Blake's birth story (continued)

I know I briefly touched on Blake's birth day through the lovely BlogPress app on my phone, but I've finally uploaded the 100's of pictures from that day on the desktop. So I am ready to tackle the big feat and give all the details!

I may have been ready to post this a little sooner, if it had not been for a minor glitch in my recovery. I had planned to write a separate post about that (after I wrapped my head around what happened), but I have decided I do not want to really go into great detail. Let's just say that a complication from the c-section landed us back in the hospital (the ER to be exact) not two hours after we had been discharged from L&D---with a newborn. If you had asked me before we left the hospital my thoughts on the c-section process, I would have said, "The best decision I ever made!" However, since I had an issue with my recovery, I have second-guessed my decision to go that route. Enough about that...I am healing, and we have a healthy baby boy. We are so thankful and blessed beyond measure!

So, we had a c-section scheduled for Monday, April 30th, but I had told Brett all along that I thought baby boy would arrive before that. And he did! My blood pressure was up at my last prenatal visit on Friday, the 20th, so she wanted to see me that following Monday. I went in on the 23rd, and I was dilated to 2cm, and effaced 50%. I felt fine and went about my week, doing my best to "take it easy." Well, I went into full-nesting-mode that Tuesday night and baked a quiche and some banana bread (guess it was my body preparing for all of the family who would be coming in to stay with us? :-)

I went to work that Wednesday, the 25th (the day he was born!) and felt good (bags had been loaded in my car for about a week at that point), but I emailed Brett that morning saying that I didn't think it would be long. I started feeling some pretty intense back pain around 3 o'clock that afternoon. So, I called my doc, and she wanted me to go in to the hospital to get checked out, since I had started to show some progress just two days before. I called Brett, told him I would let him know what they told me at the hospital. I asked him to pick up Jameston from daycare and arrange for my sister to be at the house to keep Jameston just in case.

Well, on my 20-minute drive (north on 75 at 4:00 in the afternoon :-) I started noticing that the "pain" was coming and going, about every 6-8 minutes. It was then I realized I was probably in labor, so I called Brett to have him meet me at the hospital (and he arranged for my brother-in-law to pick up Jameston).

I walked in and up to the 3rd flood and checked in. Don't know why they have you pre-register because there is still TONS of paperwork to complete (that you really don't want to when you are in labor)! Anywho, after about 15 minutes of filling out paperwork with quickly intensifying contractions, I was taken to a room and got dressed in the lovely hospital gown. They checked me, and I was 3cm dilated and 90% effaced. That is when my awesome nurse, Olivia, said, "We are having this baby today!" Brett arrived about 15 minutes later excited as could be! In between contractions, we discussed our game plan (although we had gone over different scenarios before): whether we would have Jameston come up that night or the next morning, who all to call, etc. etc. I went through labor (contractions sped up to every 3 minutes apart) without an epidural for about an hour and half...then my water broke. And they wheeled me into the OR for the c-section.

Here we go!

He's here!

So in love!

Jameston came up to the hospital that night to meet his baby brother. He loved getting to see and hold him! Now his behavior since is a whole other post in itself!

Proud big brother!

Blake passed his hearing screening the next morning :-)

Jameston came up to the hospital again that next morning to see Blake. He was excited!

Time with Daddy:

Pops and Gigi also made it the the hospital the night of Blake's arrival and a couple of time after that. High five, Pops!

My three boys!

Jameston also received a gift from Blake: a "little Buzz" Lightyear, as he calls him. He was ecstatic!

And he was sure to give Blake a teddy bear lovie that he picked out himself in return. So sweet!

Headed home!

Our family of four

Getting checked out by Dr. Poole the following Monday, at five-days old

We are so in love with our newest blessing and feel so blessed to have another healthy boy! Next up: Blake's one-month write-up :-)

Watch out world...

I put makeup on this morning AND cooked dinner tonight! I am starting to feel somewhat normal again...ready to take on that growing to-do list that I have staring at me while I am on maternity leave! Now if only Jameston and Blake knew what Mommy needed to get done so they would nap at the same time :-) and if only I wasn't tempted to do this:



Nah, those things can wait (as they have in the past), because I'm busy enjoying this time with my precious boys!

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Pitch a tent

As I said in a previous post, Jameston has been a little rascal of sorts lately, so Brett and I thought it would be good to give him a little extra attention and treat him to a special event before it gets too hot: camping out! He and Daddy didn't go too far away and stayed in the backyard on Sunday night :-)

Helping Daddy put the tent together

Checking out the sleeping quarters

So excited!

I guess we thought we'd combat the pitching fits by pitching a tent! Jameston has done better this week, and we know it won't be an overnight transition. As long as Brett is home from work, we will keep planning these special treats for Jameston.

