I Heart Tantrums!

Oh and Happy Mother's Day! This is my first mother's day as a mama of 2. It was anything but relaxing- but I guess that is what's to be expected when you have a 21 month old and a 1 week old. All I wanted was to get a picture with my 2 boys. Ryan was being a major butt all day- and made that picture very difficult to get. Here is the best Jon could get:


And- this is one where Ryan wasn't cooperating but I still like it :)


Ryan has been having some problems with adjusting to the new baby. He has been clingy, whiney, and has been throwing tantrums like it's his job. I feel really bad for him but at the same time- it is sooooooooo annoying!!! Jon and I have both been trying to give him lots of attention. He's actually getting just as much attention now as he ever did- because Asher still sleeps so much. But- I'm sure he feels like his world has been turned upside down. Anyway- I am super sympathetic.....so I would never take pictures of my poor child in the middle of a melt down.


No- that would be really mean.


Only a super horrible mother would do that to her child- especially on Mother's Day.


And I would definitely NEVER get out the video camera and film my child during a meltdown. What kind of mother would do that???


So- most of my mother's day was spent listening to a tantruming toddler and nursing a tiny baby. I am beginning to feel like a dairy cow. I must add that Jon was wonderful in that he got Ryan out of my hair for a little while in the afternoon. He also gave me a really sweet picture frame with pictures of Ryan that we've been meaning to frame for a while. Sorry, Asher! We'll get your photos printed out and framed soon! Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there!

Got our walking papers!

Asher's heel stick at 6am this morning indicated his number went down to 10.2- WOO HOO!!!!! So he didn't have to be under the lights anymore but they wanted to do another heel stick around 2pm to make sure the number didn't go way up again. His number at the 2pm heel stick was 11. So we got our walking papers- HOORAY!!! We are outta here!

Jaundice Sucks!

Well- we went back to the hospital this morning for yet another freaking heel stick. And Asher's number was up to 18.6! While we were waiting around for the pediatrician to tell us we were going to be admitted- stupid me decided to look up jaundice on my blackberry. One article said that a number of 20 or higher starts to raise concerns about brain damage. So I was crying. Maybe this should be a lesson learned- DO NOT LOOK THINGS UP ON THE INTERNET! Anyway- the doctor called and told us to make our way up to the pediatric unit because Asher needed to be admitted. They put us in a room with a bed so that I could stay with him. He went under the phototherapy lights around 12:30 and fussed and cried until about 9 or 10 pm. Jon and I kept telling the day nurses that something wasn't right because he was a particularly fussy baby. I asked them if he was too cold- they said no. I wondered if he was hungry and so I fed him. When the lab came up to check his # at 6pm- it only went down to 17.2. The nurse told me it was because I took him off of the lights too much to feed him (even though he was still getting light therapy through a blanket while I fed him). Yeah- I wanted to kick her in the head. Anyway- the night nurses figured out that Asher was too cold and wasn't maintaining his body temperature (they actually took his temp rectally while the day nurses only took an axillary temp- which isn't as accurate). They put him in an enclosed isolette where they could set the temperature. Asher finally fell asleep and he hasn't made another peep since. I could have killed that stupid day nurse. Jon wants to write the hospital a letter to complain. He's very good at complaining- he always gets what he wants. However, it's usually over the phone and I have a theory that he always gets what he wants because of his accent. He wouldn't get crap if he had an American accent. Anyway- this has been a very emotional day for me. I'm so tired of the heel sticks and then watching my poor little guy cry for almost 10 hours straight was not fun. His next heel stick is at 6am tomorrow morning. I better get some sleep- I'm sure I will be woken up soon to feed the little monster. Here are some pics of Asher tanning in his new isolette :)

Our first night...

....was HORRIBLE!!! Somewhere around 9pm, Asher decided he was going to refuse to nurse. However, he was starving! And then his screaming woke up Ryan. So we had two screaming kids for a while. Jon was the only one in the family not crying! My mom came down to see if she could help me figure out what was going on with the nursing- and Jon brought Ryan over to my parents' house for a little while to get away from the madness and chill out for a bit. After Asher settled, Jon and Ryan came back and Jon got Ryan back to sleep. Asher didn't let me get much sleep- but that was to be expected- and I was just happy that he didn't wake Ryan again. I'm hoping this isn't going to be our new "normal".

On another note- we've been back to the hospital twice today for heel sticks. Asher left the hospital on saturday with a bilirubin # of 13.8. A number of 14 or higher indicates jaundice- so he was borderline. We went this morning and his number was 16.9 and the pediatrician on call said she'd like for us to come back tonight to get his # checked again. If it went up- he was going to be admitted. Well- we went tonight and his # is holding steady at 16.9. So they sent us home and told us to come back again tomorrow morning. UGH! I'm so tired of going back and forth and it's horrible to see my little guy get stuck so many times. His little heels are going to fall off! It's bad enough he had heel sticks every 4 hours for his first 24 hours of life to check his blood sugar level (because he was a big baby). So his little feet look like pin cushions. Fingers crossed his number goes down tomorrow!

