3 Weeks Old

Wow, the weeks have just flown by.  Maybe it is due to lack of sleep or maybe time just doesn’t stand still, but either way it is going by way too fast.  My little monkey is getting so big and growing now at a very fast rate.  Last Tuesday, he weighed in at 7lbs 3oz.  This week he weighed in at 7lbs 15oz.  He is basically an 8lb baby now (with clothes and diaper).  He is now 21 inches long.  It just makes me sad to think I only have so much time alone with him until I go back to work. 

He is still sleeping great.  He consistently sleeps 4+ hours at a time at night.  During the day it is more like 3 hours between feedings and sometimes he spends the time awake playing or sleeping.  He is becoming more and more smiley.  I love his little smiles.  I don’t think they are directly related to things we do with him, but his smile still makes me and Michael melt.  He loves to be walked around the house and shown pictures.  He will stare at any photo or light.  He also stares at the iPhone during Facetime with Nana and Papaw.  I am sure he would do it during Uncle Eric’s Facetime, if we could coordinate a section of awake time. 

He got to meet lots of fun people this weekend.  We took our first road trip to Fort Smith to visit my parents and family.  He met his great aunt Jackie and his cousin Kelly and Mike.  He also got to meet some friends who just loved on him and he was content to be held and loved on. 

His umbilical cord finally fell off, which meant he got to have his first bath.  Mason was not too pleased with the bath.  He was scream and then be happy in about a two second change.  If I kept pouring water over him, he stayed happy.  When I would get the soap out to rub on him, he would just scream.  I am hoping he will start to enjoy bath time real soon.   

He definitely knows who his Mama is.Smiling during his newborn photo shoot.He is a ladies man.He makes some of the best faces.He hates being wrapped up.Family Photo time.Peaceful BabyNot so bad.This face kills me…WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?Okay it wasn’t that bad.Getting warm after the bath by the fireplace.Daddy reading Mason a story. Mason loves looking at us.Getting some Daddy time.His shirt says I <3 BBQ. Getting ready to meet Auntie Peggy.Walking while the weather is nice.This is the happy face after projectile vomiting all over me.Everyone out for a walk.Trying out the carrier…he needed some Mama love.

First weeks of Mason…

As most people with children can image the last few weeks have been a crazy mess of fun and lack of sleep.  Today is my first official day alone with Mason all day.  My mom has gone back to work and Michael went back last week.  So far, today is good. 

Last week was definitely crazy.  Mason wasn’t gaining weight.  He had lost 11.5% of his body weight since birth, and the doctors did not like that.  We have started to supplement him with formula and after about a week he finally showed weight gain at the doctor. 5 ounces of weight gain in a matter of days.  Thank goodness.  We go back to the doctor for a weight check and two week appt tomorrow.  The problems didn’t stop with Mason.  I was having problems with my blood pressure.  It was still high from before the baby being born.  We worked all last week on finding the right amount of medicine to regulate my blood pressure.  By Friday, both Mason and I were doing much better. 

Mason on Friday weighed in at 6lbs 15oz.  He is 20 inches long.  He is currently sleeping 3-4 hours at night between feedings and he eats every 2 hours during the day.  He is a very content baby thus far.  I can put him in his bed awake and he will look around and entertain himself before falling asleep.  I am hoping that keeps up.  Fingers crossed.  He is very expressive with his face.  I think he gets this from me.  He already smiles, which is fun to watch.  He is very alert.  Always wanting to look around.  He knows who his Mommy and Daddy are and will follow our voices. 

His big sister is feeling just as exhausted as me.  She gets up with me all night and if Mason starts to cry to has to go check on him.  I don’t think she is getting as much attention as she did before, but she is definitely sticking close by all of us.  She is way more protective when people come to the door.  Her bark just sounds meaner to me.  Gabby wants to be in every picture with Mason.  Grab the camera and she will follow and pose.  She is such a ham.     

Home from the hospital and getting some Nana time.Proud DaddyWorking on supplements…his legs make me laugh.Cousin Lindsey visiting.I think they both might have been a little exhausted.Family tummy time.Mr. Will came to visit.Miss Laura did too.Gabby is so interested in him.He is so fun to watch.Exhausted and happy.Daddy burp time.We are ready for some Razorback basketball.I just love how he keeps his hands by his face.Gabby must keep a close eye.Some snuggle time before bed.Papaw getting some lovin’

Mason’s Birth Story

It all started on a Friday.  I went to my regular doctor’s appointment expecting a quick in and out.  Nothing exciting happening, go home and wait.  When I arrived my blood pressure was very high.  It was high enough that the doctor sent me upstairs to Labor and Delivery to be monitored.  I wasn’t too worried about it, but there was mention of induction if it didn’t go down, so Michael came up to the hospital to sit with me.  We were there four hours before they sent me home with orders to come back the next day with a 24 hour pre-eclampsia test.  My blood pressure had dropped a little but I was laying around in a hospital bed.  I was to take it easy.  On Saturday, my 24 hour test came back negative and my blood pressure wasn’t looking horrible.  The doctor recommended that I get induced on Tuesday, which would be 39 weeks.  I was okay with that.  I was a little worried that taking it easy wouldn’t be that easy and it wasn’t, even for a few days. 

