A new toy

Crawling!

A tooth!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

So much has been happening with Nathan the past two weeks, it's amazing! Today we were playing on the livingroom floor and I noticed a tooth coming in! And he's crawling!

We have family over, so I'm not sure when I'll have time to upload the videos and pictures that we have, but hopefully soon.

My teen son moved out a week ago. Unfortunately he didn't pass his classes last term and he was officially removed from his classes this term due to lates/absences. He made the decision to move back to London and so he's there. He did call me yesterday on Christmas and that made me happy :)

More soon, hopefully.

He's crawling!

Nathan is officially crawling! I have some video that I'll upload when I can and post a link here.

Seriously time to get some baby gates and other things to baby-proof the house.

So tired

I've had appointments early in the morning the past few days so we've been getting up extra early and it's catching up with me. I am so tired! I don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow so maybe I can sleep in a little. Maybe.

I took my medication for the first time today and was so nauseous earlier today. I'm feeling fine now. Maybe I'm extra tired from the medication, didn't think about that before.

Anyway, hope everyone is well. :) Nathan is good, hoping he'll take a nap soon!

6 month update

I was supposed to take Nathan in for his 6 month shots and check-up this past monday but that didn't happen, which I'll explain later in this post. We managed to get an appointment at his doctor in London for this morning. We got back about an hour ago.

Nathan weighs 17.8 pounds (40th percentile), has a head circumference of 17.5 inches (58th percentile) and is 27.5 inches long (77th percentile!). He's so long which explains why he has to wear 12 month pajamas and even those are getting snug! We also like to say that his head is so big because it needs to be big to hold all his smarts :) The doctor asked me all sorts of questions about his development and apparently he's advanced for his age. I'm happy he's healthy and smart! The receptionist said it was hard to believe that he was only 6 months because of his size. He's actually a very trim little boy and I find it funny that people will comment on how big he is (referring to his weight eventhough they only ever see his face since he's always covered up with blankets in his carseat or stroller) and I make a point to say "Actually he's pretty thin, he just has chubby cheeks". Anyway, I think he's perfect!

Now onto other issues that I haven't been posting about.

I've been having severe anxiety attacks lately. I've been treated off and on my whole life for depression and anxiety but haven't been on any medication for it for years. Lately though it's been getting worse. I do suffer from some depression but it's the anxiety that scares me. It's interesting because I know when I'm about to have an attack and I'll be totally aware of who is around me and if Nathan is anywhere near me I'll go to a totally different room (or floor of the house) to have my freak-out. You'd think that if I was aware enough to know that I was about to have an attack and take precautions not to be around my baby that I'd be able to stop myself from having the attack in the first place. Ha. You'd think. Doesn't happen though. And I never have them when I'm alone, it's always been when my husband has been around. Maybe subconsciously I know that it's okay (well, not really okay, but safe, yeah, maybe safe is the word) to break down because he's there to help me back up. And he always does, but it's hard on him too.

So anyway, I had one on Monday and we missed Nathan's doctor appointment. I'm not upset about that at all really because it turns out we feel the new doctor's receptionist is very unkind and intimidating. I had my attack around 8:00am and by 8:30 we decided to call the office to tell them we had car trouble (which we did - our windshield wipers broke!) and wouldn't be able to make it. The office doesn't open until 9am but they don't even answer the phone until 9:30 and the office voice mail message says that you can't leave messages. Then at my doctor's office in London this morning they said the new doctor faxed them a note telling them that they were going to charge us for a missed appointment. Why does my doctor in London need to know that? And how the heck is someone supposed to cancel their appointment after business hours if they can't leave a message? You can bet that we'll be calling them when we get the bill. I'm also going to give them a crappy review on ratemds.com!

So I've got a prescription for Cipralex for my depression and anxiety. I start taking it tomorrow. I hope it's able to help!

That's it for now. I still need to upload pictures to my picture site, hopefully I can do that today when I have more time. I hope everyone is doing well!

Sitting up!

Sitting up again... almost.

Holiday Stress

Wow, I didn't know it'd been so long since I actually wrote anything.

