Cashman's 10th Week: The Evil Norovirus

It was written that I would love you

From the moment I opened my eyes

And the morning when I first saw you

Gave me life under calico skies

I will hold you

For as long as you like

I'll hold you
For the rest of my life

-Calico Skies by Paul McCartney

This song was in our wedding. Its about a romantic relationship between a man and a woman, but while listening to the lyrics one day, I realized it could apply to a mother and child relationship. We chose if for the song that our mothers would walk down the aisle to. Every time I hear it, I think of my mother, my love for Colt, and now, our sweet son. Just thought I would share part of it.

Hello everyone! I hope this reaches everyone doing well, and in GOOD HEALTH! Good health...probably something I won't be taking for granted again for a long while. The Clark household has been taken down by the Norovirus this week. Poor Cash, had to spend his 10 week "birthday" a sad little sicko. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version of our week so far, and the move on to the more fun, less disgusting news.

We had a great weekend (3/19-21), visiting with my Grandma Jan, Grandpa Tony, my Uncle Kevin, his wife Katie, and a friend of the family named Zeke who were all in from Ohio. Sunday night, after church we met my Grandpa Sal and Grandma Dee at Village Inn so we could catch up and they could see Cash. All the while, I was feeling just fine! When we got home on Sunday night, I thought it might be nice to take a bath, so I drew the water, and relaxed for a good 15 or 20 minutes. Out of nowhere I started to feel a little bit queasy, but I figured it was just because I had been sitting in the hot water for to long, so I got out of the tub. I got in my pajamas, and sat down on the couch to nurse, and I started feeling REALLY sick! I asked Colt to hold the baby, and I headed straight to the bathroom. From that point on, I was throwing up. ALL NIGHT LONG! It was the most violent sickness I've ever had. I was getting sick in about 5 minute intervals, sometimes less. It started to become painful and I could tell I was extremely dehydrated. I ended up bringing my blanket and pillows into my bathroom and camping out on the floor. Colt was so sweet, and took care of Cash all night long. The only problem was, Cash wanted his Mama. He basically screamed the entire night. I could hear Colt trying to calm him down, but he couldn't be consoled. It was so pitiful. It broke my heart because all I wanted to do was go out in the living room and hold him, and comfort him, but I couldn't. I couldn't even pick myself up off the floor, much less hold him. At one point, I stood up to splash some water on my face, and I felt like I was going to faint. I caught a glimpse of my face and it was completely white. I had no pigment in my lips or face anymore. I started getting pretty worried that I was going to have to go to the hospital and be put on an IV. At some point in the night, I dragged myself over to my bed, as Colt was watching Cash in the living room. I slept on and off until Monday morning. I started feeling better around 1pm the next day. Better as in not puking up my guts, but I was still very nauseated and my head was KILLING me! I tried to drink to replace my fluids, but it was very difficult keeping anything down. Food was impossible. It was a horrific experience. Thankfully, Sharon (Colt's mom) offered to take care of Cash for a few hours on Monday so Colt could get some sleep. He had been up all night trying to take care of Cash. I'm SO thankful for such a sweet mother in law, especially one with so much experience with baby boys.

Being sick when you're only responsible for yourself is bad enough, but being a sick Mama is horrible. I felt so helpless. I wanted to take care of Cash but it was literally impossible. Even if I could, I didn't want to get him sick. Nursing was a whole other issue. Thankfully, I pump occasionally and I had a few bags of breast milk in the freezer, so Cash had something to eat. I was able to nurse him once, but I was so sick, I didn't think it was safe to try it again. I kept waking up on Monday morning and I noticed my shirt was getting increasingly more wet from my milk. By Monday night, I started nursing again, but something was different. After I nursed for the first time, the milk didn't really "refill" itself over the next few hours like it usually does. I was SO dehydrated that my milk supply had almost completely depleted. That was so depressing. Thankfully, Cash is an easy going baby, and he's willing to take a bottle if need be. Also, we've supplemented with formula occasionally from the time he was born (in the first few weeks after I'd pump and wasn't sure if I had enough milk to feed him right after). He would take the formula, or frozen breast milk for his main nourishment, but I still tried to nurse him to get my supply back. It took a lot of work, but over the next few days I got my milk supply back. I had to drink a lot of fluids, get in some extra calories, and NURSE, NURSE, NURSE!

Cash seemed to be getting the beginnings of the virus by Wednesday. He had thrown up a few times on Tuesday night and was very lethargic. We called the Pediatrician around midnight on Tuesday night after he had his vomiting episodes, and she said to keep nursing him, and just keep an eye on him. If he got any worse, or couldn't keep anything down to call the next day. Colt and I both stayed up all night with Cash. I was worried that he would throw up in his sleep and choke on it, and I would be sleeping and unable to help. Finally around 5:30am on Wednesday morning, Cash was sleeping soundly next to me in my bed, so Colt and I decided it was safe to get a little sleep. I woke up to nurse around 7:30am. My "routine" for nursing in the middle of the night is to feed him on one side, change his diaper to wake him up, and then feed him on the other side. During his diaper change, I noticed it wasn't very wet. I started to get very worried that he was dehydrated. He had had that same diaper on since 3 or 4am and it was almost dry! Again, he seemed very lethargic, so I decided to call the doctor. She told me to bring him in around 9:45am. I forgot to mention, the night before (Tuesday), I had my first real meal since being sick. I wasn't thinking about what might settle my stomach. I was more concerned with eating as much as I could, to replenish my nutrients and to get my breast milk back. I had a 6oz. Outback Special with a baked potato and vegetables from Outback. Delicious! I lived to regret it by Wednesday morning when Colt and I had to take Cash to the doctor's office. I was very nauseated the whole time before, during, and for about an hour after. I suppose I should admit that it could have also been just a nervous stomach, worrying about my baby. Anyway, Wednesday morning Colt and I were busy trying to throw some clothes on ourselves, and dress my sweet little lethargic baby to go to the doctor. About 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave we noticed a complete change in his behavior. He was back to his usual smiley self, and even had a VERY wet diaper. I was relieved to know at least he wasn't dehydrated. We decided to go to the doctor's office anyway, but as Colt predicted, they said, "Yep, looks like he might be getting a little bit of the virus. Keep an eye on him, and try to keep him hydrated. That will be a $25 co-pay." :) He didn't have any more vomiting episodes until Saturday afternoon. Looking back, I don't know if he had the stomach virus, or if he was just jostled around a little bit to much after eating. Who knows! All I know is that everyone is healthy at the moment in the Clark household, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Today is Sunday, and we are exhausted! We really wanted to worship at our home congregation (Citrus Park Church of Christ), but as so many people are sick or have been sick with the Norovirus, we didn't want to chance going and getting sick again, or getting Cash sick. We decided to have a worship service with my parents at their campsite that they are vacationing at this weekend. My parents, sister, Uncle Bob, Aunt Ginger, and their kids Alexandria and Paul rent out two campsites at Fort Desoto Camp Grounds every year for a few days of vacation. They always look forward to spending time together. My brother is dog sitting for my parents this week. Colt and I are NOT campers, but we enjoy going out there to visit. As I said, we went down there to worship with them today. It was Cash's first time "camping" (for the 2 1/2 hours that we were there). It would have been a lovely afternoon if it wasn't POURING down rain! We still had a nice service anyway, and enjoyed spending time with everyone.

