Thankful Thursday

     The  Lord has really blessed my little family lately. Our cup truly runneth over! Sometimes it is easy for me to get in a slump and feel sorry for myself, but the Lord has been showing me how to look at things through a thankful perspective these days. I wanted to record a few things that I am thankful for. Some are serious and others might just be silly ;)

1.  God’s Provisions:   At the beginning of my maternity leave I knew that taking 12 whole weeks off of work would be kind of tight on our checkbook. Daniel and I discussed it and knew that money might be a little tight, but that time with Caleb would ultimately be the best “bang for my buck”. I only had 7 weeks of paid time off and I could not see myself going back after only 7 short weeks. Well this is where the Lord has totally provided for us. Daniel and I decided to refinance our house around November. It took several months to get everything finalized. I don’t really understand all the details, but since we switched mortgage companies we ended up not having a house payment for two full months (April & May). WOW, GOD is great!
2. Friends & Family: Daniel and I have been amazed at how our family and friends have been so supportive and wonderful to our family during this new adventure. We were overjoyed by how many texts, calls, dinners,  and visits we had after Caleb was born. I think we counted more than 80 people came to see Caleb in the hospital in one day! WOW! I didn’t have to cook dinner for 3 whole weeks after Caleb was born--- that was extremely nice! I almost forgot how to cook! God has blessed us with some great people in our lives!
   
3. Mom Friends:  Having a baby has been such a wonderful experience but I have never felt so clueless in my life. Sure, I babysat and helped with babies my whole life. That is nothing like taking a newborn home from the hospital and being completely responsible for them. I have had a wonderful support system of mom friends. I feel like everyday I am either  “Googling” or texting a friend a question or concern. What would I do without these wonderful moms in my life?? Here are a few random facts I have learned: a) to get their umbilical cord off you have to be rough (eek), b) breastfed babies have poopy diapers that look like mustard and sesame seeds (ha), and c) little boys will PEE every time cold air gets on their pee-pee (stand gaurd).
4. Baby smiles & cooes: Caleb is full of smiles and cooes these days. They can cheer me up in a second. Most mornings Caleb fusses to get out of bed and the instant I pick him up--- he is full of smiles and baby noises. It sure makes this mommy happy! He especially loves to hear laughs and high pitch noises. We like to say "ohh" and "igood" to get him to talk to us.
   
   
5. SLEEP: Caleb has started to sleep in longer stretches at night (around 6-7 hours). That does this momma some GOOD!!!!  I am so thankful for these long stretches of sleep!! 
   
6. Frozen milk: Pumping is NOT MY FAVORITE, but I am so thankful that I have extra milk that I can store for when I go back to work in 2 1/2 weeks. So far I have over 45 frozen bags of 5 oz of milk. WOOHOO! I am so thankful for my small stockpile and I think Caleb will be too!
   
7.  TIME: I am so thankful to have 2 1/2 weeks left with my little man. Going back to work is going to be tough on this momma, but I am trying to be positive and enjoy every minute I have left with my little man. I miss my sweet kindergarten students and know that our last few weeks of school are going to be great! 
8. Sweat free dinners- I am so thankful that my wonderful husband has stepped up and cooked dinner SO many nights. By about 6:00 PM this momma is exhausted. If Caleb wants to cluster feed, I have a hard time trying to cook dinner. My husband has been so awesome and has cooked us lots of delicious dinners!!! I am so thankful for my baby daddy!  
   
9. Poppy Diapers- I am thankful for tummy free nights :) 

Second Month

We have been a family of three for two full months now! It’s hard to remember what life was like without our little man. He is such a blessing and I am trying to soak up every minute before I have to go back to work. Here are a few milestones from Caleb’s second month:

 

