Baby's First Christmas

Christmas is one of the best times of the year, and having my sweet baby boy here to celebrate with us made it even better!

It was definitely a much different experience with baby around however. Wrapping presents did NOT happen as quickly as it usually does, and I could only wrap a couple at a time, but they all did get wrapped eventually! Tyler was a huge fan of the Christmas trees and lights... he'd just stare and stare for hours if you would let him.

We did a lot of traveling for the season. The Wednesday before Christmas we headed up to Woodstock to see Jordon's family. On Christmas, Jordon and I woke up extra early so that we could have our own little family Christmas (like we would if we were home) before the whole family joined together. Tyler, who is used to waking up around 8am, was very confused as to why we were waking him up at 6am. We went downstairs and let him open his stocking and presents first. He could sort of tug some of the gifts out of his stocking, but overall I think he was probably a little too young to take in the full Christmas experience. After his presents, the whole waking up at 6am thing caught up to him and he started to fuss, so I had to nurse him while opening my gifts... All I could think about was how different Christmas was this year, but how special it was as well. And each year as Tyler grows and grows, I think it will become even greater.

When we did presents with Jordon's parents, Luke, Jenna, and the kids, Tyler slept through the whole thing. He was lucky that he had an anxious cousin willing to open all his presents for him haha.

On Christmas afternoon we drove up to Maryland to see my family. They had waited for us to open presents, so everyone had a lot of gifts to open when we got there! I think Tyler was a little overwhelmed by the amount of wrapping paper and gift boxes flying around, but he sure made out with plenty of loot!

All together, I think Tyler got about 15 toys, 25 articles of clothing, 4 CDs (some Raffi classics thanks to my little bro), 1 movie, 4 books, and various feeding accessories. I can't imagine what is going to happen as he gets older and actually starts asking for stuff... We had to bring Jordon's parents mini van home to Ferrum to actually be able to get everything home! I got a baby food maker, which I am super excited to use! Tyler has been eating his rice cereal like a champ, and we are onto feeding him cereal twice a day now. My mom got him some baby oatmeal, so we are going to add that into his diet here soon. Maybe in the next few weeks I'll break out the Baby Brezza and start making the Ty man some squash and sweet potatoes! Oh how my baby is growing up!

In other non-Christmas news, poor Ty man got his first ear infection and first bout of pink eye right before Christmas. It was so pitiful when he woke up one morning with one eye goo-ed shut. He was still smiling though! It spread to his other eye and we decided to bring him into the pediatrician, who found that he also had an ear infection! I was surprised because he had actually been LESS fussy than usual, so I guess we just have a little trooper! He's been on antibiotics (you know, that awesome bubble-gum tasting pink stuff??) for about a week and only has a couple days left. Unfortunately, the pediatrician said the fact that he had an ear infection before the age of 6 months means he may be more prone to them in the future... oh, wonderful. While we were there, I asked the doctor about Tyler's teeth, telling him I could swear they had to be coming in any day because he had been chewing anything and everything and being fussy at night. He told us I was right because they looked like they should be coming in any day, of course it has been a week and still NO teeth! This momma is about to go crazy! I'm hoping by New Years my little man will have at least one pearly white poking through those gums. But I guess I'll just have to be patient...

So the holiday season has been quite the adventure for the Robinson family! I've been so blessed to have a wonderful husband, son and families to share it with :-)

Terrible Teeth

Long time, no post. That's because Tyler has kept me more than busy with parenthood. Where to begin?

First of all, we are working on good sleep habits in our household. After much sleep regression (to the point where Ty man was waking 3 or 4... or 5 times to eat in the middle of the night) I begged our pediatrician for the key to sleeping success. His first question was "How does he get to sleep at night?" to which I answered in a guilty voice "...I nurse him to sleep." and he said "Well, there's your problem!"

Apparently, Tyler goes to bed nursing, so when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he can't get back to sleep without nursing again. Makes sense. The answer? The cry-it-out method. Torture for momma and baby. Okay, not really, but the first few days were rough! We're using the Ferber method, which in essence is putting baby down drowsy but awake, and if he fusses, let him fuss 5 minutes. Then I go in, check on him and tell him it's ok, then back out. I let him fuss 10 minutes and go back in and check again. Then 15 minutes. And so on.

The first night Tyler cried through the 5 minute, 10 minute and 15 minute cycles. He was still going strong and had those big eyes so full of tears, so I caved and popped him right on the boob. Hah. The next night was the same thing. BUT the third night he cried through the 5 and 10 minutes cycles, but was asleep by about five minutes into the 15 minute cycle. The fourth night he fussed less than 5 minutes and was asleep. So it DOES work. And he started waking only twice during the night. He even had one night where he slept 7.5 straight.

However, teething is terrible and has messed us all up! Tyler's bottom 2 front teeth are just SO close to coming through. The gums had flattened out a couple weeks ago, got rough, and now are swollen and it really looks like those bad boys want to make their entrance! And my poor child has been slobbering like crazy and chewing on EVERYTHING. He'll grab onto my finger and do a little head bob and dive to put it in his mouth... it's actually pretty entertaining. We've discovered that he really loves chewing on a frozen wash cloth, and it tends to keep him happy for about 10 minutes or so (at least long enough for me to inhale my breakfast!). But these past couple nights have been just terrible with the teeth. Poor kid will NOT sleep longer than an hour straight and we've just kept him cuddled up in bed with us so we can comfort him without having to get up 10 times in the middle of the night (bad habit, we know, but desperate times...). Even nursing him in the middle of the night isn't doing the trick, and it used to be my never-fails insta-back-to-sleep trick. sigh. And getting him to go to sleep in the first place has become a multi-hour ordeal. Tonight has actually gone much better (he was asleep by 9 pm after about 20 minutes of crying-it-out), but I'm not holding my breath that he'll stay asleep for long. Let's hope for the best.

Everyday teaches me something new with parenting. I told Jordon I think our next kid will be a breeze because now I know all the stupid things I SHOULDN'T do and all the tricks of the trade (so far that is). Soon I'll be able to author the Jordon Tyler Jr. Handbook and Instruction Manual. Until then I'm still trying to draft out the first few chapters...

The Terrible 2s

No, you didn’t fall asleep for 20 months and not know it. Tyler is still only 4 months old, however he is now wearing size 2 diapers! Yikes. To be fair, he was in size 1 diapers for a good 3 months, but still, this is evidence of him growing up too fast for my liking!

I thought he was going to stay in the ones for awhile, but we started having some leaking issues. One morning, I woke up and Tyler’s back was all damp. I thought maybe he had sweat in his sleep because Jordon and I both do that way too often (on the up side, I wash our sheets all the time because of it, so we have the cleanest sheets on the block!). But then another day I was playing with him on his playmat, went into the kitchen for something for only 2 minutes, and came back and he was wet up the back again! So I realized it must be pee. How it got up the BACK of his diaper is beyond me, but once I tried the 2s on him, this problem seemed to vanish. Less laundry for mommy, yay!

And now for the “terrible” part. My little Tyler has become “that” baby… you know, the one crying away in the restaurant and you’re not sure whether to feel bad for the parents or be angry because you can’t have a quiet meal in peace. Yup, my kid. When we went to Williamsburg for Jordon’s recruiting trip, we went out to dinner at Olive Garden. Tyler hadn’t been eating too great that day and he’s been starting to teethe, so he just decided to fuss, fuss, fuss during dinner. Oh how I miss the days when he was a newborn and would sleep through dinner! The waitress kind of made a joke about it saying “that’s why you bring Grandma to dinner too!” because she was a grandma herself. And another table of women walked by ours on their way out and said “He’s so cute” and we said ”And fussy tonight!” and one of them said “I was thinking about asking if you needed me to hold him so you could actually eat your dinner!” Ah, embarrassing.

But it was good to hear from his pediatrician, at his 4 month appointment, that yes, he was starting to teethe! An actual reason for the fussiness thank goodness. No actual teeth sticking out yet, but the doctor said he could see the gum flattening out and the teeth making their way up! In addition to fussing, Tyler is drooling a TON, biting anything and everything in sight (and all I can think it GERMS!) and being a fussy nurser. Oh, parenthood. But, he did do SO well on our trip to Woodstock for Thanksgiving. He was such a chill baby and just cuddled up to whoever held him, so we can complain too much.