Tuesday morning, we headed to the hospital bright and early.  The warnings about getting induced were a possible c-section before the day was over.  I had spent the weekend preparing myself for that possibility.  Everything was going very well with my induction.  My blood pressure would spike every once in awhile, but it was staying down and then I got an epidural.  When you get that it will cause your blood pressure to go down.  It made mine normal.  This was great.  Not long later the doctor came in to break my water.  Everything went downhill from there and fast.  The baby was fine the whole time, but it was me that was not fine.  I was talking to the nurse and all of the sudden I started seeing spots.  I told the nurse.  She pulled back my covers and I was sitting in a pool of blood. 

The nurse immediately called for help from another nurse and called the doctor.  My doctor was in my room in about 2 seconds.  She checked me and said well it looks like we are going to have a c-section.  My placenta was the cause of the blood.  It all happened very fast at that point.  It was a blur.  I knew I was prepared for c-section before the day started, but I figured it would happen at the end of the day, after laboring all day.  They threw clothes at Michael and told him to grab his camera.  They had me in the operating room and were cutting within minutes.  I was so nervous, scared, and worried for the little one in my belly.  I kept wondering when are they going to let Michael in here with me.  It felt like forever before I saw him again, but I am sure it was only a few minutes.

From there, it was quick.  I was getting excited to know if I had a boy or a girl.  The doctor told me the baby had lots of hair.  I immediately started crying.  I really wanted a baby with lots of hair.  Then he was out.  The doctor told Michael to stand up and tell me what it was.  He was too funny.  He said “I can stand up.”  I then told him stand up stand up what is it.  Michael got to tell me it was a boy and that made me very happy.  I really wanted a boy.  At that point Michael went to the baby and started taking pictures while they finished me up.  He and the baby came back to me, so I could see him before they took him to the nursery.  I kept asking how big is he, how long is he.  I guess they do that stuff in the nursery, because I couldn’t get the answer.  Michael went with the baby and I got left in the operating room alone.  Thank goodness for the medicine to relax me. 

They sent me to recovery, where I stayed two hours.  My Mom came to recovery so I wouldn’t be alone.  She didn’t even know what we had.  I told her it was a boy and he had hair.  I then told her to go tell my Dad and Michael’s Mom to go to the nursery.    They brought Mason to me after about an hour, but I couldn’t really do much.  We tried feeding for the first time, which is really hard laying flat and not being able to move.  The rest of the day is a big blur.  We had visitors, but I really don’t remember much.  Just trying to feed Mason and sleep.  The sleep was harder. 

I have to say the next morning I was out of bed and walking around.  The c-section really wasn’t as bad as I thought.  My recovery has been easy minus the fact that I have had major blood pressure problems.  We have finally gotten that under control, but it was pretty scary for a few days.  Here are some pictures from Mason’s birth.    

What do you do while waiting to see your wife? Take self-portraits.  He is here!First Family photo. Mimi (or Nana) holding Mason for the first time.Check out that adorable face.Meeting Grandma Sperry.Meeting Auntie Meggers. Does she look nervous?Meeting Skrocki…who will be teaching him bad stuff soon I am sure.Some pretty flowers we received. Enjoying some snuggle time.Getting ready to go home!!We are ready to go meet our big sister!

Introducing…

Last week Michael and I had our little bundle of joy join our world!!  I will tell his birth story later when I have caught up on some sleep but until then enjoy.

Maternity Pictures

I have shared a few of our maternity pictures over the past few weeks, but I should share more.  Bryan Striegler is an amazing photographer.  He also just so happens to be good friends of ours.  He did some fabulous pictures of Michael, Gabby, and I for my maternity shoot.  We went to his family’s land and I have to say Gabby was in doggie heaven.  They had all kinds of new smells for her and a creek.  She went swimming multiple times.  As soon as I saw the water I told Michael she will be in that the second she realizes it is over there.  Sure enough, my little baby girl was jumping right into that creek.  She was running all over the place.  We should be grateful we got any pictures with her at all.  http://www.strieglerphoto.com/