Andy got a new job! He will be working for Amazon.com. His last day of reporting to work for Google will be this Friday, October 25. Then he will continue to get paid by Google, but he'll have almost a month off! He will probably start work at Amazon on November 24th. They made him an offer he couldn't refuse, we feel so happy that things have turned out well.
John is still sleeping very well. He is eating lots of new foods, including green beans, peaches and pears. He is getting very big, I'll let you know how big after his 6 month appointment on November 4th. I can't believe he is almost 6 months old already!
Opera rehearsals are going well. I'm still getting to have lots of time with John because we are mostly rehearsing after John goes to bed. I'm having a great time in the opera, and I can't wait to keep working toward opening night.
We took our first vacation with John in early October. We went down to Rocky Point, Mexico with my family. It was absolutely beautiful. I can't believe we can drive 4 hours and play in the ocean in October!
John also finished his helmet treatment. Check out our web album (linked on our website) for Rocky Point and helmet before and after pictures.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
The end of an era
There are several eras I'm referring to that relate to each of our family members. So off we go with a monster update!!
- Last night John slept through the night. He went down at 7:45, we gave him a bottle while asleep at 11, and he slept through until 8:00. I just can't describe what a relief this is. It has been almost 3 months since he started waking 2-10 times a night because of the reflux. Then when the reflux was under control, he had some bad habits and wasn't able to fall back asleep. I had the week off from high school lessons this week, so I stayed home with John and really worked with him on his ability to self-settle. We got rid of the pacifier as well. He used to wake up every 30 minutes or so during naps needing the paci, now I'll put him down, he'll fall asleep within 5 minutes and stay asleep until the end of the nap. It's just heaven, both for us and for him.
- John's reflux is so much better. The increased dosage of Prevacid has really done the trick. He is so happy and not fussy now that he's feeling better!! He's been eating lots of baby food. So far, he's had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. Next up is green beans, and then we'll move on to fruit!!
- John is getting his helmet off in 12 days! I'm so excited. His little head is looking really awesome. I'll be sure to post before and after photos when treatment is over.
- I have been back at school for a while now, but I've really enjoyed having Tuesdays off to stay home with John. My schedule is probably going to change a little bit more because I got cast as the lead in the opera at school. There are only 4 characters in the opera, and it's in Italian, so it will be a LOT of work. But it's a great opportunity to learn such a big role. I'm so excited to get back onstage again after a relatively performing-free year last year during my pregnancy. Andy is such a great husband and daddy for being so supportive!
- Speaking of Andy, we don't have great news about him. Unfortunately, Google has decided to close their Phoenix office. We were pretty devastated. Of course he is welcome to stay with the company if he's willing to relocate, which we're not. So he's looking for a local position. We're just very disappointed since Andy absolutely adored working for Google. I am just praying he can find something he likes as well.
Other than that, we are doing very well. We are enjoying watching John grow and develop. Right now he loves to "stand" with us holding him. He also has an Exersaucer where he can stand up and play with his toys. He is so happy and sweet and is such a blessing!
- Last night John slept through the night. He went down at 7:45, we gave him a bottle while asleep at 11, and he slept through until 8:00. I just can't describe what a relief this is. It has been almost 3 months since he started waking 2-10 times a night because of the reflux. Then when the reflux was under control, he had some bad habits and wasn't able to fall back asleep. I had the week off from high school lessons this week, so I stayed home with John and really worked with him on his ability to self-settle. We got rid of the pacifier as well. He used to wake up every 30 minutes or so during naps needing the paci, now I'll put him down, he'll fall asleep within 5 minutes and stay asleep until the end of the nap. It's just heaven, both for us and for him.
- John's reflux is so much better. The increased dosage of Prevacid has really done the trick. He is so happy and not fussy now that he's feeling better!! He's been eating lots of baby food. So far, he's had squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and peas. Next up is green beans, and then we'll move on to fruit!!
- John is getting his helmet off in 12 days! I'm so excited. His little head is looking really awesome. I'll be sure to post before and after photos when treatment is over.
- I have been back at school for a while now, but I've really enjoyed having Tuesdays off to stay home with John. My schedule is probably going to change a little bit more because I got cast as the lead in the opera at school. There are only 4 characters in the opera, and it's in Italian, so it will be a LOT of work. But it's a great opportunity to learn such a big role. I'm so excited to get back onstage again after a relatively performing-free year last year during my pregnancy. Andy is such a great husband and daddy for being so supportive!
- Speaking of Andy, we don't have great news about him. Unfortunately, Google has decided to close their Phoenix office. We were pretty devastated. Of course he is welcome to stay with the company if he's willing to relocate, which we're not. So he's looking for a local position. We're just very disappointed since Andy absolutely adored working for Google. I am just praying he can find something he likes as well.
Other than that, we are doing very well. We are enjoying watching John grow and develop. Right now he loves to "stand" with us holding him. He also has an Exersaucer where he can stand up and play with his toys. He is so happy and sweet and is such a blessing!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
4 months old
John is 4 months old today and had his appointment. He was a good boy for his shots - he only cried a little, but it always makes me cry too.
We stopped using the Zantac about a week ago after noticing that John seemed to be agitated and have trouble sleeping about 4 hours after taking it. Sure enough, when I called the pharmacy, the side effects include agitation and insomnia. Perfect for your baby, right?!?!
The doctor seemed pleased about how he was doing on just Prevacid, and we adjusted his dosage for his weight. He's 17.5 pounds (90%) and 26 inches (90%). At least he is proportional now, last time he was 95% and 50%!
I also talked to him about John's sleeping. It has definitely been better since dropping the Zantac, but I wanted to know what the doctor thought was normal. He said that a 6 hour stretch is considered sleeping through the night, and anything after that is just gravy. I thought that was really interesting.