• Caleb is still my little porker, he weighs 13 lbs and 10 ounces. He went through a growth spurt during week 6 when he wanted to eat every 2 hours at night— I’m sure glad that’s over with.  
• Caleb is now wearing size 2 diapers. He was only in size 1 diapers for 2 weeks. His 0-3 month clothes are too small now, so he is now wearing 3-6 month clothes.
• Caleb started smiling at 4 weeks. He has really started to become more alert and responds well to really high pitch noises. He still smiles a lot when someone sings to him. He normally wakes up very happy too--- unlike his daddy ;).  ** I did catch daddy humming in the shower at 6:30 AM the other day. Caleb has made him much happier in the morning! **
• Caleb cooes a lot when you talk to him. In fact sometimes when I lay him down for his nap, he lays and makes noises for about 15 minutes--- it’s the sweetest sound! If someone talks to him; he tries really hard to move his mouth like theirs. It cracks us up. Granny said this is a sign that he will probably be an early talker, I cannot wait
• We thought Caleb was somewhat “colicky” during the early evening hours (6-9). He is very gassy at this time and does not rest well. Pumping Caleb’s legs helps Caleb release some gas. He farts like a grown man!!! A friend suggested that we try “Colic Calm gripe water” from Walgreens. That stuff is amazing. It helps ease his tummy at night and in return Caleb sleeps much harder 
• Daddy is the poop master he can get Caleb to go poop by bicycling his legs and massaging his tummy. Now if we could just get daddy to change those diapers after all that hard work--- ha!
•  I try really hard to put Caleb down for the night after his 9ish feeding. He normally sleeps from 4-6 hours then does two 3 hour intervals after that. Daylight savings time actually worked in mommy’s favor; he now sleeps past 6 AM J He normally wakes up between 7-8.
•  Due to Caleb’s fussy time at night, we moved his bath time right before bedtime. This seems to relax Caleb and I love getting sweet cuddles after he is clean. J He loves to lie on our chest and is such a sweet cuddler! 
•  Caleb still sleeps in his rock n sleeper at night. I tried to let him nap in his crib and let’s just say that will be a battle we will face later.
• Caleb naps in his swing and sleeps much better if I swaddle his arms down. He has really discovered his fingers now and loves to nibble on them.
• Caleb is doing much better with the pacifier but never wakes up with it in his mouth.
• Caleb is a great traveler during the day- we typically leave the house each day for something small. He enjoys his car seat and loves his stroller- as long as I don’t stop moving. We still go visit daddy at the fire station for dinner- but sometimes this is hard if he is fussy.
• Caleb went on his first trip to my mom and dad’s in Jacksonville this month. This was at the beginning of his growth spurt, so he was not in the best mood. We had a great time visiting with family and friends. Caleb made us pay for it by keeping us up most of the night. We will try another trip again at Easter.
•  We took Caleb on his first hiking trip last weekend. He LOVED being outside and enjoyed riding in the infant backpack on daddy’s chest. We hope to do this again soon! 
•  If I go somewhere, Caleb will more than likely be with me. I have such a hard time leaving him just to go get groceries. Therefore he goes with me now. Caleb even went with me to get a pedicure this month! He was such an angel and got lots of attention! I don’t know how I am going to leave him when I go back to work. I know he will be in the best hands possible, which is very comforting! 
•  Caleb went with me to “girls’ night” too. We didn’t get to stay too long , but it  sure was good to see my girlfriends! 
• Caleb also got to meet his girlfriend Abby Rose this month. My friend Autumn had her baby and we went to visit them in Conway. She is absolutely adorable and I cannot wait to watch Caleb and Abby grow up together. I see lots of summer swim dates coming up! 
• Caleb nurses for about 20 minutes every 2-2.5 hours during the day. He just started reaching for my hair when he eats—melts my heart! He is like clockwork. He normally nurses, plays for about 40 minutes, and then lays down for a nap. He is normally pretty predictable during the day. He rats himself out when he is getting sleepy because he normally starts this really pathetic “whiny cry”.  I have noticed that Caleb is starting to stay awake more during the day, he doesn’t want to miss out on anything. Sometimes during the day he goes from feeding to feeding without napping. This normally happens once in the morning and once or twice in the afternoon. 
• Caleb is getting better at lifting his head and normally has tummy time several times a day (when I pump). His neck is getting stronger and it is so cute to watch him try to lift up that heavy head! 
• Caleb’s eye color seems to change depending on what he is wearing. His eyes are still pretty dark, but don’t really seem to be turning brown just yet. I think he might have daddy’s eye color now. His hair seems to be lightening up some. It seems to have an auburn tint in natural light. He still has his little rat tale--- ahh! He has become much “fluffier” this month. He now has rolls on his thighs and arms. He has a round Buddha belly too, I love it!

Now for the best part--- some pictures!! We have so much trouble capturing Caleb's smile with the camera. I guess it's hard for him to see us behind the big camera. As soon as we pull the camera out, he gets his serious look on his face. So here are some "serious" pictures! 

Caleb loves to kick his feet ALL THE TIME

This is the closest thing I can get to a smile on camera

Caleb was talking to me!

He was taking a break from lifting his head

He found those fingers again!

I am so excited to see what milestones Caleb has this next month. He is growing and changing daily. I just wish time would slow down! I have to go back to work mid-April and I know my heart will be missing my little sweet heart.

A Hiking We Will Go

Daniel has been super busy  with firefighter classes from 8-5 each day on top of his usual shifts. Caleb and I have been missing him like crazy. So when I saw the forecast for the weekend (high 70's and sunny), I asked him if he would take us hiking. He is a huge outdoors-men so he quickly agreed.

