Brody man is six months old today! Six months. Halfway to a year. HOLY COW where has the time gone? I can honestly say that I absolutely cannot imagine life without this sweet little boy as a part of it and can't believe how incredibly blessed we are with our two wonderful children. Brody is at such a fun age right now and I just love seeing him grow and develop before my very eyes.
I weighed Brody on our home baby scale today and he weighed in at 16 lbs 12 oz and I get a rough length measurement of 28 inches! We will see how accurate I am when he gets his official measurements at his six month well visit next week! Regardless he is just growing like a weed and getting to be such a big boy! He is wearing all 6 or 6-9 month clothes and seems exceptionally long to me! Its hard to even fathom that he is very close to the size that Ella was on her first birthday!
As far as milestones, Brody seems to be meeting them ahead of the curve or right on time. He has been sitting very well unassisted since 4 months and loves to sit and play with toys and watch his sister run around and act goofy. This kid has a serious love for our dog Franklin and literally every time the dog comes in his sight he breaks out in a huge grin. It is seriously too cute. He is babbling and has the cutest little belly laugh I have ever heard. Big B is such a happy baby- always ready with a smile and so ticklish that he is the easiest guy to get laughing. He is extremely strong on his belly and can get himself into a full push up with his whole torso off the ground. I don't think we are far from crawling- YIKES!
Brody is still on his Alimentum formula which he needs because of his milk protein intolerance. He has a healthy appetite- usually he takes 6 oz bottles or so for a total of about 32-35 oz a day. The past few days he has been not having much of an appetite though, only taking 20ish oz so who knows what his deal is! Sleep does not come easy to us in this house but Brody boy is doing pretty good. He can't stay up late at night and is ready for bed around 6:30-7:00 and on a good night he will sleep until 5 or 5:30 and take a quick 2 oz and go back down for a few hours. We have our bad nights too but he is getting better :)
I can't wait to see what the next six months bring! I sure love this little boy!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
One year...
One year ago today, July 12th, I had my first PICC line put in. It was one of the lowest points I have ever been at. When I think back to that time a year ago, I was so SO sick. Sicker than I realized at the time. It has taken me quite awhile to come to terms with my feelings and emotions regarding my pregnancy and, more specifically, my hyperemesis. I think that for so long I tried to be strong and not let on just how debilitating and draining my illness was. I remember last year at this time calling my OB after a morning full of vomiting and I was laying in bed too weak to stand. I expected him to send me to the hospital for another round of IV fluids but he instead ordered a PICC to be inserted. I was TERRIFIED. For those that aren't aware, prior to my pregnancy with Brody I was pretty much a big scardy cat when it came to needles. Simple blood draws induced huge anxiety in me. So imagine what I was thinking about getting a PICC.
I remember being so so TIRED and sick as I headed to the hospital with my mom that day. I was worried about Ella while I left her with my dad and bummed that Jeff couldn't take off work to come with me to the hospital. We ended up having to wait for a LONG time at the hospital so I was glad my mom was there to keep me company. There was a scale in my room so I weighed myself that day and I was at my lowest point since high school- 123 pounds. I had started the pregnancy at 138 so in just 11 weeks of pregnancy (7 that I was aware of), I had lost 15 pounds! My "skinny" clothes were hanging off of me. On a good day I would eat a slice of american cheese and a baked potato. It was awful.
My pregnancy with Brody was honestly one of the darkest, most difficult periods of my life. I can't put into words how awful it is to feel SO sick for SO long. Like the worst flu or hangover you have ever experienced for MONTHS. I think the hardest part was that I just felt like so many people didn't really get it. Many assumed I just had a bad case of "morning sickness" while others said I should just be grateful that it was easy for us to get pregnant. That hurt more than people realize and it has been hard for me to get over some of my friends that weren't really there for me.
I am so thankful that I am in this place one year later with my absolutely adorable baby boy. He is so amazing and worth every single struggle I went through over those nine long months. Sometimes I think it truly is a miracle that he is here and healthy after all I went through!
I remember being so so TIRED and sick as I headed to the hospital with my mom that day. I was worried about Ella while I left her with my dad and bummed that Jeff couldn't take off work to come with me to the hospital. We ended up having to wait for a LONG time at the hospital so I was glad my mom was there to keep me company. There was a scale in my room so I weighed myself that day and I was at my lowest point since high school- 123 pounds. I had started the pregnancy at 138 so in just 11 weeks of pregnancy (7 that I was aware of), I had lost 15 pounds! My "skinny" clothes were hanging off of me. On a good day I would eat a slice of american cheese and a baked potato. It was awful.
My pregnancy with Brody was honestly one of the darkest, most difficult periods of my life. I can't put into words how awful it is to feel SO sick for SO long. Like the worst flu or hangover you have ever experienced for MONTHS. I think the hardest part was that I just felt like so many people didn't really get it. Many assumed I just had a bad case of "morning sickness" while others said I should just be grateful that it was easy for us to get pregnant. That hurt more than people realize and it has been hard for me to get over some of my friends that weren't really there for me.
I am so thankful that I am in this place one year later with my absolutely adorable baby boy. He is so amazing and worth every single struggle I went through over those nine long months. Sometimes I think it truly is a miracle that he is here and healthy after all I went through!
Monday, July 11, 2011
4th of July Week
We have had a very busy week! It has been so wonderful to spend time as a family and do some fun things together! Jeff took the whole week off which is something he has never done since he started working- it was pretty darn awesome! We kicked off the week last Sunday by taking Ella to the 4th of July carnival over in Lions Park. I had been to the carnival years ago as a kid but could hardly remember what it was like so we weren't sure whether she would like it or not. Well she LOVED it! There weren't a ton of rides she could go on because she is still pretty small and many have height requirements but she loved the merry go round and a random car ride. The highlight of the evening was when Ella and I rode the Ferris Wheel together! It was so much fun! I thought she would get scared but she had a ball- she just kept waving at her Daddy and saying "Higher higher!"
The next day, Monday was the 4th. We started out by meeting my parents for the parade in Urbandale. Both kiddos did great and even though Ella didn't get much candy she still had a good time! Then we headed home and went to our neighbor's Dave and Donna's house for a BBQ. It was fun to see all our neighbors and watch the kiddos run around and play. Then it was time to head home for naps. In the evening, we had all the neighbors over for drinks in the driveway while the kids played and watched fireworks. We are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful neighborhood with wonderful friends and we know our kids will grow up to be best of friends as well! Brody boy went to bed at his usual 7 PM bedtime and slept through all the fireworks bless his heart. This is the first year we have kept Ella up for them and while she was a bit scared of the actual fireworks, she had a ball playing with her friends, doing sparklers, blowing bubbles, and running around with flashlights. She was up until after 11 PM!
Tuesday was a day to sort of catch up on sleep and recuperate and we also packed and got organized for our trip to Okoboji. We spent the rest of the week up at Jeff's parents' lake house with 15 members of my family. Both my aunts/uncles and cousins all came up, along with my parents, my brother and my grandma. We had five days of beautiful weather and had a great time! We spent most of our days floating lazily on rafts in the water, the boys fished a lot and we took evening boat rides. It was so nice. I will say that vacationing with two little ones is a bit more hectic than it used to be when it was just Jeff and I! It felt like one of us was always running after someone but I wouldn't have it any other way! Both Brody and Ella had little lifejackets to wear and loved floating in the water! I was wondering how B would do but he just loved floating around in his little inner tube and looked as relaxed as could be.
One night we took Ella to Arnold's Park and she absolutely loved all the rides there. It was a fun way to end the evening. It was also Jeff and my four year wedding anniversary during the trip so we celebrated by sneaking away while Grandma watched the kids for a bit and had an awesome dinner by the lake. It was fun to think back over the past four years as we shared a bottle of wine and to realize how far we have come! Our first anniversary I was pregnant with Ella and she was pretty little our second anniversary so we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Last year I was deathly ill battling hyperemesis so our third also went a bit unnoticed so it was nice to have some quality time together this year!
The next day, Monday was the 4th. We started out by meeting my parents for the parade in Urbandale. Both kiddos did great and even though Ella didn't get much candy she still had a good time! Then we headed home and went to our neighbor's Dave and Donna's house for a BBQ. It was fun to see all our neighbors and watch the kiddos run around and play. Then it was time to head home for naps. In the evening, we had all the neighbors over for drinks in the driveway while the kids played and watched fireworks. We are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful neighborhood with wonderful friends and we know our kids will grow up to be best of friends as well! Brody boy went to bed at his usual 7 PM bedtime and slept through all the fireworks bless his heart. This is the first year we have kept Ella up for them and while she was a bit scared of the actual fireworks, she had a ball playing with her friends, doing sparklers, blowing bubbles, and running around with flashlights. She was up until after 11 PM!
Tuesday was a day to sort of catch up on sleep and recuperate and we also packed and got organized for our trip to Okoboji. We spent the rest of the week up at Jeff's parents' lake house with 15 members of my family. Both my aunts/uncles and cousins all came up, along with my parents, my brother and my grandma. We had five days of beautiful weather and had a great time! We spent most of our days floating lazily on rafts in the water, the boys fished a lot and we took evening boat rides. It was so nice. I will say that vacationing with two little ones is a bit more hectic than it used to be when it was just Jeff and I! It felt like one of us was always running after someone but I wouldn't have it any other way! Both Brody and Ella had little lifejackets to wear and loved floating in the water! I was wondering how B would do but he just loved floating around in his little inner tube and looked as relaxed as could be.
One night we took Ella to Arnold's Park and she absolutely loved all the rides there. It was a fun way to end the evening. It was also Jeff and my four year wedding anniversary during the trip so we celebrated by sneaking away while Grandma watched the kids for a bit and had an awesome dinner by the lake. It was fun to think back over the past four years as we shared a bottle of wine and to realize how far we have come! Our first anniversary I was pregnant with Ella and she was pretty little our second anniversary so we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Last year I was deathly ill battling hyperemesis so our third also went a bit unnoticed so it was nice to have some quality time together this year!
