One Month and Out and About

Anderson is one month old today! Yesterday we took Anderson to the pumpkin patch for some picture abuse and then we headed to Boulder to eat dinner out. That was the first time he had been inside a public place. He did pretty well throughout the day. It was so nice to get out. We must have worn him out because he slept for two 4 hour stretches and another 2 hour stretch this morning! We have seen him change so much in the past month.
He definitely has much more alert awake time
He will track objects with his eyes
He will make eye contact for longer periods of time
He reaches for the toys that hang down on his activity mat
He will hold on to my shirt when I pick him up
He lifts his head and can turn it to the other side when on his tummy
He is starting to coo just a bit (mostly in his sleep and when he is eating)
He is getting heavier and longer (we had to adjust the straps on his carseat because they wouldn't fit him!)Things are getting so much easier and are starting to feel more normal. Wow, having a baby was a huge adjustment but I'm loving it!! I'm really enjoying my time home with him and will love it more now that we can get out and do things!


Grandma holding him


We love the double chin!


Riding in the carseat


Pumpkin pic abuse

Our little pumpkin


The family


The mountains looked gorgeous with the snowcapped peaks.

Sleep.. What's That?

The last few nights Anderson hasn't slept well. James had a headache the other day so I forced him to sleep in the guest room to get a little sleep. Anderson has been congested and has napped quite a bit in the early evening. During the day he is awake more and so much more alert. In the evening we do everything we can to try to keep him awake but sometimes NOTHING keeps him awake. We got a humidifier and a sleep positioner to help him stay propped up but now I'm wondering if the congestion is really the reason for his sleeping issues. He usually falls asleep while eating during the night and then I lay him down to sleep. He would prefer to be held and knows immediately when he is put in his crib. Last night I kept picking him up but putting him down before he fell completely asleep. This really didn't work out too well. Does anyone have advice about this issue?? We don't want to let him cry since he is not even a month old and he needs to feel secure and know that we will meet his needs. We need sleep though. Before the last few nights he would eat and then go right to sleep so I was only up for 30-45 minutes. The last few nights I have been up for an hour to two hours each feeding which does not leave much time for sleep. Any advice would be appreciated!

Awake and Alert

Asleep..nothing can wake him up!

These Are the Days of Our Lives

Boy has time flown by. Anderson was three weeks on Saturday and is a hungry, growing boy. He is more alert, still squeaks instead of all out cries (most of the time), and has at least one accident a day. We bought a wee guard but sometimes we forget to use it and we get a nice surprise. Anderson enjoyed his first Mizzou game on Thursday but unfortunately it didn't turn out like we wanted it to. This weekend it was really cold so we didn't really venture out of the house. We had some friends over on Sunday and Molly really enjoyed the attention. It is safe to say that we are all adjusting well, including Molly. Each day she seems to be a bit more comfortable around the little guy and a little less sad. We are getting 3 to 4 hour stretches of sleep at night but still feel somewhat tired since it is interrupted sleep.

Here are some cute pics (we have taken over a 1000)

Anderson sporting his first pair of jeans.

Mizzou family.

Anderson having a great dream.

Fun Day

Today was a milestone for me because I got out of the house with Anderson (without James). I just started driving again on Sat. and now am feeling good enough to go out and about a little bit. Today was a beautiful day so we wanted to make the most of it before the cold front moves through and brings us frigid temps. Anderson and I went for a long walk and then we met my friend Kathleen and her baby at a great park nearby. Each day things seem to get easier and easier for all of us. We are learning what works best with Anderson's schedule and I have to say that I'm really enjoying mommyhood at home with him. I wish James could be home too! I think Molly's demotion in the household (not intentional) has made her a little depressed but we are making more of an effort to pay attention to her. Here are some cute pics from the last few days.

Cuteness

We are loving life with our little Anderson.

• He is sleeping 3-4 hours stretches at night and is awake a little more during the day.
• He loves his hands as you will see in many of the pictures. He is starting to turn his head when he hears a familiar voice and loves to roll from side to side. We took him to the pediatrician for his two week check-up and she didn't believe that he could roll from side to side until she saw him do it at the office.
• He has gained back all his birth weight and is healthy.
• He still dislikes baths
• He still loves to sleep! Yay!