Going home!

Well- our stay at the hospital has come to an end. We are now at home, relaxing on the sofa. I will miss the dear nurses who took Asher to the nursery at night so that I could get a couple of hours of sleep before the next feed. But- so far everything has been good. However, we've only been home for an hour or so. I've been recovering wonderfully from the c-section. I've stayed on top of the pain with meds- although I haven't needed quite as much as I did for Ryan. I've also been able to stand straighter and I really haven't had any problems to complain about. Although I thought my recovery with Ryan was fast and easy- this one is already 100x better! Ryan has been good- still doesn't care much about the baby......but he will give him an occasional kiss or snuggle. I'm just thankful that he hasn't tried to hit Asher or throw a car at his head yet! I will update tomorrow to tell you how our first night went- I'm sure it will be interesting......

First family photo

Welcome to the World, Asher Jonathan!!!

WELCOME, ASHER JONATHAN GRAY!
We went into the hospital this morning for our scheduled c-section. I was super nervous and cried any time a nurse or a doctor would come in to talk about the surgery or explain what was going to happen. It took the nurse 3 times to get an IV in (in 3 different places)- the first 2 were UNBELIEVABLY painful and I cried. This is coming from someone with a high pain tolerance. The IV was the absolute worst part of the entire thing. The spinal was awesome! I didn't even feel it! And the surgery itself was just amazing, It is so incredibly cool to be awake during your own surgery. I felt pressure and tugging and I could feel exactly when Asher was born. He was born at 8:03am SCREAMING with a great set of lungs! Apgars were 9 and 9. They wrapped him in a blanket and put him right on my chest so I could say hello and give him lots of kisses :-) Then he went with daddy to get weighed and cleaned up (around 8:15). I was wheeled back to my room at 8:30 and Asher was brought to my room to nurse at 9. His birth was just an overall wonderful experience! We are both doing very well and he is already an amazing nurser! I can't believe I am the mommy of 2 little boys!!!

STATS:
Weight:9 lbs. 5 oz.
Height: 21 inches
Hair: LOTS of dark, brown hair
Eyes: Grayish blue eyes (which was surprising to us since Ryan was born with dark brown eyes).

At first, he didn't look anything like Ryan- but as the hours have gone by, we are beginning to see more of a resemblance. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help but to compare the two. I've been doing it all day long. Ryan is all I've ever known- so I'm guessing it's only natural to compare Asher to him??? Anyway- the two boys met each other this afternoon. Ryan didn't seem to care too much. He seemed a little concerned at first when he saw me in the hospital bed- but soon gave me a big smile. He was lifted up so I could give him a big hug and kiss. But, it was a little nerve-wracking for me to have Ryan there. He was very active (as usual) and was running around. I was just waiting for him to trip or pull on one of my many wires (IV, catheter, compression boots). Thankfully he did not. Ryan gave his brother a kiss and enjoyed pointing out his fingers, nose, mouth, and eyes.

Here are some photos of our new little love:

Predictions....

Well- we are now down to the wire. In about 12-13 hours we will be meeting our 2nd little man! I think I'm still in a bit of denial.....but I'm also SUPER nervous! I hope I can get some sleep tonight. We've been talking to Ryan about his "baby brother" for a while now- but I think he's too young to really get it. He would rather talk about cars or trucks, bikes, planes or vacuums!!! Oh well- he'll get it once the baby comes home and he realizes that he's staying :) Anyway - here is my prediction for our little guy's stats:

Weight: 8 lbs. 2 oz
Height: 20 inches
Time: 8:07am
He will have a moderate amount of dark brown hair and super dark brown eyes (Just like Ryan did).


Jon's prediction:

Weight: 8 lbs. 11 oz
Height: 21 inches
Time: 8:05am
He will have a moderate amount of dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Last Preggo Picture (39 weeks):

Obstructed view....

Well - on the positive side- I just finished my last day of work today!!! I won't go back to work until the end of June. I'm so glad not to have to deal with other people's children for a while. I know that probably sounds mean- but when you are this preggo- you shouldn't have to listen to the tantruming of any other child besides your own (and thankfully, Ryan is not big on tantruming!).

Anyway-back to the original reason for this post. I got pulled over today on my way home from work and I was given a ticket for "Obstructed View"- because of my GPS!!! Isn't that so ridiculous! I've never even heard of that before. But apparently it is a real offense (I looked it up when I got home). The cop told me I can't have anything on my windshield or on my dash. So where exactly am I supposed to put it then? And why do stores sell the GPS holders with the suction cups to stick on your windshield or the bean bag thing to go on your dash? Should I hold the GPS in my hands while trying to steer? Clearly that would be safer. There isn't even a fee printed for that particular offense on the ticket. I have to call a number on Monday to find out how much it is. The cop told me "You're lucky. It's a 0 point ticket". Yeah- thanks buddy- you did me a favor!