SO, what's new with Cashman you ask? He is becoming such a character!

Physical: They weighed him at the doctor's office on Wednesday after he had been throwing up, and he weighed 12lbs., 12oz. at 10 weeks exactly. The doctor was pleased with his growth. He has lost a little bit of his hair on top since his birth, but he still has a lot. Lastly, he's doing really well with holding his head up! He's not completely independent in that department yet, but we're almost there, I can feel it! :)

Idiosyncrasies: He had developed the most adorable habit of putting a closed fist to his mouth and licking the top of his hand. We call it "eating his invisible ice cream cone". Its so funny! He's really into licking fabrics also. He occasionally licks my shirt, his bibs, and burp cloths.

Personality: Not only is he smiling ALL THE TIME now, he has started to babble a lot. His favorite phrase is "A-Goo!" Colt or I will say it to him, and he'll say it back. My mom said I used to play the "A-Goo" game with my her and my Mammy (my maternal Great-Grandmother). Its so surreal to be communicating with him, even on such a small level. Also, he loves watching our ceiling fans and lights in the house. He's really into sitting in our laps facing out, so he can see whats going on in the room. He loves watching his surroundings. Maybe he just loves watching TV. Haha! He is such a laid back, happy baby with a very calm temperament.

Goals: My goal for this week is to get him outside some. Its been so cold over the last few weeks that I didn't want to take him for walks or go in the backyard, but I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the good weather now. I also need to be more diligent about "tummy time". He hates it, and usually ends up burying his face in the blanket, threatening to smother himself. He loves to kick around on his back though! The kid LOVES to kick! In fact, the other day, he kicked his pants off! I also want to start reading the directions on the "Your Baby Can Read" program. My Grandma Dee and Grandpa Sal bought it for Cash when I was pregnant. I don't think you're supposed to start until he is around 6 months, but we'll see.

Sleeping Habits: His "schedule" has been disrupted this week due to my sickness, and his vomiting issues, but nothing to drastic. I'm hoping to get on a better schedule this week. If I can't get him to sleep any other way, my one method that never fails is to put him on his tummy on my chest. He loves to be chest to chest with me. He falls to sleep within a few minutes without a peep every time. I love it when he sleeps like that. I think I'm going to hold off on putting him in his bed until he gets to 4 or 5 hour stretches. He's still waking up every 3 hours, and if I had to walk all the way across the house to his room a bunch of times a night to nurse, I'd be a sleepy girl. Its so convenient to have him in his cradle right next to me. So what if he's 10 years old and still sleeping bedside! Lay off people! :) Just kidding of course.

That's about it for now. I can't believe we're already at 10 1/2 weeks! I'll leave you with a little video! Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

My Smiley Boy

The Invisible Ice Cream Cone

Cash "Love Man" Clark: 2 Months

Its been an embarrassing length of time since my last post. My apologies. I haven't really been busy per se, but I have had a lot of kissing, and cuddling on my to do list. Poor Cash...he's going to be such a Mama's boy. We must toughen him up. Anyway, instead of writing an extremely long post as usual, I'm going to try a new format and see if I like it. Here goes!

Cash Anderson Clark: 8 weeks

Physical:

• Height: 22 1/2 inches
• Weight: 12 lbs.
• Eyes: They are brown now. "Milk chocolate" to be exact. He still has a clogged tear duct in his right eye. It doesn't really effect everyday life, but we do have to wipe it down occasionally with a warm cloth. He doesn't mind it.
• Skin: His skin seems to be getting lighter, although he still has a pretty nice tan going on. He has a few little white pimply things on his body. This is most likely due to the lotion I've been using. I asked the doctor about them, and she couldn't even see them at first, so they are pretty small. She said they are normal.
• Body: Getting chubby! :)

Sleeping Habits: During the middle of the night he sleeps about three hours before he needs to eat again. Sometimes he'll sleep 4 or 5, but he's pretty consistent with 3 hours.

Eating Habits: He's still breastfeeding every 3 hours. I've pretty much done away with supplementing with formula unless I have to pump for church or if we're going someplace where I know I won't be able to nurse and I don't have enough breast milk to feed him after I've pumped. He tried prune juice and apple juice this week (3/11) when he hadn't gone "number two" in two days.

Schedule: Other than eating every three hours, there is no real schedule. He sleeps when he wants to. I'm trying to get him to take naps in his crib, so I can start trying to get him on a napping schedule, but he always wakes up after a few minutes in his crib.

Preferences: I love that he "knows me" and prefers me to anyone, although Colt is a close second. Oh...and he HATES prune juice, and TOLERATES apple juice.

Personality: He has been smiling at us SO MUCH! He isn't into funny noises, or "goo-goo-ga-ga" talk. He thinks that is stupid. If I say, "Hi there my boy," with a smile on my face, I'll get a nice smile. He still smiles in his sleep all the time. In fact, we think he has some bipolar dreams because he makes all kinds of different faces, one right after the other. He'll frown, then smile, then lift his brow, then look scared. Its fun to watch this. He has also been making noises like he wants to talk to us. He has such a cute personality. He isn't amused by silly things. I think he will have a dry sense of humor. Another funny thing he does involves my laptop and breastfeeding. Sometimes when I'm nursing him, I'll check my email on my laptop. Sometimes, he gets annoyed by this, or maybe he just wants to cause trouble, but he bends his little leg back and lays it on the keyboard. I can't help but laugh.

Temperament: He is a pretty easy going baby, but when he cries because he's mad, we noticed that he sounds like he's screaming, "GAAAA, GAAAA!" This cry is very unique, and easily distinguishable.

Interests: He loves to stare at lights and ceiling fans. He likes when you point to and talk about the parts of his face (especially his nose). He loves when we sing to him. His favorite songs are, "Jesus Loves Me", "You Are My Sunshine" (or "You Are My Cashy"), various hymns, and silly songs that Colt and I make up. He loves his mobile and recently we discovered that he likes looking at the colors on the bumper in his crib.

Milestones: He is doing really well with holding his head up. He can almost completely support it. We've been encouraging him to strengthen his neck muscles by letting him sit up on his rear end in our laps. We've also been working out his legs by letting him stand in our laps, and push up. He also slept about 5 1/2 hours a few nights ago in his 7th week.

Health: He got three shots today (3/11). He only cried for about 10 seconds, and then I picked him up and he stopped immediately. He's a real trooper! As previously stated, he was 12 lbs. and 22 1/2 inches at his doctor appointment today. He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight.

Dilemmas: I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that he's going to have to sleep in his crib at some point. I don't want to put him in there now, and thankfully Colt is ok with that. Maybe next month... :)

Nicknames: I call him "Cashy", "Cashman" "my boy", "my love", "my sweet", "my man", or "squeaks". Colt calls him, "my boy", "my man", or "Cashman" but hates when I call him "Cashy". He has also called him "Love Man" from early on in my pregnancy. Poor Moe...we used to call him "my boy".

