, apple, and bananas. He has loved them all, but we had to stop bananas after 2 days due to their side effects. 

       He is slowly getting over his jumperoo now that he is army crawling, but will tolerate it. He likes anything he can chew on...anything. He likes to bangs toys that make noise and still uses the white noise machine. He NEVER could hold a pacifier in his mouth as a baby and it was so aggravating. Well, all of a sudden he started grabbing it and putting it in his own mouth, and keeping it in by biting it. Crazy baby...genius ;).

       Abram loves army crawling, chewing on anything, banging anything, screaming when he is excited, grabbing Bijou for a kiss {I'm pretty sure she is the only one getting his kisses}, all food, pacifiers, naps, babbling, blowing his own bubbles, music, and the beach sand.

       He despises his infant seat, being changed or dressed, being bathed in the big bath tub, sitting still, and staying up late.

  

       We were super busy this month. We celebrated Mother's day and my brother's graduation, went to the beach, the boardwalk, and his friend's baby shower.

5 Months!

I would say that time has been flying, but after the first two weeks of this month...it didn't.

At 4.5 months, we were cruising along and then all signs of teething hit and our world came to a grumpy stop. Little did we know that it was combination teething/virus. Luckily, it has seemed to pass and we are back on track with our BIG GOAL of trying to get him to sleep through the night! That goal, however, seems as unbelievable as flying a unicorn to the pot of gold, at the end of the rainbow.

Abram hit the 5 month mark last Monday, and is getting more and more personality.

 Health: Our poor baby had his first visit to the ER, with a 104 degree fever, caused by a stomach virus and teething combined. Two weeks later, he was finally feeling better!

 He tries to grab EVERYTHING!

We're getting there... 

       Abram's naps have started to get longer this month. He also started to go 6 hours without eating, at night. He would still wake up after 4 to be patted, but after teething and a virus he wakes up after 4 hours starving! 

       He is still only on Enfamil AR, prune juice, and prevacid. We are waiting until closer to 6 months to start solids. He now drinks 6-7 oz, every 3 hours...hence the weight gain!

        We love putting him int the jumperoo when we need to get stuff done. I try and read to him often, but he hates it. We still love his bumbo, Bob stroller, Chicco lightway stroller, softy blanket, sophie the giraffe, white noise machine, bouncer, infant tub, activity gym, baby bjorn, and other toys

Baby wearing and painting a mural... 

He LOVES talking, music, standing, bath time, Bijou, looking around, his jumperoo, his feet, putting anything in his mouth, laying on his belly, Sophie, looking at himself in the mirror

Abram hates his carseat, shopping, being hot, laying on his back unless he can look at his planes, wearing his cool sunglasses. 

"Stuck in the carseat while shopping...kill me now..."

Milestones: Longer naps, blowing bubbles, two new teeth {bottom}, jumping a ton in the jumperoo, squealing, and {tear} his eyes are changing from blue to a hazel/gray/greenish color. He also surprised the heck out of me when he grabbed my watermelon out of my hand and sucked on it. He then made a sour face, looked at me, and started to scrape it with his teeth. This boy is almost ready for real food!

 Abram celebrated his first Easter at the same time he got his first teeth.

He traveled to Dallas, met some cousins, is now in the stroller without the infant seat, had his first ER visit, his first pool day, and his first taste of watermelon.

4 months

 Ahhhh...who is this chunky monkey!? 

       This picture reminds me of a who in grinch, or an elf baby, or maybe even me as a baby...too bad I don't have a good pic to compare. Soon, I promise.

A giant with a small head... 

       His 4 month appointment was 10 days before he hit 4 months, but he was 14 lbs 11 oz. and 26.5" tall. His head size was in the 15% and his height was the 100%. Do what? He also got a fever for a few days after the appointment, along with a stuffy nose, but at least we got use of his humidifier.

It is official, 4 month old's are the worst models...

"Sorry mom, I am too interested in my feet to look at you!"

And...

"Oh crap, down I go!"

Rockin' and Rollin'...