Go Mizzou!

Baby Boys

We have learned a couple more things about our little guy. He dislikes baths and is a very hard sleeper. We gave Anderson a bath lastnight and he did great until we wrapped him in his frog towel. All of a sudden Melissa was sprayed along with the mirror in the bathroom. We think he was aiming for her since he despises baths! We just had to laugh because boys will be boys!

Before the accidentAfter the accident

We have a really hard time waking Anderson up for feedings and for some awake time during the day. Can you tell?

This is just a random cute picture of Anderson enjoying some tummy time

Week of Firsts

We have been home for two days and a half and it has been a learning experience. Here are some things we have learned about Anderson:

1) He doesn't like being cold

2) He is a deep sleeper--you can bang pots and pans together and not even Molly's bark will wake him up!

3) He is a great snuggler

4) He hasn't stayed awake during a single feeding
5) He loves to wear multiple outfits a day(accidents)

6) He loves his hands.

7) He is super sweet and makes the cutest faces (we can't stop staring at him!)

8) He loves to sleep on daddy's chest

9) He makes the most adorable noises
10) He is the best baby we could hope for!

11) He is a multiple sneezer.

12) He's quite the squirmy little guy (especially during changings)

13) He can roll from side to side and does so frequently.

14) He can hold his own pacifier.

15) He makes the time fly by, I can't believe it will be a week tomorrow!

We were so excited to leave the hospital on Wednesday and after we got home, it looked like a baby store exploded in our house. The doctors were concerned about Anderson's weight loss so we set our alarms every few hours (he loves to sleep) to wake him up to feed him. We struggled trying to keep him awake and then he got upset over and over. It wasn't the best night and needless to say, we were exhausted on Thursday. Thursday we tried to keep a schedule the best we could and things seemed a little less overwhelming. Thursday night went much better for the three of us. The whole breastfeeding thing has been much more difficult than I anticipated but it is starting to get better (meeting with lactation specialists at the hospital helped). On Friday we took Anderson to the pediatrician for a newborn check-up and he is perfectly healthy. He enjoyed his the car ride (he slept during the entire trip).

Poor Molly, she doesn't know what to think about her new baby brother. She'll come to sniff him but in general, doesn't want much to do with him. She seems sad she isn't getting all of our attention anymore. I'm sure she'll come around soon enough.

He is the sweetest baby and we couldn't be happier. We are still overwhelmed but things are getting better day by day. I'm feeling so much better than I did when we left the hospital and hopefully I'll feel better each day. James has been a great daddy and huge help! I felt bad that his birthday was full of work around the house. I also felt bad because I didn't get to do anything special for him since I was in the hospital all last weekend. He really has been the best; trying to take care of both of us.

We both feel incredibly lucky to have our little guy home and healthy. We love him so much and think he is truly a gift from God.

Here are some pics from the last week-

No, that Tangelo seat isn't a coincidence.

Pictures of Baby Anderson

Mom and baby continue to do well. All the nurses love our little guy, as he loves to cuddle and thus far is quite the sleeper. Here are some pictures enjoy.

Welcome to the world

After several hours of good contractions, Melissa wasn't progressing towards delivery. The doctor thought it best not to stress the baby or mom any further as she had been at 5 cm for over 4 hours with no progress. The doctor made the call for the C-section and they were wheeling Melissa into the OR within 10 minutes. She was a champ through the surgery and our little guy bust into the world with arms stretched out, screaming at 8:06 p.m.

He's 7 lbs 4 oz, and 20 and 1/2 inches long. He has blondish/light brown hair accompanied by 10 fingers and 10 toes (yes, I counted.) So far he's been a good sleeper, and seems to enjoy cuddling.

Both the little guy and Melissa are doing well. As I write this, poor Melissa can't even keep her eyes open. She'll wake up and ask me a question and before I finish answering, she'll be fast asleep again.

More updates to follow...

4:30 p.m. Update

5 cm and counting. Melissa is doing well and so is the little one.

And it BEGINS!