Monday, June 27, 2011
5 Months Old!
Brody boy is five months old today. Where, oh where, has the time gone? He is getting so big and so strong. I weighed him today and he was sixteen pounds even which is exactly what Ella weighed at NINE months old haha! He is eating 5 bottles a day- most are 6 ounces and his bedtime bottle is 7-8 ounces! He has been eating rice cereal for about a month now and doing pretty good with it. Last night we started vegetables, giving him green beans for the first time. He wasn't sure about them at first and did a little shudder after his first swallow but then did pretty good, eating about a fourth of the container. As far as sleep goes, little man had a rough time from about four months until now but things seem to be improving. He is an early to bed guy, usually down by 7 if not 7:30 at the latest. He had been waking twice like clockwork every night but the past week has been down to one waking around 3 AM or none at all like last night. Hopefully we are on the trend to full night sleeping again! :)
As far as physical milestones, B is getting really good at his sitting. He was a tripod sitter for awhile, using his hands to support him. Now he has decided he's too cool for all that so he is not using his hands at all! This causes him to unexpectedly fall over sometimes when he makes a sudden movement but he is getting more steady every day. He is getting a bit frustrated these days on his tummy because he desperately wants to crawl. He will push up on his arms and flail and kick like crazy but can't figure out how to get anywhere! Poor little man! Hopefully he can figure it out soon although I am not sure I am ready for him to be mobile yet! :)
We are continuing to soak up the summer sun and just enjoy our sweet life. This past week was a bit hectic as I attended a conference for work all day Thursday and Friday. My mom watched the kiddos on Friday which was her first real taste of watching both of them all day. Things went great but I am sure she was exhausted that night! Jeff took the day off Friday and hung out with the kids and they had a great time. He left in the afternoon with Ella and Franklin for a quick trip to Sun Valley lake to see his parents. Apparently Ella just had a ball playing at the beach and riding on the boat. Jeff said she even swam by herself for a few minutes in her lifejacket! My little girl is growing up! She was SO excited to tell me all about it when she got home!
On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a good friend so my parents offered to keep Brody overnight on Friday for the first time so I could get some cleaning and last minute preparations done. As any mommy knows, leaving your baby with someone else overnight for the first time is HARD! I thought it would be easier now that we have already gone through it with Ella but gosh leaving my sweet man was sad for me. He did SO good though and my parents really enjoyed having him. It was extremely strange to be home all by myself for the night but I was able to get everything done ten times faster than if my family were home and the shower turned out great! :)
As far as physical milestones, B is getting really good at his sitting. He was a tripod sitter for awhile, using his hands to support him. Now he has decided he's too cool for all that so he is not using his hands at all! This causes him to unexpectedly fall over sometimes when he makes a sudden movement but he is getting more steady every day. He is getting a bit frustrated these days on his tummy because he desperately wants to crawl. He will push up on his arms and flail and kick like crazy but can't figure out how to get anywhere! Poor little man! Hopefully he can figure it out soon although I am not sure I am ready for him to be mobile yet! :)
We are continuing to soak up the summer sun and just enjoy our sweet life. This past week was a bit hectic as I attended a conference for work all day Thursday and Friday. My mom watched the kiddos on Friday which was her first real taste of watching both of them all day. Things went great but I am sure she was exhausted that night! Jeff took the day off Friday and hung out with the kids and they had a great time. He left in the afternoon with Ella and Franklin for a quick trip to Sun Valley lake to see his parents. Apparently Ella just had a ball playing at the beach and riding on the boat. Jeff said she even swam by herself for a few minutes in her lifejacket! My little girl is growing up! She was SO excited to tell me all about it when she got home!
On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a good friend so my parents offered to keep Brody overnight on Friday for the first time so I could get some cleaning and last minute preparations done. As any mommy knows, leaving your baby with someone else overnight for the first time is HARD! I thought it would be easier now that we have already gone through it with Ella but gosh leaving my sweet man was sad for me. He did SO good though and my parents really enjoyed having him. It was extremely strange to be home all by myself for the night but I was able to get everything done ten times faster than if my family were home and the shower turned out great! :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Summer Lovin'
My top ten favorite things about summer so far:
1. Lazy mornings cuddling on the couch or in mommy's bed in no rush to go anywhere.
2. Making rainbows with sidewalk chalk with Ella.
3. Playing in the kiddie pool with both kiddos and seeing their huge smiles.
4. Girl time with Ella in the treehouse while Brody naps.
5. Long evening walks after dinner with the whole fam.
6. Seeing Ella change from a baby to a little girl in her swimming lessons and gymnastics classes.
7. Sweet baby giggles as Brody man and I have tummy time together while Ella naps.
8. Sitting in the driveway watching all the neighborhood kids play together.
9. Grilling yummy steaks and chicken.
10. Wine on the deck with my wonderful husband. :)
1. Lazy mornings cuddling on the couch or in mommy's bed in no rush to go anywhere.
2. Making rainbows with sidewalk chalk with Ella.
3. Playing in the kiddie pool with both kiddos and seeing their huge smiles.
4. Girl time with Ella in the treehouse while Brody naps.
5. Long evening walks after dinner with the whole fam.
6. Seeing Ella change from a baby to a little girl in her swimming lessons and gymnastics classes.
7. Sweet baby giggles as Brody man and I have tummy time together while Ella naps.
8. Sitting in the driveway watching all the neighborhood kids play together.
9. Grilling yummy steaks and chicken.
10. Wine on the deck with my wonderful husband. :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sleep- Who needs it?
We all know Miss Ella was a notoriously horrible sleeper for the better part of the first two years of her life. She got us pretty used to not sleeping much at all and we spent many nights extremely frustrated, wondering if she was EVER going to sleep through the night. So of course when Brody came along, we were pleasantly surprised that he started sleeping long stretches at night around 8 weeks and first slept through the night at 10 weeks. So THIS was what most parents experienced in the sleep department! Well all that has come to a screeching halt the past two weeks. Starting with B's ear infection, he began waking at night presumably because he was in pain. Since then, sleep has been a nightmare. Now keep in mind, we also broke the swaddle habit around this same time because he began rolling in his crib and that made me nervous having his arms and legs constrained. So not only was he going through his ear infection but also the newfound freedom of being free of a swaddle in bed. Now when we put him to sleep he immediately flips to his belly, but once there he flails and squirms and has such a hard time getting comfortable. We try flipping him over to his back but he immediately goes to his tummy again. So the past few weeks he has been waking multiple times a night needing help getting back to sleep and occasionally a few more oz of milk to settle him down. It has been frustrating especially because he was doing SO good. Now I don't know if I will EVER get my good sleeper back. :(
In other news we had another fun week at home on summer vacation. We had a few playdates with friends which are always nice. I love watching Ella play with her friends now that she is getting older. It is so sweet listening to their little conversations and watching them entertain each other! This weekend we had a garage sale to get rid of some of Ella's baby clothes. We had a pretty good turnout and made about $300 but still have TONS of clothes left. Pretty sad that by 6 months Ella had a more extensive closet than her mommy! :)
This week we are looking forward to more fun in the sun! Ella starts swimming lessons which will be Monday-Thursday in the evening for the next two weeks. We picked up a new swim suit today so she is ready to go! I am sure she will have a blast! I am loving my days home with the kiddos and am cherishing every minute!
In other news we had another fun week at home on summer vacation. We had a few playdates with friends which are always nice. I love watching Ella play with her friends now that she is getting older. It is so sweet listening to their little conversations and watching them entertain each other! This weekend we had a garage sale to get rid of some of Ella's baby clothes. We had a pretty good turnout and made about $300 but still have TONS of clothes left. Pretty sad that by 6 months Ella had a more extensive closet than her mommy! :)
This week we are looking forward to more fun in the sun! Ella starts swimming lessons which will be Monday-Thursday in the evening for the next two weeks. We picked up a new swim suit today so she is ready to go! I am sure she will have a blast! I am loving my days home with the kiddos and am cherishing every minute!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
First Week of Summer
The kiddos and I had a fun first week of summer. It is SO GOOD to have this time to hang out with them and just be a family having fun. Poor Big B had kind of a rough week with his ear infection. He hasn't been sleeping or napping well and for a few days hardly ate anything and was vomiting up every bottle. It was hard to see sweet little man so unlike himself. Today was a bit better and he napped well so I am crossing my fingers that we are turning a corner.
Ella is just growing up before my very eyes and she is so very fun to be around! She had her first gymnastics class on Wednesday and did great! It was so cute. Her little friend Paige was there too and they hugged when they first saw each other. The kids did balance beam, uneven bars, trampoline, somersaults, cartwheels, dancing and more! Ella's favorite was the trampoline. Her face just lit up each time she jumped on it. I love watching her grow and learn!
We had a nice weekend with some great weather! Friday night Jeff and I took the kids to a wine tasting that my dad is a part of through Rotary Club. The grandparents showed off the kiddos to their friends while J and I sampled some yummy wines! Saturday we spent lots of time outside making chalk pictures and playing on the playset along with groceries and errands. Today we had a BBQ at my parents' house for my dad's 59th birthday. Ella called him this morning and sang happy birthday and I'm pretty sure that made his day. :) Looking forward to another fun summer week ahead!
Ella is just growing up before my very eyes and she is so very fun to be around! She had her first gymnastics class on Wednesday and did great! It was so cute. Her little friend Paige was there too and they hugged when they first saw each other. The kids did balance beam, uneven bars, trampoline, somersaults, cartwheels, dancing and more! Ella's favorite was the trampoline. Her face just lit up each time she jumped on it. I love watching her grow and learn!
We had a nice weekend with some great weather! Friday night Jeff and I took the kids to a wine tasting that my dad is a part of through Rotary Club. The grandparents showed off the kiddos to their friends while J and I sampled some yummy wines! Saturday we spent lots of time outside making chalk pictures and playing on the playset along with groceries and errands. Today we had a BBQ at my parents' house for my dad's 59th birthday. Ella called him this morning and sang happy birthday and I'm pretty sure that made his day. :) Looking forward to another fun summer week ahead!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Hello Summer!
Ahhh....summer is finally here and it feels so good! What a busy week last week was- packing up at both buildings I work at and scrambling to finish all the end of the year tasks. It felt so great to leave on Friday knowing that I was done and have the whole summer home with my kids to look forward to! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of family time. We are all slowly getting over the nasty virus that knocked us down and enjoyed spending time grilling with family including my aunt and uncle and cousins from Wisconsin.