Well I think that's it for now. It has taken me several hours to finish this post, as I have been up and down, nursing, changing, and snuggling with my sad little baby. He hasn't felt the best today due to his shots and not going "number two" for about two days! Back to the apple juice. :) Thanks for reading!

Six Weeks Postpartum

Today was my 6 week follow up visit at the Obstetrician's office. I was glad to see Dr. Polender again! It may sound silly, but over these past 9 months, Colt and I feel like we've become friends with her. When she came in the room, she hugged me, and presented us with the cutest t-shirt for Cash. It says "Delivered With Care by Dr. Polender". Love it! Cash was a well behaved little gentleman during our visit. In fact, he's been sleeping most of the day today. I think he might be getting a little bit of a cold. He was congested last week, but after having the humidifier in the room, and a few "sessions" of sitting in a steamy bathroom, it seemed to be going away. When I brought him to see my mother at work the other day for her birthday, he was sounding congested again. I kept him home from church tonight as its been really cold and rainy all day. I'm hoping all of this sleeping is helping him to fight off a cold. I'll probably check his temperature when he wakes up again, just to be sure. I love how I'm basically talking to myself, but typing it out for the world to see my thought processes. :) On to the happenings this week in "Babyland".

Cash is 6 weeks old today! I know I say this in pretty much every post, but time is really flying by. He is continuing to grow out of more and more outfits. Those onesies that were just a little bit long on him a few weeks ago are now becoming a little bit tight and the snaps are starting to strain. His little sweatpants that we stocked up on in the first few weeks are quickly becoming to tight for his growing belly. Last night, he wore some 3 month pajamas. I can't wait to debut one of his 3 month outfits on Sunday at church. I tried it on him last night and just started laughing because he looked so adorable. We've started to use a lot of our "baby stuff" this week that had previously been sitting in the closet, awaiting Cash's arrival. We got a play mat for "tummy time" and we let him try that out one night. He seemed to be indifferent about the playmat, but showed a profound dislike for tummy time. He tried the Bumbo seat last night and loved it. He's still a little bit to young to sit up by himself, but did well holding himself up for about 30-60 seconds at a time. Moe loved that Cash was on his level. Another baby related item that I've gotten some good use out of is my sling. My mom bought it for me at TJ Maxx or Marshalls or one of those types of stores. I think I've seen them at Ross as well. Its black and white, and its by Infantino. At first, I wasn't sure how much I'd really use it, but I really wanted one. I have to say, its been awesome! I made dinner last night, and put Cash in his swing so I'd have both hands free. It seemed like every two minutes, he'd drop his pacifier and I'd have to trek back over to the swing and put it back in his mouth. After a while, this became very frustrating. I remembered my sling that was sitting in the closet, and decided I'd give it a whirl. I put it on and laid him down in it, and after about 5 minutes, he had fallen right to sleep. I had used the swing one time previously in a similar situation when I was trying to wash bottles, and he had the same reaction. The sling holds him up close to my body in a position that cradles him, so he feels secure, but I have free use of both hands! I'm still in love with our swing. Its one of the best purchases we've made. I don't know if I've mentioned its "special feature" before, but my favorite thing about it is the seat part comes off, and it allows you to snap his carseat/carrier on to the base. Its great for when you're coming in from the car, and you don't want to wake the baby, you can just stick his carrier on the swing base, and start it up! Its also got a built in sound machine of nature sounds, fast music, slow music, and a heartbeat noise, as well as a jack to plug your I-POD into for a more personalized playlist. The only downside is that the motor tends to be a little bit loud, but not so loud that it wakes the baby, or annoys us. The first motor that came with it was very loud, and after complaining to Babies-R-Us, they gave us another one free of charge. The swing is a little bit pricey, but we saved up our gift cards for it, and its been worth every cent. Speaking of things that a pricey, DIAPERS AND WIPES! I underestimated the amount of diapers we go through in a day. Maybe its a new mother thing, but I'm always paranoid about leaving him with a wet diaper even if its not super soaked. We still buy the "expensive" diapers (Pampers Swaddlers), but we've switched from the Pampers wipes to the Target brand. The Pampers wipes were soft, and did the job, but I really didn't like the packaging. Every time I tried to get a wipe out, I'd end up pulling 3 or 4 out, and having to put them back in the box after I was finished. I tried the Target wipes, which are much cheaper and I feel like they do a better job! They've got a little bit of a "ply" (I don't know how else to describe it--but looks somewhat like a paper towel). They're still pretty soft, and the best part is that the containers have a smaller opening, so its easier to pull out one at at time. For a box of like 700 or 800 wipes, its $11! I also bought several of the smaller packages of about 80 wipes which are only $2. I got one for the diaper bag, and one for the pack-n-play changing table which is still in our bedroom. I can't believe I've dedicated this many words to Target wipes...anyway, they're awesome. Cash's sleep schedule has improved significantly over these last few days. I sincerely hope I'm not jinxing myself. Colt and I have been going to be earlier which could be the cause of Cash's better bedtime schedule. He's been waking up about 2 to 3 times per night, and going right back to sleep after I feed and change him. Its been wonderful!

Cash is still continuing to smile more and more everyday. He has been chuckling in his sleep from time to time, but still hasn't laughed in his waking hours. He loves being talked to. I love watching his eyes get really wide when I talk to him and give him kisses. He has been getting really close to Colt in these past few weeks also. I'm so thankful that Colt is home with me, because it really gives Cash some great bonding time with his Daddy! Cash just stares up at him when Colt holds him. Colt has even developed some of his own little tricks! He was watching me nurse the other day, and asked me what I was doing when I had to move Cash around to wake him up to finish eating. I explained what I was doing, and Colt said, "When I feed him his breastmilk bottles, I twist the bottle around in his mouth to wake him up." So cute! I love that he has his own "style". He is a great father. I met my friends Jozi and Kristin at International Plaza last week with Cash in tow. It was the first time I brought my travel system stroller out, and the first time I went out with him by myself (other than to my parent's house). The travel system stroller doesn't fit in my car, so I had to take Colt's Jeep. Cash was sweet as usual, and made the outing really easy. When we were leaving the mall, and walking back to the car, he started fussing. I knew he was getting hungry, but I didn't have time to nurse him in the car, as Colt needed the Jeep back for a gig. He started crying pretty hard by the time I got him in the car. He calmed down a little bit when I started to drive, but started back up after a few minutes. I tried the radio, which didn't work. I tried talking to him, which worked somewhat, but not completely because he wanted me to hold him. Finally I started singing..."Jesus Loves Me" to be exact. He was completely silent! Its his new favorite song! By the fifth or sixth time through, my mom called, and I thought he was sleeping, so I answered it. As soon I started talking to her, he started fussing again, although not as bad. He LOVES to be sung to, especially that song. Its cliche, but I can't think of a word to describe watching him grow and change other than amazing. Its amazing.