       At 14 weeks, we began finding him on his tummy {still swaddled} in his crib....screaming most of the time, so we had to start leaving one arm out in order to eventually stop swaddling for his safety.  After a week, he could sleep without a swaddle which was great because by that time he was rolling to his tummy on purpose...we officially have a tummy sleeper people! Ya, he gets it from me...

I'll take my milk straight up with a shot of prune juice please...

       Right before Abram turned 14 weeks, he was put on Enfamil AR {for reflux}, along with his prevacid and prune juice....about a week later his spit up was MUCH LESS! He also went from drinking an average of 3 oz per bottle, to 5 oz in a week! Amazing! By 4 months, he was averaging 6 oz. for 6 feedings a day.

The 4 month old, bad model winning pic...this:

Not sure what to think...he posed like this for several pics and I didn't even realize until I opened them on the computer. Kid's got sass...

Baby Gear Love: Jumperoo, books, bumbo, bob stroller, softy blanket, sophie the giraffe, white noise machine, bouncer

I swear the day I doubted Sophie on Instagram, he started to like her...I guess I shouldn't doubt the "status teether"

 His valentine's books he got from us

Likes:  He LOVES to have conversations and mumble, loves music and when I sing, bath time, the tv, his feet, chewing on his hands, Bijou, looking around, standing with help, rolling, and kisses. His interest in toys is still on and off...if it looks like a good chew toy he will probably take it.

 "Come here pretty lady, I want to give you a smooch!"...they have a "thing" apparently.

 Dislikes: He HATES laying down in the carseat still. He gets so worked up that he is literally drenched in sweat by the end of the car ride.  He hates being hot and laying on his back now. He has realized the amazingness of laying on his belly and burying his face in the sheets...freaks me out!

Milestones:

It's officialy, the newborn phase is not our cup of tea. This is so much better! He tries to grab everything and put it into his mouth. He now enjoys walks outside WITHOUT the infant seat. He just chills and takes it all in. This boy has got quite the personality, and is a known lady's man! He stands more and rolls ALL.THE.TIME! He is no longer swaddles and is being weaned off of pacifiers as we speak {because of laziness, not his need for them}.

      Abram started off his Cajun tradition of crawfish boils, just as an observer for the moment. He also attended the Houston rodeo and had his first sleep over. This little guy is also on the verge of crawling and won the doctor over with his Hercules strength ;). Oh and to my surprise and sick humor, he can also scare very easily {like his momma} whenever I make a strange sound. I'm trying to attach the video, but that might make me look like a bully...all in good fun! This month passed by the fastest of all...times needs to slow down...except for the sleep part.

3 Months

Ummm, this cannot be real...is my baby really 3 months old!?

Just one of the many reasons why Abram turning 3 months old is bitter sweet...he is no longer a newborn. 

So wait, I can't use the excuse of having a newborn for my messy house anymore? Crap.

       I have been taking all of him in lately as the newborn deadline quickly approached. Sometimes I just stare and smell him for like five minutes...yes I said smell...you may think I am strange, but I swear if I could bottle his scent I would wear it!

Health: After our visits with the doctors last month, we finally solved his constipation issues. All seemed good. Then 11 weeks hit and his 4 hour sleep stretches went down to 2-3 again, and he was waking up screaming about an hour after eating to be sat up. His naps were getting better at first, and they too completely stopped. His eating habits decreased from 3-5 oz a feeding, to 2-3. He was also very uneasy...not as much as he was when he was constipated, but I knew something was up. 

The day before he turned 3 months he was diagnosed with acid reflux and put on Prevacid and rice cereal to thicken his formula. {ps they aggravated his previous issue and we will be starting something new this week...poor guy}.

Sleep: Right after Abram turned 2 months our pediatrician recommended we try and get him to sleep 6 hour stretches at night by giving him a pacifier until it was time to feed him. Supposedly after a week he would get it. I tried for 5 hours and it failed. 

Miserably. 

