My favorite Christmas picture! And also... my favorite present!

Carter's 2 wk appointment & holiday lights

Carter checked out with flying colors!

We visited w/ Nana a bit after the appointment and Ricky played with his baby brother.

He seems totally adjusted now.

He still gets plenty of personal attention!

After that we went to a Winter Wonderland display at a local public park.  It was full of inflatables and light-up displays.  It was chilly, but Carter was bundled in the stroller and Rickybear ran all around and kept warm.  We also were able to play on the playground there, too.

Do they make Christmas alligators anywhere other than Louisiana??

Wordless Wednesday

Carter's 1 wk appt

Carter had his 1 wk appointment last week and he passed with flying colors.  The pedi was pleased with how alert he was.  Also, the general rule is that babies should be back to their birth weight by 2 weeks.... well, Carter was 7 lb 7 oz, LOL!  So yep, no worries about his weight.  He also grew 1/4 in to bring him to 20.75 in.  His little toes and fingers are so long!  The only slight issue he had was that his right eye goops up- she said it may have something to do with his tear duct, or he may have scratched his eye/lid with his nails, so she prescribed us some gel to put on his eye twice a day.  We go back for his next appointment on Friday.

Having a new baby in the house has been such a big adjustment.  Daddy has been a great help by basically taking over the daily care of Rickybear.  With both kids getting up all night, we are both exhausted.  I think you forget how stressful and tiring and frustrating all of this is or else you wouldn't keep doing it over and over.  Carter is eating every 3 hours or so and has about 12+ diaper changes a day.  He eats like a piggy (about 18-20 oz a day) and gets the hiccups after nearly every meal.  He doesn't spit up very much.  He likes to be held and never likes to be put down.  He won't go to sleep if we put him down awake.  He doesn't like to lay flat on his back.  He frequently rolls from tummy to back... I guess he is protesting tummy time!  He has excellent head control and can push up on his arms, but can't hold it very long.  His cord fell off at 14 days.

Breastfeeding has been a huge struggle.  Something so natural should not be so hard!  I took classes on it before we had Rickybear, but started supplementing with formula by the second night in the hospital when he was having trouble latching and was hysterical.  He never did get the hang of it, so I pumped for 4.5 months, hardly making enough milk to make 2 bottles a day.  At the end, the amount I was expressing was laughable. 

This time around, I was even more determined.  I made it nearly 4 days without supplementing.  We nursed for hours on end but Carter would still be crying and hungry.  He was also so impatient and wanted instant gratification.  I began pumping at this point.  We use Enfamil Newborn when we do supplement.  Around the one week mark, Carter was drinking expressed breast milk plus 2-4 oz a day of formula.  At two weeks, my production was up enough to where he is only drinking expressed breast milk, with a nursing session thrown in there in the middle of the night.  Not the breastfeeding relationship I had planned, but I am so happy with the amount of breast milk he is getting.  I feel like I am tied to the pump, but pumping 10 mins every 2-3 hours is better than nursing for 45 mins every 2-3 hours.  I am getting anywhere from 20-25 oz expressed a day at this point.  Oh, if Carter is especially fussy, I will give him an ounce or two of formula before bed in hopes it will be heavier in his tummy and help settle him down a bit.

As for me, I am healing well.  No more pain, but I am still taking it easy and not doing anything too strenuous.  From the time I got home, I was pretty much an emotional wreck.  I doubted myself and it was honestly just so overwhelming.  I had the baby blues last time and I had it again this time.  I already get kind of down in the winter, but tied together with a new baby, I was crying several times a day.  It got worse around 5 pm when the darkness set in.  After about 2 weeks, my spirits lifted a bit.  It's been 3 days since I randomly started crying, which must mean it's passing.

Lastly, I am 30 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight.  I am very proud of that, but I worry I might gain a little back.  Since I am nursing, I am not supposed to be dieting.  In fact, I am supposed to be eating an extra 500 calories a day.  Regardless, I am pleased!



Hello, I'm still here!

I have to admit, I wasn't the most keen about being a big brother.  Mostly because I spent the night away from my parents for the first time ever, but I was spoiled rotten by my grandparents, so it all worked out ok.  I went to go visit mommy and daddy at the hospital, but I wasn't too sure about what was going on.  Then, when I got home, the baby cried a lot and it scared me, and it made me cry, too.  I have gotten used to it since then.  Sometimes I am too loud and I wake the baby up, but I can't help it.  I think I like Carter.  Mommy likes it when I crawl up on the bed and pat his head.  I know to call him baby and I am working on calling him CJ.  I think being a big brother might be ok after all.

