Hello From the Land of Babies!!

Silliness

Daddy love

Piano time!

The two states of being Andy

Hi all, it's been a couple of weeks since our last blog. We have been busy and tired and our computer has been broken. It's all fixed now so I'm ready for communication. So updates: nursing is still going well, although at night it is difficult because it's hard to see what I am doing and try not to make noise because Max is in the room too. A lot of times I just get up and go to the couch for feeding time. Andy goes back to bed easily, but he does wake up every two hours at nightglike clock work . The past couple of nights though he has been up for a couple hours at a time just hanging out. He is not crying, but he is still up which makes me a very tired mommy during the day. Some day it will get better, so I am holding on to that thought for sanity. Andy is now three weeks old. Next sunday he will be a month old. It really seems to have gone by fast. Days do go by fast around here, though. By the time naps and meals and stuff are done it's already 3 o'clock or so, which is walk time, then dinner etc. Before we know it, Andy will be three months and no longer an infant. I am actually looking forward to that time because it means more fun interactions. We took Andy to the doctor the other day, he has grown three inches and gained some weight, he is now 23 in. long and weighs 10 lbs, 8oz. This is great because I know he is getting the food he needs. He checked out healthy and thriving. He does have bad gas, I think it is from swallowing air during eating. He really cries out and I feel bad for him. Max is interested in Andy, especially when he cries. He plays a little, then comes over to see Andy, then goes back to playing. He tries to smack Andy, but we redirect him to "give baby kisses" then he leans in for a kiss. It's really cute!!!! Let's see what else?... Oh! Max is really walking now. He hardly ever goes to the floor for a crawl. He is a little unsteady and falls a lot, but he just walks and walks and walks. It is something to behold, and he is sooo cute!!!!! Max is having some eating difficulties right now. He had gotten too picky about eating only certain types of jar food . We decided to end it all because it is time he starts eating real food now. He has gone on a bit of an eating strike because of it, making meal time frusterating. Andy is a really good baby, hardly ever cries except just to be held or to eat. He sleeps a lot too, although somedays he is up a lot, and some nights he is up driving me crazy!!!! Caleb is still doing a great job at being a big brother. This fact really helps things to go smoother. He gets a little loud and demanding sometimes which can add to the chaos, and he is still having a hard time sharing with Max(he takes away Max's toys and gets mad if Max touches his), but Caleb is doing a great job of adjusting to all the time Matt and I need to spend caring for the babies. He really makes Max happy, Max is just so in love with him. The transition from just Caleb to life with babies seems really natural to him, he doesn't sulk around or "wish they were not his brothers"
I spend most of my time taking care of Andy. At first it was really hard not doing all the things Max and I used to do together. It made me sad . Max , is Daddy's shadow so he's not that upset. I am finding more time to spend when I can which makes me feel better. Well, enough chatting for now. I hope all is well with all of you.We're thinking of you.. love, Ade

Here He Is!!!!!



Looks like Max?

Big Bro comes to see me.

Baby=Tired

Nurse Jessica
getting me ready for c-section. 6am

Well, Andy is finally here! He was born at 8:51 am on January 7th. We arrived at the hospital at 6am. No one else was there, so we got all the attention from nurses Bonnie and Jessica (my favorite nurses). They began by hooking me up to a baby monitor. It must have been that action that set my body off, because I began to have contractions right away. They were coming every 3 minutes like clockwork and continued to get more uncomfortable(although not painful) up until surgery. Isn't that hilarious! I was really happy because I wanted a little indication for Andy to know it was time to come out. Plus it felt more real to me now at this point. So.... after a couple hours they wheeled me into the recovery room to wait for surgery. When I got into surgery, they started the epidural which really hurt. I started getting dizzy and nauseous so they laid me down and gave me oxygen. Then they gave me more epidural because I had to stop and get oxygen and the first dose of the epidural wasn't making me numb. Yadda, yadda, yadda.....the surgery went fine.