So after a week of not sleeping as much I gave in and decided he would sleep longer than 4 hours when he was ready. That is about when he started sleeping 3 hours. Awesome. Luckily, it only lasted a few days {while I continued to apologize for pushing him}and he was back to 4 hours...I'll take it!

      

 Well mid-month that decreased back to 2-3 and he began waking twice. After he started being treated for reflux he has slept 6-7 hours without waking! Holy moly...please let this be our answer! Oh and he now sleeps in his crib at night with no affect on his sleep. We were happy about this one!

Diet: Enfamil Gentlease with about 2 tsp prune juice. I would say he still averaged about 4 oz this month. We also started adding in some rice cereal, but will not be continuing that. My guilt about not being able to breastfeed still continues to loom with all of the issues. I know there was nothing I could do, but I keep wondering if all of this would have happened if I could be feeding him myself.

newborn outfit vs. 6 month

Baby Gear Love: Boppy, newborn/infant tub, miracle blanket, white noise machine, activity gym, swing, pandora disney and baby einstein stations, bumpo, Dr. Seuss texture book, jumperoo {at the end of the month}.

Crying: Still just when he is hungry, tired, or in pain. His screams when he is in pain break my heart!

Likes: When he is not any of the three mentioned above, he is the HAPPIEST baby! He is always smiling and talking. He LOVES to have conversations, loves music and when I sing, bath time, he tries to watch tv now so we have to be careful, his swing and light up mobile, Bijou, looking around, standing with help, kisses. He just started having interest in toys this past week {some of them} and has lost interest in the fan. 

Dislikes: He started to HATE laying down on our lap, in the carseat, or stroller. Mainly because he wants to see the WORLD! He will sit or try to stand and just look around at EVERYTHING with wide eyes and a look of fascination. He also dislikes eating these days, being cold, quiet, having to use the bathroom, and laying on his tummy.

Milestones: He has been developing so much this month! It has been my favorite so far! He is much more talkative! We have conversations...he laughs and sighs. He has started to mimic me when I stick out my tongue or say, "oooOOOooo". He also noticed Bijou this month so he just stares and smiles at her...BFF! It has been hard to have a young pet and newborn at the same time, but we have stuck through it and worked with Bijou when she has her "moments"...like an older sibling. The relationship I already see developing makes all the work so worth it. They will be great, sometimes annoying, friends I am sure.

       He is also all smiles...it is the easiest thing to get him to do. We also have him laughing. Most of the time it is one solid noise, but this past week he has started to do the real baby laugh a few times.  He still stands a lot and can role from his back to his tummy with a little help, but doesn't like it. He started to notice his hands around 2.5 months, and has begun to control them to grab/swat at stuff like toys and my face. He also sucks on them now. He follows objects and when he hears our voices or the tv he will extend as far as he can to see..not so happy about the tv.

      I set up the activity gym at around 2 months, so we go to his room for tummy time and then I put him in his bumbo for a few minutes. We love listening to Baby Einstein, Rockabye Baby Renditions, Disney Movie Songs, and Jack Johnson on my pandora app while we play. He also hangs out in his crib sometimes and LOVES the planes daddy hung above it. He just laughs and talks to himself while looking at them. At the end of the month, we set up the jumperoo we borrowed from a friend. I put a cushion under it so he could reach and he is really starting to get the hang of bouncing.

       Abram had his first real playdate with Sam one night while daddy was out of town...and mommy and Leigh Ann drank martinis. ;) It was a little overwhelming for him at first, but he got used to it.

       He also had his first wedding rehearsal dinner, aquarium visit, carousel ride, babysitter that wasn't family {so thankful for the women in Junior League}, and reveal party {for one of his future BOY best friends}. So far 3 months is my favorite...we are having so much fun with him!

2 months

       Things are certainly changing around this house. Abram's personality came through little by little this month, making me excited to see him grow and learn new things. This month was mostly comprised of figuring out his digestive issues, his sleep schedule/issues, and seeing him smile when he was fed and happy.