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Jameston's Jargon

Some of the things JW has said lately that I want to remember (or forget):

He prays this for us if we ask him if he would like to lead the prayer before a meal:

"God is great, God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen!" Love it!

Cruising into the sunset one evening as Boomer chaperoned

Since it seems I am nursing around the clock these days, Jameston is very inquisitive about it. "Mommy, Blake drinks milk from your tummy?" Why, yes, Jameston...that's where it comes from.

He's been both really affectionate and defiant (more on that later) since I've been home from the hospital. He tells me. "Mommy, you're so beautiful/precious." And I'll say, "Aw, thank you so much. You're so handsome/sweet." His reply? "No, I'm AWESOME!"

He has his adjectives and order off a little, but it's pretty cute. He will say, "It's too louder/harder/colder/etc."


Soooo, we've had some behavior issues with him, as we expected once little brother came into the picture. He's regressed in pottying (wet the bed for a straight week, but he's been dry the last two mornings. Hope he keeps it up! And he would go into the bathroom to go, and then just pee in his undies/shorts---we realize, for attention).

Therefore, I believe, he has said the following many times:
"I want to be a baby." I know he feels Mommy is giving little brother more attention right now.
Oh, and the very un-popular,
"I don't have to/don't want to." He has been argumentative, and we have started to ignore to outbursts, whining, etc. and have begun to focus more on positive experiences.

We love him, even when he's a stinker :-)

Here's to more sayings of his that I want to remember and not forget!

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Two-weeks-old!

Blake turned two-weeks today! We took him to the pediatrician this morning, and he surpassed his birth weight, and then some! Today, he weighed 10 lbs., 1/2 ounce and measured 23 3/4 inches long (don't know how he grew 2 3/4 inches in two weeks?! I think they measured him wrong either at hospital or today!).

Talking to Mommy the other morning :-)

He likes to have his arms up, likes he's flexing, while he's napping...

I said this last post, but the boys hates sponge baths...like screams at the top of his lungs the entire time. Poor fella!





Good thing his umbilical cord stump fell off Monday. Bring on bath time with brother and tummy time!






He had a blocked tear duct over the weekend...thankfully it went away as quickly as it came!






We have been busy soaking up our newest addition! We've made it through his first growth spurt and feel like we are getting into a good routine with him. I've been able to blog and Facebok thanks to all the feedings :-)

I hope to take his first growth picture later today, and we'll be sure to take one each month like we did for Jameston...I just may be a little more tardy on some things as compared to the first time around!

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Brotherly love

I am blessed beyond measure!

Sometimes being a brother is

even better than being a

superhero. ~Marc Brown

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What we've been up to

Admiring this little fella,

trying to sleep when he sleeps (if I'm not too busy gawking at him or spending some quality time with older brother),

playing outside,

(as much as possible since we have cabin fever!)

being reminded of and thanking God for our blessings,

realizing how big Jameston is now more than ever,

spending time with (and being taken care of) by family,

listening to Jameston's music (a.k.a., his golf clubs and high chair tray in the below picture, or his fiddle playing with pretzels or guitar playing with a pretend baseball bat)

being amazed baby brother can sleep through it all (and many other loud sounds!),

and soaking up our time with Daddy at home (JW helping him make smoothies one afternoon).

Brett will be off most of the month, so I'm really looking forward to this time with my boys!!

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One-week-old!

Can't believe it's been a week since Blake arrived! Although a little sleep-deprived, we are adapting pretty well to being a family of four (I think).

My lil cuddle-bug




Enamored with Daddy




Blake continues to be a good sleeper and nursing champ! I am feeding every 2-3 hours, and he even had an almost five-hour stretch one night! His heaviest dozing is in late afternoon/early evening, so we will try to move this around...




We went to his pediatrician on Monday, and he got a great report! Back up to 9 lbs. 1 ounce (we left the hospital at 8 14) and good color. She was impressed by his head/neck control! He's full of gas (hiccups, burps like a big person, and usually has a dirty diaper per feeding :-) And, as I said before, a healthy set of lungs as he continues to illustrate his "teradactyl cry," as Brett has lovingly called it!




He likes to be swaddled (unlike Jameston did. Thank goodness!), and he takes to paci to go to sleep (instead of nursing to sleep, double thank goodness!)

Sweet afternoon slumber




But he does not like to be naked. So diaper changing and sponge bath time are loud events in this household :-)

"Here's looking at you"




We are so blessed to have another healthy boy to call our own! Jameston has done well, as well, with a couple of regressions in the potty training and attention-getting departments (I'll share more on this later).

God is good!!




Thanks to Instagram for allowing me to document this first week, since I have not uploaded pictures from the cameras yet (I am not as far along in recovery process thanks to a complication from the c-section---I'll post about that later). More to come soon about our time at home!
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