Jeff took an extra day off work today so he had a four day weekend and we loved every minute of it. Today it was BEAUTIFUL out all day so we literally were outside the whole day and loved it. Ella just had a blast playing on her playset. She runs and climbs and laughs so hard she can hardly stand up. She has had lots of playdates with the neighbor kids and is slowly but surely getting over her shyness. I looked at her feet outside today because she was barefoot and noticed she already has noticeable tan lines from her sandals. That girl is going to be brown by summer's end! It was funny today- we were sitting in the front yard with some neighbors watching Ella play and she was driving around in her little Cozy Coupe car. We told her she could drive it to our neighbor's Ahmed and Danielle's house and back which is just two houses down. She went all by herself down to their driveway and turned around and came back. Small little thing I know but I found myself thinking- wow she is growing up and becoming a little girl and not a "baby" anymore. I find myself having moments like that more and more often. It is SO fun to see her grow and learn but of course a part of me is nostalgic and thinking she is growing up too fast!
In other news, Brody had his four month check up and shots today. Man I hate those shots. Today was the first day of new protocol at our pedi's office and they have combined a few of the vaccines so instead of four injections and an oral, he only had to get two injections and an oral. Works for me! Less pokes makes everybody happy! I think my heart just about broke in half though watching him sob as she poked his chunky little thighs. Ugh that little cry just kills me. Sweet little Brody is just NOT a crier or fussy baby so to see him crying hard like that is awful. He handled them like a trooper though and was all better after a little cuddling from Mom. I asked the pedi to check his ears because now that his cold is getting better he has been having trouble sleeping the past few nights and had diarrhea. Sure enough, poor little man has an ear infection. :( So we are starting antibiotics and hopefully he will be good as new soon. Poor thing, shots AND an ear infection- he is really down and out. Bless his heart he is doing his best to be cheerful Big B though. Not fussy during the day and still full of smiles- just having a rough time sleeping at night and waking crying in pain.
Brody has grown almost 2.5 inches in the last two months- he is now 26.3 inches which puts him int he 90% for height! Where does he get that height from? My bets are on his Uncle Jason :) He weighs 14 lbs 6 oz so 39% for weight. I weighed him at home last week and he was 15 lbs even so he has lost a little with this illness. Hopefully he will be gaining back again soon! Head circumference is 43%. We got the go ahead to try rice cereal when we feel comfortable so we will give it a try sometime here soon. Other than that B is meeting all his milestones- rolling both ways, babbling, smiling- just an amazing little guy!
Jeff took an extra day off work today so he had a four day weekend and we loved every minute of it. Today it was BEAUTIFUL out all day so we literally were outside the whole day and loved it. Ella just had a blast playing on her playset. She runs and climbs and laughs so hard she can hardly stand up. She has had lots of playdates with the neighbor kids and is slowly but surely getting over her shyness. I looked at her feet outside today because she was barefoot and noticed she already has noticeable tan lines from her sandals. That girl is going to be brown by summer's end! It was funny today- we were sitting in the front yard with some neighbors watching Ella play and she was driving around in her little Cozy Coupe car. We told her she could drive it to our neighbor's Ahmed and Danielle's house and back which is just two houses down. She went all by herself down to their driveway and turned around and came back. Small little thing I know but I found myself thinking- wow she is growing up and becoming a little girl and not a "baby" anymore. I find myself having moments like that more and more often. It is SO fun to see her grow and learn but of course a part of me is nostalgic and thinking she is growing up too fast!
In other news, Brody had his four month check up and shots today. Man I hate those shots. Today was the first day of new protocol at our pedi's office and they have combined a few of the vaccines so instead of four injections and an oral, he only had to get two injections and an oral. Works for me! Less pokes makes everybody happy! I think my heart just about broke in half though watching him sob as she poked his chunky little thighs. Ugh that little cry just kills me. Sweet little Brody is just NOT a crier or fussy baby so to see him crying hard like that is awful. He handled them like a trooper though and was all better after a little cuddling from Mom. I asked the pedi to check his ears because now that his cold is getting better he has been having trouble sleeping the past few nights and had diarrhea. Sure enough, poor little man has an ear infection. :( So we are starting antibiotics and hopefully he will be good as new soon. Poor thing, shots AND an ear infection- he is really down and out. Bless his heart he is doing his best to be cheerful Big B though. Not fussy during the day and still full of smiles- just having a rough time sleeping at night and waking crying in pain.
Brody has grown almost 2.5 inches in the last two months- he is now 26.3 inches which puts him int he 90% for height! Where does he get that height from? My bets are on his Uncle Jason :) He weighs 14 lbs 6 oz so 39% for weight. I weighed him at home last week and he was 15 lbs even so he has lost a little with this illness. Hopefully he will be gaining back again soon! Head circumference is 43%. We got the go ahead to try rice cereal when we feel comfortable so we will give it a try sometime here soon. Other than that B is meeting all his milestones- rolling both ways, babbling, smiling- just an amazing little guy!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Colds, Playset and Elmo!
Its been a busy week in the Grinstead house and a bit of a tough one, health wise. It started off with Ella who came home from the sitter last Thursday covered in a rash that would come and go on her legs, arms, face and back. She was otherwise acting fine but I called the pediatrician to see what they would say and they said there are tons of viral rashes going around and just to watch it and let them know if it hung around more than a week. Thankfully after a few days a few doses of Benadryl, her rash disappeared and was followed with a cold. We had several days of a major runny nose and horrible cough which led to little eating and Miss Ella just wasn't quite herself. A few days later, Brody boy woke up with a little gunk in his eyes and it seems he has caught the cold as well. Thankfully he did not develop a rash but has a runny nose and quite a cough. Bless his heart he hasn't stopped being a smiley little guy though and it hasn't seemed to affect his temperament as of yet and of course not his eating! :) Jeff has also been under the weather this week with a bad cold and cough so I supposed it was inevitable that I would get it too. Thursday morning I woke up with a bad sore throat and headache and just was SO tired. I chalked it up to a busy week but the sore throat kept getting worse and by Friday it felt like I was swallowing glass. I debated about whether to go to the doctor because I didn't want to waste the time if they were just going to tell me it was a common cold but at the same time didn't want to leave strep untreated and potentially expose my family. So I sucked it up and went to Doctor's Now on Friday afternoon as soon as my students left. Let me tell you it was not a fun experience. I waited in the waiting room for 1.5 hours!!! There were only two people ahead of me and I was told when I got there that it would just be a few minutes. UGH. The doctor's office was the last place I wanted to be on a Friday afternoon! They did the rapid strep test and it came back negative. Even more frustrating. However, the doctor said that he could see white bumps in my throat and that it looked and sounded like classic strep to him so he prescribed Z-pack for me. He said if the antibiotics clear it up within 24-48 hours then it was most likely strep. If not, then it is a virus. I was a mess on Friday night- just SO tired and run down and my throat felt like it was being sliced open. I took the meds and some tylenol and went right to bed when the kids did. Thank the Lord Ella slept all through the night and Brody just woke at 4:30 for a quick bottle so I was able to get some good rest and feel a lot better this morning. My throat feels a ton better.
I think one of the hardest things about being a Mommy is when you get sick. Knock on wood, besides the hyperemesis with Brody I am generally usually healthy but man, when I get sick it is just SO hard. There have been days when all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for 2 days straight but I have two little ones that need me so I kind of have to put my needs on the back burner. Thankfully Jeff is so wonderful and steps in to help out a ton but he can't do it all and my Mommy guilt kicks in when I am spending time away from them. The good news is, cuddles from my babies are some of the BEST medicine! :)
In other news, Ella's "park" is almost done! It is finished enough for her to play on it and she is having a blast. She loves to climb up the different climbers as fast as she can and go down the slide on her belly! I love seeing her stand on the bridge and wave at me with a huge grin on her face! Jeff installed the steering wheel and telescope this week so she is having fun with those. He is outside with my dad right now working on the tube slide so hopefully that will be finished up soon. I also plan to pick up the baby swing when I go get groceries later today so then Big B can play too!
Ella, my mom and I also went to Elmo Live this morning at Wells Fargo. Ella had an absolute blast. We took her last year and she enjoyed it but this year she was much more excited and into it! My dad got us awesome seats- second row in the aisle so we were so close to the stage and Ella even got to touch two of the characters when they came down to dance. She was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing around on my lap to the music. What a fun morning! To make it even better, when we got home, Jeff had cleaned the whole house and it looked awesome! Thanks honey!
One more week of school to go and then we are DONE for the summer! Yay! It will be a busy week of packing up all my stuff (moving rooms) and keeping all the students who are pretty much "checked out" occupied and on task for the next five days. I can't wait until Friday when we can celebrate! I am looking forward to spending the next few months at home with Brody and Ella! Looks like we will be spending lots of time outside :)
I think one of the hardest things about being a Mommy is when you get sick. Knock on wood, besides the hyperemesis with Brody I am generally usually healthy but man, when I get sick it is just SO hard. There have been days when all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for 2 days straight but I have two little ones that need me so I kind of have to put my needs on the back burner. Thankfully Jeff is so wonderful and steps in to help out a ton but he can't do it all and my Mommy guilt kicks in when I am spending time away from them. The good news is, cuddles from my babies are some of the BEST medicine! :)
In other news, Ella's "park" is almost done! It is finished enough for her to play on it and she is having a blast. She loves to climb up the different climbers as fast as she can and go down the slide on her belly! I love seeing her stand on the bridge and wave at me with a huge grin on her face! Jeff installed the steering wheel and telescope this week so she is having fun with those. He is outside with my dad right now working on the tube slide so hopefully that will be finished up soon. I also plan to pick up the baby swing when I go get groceries later today so then Big B can play too!
Ella, my mom and I also went to Elmo Live this morning at Wells Fargo. Ella had an absolute blast. We took her last year and she enjoyed it but this year she was much more excited and into it! My dad got us awesome seats- second row in the aisle so we were so close to the stage and Ella even got to touch two of the characters when they came down to dance. She was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing around on my lap to the music. What a fun morning! To make it even better, when we got home, Jeff had cleaned the whole house and it looked awesome! Thanks honey!
One more week of school to go and then we are DONE for the summer! Yay! It will be a busy week of packing up all my stuff (moving rooms) and keeping all the students who are pretty much "checked out" occupied and on task for the next five days. I can't wait until Friday when we can celebrate! I am looking forward to spending the next few months at home with Brody and Ella! Looks like we will be spending lots of time outside :)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Random post on finding out sex of the baby
Today Jeff and I were hanging out with the kiddos and talking about how lucky we are to be blessed with our beautiful girl and sweet baby boy. Jeff was asking me if I remembered that moment in the delivery room when he told me we had a little boy and it brought back memories of that amazing day and moment. It got me thinking about our reasons for not wanting to find out the sex before our babies were born and how strange that seemed to most people since it seems like the majority of parents find out the sex ahead of time these days.