It is just amazing how much this little man has grown in the past 4 months. Four months for me seems to make no difference, but for him, it has meant learning to smile, starting to “talk,” rolling over and over and over, laughing and starting solids! We’ve been giving the little man (organic) brown rice cereal (yes, I’m one of those mommas) and he’s eating it like a champ! Opens that mouth wide open and eats it right up! Well, occasionally he’ll get it in his mouth, smile, then drool it all out, but most of the time the majority gets in that little belly! Per the pediatrician’s advice, we’re going to wait another 4-5+ weeks to start other solids.

At his appointment we also found out Tyler is 13 lb 14 oz (20-25^th percentile) and just under 27 inches long (95^th percentile). Where he gets those height genes from is beyond me, but it looks like we may have a tall, skinny boy on our hands! And his head circumference was in the 50^th percentile, so any worries we had about his brain issue in utero are of the past. He had also reached ALL of his 4 month milestone and almost all of the 5 month ones as well. Gifted.

And lastly, our poor man is just doing SO much traveling but has been a champ about it. We can definitely tell he is discontent, as anytime we put him in his car seat these days he fusses (I understand though… I’m sure the last thing you want to do when you’re learning to romp and roll is to sit still for hours). As much as I LOVE the holidays, I’m almost looking forward to them being over so we can have some family time at HOME and not in a car! This week we are diving into the adventure of decorating for the holidays! This proves a lot more difficult when you’re also juggling a baby on your hip! And we’re getting our Christmas photos taken, getting a tree, and maybe getting some baking done (have to make my famous cookies for the Ferrum College Athletics staff!). Wish us luck!

It Ain't The Real Thing

Ah, the Battle of the Bottle continues! For the record we have tried Medela, Dr. Brown's, Platex Drop Ins, Breastflow, and Gerber's latex nipples. Tyler actually thought about taking the latex nipple a bit, but no cigar. I even tried putting a little bit of VERY watered down apple juice (I know, bad mommy!), but he didn't want anything to do with it. He KNOWS it ain't the real thing.

So we tried moving onto sippy cups. I bought two types, a Gerber Graduates by NUK (recommended for ages 6 mo+) and a Playtex starter (recommended for ages 4 mo+). Surprisingly, my little 3.5 month old liked the NUK one! Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. He took it a little bit, and it was pretty hilarious seeing a baby drinking from a sippy cup, but he didn't really drink enough for it to be considered a success. I think we are going to take a break for a few days, then try again.

I just love that Tyler loves nursing... we have such a precious bond and there is nothing sweeter than snuggling up to my little one, but boy am I tired!! He is either going through a growth spurt (which isn't uncommon between 3-4 months of age) or he is just reverting back to his newborn sleeping ways, because he is waking up about 3 times a night compared to the 1 time we had weaned down to earlier. It would be awesome if Jordon could give that boy a bottle so momma could sleep! I do have to give props to my wonderful hubby though... the other morning Tyler woke up fussing around 6am, so we decided to change his diaper (we normally don't do this during the night because it makes him wake wide up!) and of course, he became bright eyed and bushy tailed! Jordon took him downstairs and sat with him on the couch so I could get some sleep. Best present ever.

And Jordon and I have started to *think* about solid foods. The recommendation for starting those is 4-6 months, but really, babies don't need them until 6 months (when baby's iron needs start to surpass what is in breast milk). However, Tyler always eyes our foods and will open up his mouth if I put my spoon up to it! Cutest thing ever, by the way. So we'll see what happens, but we definitely won't be starting before 4 months. Plus, they recommend waiting until baby double their birth weight, and Tyler is only about 13lbs now, so we still have to wait for a little more growth! And after we start with cereal, I'm definitely going to make my own baby food. It seems like it would be fun and then Tyler won't get any of those added preservatives or what not from the jarred kind (of course, I grew up on the jarred kind and ended up fine, but I have the time and will make my own!). I hate having Tyler grow up and not be a baby anymore, but I am so excited for these milestones like eating solid foods, crawling, talking, etc.

Speaking of growing, Tyler is doing it like a weed! Mostly vertically to be honest. I feel like every time I do laundry, I am putting something else away in the big tub of "Clothes that are too small for Tyler, but will be perfect for our next son!" Watch us have 3 girls next haha. But between hand-me-downs from Lucas jr., hand-me-downs from our neighbor who has a 1 year old son, and the uninhibited shopping trips by my mother and Jordon's mom, we have more than enough clothes.

We are getting so excited for Christmas around our house! Normally, I don't get excited this early, but maybe having a kid has made me more anxious for the holidays. Tyler has Christmas pj's all ready thanks to my mom, so I am so ready for the red and green holiday! I'm trying to figure out what to get Tyler for Christmas. I mean, what in the world do you get a 5 month old baby? He definitely does not need any clothes, that's for sure! I'm thinking about getting a wooden toy chest from Michael's and painting it for him. He probably won't care much about the gift, but hopefully he'll enjoy unwrapping it!

Anyways, wish us luck on our bottle adventures... hopefully I'll have some good news to report next time!

Baby's First Halloween

So this weekend we took Tyler up to Woodstock to celebrate his very first Halloween. Now some people would ask, "Why would you buy a Halloween costume for a baby?" but once you take a look at Tyler's pea-in-the-pod costume, you can see why we couldn't resist!

Originally, I was planning on getting Tyler a pumpkin costume, but then the thought of a little pea-in-the-pod, with a little baby face sticking out, popped into my head and my mind was set! We searched high and low for the costume, and even considered ordering one online and paying the ridiculous $20 shipping to get it here in time for Halloween, but then we found one at a local party shop in Salem. Plus, all children's costumes were 40% off there, so we ended up getting the costume for 6 dollars and some change. Talk about bargain shopping!

On the Saturday before Halloween, we were supposed to go to Woodstock's Fall Festival, where all the kids dress up and trick-or-treat at the local businesses, but it SNOWED. Snow in October? Who thought that would be a good idea? So it got canceled, bummer. But we did find out that there was going to be "trunk-or-treating" in Mt. Jackson on Sunday! So we dressed up our little pea-in-the-pod and took him and his tiger baby cousin and Blueberry Muffin big cousin to get some treats! About 15-20 local businesses had set up shop, so we left with a nice load of candy!

We had so much fun there that we decided we had to stay and go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. And it was a blast! I think I may have had more fun than any of the kids! I'm not sure how traditional it is for a baby as small as Tyler to go trick-or-treating, but the heck with tradition. It was pretty funny because people kept giving us suckers because they thought babies could eat those... I wanted to say "You know I'm going to be eating all of this candy, so give me a few Crunch bars and a Twix please." But I refrained haha. If you think about it, Tyler will be getting all of that delicious sugar through my breast milk eventually, so the candy was really for him... right?

And on the life of our baby front, we are still incredibly unsuccessful with getting our dear son to take a bottle. I didn't know I'd have to deal with the problem of my son being addicted to breasts so early haha. We tried our FIFTH type of bottle last night, a Gerber one with a latex (brown) nipple, and he thought about taking it, but never fully committed. I guess we'll try again today! As much as I LOVE exclusively breastfeeding him, it would be nice to be able to leave him for a few hours without the fear that he is going to starve without me there.

In other news, Tyler and I have started RUNNING! Yay! I read that you can start babies in running strollers earlier if the stroller lies/lays (yes, my grammar sucks), back, and thankfully my wonderful BOB does! And I put maybe 7 blankets around his head to keep it steady too haha. Well we went running for the first time last week and Tyler LOVED it! Okay, he slept the whole time, but in baby world, that is a good thing! It is definitely challenging running while pushing your 12 lb child + a stroller, but it was a great workout and I loved being about to get out and run!

Lastly, Tyler is still a little sniffle-y from his cold. We took him to the pediatrician because it had been lingering so long, but the doctor said he didn't have an ear infection or sinus infection and that all the suctioning of his nose was probably just making his airway more inflamed causing congestion. So long story short he told us to do NOTHING and just let it run its course. But, the good news was when I asked about how he got sick so early, despite my breastfeeding efforts, he told me that if I get a sickness first, my breastfeeding would prevent him from getting sick, but if he is exposed first, breastfeeding isn't going to protect him as much. So I felt a little less guilty for my boy getting sick. And he's definitely been feeling much better these days, and slowly getting back to the good sleeping schedule he was on pre-sickness, so hopefully he will be back to normal soon!

That's all on our front, will check back in later!

I Think I've Become a Lactivist

Lactivism (portmanteau of "lactation" and "activism") is a term used to describe the advocacy of breastfeeding.^[1] Supporters, referred to as "lactivists", seek to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding over formula-feeding and to ensure that nursing mothers are not discriminated against.