My teen failed his classes last term and was kicked out of this term due to too many absences. He's got one chance left with us. One more term, one more chance. We'll see what happens. I am so disappointed. He left this morning to go visit friends in London. He is using the only money he has on bus tickets to visit friends and has no money for food or whatever and expects his friends to pay for his meals and give him a place to sleep for a week. I don't put too much emphasis on giving and getting presents from people on Christmas, but my son would rather spend his small amount of money on himself than on anyone else. I don't remember the last time I got a present from him that he earned the money for.

I am so sad and mad and disappointed in the decisions he's made and his selfishness and excuses, but I'll get over it with time.

Nathan is doing great. He has his 6 month shots tomorrow so I'll find out his weight and length and all that then. We cut down our Christmas tree yesterday, I'll post pictures of that soon.

Hope everyone is well and big hugs to E. I'm thinking of you!

Sitting up... almost.

Jumping Fun!

Doing good :)

Things here are going good. Nathan is doing great. Still no teeth and not crawling yet. He's still sleeping through the night most of the time and having 2 or 3 naps during the day. His naps have been getting longer though, up to 3 hours, but it's not interfering with his nighttime sleeping which is good. He's officially wearing 12 month old pajamas now and 9 month day clothes. He's eating a lot too! Sometimes 2 jars of food a day and he'll still have 3 or 4 full bottles of formula.

We might have a pediatrician, yay! I called one last week and they asked for our doctor in London to fax them a referral and I'm supposed to hear from the new doctor soon.

We're all doing fine here. My teen is still going to school which I'm very happy about and very proud of him. Hubby seems to be enjoying his work too. I might be getting involved more with the Early Years center here in town by volunteering. I'm excited about that!

Hope everyone is well :)

wow, 5 months!

Nathan turned 5 months a little over a week ago! It's strange because I feel that he's been with us forever, yet it's only been 5 months. Well, I guess he's been with me longer which might be why it feels longer :)

Here's an update:

Almost crawling. He gets up on hands and knees like I mentioned before and loves to rock back and forth. He doesn't quite understand the concept of moving an arm or knee forward yet but I just know it will happen within the next few weeks.

So hungry! Nathan still has a few bottles during the day/night (around 4 or 5, each with about 7 or 8 ounces though he doesn't finish every bottle each time) but my goodness does he love solid food. By solid I mean mashed up pureed stuff in the jars. He'll eat a whole jar in a day. He always has his solid food meals during our meal times. It's always been important to me to have my family sit down together to eat and talk. I look forward to dinner time since that's when everyone is home (well, my teen isn't always around, but he's here often) and we can talk and share together. I was thinking about taking a class on how to make my own baby food but I might just stick with the jars as Nathan will probably start eating table food soon.

We've tried lots of different brands of jarred stuff and he'll eat just about any brand of fruit or veggies but it seems that he only likes a certain brand for his meat & veggie combos. I bought Mother Hen brand last week but it was just turkey and he didn't care for it. I've discovered that he'll eat almost anything if it's mixed with sweet potatoes!

We're happy that Nathan sleeps through the night now. He slept 12 hours straight last night! He did wake up once, grunted and then blew a razz then went back to sleep. We thought that was funny :) He's been razzing a lot lately which is his way of telling us that he's not happy about something. Of course we have our fun times together where we'll razz back and forth and he just loves it.

That's it for now. Nathan is napping so I'm going to relax while I can. I hope everyone is well!

Baby babble

Razzing with Daddy

Getting colder

It's been getting pretty cold around here the past few days. We actually had some snow on Halloween but it didn't stick. Currently it's 29 (-2C). We're supposed to get snow later this week!

Things here are going good. Nathan is doing great, sleeping most of the night. He woke up twice last night, once at around 1:00am and had a full 7oz. of formula, then he woke up again at 3:00am and had another 7oz. He's also getting close to crawling! Well, at least scooting. He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. He did manage to scoot a foot or so on our bed the other day but hasn't had as much luck on hard surfaces. We're going to lower the crib mattress down this week and probably go out to get some baby gates. He's rolling over like a pro but still hasn't mastered rolling back onto his back. He always rolls onto his stomach at night and sleeps on his belly and I'm still fearful of the SIDS thing but all my books say that when a baby is able to roll on his own that the threat of SIDS has lessened.

