3 months

3-3-14

August,

My sweet boy, you are a dream. I love getting to see more of who you are emerge. This month you have really developed more. You have found your voice and become so smiley. You have the sweetest coos. I could listen to you all day!

You've gotten so much more interactive. You smile a lot and you are also "talking" a lot more. It's so sweet.

You still love bath time! You are super content to just hang out and kick your little legs the whole time. 

You are losing more and more of your hair. I know you'll look super cute bald but I am a little sad to see your hair go, it's so cute. I love to spike it up a little after your bath. 

You had your first cold this past month. It was do sad to hear you congested but it didn't seem to bother you too much and thankfully didn't affect your eating. 

You still have your little "angel wing" mark on your forehead. 

I'm so excited that you have cute little dimples and you also have my ears. But everyone says you look just like your daddy! 

You are still sleeping between each feeding and you at going longer stretches between feedings. You eat anywhere from every 2-4 hours but most of the time it's around the 2.5 - hour mark. At night you have one really long stretch usually about 5 hours but you have made it all the to 6 hours once or twice. Then them you each 2-3 hours later. Your last feeding is usually about 10:30 and you usually eat twice during the night.!

Weight

Birth - 7 lbs 8 oz

1 month - 10 lbs

2 months - 12 lbs 3 oz

3 months - 14 lbs 6 oz

(53rd percentile)

Length

Birth - 20 1/2 inches 

3 month  - 24 inches

(35th percentile)

2 months old! (2/3/14)

August,

Time with you is going way to fast for me, I can't believe how big you are getting so fast! I love you with ALL my heart precious boy.


You are getting a lot more content. You will now just hang out on the floor or in your swing looking all around.

I got your first real smile on 1/15/14 (6 weeks old) and it was more amazing than words could say. I thought my heart was going to explode!

You take a bath in the big part of the blue bath tub now, not in the little hammock piece anymore.

You have started going longer stretches between feeding. Sometimes you still want to eat after just 2 hours but it's usually closer to 2 1/2 and sometimes you make it all the way to 3 hours. Your night feedings are about the same every night.

You ate wearing a size one diaper and you are fully in 3 month clothes! You are a growing boy! You are about the size that your sister was at 4 months. 

You are starting to lose more of your hair and you eyes are still a deep blueish grey. I'm so interested to see what color they will be. 

You are aleepng in the napper of your pack n play at night and during the day you either nap in your swing or the napper. You haven't slept in your crib yet. 

Newborn photo shoot

Birth story part 3

A few minutes later my doctor (the same guy who told me at 3:45 that I wasn't in labor) walked into my room. We both just started laughing and I asked him how this was even possible??? He immediately started getting ready and as soon as he sat on his stool he said he could see the head! When he and the nurses were all ready they couched my a little on how to push properly and told me when to start. 

3 contractions later at 8:30 pm he was out! 

I knew instantly that he was bigger than Parker! 

He was immediately put on my chest and Lee and I were told to keep him crying.  

After August was born and things had calmed down a little we let everyone know that he was born and invited a few family members and close friends up to the hospital. They hadn't heard from us since we told them we were on the way to the hospital, so everyone was in a little bit of shock! As was I! :)

After everyone left we moved to our postpartum room. Then he got his first bath and I took a shower and we spent the next few hours like this. BLISS!!! Even though it was about midnight at this point I wasn't tired at all so I just enjoyed snuggling my sweet baby boy, who I still couldn't believe was here!!!

~ A couple of funny out takes from my labor, before the drugs ;)

My mom told me after every thing was over,  that at one point when she walked in the room I asked her if she had drugs and when she said no I said “then get out!!”. :)

I do NOT curse and I was having to be very intentional about not letting lots and lots of words come out of my mouth. But at one point I very deliberately said "This S@@@ SUCKS!!!" ha! 

There was a good bit of fussing at Lee because it was ALL HIS FAULT we got to the hospital so late! :)

Lee and my mom cracked up for a while about how funny I was and they wished they had videoed me....NOT!