Then I told him that John isn't quite there yet, most nights he only goes 5 to 5 1/2 hours. It could be the pacifier or it could be hunger. The doctor recommended that we start solids to help him with his reflux and sleeping. The rice cereal in his bottle is doing wonders for his reflux by thickening the formula, but isn't really calorically enough for him, so we'll start yellow veggies this week.
He also had a middle-of-the-road suggestion regarding John's pacifier, since we're a little hesitant to let him cry for too long until the reflux is definitely under control. He suggested to let him fall almost all the way asleep with it, and then take it out just before he falls asleep. That way he can still soothe himself some, but won't expect it to be there when he wakes up. We'll give it until the end of September, if this doesn't work by then, I have a 4 day weekend that I'm going to use to go paci free!!
Then we had a helmet appointment. He goes in every week for adjustments. 2 weeks down, 4-6 to go! It was a busy day!
(New helmet pics posted in our online photo album)
We stopped using the Zantac about a week ago after noticing that John seemed to be agitated and have trouble sleeping about 4 hours after taking it. Sure enough, when I called the pharmacy, the side effects include agitation and insomnia. Perfect for your baby, right?!?!
The doctor seemed pleased about how he was doing on just Prevacid, and we adjusted his dosage for his weight. He's 17.5 pounds (90%) and 26 inches (90%). At least he is proportional now, last time he was 95% and 50%!
I also talked to him about John's sleeping. It has definitely been better since dropping the Zantac, but I wanted to know what the doctor thought was normal. He said that a 6 hour stretch is considered sleeping through the night, and anything after that is just gravy. I thought that was really interesting.
Then I told him that John isn't quite there yet, most nights he only goes 5 to 5 1/2 hours. It could be the pacifier or it could be hunger. The doctor recommended that we start solids to help him with his reflux and sleeping. The rice cereal in his bottle is doing wonders for his reflux by thickening the formula, but isn't really calorically enough for him, so we'll start yellow veggies this week.
He also had a middle-of-the-road suggestion regarding John's pacifier, since we're a little hesitant to let him cry for too long until the reflux is definitely under control. He suggested to let him fall almost all the way asleep with it, and then take it out just before he falls asleep. That way he can still soothe himself some, but won't expect it to be there when he wakes up. We'll give it until the end of September, if this doesn't work by then, I have a 4 day weekend that I'm going to use to go paci free!!
Then we had a helmet appointment. He goes in every week for adjustments. 2 weeks down, 4-6 to go! It was a busy day!
(New helmet pics posted in our online photo album)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Little helmet head boy...
John is 14 weeks old, and his reflux is definitely getting better every day. I am back to school and we are starting to settle into a new routine, with John at my mom's for 2 full days and 2 half days during the week.
You may notice in the pictures on our website that Johnny now has a DOC band, or helmet, to reshape his head.
Problems included:
- one ear higher than the other, as well as more forward
- back left side of his head much flatter than back right, despite us positioning him opposite that for the last 6 weeks
- head is taller than it is wide, and slopes up and back from his forehead.
None of these problems are very severe, and his young age means he'll only have to wear it for 6-8 weeks, which is nothing. My nephew had to wear his for 4 months!
It was partially caused in utero, as he didn't move around very much toward the end of my pregnancy, so his head grew a certain way. And of course they are seeing more cases of misshapen heads with the "Back to Sleep" campaign, since babies are spending more and more time on their backs instead of tummies.
It was interesting to hear some reasons why this correction is for medical reasons, not just cosmetic. First of all, left untreated as he grows, it could cause him to have an underbite, requiring serious orthodontic work. Also, protective helmets (football, baseball, bike, etc.) are made for heads that are wider than they are tall, i.e. "perfect" heads. If John's head is taller than it is wide, he would need to get a bigger helmet that wasn't as tight fitting. Under impact, his head could still rattle around inside a helmet, and get concussions or even brain damage more easily. Finally, it can cause problems like TMJ and chronic ear infections.
It has definitely been hard to get used to. It breaks my heart a little bit to feel cold hard plastic instead of sweet soft baby hair when I cuddle him. But Andy and I both agree that it is something that is important that we want to do for him. And I decorated it with ASU stickers, so he is ready for football season! :)
He seems to be taking to it fine. He did have a little trouble sleeping the first night but he seems used to it now. I hope the 6 weeks goes quickly!
You may notice in the pictures on our website that Johnny now has a DOC band, or helmet, to reshape his head.
Problems included:
- one ear higher than the other, as well as more forward
- back left side of his head much flatter than back right, despite us positioning him opposite that for the last 6 weeks
- head is taller than it is wide, and slopes up and back from his forehead.
None of these problems are very severe, and his young age means he'll only have to wear it for 6-8 weeks, which is nothing. My nephew had to wear his for 4 months!
It was partially caused in utero, as he didn't move around very much toward the end of my pregnancy, so his head grew a certain way. And of course they are seeing more cases of misshapen heads with the "Back to Sleep" campaign, since babies are spending more and more time on their backs instead of tummies.
It was interesting to hear some reasons why this correction is for medical reasons, not just cosmetic. First of all, left untreated as he grows, it could cause him to have an underbite, requiring serious orthodontic work. Also, protective helmets (football, baseball, bike, etc.) are made for heads that are wider than they are tall, i.e. "perfect" heads. If John's head is taller than it is wide, he would need to get a bigger helmet that wasn't as tight fitting. Under impact, his head could still rattle around inside a helmet, and get concussions or even brain damage more easily. Finally, it can cause problems like TMJ and chronic ear infections.
It has definitely been hard to get used to. It breaks my heart a little bit to feel cold hard plastic instead of sweet soft baby hair when I cuddle him. But Andy and I both agree that it is something that is important that we want to do for him. And I decorated it with ASU stickers, so he is ready for football season! :)
He seems to be taking to it fine. He did have a little trouble sleeping the first night but he seems used to it now. I hope the 6 weeks goes quickly!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
3 month update
Since the last post, the battle with reflux continued. After an additional doctor's appointment, we put John on Prevacid in addition to the Zantac, and started adding rice cereal to his bottle. We've been on this combination for about 2 weeks, and I think this is going to work. He's definitely in less pain. I hope this will continue to be the case.