For us, we felt that there are so few surprises left in life that we wanted to hold out until the end. Many argue that "its a surprise no matter when you find out" which I definitely think is true, however, I honestly believe that nothing can top the experience of finding out the sex of your newborn child amongst the other emotions of becoming a parent. The added anticipation of nine months of wondering, guessing and hoping all built up to that one moment in which my husband was able to hand me my newborn baby and tell me first "It's a GIRL!" and the next time "It's a BOY!" I truly cannot put into words the emotion and overwhelming love that we both felt at that special time.
In my case, both pregnancies resulted in upwards of ten ultrasounds and ended in inductions so we had many sneak peeks at our little ones and ended up knowing exactly when they were coming so we enjoyed having the surprise of not knowing whether we would be holding a baby boy or baby girl in our arms as we pulled up to the hospital for our scheduled inductions.
Others will say that they were able to bond better with their unborn child after knowing whether it was a boy or a girl. I suppose I cannot really comment on this since I only have my experience, but I feel as though I was able to bond with my little ones just as much without knowing their genders. To me, bonding was feeling those sweet little kicks and hiccups and noticing the little knees and elbows as they shifted and rolled.
The planner in me of course would have benefitted from being prepared when baby arrived with gender specific clothes and accessories had we known the sex but you know, we received SO many gifts of clothing once our kiddos were born that this really wasn't an issue. In fact, even if we had known Ella was going to be a girl, we would have had to run out and buy new clothes after she was born anyway because she wasn't able to fit into newborn sizes and needed all preemie clothing for the first month. So much for planning! :)
I guess all I want to say is that I am SO glad that we chose to wait to find out what we were having. Those precious memories that Jeff and I shared immediately after delivery upon learning that we were blessed first with a beautiful daughter and then an amazing son are memories that I will treasure always. I truly believe that there will be very few moments if any in our lives that will rival the intensity and pure joy that we experienced on those special days. For us, the outcomes were absolutely perfect and we wouldn't have it any other day. We were so blessed with our two little surprises. :)
For us, we felt that there are so few surprises left in life that we wanted to hold out until the end. Many argue that "its a surprise no matter when you find out" which I definitely think is true, however, I honestly believe that nothing can top the experience of finding out the sex of your newborn child amongst the other emotions of becoming a parent. The added anticipation of nine months of wondering, guessing and hoping all built up to that one moment in which my husband was able to hand me my newborn baby and tell me first "It's a GIRL!" and the next time "It's a BOY!" I truly cannot put into words the emotion and overwhelming love that we both felt at that special time.
In my case, both pregnancies resulted in upwards of ten ultrasounds and ended in inductions so we had many sneak peeks at our little ones and ended up knowing exactly when they were coming so we enjoyed having the surprise of not knowing whether we would be holding a baby boy or baby girl in our arms as we pulled up to the hospital for our scheduled inductions.
Others will say that they were able to bond better with their unborn child after knowing whether it was a boy or a girl. I suppose I cannot really comment on this since I only have my experience, but I feel as though I was able to bond with my little ones just as much without knowing their genders. To me, bonding was feeling those sweet little kicks and hiccups and noticing the little knees and elbows as they shifted and rolled.
The planner in me of course would have benefitted from being prepared when baby arrived with gender specific clothes and accessories had we known the sex but you know, we received SO many gifts of clothing once our kiddos were born that this really wasn't an issue. In fact, even if we had known Ella was going to be a girl, we would have had to run out and buy new clothes after she was born anyway because she wasn't able to fit into newborn sizes and needed all preemie clothing for the first month. So much for planning! :)
I guess all I want to say is that I am SO glad that we chose to wait to find out what we were having. Those precious memories that Jeff and I shared immediately after delivery upon learning that we were blessed first with a beautiful daughter and then an amazing son are memories that I will treasure always. I truly believe that there will be very few moments if any in our lives that will rival the intensity and pure joy that we experienced on those special days. For us, the outcomes were absolutely perfect and we wouldn't have it any other day. We were so blessed with our two little surprises. :)
Rain, Rain Go Away
What a yucky, rainy weekend this has been! We got so spoiled the previous week with 80+ degree temps and this 50 degrees and rainy stuff is a shock to the system! I guess that's Iowa weather for you huh? Well, another week down at work and just two short weeks to go. Ten days to be exact. :) Right now ten days sounds like forever since the kids at work have definitely been challenging as the school year draws to a close. I think this will probably be the toughest week to get through and then next week should hopefully go pretty quickly!
This weekend has been a really busy one so far. Busy weekends are fun but boy they drain me. I need my relaxation time :) Jeff and his Dad worked on the playset some more this weekend and it is almost finished! It looks so great! Both treehouse forts are completely up and are connected by a cool wooden bridge. There is an arch climber with different sized holes which I thought would be too hard for Ella but she is a pro! Then there is a regular ladder and a faux stone climber. We have one slide up and one more slide to install. The swing and glider are also up and we just need to go pick up a baby swing. Ella LOVES it. She loves to ride on her glider and is all smiles. I love seeing her so happy! It has been a bit stressful as the playset has taken quite a bit longer than we anticipated and there have been a few bumps in the road but it will all be SO worth it!
Yesterday while the boys were working on the playset, I worked on cleaning, dishes and laundry. Things sure do pile up now that I am back at work but I was able to get the house back into order at least for the most part! Then last night Jeff and I headed to the wedding of a family friend in Newton while my parents watched the kiddos. When we got home Ella was bouncing off the walls haha but at least Brody boy was in bed. What a good little man. In fact, he went down at 7:15 PM and woke at 5:45 to eat and is still asleep now at 8 AM. Must have been tired poor guy!
I am always amazed at how much the kids grow and change each week. Even Ella seems to learn new words and skills almost daily! Her new thing now is to tell us she needs something "RIGHT NOW" (oh so politely) or to stop what she is doing and say "Hey! Wait a minute! What's that?" She is too darn funny and too smart for her own good we think. :) And then there is B. Still as laid back as ever. Our sitter tells us she hardly knows he is there he is so good. He has been a little roller lately, mostly from back to tummy but yesterday he started doing tummy to back more. It won't be long before he is rolling all over the place!
Well I was hoping for a day of relaxation and playing outside but the weather isn't looking too great. So we will probably get groceries and do some playing in the basement! Here's to hoping another work week goes by quickly- this mama is looking forward to summer!
This weekend has been a really busy one so far. Busy weekends are fun but boy they drain me. I need my relaxation time :) Jeff and his Dad worked on the playset some more this weekend and it is almost finished! It looks so great! Both treehouse forts are completely up and are connected by a cool wooden bridge. There is an arch climber with different sized holes which I thought would be too hard for Ella but she is a pro! Then there is a regular ladder and a faux stone climber. We have one slide up and one more slide to install. The swing and glider are also up and we just need to go pick up a baby swing. Ella LOVES it. She loves to ride on her glider and is all smiles. I love seeing her so happy! It has been a bit stressful as the playset has taken quite a bit longer than we anticipated and there have been a few bumps in the road but it will all be SO worth it!
Yesterday while the boys were working on the playset, I worked on cleaning, dishes and laundry. Things sure do pile up now that I am back at work but I was able to get the house back into order at least for the most part! Then last night Jeff and I headed to the wedding of a family friend in Newton while my parents watched the kiddos. When we got home Ella was bouncing off the walls haha but at least Brody boy was in bed. What a good little man. In fact, he went down at 7:15 PM and woke at 5:45 to eat and is still asleep now at 8 AM. Must have been tired poor guy!
I am always amazed at how much the kids grow and change each week. Even Ella seems to learn new words and skills almost daily! Her new thing now is to tell us she needs something "RIGHT NOW" (oh so politely) or to stop what she is doing and say "Hey! Wait a minute! What's that?" She is too darn funny and too smart for her own good we think. :) And then there is B. Still as laid back as ever. Our sitter tells us she hardly knows he is there he is so good. He has been a little roller lately, mostly from back to tummy but yesterday he started doing tummy to back more. It won't be long before he is rolling all over the place!
Well I was hoping for a day of relaxation and playing outside but the weather isn't looking too great. So we will probably get groceries and do some playing in the basement! Here's to hoping another work week goes by quickly- this mama is looking forward to summer!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow Mommies and Moms-To-Be out there! What a beautiful day it is outside! I'm feeling extra blessed today to be a Mommy to my two wonderful kiddos. They have completed my family and shown me how to love in ways I didn't even know possible!
Today got off to a great start with both Brody and Ella sleeping in and Jeff bringing me breakfast in bed. Then when Ella got up she brought me a sweet card she and her Daddy had picked out that had a gift certificate for a much needed massage! I can't wait to use that! This is the first year that Ella has been able to say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" and it was so sweet to hear those words and get the best hug and kiss from my favorite little girl! Later, Ella and I had a girls brunch with my mom, grandma, aunt and great aunt at Legends. Ella sat like a little lady and it was fun to be able to include her in the tradition while Daddy and B had boy's time at home.
I survived my first week back to work last week- one week down, three weeks to go until summer! Like I told Jeff, I honestly think the dread leading up to going back to work was worse than actually being there. Now don't get me wrong, it was still SO hard to leave my little man for the first time but I felt good knowing that he would be in wonderful hands with Pat and having his sister there with him also made me feel better. Work is SO busy that I really don't have much time to dwell on missing the kids and being sad and honestly before I know it the day is over and its my favorite time- time to pick up the kiddos at daycare. Brody had an awesome week last week and fit in great with his new friends. Now I just need to make it through these next few weeks and it is summer vacation- woo hoo!
In other news we have a bit of construction going on around here. Daddy is building the kids a playset in the backyard! Yay! Thankfully we have some great friends, family and neighbors who are pitching in to help since this is quite the project. It is slowly but surely coming along and I can't wait until it is ready and Ella can play on it. This little girl LOVES the park so she is ecstatic that she is going to have her own "park" in her backyard! The hard part has been trying to explain to her that its not ready to play yet because she sees it outside and wants to play so bad. Hopefully soon! I think she and I will have a lot of fun out there this summer while her brother is sleeping and it won't be long before Big B is out there climbing right along with her!
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about motherhood- this one pretty much sums it all up!