Ok- rant over. It is 80 something degrees out today and we are going to a BBQ later on. So I'm going to quit my whining and enjoy the rest of the day :)

38 week belly!

Only 6 days to go! Next Tuesday I will take my final belly photo- well maybe Wednesday morning just before the c-section.... I'm posting the belly pics from the last few weeks for comparison. Hmmm- I'm not seeing much of a difference. I look about the same amount of HUGE in all of them....

36 weeks


37 weeks


38 weeks

More sympathy please!

You know it's bad when you are getting ready for a doctor's appointment and your husband looks at you and asks, "When are you going to get dressed?", and your reply is, "I already am!". There is no need to get all dressed up for a doctor's appointment- plus if I were to wear jeans it would make me heavier LOL! To make matters worse, my mom stopped dead in her tracks and laughed at me this morning when she saw what I was wearing. She came over to watch Ryan while we went to our appointment.

So- if you see me today- just look the other way. None of my shirts fit anymore- my belly is hanging out of all of them. I feel like I look like a guy who you would see walking out of the trailer park with a beer can in one hand and scratching his huge beer belly, that is poking out under his shirt and hanging over the top of his jeans, with his other hand. I am very huge and very uncomfortable. And I just don't care about what others think I look like at this point. But I may just nominate myself for "What Not to Wear" shortly after this baby is born LOL!

Here I am in all my hot, pregnant glory. Yes, I really went out into public looking like this *GASP*. Don't be jealous- I will give fashion tips to all who inquire...

OMG- we are THOSE people!!!

So we went for a family walk (dog included) today because the weather was BEAUTIFUL!!! Shortly after we started our walk I asked Jon if he remembered to bring a plastic bag to pick up after Foxy. He said he hadn't because Foxy had been outside almost all day and we were only going for a relatively short walk anyway. So- I didn't really care because she doesn't usually do #2 on walks anyway. Then about halfway into our walk we stopped briefly to take a sip of water and to admire a house that was for sale. We start walking again but Foxy wouldn't budge. I look at her to see what the problem is and OF COURSE she is pooping right in front of this house (that, if you remember, is FOR SALE!). She didn't do her business on the main bit of their lawn- but it was on the grassy part on the other side of the sidewalk- which is still owned by (and the responsibility of) the home owner. I looked at Jon and asked what we should do. Well, there really wasn't anything we could do- we didn't have a plastic bag. So we kind of looked the other way and walked really fast- hoping the owners weren't watching us out their window. Now- you may be asking "Did you ever go back and pick it up?" - and my answer to that is "No, no we did not". Therefore- we have become THOSE people.....the people that others curse out for not cleaning up after their dog. Please forgive us- it was a one time occurrence and will (hopefully) never happen again! But if those owners have a dog- I welcome them to bring their dog to our lawn to return the favor....

37 week belly

I don't think there has been much change since last week. The belly looks about the same- HUGE! Jon says he has a feeling I will be going into labor in the next 5 days- I pretty much just laughed at him! I don't think this kid has any intention of making an early appearance- just like his brother. Anyway - here is my belly pic. I'm posting last week's photo again for comparison :)

36 Weeks


37 Weeks

Getting nostalgic....

With the birth of this baby just looming around the corner, I find myself getting very emotional that Ryan will no longer be my only baby- Damn hormones! And just in case I don't cry enough as it is- I have to torture myself by repeatedly watching things like this:


And while we're on the topic of videos that make me cry- this one also gets me every time (despite the freaking cheesy music)!

Braxton Hicks, etc.

Seriously? I must be the only preggo lady in the world who has no clue whether or not she is having Braxton Hicks contractions. I had no clue with Ryan and I have no clue this time around either. Yet- it is a favorite question for others to ask, "Are you getting a lot of Braxton Hicks?". Um.......maybe? There are times when my belly gets super hard- I'm guessing that's it? It just feels like the baby is pushing out from all sides.... I guess it's really not a big deal for me- because it doesn't mean that my body is getting ready to do anything. That was evident after 32 hours of labor with Ryan and absolutely NO change in my body what-so-ever.