Sleeping-wise, things are still kind of weird. John is going from 11 to 7 without needing to be fed, but still wakes up at least once a night for no reason, usually between 4:30 and 5:30. The 5:30 is doable, but the 4:30 is really killer. One of us gets up and reswaddles him, gives him a pacifier, puts him back up at the head of the crib after he's slid down to the bottom, or any number of random things. Sometimes he goes right back to sleep, sometimes he is restless and then that's it for your sleep for the night! And to give credit where credit is due, it's usually Andy getting up with him since I'm usually up until midnight for the last feeding. We've tried everything I can think of, I've done tons of reading, but I can only conclude that he's just restless at that time for some reason. I sure hope he grows out of it soon!!!
Today was John's baptism. We were so nervous that he was going to freak out during the ceremony, but he did really well!! Everyone thought he was a little angel! Andy's brother Dave and my sister Robyn were the godparents, and it was so nice to have both sets of grandparents there as well as our good friend Courtney.
Tomorrow I'm starting back to work. We're a little nervous about this. You know, we have a routine set here, and starting a new one is a little daunting. Luckily, I'm only starting back teaching at the high school this week, so it will be only an hour or two each day until ASU starts back later in the month. It is always nice to ease into things a little. My mom will be watching John this semester, so it will be nice to not have to worry about him being in daycare quite yet!
Sleeping-wise, things are still kind of weird. John is going from 11 to 7 without needing to be fed, but still wakes up at least once a night for no reason, usually between 4:30 and 5:30. The 5:30 is doable, but the 4:30 is really killer. One of us gets up and reswaddles him, gives him a pacifier, puts him back up at the head of the crib after he's slid down to the bottom, or any number of random things. Sometimes he goes right back to sleep, sometimes he is restless and then that's it for your sleep for the night! And to give credit where credit is due, it's usually Andy getting up with him since I'm usually up until midnight for the last feeding. We've tried everything I can think of, I've done tons of reading, but I can only conclude that he's just restless at that time for some reason. I sure hope he grows out of it soon!!!
Today was John's baptism. We were so nervous that he was going to freak out during the ceremony, but he did really well!! Everyone thought he was a little angel! Andy's brother Dave and my sister Robyn were the godparents, and it was so nice to have both sets of grandparents there as well as our good friend Courtney.
Tomorrow I'm starting back to work. We're a little nervous about this. You know, we have a routine set here, and starting a new one is a little daunting. Luckily, I'm only starting back teaching at the high school this week, so it will be only an hour or two each day until ASU starts back later in the month. It is always nice to ease into things a little. My mom will be watching John this semester, so it will be nice to not have to worry about him being in daycare quite yet!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Reflux
It's been a long time since I last updated. It has been stressful around here!
At John's two-month appointment on 7/7, he was in a real state. Even before he got his shots, he was clearly in terrible pain. I'd be holding him upright against my chest and he'd be sleeping calmly, but when I put him down on his back for any of the procedures, he'd scream in pain. I hated to see it, but the timing was good because our regular doctor was able to see what had been going on.
Based on his presentation and my descriptions of his symptoms, he was really quite sure that John had acid reflux. He prescribed baby Zantac and a special formula. The new formula is really helping a lot. It is quite expensive though, at $9 a day. It is worth it, John's temperament has definitely improved.
I didn't know that nearly 50% of infants have reflux, due to an underdeveloped digestive system. He was also at increased risk because I had a c-section. Who knew?!? Anyway, it has been a rough two weeks as we've waited for his system to recover with the new formula and medicine. He's just now returning to his normal eating and naps. We're happy to have him back to his old self!
John has gotten so smiley lately. I posted some new smiling pics on our website (see upper right for link.) At church on Sunday, he was smiling at the ladies talking to him. Then we took him up to our priest, Father Ron, and said "John wanted to say hi." Father Ron said, "Well, hi John!" and John gave him the biggest, sweetest smile right on cue. It's really nice that he likes strangers!
I took John for his second swim today. He didn't sleep through it, but he was tired, so we stayed in there for about four minutes before he started crying. Oh well. :)
Today when John woke up from his nap, I started talking to him and he laughed! Just started chuckling at me. It was so cute and endearing. I can't believe how he's developing. It seems like he is growing up so fast!
At John's two-month appointment on 7/7, he was in a real state. Even before he got his shots, he was clearly in terrible pain. I'd be holding him upright against my chest and he'd be sleeping calmly, but when I put him down on his back for any of the procedures, he'd scream in pain. I hated to see it, but the timing was good because our regular doctor was able to see what had been going on.
Based on his presentation and my descriptions of his symptoms, he was really quite sure that John had acid reflux. He prescribed baby Zantac and a special formula. The new formula is really helping a lot. It is quite expensive though, at $9 a day. It is worth it, John's temperament has definitely improved.
I didn't know that nearly 50% of infants have reflux, due to an underdeveloped digestive system. He was also at increased risk because I had a c-section. Who knew?!? Anyway, it has been a rough two weeks as we've waited for his system to recover with the new formula and medicine. He's just now returning to his normal eating and naps. We're happy to have him back to his old self!
John has gotten so smiley lately. I posted some new smiling pics on our website (see upper right for link.) At church on Sunday, he was smiling at the ladies talking to him. Then we took him up to our priest, Father Ron, and said "John wanted to say hi." Father Ron said, "Well, hi John!" and John gave him the biggest, sweetest smile right on cue. It's really nice that he likes strangers!
I took John for his second swim today. He didn't sleep through it, but he was tired, so we stayed in there for about four minutes before he started crying. Oh well. :)
Today when John woke up from his nap, I started talking to him and he laughed! Just started chuckling at me. It was so cute and endearing. I can't believe how he's developing. It seems like he is growing up so fast!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Happy Fourth of July!