I've been thinking a lot this past week about the changes having a baby has made in my life. This week has felt a little bit like the calm after the storm. I've really started to feel like I'm coming into my own with this whole motherhood thing. I'm becoming more confident with taking him different places, and even taking him out by myself. When people say that motherhood changes your whole outlook on life, and the way you've viewed things in the past, they aren't kidding! Colt and I were watching an episode of my guilty pleasure..."16 and Pregnant" last night. In case you've never seen it, its pretty self explanatory. Its a show about teenagers who are pregnant, and how it affects their lives. On last night's episode, the father of the baby was a horrible little brat of a boy who was very disrespectful to his girlfriend's mother. While in the delivery room, he picked a fight with his girlfriend's mother over his ridiculous behavior. He made his girlfriend scoot over in the hospital bed because he wanted to lay down, he told her that men must have a higher pain tolerance than women when she was suffering through a contraction. He asked for an "estimate of how long this was going to take", and finally told the mother that he was number one in the girl's life, and she was number two. Nice guy! Anyway, this kid's behavior had no real effect on his girlfriend, and she didn't defend her mother at all. After the baby's birth, the mother agreed to sit down with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend (the father of the baby) to try and sort things out for the sake of her grandson. The boy was completely disrespectful again, telling the mother that he was number one in her daughter's life, and that she would never be as important as him in her eyes. She got up from the table and went to the bathroom and just cried. The daughter followed her in there, and half-heartedly asked what was wrong. The mother said the boy was completely disrespectful and she didn't think they should be together anymore. The girl said that it wasn't her mother's decision to make and that she couldn't protect her from everything in life. The mother looked defeated and said, "Unfortunately, I know that's true." I sat there thinking, "Of course she knows that's true! Don't you think if she could have "protected" you from getting pregnant and having a baby at 16, she would have?!?" Before you have a baby, you see yourself as your own person. Maybe its because I'm still so early into parenthood, but its hard for me to look at Cash as his own person. He's my baby. I know that God created him, but I'd like to think I had a pretty important part in facilitating his development. He came from my body. It must be so hard when your child grows up and is disrespectful or is making decisions that you don't agree with. Do you still view them as your baby, or by that time do you see them as their own person? It makes me cringe when I think about times growing up, that I may have given my parents grief about "making my own decisions", or made decisions that they didn't agree with. That must've been so frustrating for them! I love the fact that having Cash has really opened my mind up to different ways of thinking. I have always been very close to my parents, but I've felt even closer to them now that I understand what having a child feels like. Its the craziest love.

On a lighter note, Colt and I have been talking lately about having more children. Not anytime soon mind you, but we've had the conversation. When I was in the hospital, I remember telling my mom that I don't know how people do that (give birth) so many times. It was exhausting! She said, just wait...in a few weeks you'll have forgotten all about the pain and stress, and you'll want another one. Its true! I have already forgotten about the pain! Although, I still want Cash to have time to be my baby, before we open our home to another baby. I was sharing these feelings with my Obstetrician, after she asked me when were going to have more children. She shared the same sentiment, saying, "Its amazing how quickly God allows those memories of the pain to dissolve, or else women would never have more children!" So true! That being said...don't get excited, Cash is only 6 weeks old!!!

Well I suppose I better go try and get something done around the house before bedtime...where to start? Haha! Thanks for reading!

These Days...

Hello again everyone! Its been a few weeks, and so much has happened. Everyone says that your children grow so fast, but I never thought it would be THIS fast! It seems like he changes a little bit everyday, and we find another reason to love him. I'll catch you up...

Remember that squeaky warning cry that I wrote about in my first blog. Well he still has it, and its the cutest thing ever! I love it because its something that makes him unique to other babies. Even if I were blindfolded, I could definitely pick him out of a crowd of a million crying babies. I'm going to try to record it, and if I can figure out how, I'll try to post a video at some point. In the past week, in addition to smiling in his sleep, he has started smiling at us when he's awake. We'll make some silly face, or funny noise, and he'll look up and grin. Its crazy to see a personality developing in him. Colt and I were talking about how weird it is that a few months ago, he was just a couple of cells, which developed into something resembling a shrimp, to a miniature baby, to a "real" baby, and then watching him be born, and now developing a personality with likes and dislikes. We love watching him follow us with his eyes, and listening to him start to "coo" at us when we talk to him. He loves to be talked to. He doesn't like to change his clothes, but if I say "Push push push, push push push" when I'm pushing his little arms through the sleeves, he gets quiet and watches me.

As for sleeping...he's all over the board. The night before last he slept 5 hours straight. Last night he woke up every hour and a half to two hours. Sometimes its difficult to remember when we woke up, and how many hours of sleep we've gotten. I can't complain at all though because Colt and I are both at home, and able to sleep whenever we need to. He's still a newborn, so he takes good naps throughout the day, and we sleep when he does. Since I wake up with him a lot during the night, many mornings, Colt will take him for an hour or two so I can catch up on my lost sleep. Sometimes, I'll lay him down on a pillow next to me in bed, and he'll fall asleep in the crook of my arm. Its one of my favorite times, because he falls asleep with his face facing mine, so I can smell his sweet breath and occasionally he'll put his hand on or near my face. He loves to cuddle. On average, he sleeps about two to three hours at a time but sometimes more, sometimes less. I can usually count on him being up at 7am. The boy loves The Today Show. Haha! He's not really on any kind of a schedule unfortunately. I know eventually we'll have to develop some kind of a pattern, but if this kid needs to be strictly scheduled, he got the wrong parents. Our life is very different from most people's lives in many ways. Colt's job as a musician allows him to be home with me most of the time. He plays about 3 to 4 nights a week, so he's home with me all day, and of course we're together the nights he has off. I don't know if its because we don't have to wake up early or because some of his gigs end late, but we don't go to bed until very late. I don't think we've gone to bed before 2am since we've been married. Bad, I know. At this point, it doesn't really matter when we go to bed because Cash is still so young that he sleeps on and off all day (and night), but I know the time is fast approaching that we'll need to get on some kind of a schedule for his sake. On the plus side, he's always sleepy in the evenings, which makes Wednesday and Sunday night church easy and going out to dinner a cinch.