I haven't been sleeping well at all.  I cut my last of the 4 molars that were coming in on Monday 12/5.  I thought it was all over, but now my canines are coming through.  When will this end??  How many teeth am I supposed to have??

Anyway, that's all for now.

Love,

Rickybear

It's a boy!!

Welcome to the world, Carter James!!

Born 8:24 pm on 12/03/11

Weight: 6 lb 14.5 oz

Height: 20.5 in

I love you!

Pregnancy Update- Week 39

I had a doctor appointment on Wednesday 11/30/11.  It took two hours to be seen, but there were 3 other pregnant ladies in the waiting room who were at all different stages of pregnancy, but they were all teachers in three different school districts.  It was really neat hearing their different experiences.  We were all pregnant with our second child.

Once I got back to the doctor, I was checked and at 2cm dilated.  Whoo hoo!  Still no contractions at that point, so we decided to set up an induction date for the following Tuesday 12/06/11 in case I didn't go on my own before then.  I liked the idea of induction this time around since I knew what to expect and really wanted my doctor to be the one to deliver me since she was so calm and reassuring last time, and since she was able to turn Rickybear (who was sunny-side up) during the delivery.  With the gestational diabetes, I wanted to make sure the baby wasn't going to be too large to deliver naturally.

Overall, I was feeling good.  A little more heartburn, but I was feeling pretty energetic.  Hip pain wasn't very bad.  Back pain wasn't too bad.  I was feeling pretty ready for it all to be over with, even if I was getting more and more nervous about the delivery itself.  Little did I know that I wouldn't make it to my induction date.

Maternity Pics

I can't wait to have our newborn/1 month pictures taken!

About the photographer:

His name is Shawn Adair.  He loves photography, but mainly takes nature and landscape pictures.  I believe we were his first portrait session.  He was easy-going and easy to communicate with.  His price was also very reasonable.  If you are local and in need of a photographer, please let me know and I can get you in touch with him.  He also has a facebook page: Shawn Adair Photography

18 Month Doctor Appointment

Rickybear had his 18 month well visit on Monday.  He passed with flying colors.  His Maw Maw and Paw Paw met me at the doctor’s office with him, along with one of his cousins.  He played peekaboo with everybody in there, lol.  He was already a little fussy and suffering from a diaper rash, so when we got back to the room for the actual visit- he was a MESS!

We did the screening questions that would show some markers for autism, but he passed that with no problems.  He is on par or ahead of schedule with his milestones.  His ears and lungs looked great.  His teeth and gums looked good.  Aside from his raw tushie, he was perfect. 

As for the stats:

Weight: 22 lb 1 oz

Height: 30.5 inches

Head Circ: 17.5 inches

I was given the option for Rickybear to receive 4 shots that day, but since he doesn’t go to daycare, I didn’t find it necessary to have them all given at once.  We ended up agreeing to the flu shot and then also one more (which actually is 3 vaccines in 1).  He screamed bloody murder and ripped those bandaids off his thighs as soon as the nurse put them on there.  That boy was ANGRY. 

His grandparents were planning to take him and his cousin to IHOP right afterwards for lunch and I was so nervous that he would be trouble, but they said he was great once he got in there and entertained all of the waitresses.  When they went home, he took a 4 hour nap, the last two hours of which were spent laying on his Paw Paw.  Poor thing was recuperating from the shots.  He didn’t sleep too well that night for me, but I brought him to our bed around midnight and didn’t have a problem after that.

We are so fortunate that our little man is so happy and healthy and full of life!!

Wordless Wednesday

After three mini pancakes, a banana, and a cup of milk, Rickybear decided he wanted to eat his Nana's waffle, too. 

Pregnancy Update- Week 38

I am enjoying day 3 of my 4-day weekend.  Hopefully we can get a few Christmas decorations up and finish packing my hospital bag and delivery room bag.  It is all becoming very real now.  I am officially full term now so the baby can come any time.  I have never had contractions that weren't medically induced, so I am not really sure how all that works and if I will even know what to do.  It's a little nerve-wracking, honestly.