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone
Today got off to a great start with both Brody and Ella sleeping in and Jeff bringing me breakfast in bed. Then when Ella got up she brought me a sweet card she and her Daddy had picked out that had a gift certificate for a much needed massage! I can't wait to use that! This is the first year that Ella has been able to say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" and it was so sweet to hear those words and get the best hug and kiss from my favorite little girl! Later, Ella and I had a girls brunch with my mom, grandma, aunt and great aunt at Legends. Ella sat like a little lady and it was fun to be able to include her in the tradition while Daddy and B had boy's time at home.
I survived my first week back to work last week- one week down, three weeks to go until summer! Like I told Jeff, I honestly think the dread leading up to going back to work was worse than actually being there. Now don't get me wrong, it was still SO hard to leave my little man for the first time but I felt good knowing that he would be in wonderful hands with Pat and having his sister there with him also made me feel better. Work is SO busy that I really don't have much time to dwell on missing the kids and being sad and honestly before I know it the day is over and its my favorite time- time to pick up the kiddos at daycare. Brody had an awesome week last week and fit in great with his new friends. Now I just need to make it through these next few weeks and it is summer vacation- woo hoo!
In other news we have a bit of construction going on around here. Daddy is building the kids a playset in the backyard! Yay! Thankfully we have some great friends, family and neighbors who are pitching in to help since this is quite the project. It is slowly but surely coming along and I can't wait until it is ready and Ella can play on it. This little girl LOVES the park so she is ecstatic that she is going to have her own "park" in her backyard! The hard part has been trying to explain to her that its not ready to play yet because she sees it outside and wants to play so bad. Hopefully soon! I think she and I will have a lot of fun out there this summer while her brother is sleeping and it won't be long before Big B is out there climbing right along with her!
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about motherhood- this one pretty much sums it all up!
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone
Friday, April 29, 2011
My Letter to Brody
Dear Big B,
I am sitting here watching you nap as I write this letter and can't help but smile at how sweet and peaceful you look while you are sleeping. I just want to tell you thank you for the most amazing 13 weeks that we got to spend hanging out together while I was on maternity leave. It has been such an amazing experience getting to know you and watching your sweet personality develop. We've gone through a lot in these past three months together haven't we? When I think back to the tiny 6 pound baby I brought home from the hospital I can't believe how much has changed in such a short period of time.
You have shown me the world through your eyes and honestly changed me for the better. I so admire your laid back, happy personality and love that you so easily smile and laugh. I will never forget the days of snuggling, sleeping, blowing bubbles and belly laughing that we did together. You were my cuddle buddy through those cold winter days and rainy spring ones. I know some day in the not so distant future, you will be too big for cuddling, not to mention the fact that cuddling with mom will be so NOT cool. :) That's why I am cherishing every minute I have with you now because time really does fly when you are having fun and gosh I am sure having fun with you.
So many nights and early mornings, I have felt oh so tired as I climb out of bed to come to you and the second I peek into your crib and see your eyes light up and your face break into a smile, its like none of that matters and I could never sleep again and it would be okay because I have you and that's worth everything. I wouldn't trade our midnight rocking sessions or those early days of snuggling with you in my bed for anything.
I have to go back to work now for a little while and I'm going to miss you pretty badly little man. You are my best buddy and it won't be the same without you by my side every day. You are such a good little guy and I know you will do just great with Granny Pat and it will be fun for you to be with your sister and your new friends. I promise you, even though I won't be with you all the time, you can bet that I will be thinking of you every second and counting the minutes until I can come see your sweet face again. We just have to remember to not take for granted any minute that we have together and make sure we do lots of cuddling and giggling after school and on the weekends okay?
So thank you, Brody, for this time we have had together. I am so lucky and so thankful that God chose me to be your Mommy. You are the best little guy I know and I love you with all my heart.
Love,
Mom
I am sitting here watching you nap as I write this letter and can't help but smile at how sweet and peaceful you look while you are sleeping. I just want to tell you thank you for the most amazing 13 weeks that we got to spend hanging out together while I was on maternity leave. It has been such an amazing experience getting to know you and watching your sweet personality develop. We've gone through a lot in these past three months together haven't we? When I think back to the tiny 6 pound baby I brought home from the hospital I can't believe how much has changed in such a short period of time.
You have shown me the world through your eyes and honestly changed me for the better. I so admire your laid back, happy personality and love that you so easily smile and laugh. I will never forget the days of snuggling, sleeping, blowing bubbles and belly laughing that we did together. You were my cuddle buddy through those cold winter days and rainy spring ones. I know some day in the not so distant future, you will be too big for cuddling, not to mention the fact that cuddling with mom will be so NOT cool. :) That's why I am cherishing every minute I have with you now because time really does fly when you are having fun and gosh I am sure having fun with you.
So many nights and early mornings, I have felt oh so tired as I climb out of bed to come to you and the second I peek into your crib and see your eyes light up and your face break into a smile, its like none of that matters and I could never sleep again and it would be okay because I have you and that's worth everything. I wouldn't trade our midnight rocking sessions or those early days of snuggling with you in my bed for anything.
I have to go back to work now for a little while and I'm going to miss you pretty badly little man. You are my best buddy and it won't be the same without you by my side every day. You are such a good little guy and I know you will do just great with Granny Pat and it will be fun for you to be with your sister and your new friends. I promise you, even though I won't be with you all the time, you can bet that I will be thinking of you every second and counting the minutes until I can come see your sweet face again. We just have to remember to not take for granted any minute that we have together and make sure we do lots of cuddling and giggling after school and on the weekends okay?
So thank you, Brody, for this time we have had together. I am so lucky and so thankful that God chose me to be your Mommy. You are the best little guy I know and I love you with all my heart.
Love,
Mom
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
3 Months and Big Time Blog Slacking!
I know, I know- I am WAY behind on updating this blog. I have no excuse other than I have been busy playing with two cute little kiddos and have been lazy about updates. But I really do enjoy having this as a place to record memories that I can look back on so I have promised myself I am going to try to be better about updating. :)
Its hard to believe but my little man is going to be THREE MONTHS old tomorrow. Where on earth did the time go? He is such a happy little guy and just the sweetest thing ever. I love him to pieces and we are having so much fun together. Since I last updated the blog at 4 weeks a lot has changed. We had been struggling with Brody having constant vomiting episodes, excessive spitup, chronic congestion, difficulty sleeping and rashes. We had him on Zantac for acid reflux but it was not helping much at all. We took him to the pediatrician at around 4 weeks after he vomited every feeding for 24 hours straight and they thought maybe it was just a virus but things just didn't get better. The other suggestion was that he was possibly sensitive to dairy so I was advised to cut out obvious dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) since I was nursing and what I eat affects him. I tried that and it did seem to help a little but he was still having random vomiting episodes every day. It is so heartbreaking to see your helpless baby throw up so much and know you are making him sick but not know how to stop it. This was a really hard time for me.
At his two month appointment we discussed the issue again with the pedi and he suggested a few things. First, we switched his acid reflux medication from Zantac to Prevacid which was the same medicine that Ella was on. Secondly, he suggested that since the elimination diet was not working, we could trial a special formula called Alimentum that has the milk proteins already broken down since it seems as though Brody is unable to digest them. Apparently this intolerance is becoming more and more common in infants as well as an intolerance to soy and is called MPSI. Most babies grow out of it by the time they are a year old- some even sooner. So we agreed to change the meds and try the formula and see how things went.
For the next few days, we alternated feeding formula with nursing and I pumped in between to keep my supply up. He seemed to tolerate the formula very well and did not vomit at all after eating it. However, after nursing, he would become fussy and spit up or vomit most of the time. Talk about feeling horrible. It was clear my milk was causing him these problems. So we decided to go to 100% formula feeding while I still pumped as we decided what we were going to do. I was SO set on breastfeeding until the fall that this was a really hard decision for me- not to mention that the formula is incredibly expensive and was going to cost us $350 a month! We decided to call our insurance company on the off chance that they might cover some of the cost of the formula and were pleasantly surprised in that it is 100% COVERED! They even cover the more costly, ready to feed kind and deliver a month's supply to our doorstep. What a blessing! So after a lot of talk and a lot of tears (on my part) I decided to stop nursing. It wasn't in my plan but seeing the postive changes in Brody sealed the deal for me. He is like a different baby now. Takes the bottle SO well, burps easily, NO MORE vomiting, very little spit up, skin cleared up and less congestion. I can just tell he feels so much better, bless his heart. I have several hundred ounces of breastmilk frozen in the hopes that he can tolerate it when he gets a bit older but we will just have to see. For now, the formula is working fabulously and that makes me happy and I am at peace with the decision.
As B man approaches the three month mark he is getting to be such a big boy. He is in all 3-6 month clothing now and has tons of little rolls which I love. He is about 13.5 pounds now- which is what Ella weighed at 6 months! Brody is such a happy baby and full of smiles and giggles all day long. He is very ticklish so we can get lots of belly laughs out of him. He loves to sit in his Bumbo and watch me cook or watch his sister play and also loves to stretch out on the floor and kick his legs. We couldnt' be more blessed and are just loving life! :)
Its hard to believe but my little man is going to be THREE MONTHS old tomorrow. Where on earth did the time go? He is such a happy little guy and just the sweetest thing ever. I love him to pieces and we are having so much fun together. Since I last updated the blog at 4 weeks a lot has changed. We had been struggling with Brody having constant vomiting episodes, excessive spitup, chronic congestion, difficulty sleeping and rashes. We had him on Zantac for acid reflux but it was not helping much at all. We took him to the pediatrician at around 4 weeks after he vomited every feeding for 24 hours straight and they thought maybe it was just a virus but things just didn't get better. The other suggestion was that he was possibly sensitive to dairy so I was advised to cut out obvious dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) since I was nursing and what I eat affects him. I tried that and it did seem to help a little but he was still having random vomiting episodes every day. It is so heartbreaking to see your helpless baby throw up so much and know you are making him sick but not know how to stop it. This was a really hard time for me.
At his two month appointment we discussed the issue again with the pedi and he suggested a few things. First, we switched his acid reflux medication from Zantac to Prevacid which was the same medicine that Ella was on. Secondly, he suggested that since the elimination diet was not working, we could trial a special formula called Alimentum that has the milk proteins already broken down since it seems as though Brody is unable to digest them. Apparently this intolerance is becoming more and more common in infants as well as an intolerance to soy and is called MPSI. Most babies grow out of it by the time they are a year old- some even sooner. So we agreed to change the meds and try the formula and see how things went.