Yup, that's me. When I first got pregnant, there wasn't any question in my mind that I would breastfeed my baby. When I actually started and realized that it is a look hard than it looks, me initial goal was to make it 6 weeks. Although I fully intended on breastfeeding the Ty man longer than that, I knew I needed to make a short term goal in order to feel like I could do it. So after much trouble with my supply from loosing weight, introducing a bottle a little too early and the craziness of moving, Tyler and I got into a groove and officially surpassed our 6 week goal. And then I decided my next benchmark would be 12 weeks/3 months and what do ya know, we're here! Yay! And although I fully intend on breastfeeding Tyler for a long while, my next goal is 6 months. I think we can do it ;-)

The more I read and learn about the benefits of breastfeeding, the more excited I get about my decision. Did you know breastfed babies are at a decreased risk of childhood cancers, SIDS, ear infections and respiratory disease? And by breastfeeding Tyler I am decreasing my risk of pre-menopausal breast and ovarian cancers, UTIs and osteoporosis. Plus, I can eat as much as Michael Phelps and still loose weight. Win. Even formula companies know the breast is best. I was taking out a can of formula we had gotten at the hospital with other samples after baby was born to put with the canned foods we're giving to the food shelter, and I noticed the can said "Experts agree breastfeeding is best." Boom.

So now, not only am I a crazy vegetarian and natural birth advocate, I'm a lactivist.

And while we're on my favorite subject of breastfeeding, let me tell you how much I LOVE my new pump! Thanks to everyone who voted for me and helped me win it! It has a rechargeable battery which is uber convenient. Last Saturday Jordon and I went to a wedding and I was away from Ty man for 5 hours (don't get me started on that!) and needed to pump. Well I just hooked myself up in the car and pumped under my dress... pretty funny actually. There was a police car two cars behind us, and I told Jordon it would be hilarious if he pulled us over only to find me pumping away in the front seat. He didn't pull us over though. Hilarious/awkward moment avoided.

Anyways, I love my new pump and have been getting tons of use out of it, however Tyler just hates the bottle. He used to take it like a champ, but I unknowingly sabotaged his bottle-taking abilities by exclusively breastfeeding him for a week and ever since he hasn't wanted anything to do with the bottle! So right now I have over 100 oz. of frozen breast milk in my freezer and a stubborn child. Sigh. Hopefully we can persuade him one of these days...

Other news on the Tyler front: today is his 3 month birthday! yay! And this morning he decided to celebrate by rolling over! I just about screamed when it happened, like I had won the lottery or something. We tried to get him to do it again and he tried and was so close, but I think he was tired out and wouldn't do it again. We'll try tomorrow.

On Wednesday I went to the doctor because I had been feeling super tired and thought maybe my thyroid was slowing down (because I already have hypothyroidism) but apparently it was super-duper overactive! My goodness does pregnancy take a toll on the body! It isn't uncommon for a women to have hyPERthyroidism in the first 3 months after pregnancy then go into a state of hyPOthyroidism after that, so I have an appointment with an endocrinologist in December to see if mine will flip again. And my back has been killing me every since I was pregnant, specifically my upper back (what pregnant woman has UPPER back pain?!) so I went and saw a chiropractor. She said my joints had been irritated during my pregnancy which caused the muscles in my back to spasm. So now I'm seeing her 3x a week for therapy and adjustments, which has helped a ton. I have never been to a chiropractor, so it was a very new experience for me. When she adjusts my neck and back, you would not believe how much they crack! And now Jordon is going to because #1 he is obsessed with cracking his back/neck/my fingers/anything else that can crack, and #2 he gets treated for free because he a coach at the college and our doctor is contracted by the college. Jordon told me my new hobby is going to see doctors because I'm so bored staying at home haha. I just think pregnancy has left me a little worst for the wear ;-)

Right now Jordon and I are eagerly awaiting baby's first Halloween! we're going to search for a costume for him tomorrow, so wish us luck!

Baby colds are no fun.

It's crazy how much Tyler has grown over these past 12 weeks... and it's also hard to believe it's been 12 weeks since I had him, and that before that he wasn't in Jordon and I's lives! We thank God every day for our little blessing.

This week we were faced with one of the terrors of parenthood: the baby cold. You have never heard a more pitiful sound than the sound of a baby's cough. He first started coughing a bit on Sunday, and even threw up too, so I thought it may be some reflux. But then Sunday night he was stuffed up and cough more, so I knew it had to be a cold! I thought we'd avoid this part of parenthood for awhile because I'm exclusively breastfeeding and he's getting all of those good antibodies, but I guess not. I even felt a little responsible for him getting sick... like my milk wasn't good enough to keep him well! (Oh, a parent's mind). But he got over it really quick! By Tuesday he was only coughing a tiny bit and by Wednesday he was like new. Phew. Crisis avoided. By the way, I was one of those parents who immediately called the pediatrician and asked what I could do, what to look out for, was it okay that his cough sounded wet, etc. I expect they will be on speed dial by the end of this year ;-)

So needless to say, Ty man and momma were pretty lazy while being cooped up inside this week. He hates not being able to take his daily stroller rides! It was pretty funny though because on Monday, Jordon got home from work (early! yay for fall season being over!) so he watched baby while I went for a run. When I got back from my run Jordon was pushing Tyler around in his jogging stroller... about 20 foot laps through the living room and kitchen! It was hilarious, and Tyler was loving it! Yay for Daddy's improvisation.

Tyler has been sleeping pretty well these days. He was on a great track of sleeping 6-7 hours straight a night back in September, but then we went away one weekend and he got off track. Boo. But this week he'd been doing much better again, and slept 7 and a half hours the other night. It was awesome! I'm hoping he can keep this up! A well slept mommy is a happy mommy!

I've been getting a little stir crazy recently. I can see why 12 weeks would be enough maternity leave for working mommas. I've been thinking a lot about getting back to work, or what I want to do from here out. Jordon and I talked about it, and we're thinking I MAY go back to school (emphasis on the the "may," no plans as of yet!). After having such an incredible birth experience, I am OBSESSED with babies/pregnancy/labor. In fact, right now my DVR has Birthday, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, A Baby Story, Secretly Pregnant, and some other assorted baby/pregnancy specials on Discovery Fit & Health set to record. So Jordon and I think it might be rewarding for me to get my RN and become a labor and delivery nurse, and possibly continue my education and become a midwife! The community college in Martinsville has an accelerated nursing program and if some of my credits from JMU would transfer over, I could probably complete the program fairly quickly. Also, Shenandoah University has a CNM program, so that could be a possibility later in the future. But again, we're just brainstorming right now... we'll see if this is the path God wants me on!

As for now, Tyler and I are just enjoying being best buddies during the day, and hanging out with Daddy in the evenings. I love my little family!

10 Weeks

I've been staying at home with the Ty man for 10 weeks now and it still hasn't gotten old. I just love hanging out with him!

He has gotten SO big! We took him to the pediatrician for his 2 month appointment last Monday, and he weighed 10 lb 13 oz, and was 24 inches long. That put him in the 25th percentile for weight (which is low, but he growing at a steady rate from his weight at 2 weeks... he was in the same percentile then) and between the 75-90th percentile for height. The doctor said if he kept up at this rate, he'd be tall and skinny haha. Since neither Jordon and I have many tall people in our families, we're assuming his vertical growth will begin to slow down.

Tyler had hit all his 2 month developmental milestones (such as holding his head up, smiling in response, making cooing noises) and also some of the 4 month ones as well (like bearing weight on his legs). He is gifted. And he had to get three shots, which he was NOT happy about... and neither was I! The nurse poked him with the first needle and he got quiet, his eyes got big, and then he just wailed. It broke my heart!! And after he got the last shot I couldn't help but swoop him right up and hold him. He was pretty fussy afterward and the rest of the day, but the next day he was fine.

I've been taking Tyler for rides in his big boy BOB running stroller (just walks right now though... can't run with him until he gets a little older!) which is awesome. Best stroller ever! And I love taking him down the the tennis courts every afternoon to visit Jordon and his players during practice. The players seem to have taken quite a liking to him, and always call him "junior" instead of Tyler haha.