      Right around the time of the 1 month post, Abram started to get a receding hairline, and then continued to lose all of his hair on the top of his head. Yes, our son was "Old man Abe"...I hate that nickname and will never repeat it. Just when we thought it would all fall out, tiny little hairs started showing up again. It was so strange because the color didn't even change. Babies.... Anyway one thing we have noticed is how thin it is {like mine}, so it has a slight spike...and a red tint to it! 

       Never thought we would have a red head, my family is full of them and Matt's mom has brown hair with a red tint. This month we have seen more and more of Matt's mom and grandma in Abram. She was the only grandparent who wasn't still with us when we started dating. We always say she got us together...so now I guess she gave us Abram too. ;)

1 Month- 6 Weeks {after his shots}- 2 Months

Weight & Height: We had to visit the pediatric surgeon for his constipation issues the day before he was two months old and he weighed 11 lbs 11 oz. It shocked us! He is so long, at almost 25 inches that he looks thinner than he is I guess. At he 2 month check-up {which we did at 6 weeks}, he was just under the 50% for his weight and head circumference, and was in the 86% for his height. Dang son!

Health: His tummy trouble/constipation didn't change after my post last month, so we ended up having to visit the Pediatric GI Dr. and Pediatric Surgeon. Fun stuff... We have to now do manual treatments at home, once a day, and give him prune juice in every bottle. Sometimes he still has flare ups, but we are hoping that this month we get things under control. Having a baby that is always in pain sort of disrupts any type of feeding schedule/sleep schedule/normal life.

He loves to be naked...what a boy!

Sleep: This month started out with very little sleep, but around 6 weeks he started sleeping in his pack-n-play and not the bouncer. He would take naps and he started sleeping 4 hour stretches at night right before Christmas. Merry Christmas! 

       I had been loosely following a Babywise type of sleep schedule since 4 or 5 weeks, but with his tummy it was hard. At around 8 weeks I started a firm schedule with regular feedings every day, a bedtime routine {bath and a book}, and a dream feed. He goes to sleep pretty easily by just swaddling him with white noise, turning him on his side, and patting his rear until he is drowsy, then he puts himself to sleep. A week after he started napping, he stopped. His naps last anywhere from 20-45 minutes {in the pack-n-play and crib} and then he is up and WILL NOT GO BACK DOWN. That makes my days lots of fun! Not.

Diet: Enfamil Gentlease with about 2 tsp prune juice. We tried lactilose, but hated it. He eats anywhere between 3-5 oz. at a feeding...usually 4.

Clothes: At 3 weeks he started wearing 3 months clothes, and by 5 was completely out of his newborn clothes.  They are now headed to the attic with my maternity clothes. He is still in size 1 diapers.

My elf

Baby Gear Love: Still love the boppy. Love his pack-n-play and his infant/toddler tub. Still love the swaddle and white noise machine. We are always taking him places in the strollers {we have 3 but use 2 now}. We use a rattle toy during tummy time, but he is not as interested in it as he is with me.

Crying: He knows what he wants..."I'M HUNGRY!" or "I'M TIRED!". The only times he really cries besides that are when he is cold or in pain.

Likes: Eating, bedtime in his pack-n-play, baths...he just chills...and pees in the water, talking to me, smiling, and his favorite thing of all time is still looking at lights and ceiling fans. When my mom would walk with him through her house, he would stare at the lights, fans, and dark beams. I think we have another architect or engineer in the future.

Christmas with Aunt Kiki

Dislikes: Diaper changes, being cold, quiet, having to use the bathroom, tummy time, and getting lotion rubbed on him.

Milestones: He is all smiles. He smiles when we talk to him or when we laugh. We have conversations that no one understands, but him. He laughs at my dad more than anyone {I would too ;)}. He is still trying to stand. He also has really good control of his head. 

first Christmas

       This month Abram went to Oklahoma for the first time, got his first shots, had his first Christmas and Christmas shopping, saw his first snow {I'm sick we didn't get pics}, celebrated his first New Years {with his best friend Sam}, and lots more walks and dates out. He also met his Great Grandparents and Uncle Red for the first time. 

What's up peeps...like my Christmas sweater?