We have had a longer winter than usual. Due to the cold windy weather, I have not gotten Caleb out too much. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take Caleb on an outdoor adventure. On Friday, me and Daveline took Caleb on a walk down our road. He was so content and seemed to enjoy the fresh air. I thought this was a good sign that he would enjoy the hike.

Any trip with a 7 week old requires planning and lots of packing. It was well worth all the work. Caleb absolutely LOVED being outside. He rode in an infant backpack on Daddy. This was our very first time to use the backpack, so we were not sure if he would like it.

After a few minutes of riding on daddy, he passed smoothed out. When I say passed out I mean--- limp arms, droopy neck, and drool! We laughed so hard because he was so content. I was so excited to see that he enjoyed riding in the backpack. I think it will be much easier to use (than my stroller) when I walk down our bumpy gravel road. 

I am looking forward to many more adventures outside with my two favorite boys!!! 

Just for fun, here are a few pictures of me and Daniel a year ago at the same place. So much has changed since then and I would not trade it for anything!!! 

Funny Friday

Ok, Daddy would kill me if he knew I posted this picture. This is from about 3 weeks ago and it just cracks me up.

What do you think?? Looks just like his daddy huh?? Poor boy! Hope this brought some laughter to your Friday!

Liquid Gold

I know this is somewhat of a controversial topic, but I wanted a place to record my thoughts and feelings about breastfeeding. I have several friends that are expecting and have been asking questions about my experiences so here we go...

From the moment that I found out I was pregnant, I made a huge goal for myself to breastfeed my son. I read everything I could find on breastfeeding and asked all the moms I knew about their experiences. I wanted to have all the knowledge about breastfeeding that I could so that I could give it 110% effort. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but I felt like it would be the best for me and my son.

I was right, it is not EASY! It is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, but TOTALLY worth it. The whole process is so amazing that you must know their is a GOD. Let me say this before I go any further, I understand not everyone can or chooses to breastfed and I am not condemning you at all.

In the hospital, I requested to have Caleb as soon as I could to try to breastfeed. I am so thankful that Caleb was healthy and I was able to try feeding him within 2 hours of birth. When I first tried to feed him, I had so many emotions --- excitement, nervousness, insecurities, fear.... Thankfully I had a wonderful nurse helping me. She showed me how to hold Caleb and how to encourage him to latch on. He was having obvious trouble latching on so we tried the sugar water technique. Still no success! I was very nervous at this point, because I had my head set on not supplementing with formula. She told me that it would be ok if Caleb did not eat for a few hours and since I was tired to get some rest and she would bring him back to me after I got some rest. I agreed because I was EXHAUSTED. When she returned with Caleb, she had a nipple shield with her--- who knew that would be the missing piece to my puzzle. As soon as she showed me how to use the shield--- he LATCHED on and ouch!!!! I was so excited, but I am not going to lie it was not a pleasant feeling! She told me to let him nurse on each side for about 10 minutes. He did a wonderful job and I was feeling so much better about breastfeeding!

Needless to say, I continued using the shield at each feeding at the hospital. The nurse told me not to use it all the time, but I could not get Caleb to latch on without it. Therefore, why mess up something that's working??? When I got home from the hospital, Caleb feed nearly every 3 hours. My milk did not come in until day 5 and I was praying so hard for it to come in, I felt like I was starving Caleb. He lost a pound as a result.

God answered my prayers-- and WOW did my milk come in. I still remember it very well, we were at the hospital for a juandice check when I felt my milk let down for the first time. I looked at my mom and said WE NEED TO GET HOME NOW, I HAVE GOT TO PUMP! She laughed and we hurried home. By the time I got home, I had boobs under my armpits! ha! I pumped and got some relief, but I felt like they were filling up with more milk. My right boob got HUGE! I did not realize it until it was almost too late, I was engorged! OUCH is an understatement. I tried to pump and nothing came out. I knew that there was milk inside because those of you that know me know that my boobs are not normally a size D. I tried to let Caleb feed on the engorged boob, and no luck :( I had a clogged milk duct and it was extremely painful. I quickly became emotional and began to freak out. I had heard about the infection that you can get and I did not want to experience that. Thank God for my awesome husband and mom, they called the doctor and were googling treatments. We decided to put heat on the engorgement and then massage the spot out. I found the best thing to use was a rice pack- It stays hot much longer than a washcloth. I would put the rice pack on there for about 30 minutes, then (I know this is TMI) Daniel would massage the spot with all his strength-- It was very tender, but I knew it had to be done. We repeated this process about every 2 hours and by the morning we had finally worked out the clogged milk duct.

