Routine??

Wow! How time really flies by when you have a newborn. With one, you can sleep when they sleep or get a few things done around the house. With a preschooler, you need to give attention to them in between feedings and whatever cleaning you get around to doing. We still have rest time here, so while Becca is watching a movie, I try to get a few zzz's in either before or after Barrett eats. We have been letting Becca stay up until we go to bed...this helps us in the morning because she will sleep in until 8 or 9:00, which helps me get a few extra zzz's hopefully. There have been a few nights he's gone 4-5 hours between feedings. The only problem we're really having is he's a little gassy and he doesn't burp well. So, lying him down doesn't work for too long. The swing helps some, but he still gags a little and when I get him up, he typically gives me a big burp. So, today during the day, I'm trying him in his bed on his belly. I know, it's a big no-no, but I'm seeing how well he does with his head; I really think it will help with his belly. He sleeps really well when he's sleeping on my or Darren's belly. I know, he's only 4 1/2 weeks old but it would be nice to be able to lay him down and get some sound sleep.

At his 2 week checkup a couple of weeks ago, he was already 9 pounds 12 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. That's 2 1/2 inches and a pound and a half in 2 weeks! He is really growing and eats really well and will occasionally sleep well in the right position.

His first bath

Big sister loves to help

Daddy and his kids in Barrett's favorite position

Coming home

The first several days after we came home flew by. One of my brothers and family as well as my sister and niece drove here to meet Barrett and spend a little time for Christmas. It was a lot of fun and wish they could have stayed longer. It was nice to have someone closer to Becca's age for her to play with. They were all a huge help with the kids as well as the cooking. Of course, my mom was a huge help with cleaning, cooking, and the kids. I don't know why people wouldn't have their mom there to help out...she really is great!

When he was 4 days old, we went to the doctor for a checkup. He was only 2 ounces shy of his birth weight. We also started noticing he was developing a yellowish tint. Our pediatrician sent us to the lab for bloodwork. His bilirubin levels were over 19...25 is the danger level that leaves permanent damage. So, they called a company who comes to your house with the bilirubin belt and someone to show you how to use it. He was on it as much as possible, even overnight. It wrapped all the way around his middle, luckily, it didn't bother him and he still slept quite a bit. Christmas Eve, we went back in for bloodwork and he'd only dropped 1 point. We went back in Christmas Day and he'd dropped all the way to 15 so we were able to stop using the belt.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Okay, you may want to skip this posting. I will put some things you may not want to read...I'm not getting really detailed, just a few details you may not want to read about my C-section.

I remember being so out of it after the C-section, not immediately but at some point rolling me down the hall into a recovery room and eventually into my room. I was vaguely aware of nurses in there sitting with me, talking and then my mom coming in the room telling me goodbye. I remember Darren coming back but am unsure when I was completely aware of what was going on around me. That was the first downside to a C-section because I couldn't spend time with Barrett right away.

That night, the nurse came in every few hours and made me breathe in and out of a tube and then cough. The second downside to a C-section is being afraid to cough, sneeze or laugh. The next morning I had to be on a liquid diet and I wasn't really that hungry anyway.

When the nurse came in and told me I needed to get out of bed and walk around. and I had to do a lot of it on my own was rough. I remember looking at my legs being so swollen from the iv and surgery...that was a beautiful sight, let me tell you. I had to get up and walk 4-6 times a day. The third downside to a C-section was getting out of bed trying not to hurt my incision.

My mom brought Becca up later in the day and she did great! She was there for about 6 hours and wasn't a problem at all....of course we brought her DVD player to help keep her occupied. The fourth downside to a C-section is your child not being able to run up and give you a big hug and having to tell them to be easy when they're snuggling with you.

Friday night, I started feeling pretty badly and walked in the middle of the night to try and relieve some of the pressure. By Saturday morning, they gave me the option of an enema and I took them up on it right away. I have never been so happy to have this lovely medical procedure done. After all was done, I felt like a brand new woman. The fifth downside to a C-section is all the gas buildup.

I was ready to go home and given the thumbs up Saturday afternoon but had to wait on Barrett's blood work to come back since he had a fever after he was born. But everything was fine and we were on our way home to greet family that had come in from Oklahoma and Texas.

The upside to a C-section is no squirt bottles! and actually feeling a little more normal quicker since the stitches are in a less sensitive area.