We had a very nice Independence Day. In the morning, Andy, John and I just hung around the house with Ollie. Then we went over to my mom's house for a barbecue. It was quite the full house. Besides the three of us and my parents, we had Robyn, Mike and Noah, Andy's parents, and Mike's parents.
We took John swimming before dinner. I had really been looking forward to taking him in the pool for the first time, and had waited for Fourth of July on purpose so Andy would be there. I even bought him a sun hat and SPF protective clothing! Well, it was completely anticlimactic, since he pretty much slept through the whole thing! We did take lots of pictures, and a few videos, so head over to our website (linked at right) and check them out!
We took John to the doctor today. His tummy has been acting up again. Last night I fed him at 11 and put him to bed around 11:30. Between 3 and 4 a.m. he woke up screaming four times because he had spit up and his tummy hurt. He had also started acting weird during feedings; I'd feed him 2 ounces and after I burped him, he'd start to cry when I tilted him back to feed him more. It sure seemed like his tummy was hurting him. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with him, but hypothesized that it could be a formula problem, or acid reflux. So we're going to try a new formula for sensitive stomachs and see if that works. Otherwise it's on to some gastric system evaluations, which would not be fun for John!
Today at the doctor's, he weighed over 13 pounds! He has his regular 2 month appointment for vaccinations on Monday, so I'm sure that won't be a fun day for him!
We took John swimming before dinner. I had really been looking forward to taking him in the pool for the first time, and had waited for Fourth of July on purpose so Andy would be there. I even bought him a sun hat and SPF protective clothing! Well, it was completely anticlimactic, since he pretty much slept through the whole thing! We did take lots of pictures, and a few videos, so head over to our website (linked at right) and check them out!
We took John to the doctor today. His tummy has been acting up again. Last night I fed him at 11 and put him to bed around 11:30. Between 3 and 4 a.m. he woke up screaming four times because he had spit up and his tummy hurt. He had also started acting weird during feedings; I'd feed him 2 ounces and after I burped him, he'd start to cry when I tilted him back to feed him more. It sure seemed like his tummy was hurting him. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with him, but hypothesized that it could be a formula problem, or acid reflux. So we're going to try a new formula for sensitive stomachs and see if that works. Otherwise it's on to some gastric system evaluations, which would not be fun for John!
Today at the doctor's, he weighed over 13 pounds! He has his regular 2 month appointment for vaccinations on Monday, so I'm sure that won't be a fun day for him!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Getting so big!
I've really noticed how big John is getting! Today I put him in a cute overalls outfit that he also wore last Sunday. Last week it was long on him and this week it fit him well! It won't be too long before he starts growing out of his 0-3 month clothes!
I also took a couple of pictures of him with Ollie and in his carseat to really see his growth. Here's a slideshow to illustrate:
Finally, it looks like John is technically sleeping through the night, going 7 hours between feedings. The last two nights he ate at 11:30 and didn't wake up until 6:45. Triumph! :)
I also took a couple of pictures of him with Ollie and in his carseat to really see his growth. Here's a slideshow to illustrate:
Finally, it looks like John is technically sleeping through the night, going 7 hours between feedings. The last two nights he ate at 11:30 and didn't wake up until 6:45. Triumph! :)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thoughts on schedules
I've been thinking a lot lately about how John is on a schedule. I've HAD to think about it because complete strangers have been giving me a hard time about it. It's funny how people who don't even know you presume to know what is best for your family.
Anyway, there are some definite misunderstandings that abound. First of all, we don't make John wait 3 hours to eat. If he is hungry sooner, we feed him! We're not monsters, people!
We do wake him up every 3 hours to eat. This is the optimal schedule for newborns, as it is used for preemies and other babies with growth problems. Research shows it's not good for them to go more than 3 hours during the day. And if he slept all day, he'd be up all night. We think it's important for him to have his days and nights straight.
Anyway, most of the time this is a moot point, as he wakes himself up every 3 hours like clockwork to eat. He eats, then stays awake playing or just chilling for about an hour, and then goes back to sleep. It's a predictable routine for his benefit.
Some people say we're doing it selfishly to fit him into our schedule. To the contrary, we work our schedules around him. He's due to eat at 7:00 p.m.? Well, you can be sure he will wake up hungry then, and it doesn't matter if we've eaten yet or not, or whether we're at a restaurant or at home. That's when he wants to eat, so we put our dinner on hold. How is that us fitting him into our schedule?
Another misconception is that we are somehow not giving him enough physical love. The boy is plenty snuggled and played with and loved! It is quite frankly insulting to suggest that just because he will sleep somewhere besides my arms that he is not getting enough love and affection.
The best part about the routine, though, is that we know why he's crying based on where he is in a sleep cycle. I know if he's crying if he's hungry, as opposed to just crying because he is tired and needs a nap. So we can attend to his need and not have to guess, so therefore he doesn't have to cry that much. Isn't that a good thing?
None of this really matters, though. I'm explaining my reasoning, but the point is, I really don't need to justify why we're doing what we're doing. If it works for John, then isn't that all that matters? Not sure why a flexible schedule or routine is such a hot-button topic, but apparently it is! I just get tired of know-it-alls, but I guess having other people tell you how to parent your children is just part of life...
Anyway, there are some definite misunderstandings that abound. First of all, we don't make John wait 3 hours to eat. If he is hungry sooner, we feed him! We're not monsters, people!
We do wake him up every 3 hours to eat. This is the optimal schedule for newborns, as it is used for preemies and other babies with growth problems. Research shows it's not good for them to go more than 3 hours during the day. And if he slept all day, he'd be up all night. We think it's important for him to have his days and nights straight.
Anyway, most of the time this is a moot point, as he wakes himself up every 3 hours like clockwork to eat. He eats, then stays awake playing or just chilling for about an hour, and then goes back to sleep. It's a predictable routine for his benefit.
