Newness

Well, it seems my little wonder is starting to get the concept of crawling! He'll go 2-3 "crawling steps" before dropping to his stomach and army crawling. Slowly but surely, he's getting the idea. He also sat up by himself the other day--with the aide of a toy near him, but it still counts! He's been able to sit by himself for a few weeks now, but this was the first he actually put himself in that sitting position.

And the kisses!! Oh the kisses he loves to give. Last week was the first I noticed him doing it in response to my kisses. For about a month or more now, he's been doing this thing where he grabs my face on either side and plants his open mouth on my cheek, then releases. Usually, he's grabbing a handful of hair as well, or my ears, which isn't comfortable but once I realized what he was doing, I couldn't very well stop him. Sometimes, he'll just go right for my lips. Kinda weird being "tongued" by a baby. ☺ It's so sweet though, and I can't resist a good Jackson kiss! He does it to others as well. I really hope to have a wonderfully affectionate child!

Jackson's now eating 3 meals a day. He eats like a champ! There hasn't been anything that's totally turned him off. His sleeping habits sometimes leave a bit to be desired--he sleeps about 10 hours at night, though his napping is getting a little better--sometimes he'll go 1-2 hours at a time. He still has somewhat of a "newborn nap schedule" (every 2 hours), but that's getting better as well.

We got some adorable 6 month photos of him at JCPenney's. They did a fabulous job!!

We're finally having a patio put in the backyard. The guys came last week and dug dirt, put a wood form, and layed gravel in there, but we have yet to have any concrete poured. That was supposed to happen early this week, but we're expecting rain until Thursday, so I don't expect to see them before then. In the meantime, we have a form in the backyard and can't use the back door, which really sucks because we have to send Bailey to the front yard to do her business. Hopefully soon, we'll have this thing finished!

Time to get the little guy from his crib, where he's talking to himself right now (after his early morning nap). TOO CUTE!

Half a year!!

I can't believe my baby is 6 months old!! What a fantastic kid I have. WOW--so much personality! The past month has brought on lots of changes. At his doctor's appointment last Thursday, he weighed 20 lbs. 4.2 oz. and measured 27.5 inches long. He ranks in the 90th percentile for height and weight, so he's gone down a bit (he was off the charts at one visit early on).

Jackson's still not quite crawling or sitting up, but very close to both. He can "army crawl" using one arm to scoot himself forward, and he still rocks back and forth on all fours. He's soooo close to crawling and every time I think it's going to happen soon, it doesn't. I guess it'll happen in its own time!

Jackson is now eating so much! We started with avocado (he was eating 1/2 at a time!), and he's moved on to sweet potato, peas, and bananas. He still eats everything puréed (or very well- smooshed), but I hope soon we'll be able to intruduce a bit of texture. I'm certainly not rushing anything though! He still has only his bottom teeth, so chewing is out of the question. I bought him this mesh thing where you can put in whole food and he can "chew" it through the mesh. It's brilliant! I freeze pieces of banana and put those in there. He LOVES it!

We're making some of his food, but I'm not a fanatic about it. Paul would like me to be, but has relented because most baby foods are pretty much nothing but the food itself and water (i.e. jarred peas are nothing but peas and water). Paul decided to steam peaches for him last night, and that turned into a 2 hour ordeal that I don't think he'll be repeating any time soon.

Jackson YELLS A LOT!! We're a pretty noisy household anyway, so he fits right in. He yells when he's happy and when he's not. He doesn't discriminate when it comes to yelling. I love it when he talks to himself--sometimes, I listen to him when he's in his crib after waking up in the morning or after a nap, and he just mumbles quietly to himself. There's no greater sound than a happy Jackson!

I'm still staying at home and won't be teaching in the fall. I guess the community college found someone better to replace me. I'm sad about it as I'd love to keep up with my French, but at the same time, I do love being home with Jackson! We go on walks, and spend some time outside (when it's not blazing hot), and he's an absolute joy most of the time. I love watching him learn and discover new things. I'd love to find a part-time position, mainly because it's strange for me not to be bringing in any money to the household, but Paul never makes me feel bad about this. For that, I'm grateful!!