As for my Medela contest that I have been begging abut for the last month... I lost :-( The other girl was TOTALLY cheating though! In the last week, whenever I'd get up more than 10 votes, she'd come back and get ahead 20 some votes in 15 minutes. Then, the last night, I got up 4 and ten minutes later was down 30 votes. Something was fishy. Jordon wrote an anonymous email to Medela cluing them into the situation and I found out a few days later my mom had too! haha. I'm still hoping she gets disqualified! But no matter what, I thought it was awesome that I ended up with 767 votes!!! So many awesome people supporting me! Plus, Tyler is the best and sweetest kid in the world, so even if Traci B. from Ohio wins the breastpump, I got the best prize of all :-)

I did, however, re-enter the contest with another photo. They do a random draw for another grand prize, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw my name into the pot for October. If you want to vote though, be my guest!! I don't think I will be as aggressive about getting votes this month, unless it looks like there isn't much competition... then maybe I'll reinstate my campaign haha. Here's the link:

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/keep-the-connection-photo-detail/1716

then you enter your email address, and they will send you an email with a link to click to verify your vote!

So long story short, I'm loving everyday in parenthood. My kid is just awesome. I knew I would love Tyler, but never knew how much I could love him. It is incredible and a one-of-a-kind type of love.

8 Weeks

My little boy is 8 weeks old! And we've had lots of fun! I just love being able to stay at home with Tyler during the day, and although I have moments where I'm ancy to get out of the house or do something else other than feed the baby all day, it is so fulfilling to raise my baby! We are just the best of friends... I never thought a baby could be my best friend, but seriously, he is giving Jordon and run for his money :-) And I can't believe what a nerd I've turned into. I think my voice may permanently change to a few octaves higher because of all the baby talk I do all day and I seriously think I may consider a job as a music editor on Sesame Street because recently I've come up with new hits such as "Bath Time for Baby" and the classic "The Poo-poo King."

And sometimes I miss the easy-ness of life before baby, like being able to eat dessert leisurely after dinner, but I don't think I could love Tyler anymore, and life would not be the same without him! The other night Jordon handed him over to me to feed, and at that moment I realized I had been missing him for the 5 hours we had been sleeping and was so excited to have him in my arms again!!

Speaking of sleeping, Tyler has actually been doing really well!! On the night before my birthday he slept SEVEN hours straights!! I actually had to wake up in the middle of the night to pump, and was sure he'd wake up right as I got in bed wanting to eat, but I was surprised when I woke up with the sun just starting to rise and he was just starting to stir. And the night of my birthday he slept 6 hours! Since then he is averaging about 5 hours, then he eats, then sleeps another 2-3 hours before it's time to wake up, so we are very happy parents! He's still not doing great on napping during the day (he only seems to want to nap for about 30 minutes max) but I'd rather him sleep well at night than during the day if I had to choose!

And he's also been behaving well enough for me to get back into an exercise routine (Thank goodness!!!). After I have lunch I feed him, we play for about ten minutes, then I put him in his swing in the basement and he watches me do about 10 minutes of my workout then falls asleep, usually long enough for me to finish the workout and shower. Good boy! He knows momma would go crazy if she didn't get to work out :-) I've been doing the Insanity workout, which I did last summer, and I already feel MUCH more in shape than ever. I even have my abs back! I'd like to be running more, especially because Jordon and Tyler got me new Sacony Kinvara 2s for my bday, but it is hard to find time since Jordon works 9am-6:30pm right now, and I can't take Tyler in the jogging stroller just yet, but I'm hoping soon Jordon will have more time to watch him and I'll be able to take Tyler in the stroller sometime. My parents got me a BOB running stroller, probably the best stroller you can get, so I am SO excited to use it!!

So life is going great! I love mommyhood.

And as I mentioned last time, Jordon and I are still in the midst of the Medela photo contest!! If you haven't voted, click the link and vote! And if you HAVE voted, please pass the link along to your friends/family/co-workers/etc!! I'm 14 votes behind first place so I need some votes!!!

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/keep-the-connection-photo-detail/1585

6 Weeks!

It's been two weeks since my last update and boy has a lot happened! First of all, I've given up ice cream.... and milk, and cheese, and dairy completely. We knew Tyler was sensitive to dairy awhile back because he was so fussy after feedings, and giving up dairy seemed to do the trick, but I still ate some cheese and products with small amounts of dairy in them (like pancakes, some cereals and granola bars, etc). Well after one weekend where I had pizza 3 times, and a few too many "just a sip"s of a milkshake Jordon got, Tyler started to be very fussy and had (TMI) green poop. Well, after completely cutting all dairy out, it seems that Tyler is much happier, and his poop is now a normal color haha. But it leaves me with very few food choices! You wouldn't believe how many foods have dairy in them!! I'm pretty much living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pasta these days.

Also, Tyler has hit some major milestones!! He's now smiling in response to us and he is "coo"ing! It is the most precious thing! Sometimes I'll ask him to tell me a story, and he'll give a "coo" and a "ga" and it makes my heart melt. And lastly, he is still growing like a weed. He's starting to fit into some of his 0-3 month clothing! As sad as it is for me to start packing away some of his newborn onsies, I'm excited to have a larger wardrobe to choose from when dressing him.

On a semi-related note, I've entered a photo contest on the Medela webpage to win a VERY nice double pump (which would come in handy when I eventually go back to work!) and some other breastfeeding accessories. I'd really appreciate it if you all could vote for my photo! You just need to click this link: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/keep-the-connection-photo-detail/1585 , then enter your email address, and they will send you a confirmation email with a link to click to confirm your vote. You can vote once per email address, so have your friends/family/significant others/etc vote with their emails please!! Thank you in advance!!

1 month!

Our precious bundle of joy is officially one month old! And boy has time absolutely flown by! We moved down to our new house in Ferrum on the 14th and have been adjusting to life here ever since. We've had a lot of unpacking to do, and still do have a ton to do, but I made it my first priority to put the nursery all together! Since I wasn't able to do this during the final weeks of my pregnancy, I was more than anxious to unleash my nesting instincts now. Of course, it is much, much harder to spend time nesting when you have a little one to take care of.

It has really surprised me just how difficult and time-consuming it is to take care of a baby! Don't get me wrong, because I've absolutely loved every minute of it, but it is definitely hard work! Jordon heads to work at 9 in the morning, and the next thing I know he's coming home at 3 and I feel like I haven't done anything except feed the baby all day. At least I never get bored while I'm home!

Tyler has been growing and growing like a weed! We weighed him the other day (well, we weighed Jordon on the scale, then weighed Jordon holding Tyler, and then subtracted... very precise, I know) and he was 9 lb 6 oz. My little boy is just growing! He still won't fit into any clothes other than newborns, which I both enjoy (because I don't want him to grow up too fast!), but is frustrating because we have SO many cute little outfits for him that are 0-3 month sized. Right now it's just onsies and pajamas for him! He's also developing so quickly. He's been able to hold his head up and turn it from side to side when he's on his tummy for a couple weeks now, and I swear any day now he's going to roll over! He tries SO hard to flip over when we lay him down, I would be surprised if he isn't rolling around by next month. And he focuses a lot more on our faces when we play with him... he even gives a couple babbles every now and then, but I can't wait till he starts revving up that baby talk... I just love it!

I finally got back into running this week! I had to start out really easy since I have gone for a run longer than 3 miles in 10 months haha... and I hadn't run at all for at least the last 3 months so I have much getting back into shape to do! I've been doing 15-20 minute runs with some walking at the end and they've been going well. My lungs were definitely burning, but I'm not sure if it was from me being out of shape, or from the 3 bras I had to wear in order to contain my new mommy-sized chest haha. Despite that, it felt good to break a sweat from working out rather than from waddling around with 7 lbs of baby in me.

So overall we're enjoying our new life with out little baby in it. We've been very blessed to have a beautiful new home to live in, and a lot of new, generous friends bringing us meals almost every night. We've enjoyed taking Tyler for walks around the campus in the evenings, and I thinkw e are really going to like our new life here!

2 Weeks!

My sweet little boy turned 2 weeks old on Thursday! Time is just flying by and he is just growing and growing like a weed. I have definitely come to the realization that parenthood is HARD, but I am still loving every day of it.

Breastfeeding has got to be the hardest part of this crazy adventure. Since I am the only one who can feed Tyler, I have to be awake on demand for his feedings. Sometimes I think Jordon uses this to his advantage, especially when Tyler is wailing at 3am and Jordon brings him over to my side of the bed saying "... I think he's hungry." Haha, just kidding. But I do have to feed that little guy every 2-3 hours, so it gets VERY exhausting. Thankfully, he's getting a little better at sleeping at night, so he will normally go 4 hours between feedings and sleep pretty well. And I know I'm helping him grow big and strong so it's totally worth it!