Birth story part 2

Alright, so we were driving down our street at 6:35 pm. Thank GOD we only live a few miles from our hospital because sitting trapped in a seat with a seatbelt on, in labor, = NOT fun! It took us about 10-15 minutes to get to the hospital and I think I had 4 contractions. On the way there I realized that I didn’t know where we needed to go so I called the on call number for my doctor which connected me with the hospital. I explained the situation, until I had to hand the phone over to Lee to finish the conversation, and prayed she would say I was to go strait to labor and delivery.  At this time I still had NO idea of my progress and I was really afraid if I had to go through the ER they’d take forever processing me. I just wanted to get strait to a room so I could get the DRUGS. AND in the back of my head I kept questioning if I was really in active labor or was it still just the very beginning/false labor. As CRAZY as it is because I was in terrible pain during the contraction, but for the 2-4 minutes in between I started to question myself. “Was I just a wimp?” “Was it really as bad as I thought it was?” “Was I only like 3 cm?” And if I was how in the WORLD could anyone do this for HOURS?!?!?!  

Anyway, the nurse told me to go strait to L&D, that they’d be waiting for me. We pulled up and I had Lee drop me off at the door so I could start walking and he could just catch up. (I wasn’t moving to fast because every few steps I had a contraction! Literally!) There wasn't anyone waiting for us,  so I just walked. I was to desperate to get to my room to stop and find help. So we made our way to the elevators and to what we thought was the right place. BUT we didn’t know that in the last 3 years, since I had Parker they moved the elevators to the maternity floor out of safety reasons, which is awesome WHEN YOU AREN’T WALKING THROUGH A HOSPITAL ABOUT TO DIE FROM LABOR. I’m pretty sure by this point I was yelling at Lee and my mom to find the freaking elevators to get me to the right floor. We finally made it to the right floor and as soon as we got of the elevators and the people at the check-in desk saw me someone hurried to get a wheel chair for me and they sent Lee back down to the ER to register me or check me it, I’m still not really sure. Luckily my mom was with us so she could stay with me while Lee left. I had to sit and wait a few minutes for a room to be ready and the nurse apologized a couple times. I finally told her it was OK because this was the first time I wasn’t having back to back contractions in what felt like forever.

When my room was ready she wheeled me in and and told me to change and get in the bed. Well oh my god! That is one of the hardest things ever to do when you are in labor, BUT I still had no idea what was actually going on, so I was feeling like a total weenie...It took me a few minutes but I was finished and sitting in the bed ready and waiting. At this point I think it was 6:50 (ish). Then I waited and waited,  she finally came back to hook up all the monitors and told me she would be back in a few minutes to check me. I waited and waited and WAITED for what seemed like eternity!!! The pain was getting SO MUCH worse, I could no longer open my eyes through some of the contractions and while I wasn't prepared to labor naturally AT ALL, I tried to remind myself to breath because I know that’s key. I stared at the clock and waited for her to come back. I was getting SO mad. Here I was DIEING (I was sure of it) and she wouldn’t come back to at least check me so I could have some kind of idea of what was going on. 

At some point Lee made his way back it to the room. He and my mom were standing off to the side talking and one of them said I wish there was something we could do. I promptly told them to go get the nurse! My mom immediately left to find someone and returned a minute later saying someone would be back soon but that it was shift change. You can imagine how much I didn’t give a CRAP about shift change I just wanted to know what was going on and get my IV started! 

A couple minutes later at about 7:15 (like I said I STARED at the clock) the nurse came in to check me. Right away she said I was 6 cm and I FREAKED out!!! I believe my exact words were “OH MY GOD!!! CALL THE FREAKING ANESTHESIOLOGIST!! I’M NOT DOING THIS NATURALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Bless her heart because she immediately started my IV and while she was still working on it the anesthesiologist walked in. Of course I had to answer a million questions and I did as long as I could but I had to get Lee to take over because I didn’t want him to have to wait for me to be able to answer. I knew we needed to move FAST! (I just had NO idea how fast.) While one asked all the questions the other was getting everything set up and my nurse was getting my IV finished up. She had a little trouble becuase I was so tense and I couldn't be still for long and she was trying not to blow my vein. Thankful she got it done so I could start getting my fluids. As soon as my IV was done and all the questions were answered my mom and Lee were sent out of the room so that I could get my epidural. Next came possibly the most painful thing I've ever had to do. The nurse kept giving my directions "Sit up" "swing your legs to the side of the bed" "scoot your bottom to the edge so that your feet hang off"... at each step I just stared at her trying to make sense of what she was saying. I had to get her to repeat herself several times. She tried to help me as best she could but every time I moved I'd have a horrible contraction so I'd have to stop because I couldn't move through it, then it'd stop so I'd start to move again and it just continued until finally I just had to push through it and move myself into position while having back to back contractions. SO HARD!