For the next few days, we alternated feeding formula with nursing and I pumped in between to keep my supply up. He seemed to tolerate the formula very well and did not vomit at all after eating it. However, after nursing, he would become fussy and spit up or vomit most of the time. Talk about feeling horrible. It was clear my milk was causing him these problems. So we decided to go to 100% formula feeding while I still pumped as we decided what we were going to do. I was SO set on breastfeeding until the fall that this was a really hard decision for me- not to mention that the formula is incredibly expensive and was going to cost us $350 a month! We decided to call our insurance company on the off chance that they might cover some of the cost of the formula and were pleasantly surprised in that it is 100% COVERED! They even cover the more costly, ready to feed kind and deliver a month's supply to our doorstep. What a blessing! So after a lot of talk and a lot of tears (on my part) I decided to stop nursing. It wasn't in my plan but seeing the postive changes in Brody sealed the deal for me. He is like a different baby now. Takes the bottle SO well, burps easily, NO MORE vomiting, very little spit up, skin cleared up and less congestion. I can just tell he feels so much better, bless his heart. I have several hundred ounces of breastmilk frozen in the hopes that he can tolerate it when he gets a bit older but we will just have to see. For now, the formula is working fabulously and that makes me happy and I am at peace with the decision.
As B man approaches the three month mark he is getting to be such a big boy. He is in all 3-6 month clothing now and has tons of little rolls which I love. He is about 13.5 pounds now- which is what Ella weighed at 6 months! Brody is such a happy baby and full of smiles and giggles all day long. He is very ticklish so we can get lots of belly laughs out of him. He loves to sit in his Bumbo and watch me cook or watch his sister play and also loves to stretch out on the floor and kick his legs. We couldnt' be more blessed and are just loving life! :)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
4 weeks old!
Well I can't believe 4 weeks ago today I gave birth to my little man! Where oh where does the time go? Things are going well here- I feel like we are getting into a groove as a family of four although of course things are constantly busy and crazy! I have really been enjoying my maternity leave and quiet days bonding with Brody. He is such a sweet little man and changing so much. He is really becoming alert now and holds his head up like a champ. He just sits there looking around and taking it all in and I love the little look on his face when he does it! Even when I am trying to burp him he pulls his head up off my shoulder and looks at me. :) We had a rough 48 hours or so recently when Brody seemed agitated and was fussy which is very unsual for him. He had two nights where he literally would not sleep anywhere but on me and had tons of reflux issues- coughing, gagging, and lots of milk coming out of his nose. I was thisclose to taking him to the doctor but yesterday he slept most of the day and seemed much more content when he was awake. Last night he slept much better- even giving me a four hour stretch- yay! I know that was probably a fluke and the norm will be that he will be up every 2-3 hours but the fact that he slept in his Rock and Play made me really happy. Baby steps right? :)
Ella Bella is continuing to be her happy, bubbly, energetic self! My favorite part of the day is when she and Jeff walk in the door after he picks her up from the sitter and she runs to give me a hug and tell me about her day. She has to be sure to see Brody right away as well and gives him a little pat or kiss. I have been trying really hard to spend one on one time with her each evening and on the weekends and she just loves it. We have taken several walks in the neighborhood when the weather is nice enough or will do "shopping" as she calls it running quick errands to the grocery store or Target. She has definitely become a Daddy's girl though and only he can put her to bed the "right" way. I love hearing her giggle over the monitor as he reads her a bedtime story and tucks her in. It is very sweet.
I hope to use this blog to update periodically on both kiddos as a way to look back later and see the way they were. It gets hard to find time but hopefully I can be consistent. At four weeks old today Brody boy weighed in at 9 lbs 5 oz! He is SUCH a big boy and I am so proud of him. He has gained 3 pounds in a little over 3 weeks since he has been home from the hospital. Ella weighed this same amount at around 9 weeks old (her two month appointment)!
Ella Bella is continuing to be her happy, bubbly, energetic self! My favorite part of the day is when she and Jeff walk in the door after he picks her up from the sitter and she runs to give me a hug and tell me about her day. She has to be sure to see Brody right away as well and gives him a little pat or kiss. I have been trying really hard to spend one on one time with her each evening and on the weekends and she just loves it. We have taken several walks in the neighborhood when the weather is nice enough or will do "shopping" as she calls it running quick errands to the grocery store or Target. She has definitely become a Daddy's girl though and only he can put her to bed the "right" way. I love hearing her giggle over the monitor as he reads her a bedtime story and tucks her in. It is very sweet.
I hope to use this blog to update periodically on both kiddos as a way to look back later and see the way they were. It gets hard to find time but hopefully I can be consistent. At four weeks old today Brody boy weighed in at 9 lbs 5 oz! He is SUCH a big boy and I am so proud of him. He has gained 3 pounds in a little over 3 weeks since he has been home from the hospital. Ella weighed this same amount at around 9 weeks old (her two month appointment)!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Gaining Weight, Losing Weight and Sibling Love :)
Love this picture! It is the first I have gotten of my two little ones officially together. I love how happy Ella looks! She is really doing such a great job being a big sister. She likes to be helpful by bringing us Brody's paci or helping us change his diaper and likes to give him kisses when she wakes in the morning. Other than that, she pretty much goes about her day and doesn't even really seem to notice that he is here! I thought she would be a bit more bothered when he cries or when I am nursing him but so far she hasn't seemed too rattled by it!Brody had his two week appointment at the pediatrician yesterday. The two days prior he had been going through a major growth spurt where he was eating every 1-2 hours and just seeming ravenous nonstop. He was also pretty fussy those days especially in the evening. Well at the pediatrician we came to find out why- my little piggy gained 20 oz in 11 days! Holy growth spurt! He now weighs 7 lbs 10 oz which puts him at the 20th percentile. He also grew half an inch so he is 21.5 inches which is the 77th percentile. The doctor was very pleased with his growth and overall health. The only thing we are watching for is possible acid reflux. He has had some issues of milk coming out of his nose while eating or shortly after. Also, especially at night, he grunts and chokes if I lay him down on his back after eating. I can hear the milk coming back up and see him struggling to swallow it. The doctor said it could be due to him eating so much during the growth spurt but if it continues over the weekend to call in and we may start him on medicine. Ella was on Prevacid for reflux for 8 months and it helped her out a lot so I am hopeful it will work for Brody too if we determine that is the issue.
As far as losing weight goes, that would be referring to me. :) I weighed in at exactly two weeks postpartum and am down 16 pounds out of 18 total gained. Yay! So two more to go to reach prepregnancy weight and I would like to lose another 5 pounds on top of that to reach my goal weight. I can tell the weight loss is slowing down but my goal is to have these 7 pounds gone by my 6 week check up. It will be hard though because I am STARVING all the time!
Other than that, not much is new here. We are just loving life and our little ones! :)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
One Week Old
We have been home from the hospital one week today and are settling in as a family of four. Brody is doing awesome and is just a sweet little guy to be around. He is definitely still in the sleepy newborn phase and spends most of his days snoozing through all the noise and chaos around him. :) He has started to have longer periods of awake time and loves to sit and look around. We took him to the pediatrician on Monday for his 5 day check up and all looked great. He had just a slight bit of jaundice in his face but nothing that will need light therapy like Ella had. We were pretty excited about that. He weighed 6 lbs 6 oz which puts him in the 10th percentile for weight. His circumsision is healing really well and the doctor gave us the okay to stop using the gauze and ointment since it looks so good.
Jeff was able to take a whole week off of work so it was wonderful to have him home with us those first few days. It is really a team effort to do things like baths or play with Ella while I am feeding Brody so I am very thankful for all Jeff does! Speaking of baths, we gave Brody his first sponge bath on Monday and like his sister he wasn't thrilled. Little guy just hates to be cold and its really the only time we hear him cry. He isn't a fan of having his diaper or clothes changed but stops fussing as soon as he is covered up and warm again. Can't blame him on that one! His umbilical stump fell off when he was one week old which surprised me because that is pretty early. But fine with me! It bled a little at first and the nurse told us to use some rubbing alcohol to dry it out. It is looking much better today and continues to heal so we were able to give him a more thorough bath last night. He cried at first but then became calm and seemed to enjoy being rinsed with water so maybe he will like baths after all! :)
Miss Ella is doing a wonderful job of being a big sister. She has really adjusted well so far. She is sweet and caring to Brody and is sure to remind Mommy that "Bwody" needs his diaper changed or needs his paci. I am excited to see how they bond with each other as they grow older! It is crazy how old and big Ella seems to us now that we have a newborn in the house. She went from being our baby to our big girl and now it seems like she can just do SO much compared to her little brother. She is talking up a storm these days and loves playing out in the snow with her daddy.
As for me, I am feeling really good. I was really only sore for a few days after delivery and today I only have mild back pain every now and then. I was even able to take Franklin for a walk outside yesterday. We probably only went half a mile but it felt good to get outside for a bit. As of one week postpartum I was down 13 pounds- I gained 18 total this pregnancy. So I have 5 more to go but would like to lose an additional 5 to get down to my ideal weight. I know it won't be easy but that's my goal! :) I don't feel as sleep deprived as I remember feeling at this point with Ella which is nice. I have my sleepy moments but for the most part am doing well and try to sneak in naps when I can! Brody is waking every 2.5-3 hours at night which I can't complain about. I have been feeding him around 10 PM and then he will wake between 12-1, 2-3 and again between 5-6. He is sleeping in his Rock and Play sleeper right next to the bed so it is nice and convenient to pick him up when he wakes!
We are loving being a family of four and so blessed to have our little girl and little boy to complete our family!
Jeff was able to take a whole week off of work so it was wonderful to have him home with us those first few days. It is really a team effort to do things like baths or play with Ella while I am feeding Brody so I am very thankful for all Jeff does! Speaking of baths, we gave Brody his first sponge bath on Monday and like his sister he wasn't thrilled. Little guy just hates to be cold and its really the only time we hear him cry. He isn't a fan of having his diaper or clothes changed but stops fussing as soon as he is covered up and warm again. Can't blame him on that one! His umbilical stump fell off when he was one week old which surprised me because that is pretty early. But fine with me! It bled a little at first and the nurse told us to use some rubbing alcohol to dry it out. It is looking much better today and continues to heal so we were able to give him a more thorough bath last night. He cried at first but then became calm and seemed to enjoy being rinsed with water so maybe he will like baths after all! :)
Miss Ella is doing a wonderful job of being a big sister. She has really adjusted well so far. She is sweet and caring to Brody and is sure to remind Mommy that "Bwody" needs his diaper changed or needs his paci. I am excited to see how they bond with each other as they grow older! It is crazy how old and big Ella seems to us now that we have a newborn in the house. She went from being our baby to our big girl and now it seems like she can just do SO much compared to her little brother. She is talking up a storm these days and loves playing out in the snow with her daddy.