We took Tyler to the pediatrician for his 2 week check up on Thursday. Much to our and the doctor's surprise, he weighed 7 lb 10 oz... he gained 1 lb 3 oz in 9 days! I must have magic breastmilk or something. Everything else was looking perfect as well... the doctor was very impressed with how much Tyler moved! He was just squirming about on the table, not crying, just content as can be. And the doctor kept saying how cute Tyler was... but obviously that didn't surprise me :-)

As for me, I am feeling pretty much recovered from my pregnancy. At 10 days postpartum I had gotten down to my pre-pregnancy weight, and today I was actually 2 lb less than that! Thank you breastfeeding. The only thing physically bugging me these days (other than being tired of course) is my back hurting... I think I was so used to having all the extra weight in the front, my body doesn't know what to do now that it's gone. Hopefully that will adjust itself here soon!

This whole pregnancy, birth, and parenthood journey has been quite the adventure, but definitely something I'm excited to do again. People ask me all the time if, after having gone through all of this, I still want to have 4 kids and I tell them, absolutely, maybe more :-) As hard as everything was, it has been the most rewarding experience and I am all for round two!.. in a year or so of course ;-)

40 Weeks/1 Week

So yesterday my offical "due date" came and went and I was SO thrilled that I had already had my baby boy for a week! This week had flown by, and it makes me nervous for how quickly the rest of my little one's life is going to go by!

Jordon, Tyler and I arrived home from the hospital on Sunday night, and were lucky enough to have plenty of friends and family bringing meals and other fun gifts by all week. Jordon and I have been busy trying to take care of our newest addition, as well as entertain plenty of visitors who want to see our little man!

Everyone keeps asking us if we're getting any sleep, and honestly we really aren't, but I could not care less about it because I have this awesome incentive to stay up. There is nothing like rocking Tyler all night long and having him look up at me with those baby blue eyes :-) Jordon and I have been trying to rotate shifts of staying up, but it is pretty hard to do since I'm breastfeeding and have to be an on-demand restaurant for our little boy haha. The other night I actually fell asleep while feeding him, and woke up about 25 minutes later and he was still going at it and looking at me like "Yeah, I saw that Mom." He just cracks me up. We're also enjoying dressing him up in cute little outfits, however we realized that we were not quite as prepared as we thought we'd be in the clothing department. I was just convinced we'd have a big boy, so I didn't buy ANY newborn clothes. Thankfully, we had gotten some newborn onesies as gifts, and Luke and Jenna had given us a bunch of newborn clothes that little Lucas had either worn once or never fit into (because he actually was a big boy at birth!), so we've been able to get by. But compared to the amount of 0-3 month and 3-6 month clothing we have, we barely have anything for out little one!

We took Tyler to the doctor on Tuesday for his newborn check-up, which went well. We LOVE the pediatrician we are using (we stuck with the same one who saw him in the hospital). Tyler was looking perfectly healthy, but did loose a lot of weight. He was 7lb 5 oz at birth, and had dropped to 6lb 14oz at discharge. Newborns typically loose 6 to 10oz from their birth weight, so it wasn't a big deal. However, when they weighed him at his appointment he weighed 6 lb 3 oz, which the doctor said was more weight loss than he'd like to see, however it wasn't abnormal for a first-time breastfeeding mom to have a baby loose a little more because of how hard it is to get the hang of feeding them! Thankfully, since then, Tyler has been eating SO much better, so we expect he will have definitely gained some weight when we go to see the pediatrician again next week.

So our first week in parenthood has definitely been a learning experience, and exhausting, but Jordon and I are loving every minute of it. The best part of my day is holding Tyler and I'm so happy I get to do it so often :-)

Happy Birthday Jordon Tyler Jr!

So after 39 weeks and 1 day, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived, and I am so pleased to be able to share our wonderful birth story with you all!

On the 21st, I started to have some mild contractions around 10pm, but they were very similar to the false labor I'd had in the past, so I pretty much ignored them. Around 11:30pm, Jordon and I went to bed, but I was having a hard time sleeping, so I decided to time the contractions, which were pretty consistently 5.5-6.5 minutes apart. I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs to watch TV, and the contractions didn't get any closer together or more intense, but actually got more irregular, so at that point I pretty much convinced myself I wasn't going into real labor. I finally fell asleep around 3:30am, but kept waking up every 15 minutes or so, and finally decided to try to go back up to bed around 4:15am. After another hour of not sleeping, I decided to get out of bed. The contractions I had in the past always went away with sleep, but since I couldn't sleep, I was having a hard time figuring out if these were real or false labor (especially because I didn't want to get my hopes up!).

Around 5:30am, I decided to go for a walk and thought if I was in real labor, the walk would progress the labor and make the contractions worse, and if it was false labor, maybe it would just subside. Well they eased up a lot while I was walking, but were still there after the walk, so around 9am I called the OB office and asked what they thought... Since I had an appointment already scheduled for 1:40 that afternoon, they told me I could come in early and get check for any progress, but they thought waiting until 1:40 would be fine; I decided to wait.

On our way to the appointment, Jordon noticed my contractions were coming pretty regularly at 5-6 minutes apart, but I still wasn't in too much pain, so I wasn't convinced I was in labor. We had brought our hospital bag with us just in case, but I thought we were just jinxing ourselves ;-) Well low and behold, at my appointment, the midwife checked me and was shocked because I was just shy of 7cm dialated, 80% effaced, and IN LABOR.

We made our way over to the hospital and checked in at about 3pm. They monitored me and baby for about 15 minutes, everything looked good, so they let me disconnect and do whatever. Jordon and I did laps around the labor and delivery floor because my contractions were barley noticeable if I was moving but were getting a little more painful when I was just sitting in bed. My midwife told us the nurses didn't believe I was already 7cm along because I was too happy haha.

By 6:30pm, my water still hadn't broken on its own and when she checked me I was still only 7cm, but now 90% effaced. She decided to break my water, and monitor me for another 15 minutes. By the time the 15 minutes was up my contractions were already much more painful and intense. I wanted to walk the floor some more to help speed up my progression, but by the time I got disconnected from the monitor and walked out of my room, I was in so much pain. I had to stop walking whenever I had a contraction and Jordon told me (after the fact) that I would dig my forehead into his shoulder haha. So we only ended up walking for about 20 minutes before heading back into the room.

I decided to labor some in the jacuzzi tubs they have in each room, which was a great decision. It definitely didn't take away any of the pain from the contractions, but definitely made it a lot easier to cope with the pain. I stayed in for about an hour and a half then got out. I got hooked back up to monitors to check on baby, and my pain was just awful, but the baby's heart rate was steady and looked great the entire time.

My midwife came in and had me switch to a position laying on my side to labor. My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart now, and very intense. Jordon was an awesome coach, by my side the whole time, which helped a ton. Our midwife stayed in the room from the point on as well and rubbed my legs and hips. Finally my contractions were absolutely unbearable, to the point that I would just writhe in pain at the peak of them and wanted to push so bad, so the midwife checked me and I was just shy of 10cm. She let me push once, which finished dialating me, so we could start the real pushing.

I had originally planned to push while standing or squatting, so I could use gravity to my advantage, but #1 I was in way to much pain to stand up and #2 my midwife suggested I push while laying on my side and I was in too much pain not to agree with her. I pushed for a little over an hour, and finally his head and shoulders came out. At that point, my midwife had me reach down and pull out my own baby! He came straight up to my chest where he stayed for the next 15 minutes and Jordon cut the cord. Then they weighed him (7lb 5 oz) and checked his vitals, then gave him back to me. Apparently I was saying the craziest things (I guess because of all those hormones/endorphins?) like "Oh my gosh, that hurt so bad!" and "I can't believe he's ours to keep!" I can barely remember those moments after the birth, other than the intense joy of finally having my baby! Jordon and I were able to keep him with us for over an hour before they took him to the nursery to be checked out, and after that we had him stay in our room during our entire stay other than during his circumcision and the pediatrician rounds.