We've been so lucky to have a easy going baby. He takes a pacifier, and has since he was born. Sometimes he has trouble keeping it in his mouth when he's sleeping, and wakes up when he drops it, but I think that's to be expected. He's a really good eater also. I've been breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing with one formula bottle per day. I was really hoping he'd take a bottle, just in case we were going someplace that I couldn't nurse him, or if Colt and I wanted to go on a date, and he was staying with our parents and couldn't nurse. He is a great breastfeeder. It was a little bit difficult the first week because my milk still hadn't come in yet, so he was mainly getting just the colostrum. Also, no one tells you that breastfeeding is a little bit painful in the beginning! The Lansinoh cream was my "breast friend" (sorry, that was too easy). My mom was really helpful in making sure I understood what I was doing. It was frustrating when I would nurse him for 20 to 30 minutes, and he wouldn't get full because I didn't have any milk. A half hour later he'd be hungry again. Finally, my milk came in and Cash and I got the hang of it. Now, I predominantly breastfeed. I pump once a day to freeze for an emergency supply. Pumping is kind of a tricky business. If I feed Cash, and then wait 30 minutes to pump, I don't pump a full bottle, which means I'd have to pump more than once a day. If I wait an hour or two hours after I feed Cash to pump, I get a full bottle, but I don't have enough to breastfeed him at his next feeding. He usually eats every 2 to 3 hours. I've been pumping before we go to bed, and make his last feeding of the night a 5 oz. formula bottle, so he'll be full before bedtime. If I pumped and then fed him, he'd be a hungry boy about an hour later. Anyway, it seems to be working for us. The boy hates to burp though. Sometimes I'll have to try several different burping positions to get anything out of him. A couple of nights ago, I had been burping him for several minutes, and I had him sitting up with my hand under his chin, patting his back. Colt was up near his face talking to him when Cash belched right in his face! Colt is really sensitive to smells, and gagged. HILARIOUS!

One of the best parts of parenting thus far is how he seems to "know" us already. If someone else is holding him and he gets a little bit fussy, a quick hand off to his Mama will do the trick. He loves to be held and cuddled. He's a BIG fan of cuddling. I don't know if its the sound of my voice, my scent, or my touch that he finds so familiar. Its probably a mixture of many things. Its such a special feeling because it just reaffirms the fact that he feels about me, like I feel about my mother. No one can comfort a person like their mother. This week (week 4), Cash has started to grab my hair, especially when I put him in the bathtub or try to lay him down. Its like he's saying, "Please don't put me down!" Of course, when he does this, it makes it impossible to put him down, and I'm "forced" to cuddle and kiss him for a few more minutes. :) I have a feeling disciplining him may be a challenge for me. Haha! He also loves to hear us sing to him, and enjoys the song "Frarajaca". Weird.

On February 10th, Cash and I met Tara, Lauren, and their babies over at my Granny's house. It was the first time she had seen Cash. He is her fifth great-grandchild! We had a great time talking, and listening to stories of when she was raising her five children. This visit also marked the first time that Cash had a "blow out" in his diaper. The "mess" went up the back of his diaper, and got on his onesie. Thankfully, it was a cold day, so I had doubled up on the onesies (a long sleeve underneath and a short sleeve on top). I took the long sleeved one off, and the short sleeved one was fine. Mark that down towards experience. :) Its definitely true what they say about little boys, at least in our case. He has pee-peed (spelling?) on us, and in turn his pajamas, and changing pad cover during diaper changes several times. I won't even mention a specific bath time incident that I'll never forget. I suppose it could be worse, as I've heard of these occasions resulting in urine on the Mama's face, or, dare I say it...in her mouth. DISGUSTING! Thankfully it hasn't come to that yet.

This past week (week 4) it seems that Cash is awake a lot more. When he's awake, he's very alert. Like I said, he's started to smile and coo, and his funny faces are endlessly entertaining. I've heard that one day, out of the blue, it seems like your newborn just "wakes up". That seemed to have happened last Wednesday (after Granny's house). He was awake all through church, and was quiet as a mouse. What a good boy.

I have to say, these past weeks have been amazing. Of course, they've had their ups and downs. I've been learning so many new things, and at times I've been nervous that I'm not doing the right thing the right way, but then there are the moments when you know you've done the right thing for your baby, and it makes all of that uncertainty and anxiety worth it. Colt and I were talking the other night, and I told him, I really can't think of anything else in life that I want. I'm completely content. That's a good feeling to have. Of course, I would love to have more children one day, and there are things I want for my family. I want my children to grow up and become good Christians. I want my family and children to be healthy and successful and all of the other things that make for a happy life. What I meant when I was talking to Colt was more along the lines of major things that I've wanted in life. I wanted to be baptized, I wanted to finish high school and college, find a wonderful husband who was my best friend, and have children with him. Along with all of those blessings, as I said, Colt and I are able to stay home with each other all day, which has made these first few weeks of parenthood much easier. Sometimes, its easy to forget all of our blessings, but I truly think about these things daily. In the past I've taken so many of my blessings for granted. I was born in a free and prosperous country, to a loving Christian family who brought me to church and taught me the gospel. That in itself is such a blessing. I grew up knowing the truth. Then I met Colt, who was everything I had ever prayed for. Literally, everything. Then, after about two and a half years of a happy marriage, we had a healthy baby boy. Again, this is not to toot my own horn or boast in any way, but to remind myself, when I read this in years to come how happy I was at this time in my life.

So you could say these last few weeks have been the happiest learning experience of my life. Cash is one cool cat. I look forward to every new milestone. I will leave you with a list of his likes and dislikes in his first month of life. Thanks for reading everyone!


Cash's Likes:
1. Getting his hair washed
2. The car
3. Pacifier
4. Sleeping next to me or Colt
5. Cuddling
6. His Grandparents and Aunts/Uncles
7. Going to the bathroom in his diaper right after I change him (sometimes while he's still on the changing table)
8. Having the top of his hand rubbed
9. Being warm
10. Moe
11. Being talked to and sang to
12. Grabbing my hair
13. Laying on Colt's chest

Dislikes:
1. Being cold
2. Getting out of the bath
3. Changing clothes (because he gets cold)
4. Getting his diaper changed (he throws his hands out like he's falling because he's not being cradled)
5. Burping (it takes forever for him to burp)
6. Being swaddled (he likes to sleep with his hands near his face or above his head)

Cash's First Few Weeks

What a blur these last few weeks have been! I've started this post several times, but never finished it. I've been trying to collect my thoughts so I can accurately describe the important happenings in the last few weeks. There are so many things to report!