1 Month Old

       When Abram was born a friend of mine wrote me, "The days are long, but the years are short". That made so much sense when I took Abram's 1 month pictures, on Saturday. I cannot believe he is already a month old! Even when the days seem so tough that I don't think I can make it, the next thing I know, a month has past. It is so bitter sweet.

       I look forward to nights with better sleep and seeing what his personality will be like, but I also know he will never be this small and new again. He has started to grow out of his newborn clothes {that I only had a couple of anyway}, and I find myself holding them up and crying as I remember him in them {I'm crazy}.

After birth- few days old- 2 weeks- 1 month

Weight: Not exactly sure....but at our surprise pediatrician appointment on Thursday he was 9 lbs 7 oz {pre induced diaper explosion}. At the two week appointment he was 21.5" long, so he is probably at least 22 by now, I would imagine. 

Health: Our poor baby seems to have inherited his momma's sensitive tummy. We switched formula several times before realizing that his formula may not be causing his extreme constipation. I'll spare you the details, but our pediatrician FINALLY agreed to take a look at him, on Thursday, after a week of hearing me beg. She was shocked and kept apologizing to me for not seeing him sooner, and causing him to be in pain. No wonder he had been so fussy! We are now monitoring him closely and if it happens again, he will have his first visit with the GI doctors.

First real bath with the help of Doodle/G-deb

Sleep: Sleep....what's that? Before the stomach issues started, he was giving us a 4 hour stretch, now we are lucky to get 2. He usually cries for 3-4 hours straight at least one time a day {keeping him awake and in pain}. Lately, it has been in the middle of the night...not cool. He only kinda sleeps in his pack-n-play...we find he does much better in his bouncy seat or boppy pillow, but we try to not do those at night.

Diet: Let's see...we have tried breast milk {you should be aware of that failure}, Similac advanced, Similac sensitive, Similac Soy, and now we are on Enfamil gentlease. Poor baby... He does love to eat though and is very impatient with his manly grunts, when not fed promptly.

Clothes: Abram has grown out of most of his newborn clothes! I was so sad to pack them away. Right now he wears 0-3 months mostly...but they are a little big bc he is long and lean. He is also wearing size 1 diapers now.

Baby Gear Love: We would prob. be dead right now if it wasn't for his bouncy seat and boppy. We invested in a white noise machine to help him sleep {he likes noise}. Swaddle blanket, Bob stroller, and pacifiers are also handy!

Crying: He mainly cries for food or when he is gassy, or just when he has an upset stomach {a lot}. Honestly, he could care less about his diaper being dirty.

Likes: Eating, putting his hands by his face, taking naps on our chest, and his favorite thing of all time is looking at lights and ceiling fans. I am pretty sure if we ever turned a fan on, he would burst with excitement. 

He only somewhat likes warm baths, pacifiers, car rides, and stroller rides...he hasn't firmly decided about these.

first visit with Aunt Layla, at Thanksgiving

Dislikes: Diaper changes, being cold and naked, quiet, having to use the bathroom, and getting lotion rubbed on him.

Milestones: Making eye contact, smiling when I laugh or when he sees a fan, and the little dude is seriously strong. From day one he has been lifting his head, and it seems like he is getting better and better at holding it up and looking around. Also, if we put him on our chest and he doesn't want to nap, he starts climbing up us with his arms and legs. You should see his leg muscles!

first Thanksgiving

       This month Abram had his first bath, first Thanksgiving celebration, picked out his first Christmas tree, first photo session, first smile, went on several walks, went shopping with mommy and doodle/g-deb, went to lunch with mom and dad, and to dinner with mom, dad, and doodle.

picking out Abram's first Christmas tree

Introducing Abram Mack!

       I haven't written for a while...and for good reason...our son was welcomed into the world, on November 8th, at 8:06 am! What a whirlwind it has been ever since! He is now almost 2 weeks old and if there is one thing I have learned about being a parent in the past 2 weeks, it is that as soon as you think you have a plan of action...things change.