Jordon and I were just so impressed with the entire experience. We were thrilled that I was able to do it without any pain meds as planned, but it would not have been possible had I been confined to one position in bed with constant monitoring like a lot of hospitals still make you do. Also, our midwife (who was the one we had hoped would be on call when we delivered!) was just amazing, giving me a lot of suggestions for dealing with pain. She didn't even mention the word "epidural" my entire labor, and stayed with me for the entire last 3 hours of my labor. I just cannot get over how perfectly things went for us! I guess after going through such a hard pregnancy, Tyler decided I deserved a (relatively) easy labor! Right after the birth I told Jordon I was glad I did a natural birth but was definitely having c-sections with the rest of our kids! haha. It was so incredibly painful, but now, being further out from the experience, I definitely would and definitely WILL do it again. You just have so much more control and awareness over your body and it makes the whole process easier and more rewarding.


We stayed in the hospital for a little under 48 hours, and were so excited to bring Tyler home on Sunday. I definitely have not gotten much sleep, but it is worth it. The night he was born, I just held him and looked at him for 2 hours because I was just so excited to finally have him in my arms! The pediatrician at the hospital said he looked checked out great, and despite all the scares we had with him during my pregnancy, is perfectly healthy. Jordon and I could not be more thankful for that. We're slowly adjusting to life with a little one, and are spending most of our time paying attention to him. It's wild how much you're priorities change when you have a baby! This morning I had been up since 7am, and it wasn't until 10am that I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast when that is normally the very first thing I do in the morning. But again, he is totally worth it and I wouldn't change a thing!

39 Weeks

SO I wrote this blog yesterday, and was waiting to "publish" it until I had Jordon take a belly picture for the week... well the background to the picture is RMH... I'm in labor! So ignore all the ranting about not going into labor yet:


Bah... I never thought I'd had to write a blog titled "39 weeks" but I guess the further along I am, the closer I must be to seeing Tyler. After all the false labor I had between 35 and 37 weeks and the progress I made so early on, I was SURE I would have gone into labor by now, but I guess my son is just content as can be inside momma, and I've learned my lesson about expectations for my next pregnancy!

So I've been pretty darn miserable this week. I literally cannot think about anything else during the day other than "When the heck am I going to go into labor?" or "I'm never going into labor!" It doesn't help that I stay home all day long while my darling husband is off at work! Yesterday, he took the afternoon off and drove to Winchester with me just to look around and window shop because I had a mental breakdown at lunch and HAD to get out of the house (Yes, even in the 98 degree weather!). I've been trying to distract myself with things around the house like packing for our big move, but we don't have many boxes to pack much right now, plus it is hard packing when you're not positive when you're actually moving! As an obsessive-compulsive planner and organizer, Tyler is killing me! Do you know how painful it was to write "baby?" on the 28th in my planner? haha. I would have much rather written "baby!"

I also went on a mad cleaning streak throughout my entire house on Tuesday and Wednesday. I had literally had it up to my nose with sitting on the couch and it was way too hot to go walking outside, so I popped my ipod earphones in and started cleaning like a mad woman. It all started out because there were some odds and ends in the living room that didn't belong there (as usual haha), so I started just putting "stuff" way. Then I noticed how dirty the floors were so I vacuumed every room in the house. Then I noticed how dusty it was so I dusted everything... and so on and so on until my house was spotless. I even got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the kitchen floor (it's the only way to clean linoleum in my opinion!). Anyways, if THAT didn't put me into labor, I don't know what will!

I've started to become convinced that I will never go into labor. I've tried labor cookies, spicy foods, walking (a ton!), sitting on a yoga ball, red raspberry leaf tea, etc (pretty much anything but castor oil... yuck!). Still nothing. And other than my burst of "nesting" this week, I don't think I have any of the signs of impending labor, even though I've been trying to over analyze those all week as well. The internet is dangerous haha.

I did, however, set up Tyler's pack and play! I figured it has a changing table attachment, and since we aren't setting up the crib/changing table until we move into our house in Ferrum, we'll need something to change him on! Plus, I thought it may entice him to come on out, but again, no luck! I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this little guy to come out, so please be sending labor thoughts my way!

38 Weeks

38 weeks and still no baby :-( I guess he just wants to hang out inside momma a little longer, but I can't help but wish he was here!! Not only am I uncomfortable, but I am just so anxious to meet my little guy!

It's hard having to wait around for him to come especially when the rest of Jordon and I's life is kind of on hold until he makes his debut. We're planning on moving down to Ferrum after Tyler comes, so I feel so apprehensive to start packing or anything until our baby comes, because I don't know if we're going to be moving a couple weeks from now, or a month from now. Plus, I don't get to decorate a nursery, because his nursery will be in our new house, so all of my nesting instincts have had to be put on hold. I did, however, go through the hundreds of diapers we'd been handed down from Luke and Jenna and our neighbors who had a baby in May (so lots of newborn and size 1 diapers their little one's had outgrown), and organized them into boxes based on size and counted them haha. I have to do something with my time! I also put together Tyler's stroller because it had been in the same box as the car seat, which we had to take out and set up obviously, and because I thought maybe it'd entice Tyler to come out. No such luck, but I do love the stroller!

So I've been trying everything (that I consider safe to try that is) under the sun to get Tyler to come if he's ready. On Saturday, Grace and Perri came over and we made labor cookies, which taste like ginger snaps with an after-kick of cayenne pepper, and they obviously didn't work, but they sure are tasty when frosted with cream cheese icing! I've also been walking a TON, which like I said before, may not guarantee I'll go into labor, but it helps me feel proactive and I enjoy being physically active. Jordon and I have been talking to Tyler and telling him that we'd love for him to come out if he's ready, but either he's still cooking in there, or he's just already misbehaving and not listening to us haha. Also, my yoga ball has become a permanent fixture in our living room, as I've been sitting and bouncing on it whenever I watch TV to get Tyler locked and loaded into the ideal birthing position haha.

Today, Jordon and I had a full day of doctor's appointments. We went to UVA early in the morning for another check-up of Tyler's ventricles. I had been hoping and hoping, and sort of expecting to go into labor before this appointment rolled around, and of course had no such luck, so we were out of the door by 6:50 am this morning to get to Charlottesville. Tyler's head was nice and nestled into my pelvis, but they were still about to get some decent images of his brain... It turns out that his ventricles were measuring MUCH more in the normal range than ever (at 7.5mm when >10mm is considered ventriculomegaly) which was SO reassuring! We saw a different doctor than we had the last two appointments (much to Jordon's dismay because our normal OB there was an awesome Jamaican woman named Dr. Lashley haha) but he seemed convinced everything was normal and that we shouldn't expect any complications with our little man after birth :-) Praise the Lord! They also said he was measuring at about 7 lb 10 oz now, so I'm hoping he comes soon before he gains too much more weight!!

Then, this afternoon we had an appointment at our regular OB office and it was the most uneventful thing ever. The nurse who weighed me told me it looked like I had a ball under my shirt because all my baby weight was there and then my midwife said I was "all baby"... I think they love to make pregnant women feel good about themselves there!! Although I will agree that my belly is straight-up baby, because you can literally see where he is in there by the distorted shape of my baby bump (see photo above... I mean, who has a lopsided baby bump?)! But that was pretty much the visit... I was hoping my midwife would tell me the exact day and hour I'd go into labor, but alas, no luck. Jordon says it's going to be this week, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up!

Last night I could literally feel Tyler moving into my hips... I felt like he was trying to wedge his head in there or pry open my hips with his hands which was by far the strangest feeling ever. Plus I had shooting nerve pains down my legs from where he's laying/resting on nerves in my pelvis. After walking around town today I literally felt like he was just going to fall out or something because of all the pelvic pressure I've had, and now I'm getting Braxton Hicks contractions ALL the time (the non-painful kind though thankfully! although I wouldn't complain if I had painful ones, if they were real!). This baby has got to be coming soon!!! I mean, even the old lady working at Michael's told me I looked like my bump had dropped so much that he'd fall out if it dropped anymore haha... I love how strangers put their two cents into everything when you're pregnant ;-)

So long story short for the week, I'm still pregnant, I'm SO ready for baby to be here, and according to everyone the baby should be coming any day now... I guess it's just up to my little man now! Come on Tyler, let's go!!

37 Weeks

The big 3-7, or "full-term," is finally here!! Dearest son, if you are ready, I'm ready! I am trying SO hard to be patient for my little man's arrival, but I cannot wait to hold him in my arms! Plus, the longer he is in there, the bigger his head is going to get, and I'm assuming since his noggin is in the 88th percentile for his age, his head is either as big, or bigger than the normal 40 week gestation baby, so I'm ready to get him out!