I suppose I will start with us leaving the hospital. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I brought the baby home, but I definitely didn't expect to be so sleep deprived. I think I would have been ok if I had gotten some sleep on Monday and Tuesday night before the induction, but seeing as how I couldn't have gotten more than 4 hours of sleep combine both of those nights, I was EXHAUSTED! When we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot, I was so disoriented, I wasn't exactly sure where we were. I knew we were at the hospital, but I wasn't sure what road we were on. When we finally got home, we introduced Cash to Moe. He did so well with him. Moe was very gentle, and sniffed the baby, and the carrier, but never tried to jump or anything! Moe is very protective of him, and if he ever cries when he's in his swing, Moe runs over and sniffs him, then licks his hand, and stays until he stops crying, or Colt and I get him. Anyway, when we got home, I remember feeling like, "Now what?" I wasn't quite sure what I should be doing. I never expected to feel unprepared at all, especially because I had been a nanny for so long. I had changed a million diapers, fed a million bottles, and changed a million outfits, but because it was my own baby, I felt a little bit unsure. We came home on a Friday, and Colt had to play that night, so my parents came over and made me dinner. They watched the baby while I slept for an hour or so. When I woke up, Colt was home, and they had just walked out the door. I was upset that I didn't get to say goodbye and thank you. I think that was the event that started my upcoming "nervous breakdown" as Colt likes to call it. Just to preface this next part, I could have chosen to leave this out and pretend like it never happened, but I feel the need to be completely honest and lay it all out. This blog would be pointless, and helpful to no one, if I'm not "real" with you. I'm not a crier at all, nor have I ever really been someone that cries a lot but the first few days home from the hospital, I was weepy. It wasn't all the time but I think I may have had three "episodes". I'm not really sure what caused it, but I'm told sleep deprivation, mixed with labor hormones, and the fact that you're life has completely changed in a matter of days will do that to a girl. I was SO happy to have Cash, and excited about being a mother, but I was also a little bit unsure of how to handle all of the changes. You might think that nine months should be enough time to mentally prepare for a new lifestyle, but thinking about it, and actually experiencing the changes are two completely different things. I was used to staying up late with Colt every night, watching our favorite TV shows and hanging out. Colt and I were both so exhausted those first few days at home, that he was falling asleep pretty early compared to what time we had been going to bed. That left me sitting up by myself when I was nursing, although Colt did wake up every time the baby woke up and asked if I needed anything or any help. It was so strange to me to be staying up with the baby alone since Colt had always been my playmate of sorts. I began to worry that all those days of hanging out with Colt, and spending so much time together were long gone, which made me miss my husband, even though he was sleeping right next to me. Looking back, it was such a strange emotion to have, especially since Colt's work schedule allows us to spend way more time together than most couples. I was also feeling homesick in a way. Not homesick in the sense that I wanted to go home to my parents, but feeling like my childhood was completely finished. Almost like, my time as someone's baby was gone because I had a baby. Colt rolled over one night while I was sitting up nursing in bed, and there I was, all teary eyed watching the morning news. "What's wrong, baby?" "Nothing, I'm ok," I said. He obviously knew I wasn't ok, because I never cry. I tried to explain that I was so happy to have Cash, that he was literally a dream come true, but that I never expected to feel sad about one chapter of my life closing. I can remember being a little girl, and crying, being so worked up about something or other and how soothing the sound of my mother's voice was as she would rub my back and tell me I was going to be ok. That scene kept playing through my mind, as I imagined myself doing the same for my son. This was one of those times that I needed to have my back rubbed and be told that everything was going to be ok. Colt did a great job comforting me. We talked and he reassured me that things would calm down in a few days when I got some sleep and my hormones calmed down. We talked for a long while that night. He told me how proud he was of me, and how excited he was about watching me be a mother to our son. I went to bed feeling much better and more confident. It was definitely one of those times that makes you grow as a married couple, and his patience and thoughtfulness is something I'll always remember.

My family was also a huge help over those first few days. My parents were at the hospital everyday that we were there, helping us in whatever way we needed it. Like I said, the day we came home, they came over and made me dinner and let me sleep for a little while. My mother received countless phone calls from me over that first week, asking her a million questions. I asked her if she was weepy the first week post-partum and she said, "Aubree, everyone is weepy the first week post-partum. If they say they're not, they're lying." We laughed about how no one tells you about all of the "glamour" of the first week home from the hospital. Not only are you dealing with CRAZY emotions, but you're dealing with all of the the physical repercussions of childbirth. Not pretty! She was such a comfort to me. If you ever reach the age where you think you're an adult, and don't need to be "mothered" anymore, have a baby. I don't know if I've ever needed my mother more.

Things definitely calmed down over the next few days, although I did have a few more weepy fits. My milk still hadn't come in, and I was supplementing with some formula. The nurses at the hospital were the first to suggest that I supplement with the formula until my milk came in, but they also scared me into thinking that he might get "nipple confusion" and not want to nurse after seeing how much easier it was to eat from a bottle. One of my weepy fits was feeding related, wishing my milk would come in, as he was still surviving mainly on colostrum and his formula supplement. It turns out, everyone was right, and by the end of our first week home, with a little rest, I was feeling on top of my game. At that point, Colt and I could laugh about my crying spells in the week previous, and started affectionately calling them my "nervous breakdowns". We started to fall into somewhat of a schedule. My milk had come in, so he wasn't cluster feeding anymore, and I was getting about 2 to 3 hours in between feedings, which was good. I was even getting pretty quick with changing diapers in the dark, although we did get peed on a few times.

After being confined to our house for two weeks before Cash's delivery, and then having to stay in the first week, I was ready to get out of the house as soon as possible. Cash's first outing was to Grandaddy and Mammy's house (my parents). He went to church for the first time on Sunday night (the 24th) at a week and a half old, although we didn't allow anyone to hold him just yet.

At our first Pediatrician appointment, we discovered that Cash's bilirubin levels were elevated, which means he was slightly jaundiced. He had a level of 9 in the hospital, and the nurse assured me that anything under 12 was ok. At the doctor's office, the number jumped to 15. They asked us to come back in two days, and at that time, it was 16. Dr. Hughes, Cash's Pediatrician, said she thought it had peaked but she wanted us to get him tested at Quest Diagnostics the following day. We did, and his level had dropped to 13. He hasn't had a problem with it since. At his 3 week appointment, he had grown to 8lbs. 13 oz. (minus a few ounces for his clothes). Dr. Hughes said he was doing great, and called him a "sweet boy". Music to a new mother's ears!

Cash has already began to change, even over these short few weeks. When he was born, everyone said he looked just like Colt. He still resembles Colt a great deal, but he's starting to look a lot like me now as well. I was looking at some of my baby pictures the other day, and couldn't believe the resemblance in some of the photos. His hair, which was pretty dark when he was born, is starting to turn lighter. His eyes, which were dark blue at birth are now turning brown (Colt and I both have dark brown eyes). It seems like he changes a little bit every day. He loves to smile in his sleep, and he makes the funniest faces. Watching my parents and Colt's parents with Cash is such a joy for Colt and I. We love to see how happy he makes everyone.

Now, three weeks after Cash's birth, Colt and I are old pros. Just kidding. We're definitely not pros by any means, but we are getting more comfortable and confident with this whole parenting thing. We love taking him on "outings" and trying new things. He's a very good little boy, and loves to sleep...during the day. :) He's getting better about sleeping during the night, although I think it would help if Colt and I went to bed at a sensible hour. All in all, we are loving parenthood, and couldn't be happier with our little boy.

Sorry this post is forever long! A lot has happened in the last few weeks! I will leave you with a little timeline of milestones I've remembered to write down. Thanks for reading!

1/18/2010: First bath
1/19/2010: Belly Button fell off
1/24/2010: First time at church (Sunday night)
1/26/2010: First restaurant trip (Outback Steakhouse)
1/28/2010: First walk around the neighborhood
1/28/2010: First time I took Cash out alone (to my parents house)

"A Baby Story"

Ok, so I'm going to try this again, as I had this post almost complete when I accidentally deleted it all. I was so mad! Anyway, this will most likely be a LONG post, so sit back, relax, maybe grab a warm beverage...just a thought.