As for me, I am feeling really good. I was really only sore for a few days after delivery and today I only have mild back pain every now and then. I was even able to take Franklin for a walk outside yesterday. We probably only went half a mile but it felt good to get outside for a bit. As of one week postpartum I was down 13 pounds- I gained 18 total this pregnancy. So I have 5 more to go but would like to lose an additional 5 to get down to my ideal weight. I know it won't be easy but that's my goal! :) I don't feel as sleep deprived as I remember feeling at this point with Ella which is nice. I have my sleepy moments but for the most part am doing well and try to sneak in naps when I can! Brody is waking every 2.5-3 hours at night which I can't complain about. I have been feeding him around 10 PM and then he will wake between 12-1, 2-3 and again between 5-6. He is sleeping in his Rock and Play sleeper right next to the bed so it is nice and convenient to pick him up when he wakes!
We are loving being a family of four and so blessed to have our little girl and little boy to complete our family!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
It's a BOY!!!
Brody Ward Grinstead is here! I was totally in shock and absolutely thrilled that he is a little BOY! He weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and is 21 inches long. We are so in love. :) Below I will detail my birth story so of course it will be long :)
We got up on the morning of January 27th and got Ella ready for the sitter. We wanted her to have a normal day so we decided to just drop her off on the way to the hospital. It was a pretty emotional morning for me because of course I was worried about how she would react to me being gone for a few days and the change of adding a new baby to the house. I was also just so emotional about the impending end of this pregnancy that has been anything but easy. We dropped Ella off and headed to the hospital and got there for our 7:30 AM induction.
After paperwork and all the inital vitals were done, the on call OB came in and broke my water around 8:30 AM. I was still 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. He said he thought I would progress pretty quickly since I came in having a good start on my own. The breaking of my water was painless and quick! They also immediately started me on a low dose of Pitocin. Within half an hour my contractions got going. They started out mild but pretty close together- about 3 minutes apart. By about 10 AM they were getting much stronger and more painful so I decided to get the epidural. The anestheisiologist talked to me a bit about my epidural experience with Ella since I had it work only on one side after three failed attempts. He started the epi and thankfully it began to work well on both sides pretty quickly. At this time, the nurse checked me and I was still at a 4-5 so not progressing much. Noon came- still a 4-5.
Around this time, my epidural began to wear off on the left side just as it had with Ella and I started to feel everything. The contractions had been 2 minutes apart and very intense for several hours so I was sure I was making progress. The nurse checked me at 1 PM- no progress. At 2:15 PM my OB stopped in to check me and STILL no progress. He was shocked and said he thought I would have delivered hours prior. He checked the monitor and said that my contraction pattern looked great and he was very surprised that contractions so intense and close together weren't making any progress. He reassured me that we had plenty of time and baby looked great but I could tell he was disappointed that nothing was happening.
At this point I started to get really discouraged. I could feel everything on my left side and the contractions were so painful and I couldn't understand how I wasn't making any progress. I told my parents and brother to go ahead and go home because I knew it would be several hours before anything would happen and I knew Ella needed to be picked up from the sitter. Shortly after they left, my grandma stopped by and had just been in the room for a minute or two when the nurse came in and said she needed to check me again. I thought this was odd since it was 2:45 and I had just been checked half an hour ago but the nurse said that the baby's heartrate was in the 70s so she needed to see what was going on. As she was telling me this, I told her that I was feeling a lot of intense pressure and pain and I thought something was wrong. She checked me and to my surprise I was at 7 cm! I was pleased that I was making progress and remember thinking that hopefully it would only be a few more hours. The nurse went back into the hall to tell Jeff and to call my doctor to give him the update. She came back in five minutes later and I told her the pressure was worse so she checked me again and I was at a 9!
That's when things started to get a bit crazy! All of a sudden all of these people rushed into the room to try to get the delivery table and supplies set up. You could tell everyone was a bit flustered. I don't think I had quite grasped the intensity of the situation because in my mind I still thought I had lots of time. The nurse told me that my OB had left for Methodist and that the OB on call was out at Methodist West- yikes! She checked me again (5 minutes after the last time) and sure enough I was at a 10 and ready to push! I was so surprised! Just then my OB came in and it turns out he hadn't yet left for Methodist. Thank goodness!
They got me ready and I started to push. After the first push the nurse told me that the baby was crowning. What!?! I was thinking I would hear that about an hour into pushing! After pushing for two hours with Ella, I just assumed that things would take awhile. Boy was I wrong. I pushed through 4 contractions for a total of a little less than 15 minutes and Brody was born! When he came out, the OB said "Okay Dad, look and tell your wife what you had." Jeff was crying as he told me "Honey its a BOY!" It was one of the best moments of my life. It just reaffirmed to me how amazing it is to wait to find out the sex of the baby and why all those months of waiting were worth it! :)
After the birth, Brody was taken to get cleaned off but he was having some trouble breathing and his color was pretty white. They put the oxygen mask on him but when that wasn't helping they needed to take him down to the nursery to be put on oxygen and he also ended up getting fluid pumped from his stomach. While he was being taken down, the doctor was finishing up with me and told me that Brody's cord was one of the shortest he has ever seen. Apparently, with cords that short it is usually dangerous and impossible to deliver vaginally so he was very surprised that it had all worked out so well!
Brody stayed in the nursery for about 4 hours and then we were finally able to be together. He is just the most perfect, sweet little guy and we are so in love! He is nursing like a champ and just a cuddly little man. We got to come home today and he is adjusting to life at home with his new big sister and puppy. :) Ella is doing well with him so far and I can't believe how big she seems to me now compared to him!
Thanks to all for the thoughts and prayers as we have gone through this roller coaster journey of pregnancy. We have the most precious reward of all now and our family of four is complete! :)
We got up on the morning of January 27th and got Ella ready for the sitter. We wanted her to have a normal day so we decided to just drop her off on the way to the hospital. It was a pretty emotional morning for me because of course I was worried about how she would react to me being gone for a few days and the change of adding a new baby to the house. I was also just so emotional about the impending end of this pregnancy that has been anything but easy. We dropped Ella off and headed to the hospital and got there for our 7:30 AM induction.
After paperwork and all the inital vitals were done, the on call OB came in and broke my water around 8:30 AM. I was still 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. He said he thought I would progress pretty quickly since I came in having a good start on my own. The breaking of my water was painless and quick! They also immediately started me on a low dose of Pitocin. Within half an hour my contractions got going. They started out mild but pretty close together- about 3 minutes apart. By about 10 AM they were getting much stronger and more painful so I decided to get the epidural. The anestheisiologist talked to me a bit about my epidural experience with Ella since I had it work only on one side after three failed attempts. He started the epi and thankfully it began to work well on both sides pretty quickly. At this time, the nurse checked me and I was still at a 4-5 so not progressing much. Noon came- still a 4-5.
Around this time, my epidural began to wear off on the left side just as it had with Ella and I started to feel everything. The contractions had been 2 minutes apart and very intense for several hours so I was sure I was making progress. The nurse checked me at 1 PM- no progress. At 2:15 PM my OB stopped in to check me and STILL no progress. He was shocked and said he thought I would have delivered hours prior. He checked the monitor and said that my contraction pattern looked great and he was very surprised that contractions so intense and close together weren't making any progress. He reassured me that we had plenty of time and baby looked great but I could tell he was disappointed that nothing was happening.
At this point I started to get really discouraged. I could feel everything on my left side and the contractions were so painful and I couldn't understand how I wasn't making any progress. I told my parents and brother to go ahead and go home because I knew it would be several hours before anything would happen and I knew Ella needed to be picked up from the sitter. Shortly after they left, my grandma stopped by and had just been in the room for a minute or two when the nurse came in and said she needed to check me again. I thought this was odd since it was 2:45 and I had just been checked half an hour ago but the nurse said that the baby's heartrate was in the 70s so she needed to see what was going on. As she was telling me this, I told her that I was feeling a lot of intense pressure and pain and I thought something was wrong. She checked me and to my surprise I was at 7 cm! I was pleased that I was making progress and remember thinking that hopefully it would only be a few more hours. The nurse went back into the hall to tell Jeff and to call my doctor to give him the update. She came back in five minutes later and I told her the pressure was worse so she checked me again and I was at a 9!
That's when things started to get a bit crazy! All of a sudden all of these people rushed into the room to try to get the delivery table and supplies set up. You could tell everyone was a bit flustered. I don't think I had quite grasped the intensity of the situation because in my mind I still thought I had lots of time. The nurse told me that my OB had left for Methodist and that the OB on call was out at Methodist West- yikes! She checked me again (5 minutes after the last time) and sure enough I was at a 10 and ready to push! I was so surprised! Just then my OB came in and it turns out he hadn't yet left for Methodist. Thank goodness!
They got me ready and I started to push. After the first push the nurse told me that the baby was crowning. What!?! I was thinking I would hear that about an hour into pushing! After pushing for two hours with Ella, I just assumed that things would take awhile. Boy was I wrong. I pushed through 4 contractions for a total of a little less than 15 minutes and Brody was born! When he came out, the OB said "Okay Dad, look and tell your wife what you had." Jeff was crying as he told me "Honey its a BOY!" It was one of the best moments of my life. It just reaffirmed to me how amazing it is to wait to find out the sex of the baby and why all those months of waiting were worth it! :)
After the birth, Brody was taken to get cleaned off but he was having some trouble breathing and his color was pretty white. They put the oxygen mask on him but when that wasn't helping they needed to take him down to the nursery to be put on oxygen and he also ended up getting fluid pumped from his stomach. While he was being taken down, the doctor was finishing up with me and told me that Brody's cord was one of the shortest he has ever seen. Apparently, with cords that short it is usually dangerous and impossible to deliver vaginally so he was very surprised that it had all worked out so well!
Brody stayed in the nursery for about 4 hours and then we were finally able to be together. He is just the most perfect, sweet little guy and we are so in love! He is nursing like a champ and just a cuddly little man. We got to come home today and he is adjusting to life at home with his new big sister and puppy. :) Ella is doing well with him so far and I can't believe how big she seems to me now compared to him!