Other signs of my "maternal misery" include a lack of sleep, back pain, and false labor nearly every other day. Yes, I do understand that I won't get sleep when the baby comes (you do not know how often I've gotten that advice!!), but I will be much more OK with not sleeping because I'm taking care of my child rather than not sleeping because my belly is the size of a watermelon and I have to pee every hour. I've also had bout after bout of false labor, most of the time brought on by doing something physical (like walking or what not). On the 4th of July, I had awful contractions that started in my lower back and moved forward and hurt like crazy. For hours I had these but they were so irregular that I was convinced they couldn't be real labor. I tried everything from laying on the couch to soaking in the tub and they would not cease!! Jordon and I almost convinced ourselves it was the real thing, but eventually, like 6 hours later, they slowed down enough for me to sleep. Last time this happened, I ended up being nearly 2 cm dilated, but my midwife didn't check me at my appointment today, so who knows where I am now! But she did say his head is low and engaged in my pelvis, so he's definitely dropped and in position... just a waiting game until he decides to come out. False labor has happened at least 3 or 4 times though, so I know I am never going to know/admit I'm really in labor unless my water breaks!

To compete with my constant anxiety over going into labor, I've been trying to keep myself as busy as possible. I've been babysitting this week and spend most of my time taking the kids to the pool because it is the only place I'm fairly comfortable. I've also been walking TONS, which I figure will either spur on labor eventually, or keep me healthy and in shape, so I suppose it's a win/win situation either way. I played tennis the other day too (against the wall, as my husband's skills far surpass mine, especially while I'm 37 weeks pregnant) which felt great. I think my tennis game is actually better than it was 3 months ago, which is kind of hard to believe!!

I've been getting SO many stares these days... I know people don't see massively pregnant women walking around everyday, but I feel like a freak sometimes!! I've started wearing Jordon's tee-shirts because they fit much better than mine these days, and make my bump a little less outrageous. I can't wait to have people staring at my little boy and not my belly!!

As you can tell, I'm definitely ready to have Tyler come into the world. I'm so anxious and excited for the day I can finally share a picture of my little man with ya'll and not just bump pictures!! Please send your labor-vibes my way over the next 3 weeks and let's hope I don't go past due!

36 Weeks

Officially only a month left! Yikes! Time is certainly flying. I am feeling extra pregnant these days, because *I think* the baby "dropped." Now I've never been pregnant before and don't know exactly what it feels like to have the baby drop, but judging by the fact that my belly is definitely hanging lower (the picture in purple is this week), and I feel like Tyler is literally waving around in my hips, I'm assuming he's shimmied his way down towards his exit. It's reassuring to know I'm one step closer to labor, but now my hips hurt more than ever, and I feel like I really have to do the pregnant waddle now to get around.

Jordon and I had an OB appointment on Wednesday which went well. I had been having a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions recently and my belly was looking a little lower, so I asked her what she though about me traveling this weekend (Jordon and I had plans to go house hunting in Ferrum, then head to visit my family in Columbia and I don't want to go into labor while we're out of town!). She checked me and I was just shy of 2cm dilated... she said she definitely wouldn't expect that much in a first time mom this early, but it wasn't a certain indication that I was going to go into labor anytime soon. Professionally, she advised not to travel, but I'm pretty sure I can hang in there this weekend and want to see my family, so we decided to risk it. But, we will see what happens in the upcoming week! Next Thursday will mark the 37 week mark, so if he decides to show anytime after that, I'll be fine with that!

As far as development goes, by this week it's pretty boring. I read pretty much everything is formed, and now he is just packing on the baby fat, and getting ready to come out to the world. His head is down and butt is up towards my ribs (as it should be apparently). Crazy how much he's developed in 36 weeks, isn't it??

35 Weeks

You don't know how much I love writing "35" up in that Title bar right now!! For some strange reason, 35 seems like WAY more than 34, and not quite so far away from "37" which is considered "full-term" ;-) So I've been, of course, unnecessarily trying to determine exactly when Tyler is going to make his appearance (yes, I realize that doing this is about as productive as trying to determine the exact #s that will be drawn for the lottery), and decided that if he is anything like his Momma, he will definitely show up at 37 weeks ready to go (or somewhere between that and 39 weeks because anything more than that would be cutting it too close lol). On the other hand, if he is anything like his dearest Daddy, he'll probably show up at like 40 weeks 2 days... late enough to annoy me, but close enough to 40 weeks to claim he was "on-time" haha. Obviously I think way too much.

This week I've been pretty miserable physically... I didn't know I could get quite so big! I find myself knocking things with my belly, which may sound quite entertaining to ya'll, but when I'm trying to reach for a cup in the cupboard and knock the oven with my belly, it is not so funny. Plus my weight has all conveniently located itself right smack in front of my body, and while it's comforting to know "you can't even tell you're pregnant from behind!" it means I KNOW I'm pregnant no matter what position I'm in because I hurt!! I've been studying like a mad woman for this ACSM certification exam I'm taking next week, and have to get up and walk around every 30 minutes because it hurts my hips so bad to sit. And I still have to pee all the time. I wake up in the middle of the night freaking out because my belly is tight and I think "Oh my gosh, I'm in labor", and then I realize "Oh, I just have to pee again." Ah, the joys of the 3rd trimester. Most of all, I'm just so anxious to meet Tyler. I can't wait to hold him, change his diapers (yes, seriously), bathe him, feed him, rock him to sleep, dress him, etc. I don't want to wait 5 more weeks! But, as long as he is healthy, I suppose I will just have to be patient and know he's got his own timing.

Jordon and I had our 3rd of 4 birthing classes on Monday, and I think I'm feeling pretty prepared for this experience. I realized that I think labor is going to be like an intense run for me (haha, okay I sound crazy, but go with me for a second)... I have always been an intense exerciser, and when I go for my runs, no matter how hot it is, no matter how steep the hill is (and for all those who are familiar with Harrisonburg, think Port Republic Rd) I keep running and refuse to let myself walk because I just KNOW I can do it, get to the end of the run, and then feel so amazingly accomplished for what I did. I think labor may be something like that. If I can keep that mindset, I think I can accomplish a pain-med free birth. That is, if Tyler cooperates and turns his head at an ideal angle so that it will actually fit through my pelvis haha.

Friday we went back to UVA for a follow-up visit to our last, just checking in on how Tyler's brain is. His ventricles were measuring pretty much the same (just decimal points higher), so it looks like nothing has really progressed thankfully. And everything seemed to be looking good as far as him growing... they estimated he is about 6lbs 1oz. right now (which is pretty much right at average for babies his age). His head also seems to slightly have decreased in growing rate, as it is now measuring at the 88th percentile as opposed to the 95th as it was last time. The doctor said "Yes, he has a very big head, but it's not like it's the biggest in the class" haha. She is going to talk with the midwives at my OB office and see what they think about delivery... so there is still a slight chance we'll be recommended to delivery at UVA (just on the off-chance that Tyler's big ventricles will pose any problems), but I'm hopeful they'll decide it's okay for me to stick with RMH. We also have to go back to UVA on July 15th (granted he doesn't come before then!) to check up and make sure everything is still in check. I'm not looking forward to having to travel across the mountain back to Charlottesville for a THIRD time, but I'm glad they are keeping an eye on my little boy.

In the past couple weeks, I've gotten a lot of unexpected comments from unexpected people along the lines of "Oh yeah, I saw that in your blog," or "Yeah, I read your blog and..." and it made me realized that people (other than my mom and my MIL) actually read this!! It was really exciting to know that people are actually interested in what is going on in the life of my baby bump. Obviously, this is comforting to know when I've gone through so much tough stuff with this pregnancy, but even when things are looking up, it's nice to know people care and are thinking about us :-) So thanks to everyone who reads... you're the best!

Btw, I got back all my pregnancy photos from Erin Mahoney Photography!! They are just wonderful, so take a look!!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1891257280867.2090335.1224540042&l=465689ccf8

34 Weeks

Yay! 6 (or less... or I guess maybe more) more weeks to go in this crazy adventure. Does time fly or what?? I think I am officially ready to have this baby. I'm not sure if it is the childbirth classes, my extended stay at the hotel RMH, or the fact that I've had 2 baby showers and pretty much have most of the essential baby stuff one needs for a newborn, but this week I decided I am officially ready for Tyler to come. I want him here so bad! Ideally, he'd wait 3 weeks and pop out at 37 weeks, which is considered "full-term" and would be nice and healthy, yet spare me 3+ more weeks of the brutal part of this pregnancy.