Authored by James: M.elissa had her last day of school on Friday. It was the day after conferences, so it was more of a work day for the teachers without the kids. Melissa headed off to her bi-weekly non-stress test, at the doctors office. The plan was to pick me up at work after the doctors office and have a fun filled weekend. Movies, eating out, shopping, we had it all planned out, but life doesn't always go according to the plan.

Our little guy was pretty unresponsive during the stress test, which really concerned the doctor. I got the call from Melissa at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, when she told me she was being admitted. I didn't believe her, but the more she spoke I realized, she isn't that good of an actress. Melissa told me to stay at work since they were only going to monitor the baby. I thought about it for all of about a minute and decided to go be with her. Since I took the bus on Friday, the only day this week I didn't drive, I had to catch a ride with a co-worker. When I arrived, they were giving Melissa IV fluids and oxygen to help get an indication on the health of the baby. It wasn't long before our little guy was back to his normal energetic self.

At the end of the test, we spoke with the doctor who said, "Well, we have a healthy looking happy baby, but lets not risk it." So, we checked into the hospital. They've been monitoring the little guy constantly, and he's trucking right along. We had some friends bring us our baby bags and take care of Molly, for which we were very grateful.

Fast forward to today, after an uncomfortable night for Melissa. I ran home and picked up a few more supplies while Melissa got to take a bath and feel a little more human. We're progressing along with the induction today. Early estimates were for the baby to come late tonight around 11-12, but more recent indications say it might be closer to 7-8 tonight. We're excited to meet our little guy.

More updates to come!

Anytime

I'm scheduled to go be induced at the hospital next Monday in the evening. At my appointment today my doctor said I had several mini-contractions during the Non stress test. She said that I could definitely have the baby before Monday! I'm feeling anxious, excited, etc.

I had my school baby shower on Friday and my wonderful friend Kathleen through me a friend shower on Sunday. It was so much fun sorting through the fun baby things. I believe we are about ready for this little guy to come!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and Monday!

Ahhhh....

Wow, I'm being induced on September 21st and will hopefully have the baby on September 22!! It's hard to believe. I've got so much going on at school and so much to do but once it's done, it will be nice to have time to spend with the baby!!

We had a great weekend doing things around the house and preparing for our upcoming new addition.

That's about it for now.

Baby Update

I went yesterday for a growth ultrasound. Our little boy wasn't really cooperating so we didn't get any good pictures. We did find out that he is measuring perfectly, has a full head of hair, and has a nice layer of fat (our technician said he was nice and healthy). We didn't even get a glimpse of his face because he was covering it up with his hands. The technician jostled my stomach but he wouldn't budge!

We are going to be parents at least a week earlier than we originally thought though. Since I'm considered a little bit high risk, they are going to induce me at 39 weeks if he hasn't come by then. Normally they would let me maybe go to 41, so 39 sounds good to me!! That means we have to really get everything ready this weekend. :) That also means I only have two more full weeks of school!

I have to start going twice a week, once for a doctor's appointment and once for a non-stress test. My doctor said that there is nothing to worry about but since I'm considered to be a little high risk, I have to do it to monitor our little guy.

I'm so happy tomorrow is Friday!!

36 Weeks

Wow, we have less than four weeks to go until we meet our sweet baby boy's face. We can't wait! Of course I have to go through that excruciating thing called labor but I know it will be worth it in the end. The baby is kicking up a storm all the time and I'm wondering just how big he really is. We get to have a growth ultrasound done on Wednesday and my doctor's office has 3D ultrasound equipment. It will be neat to see what our little guy looks like! I'm doing really well but feeling some pregnancy pains, especially at night. Someone told me today it looks like he has dropped a little bit, which is a great sign! It feels like my tummy is getting huge! One of the kids the other day said, "Wow, you ARE going to have a baby!"

Getting Better!

I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed. Here are some positive things to help me get through these few weeks...

1) The baby's clothes are washed and his bag is about packed
2) The car seat will be installed sometime in the next few days (we have his seat sitting out and the stroller is put together).