After that minor set back, things began to finally fall into place. Every time I would feed Caleb he would be in a milk coma and would stay full for nearly 4 hours. I had lots of extra milk so I would pump out the extra. As he became more use to the milk, he started eating more frequently. That's when I got overwhelmed again (yes I am a worrier). I would feed Caleb for 20-25 minutes then I would pump for 15 minutes and then clean everything up. Then I would have about an hour and a half and have to start all over again. I was stressing myself out trying to pump after each feeding. I talked to several successful breastfeeding moms and they encouraged me to drop the pumping and just enjoy the nursing time I had with Caleb. So I did, and at the time that was the best decision I could have made. I relaxed so much more and was actually able to enjoy the special bonding time with my son. When people tell you how special breastfeeding is, it is hard to understand when you have never experienced it. But it is such a truly wonderful time with your child. There is nothing better than looking in their precious eyes knowing that they are depending on you for all their nourishment. 

I know this is lengthy and if you have made it this far I'm impressed. Breastfeeding is very demanding and time consuming, but TOTALLY worth it. I know that if Caleb was formula fed he would probably sleep for longer stretches and I would be able to go more places, but I am ok with not having those luxuries right now. Caleb is growing like a weed and seems very healthy! I also contribute my weight lose to breastfeeding- I am now back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. Although things may not be in the same place as they once were and my body is much "softer", I can tell things are slowly getting back to normal. I am just so thankful that I did not give up when the going got tough.

 I encourage all of you out there that want to give it a try- not to GIVE UP. Hang in there!  Do not be discouraged if things do go not according to the books. You have to do what works best for you and your baby! Yes I realize that some people are not able to breastfeed for various reasons and I am not putting you down in any way.

Just for fun, I will leave you with a picture of my "porker" in his little man clothes. This is his first and last time to wear this outfit :( It's already too tight! Caleb is 7 weeks old tomorrow and weighing around 13 pounds. Time sure does need to slow down!

Small Victories

Caleb is 6 weeks old today! Wow I cannot believe it. He is weighing in at 12 pounds and 4 ounces. He is my "porker". :)

Daniel and I have been working really hard since Caleb was born to follow the Babywise principles. I know some people think we are crazy, but we are scheduled people and thought it would be great to get Caleb on one. Now I know that I am not doing things exactly like the book says, but I feel like the past few weeks we have made a lot of progress. 

Caleb was used to eating every 2 hours in the day and this week he has actually stretched it to 2.5-3 hours a few times each day. He normally nurses, stays awake for about 30 minutes (tummy time, bath time, etc), and then goes down for a nap! 

At night, Caleb has a tendency to get fussy around 6 and stay that way until about 8 or 9. Last night I tried something different and it seemed to work. Caleb was extremely fussy and we knew he had just had a poopy diaper and he had eaten about an hour before. I asked my friend (that successfully breastfed for over a year) for advice. She said that Caleb may want to cluster feed at night to prepare for a longer sleeping period at night. The last thing I wanted to do was be his pacificer at night, but if he was hungry then I was not opposed to him nursing sooner. I tried it out and Caleb's last two feedings were only 1.5 hours apart. I decided to lay him down after his 8:30 feeding and he actually went the longest between feedings than he has ever gone---- 5 hours!!! I was so excited that after his 1:30 AM feeding I could not go back to sleep, I was so proud of him. I hope this continues :)

I am so proud of Caleb. He is now napping without much fussing, we lay him down awake and he is learning to self-soothe!

Ok now on to the "Small Victories" 

1. Caleb went 5 hours between feedings last night!! I hope it keeps getting longer, but I am very content with this small victory!

2. Caleb is napping much better-- he sleeps 30-45 minutes longer if he is swaddled. I just found this awesome blanket that someone gave us at a shower, I put Caleb in this during his daytime naps. He is napping anywhere from 1-1.5 hours after waketime. 

3. At night, I lay Caleb down after feeding and he self-soothes. He doesn't always fall asleep instantly, but no fussing. He sometimes makes sweet baby noises for about 10-15 minutes!

4. He is smiling with a full diaper! Ha, anyone that has been around Caleb knows that he does not like to have a wet or dirty diaper for long, but he is getting a little better.

 
5. He is starting to hold his head up and is so proud of himself when he does it. He is such a morning baby and he is full of personality!

I am so thankful for all of these small victories. 

I have a few friends that are in the same phase of life and I LOVE texting them throughout the day to see if our daily events are "normal" :) I am so thankful for my new friendship that has developed with Megan Fleck. She is a true blessing to me and I have got to get a picture of Caleb and Rylee together.  I am pretty sure I text her like 50 times a day. It is so nice to talk to someone going through the exact same things. I sure do love that girl!