There are lots of pictures posted on my photo site! Enjoy!!

YES, this is how I entertain my son. Not all the time, just when I think he needs a break from the usual toys--the exersaucer, the Jumperoo, the chunnel (his exploration tunnel). He enjoys this on-the-floor toy but can't sit yet to play with it. He scoots forward, but that still doesn't lend well to playing. SO...it's in the laundry basket he goes. As long as he's happy, his mommy's happy.

Jackson just started being able to go forward, and the last few days I've given him ample opportunity to practice that. He will get up on all fours and rock back and forth, but he's not yet crawling. Sitting seems to be a long way off (longer than crawling), but he'll sit if propped up, at least until he rolls himself to the side and scoots off.

We're having trouble getting him to nap. He still does the half-hour naps all day long, but they really don't seem to be enough for him. I guess if he needed more, he'd just sleep longer. I, of course, can get nothing done in that half hour. I've given up starting any new projects. I can usually get laundry started, which is something.

Speaking of half hour naps, he just finished one so I'm off to see the wizard....

2 Months? Really?

Ok, it's been WAY too long since I last updated. I'm on Facebook more than this blog, but I'd really like to change that. I'd like to have some record of what Jackson's been up to, what he does, etc. and this seems to be the most logical place to do that.

So what is Jackson like these days? Since my last post, the world has changed. He rolls over, scoots (mostly backwards), eats cereal like a champ, blabbles all the time, and is the love of my life. He's more interactive now, which makes him much more fun (especially for his daddy). I look at him everyday and wonder how I got so lucky. I'm taking none of this for granted!

Jackson eats twice a day. Right now, he's still eating cereal, but I think I'm going to start him on real food after this week. We'll start with veggies--Paul insists on nothing sweet to start with for fear he won't eat other things after. In some ways, I agree, but I'll sneak in a few things here and there. He's doing well with cereal though--getting used to the spoon and food in his mouth. It took a while for that to happen, longer than I would have imagined.

Jackson has 2 bottom teeth! They started coming in almost at the same time (discovered May 2nd and 4th). They've both broken through the skin so they don't bother him as much now, but they sure did in the beginning. What's funny is to see his little tongue moving around them--I know he feels the teeth there and is trying to figure out what's going on.

Play time is getting trickier. I bought a Jumperoo for him a few weeks ago, and he likes it but not as much as I would have thought. He LOVES his exersaucer and will spend more time in that. I've been putting him on the floor more lately. He still isn't sitting up without help, so I figured it would be good for him to practice that. He has lots of toys for floor playing, so he's getting more and more play time with those.

He sleeps mostly through the night. We try to get him down between 8-8:30pm, and he'll sleep until about 4:30am, sometimes a bit later. Napping during the say is weird though. He'll usually take a good morning nap, but between about 11am-3pm, he'll sleep a couple times for 30 minutes each time. He seems to need to go down for a nap about 90 minutes after he wakes up from the last one. I try to stretch it out but he gets so cranky that it doesn't go long beyond that.

He's such a love. He has a gentle touch most of the time, and loves to put his hands on my face. He'll put my chin in his mouth, or he'll suck my cheek, which is hysterical! I know I'm going to get a hickey from him one of these days.

Mother's Day was nice--we spent a good part of the day at Paul's sister's, where the boys cook breakfast for the girls. It was nice, but I'm looking forward to spending MD at home starting next year. It's MY DAY and I intend to be selfish with it!

Hopefully I won't go so long between posts! I'll likely make them shorter and tell about what he's doing at a given point. I'd love to post a video, if I can figure out how to do that. We have some really good ones!

Shake, rattle, and ROLL!

Voting for Jackson ended soon after I sent out my mass emailing. He came in 15th, which is pretty decent considering there were thousands entered! He's still #1 in my book though.