Thanks to all for the thoughts and prayers as we have gone through this roller coaster journey of pregnancy. We have the most precious reward of all now and our family of four is complete! :)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tomorrow...
Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for the last nine months- the day we meet Baby Grinstead 2.0! I honestly can't believe this day is finally here. It was such a good feeling to leave work today having all the loose ends tied up and breathing a big sigh of relief knowing it is time to focus on bringing this little one into the world!
My induction is scheduled for 7:30 AM tomorrow and of course I am feeling a whole mix of emotions. I am first and foremost beyond excited to meet our new little addition. We are just so anxious to see if it is a boy or a girl and what he/she looks like and what kind of little personality will develop! This is the point in time when not knowing the sex of the baby becomes so much fun! I am also of course feeling a little sad for Ella in knowing how her life is going to change and I hate knowing that I will be away from her the next few nights. But I know she will be in good hands with daddy and grandparents. :) And then of course there is the part of me that is nervous about labor and delivery and all that it entails. I am hopeful that since I have already dilated some and am pretty thinned out that things will progress more quickly than they did with Ella- but even if they don't, I know I can handle it- I've done it before! :)
It is so surreal to think that this time tomorrow we will be holding our little one and the roller coaster of the past nine months will have come to an end. I can honestly say I really didn't know how I would possibly make it to this point when I was at the height of my battle with hyperemesis. The constant sickness and all of medical issues includng the PICC line and nurse visits were just so draining that I could hardly think about the next day let alone envision the day when the baby would be here and none of that mattered anymore. I am proud of myself for making it through and can't wait for the nausea and lingering sickness to finally leave for good after baby is delivered!
Once things settle down, I will update with the news of the little one. In the meantime, final thoughts and prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby would of course be appreciated. :)
My induction is scheduled for 7:30 AM tomorrow and of course I am feeling a whole mix of emotions. I am first and foremost beyond excited to meet our new little addition. We are just so anxious to see if it is a boy or a girl and what he/she looks like and what kind of little personality will develop! This is the point in time when not knowing the sex of the baby becomes so much fun! I am also of course feeling a little sad for Ella in knowing how her life is going to change and I hate knowing that I will be away from her the next few nights. But I know she will be in good hands with daddy and grandparents. :) And then of course there is the part of me that is nervous about labor and delivery and all that it entails. I am hopeful that since I have already dilated some and am pretty thinned out that things will progress more quickly than they did with Ella- but even if they don't, I know I can handle it- I've done it before! :)
It is so surreal to think that this time tomorrow we will be holding our little one and the roller coaster of the past nine months will have come to an end. I can honestly say I really didn't know how I would possibly make it to this point when I was at the height of my battle with hyperemesis. The constant sickness and all of medical issues includng the PICC line and nurse visits were just so draining that I could hardly think about the next day let alone envision the day when the baby would be here and none of that mattered anymore. I am proud of myself for making it through and can't wait for the nausea and lingering sickness to finally leave for good after baby is delivered!
Once things settle down, I will update with the news of the little one. In the meantime, final thoughts and prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby would of course be appreciated. :)
Friday, January 21, 2011
38 Weeks and Eviction Date!
Well I am officially more pregnant than I have ever been before! I delivered Ella at 38 weeks and 1 day so today I have surpassed that. I had my 38 week OB appointment on Tuesday and an internal exam to check for progress. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I am 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced with baby's head very low. Those are all great signs that my body is getting ready for labor! Because my cervix is favorable, we have scheduled my induction for next Thursday, January 27th and I will be just over 39 weeks.
Starting Wednesday, I have been experencing a very bad lower backache and consistent contractions so after two days of this, I decided to give my doctor a call and he suggested I come in to be checked again. I went in yesterday afternoon and unfortunately my cervix hasn't changed so it was a false alarm. My contractions got as close as 5 minutes apart last night but then sort of fizzled out and have been holding steady at around 10-15 minutes apart so it looks like baby is cozy in there and not ready to come out on his/her own anytime soon.
We have had a very busy week with one of the biggest events being Miss Ella turning TWO this past Wednesday! It is so hard for me to believe that my baby is already two years old. It is so crazy to think that two years ago I was in the hospital with her and here I am about to do it all over again! Makes me excited! Jeff and I plan to relax and enjoy this last weekend as a family of three. Then its three more days of work for me and finally baby time! It is going to be a week of anticipation that's for sure!
My induction is set for 7:30 AM on Thursday and my OB will be the one on call that day which was why we chose the 27th. I am hoping since I have already made some progress on my own that this time will be faster than with Ella! From start to finish, my labor with Ella was 26 hours but that included 12 hours of having a cervical ripening drug that I do not need this time around since I am thinned out already. We are hoping this little one will arrive by dinner time! :)
If for some reason I do end up going into labor on my own in the next few days, my wonderful OB told me to call his cell and he will come in to deliver me even though he is not on call. How sweet is that? After all I have been through it would be great if he were the one to be there when Baby 2.0 comes into this world.
I will leave you with my 38 week belly picture- not much room left in there! I will try to post a last update next week before we head to the hospital! The end is in sight! :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
37 Weeks
Another week has come and gone and we are getting closer to Baby 2.0's arrival! Yay! Not much new to report this week. I had a quick OB appointment yesterday and all is well. Blood pressure is great at 102/58 and all other vitals looked good. My OB will check me at my next appointment which is next Tuesday to see if I have dilated or effaced at all. If my cervix is "favorable," we are looking at scheduling an induction for the following week. He said that 90% of second time moms are favorable at this point in pregnancy but of course I won't be surprised if I am in the 10% that is not true for. That is sort of the way my luck has gone this pregnancy! :)
After all that I have been through, it would really be wonderful to have the OB that I always see be the one that delivers so I am very hopeful that it is able to be scheduled that way. I know that whatever happens, all will be fine but it would just be a great way to end a pretty stressful pregnancy!
I have started having noticable contractions in my lower abdomen and back this week but nothing consistent or timeable. I never had contractions with Ella prior to being induced so this is a new experience for me! I can only hope that they are doing SOMETHING and maybe helping me to progress a little!
This week is a busy one for me at work and home. It is finals time for my middle school students so we are in the midst of that right now which is a stressful time especially for my kiddos who struggle more than average. I am glad that I am still at work this week to help them out. This weekend Jeff''s parents will be in town and we will be celebrating his dad's 60th birthday and also will have a small family party for Ella's birthday. I cannot BELIEVE that my baby will be TWO next week. Surreal. So while I am so excited and ready to meet this new little one, I need to get through the rest of this week/weekend and get all that stuff done. Then the little one can come whenever he/she likes. :)
Until next week, the waiting and wondering continues. Will I be induced? Will baby be boy or girl? So exciting that we will know in just a few short weeks! I will update after my appointment next Tuesday- prayers that I will have made some progress and get some good news!
I'll leave you with my last set of comparison belly pictures since 37 weeks is the last picture I took before delivering Ella.
37 weeks with Ella- just a week before I had her!
After all that I have been through, it would really be wonderful to have the OB that I always see be the one that delivers so I am very hopeful that it is able to be scheduled that way. I know that whatever happens, all will be fine but it would just be a great way to end a pretty stressful pregnancy!
I have started having noticable contractions in my lower abdomen and back this week but nothing consistent or timeable. I never had contractions with Ella prior to being induced so this is a new experience for me! I can only hope that they are doing SOMETHING and maybe helping me to progress a little!
This week is a busy one for me at work and home. It is finals time for my middle school students so we are in the midst of that right now which is a stressful time especially for my kiddos who struggle more than average. I am glad that I am still at work this week to help them out. This weekend Jeff''s parents will be in town and we will be celebrating his dad's 60th birthday and also will have a small family party for Ella's birthday. I cannot BELIEVE that my baby will be TWO next week. Surreal. So while I am so excited and ready to meet this new little one, I need to get through the rest of this week/weekend and get all that stuff done. Then the little one can come whenever he/she likes. :)
Until next week, the waiting and wondering continues. Will I be induced? Will baby be boy or girl? So exciting that we will know in just a few short weeks! I will update after my appointment next Tuesday- prayers that I will have made some progress and get some good news!
I'll leave you with my last set of comparison belly pictures since 37 weeks is the last picture I took before delivering Ella.
37 weeks with Baby 2.0
37 weeks with Ella- just a week before I had her!Wednesday, January 5, 2011
36 Weeks!
The countdown is on- I can't believe I have made it to this point and am 36 weeks pregnant! Baby Grinstead 2.0 is due 4 weeks from today! I had my OB appointment and last growth ultrasound today and all is well! The ultrasound looked good- the head is measuring about a week ahead as usual and the abdomen is two weeks behind. This indicates that the baby is small, but the measurements are very similar to last ultrasound which is a good sign that baby is growing! It was fun to see the little one for the last time on the ultrasound screen and he/she was shy always covering the face with its hands. :)
I met with the doctor and he was pleased with the scan results and gave me the go ahead to progress normally with the pregnancy. This is a big relief because of course while some- okay MOST- days I am ready to be done with being pregnant, each day we keep the baby in is a good thing! He also tested me for Group B Strep and I will hear back about that next week. My appointments will be weekly now from here on out so I will go again next Tuesday. That will be a quick appointment- just blood pressure, weight and urine. The next week will be 38 weeks and I will be checked for progress/dilation.
It is crazy and exciting to think that we will get to meet Baby 2.0 in 3-5 weeks. I am hoping they go by fast! :)
I met with the doctor and he was pleased with the scan results and gave me the go ahead to progress normally with the pregnancy. This is a big relief because of course while some- okay MOST- days I am ready to be done with being pregnant, each day we keep the baby in is a good thing! He also tested me for Group B Strep and I will hear back about that next week. My appointments will be weekly now from here on out so I will go again next Tuesday. That will be a quick appointment- just blood pressure, weight and urine. The next week will be 38 weeks and I will be checked for progress/dilation.
It is crazy and exciting to think that we will get to meet Baby 2.0 in 3-5 weeks. I am hoping they go by fast! :)
Here are a few pictures from today's ultrasound- things are pretty squished in there so the picture quality isn't great.
Profile :)
Kind of cool picture of the face bones from above- baby was being shy so there are some arms in the way!
And lastly a 36 week belly pic!
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