It is strange for me to be from a family of women who are champions at giving birth. By champions- I mean they have all pushed out multiple children weighing between 7 and 11 lbs with NO PAIN MEDS!!! Hmmm....maybe by "champions", I really mean "crazy". So it never crossed my mind that I would end up with a c-section. And although I've never experienced a vaginal delivery- I think I got a pretty good deal with the c-section. I honestly have no desire to push anything out of my whoo-ha. I would take stitches in my belly rather than down below ANY DAY!!! I must say that the hardest part about having a c-section was dealing with others who have never experienced one. They all give you a sad look as if you missed out on a "real" birth experience. I'm sorry- but being awake during your own surgery is pretty amazing. I could still feel Ryan being born, they still laid him on my chest for me to hold, and I was completely pain free after 4-5 days. I don't think that just because you squeezed a watermelon through a straw makes you any more of a mother or that you had a "better" delivery. I don't remember anyone handing out ribbons to those who were the best at giving birth. Anyway- this wasn't supposed to turn into a rant :)

I am proud to say that I will be the recipient of another c-section in just 15 short days.....

Egg Dying Fun!

So who had the crazy idea to allow their 20 month old to dye eggs. Surely it wasn't me! I would never want my child to make a complete mess of the table (despite the newspaper) and the microfiber chair! It was actually a lot of fun and, most importantly, Ryan had a blast.

The Before:










Admiring his work:


When the eggs were all done....


The finished masterpiece.....note how every egg is cracked

36 weeks

I have been horrible with taking belly photos during this pregnancy. I'm going to try my best to take one every week from now until the little guy is here. A few people have said they thought I was bigger when I was preggo with Ryan. Here is a comparison to prove how much more of a whale I am this time around :)

36 weeks with Ryan (before the swelling completely took over):


36 weeks with Baby #2 (by the way, my belly is actually measuring 41 weeks- OMG!!!):

The Easter Bunny

The joys of torturing your child for a photo. This is classic- every parent needs a photo like this. It seriously makes me smile every time I look at it....is that mean?

ZZZZZZZZZZ

I don't want to jinx it..............but after almost 2 months of waking practically every night- our little man is now sleeping 12-13 hours straight once again. On top of that he is taking 3 (sometimes close to 4) hour naps! I've been taking naps at the same time- it's been fabulous! There are sooo many things that need to get done before this baby arrives- but my naps have been taking priority. Speaking of sleep- I should really be getting to bed right now!

20 Months Old

Only 1 more month and this handsome little devil will be a big brother. I may be biased- but I must say, Jon and I make really good-looking kids (of course we already know that baby #2 will be just as handsome). I can't believe this kid is almost 2!

Stop the insanity!!!

Ryan has been waking up almost every single night for the past month and a half!  AHHHHH!!!  At first I thought that maybe he was waking up because we had house guests for most of February and his schedule got a little thrown off.  But- some nights he was completely soaked through- so we went up a size in diapers hoping to solve the problem..... however, he is still waking up only now he's dry.  I think he may also be waking up because of night terrors (since I really can't blame it on teething- I don't see or feel any new teeth coming in).  And the waking would be fine if he would just go back to sleep after 10-15 minutes.  But NOOOOO- this kid stays up for 1-2 hours.  Sometimes screaming most of the time and sometimes just wanting to play.  We have tried tough love and letting him cry- doesn't work.....he just gets more and more worked up.  We have tried rubbing his back and singing to him- doesn't work.  We have tried re-creating his bedtime routine- reading him a couple of stories and then saying "night night" to various things in his room- doesn't work.  I am so tired and in so much pain- that it's getting more and more difficult to get out of bed every night to tend to him.  I wish we could afford a night nanny who could work an 11-7 shift every night :)  Well, I guess Ryan is just giving us practice for when his brother gets here....  But I was kind of hoping that I could get as much sleep in as possible now since I know I will be completely sleep deprived when the baby is here.  Oh well.....

Baby Boy (AKA- Ryan #2)

We had a 3D ultrasound today to see our newest little man.  Looks like we'll have another uncooperative stinker on our hands :)  The session was only supposed to last 20 minutes but this kid had either his hand, arm or foot in front of his face the entire time.  So we were there for over an hour (thank goodness we didn't have to pay for the extra time).  

Ryan came with us to the ultrasound and he was a little upset at first as to what was happening to his mommy.  But he quickly saw that everything was ok.  Ryan was very well behaved and played with trucks and ate cheerios.  He didn't care too much about what was on the screen- but then again, I can't really blame him since his daddy has no clue what he's looking at on the screen about 90% of the time!  Judging by these pictures- Ryan's little brother may be his exact clone (which would be absolutely fine since Ryan is such a handsome little dude!).  They have the same nose, cheeks and lips!  I need to find Ryan's 3D photos and post a comparison.....  For now- you can just take our word for it!

Ryan's 18 month Professional Photos

We went last Saturday to get Ryan's 18 month photos taken.  Ava even joined in on a couple of them- soooo cute!  It was definitely more of a challenge this time than the last time Ryan got his photos taken (at 12 months).  But the photographer was great at getting his attention and making him smile.  I'm surprised she got the shots that she did because he was all over the place!  We won't be doing that again till he's 24 months- or maybe right after his brother is born.....we'll see.