D-Day

Last week was a semi blur. It seemed there was so much to do before the baby arrived. I had something going on every night. Wednesday, I wanted to do something special with Becca before her life changed so I took her to have her nails done. She loved it! We then went down to Nashville to meet with my eye surgeon to have a test done before they could send it off to insurance for approval. We then had time to kill before my mom's plane came in, so we went to Opry Mills Mall. I was fine at first and then it got more difficult to walk so we took a break and I had a julius...love those things. I thought I was feeling better but hadn't walked far and needed to rest again. Darren took Becca to look for pajamas and a coat for me. We then went to pick up mom, went to dinner, then went to the grocery store. At midnight, we checked into the hospital. I was already dilated to a 6 so they didn't give me any medication. But a lady down the hall was progressing quickly so they called the anesthesiologist for her; while he was there, they decided to go ahead and give me an epidural as well because they thought that once my water broke, I would go quickly. My doctor came in around 7 and broke my water. I progressed slowly from there. The baby was not coming down far enough, which is exactly what happened with Becca. By 2:00, I was feeling a lot of pressure and pain. By 3 or 4, I was asking for more drugs, thinking in the back of my head, that if labor was going to be like this next time, I was done having kids...which is exactly what my husband was thinking at the time too. Even with the pain, I thought if I could just manage, he'd come soon but I still did not want a C-section. Around 5, the doctor said he was coming out forehead first and they were going to try to turn him and use the vacuum some. Unfortunately, that didn't work. So, they decided to do a C-section. I won't lie, I was upset and didn't really want one, but understood that it was best for both of us. When the doctor went in, he also found that the baby had his head turned at an angle, so when he was coming down, he got stuck. So at 6:06 p.m. Barrett Max came into this world. He weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. We were happy to have a healthy baby. Big sister and Barrett

Becca dentist and birthday party

Becca went to a pediatric dentist for the first time this last week. He said everything looks good...her spacing, cheekbones, etc. However, the thing that connects your tongue to your mouth is too close to the teeth and will probably cause problems later. She will probably have that clipped in the next year. I didn't take her so I didn't get all the details about why or what would happen if we didn't clip it. I'll probably do a little research but surely our dentist, whom my husband knows, wouldn't suggest something that wasn't needed...I hope. Becca's birthday party was yesterday. It started off shaky but ended well. I stepped out of the shower, mind you I'm 9 months pregnant, and almost did the splits. Needless to say, I was a little sore the rest of the day and some still today. My husband had to work that morning but was picking up the pizzas and meeting us at the bowling alley. I was trying to get myself and my daughter ready which is not easy task at her age. I also realized I had no balloons so needed to make a stop on our way. Becca was so excited about her birthday cake. There is a lady here who is very talented. You can give her a picture of anything and she'll make it for you. Plus, she puts almond extract in the icing and it is the best cake you'll eat. Anyway, she did a great job with the Cinderella cake and Becca wanted to look at it yet again. I told her we needed to comb her hair and finish getting ready first. Well, I went to her room to get her stuff and she, having her own little mind, decided to go check out the cake herself. I heard a crash and ran in the kitchen. The cake was upside down, still in the box however, and she was bawling. Luckily, the cake wasn't horribly damaged but it just made me more frazzled. By the time we cleaned it up and got the balloons, we were 10 minutes late to her birthday party. The rest of the day went great! It was a little chaotic at first, but the kids really had fun bowling. We had 11 kids on 2 lanes but once we got going, it actually went smoothly. A good time was had by all, we bowled, we ate pizza and cake and ice cream, had presents, etc. I love kids this age, every present is so exciting and the best thing they have ever seen. When we got home, it took me an hour to get all the presents out of the boxes because they really "tie" them in there. Cinderella stayed in tact, just the writing and the border were damaged They loved bowling!

More random occurences

Thanksgiving was another nice, quiet holiday. Darren's parents had planned on coming out, but with the baby coming soon, they decided to wait. So Darren smoked the turkey and I made a few things. Darren worked that morning and got home with just an hour to spare before the turkey was done. Then I watched my Cowboys defeat the Seahawks, so all in all it was a good day. Later in the weekend, we painted the entire living room. Darren did the hard work...going up and down the ladder to reach the ceiling and then do the trim around the baseboards too. I just had the middle part with a roller. Of course, we had all our furniture in the middle of the floor and there were some pieces I of course couldn't get back into place. Sunday afternoon while Darren was at work, I came around a corner too quickly (where the couch should be) and kicked the wall. The toe next to my pinky toe got the brunt of it. I couldn't get a towel wrapped around my toe very well with my belly in the way. Later in the evening I was showing it to Darren and it had turned pretty colors. I either broke or sprained it but it doesn't hurt too badly as long as no one steps on it (thank you kids and dogs). Becca went to a pediatric dentist today for the first time so he just looked in her mouth. He said everything looks good, the spacing, the jaws, etc. However, the thing underneath your tongue that connects to your mouth is a little too close to her teeth. She can't stick her tongue out very far and when she does, it folds a little at the end. He said he'd check her in about a year and we may need to get it clipped because it can cause problems later. She got a balloon and a toothbrush and she enjoyed the dentist. I wonder how long that lasts??

Random pregnancy musings

Why is it if I wake up after 4:00 to go to the bathroom, I cannot go back to sleep? If I wake up before then, and I almost always do, I don't have any problems. 4:00 is the magical time. I was up for almost 3 hours this morning and finally fell asleep for a quick 1 hour nap. Oh well, at least I got a short nap this afternoon. My last doctor's appointment, the doctor asked me how big Becca was when she was born. He said I've consistently measured big and said he didn't think I would ever have a small baby. That wasn't the most comforting thing, however, he is inducing me at 38 1/2 weeks so this should be a normal sized baby...hopefully.