Recently, I've had to pee like a racehorse. Sorry if that's TMI, but if there has been one things that is annoying me, it is that! I went camping with the family this weekend, and it was just awful to wake up 4+ times a night and have to waddle to the bathroom in the dark via flashlight. I have to pee at LEAST every hour, and that is when I'm not drinking a lot. I've been trying to drink lots of water, and that is making it even worse. I think the baby had dropped a bit which is causing this wonderful symptom, but it has also taken some pressure off my stomach and I am finally able to eat decent size meals rather than getting full after 5 bites! In fact, on Friday I ate 2 and a half peanut butter sandwiches in a 3 hour time period. Impressed?

Jordon and I had an OB appointment on Wednesday, which went well. Both Jordon and the midwife were ecstatic that I gained 3 lbs since the last time I'd been in, making my grand weight gain total 15 lbs. My belly was measuring good, and his heart beat was strong as usual, so everything looked good. We saw the midwife who had been on-call two of the nights that we were at RMH, so she was happy to see I was feeling better. Jordon and I decided she was officially our favorite midwife at the practice and we hope she's the one to delivery baby! We also were able to get a quick peek of Tyler on the ultrasound, because the tech who had done our 3D scan told us we could come in and see if he was in a better position to see his face, since he was a little uncooperative last time. Well, he still had a little umbilical cord in the way, but he moved a ton, so in the 4D video we were able to catch some really good shots of his face!! The pictures we got weren't too much better, but I loved the glimpses I was able to see live while we were at the office! He is SO cute. And it was crazy how much fuller his face looked compared to the ultrasound we had 3 weeks ago!! My little boy is already growing up, and he isn't even officially here yet!

This upcoming Friday, we're heading back to UVA for a follow-up appointment to our level 2 ultrasound last month. They want to make sure Tyler's ventricles are still under the cutoff for ventriculomegaly, and if they have progressed any they will probably have us delivery at UVA. I have a very good feeling things are going to be fine, but in any case, please be praying for his continued health. God has given me such peace about this pregnancy, despite all of its ups and downs, so I'm optimistic things will be fine from here on out.

I've also felt SO blessed this week because of all the baby gifts/cards we've received!! First of all, my parents are just amazing and have been supporting both Jordon and I so much through this summer-of-adjustment, as well as preparation for baby! They got us a wonderful pack and play and gave us the money to get the crib and changing table we want. Lots of essentials for baby? Check! Jordon's mother threw me a wonderful baby shower, and is getting us a rocking chair for when baby comes, which again, is definitely an essential ;-) My friends from school all went in on a super nice Eddie Bauer stroller and car seat... again an essential, which was wonderful to receive, and Jordon and I's family and friends have been so generous with giving us gifts/cards/clothes. I've felt so fortunate because there are so many of my friends that I have seen or even talked to in years who have sent us gifts or well-wishes! We are so lucky to have such great people in our lives. It feels great to finally feel prepared for this little guy to come!

I'm so excited that this week by week countdown is getting slim, and so excited for Tyler to come. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and as always, we'll keep you updated :-)

33 Weeks

Ah and another wild week. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up my boring blogs for long, but I'll get to this week's craziness later.

Well some good things that happened this week were my maternity photo shoot with the talented Erin Mahoney and the beginning of Jordon and I's childbirth classes! Saturday, Erin and I (and Jordon... and Tyler) took many a photo highlighting the crazy expansion of my belly... it was definitely fun! Just have to wait until Erin makes some edits to see the final product, but from what I could tell from previewing them, they are awesome!

Monday, Jordon and I had our first childbirth class. We learned all about the anatomy and physiology of labor (yikes!) and some relaxation techniques, and of course all those crazy breathing methods. Next week's class is on natural methods of pain relief, which I am very excited for.

So then on Tuesday, things went downhill for the week. Jordon and I had been watching Taylor that day, and took her to Winchester to run errands, and on the way home (about 5pm) I started to have some Braxton Hicks contractions. So while Jordon went out to play football with some friends, I decided to stay home and rest. Well the contractions didn't get much better, and I started to get some excruciating back pain. When Jordon got home I was on the floor because I couldn't find any comfortable position and was in so much pain. I ate a little bit and decided to try to sleep, but around 11pm decided I was in way too much pain, and was so nauseated at this point, that I could not take it. Jordon called the doctor who told him to bring me into labor and delivery.

On the way to the hospital I just starting feeling worse and worse and threw up a ton. When we were admitted, they decided to get an IV going to give me fluids and nausea medication, but apparently I have the worse veins in the world because it took them 3 times to finally get a vein. They ended up giving me an injection of anti-nausea medicine because I threw up again while they were trying to put the IV in! Once I finally had the IV in, fluids in me and more medication, I was feeling much better, but according to the monitors I was on, I was having pretty consistent contractions. The midwife came in and checked my cervix which had dilated 1 cm, and she also decided to do a test called a fetal fibronectin, which tells you if you're at risk for having the baby within the nest week or two. Thankfully, that came back negative. I was still having consistent contractions though, so they gave me some medicine to stop those.

The next morning, I was feeling much better, my contractions had slowed down a ton, and I was able to keep some toast down, so after much pleading on my part, they let us go home. I was put on bed rest until the following Monday to make sure my contractions wouldn't start back up again. They also sent me home with some Zofran for the nausea. I went home and slept most of the day, until around 6pm when I started to feel sick again! I hadn't eaten or drank anything since I'd been to the hospital, but was still feeling so nauseous. I threw up a ton and then tried to rest some more, but started feeling sick again around 8:30. I took more nausea medication, but then a half hour later threw up again. Jordon and I decided to call the doctor, who told me to come check back into the hotel Rockingham Memorial Hospital.

Back at the hospital, I had to get another IV, and because I was so severely dehydrated, it took 3 different nurses and 7 sticks to finally get the IV in. Not fun. They ended up having one of the baby nurses come in and do it with a smallest needle ever, but it still took her 3 tries to get it. They gave me fluids and more nausea medication, but I still felt so incredibly sick and threw up again. I had some bad stomach cramps, so they decided to give me some intense pain medication, and finally I started to feel better and feel asleep.

I had to have the pain medication every 2 or 3 hours because the pain kept coming back, so they started to suspect gallstones. They decided to do a full abdominal ultrasound to check for those, as well as anything else that could be going on in my other organs. It was crazy because all of my organs are now pushed up under my ribcage, so they had to do all sorts of fancy maneuvering to get images of everything. Fortunately, everything came back clear, which was good news because the midwife told me if it was gallstones, we couldn't do anything about it until after the baby was born, so I'd just have to manage pain/nausea with medication until he was born, then wait 4-6 weeks to have surgery to have them removed.

So all day Thursday I spent on IV pain medication at the hospital, but by 3pm or so I was able to keep down a liquid meal and then I switched to some oral pain medicine, which I'd be able to take at home. I was able to then keep down a "bland" dinner, so they went ahead and discharged me around 9:30 that night (with all sorts of meds to take home). They basically think I just had some sort of bug that caused the contractions and that the acid in my stomach and the vomiting caused the intense pain I was having. I feel a lot better today, but am still slowly catching up on all the sleep I couldn't get because I felt so bad!

I seriously hope labor isn't anything like what I just went through, because I do not think I could manage it pain-med free haha! The good part of all of this was that Tyler did perfect throughout the whole thing... it was like he had no idea anything unusual was going on because his heart rate was steady they whole time, he still moved around as usual, and he showed absolutely no signs of distress. Hopefully he'll behave accordingly when I go into labor!

Me and Jordon always joke about how hard this pregnancy has been for me, and I told him if our next pregnancy is as hard as this one, I'm definitely adopting the rest of our kids!! I guess I am just going to have a ton of crazy stories for my little guy when he gets older, and maybe it will help him appreciate his momma a little extra :-)

Tomorrow I'm having another baby shower with family and am SO excited! I am very thankful I'm feeling better and won't have to post-pone this fun event :-)

And lastly, Jordon and I have some very exciting news. Jordon was offered the position of Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Ferrum College early this week, and officially accepted the job yesterday! I am SO proud that he has worked his way from high school coach to HEAD collegiate coach in just 3 years!! He is just incredible and talented and I think this will be an awesome opportunity for him. We are going to have a crazy summer because we have to plan a move right after our baby comes, but I think this will be the best decision for our family, and I'm so excited to take on this new path God has set out for our lives.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for praying for us. You all are wonderful :-)