When I was finally where I needed to be they started getting my back prepped. The whole process took longer and hurt a little more than I remember BUT it might also be because I was in more pain for longer this time around. Once he got it in place they started to tell me what kinds of things I could expect to feel and then had me report back to them what I was feeling. They helped me lay back down in the bed. I ended up getting the epidural and something else that was like a spinal tap because they knew I needed the pain relieved quickly. They were monitoring me a little closer since I hadn't had enough fluids yet. As they suspected I started feeling  very weak and light headed, which they said was from lack of fluids, so they quickly put something in my IV to help. Then I started to feel a tightness in my chest. As I was telling them about it and they were asking me to describe what I was feeling I was trying to stay clam because it felt pretty freaky. As I was trying to explain this breathless tightness sensation I told the nurse I had that feeling sometimes when I would have contractions before they were painful. Before I could even finish my sentence we hurt and BIG tidal wave type gush! My water broke just like that. And the very next words out of my nurses mouth were "You're probably finished!". WHAT?!?!? "Like fully dilated?!?!?!" I JUST laid back down from getting my epidural like 3 minutes ago!

Sure enough she checked me and said I was fully dilated and ready to go. Then she left the room to go call my doctor, for the first time. There hadn't been enough time for her to leave to call him and let him know what was going on.  She left and Lee and my mom came back in the room. I quickly informed them that my water had broken and I was fully dilated! My nurse came right back in and said my doctor was on his way. YAY! I was really hoping he was going to be able to make it. 

Then things got really calm for the first time in a few hours and we just enjoyed our time together while we waited for my doctor to arrive and while the nursing staff got everything all set up around us. I was in total shock that I had only been at the hospital for about and hour and fifteen minutes and was already ready to push, we just needed my doctor!!

While we waited and I wasn't DIEING anymore we figured we would take a couple pictures.

A few minutes later my doctor arrived...

Birth story part 1

(I'll TRY to get rest of it up this weekend)

December, 3 2013

Easily the craziest day of my entire life!

Parker and I snuggled in bed until 9:00 am, which we had been doing everyday that we could because I knew our time for that was coming to an end. When I finally got up, I used the potty and saw that I had passed my mucus plug. I knew this didn't necessarily mean anything but I was happy to see more progress happening. I had been waiting for any other sign that labor was coming because I was READY. I called the doctors office just to let them know what I saw and see if I needed to watch for anything else that might happen. The receptionist affirmed that it could still be days but asked how I was feeling. Since I had JUST woken up I told her that and that I felt fine. She said she's have my nurse call to check in on me.

After about an hour of being up I noticed the I was having contractions that felt a little different. These were starting in my lower back and wrapping around to the front in cramps. So I started keeping track of them. The contractions were 10-15 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds. They were mild in intensity. It didn't take long before I was unsure that I would make it until 8:00 pm the next night to head to the hospital to be induced. If I was going to be going to the hospital I wanted to wash my hair and get everything ready (which I had planned to do the next night before heading to the hospital), so I called my mom to see if she could come hang out while I showered and got everything ready. She must have heard something in my voice because originally she told me she couldn't (I was just going to send Parker to my neighbors house across the street while I showered, no big deal). But she called back just a few minutes later to say she was coming, she didn't want me to be alone if I was in labor.

At this point I didn't know if I was in labor and I really didn't want to put anyone out so I hated to make a big deal about it. But she insisted so I let her come. :)

I showered, ate lunch, packed up our last minute stuff, put Parker down for her nap. The nurse called me at about 12:30 to check in. I told her everything that was going on. My contractions were still just 10-15 minutes apart and lasting about 30 seconds, some were more intense than others but nothing major.  She asked if I wanted to come in to get check, just see if anything was happening. I really wasn't sure but we decided it wouldn't hurt to be checked out and honestly I was getting tired and I wanted to know if anything as going to happen or if I was going to make it until it was time to head in the next night. We decided I would head over to the office about 3:00 and just see what was going on.

My mom insisted she drive me, that I shouldn't be driving. (Thank GOD she did.) So at 3:00 we loaded Parker up and headed to the doctor.

I was PRAYING they would just send me to the hospital or at least tell me to go home and get my stuff then head back to the hospital...

NO luck! He checked me (a little more thorough than normal) but told me I was still just a tiny bit dilated but I was pretty much all the way effaced. They instructed me to head home to rest and drink lots of water. If it was false labor it should stop and they would see me then next night. I was SO bummed. But as soon as we got to the car I started downing my water.