Some people say we're doing it selfishly to fit him into our schedule. To the contrary, we work our schedules around him. He's due to eat at 7:00 p.m.? Well, you can be sure he will wake up hungry then, and it doesn't matter if we've eaten yet or not, or whether we're at a restaurant or at home. That's when he wants to eat, so we put our dinner on hold. How is that us fitting him into our schedule?
Another misconception is that we are somehow not giving him enough physical love. The boy is plenty snuggled and played with and loved! It is quite frankly insulting to suggest that just because he will sleep somewhere besides my arms that he is not getting enough love and affection.
The best part about the routine, though, is that we know why he's crying based on where he is in a sleep cycle. I know if he's crying if he's hungry, as opposed to just crying because he is tired and needs a nap. So we can attend to his need and not have to guess, so therefore he doesn't have to cry that much. Isn't that a good thing?
None of this really matters, though. I'm explaining my reasoning, but the point is, I really don't need to justify why we're doing what we're doing. If it works for John, then isn't that all that matters? Not sure why a flexible schedule or routine is such a hot-button topic, but apparently it is! I just get tired of know-it-alls, but I guess having other people tell you how to parent your children is just part of life...
We have a website, too...
It has come to my attention that our website links to our blog, but our blog doesn't link to our website. Andy said he's just been giving out the blog address because he forgot the web address. :)
We've got tons of pictures and a few (mostly newborn) videos over there. Here's the address: willfamilyaz.googlepages.com. For future reference, I've added a link at the top right of this blog. Enjoy!
We've got tons of pictures and a few (mostly newborn) videos over there. Here's the address: willfamilyaz.googlepages.com. For future reference, I've added a link at the top right of this blog. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lots of doctor consultations! Plus getting back to normal...
It's been busy around here! Yesterday I had an emergency dental appointment for pain in my mouth - it's fine now.
John had some tummy troubles yesterday, so I called the pediatrician and gave him the facts. He'd been having some diapers that were, shall we say, different. He'd also been eating less and spitting up more. The doctor put John on Pedialyte for 24 hours. I'm not sure it's helping, but John sure does like it! He's eating a ton!
Then today, I noticed John's eyes getting worse. They've been teary with a little goop in the corners, and I figured that was normal. But today they are so goopy that his eyes stick shut while he's sleeping. So we've got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Hopefully we will get all of our questions about goopy eyes and funky digestive systems answered!
Things are going well otherwise. John's still sleeping 5-6 hours at night. Andy's taking the 10:00ish feeding, I'm taking the 4:00ish feeding, and Andy's taking the 7:00ish feeding. So we are both getting around 7 hours of sleep at a time. This makes things SO much easier.
To that end, I went back to Weight Watchers today. It felt good to take some action. I'm a Lifetime Member, so I don't have to pay for the next three months while I lose my baby weight, which is nice. I'm also going to lead a Biggest Loser Challenge on my May 2008 babies message board starting next month.
Also, I SANG TODAY!! For reals, not just singing lullabies (or Do-Re-Mi, or ABBA) to John. I actually stood in front of my piano in my studio and sang some actual classical exercises and part of an Italian aria!
Being completely honest, it sounded like absolute crap! But hey, I haven't sung in exactly 8 weeks AND I had major abdominal surgery. My voice was definitely very rusty, but it didn't seem to hurt my abs.
I quit early, thinking I didn't want to push it. But it felt good to sing again! It's one more step toward feeling like the old me!
John had some tummy troubles yesterday, so I called the pediatrician and gave him the facts. He'd been having some diapers that were, shall we say, different. He'd also been eating less and spitting up more. The doctor put John on Pedialyte for 24 hours. I'm not sure it's helping, but John sure does like it! He's eating a ton!
Then today, I noticed John's eyes getting worse. They've been teary with a little goop in the corners, and I figured that was normal. But today they are so goopy that his eyes stick shut while he's sleeping. So we've got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Hopefully we will get all of our questions about goopy eyes and funky digestive systems answered!
Things are going well otherwise. John's still sleeping 5-6 hours at night. Andy's taking the 10:00ish feeding, I'm taking the 4:00ish feeding, and Andy's taking the 7:00ish feeding. So we are both getting around 7 hours of sleep at a time. This makes things SO much easier.
To that end, I went back to Weight Watchers today. It felt good to take some action. I'm a Lifetime Member, so I don't have to pay for the next three months while I lose my baby weight, which is nice. I'm also going to lead a Biggest Loser Challenge on my May 2008 babies message board starting next month.
Also, I SANG TODAY!! For reals, not just singing lullabies (or Do-Re-Mi, or ABBA) to John. I actually stood in front of my piano in my studio and sang some actual classical exercises and part of an Italian aria!
Being completely honest, it sounded like absolute crap! But hey, I haven't sung in exactly 8 weeks AND I had major abdominal surgery. My voice was definitely very rusty, but it didn't seem to hurt my abs.
I quit early, thinking I didn't want to push it. But it felt good to sing again! It's one more step toward feeling like the old me!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
He smiled!
John turned six weeks old yesterday. John's been getting ready to smile for a while. He'd give us the hint of a smile, or grin while sleeping, but not a real smile in response to us.
Yesterday, he yawned and I smiled and said "Oh, big yawn!" and when he saw me smiling the yawn turned into a big smile. It was so cute. I still wasn't sure, though, if it was accidental or not.
Then this morning Andy came in while I was brushing my teeth with the biggest smile on his face. He said, "You have to come see this. I was talking to John and he was totally smiling at me. He kept doing it, it is totally real and not just accidental! Come look!" So I went into the family room where John was in his swing, and sure enough, as soon as Andy started talking to him, he started smiling like crazy!
It was so precious. He has such a cute little smile. It totally brought a tear to my eye, what a special moment! I didn't get any pictures because I was so busy enjoying it. I'm sure I'll be able to take pictures once it becomes a little more commonplace, but for now, I'm just going to watch and smile back!