       On Wednesday, November 7th, we ate one last quiet meal with our families and then headed to the hospital, at 8 pm, to be induced. On the way to the room I reminded Matt to take it all in because the day we had been so excited about was finally here and would pass way to quickly.

Last time as a family of 3

       They hooked me up to the machines, and gave me the IV and Cervidil. The plan was to watch a movie, get some rest, and get an epideral after they gave me the pitocin at 2 am. At 11 pm {in the middle of the movie}, the intense contractions started and there was no turning back...I didn't know what hit me at first. Something felt seriously wrong! I tried not to be a baby so I was holding off on asking for an epideral. I hate the 1-10 pain scale...they say 10 is death and I don't know about you but I have no clue what death feels like! When the nurse realized that I was crying at every contraction, she informed me that it may take half an hour to get the anesthesiologist ..I told her to make the call.

       At 12:30 am, after an hour and a half of breathing/crying through intense contractions my savior walked into the room to give me the epideral. I am so glad Matt and I knew some breathing techniques to get us through the hard times. Getting the epideral wasn't nearly as bad as the contractions, but it is really hard to round your back when you have a big belly in the way. I held as still as possible through several contractions while the guy did his thing to my back. The right side never fully went numb so I tried laying on that side to get more medicine to it so I could rest. I was 4 cm at this point.

       At 2 am they started a light dose of pitocin, and by 4 am I was 10 cm and fully effaced. I know. My body worked pretty quickly. Abram was still pretty high {story of my pregnancy} so they had me continue to labor him down until 7 am, when the doctor came in to finish breaking my water {which had partially broken a couple hours before} and up the pitocin a little. He estimated that I would have the baby by noon. He had several patients in the hospital that day so he was trying to plan around everyone. A few minutes later I started feeling intense contractions on my right side, and then the epideral machine started to beep that it was out of medication.

You have got to be kidding me!

       Again, I am so glad I had learned the basics of breathing through contractions. Since I could feel them at almost full force again, I felt like the time was coming to push. I commend the women of the past/present that do this naturally. I once thought that I may be one of those, but after having felt both ways I will take the drugs thanks! At 7:45 I got a booster shot to help with the pain so I could start pushing. After 10 minutes of pushing, Abram Mack was here, at 8:06 am...weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 20 inches long. Oh and did I mention he came about 4 hours before the doctor estimated? Our boy was ready and was the first of our doctors patients to be born that day! Over achiever...

       Afterwards the dr. worked his magic while Matt cut the cord and held Abram for the first time. I let him announce the name to everyone. We had a few other names on a list (Grey and Easton), but had liked the name Abram since I got pregnant and finally realized that it was his name no matter how much we looked around for others. We liked that it wasn't common, but not made up sounding either. It is a strong, masculine name and it doesn't end in a "t" (Matt's requirement). Mack was Matt's grandpa's nickname that his grandma always called him.

       No one could tell who he looked like...the perfect combination. When they placed him on the scale all you could see was the quad and calf muscles on his long, bow legs. His feet are long {unlike mine} and his thumb nail looks like a miniature duplicate of Matt's. He has a definite widow's peak which he gets from both momma and daddy, as well as his top lip. His ball chin is totally Matt's and his ears are more like mine. The verdict is still out on his nose and the final color his eyes will be {born with dark blue}. His coloring is much lighter than many people thought it would be...I guess my light genes are stronger than some thought.

Doodle and Abram

Bibi and Abram (I thought I had a pic of Baba on my camera, but I guess he escaped me)

Aunt Kiki and Abram {Uncle Jake "Red" had school 7 hours away so he couldn't make it}

Uncle Dave and Abram {Aunt Layla had to save lives 4 hours away so she couldn't make it that weekend}

Pops and Abram

       The first time I held him in my arms was amazing. I thought I would cry {like I always think}, and honestly if there wasn't a room full of medical people, I would have. As soon as I spoke he looked straight at me with his slightly crossed, blue eyes and mouth open like he recognized my voice and knew it was me. It is a moment I never want to forget.

Heading home

        More of Abram and our stories about raising him to come....