Jackson accomplished a major feat today--he rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time! It was so exciting! It was a real roll, too...not just one aided by the mommy. He didn't seem as excited as I did. I got him to roll again later in his crib after a nap. I'm kind of hoping Daddy will agree to let him sleep on his stomach from here on out.

I've been feeling a little unappreciated lately. This stay-at-home mom business is great but exhausting. I mean, I'm at home all day...can't be that bad, right? I do love it, but it can really be fatiguing at times. I really like when Paul's home and can take over (after work and on weekends), however he needs time, too, to get things done (pay bills, do paperwork, etc). When he takes a weekend day to do it, it really throws me off. I love Jackson with all my heart and soul, but sometimes, the mommy just needs a little break. Thank goodness Grandma comes once a week to watch him so I can run errands!!

More soon!

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My baby's growing up!

I can't believe it's been 3 months since I gave birth to the most wonderful little boy in the world! He's really growing up and I love that I get to watch him grow everyday. These days, Jackson's getting more and more on a decent sleeping routine. He gets up, eats, plays, and goes back to sleep about 90 minutes after waking up the last time. He's also sleeping longer at night--this has only been going on for about a week now, but it looks like this is becoming the "norm" around here. VERY exciting!

I'm still pumping (I've decided to go another month) so he's getting about 3 oz. breast milk and 2-3 oz. formula in each bottle (right now, he's getting about 5.5 oz. total). I've been sneaking in an occasional tablespoon of rice cereal in a few bottles (only 2 per day, usually morning and afternoon, and never 2 in a row--I skip one in between...don't ask me why...). He still eats about every 3 hours and occasionally, he needs a boost--an extra 2-3 oz. at a feeding, if he shows he's still hungry.

His personality is incredible!! He's a funny kid who loves to scream (with delight!) and talk and jabber like crazy. He still talks to the ceiling fan. Mornings are the best time--he's usually in a really good mood when he wakes up and after he eats. He talks non-stop when on the changing table and loves to talk LOUD. It's so funny! I love watching his little tongue when he's at his loudest--it's the funniest sight!

He's able to see and respond more and more. He's starting to enjoy sitting in the bouncy seat, and will even spend a little time in his exploration tunnel. He's not yet able to reach out and grab things, but he's getting close! He's also getting closer to rolling from his stomach to back. Not quite there yet, but he'll be there soon.

I'm not exactly sure what he weighs, but I'd guess around 17 pounds. He's wearing 3-6 month clothes but I'm guessing in the next couple of weeks, he'll be in 6-9 months. I'm banking on him being in 12 month clothing by summer. I've had to return a lot of things people have given us so I have return credit at a bunch of stores. This will come in handy when stocking up on clothes later! He's still wearing size 2 diapers, but he's going to be on his way out of those in the next few weeks. I've got a package of size 3 and they look so big!!

I'll be taking pictures of him this afternoon so watch for those!!

2 months old!

Jackson turned 2 months old yesterday. I can't believe it's been TWO MONTHS since he arrived--it still seems like yesterday! He had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning and weighed in at a hefty 15 lbs., measuring 23.6 inches long. He had several vaccinations which did NOT sit well with him (nor with me...it's hard to see my little man cry so hard!). Overall, he's doing very well physically and developmentally.

Jackson has become more and more aware of his surroundings this past month. It's obvious that he can focus in more on things that are further and further away. He smiles and coos when he's in a good mood (usually right after a bottle). And oh, those conversations with the ceiling fan!! I've tried to capture it on video but all I get are bursts of talking around a whole lot of staring, which doesn't make for an interesting video (to anyone but us). In the past week or so, his fist has found its way to his mouth, and not just when he's hungry. Other than that, he doesn't seem to have much control over his arms (they still flail about and he occasionally bonks himself in the head). He likes Pat-A-Cake, the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and the Wheels on the Bus, which we do everyday--guaranteed smiles!