And a quick sleeping update: He was sleeping for a full 6 hours at a time earlier in the week, but has fallen back to 4. I think he's having a growth spurt. Ah well.
Andy's been great about taking the night feeds on weekends so that I can try to catch up on my sleep. He's such a great daddy and a great husband! In fact, I will use this post to wish him a happy first Father's Day!
Yesterday, he yawned and I smiled and said "Oh, big yawn!" and when he saw me smiling the yawn turned into a big smile. It was so cute. I still wasn't sure, though, if it was accidental or not.
Then this morning Andy came in while I was brushing my teeth with the biggest smile on his face. He said, "You have to come see this. I was talking to John and he was totally smiling at me. He kept doing it, it is totally real and not just accidental! Come look!" So I went into the family room where John was in his swing, and sure enough, as soon as Andy started talking to him, he started smiling like crazy!
It was so precious. He has such a cute little smile. It totally brought a tear to my eye, what a special moment! I didn't get any pictures because I was so busy enjoying it. I'm sure I'll be able to take pictures once it becomes a little more commonplace, but for now, I'm just going to watch and smile back!
And a quick sleeping update: He was sleeping for a full 6 hours at a time earlier in the week, but has fallen back to 4. I think he's having a growth spurt. Ah well.
Andy's been great about taking the night feeds on weekends so that I can try to catch up on my sleep. He's such a great daddy and a great husband! In fact, I will use this post to wish him a happy first Father's Day!
Monday, June 2, 2008
One month old!
I guess that a month has gone by fairly quickly, John is already one month old today.
Yesterday, our church recognized John's birth. They had a rose on the altar to commemorate it, and they also put an announcement in the bulletin and introduced him at the end of the service. It was great!
We weighed John a couple of days ago by weighing Andy, and then Andy holding John. According to this unofficial measurement, John now weighs 11.3 pounds, which is over 4 pounds more than he weighed at birth! I can't believe how fast he is growing. Here's a side by side comparison of him in his carseat, first on the way home from the hospital and second on Saturday:
We had a fun photo shoot yesterday, here are two of my favorites:
John has been doing really well with his sleeping schedule. He has pretty much dropped one of his nighttime feedings. Now he's eating at roughly 10:00 p.m., 3:00 a.m., and 7:00 a.m. This is really good news! I am taking the 3:00 and Andy is taking the 7:00 so we are each getting a good chunk of sleep.
John has also become much more alert this week, you can tell he is really looking at things. He's started to respond to toys, as well as tracking movements with his eyes. He has such a sweet little personality. We love him so much and can't believe how fast time is going!
Yesterday, our church recognized John's birth. They had a rose on the altar to commemorate it, and they also put an announcement in the bulletin and introduced him at the end of the service. It was great!
We weighed John a couple of days ago by weighing Andy, and then Andy holding John. According to this unofficial measurement, John now weighs 11.3 pounds, which is over 4 pounds more than he weighed at birth! I can't believe how fast he is growing. Here's a side by side comparison of him in his carseat, first on the way home from the hospital and second on Saturday:
We had a fun photo shoot yesterday, here are two of my favorites:
John has been doing really well with his sleeping schedule. He has pretty much dropped one of his nighttime feedings. Now he's eating at roughly 10:00 p.m., 3:00 a.m., and 7:00 a.m. This is really good news! I am taking the 3:00 and Andy is taking the 7:00 so we are each getting a good chunk of sleep.
John has also become much more alert this week, you can tell he is really looking at things. He's started to respond to toys, as well as tracking movements with his eyes. He has such a sweet little personality. We love him so much and can't believe how fast time is going!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Due date!
Today was John's due date. I can't believe I could still be pregnant today! I'm so glad he came early, I can't imagine still being pregnant.
We took John to the pediatrician for his 2 week check up today. I was so interested to see how much he weighed, since he is visibly bigger in his carseat and swing, feels much heavier, and is outgrowing one brand of newborn diapers. So today, two weeks after birth at 7 pounds 1 ounce, he now weighs 9 pounds 1 ounce! Crazy!!!! I can't believe he gained that much weight already. He is very healthy and doing great.
I think that my slight smug-mommy attitude about John's sleeping schedule is coming back to haunt me a little bit. (Any mommy reading this blog was probably laughing at me and saying "just wait!") The last two nights have been really rough for John, he is very fussy and his little tummy is hurting. He's been sleeping in one- and two-hour spurts, and screaming hysterically in between. It is so hard to see him crying like that. He is soothed when I pick him up, though, so I'm glad that something works. I think we are going to try giving him some gas-relief drops tonight, I hope that helps his tummy.
So I guess I've learned that when you're a new parent, you can't really count on anything. Something that soothes him one day won't work the next day. His schedule might change daily, and you just have to roll with it, because this roller coaster is your life! :)
Andy went back to work this week, he started at Google Tempe on Monday. I think he is enjoying himself so far, it's a great position. He's going to take another week off next week, since his parents are moving here and they (and Dave) will be here all next week. After that, he will still have 4 weeks of paternity leave to use before John's first birthday. Google is awesome.
John and I are doing all right at home together. The carseat is still too heavy and awkward for me, so the few times I've needed to go somewhere, my mom comes over and we all head out together. Physically, I am nicely recovering. I'm off the big pain meds and just on lots of ibuprofen now. I'm not back to full activity, obviously, I still have to take it easy, but definitely feeling physically better. Emotionally it's still a bit up and down, which I attribute to the stupid hormones and lack of sleep!!! :) I've been trying to keep up in terms of errands and housework, perhaps too much. Tomorrow I'm going to just take the day off and sleep when John sleeps, which I'm hoping will help me out.
It has been kind of a rough couple of days, but hopefully things will get better. And it doesn't really matter when I see John's little face sleeping happily!