Now lets see, where did I leave off? I believe my last post was around week 37 when I wasn't induced. For the remainder of week 36 and 37, after my first induction scare, I was put on bed rest due to my elevated blood pressure. Bed rest stinks, although I didn't have to load the dishwasher or take down the Christmas tree right away, which was nice. I would go on a daily outing to CVS to check my blood pressure, and come back home, although occasionally I cheated and grabbed dinner before heading back to the homestead. I kept up that schedule until my 38 week appointment on Monday, January 11th.

I went in to my 38 week appointment on the 11th, and I was nervous even before I did the routine testing. I knew that I was lucky not being induced at 37 weeks (my blood pressure was elevated and my platelets were dropping, but steadily picked up, saving me from a 37 week induction), but they never guaranteed me anything. I could have had the baby anytime at that point. My doctor told me that she would definitely induce at 39 weeks, but if my blood pressure was slightly elevated, or if my platelets had dropped anymore, she would induce me earlier than that. Anyway, back to my 38 week appointment. I got called back to do the routine testing, and the last test the nurse did was my blood pressure. As the nurse strapped on the cuff, I knew it was the moment of truth...134/90. It was over. I knew what my doctor was going to say. As I walked back to the waiting room to wait for the doctor, I caught Colt's eye from across the room. I was smiling, but also sick to my stomach from nerves. He knew what I was going to say too. It was obviously not a "good" situation, because my blood pressure was high, but we were also relieved to be having the baby, and not be put on bed rest again. They assured me at 37 weeks that the baby would most likely be fully developed and I was 38 weeks at that point. I finally got called back to see the doctor. When she reviewed my results, she confirmed our suspicions. She said at that point she was obligated to induce me for my own health. The baby was doing great, but it was me that she was worried about. She wanted to send me to St. Joseph's Hospital that night to start the induction, and she asked if I was comfortable going to that hospital, since I had never been there before. I asked if there was any way I could go to UCH (University Community Hospital), because I had been there several times before visiting my cousins after they had their babies, my cousin Lauren used to work in Labor and Delivery there and knew all of the nurses and doctors, and we had been there when we had to go to Triage for testing. She told me to go home and REST, and prepare to be induced the following night at UCH. She would be there on Wednesday morning to deliver the baby. Colt and I were so thrilled that she would be delivering Cash. We chose an OB practice that had several female doctors, and we weren't guaranteed to have a certain doctor deliver us. We had seen Dr. Polender several times throughout our pregnancy, and had been dealing with her exclusively those last few weeks. We filled out some paperwork in the office, and made our way back home to wait it out. I won't lie...Monday night and Tuesday morning/afternoon were horrible. I was SO NERVOUS about the induction that I basically threw up the entire time I was home. I wish I could have enjoyed those last two days of my pregnancy, but I was so worked up. Side Note: It turns out that all of that throwing up helped the process along, because my cervix was closed at my appointment on Monday, and I had dilated 1.5 cm by Tuesday night. I was really wound up on Monday night, so Colt took me for a late night drive which was nice. Tuesday morning/afternoon was spent laying around, being sick to my stomach, and packing our things. I had heard some good stories about induction, and some horror stories. Finally we made it to Tuesday evening, and it was time to go to the hospital.

Colt packed up the car with our things, and two diaper bags, one for baby necessities, and the other full of fun baby outfits! It was a pretty quiet 10 minute ride to the hospital, besides Colt sweetly trying to calm me down. We got there around 7pm and my parents were waiting in the lobby. The security guard said they could come up and visit once I got settled in my room. It seems strange, but I will always remember the elevator ride up to the second floor. I had been in it several times before, going to see Tara and Lauren's babies, as well as when we had to go to Triage in the weeks previous. I kept thinking, the next time we're in this elevator we'll be coming back down with a baby. Colt gave me a reassuring kiss, and we stepped out to make the long walk down the Labor and Delivery hallway. We checked in with the nurse and she showed us to Labor and Delivery Room 4. Our nurse, Sara, took my blood pressure and had me leave a urine sample. "Now I have to do some mean things to you," she said. That is always a really calming thing to hear. She inserted my IV, which was apparently the "mean thing", although I didn't think it was bad at all. She started me on some fluids, which made my fingers swell up! She also gave me a little bit of Zofran, which is an anti-nausea medication. That helped settle my nervous stomach! After that my parents were able to come up. We sat there and talked, and laughed while the fluids were going through the IV, until the nurse came in and said it was time to start the Cervidil. I had been very nervous about this, maybe more nervous than anything else. I had heard mixed reviews on Cervidil, which is a cervix softener. Some women said it wasn't bad at all, and others said it was way worse than any other part of labor. Its basically a little piece of fabric that is placed on the cervix to soften and dilate it. I didn't think it was that bad. It was very uncomfortable, and not something I'd volunteer for, but it wasn't horrible. It stung for a few seconds afterwards, but after that I couldn't even feel it. My parents were allowed back in the room to hang out for a while longer. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything for two hours after the Cervidil was placed. At the time I wasn't even hungry, so it wasn't a big deal. Around 10:30pm, the nurse came in and said the baby was perfect and that I could eat a little bit early if I wanted to. Colt went to Subway and got me a steak and cheese sub! Delicious! After I ate, the nurse came in and gave me some Ambien to be able to sleep. My parents left around 11:30pm, so they could make it back the next morning at 7am! I had never taken Ambien before, and it hit me pretty fast. I fell asleep fairly quickly, but I only stayed asleep for about a half hour. I had some crazy, 3D dreams during that half hour though! I remember having to go to the bathroom during the night, and the nurse unhooking me from my IV so I could walk, and being really dizzy and wobbly. After that half hour, I was up the rest of the night, give or take a few minutes of sleep here and there. The contractions started to get really uncomfortable during the night, but I got through them. Around 7am the next morning they started the Pitocin. The contractions started coming really close together, and were pretty painful. They asked me if I wanted the epidural, but I opted for a shower first. After my shower the nurse called the nurse anesthetist in to prep me. She put the plastic paper over my back, and cleaned the injection site. They wanted me to put my elbows on my knees (not an easy feat for a VERY pregnant woman) to let my spine poke out more, making it more visible for the Anesthesiologist. It was painful to be sitting so slumped over, especially when I was contracting so hard. I started to get nauseated, which was scary because the last thing I wanted to be doing when someone was shoving a needle in my spine was throwing up! I calmed myself down, and waited patiently for the Anesthesiologist. THEY COULDN'T FIND HIM! The nurse was paging him all over the hospital, but it took several minutes for him to get to my room. Finally he arrived, and gave me the epidural around 9am. Many women had told me that it was painful, but I didn't find it painful at all. They numbed the area with a small shot, and then gave me the bigger shot. Neither one was painful. It almost felt like when the dentist numbs your tooth. When they inserted the needle, it felt like they stuck it a little more towards the right than the center, but as I had never had an epidural before, I didn't say anything. A few minutes later it started to take effect. It was glorious! I was able to talk again, and didn't feel any pain. I could still feel the contractions somewhat on my left side, but it wasn't painful at that point. Dr. Polender came in after my epidural to break my water. That was a weird feeling! It didn't hurt at all, as I was numb from the waist down. The rest of the day was spent talking with family, and laying around. To be honest, I'm not really sure what all happened between the hours after my epidural to when I was 8cm. Colt left for a little while to grab a shower at home. My dad texted him something, and ended it with "10/4". Colt thought he was saying that I was 10cm and started freaking out! Haha! Colt's mom, Sharon, was at the hospital, and she came up to the room to visit for a while. Grandma Dee and Grandpa Sal came by also. My cousins Tara and Lauren came up to the room as well but by the time they arrived, my contractions must've been really hard, because I could feel them again. I could feel a ton of pressure and pain, and it was coming quickly. I told my nurse what I was experiencing, and she called the nurse anesthetist to come back in. I had to explain what was going on to her, and she gave me a small dose of something (I guess it was the epidural--I knew what it was at the time, but I forget now) to help with the pain, through my epidural catheter in my back. After that, I was feeling good again. My doctor came in to check me, and I was at 8cm! That was at about noon. I had dilated from 2 or 3 cm to 8cm in just a few hours. I decided I better take a nap before having to push. I laid there, and was in and out of sleep for about an hour. Colt was playing some music on our laptop while our mothers and my sister sat in the room talking (other family members were in the waiting room). Like I said, I was in and out of sleep, but I remember Colt playing two specific songs on the laptop. The first one is called, "Alright For Now", and the other is called, "Angel Dream", both by Tom Petty. Colt used to play them over his headphones for the baby when I was pregnant. I loved both of those songs before, but now I associate them with Cash's birth and they've become so special. My doctor came in again around 1pm, and checked me again. "Oh yeah...his head is right there," she said. "Does that mean I'm 10cm?" "Definitely! Time to push," she said. I started pushing around 1:00pm. I was very nauseated which they said was a good indicator that my body was ready to deliver. The first few pushes were rough because I was so sick to my stomach. My mom held the barf bag to my mouth as I pushed. Maybe too much information, but hey, this is a BIRTH STORY! Colt took his place in the chair beside my head. I didn't want him to move around too much because he gets very faint in medical situations. He got up a few times to splash some water on his face in the bathroom that was in our room. He was very sweet and encouraging. My sister was roaming the room taking pictures, and my mom was holding my left leg and watching my progress. I would push for 10 seconds, exhale, inhale and repeat 2 more times before I could relax for a few seconds. On my first push, they could see the top of his head! I only pushed for 40 minutes, and there he was! My mom cut the cord, as Colt was in no position to do the deed and gave her the go ahead. I was SO thirsty after delivery that I must've drank my weight in fruit punch.