3) I left school at 4:00 today and it would have been earlier but I had to help interview for the long term sub position. We found someone to sub for me during the ten weeks I'll be gone (won't include the winter vacation)

4) My class is starting to really learn the routines and expectations. They are really cute and sweet. It will be a little hard to say goodbye to them for so long.

5) Tomorrow is Thursday~one day away from Friday

6) I'm getting some sleep at night

7) The weather has been nice so I went on a walk with my friend who lives in the neighborhood

8) I get a growth ultrasound next Wednesday. It will be fun to see what our little guy looks like since the last one was at 20 weeks.

9) I've been controlling my blood sugar with diet alone but feel full all the time. I'm eating like a football player!

10) I have a couple baby showers coming up--should be fun!

That's about it for now. Here are a few random pics-

We saw this field of sunflowers in a field close to our house. I need to play around with the camera because the flowers look dark.

Molly was scared of all the baby's stuff. Wait until we gets here. Her world will be turned upside down!

Sleep is Amazing!

It feels so good to have slept for 7 and a half hours last night. I think I have been averaging 4 1/2 to 5 hours of not real good sleep. I will say that I was completely exhausted last night. I had a very busy, long day. We finish lunch at 11:40 and I have no more breaks until 2:30 at school. Yesterday it was such a crazy, rushed day that I had no chance to go to the bathroom, sit down, or even check my blood sugar. I didn't leave school until 5:30 and even brought stuff home this weekendl. I got home after school and couldn't even walk upstairs. One of our teacher aides at school offered to come in my room at 1:00 each day for five minutes so I could go to the bathroom and check my blood sugar. I'll take that five minutes! Yesterday I did wonder why I just didn't take a year off school. It would certainly be better for my health at this point but I had to remind myself that the first few weeks of school are ALWAYS like this and things do get better. I have a great class but I can't leave them for a minute to go to the bathroom (Yet) and I don't get to sit down very much. I'm going to make myself slow down and know that I'll never get all projects finished.

It was so nice to wake up at 7:30 this morning, have breakfast, and do things around the house. I miss being at our house and feel like my job is consuming me. It will get better, it will get better, it will get better....at least I only have a month left and then I get some time off!

Tired and NO voice!

Today was our first full day back at school with the kiddos. I forgot how much little 2nd graders don't know at the beginning of the year. I'm exhausted. Yesterday I worked my tail off trying to get the room ready for meet the teacher night, which was from 5:30 to 7:30 after we had worked all day. I'm wondering why it doesn't ever get any easier (the day of back to school night). I guess it's just dealing with paperwork, copy machine breaking, and preparations for the first day. I was in survival mode today. I had 7 minutes to eat my lunch because I was trying to put labels on the kids' folders/notebooks so they wouldn't have to do it. I feel like I talked all day! They are so cute though and I think I have some great parents. I was very apprehensive about how the parents would feel about their child having a pregnant teacher but am feeling much better now. There were a few that were a little worried about the substitute but most seemed to be genuinely happy for me. Sometimes you do want to say, "Wow, I'm a person too, what did you do when you had your baby?" I do have a lot of stay at home parents but still.

I'm 34 weeks along now! We have another appointment in two weeks and will get to have a growth ultrasound. We are excited to see how big our little guy has gotten! After that I go every week to check my progress! Crazy. This weekend we are finishing the nursery (even though he won't be sleeping in there for a few months), washing clothes, packing hospital bags, and James will install his car seat! I can't believe it's so close. We are so excited but apprehensive too.

My stomach has been so hard from Braxton Hicks contractions that I should probably get a little rest. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight. Does anyone have any tips for insomnia? I haven't really ever had it before but for the past month I have hard the hardest time falling asleep and then when I get up to go to the bathroom 6 times a night I have a hard time sleeping.

That's about it for now!

It's Already That time?

We haven't posted anything exciting lately and this post won't be any different. Thanks for your votes for Baby C's name. We agree with the top three but haven't fully decided yet.. Ethan, Anderson, or Ian. Humm.. maybe we just need to meet our little guy and see. I could see us not being able to choose at the hospital though.