Matt watched them pull Andy out. When he came out he cried a funky cry because of all the stuff in his lungs. The first thing everyone said was, "He's hairy!" After they were done suctioning him, they brought him over and I got to see him. And he had a big ole thick head of hair. His hair is exactly like Matts-the color, the widow's peak and everything. It's so cute. I did fine in recovery so I was able to go to the room soon afterwards. Daddy and Angie were waiting for Andy when he got back to the nursery for his bath. Max and Grandma came later in the evening. Grandma watched Max duriing the day while Daddy was at the hospital. Grandma stayed at the hospital at night and Angie helped out in the mornings. Andy spent the entire time in the hospital laying on Mommy. My milk didn't come in right away so we gave him some formula to supplenent in the hospital. He weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces, and was twenty inches long, and although seemingly tiny to me, he was the biggest boy at the birth center.

We checked out as early as we could, and have been home since Friday. Breast feeding is going great!! With Max it didn't go so well, by the time I figured it out my milk had run dry. But now that I got the hang of it, it's easy with Andy. Breast feeding being easy has made a world of difference. Its also made a world of difference the second time around (having a baby.) All the fears and anxiety of the first one melt away and I can enjoy being a mom more. Andy sleeps most of the time. I was so worried because I had only Max to compare him to. I called the hospital and they told me some babies just sleep a lot when they are first born. Max was a born partier! Andy is very mellow, so far. I hope he stays mellow.

Right now my and Andy's home is the couch. We spend all our time there. Matt has been taking care of Max and everything else. I'll be postiing more pictures of Andy soon. You can't tell from these pictures but he has really dark skin and dark hair. He's such a little tiny precious and Mommy was in love at first sight.

Walking, yes indeed, I'm walking

Getting a little boost from uncle Aaron

New Year, New Skills.... Grandma bought Max a little lawnmower. He's been doing a lot of standing one hand on the table and less falls, so I thought I'd let him play with the mower. At first he just crawled around and pushed it, playing with the wheels. Soon, though he wanted to use it to stand up, as he does with any and all things. After a few falls, he began getting his balance and started to move his legs(it's not very stationary so he had no choice) After a few more falls, he was walking with it around the house!!!! He hasn't figured out yet that he can walk if he just lets go. He moves all around the house, picks it up turns it around, raises one hand as he walks, cause he's so proud. He's even taken a few steps to get in between furniture without realizing what he's doing. So we think he'll be really walking by his birthday!! He has always had noises . It used to be a piggy noise, then a goat, then a snake. now he's growling. It's super cute. So.. Wednesday is my surgury day, and Andy's Birthday!! I'm getting excited to see him. Little butterflies twirl around in there. It's strange knowing when the baby is coming, and yet nice too. It will be strange not going into labor though. I've been trying to get myself mentally prepared. This week or so has been really hard for me. I am unbelievably exhausted just from the pregnancy and then sleeping is hard because when max is not awake, I am. My hands start going numb and tingly as soon as I lay down, and a couple hours later they are so painful and it lasts all night , then there's the heartburn.. and the charley horses, and the baby kicking...and the constant peeing. I have a real hard time interacting physically with max, It gets worse the bigger I get. It's hard not having that bonding , with me just watching him play from my post on the couch, (cause once I'm on the ground it takes a while to get up and he doesn't stay in one place for very long) he's become a real daddy's boy, perhaps as a result. At least it will end , i feel sorry for mothers who have physical problems like MS etc. My surgery is at 8am I have to be there at the birth center at 6! I must fast the night before.. and then be on a clear liquid diet for 24 hrs. Not looking forward to that.. Here is the number to the birth center: 707 826-8263. The main hospital number is :822-3621 just in case. When you call the birth center just ask for my room, there are only three rooms so they''ll know. Well, wish me good luck and Andy a happy healthy entrance into this world. we have been nursing colds, so it makes me nervous that he's being born during humboldt crud season. Well, I must go get a glass of milk, my heartburn is calling. Next time you check this blog.. you'll see Andy!!!!! love ade