By the time we got home, at 4:15, I had a contraction when I was getting out of the car that I couldn't move through that lasted a minute. As soon as I could I headed inside and got in bed. I quickly noticed that even though I was drink water and laying down my contractions were now 4-6 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute. They were also much more intense. I soon realized I hadn't asked when I should leave for the hospital if I needed to, so at 4:45 I called my nurse and told her what was going on. She said it may just be from the exam so I should wait another 1 hour - 1.5 hours and if they persisted I should head to the hospital.

The contractions were not letting up at all, only getting stronger. I was keeping Lee posted on what was going on. He said he had something he needed to finish up if he wasn't going to be going back to work.  I called my sister in law to come over incase we needed to go to the hospital...

Then around 5:45 it became VERY obvious we were going to going to the hospital that night it was just a matter of getting everything lined up. My sister in law here and Lee home so we could leave. The pain was getting worse, the contractions were coming closer together and my mom was ready to bring me to the hospital if Lee was going to be much longer getting home.

Luckily Lee walked through the door about 6:25. I had already gotten my mom to load all our bags in the car so we could leave as soon as he got home. We said goodbye to our baby girl and told her we were going to the doctor to get Baby Auggie out of mommy's belly. At 6:35 we were driving down our street in a mad dash for the hospital. (I didn't know until after his birth when I stopped to put all the pieces together, but by this point my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart! I had been using an app on my phone to keep track of them but I had stopped paying close attention, I was just hitting the button at this point.)

I NEEDED to get there!!! I NEEDED DRUGS!!

I was pretty scared by this point. I was in a lot of paint and I didn't know how I was progressing but I knew that after arriving at the hospital it wasn't likely things would happen fast. I would need to be checked in, hooked up to all the monitors, checked, and IV started and THEN (sometime after that) the epidural...

Leaving our baby girl for the last time as out only child...

I was a little emotional but in TOO much pain to really lose it.

(I was told how much I was faking my smile right after this picture, because I was NOT smiling at this point!!)

One month old!

1-3-14

I know everyone says it but I really can't believe you've been in our lives for one month already! At the same time, life without you seems like forever ago. You are the most perfect addition to our family. You have been such a joy in our lives and my experience this time around has been so different than with your sister. It's really true what they say, things are very different the second time around. I am very different!

This past month went by SO fast but I also savored every single second of it. Your daddy took off work for a week and a half and that was one of the best gifts he could have given us. You and I spent most (almost all actually) of that time snuggled up on the couch. There were MANY days where you wanted to nurse almost non stop and I was able to do that with almost no problem because he was here with us. He was able to pay amazing one on one attention to your sister which I think REALLY helped her because we have not had any real issues with her since bringing you home, which I am so thankful for. Parker is so sweet to you and she's totally I love with you. I've been so blessed by this! One of her most favorite things to do is be held at the same time as you (by the same person). She says "You're holding me AND baby Auggie!", she gets so excited. 

You had your first real bath at 3 weeks. Before that it was just sponge baths on the bath foam. (It took a little longer for your umbilical cord to fall off.) You HATED having a bath before but as I suspected you really enjoy them now that you can sit in the water a little. 

You are starting to stay awake more and more and it's so fun to watch you be alert and take the world in. From the very beginning though you haven't slept well when you're put down. I can't say I blame you but how does that happen? I thought we weren't going to use the napper attachment for the pack n play (which is what you sleep in, in our room) and we would have you sleep strait on the flat part BUT you weren't sleeping. So napper attachment with the vibration feature it is! Now you either sleep in the napper, your swing, my chest/side or on daddy's chest in the recliner. You are just starting to have some sort of a schedule (sometimes). Eat, awake, sleep. The doctor and I are hoping that by you doing this more and more your feedings will space out a little. At night you pretty much keep the same 2-2.5 hour schedule, sometimes I get lucky and you make it to 3. A couple of times you've even gone a little longer. Please keep this up! :)

Speaking of feedings, nursing is going great and you eat ALL THE TIME! Often you wouldn't even go 2 hours and a lot of times you were eating every hour. To quote your daddy "You have to eat A LOT to gain 2.5 pounds in 4 weeks!". Every time I've started to feel like maybe something was wrong becuase you were wanting to each SO often, I'd be at the doctor for something so we'd have a weight check. As soon as I put you on the scale I'd just laugh! You're always exceeding where you need to be by A LOT!

Birth - 7 lbs 8 oz

1 month - 10 lbs

You're still (barely) in newborn diapers.

You're eyes are a dark grayish color.

And just for fun...

I am SO blessed to be your momma sweet boy! 

Love forever and always,

Momma 

(This post was mostly written from my phone in MANY different session so hopefully it makes sense!)