We took John to the pediatrician for his 2 week check up today. I was so interested to see how much he weighed, since he is visibly bigger in his carseat and swing, feels much heavier, and is outgrowing one brand of newborn diapers. So today, two weeks after birth at 7 pounds 1 ounce, he now weighs 9 pounds 1 ounce! Crazy!!!! I can't believe he gained that much weight already. He is very healthy and doing great.
I think that my slight smug-mommy attitude about John's sleeping schedule is coming back to haunt me a little bit. (Any mommy reading this blog was probably laughing at me and saying "just wait!") The last two nights have been really rough for John, he is very fussy and his little tummy is hurting. He's been sleeping in one- and two-hour spurts, and screaming hysterically in between. It is so hard to see him crying like that. He is soothed when I pick him up, though, so I'm glad that something works. I think we are going to try giving him some gas-relief drops tonight, I hope that helps his tummy.
So I guess I've learned that when you're a new parent, you can't really count on anything. Something that soothes him one day won't work the next day. His schedule might change daily, and you just have to roll with it, because this roller coaster is your life! :)
Andy went back to work this week, he started at Google Tempe on Monday. I think he is enjoying himself so far, it's a great position. He's going to take another week off next week, since his parents are moving here and they (and Dave) will be here all next week. After that, he will still have 4 weeks of paternity leave to use before John's first birthday. Google is awesome.
John and I are doing all right at home together. The carseat is still too heavy and awkward for me, so the few times I've needed to go somewhere, my mom comes over and we all head out together. Physically, I am nicely recovering. I'm off the big pain meds and just on lots of ibuprofen now. I'm not back to full activity, obviously, I still have to take it easy, but definitely feeling physically better. Emotionally it's still a bit up and down, which I attribute to the stupid hormones and lack of sleep!!! :) I've been trying to keep up in terms of errands and housework, perhaps too much. Tomorrow I'm going to just take the day off and sleep when John sleeps, which I'm hoping will help me out.
It has been kind of a rough couple of days, but hopefully things will get better. And it doesn't really matter when I see John's little face sleeping happily!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Together again!
I am feeling MUCH better! Monday night I had had it with sleeping on the couch, so Andy, Ollie and I moved to the guest bedroom, which has a lower bed that is easier to get in and out of. It was so nice to be together again, especially with Andy being out of town right up until the birth.
John slept in his room, which is right next door to the guest room. Here are some pictures of the finished nursery:
I have been feeling A LOT better every day. I have to admit I was skeptical about the second week after the birth being some sort of miracle week, but there have been huge improvements every day. Last night I slept flat on the bed on my side for the first time in two weeks; I can't begin to tell you how amazingly good that felt! Andy and I have also been getting out a bit, going to lunch, visiting my parents, etc., which has been really beneficial psychologically. I feel much more human!
I've lost 20 pounds, which I love. Still some to go, but I am still pretty swollen so I hope that a little bit more will melt off before I have to start working for it. :)
I had my two-week doctors appointment yesterday and it looks like everything is healing up nicely. It was also nice to hear the doctor say that I am right on track as far as recovery goes; it helps to hear a medical professional tell you that you're not just being a wuss! :)
Andy is going back to work on Monday, so my mom is going to help out if I need to go somewhere. I'm cleared to drive, but lifting John's carseat into the middle of the backseat of the truck might be a little more than I can handle. But then again, if next week is as good as this week, maybe I'll be all better!
John is doing great. Still eating like a champ, sleeping at least 3 hours at a stretch, and spending increasingly long periods of time awake after his feedings. I just love to sing to him and see his big blue eyes staring back at me! His cheeks are getting chubbier so I think we will find that he weighs a bit more at his next doctors appointment on Wednesday (his due date!)
John slept in his room, which is right next door to the guest room. Here are some pictures of the finished nursery:
I have been feeling A LOT better every day. I have to admit I was skeptical about the second week after the birth being some sort of miracle week, but there have been huge improvements every day. Last night I slept flat on the bed on my side for the first time in two weeks; I can't begin to tell you how amazingly good that felt! Andy and I have also been getting out a bit, going to lunch, visiting my parents, etc., which has been really beneficial psychologically. I feel much more human!
I've lost 20 pounds, which I love. Still some to go, but I am still pretty swollen so I hope that a little bit more will melt off before I have to start working for it. :)
I had my two-week doctors appointment yesterday and it looks like everything is healing up nicely. It was also nice to hear the doctor say that I am right on track as far as recovery goes; it helps to hear a medical professional tell you that you're not just being a wuss! :)
Andy is going back to work on Monday, so my mom is going to help out if I need to go somewhere. I'm cleared to drive, but lifting John's carseat into the middle of the backseat of the truck might be a little more than I can handle. But then again, if next week is as good as this week, maybe I'll be all better!
John is doing great. Still eating like a champ, sleeping at least 3 hours at a stretch, and spending increasingly long periods of time awake after his feedings. I just love to sing to him and see his big blue eyes staring back at me! His cheeks are getting chubbier so I think we will find that he weighs a bit more at his next doctors appointment on Wednesday (his due date!)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Stats
- We've been waking John up to eat every three hours during the day. Our nurses suggested this, so that he can go for up to 5 hours without feedings at night. Well, last night John went for 5 hours without needing to eat! If only he hadn't had 2 dirty diapers during that time...Then in the second half of the night, he slept straight for four hours. Our scheduling is working!
- He's also been staying awake more often during the day, sometimes up to an hour after a couple of his feedings.
- John had a doctor's appointment Wednesday, and he is only 3 ounces down from his birth weight, which is excellent!
- Speaking of weight, I've lost 5 pounds in 2 days, for a total of 17 pounds in 8 days! And my feet, legs and hands are still really swollen, so I'm looking forward to seeing more of the same! Quite a treat after watching the scale going the other way for the last nine months! :)
- He's also been staying awake more often during the day, sometimes up to an hour after a couple of his feedings.