My doctor appointment on Tuesday went really well.  I was one pound down from the week before (after days of Thanksgiving deliciousness, I am not expecting the scale to be as kind). My blood pressure was good.  The baby's heartrate was fine.  I am still feeling good movement, although it's more of just a shifting now than actual kicking.  The baby is still in the right position.  I was 1cm dilated.  I have also never been dilated before without medical intervention, so that's pretty cool.  Hopefully that's a sign that even if I am induced again, that labor won't be 25 hours long.

I am still getting around pretty well, but it's hard to get up off the couch and up from the bed, lol.  I need a little help sometimes.  Even with all the Thanksgiving goodies, I am still not very swollen.  I feel like the baby has dropped.  My stomach looks lower and I am feeling more pressure in my pelvis.  Surprisingly, my energy level is still pretty decent, even running after a baby and picking up toys all day long.  Thank goodness I have a desk job.

I am pretty much caught up on my work.  I am finishing up with the house.  I turned in my FMLA paperwork, so I am pretty much all official.  I am just waiting for the inevitable.  Hope my water doesn't break sitting at my desk at work!  =)

Holy molars!

Two teeth within 3 day!  On Wednesday night some molars on the bottom right side of his mouth popped through. Poor thing!!  This makes 11 teeth total.

In other news, Rickybear is 18 months old today!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Rickybear had a play date with his cousin last week!

WHOA HOW I HATE TEETHING!!

Rickybear is a great kid.  He is healthy, bright, agile, happy, clever, eats well, sleeps well…. until some teeth decide to make an appearance.  We have been putting him down for bed around 8pm every night and he has been waking up around 10pm inconsolable.  At that point he comes into our bed because I can’t stand to let him lay there and cry.  Last night it took an hour to stop the tears, even with the Tylenol and rubbing his back.  I checked his mouth and some molars has popped through on the top left side were there that weren’t there when I checked him on Saturday.  This makes tooth # 10.  I resorted to the Orajel, which he HATES (and made him cry even louder for about 10 minutes), but I think that it eventually numbed him enough to let him pass off to dreamland.

Right now Ricky’s favorite things are rough-housing with daddy, breaking (I mean playing with…) eyeglasses, pulling on blind cords (danger!), running in circles in the backyard, throwing a ball, climbing up onto the couch all by himself, stealing the remote control, holding the phone up to his ear and talking into it (even when no one else is on the line), swinging outside, and playing at the park.  He is still a huge fan of bath time, too.

He has also started with the “terrible twos” tantrums.  It’s hard not to laugh sometimes because he will just collapse on the floor and wail if he can’t get what he wants.  To be honest, sometimes it’s amusing and sometimes it’s terribly annoying, but it’s just the age where he is right now.  He is learning and growing and although his vocabulary is great for an almost 18-month old, he still can’t communicate like he wants to.  If that’s the only way to express himself, then that’s all he can do. 

As for the picture- don't worry, he was over it in another minute.  I think I wouldn't let him play with a fork before this meltdown.



My beautiful family

Photo courtsey of Shawn Adair, local photographer

On Saturday we all woke up early to go do a (last-minute) maternity photo shoot at the park.  It dawned on me that this would be our last big outing as a family of 3.  It's kind of sad, but kind of exciting.  Rickybear had a great time running wild and free.  I have only seen 4 of the pictures so far and I love them already.  Granted, I spent hours on my hair and used 4 different styling products... only for it to still frizz out and blow up within minutes of our walking outside.  *sigh*  The meaning of the pictures is still there.

Just a little about the photographer- His name is Shawn Adair.  His wife and I were competitive gymnasts together about 10 years ago.  He loves photography, but mainly takes nature and landscape pictures.  I believe we were his first portrait session.  He was easy-going and easy to communicate with.  His price was also very reasonable.  I can't wait to see the rest of the pics and share some with yall!!  If you are local and in need of a photographer, please let me know and I can get you in touch with him.

The Money Saving Mom's Budget book is now available for presale!

I am sure that a lot of yall follow her blog at http://moneysavingmom.com/ ... but Crystal's long-anticipated book is finally complete and you can now order it over at Amazon.com.  It's official release date is January 10, 2012.  As of today, you can purchase it for $11.09 and it is eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime.