In the next month or so, he'll be transitioning to all formula in the bottle, a decision that was not easy to come by for this mom. He's been at 2 oz. breast milk and 2+ oz. formula for about 10 days and it's working well. Hell, he'll eat anything when offered! Mommy just made a startling discovery late last week--we've been using slow and fast nipples for weeks now. This explains why some bottles have been scarfed down and others have taken a while. ☺ We've experimented with both and are now using both at specific times (i.e. fast ones at night when we want him to finish sooner), but most likely we'll be going to all fast soon. The packaging says that they're for ages 3-6 months, but he's bigger than the average 2 month old so it may be our time.

He still naps several times a day and gets up in the middle of the night to eat, but we are getting him on some semblance of a schedule. He can get a little beastly in the evening--the "witching hour" is alive and well at our house! But we love him so much, it's impossible to describe in words. I know every parent feels this way about their child, but Paul and I both thought we'd never have the chance to experience this in our lives, so it's extra sweet for us!

More soon! Check out all the photos of him on my photo site!

Almost 8 weeks!

I can't believe Jackson is almost 8 weeks old! It's been an amazing 8 weeks...probably no different than for any other new parent. Paul and I are both so taken by this little guy! He can be a BEAST at times, mostly between 8pm and 1am. We struggled with feedings and had a week of trials--first, all formula, then all breast milk, finally ending up where we started: a mix of both. He's been getting a consistant 3 oz. of breast milk, and the amount of formula has increased steadily over time (he's now getting 1.5 oz. of formula mixed with the breast milk).

My issue is now about stopping the breast milk. I've been pumping 4-6 times a day for the past 2 months. I realize most women nurse a lot more than that in a day so I shouldn't complain about my measily 4-6 times. It's been torturous at times for me, having gone through 2 bouts of mastitis (infection in the breast that causes pain, fevers, etc). Luckily, with antibiotics, the infection subsides within a few days but the "best" thing for mastitis is to continue pumping, even at a more frequent rate. When that infection hits, the last thing I want is to have anything anywhere near the boobs! Aside from that, pumping is just plain awful....

...however, thinking about stopping brings on strong guilt in me. I've read and been told that anything Jackson will get nutritionally is in the first 2 months of life, so we're almost at that point. I can tell myself that I don't have to feel bad about this--lots of babies are raised on formula and do just fine--but I feel horrible about stopping! This is the hardest part for me--the GUILT.

My thought has been to stop at the 2 month point (in about a week or so). I really need to figure out how to be confident with that decision and not cave in about renting the pump for another month. Stopping now or in a month, I don't know that that extra month will really truly benefit him. I just don't know.

I'll have another update in a week or so when Jackson hits the 2 month mark! It'll be about HIM, my little prince, and not all about me. ☺

One month later...

WOW! I can't believe how fast this past month has flown. Jackson is growing like a weed! He saw his doctor yesterday for a wellness check-up, and he now weighs 12 lbs. 2 oz. and is 23.2 inches long. He's full of so much personality! I think we're spoiling him by holding him so much, but we can't help it. We're still in that "honeymoon phase." I look at him and still can't believe he's mine!

I've been pumping breastmilk for the past 5 weeks, and supplementing with formula (we just switched to a sensitive formula because he's been so gassy and fussy at times). He now eats 3 oz. breastmilk and 1 oz. formula about every 2.5 to 3 hours. I pump about 4-5 times a day, which is really no fun, but at least I feel he's getting what he needs. Plus, it gives Paul the chance to be a part of feeding him, and it allows me to get sleep when Paul's home. We sleep in shifts--Paul goes to bed later (around midnight) while I go to bed early and am up for the middle-of-the-night feedings. It works out pretty well, provided I can get in a nap at some point!

Jackson has smiled at us and I think he's even laughed a couple times. Not a belly laugh, but a slight giggle. He loves to look at lights and ceiling fans. So far, he's fine with anyone holding him, which works out well since everyone wants a piece of him! He's getting used to baths and doesn't seem to mind them anymore. He's been on several car trips, the first being Christmas eve to see the Baumann's (only an hour away, but still quite a trip!). On his one month birthday, we made the trip to Springfield for my grandma's funeral. We stopped once on the way down and didn't have to stop on the way back, so he does really well in the car!