- John had a doctor's appointment Wednesday, and he is only 3 ounces down from his birth weight, which is excellent!
- Speaking of weight, I've lost 5 pounds in 2 days, for a total of 17 pounds in 8 days! And my feet, legs and hands are still really swollen, so I'm looking forward to seeing more of the same! Quite a treat after watching the scale going the other way for the last nine months! :)
Friday, May 9, 2008
John's first week home
We've had a great first week. John is one week old today and is adapting to life at home very well.
At the moment we have him on a pretty good schedule, though we know this can change at any time! During the day, we wake him up to eat every 3 hours, so that at night, he only wakes himself up every 3 hours. That translates to about 2.5 hours of sleep at a time, which from what I understand is not too bad. Of course, I shouldn't say how good or bad it is, as Andy is the one getting up with him...
As I mentioned, I had a c-section delivery. I'm really surprised at how much the c-section takes its toll on you physically. So far, I've been pretty out of commission when it comes to taking care of John. I can feed him, but pretty much everything else is difficult. It's hard to bend over to change his diaper or put him in his bassinet, since that's right where my incision is. I can't even sleep in bed yet because I can't use my abs to lift myself up from a lying position, so I've been sitting up on the couch for a few nights now. The good news is, I'm feeling better every day and I hope that by the end of next week, things will be more normal for me, physically at least.
My favorite time is right after John eats, when one of two things will happen. Either he stays awake and just stares into my eyes for about 15 minutes, or he falls asleep and gives a series of cute little grins and smiles.
Ollie has taken to John really well. He usually stays as close to him as possible. If John is napping in his infant chair and gives a little fussy cry, Ollie will go investigate. He'll sniff the chair, and come to me as though to make sure I know that the baby cried. It's adorable. He'll also get up on his back paws to try to peer into the Pack-and-Play to watch John sleep. Ollie is such a good little nanny! :)
Honestly, overall we're doing great! John is a sweet baby and we are lucky that both of us are able to be home with him right now. We are really happy!
At the moment we have him on a pretty good schedule, though we know this can change at any time! During the day, we wake him up to eat every 3 hours, so that at night, he only wakes himself up every 3 hours. That translates to about 2.5 hours of sleep at a time, which from what I understand is not too bad. Of course, I shouldn't say how good or bad it is, as Andy is the one getting up with him...
As I mentioned, I had a c-section delivery. I'm really surprised at how much the c-section takes its toll on you physically. So far, I've been pretty out of commission when it comes to taking care of John. I can feed him, but pretty much everything else is difficult. It's hard to bend over to change his diaper or put him in his bassinet, since that's right where my incision is. I can't even sleep in bed yet because I can't use my abs to lift myself up from a lying position, so I've been sitting up on the couch for a few nights now. The good news is, I'm feeling better every day and I hope that by the end of next week, things will be more normal for me, physically at least.
My favorite time is right after John eats, when one of two things will happen. Either he stays awake and just stares into my eyes for about 15 minutes, or he falls asleep and gives a series of cute little grins and smiles.
Ollie has taken to John really well. He usually stays as close to him as possible. If John is napping in his infant chair and gives a little fussy cry, Ollie will go investigate. He'll sniff the chair, and come to me as though to make sure I know that the baby cried. It's adorable. He'll also get up on his back paws to try to peer into the Pack-and-Play to watch John sleep. Ollie is such a good little nanny! :)
Honestly, overall we're doing great! John is a sweet baby and we are lucky that both of us are able to be home with him right now. We are really happy!
Our son is here!
John Christopher Will was born May 2, 2008 at 1:25 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 19 1/4 inches. He was almost 3 weeks early.
Some labor details: My water broke in the middle of the night, around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, April 1. Andy had been in the San Jose area training for his new job with Google. He hadn't been scheduled to return home until Friday night. But I had an ultrasound on Wednesday that indicated some possible problems with my labor, so we agreed he needed to come home early so that he could be with me for my doctor's appointment on Thursday.
But I guess our little guy didn't want to wait! We checked into the hospital around 5:15. I started off doing well, but labor stalled out a few times, requiring me to get pitocin (and therefore an epidural). As labor went on, the baby was in distress, and labor was going nowhere. Finally, after 21 hours of labor (including 2 hours of pushing), the doctor told us that despite all of my hard work, the baby was stuck behind the pelvic bone, and wasn't able to pass through. So at that point I had to get a c-section.
I was disappointed to have a c-section for many reasons. First of all, I was scared to death, as I've never had surgery before. Also, I had been looking forward to holding my baby immediately, and going home after a relatively short hospital stay. But overall, I just wanted to have a healthy and happy baby.
And that's what we got! We are so thankful that our little boy is healthy and beautiful! I was in the hospital until Monday afternoon, and we've been home ever since. It's great to be home together as a family!
Some labor details: My water broke in the middle of the night, around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, April 1. Andy had been in the San Jose area training for his new job with Google. He hadn't been scheduled to return home until Friday night. But I had an ultrasound on Wednesday that indicated some possible problems with my labor, so we agreed he needed to come home early so that he could be with me for my doctor's appointment on Thursday.
But I guess our little guy didn't want to wait! We checked into the hospital around 5:15. I started off doing well, but labor stalled out a few times, requiring me to get pitocin (and therefore an epidural). As labor went on, the baby was in distress, and labor was going nowhere. Finally, after 21 hours of labor (including 2 hours of pushing), the doctor told us that despite all of my hard work, the baby was stuck behind the pelvic bone, and wasn't able to pass through. So at that point I had to get a c-section.
I was disappointed to have a c-section for many reasons. First of all, I was scared to death, as I've never had surgery before. Also, I had been looking forward to holding my baby immediately, and going home after a relatively short hospital stay. But overall, I just wanted to have a healthy and happy baby.
And that's what we got! We are so thankful that our little boy is healthy and beautiful! I was in the hospital until Monday afternoon, and we've been home ever since. It's great to be home together as a family!
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