Here is a brief description:

FROM ONE OF NIELSEN’S TOP 50 POWER MOMS COMES ADVICE YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK—LITERALY !  Crystal Paine, who has helped busy women everywhere take control of their finances, presents her most effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels.  With hundreds of inspiring “why didn’t I think of that?” TIPS, plus WORKSHEETS, Paine breaks down your goals into easy, manageable steps so you can • Achieve a complete financial makeover • Set up a realistic budget • Never pay retail • Slash your grocery bill • Organize your time & your home• Us e coupons wisely • Pay with cash only • Live simply • Become debt free • Choose contentment • Make every dollar count

 

About the author:

 

Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years -- and living a frugal, simple and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, averages 80,000 to 100,000 visitors per day and over three million pageviews per month. Crystal was named one of Neilsen's 2009 Top 50 Power Moms and is widely known in the blogosphere as an money-saving expert. In addition to blogging, Crystal writes a weekly column for AOL's ParentDish.com. This column is featured on the homepage of AOL each Monday afternoon. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations. MoneySavingMom.com has been featured in a number of published books, including: Typepad for Dummies, Point, Click and Save and Organized Simplicity.

 

Go support this great mom and see what her advice can do for your family!!

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Pregnancy Update- Week 36

My office threw me a surprise baby shower on Thursday of last week.  It was very sweet and we received a lot of useful gifts and gift cards.  They wanted to have it early in case I delivered early.  When I was pregnant with Rickybear, I had to go in to Labor & Delivery and spend the night for observation, so I missed work the following day, thereby missing my baby shower!  Oops!

I have 4 weeks to go and am still feeling pretty good.  I am feeling a lot of pressure so I think that perhaps the baby has dropped a little bit.  He/she hangs out under my left ribcage all day, so I hope that it's a tushie I feel and not a head- this baby had better not be breech!  I haven't had too much swelling yet and I still haven't gained any weight.  I am getting up at least 6 times a night to go to the bathroom, even if I stopped drinking water by 7pm!  My heels are cracked from the weather, so having to walk delicately just enhances my waddle.  Heartburn is a daily occurrence.

We had a 3 day weekend from work due to Veterans Day.  On Friday I headed over to my mom's and spent the entire day freezer cooking with her for when I am out on maternity leave.  I really hope that everything I cooked doesn't get terrible freezer burn, but I did my best to wrap it all up.  We are going to eat it anyway!!  I finished 6 meals and I hope to make at least that many this weekend, if possible.  We also made a lot of progress on getting the guest room ready and moving furniture for the baby's arrival.  I still need to pull out all of the newborn clothes, sterilize my pumps and bottles, pack a hospital bag, and write thank you cards!  There is a lot that I want to accomplish, but time is running out!  We have maternity pics scheduled for this weekend.

I normally have my OB appointments on Tuesday, but it's on a Wednesday this week, so I am super impatient!  I have an ultrasound and then my regular checkup.  I think I will get my L&D paperwork and have to pay the hospital copay this week.  That makes it seem so real!  I also need to drop off my FMLA paperwork for the doctor to complete.  I have a lot of questions for this upcoming appointment.  The ultrasound will tell us how big the baby is and give us a better idea of a game plan.  I am getting nervous!!

Don't mess with my Saints

Cheering for our undefeated Tigers!!

Rickybear stayed up late to watch the LSU vs Alabama game. 

He must have been our lucky charm!!

And here he is yesterday sporting the new LSU onesie that his Maw Maw got him. 
It was the LSU vs W Kentucky game.  Drinking milk and training hard...

Random Halloween pictures

Pics from Boo at the Zoo, the Corn Maze, and Ricky's 1st Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Birthday, Blog!!

It has been exactly one year since I started my blogging adventure.  I can't believe how time has flown, how much I have learned, and how much my baby has grown and evolved.  It's amazing to look back on those blogs and see how tiny Rickybear was and see all the skills he has mastered since then.  I look forward to each upcoming holiday so I can compare how we celebrated last year and how much he has changed since then.

Thank you to all of the friends and family who have read the blog since the beginning.  It means a lot to have your support and read your comments.  With the new baby on the way, there is no end in sight to the posts.  I hope yall continue to read and share in this journey for the upcoming year.

Here is a link to the very post post that was written a year ago:

Hello, day!

I have a bunch of posts loaded with pics to be posted throughout the week.  We visited Boo at the Zoo, the Corn Maze, and Rickybear trick-or-treated for the first time.  I have all those pictures on a REAL camera (as opposed to my phone), so I will actually have to plug it up and upload them.  I hope to get some free time (HA!) very soon to do that.  I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!