Jackson will be baptized on January 17th. We had to rush the process because of the 100+ year old dress he'll be wearing (at least we hope he'll wear it!). The dress is fragile and quite small, so there's a small window in which a baby can wear it. It's been worn by most babies in the family for generations, and I'd like to continue that tradition!

There are cute pictures of Jackson on my photo website, so check 'em out! Enjoy!

Jackson

I've been trying for 2 weeks to update this blog, but so many things have gotten in the way! It's been an interesting 2 weeks, so here's the rundown:
The little man has arrived! He came into the world at exactly 8am on December 3rd. He weighed a whopping 10 lbs 1 oz. and measured 20.5 inches long (someone laughed that he's a "short Italian"). He's beautiful. YES, I know I'm his mother, but I really think that. I can't stop looking at him!
Our days are spent eating, sleeping, and pooping--well, that's Jackson, not so much Mommy. He's a good baby but he does have his moments where he wants nothing more than to be held and comforted, sometimes for hours at a time. While normally I wouldn't mind this sort of thing, I do have one obstacle to deal with: pumping. Jackson had a hard time at the beginning with latching onto the boobs, so I made the decision to exclusively PUMP. While I made this decision early on (in the hospital), I didn't make it lightly. Pumping is HARD WORK. It's a horrible kind of torture, but I do it to give my son what he needs. Despite this, I've had to defend my decision to way too many people--nurses in the hospital, the lactation consultant, even Jack's pediatrician. Apparently, they think I'd rather have my nipples ripped apart 5+ times a day, rather than get him to latch on (which was frustrating for both of us--it just simply didn't work). Anyway, that's been the hardest part to deal with--defending my decision, as well as finding the time and space to pump during the day. Not easy to do with a crying baby!
Despite the few issues we have, we are so dearly in love with this little guy! I just can't believe he's here, and that I have the pleasure of staying home to take care of him. I honestly thought it would be tougher than it is. I'm definitely lacking sleep most days, but I don't think I'd have it any other way right now. I know the sleeplessness is only temporary.
We always welcome visitors, if you're ever in the area! We don't get out much, except to the doctor's office, but this weekend we'll have a bunch of places to go. Christmas eve will be at my brother's, Christmas day will be at our house (with Paul's family), and the 27th will be at my dad's. It's a lot of travel back and forth, since my brother and dad live quite a distance away. I'll likely have to haul the pump around with me, which will really suck, but again, it's the choice I've made and I hope to stick with it for at least a few months.
Merry Christmas!

TWO DAYS!!

Holy cow!! 2 days from now, I will be someone's mother. YIKES! I'm flipping out, but thankfully, Paul is very calm about all this. I think I'm more anxious about the c-section itself than I am the 18 years that follow. I've never had a major operation before, and the only stitches I've ever gotten were in my big toe while I was in college. I did have a minor booby operation 3 years ago, and the removal of some polyps on my cervix, both of which required anesthesia (I love versed!). This seems a lot more serious, but like so many others, I'm sure I'll recover just fine.

I'm finishing up my Christmas shopping and trying to get things in order before being out of commission for a while. I have grocery shopping to do, laundry, and all sorts of things to do in the next couple of days. Oh, and my high-priority pedicure tomorrow morning! ☺ Can't be hospitalized with ugly feet.

This may be my last post before the baby arrives. We will hope to call everyone to let them know, so if I don't get to you on Thursday, be patient. You'll hear from us eventually, either by phone or other means. I'm planning to take my little computer to update everything...hopefully, I'll have wireless access.

Until the next time!!

6 days and counting!