I decided I should start a new paragraph to explain how it felt to see our baby for the first time. I was worried that because I had an epidural, I wouldn't be able to feel ANYTHING related to delivery but that wasn't the case. I could feel his head come out, and then his little shoulders slide out after. My last push was such a relief. They suctioned out his mouth and nose and I heard him cry. It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard. He had a very squeaky (adorable) cry, which he still has. The doctor gave him to me right away. Colt jumped up from his chair to see his son. We were all crying. He was so beautiful. I'll never forget the feeling of him in my arms for the first time. He was so warm, wet and slimy, but I didn't care. It was so surreal to know that he was mine. I got to hold him for about a minute before the nurse took him over to the warmer, which was in my room, to clean him up, measure and weigh him. He was born at 1:48pm, weighing 7 lbs. 8oz. and 19 3/4 inches long. As the doctor was "tying (or sewing) up some loose ends" I was laying on the delivery table taking pictures of Colt and Cash. The nurses were laughing at me. Who takes pictures while they're still on the delivery table!?! The baby didn't leave my side at any point (other than about 1o minutes for the circumcision) the entire time we were in the hospital. We jumped right into parenthood! A little while after delivery we were moved up to Mother/Baby. I was SO TIRED! The nurse helped me into a wheelchair and laid the baby in my arms. I was worried that I would drop the baby, because I was so drowsy. My eyes were rolling back in my head. I hadn't had good night sleep since Sunday night, and it was Wednesday afternoon!

We made it to our room on the Mother/Baby floor, and were quickly greeted my our new nurse. She checked me "from head to toe", and checked the baby out as well. The lactation consultant visited us as well. I felt bad because I was literally falling asleep as she was talking to me. I don't know if she noticed or not. Cash was a great nurser in the beginning. He nursed for the first time for about 40 minutes! We had given him a pacifier before I tried to nurse him, so he had the sucking reflex down already! In the days following he had some trouble wanting to nurse because my milk still hadn't come in. We stuck it out through a few nights of "cluster feeding" and he's a great nurser now. The rest of our stay in the hospital consisted of visits from family members, nurse checkups and trying (and failing) to get some sleep. One of the nights in the hospital I only got 45 minutes of sleep! For some reason, I didn't feel tired...yet.


I think I will make a seperate post about our time since the delivery. We couldn't be happier. Cash is such a blessing, and we're so thankful that he is healthy and happy. Even Moe seems to like him! As I type this, he is sniffing the baby, and laying his head down beside him, and Cash is putting his hand on Moe's face. So sweet! Thank you to all you readers out there who have stuck with us through the long (and ridiculously informative) pregnancy posts. I hope to continue the blog with updates from our life as a family. We love all of you guys! Stay tuned!

Induction Watch: Appt. Follow-Up :)

Well...today's appointment wasn't conclusive. I went in for my ultrasound/OB check-up and to have some blood work done to check my platelets. My doctor told me that they would let me know by tonight if I was going to be induced this week or not. Well, not exactly...Hopefully we'll know by tomorrow when my blood work comes back.

My ultrasound went well. The tech said she got some really good measurements on him, and estimates that he'll be around 7 lbs., give or take a half pound, if he were born this week. He's still measuring in the 80th percentile for growth, and is measuring about two weeks ahead of schedule. He still has a lot of amniotic fluid, which is good news also. She also laughed, and said it looked like he has a lot of hair. We'll see about that. His "mock-breathing" was going well also. Its what baby's lungs do to get used to breathing, so they'll breathe when they're born.

When I met with the doctor, she said my blood pressure was better (130/72), and that everything else looked promising to give me another week of being pregnant before re-checking me. They drew my blood and said she'd have the results back tomorrow around noon. If my platelets have dropped again, they'll induce me tomorrow. Thankfully, she answered all my questions about induction fears etc. I felt SO MUCH BETTER when we left, about the possibilities. I'm ready for whatever they want to throw at me now.

So there it is in a nutshell...The baby looks great, and they assured me that if I need to be induced, he'll be ready to be born. I should know tomorrow afternoon whether my platelets came back normal or not. If so, I'll remain pregnant for a little while longer. If not, they'll call me back to the doctor's office to fill out some paperwork, then admit me to the hospital around 7 or 8pm on Tuesday night to start the Cervidil. Wednesday morning we would start the Pitocin, and then hopefully by Wednesday night, baby Cash would be here! I will keep everyone as updated as I possibly can. Thanks for reading!