We finished our baby classes and are feeling not as anxious about the whole experience. We are expecting less sleep but we will make it work. I'm feeling great during the day but have insomnia at night and am a bit uncomfortable. I feel like I am surrounded by pillows at night. I am up every hour or two to go to the bathroom. Poor James, he is such a trooper. I guess he should have to go through something since he won't have to go through birth! I did find out that I didn't pass my last GD test and am now having to test my blood sugar. We discovered that I wasn't eating enough and my liver was taking over becuase it was in survival mode. I was actually limiting myself with carbs because I was scared to death of having it and now since I've been following my meal plan, things have been fine. I had a feeling that being tested this late in my pregnancy I would have it. Not fun but at least things are in control now without any insulin. Those hormones! Things should go back to normal once baby C is born so we're hoping he might want to come a week or two early. The crazy thing is, it is hard for me to eat everything on my meal plan each day because I get so full. I do feel like it's such a better balance though. I'm dealing and it's only for a few more weeks, right? I'm a little nervous about getting my snacks in at school but I guess we will just have to have snack time.

I have to be back at school on Monday for meetings and then we have meet the teacher night on Tuesday. My official first day with kids is on Wednesday. I always forget how little they know at the beginning of the year. I feel more prepared than last year and I'll even feel better when my principal finds a great substitute for me when I'm gone. I was told that I have wonderful parents and great kids. That's exciting at least.

Getting Ready!

This past weekend James' parents came to visit. We went to a Rockies/Cubs game, went to the Coors Brewery (no samples for me), and went up to Central City/Blackhawk. James' mom also took me shopping to buy baby stuff. The baby clothes are just adorable and so tiny!

We are getting things ready for our new addition and I'm also getting ready for my return to school. I'm a little sad about it but the fact that I get another summer off when the baby is born is kind of motivating!

I'm in the process of getting the bags ready for the hospital and probably need to have everything ready in the next few weeks. We are meeting with our pediatrician today and I think I have gotten everything else done this summer. We have been reading baby books and are very nervous about the sleepless nights. Maybe my insomnia is just preparation for when our little guy won't sleep. We keep telling ourselves that hopefully the worst of it will just be for the first few months. We hope to have a baby that loves to sleep. Doesn't everyone?

That's about it. Not much else knew for new. To all my teacher friends--I hope you all have a great beginning to the new school year!

Tired and 32 weeks pregnant

Thanks for voting to help us choose a name. If you haven't voted, please do so! I'm officially 32 weeks pregnant and starting to feel it. My stomach feels a little tight from getting bigger and bigger. I feel like I'm going to be a walking elephant on back to school night in two weeks! Then I will waddle down the hallway with my 24 little 2nd graders. Ahh... The last few nights I have had some insomnia. I have woken up around 3:00 a.m. and gotten up for an hour or two, and then have gone back to bed. The nice thing is that I can sleep in until 8:30 or so. Soon I will have to get up extremely early and am just not looking forward to it. At least I have a five minute drive (have timed it) compared to a 35-40 minute drive last year!

I had my 32 week appointment yesterday and my doctor wants to do another three hour glucose test since I'm farther along in my pregnancy. Yuck. I actually cried in the doctor's office but I think it was because I was tired and the reality of school had started to sink in. I keep telling myself that it is just for six weeks at the most but I just wonder how uncomfortable I'm going to be during those six weeks. I CAN'T be grumpy the first few weeks of school. The one nice thing is that I was told that I have a very good class with wonderful parents. I hope they are okay with me not returning until January. Here is a picture of my growing belly... I'm a little afraid of how BIG it will actually get!

Baby Names

We have had a very difficult time picking out a name for our little guy. He has to live with our decision for the rest of his life. It's so much pressure. So, if you want to help, we added a poll with some of the current front runners on the left. Feel free to leave other suggestions as comments. The current front runner for most middle names is James. (For Lance we like Christopher) Thanks for your input!

Disclaimer: No warranties are expressed or implied. We reserve the right to ignore all suggestions and pick another name at any time. Furthermore, not all names on the list should be considered serious as some may be a joke. No feelings should be hurt by any of the poll participants. If you find your feelings are hurt in anyway you need to relax, take a break, go for a walk, have a drink and remember there are other more important things in your life. Name selection could be influenced by monetary donations. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.