Well, we survived hosting our first Thanksgiving! It would have been a bit smoother if I wasn't so damn big, but it was (not surprisingly) organized and well-thought out! Paul and my mom had everything running on time (save for the deep fryer, which kept blowing fuses) and it was all perfect! The kids played so well together, and everyone seemed to enjoy one anothers company. The only downer of the day was my mother-in-law. Those are stories for another day though.

Only 6 days until the arrival of the little man! The nursery is pretty much done and clothes are washed and put away. I have a few things to get done before he gets here--some Christmas shopping to finish, errands to run, etc. I met with the doctor for the last time on Wed, and he's still growing! I measured 41 cm, 1 over full term. I'm ready for him to be out of there, though I will miss watching and feeling him move around. That's been fascinating to me!

Happy holidays!

Two weeks!

It's official: the baby will arrive the morning Thursday, December 3rd, via C-section. I went yesterday to the doctor for another ultrasound, and the little man is still very breech, so we got his arrival scheduled. They need to do the C-section ahead of time to prevent me from actually going into labor, which would complicate things...from what I've been told. As much as I would have liked trying to do this naturally, I'm ok with it being scheduled! Additionally, he's measuring 8.5 lbs right now. If I were to go to my due date, he'd be 10 lbs or more...not exactly something I want to try to squish out my hoo-ha!

We had some GOOD news today! Paul's sister, MariaElena, is cancer-free!! This comes after a scare about 10 days ago where we thought the cancer was back. Turns out, it's not. You can read more about this on her website. It's quite confusing but answers are slowly trickling in. The main thing is that she's free of this dreaded disease!

We're slowly getting things together for the baby. Kate and I painted the nursery today (or finished what Paul started), and we made great progress! There's still stuff to get done in there, but it's exciting to be this far! My goal is to have the nursery done and Christmas decorations up by Thanksgiving. I'm mostly done with both, so that leaves cleaning the house and shopping for Thanksgiving. Insanity rules in this house!

A shout-out to the soon-to-be Dr. Linda Ryan: CONGRATULATIONS!! She's 99% done with her doctorate!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The clock is ticking...

Saw the doctor yesterday--I now go weekly--and everything is normal. I'm not one bit dilated, which is a wee disappointing to me. The last week or so, I've felt more uncomfortable than ever. The baby is still breech and sitting on organs that are now moved into places they have no business being. It's quite painful at times, especially at night--no position is comfortable anymore. I sleep on either side and my hips hurt. I sleep on my back and everything hurts. I can't win at this point. The only good thing is that there are only 3 weeks left! Presumably, I'll be having a C-section, unless he flips (and at this point, I'm really hoping he doesn't). I've accepted having this major operation and will be quite glad to have it scheduled. I'll find out for sure after my ultrasound next Wed (the 18th). If it's scheduled, we're likely looking at Wed, December 2nd. PRETTY EXCITING! Less than 3 weeks away!

I've been trying to get things done around the house, specifically putting the nursery together and getting Christmas decorations up. Late next week, I need to CLEAN THIS HOUSE!! It needs to be sparkly clean for Thanksgiving. Paul has talked about hiring someone to come in and clean, but I wouldn't feel right about that. At least not now--maybe after the baby and before Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, his sister and brother-in-law have graciously "allowed" us to host Christmas day at our house! They claimed the holiday several years ago and we've spent the day at their house with them. However, having a newborn, they're willing to share the holiday this year. I'm soooooooo grateful, especially since I'll still be recovering from the C-section. MariaElena is an AMAZING cook and is planning to do all the cooking here. Neither Paul nor I are really that excited about hauling a newborn around for the holidays. This will make our life so much easier!

Please send as many prayers out to MariaElena, who was just re-diagnosed with cancer. She just last week finished treatment for Hodgkin's and breast cancer, after 20+ months, but found another lump on her side. After having an aspirate done, it revealed cancer cells. She's having a PET scan done today and will probably have results in the next day or two. This is all so distressing for them. Her caringbridge site is here, if you'd like to leave her a message in the guestbook. She'd love to know people are thinking of her!