I've been fighting a cold for about 4 days. My husband got it first then spread it to Nathan, then my teen got it, now I have it. I don't feel too bad, mainly just congestion.

Hope everyone is doing well. I owe a few emails to people and I'll try to get those out soon. Here's a photo of Nathan (and our cat Jubi) to brighten your day :)

Inconsolable

I have a feeling Nathan is teething. He's been so fussy the past two days, nonstop crying but it's a fussy cry. He's eating normally, going to the bathroom normally, and sleeping fine at night. When I try to comfort him he's happy for a few minutes then starts crying/fussing again. He's also drooling CONSTANTLY and always shoving his hands or whatever is in them in his mouth and he's very congested. It's getting pretty frustrating for me because I know there's nothing I can do for him (other than comfort him, rub his gums, give him a chilled teething ring, etc.) not to mention all the crying. He's especially grumpy because he hasn't been able to take very long naps during the day so he's tired.

I hope those darn teeth pop out soon! If anyone has any advice, please let me know! It's been a long time since I've had to deal with a teething baby.

Wanted to add that I've been giving him tylenol (ibuprofen doesn't seem to help with the pain, the tylenol seems to help a little) and letting him suck on a cold wet cloth.

Monday

It's been a while! I tried logging in a few times last week and kept getting errors. Oh well, it's working now!

We just got back from our trip to the states to visit my parents. We had a great time and Nathan was so good in the car both ways! The drive took about 10-12 hours each way.

We went to Babies R Us while we were there and found a Bumbo for $15 less than what it is here in Canada. I figured that since our dollar is pretty close to the US dollar that it'd be silly not to get it since I've been wanting to get one for months.

My dad is doing much better. He's really got to watch his salt intake and he takes his BP a few times a day. I'm really happy I got to see him and that he got to see and hold is new grandchild :)

I uploaded some pics to my Shutterfly site. I'll be uploading some more vids to my YouTube channel as well.

Hope everyone is well!

Baby feeling better

Nathan is getting better, yay! He's still got some congestion and a cough but he's got his voice back. He's been sleeping really well at night which we're loving!

Hubby, Nathan and I are heading to the states next week to visit my parents. My dad is having some health issues and I really want to give him and mom a hug and also let them meet their newest grandchild!

Things are going good here. I'll be posting some pictures and videos soon. Hope everyone is good!

Happy Anniversary to my sister and her hubby :)

Baby laryngitis

Nathan's cold has turned into laryngitis. He's in decent spirits though and is only running a fever of a degree higher than normal. He's having a hard time breathing through his nose so I've been using a bulb syringe to try to clear out him out. It seems to work for a little bit but then he just gets all congested again. When he sneezes it's great, everything comes flying out and he breathes great, haha!

I feel bad about him having laryngitis but I have to admit that he sounds adorable. I'm such a bad parent! Hopefully everything will get better over the next few days.

He did end up getting his shots yesterday so I'm glad that's done.

Hope everyone is well :)

Sick baby :(

Nathan's come down with a bad cold and cough. My husband is just getting over a cold so I know where Nathan got it! I'm taking him into the doctor today for a well-baby checkup. He was supposed to get his 4 month immunizations today too but that will have to wait until he's better.

Gotta get going as it's a long drive to the doctor's office!

Rolling over...

Now, as cute as Nathan's new found ability to roll over is, it's frustrating for me because he can't roll back and so every few minutes I'm rushing to his aid to put him back on his back. He hates being on his stomach! I did take a video of him rolling over a little bit ago and am uploading it to Youtube as I type. I'll post it here when it's done.

4 months!

Nathan is 4 months old today! He's developing pretty fast it seems and so I've had to adapt to his new actions and attempts to communicate. His tired cry is much much different than it used to be. He'll make his body stiff as a board as he wails and the only thing that comforts him is laying on our bed and being fed as he drifts off to sleep. He only does this for naps, not for bedtime.

He seems to be sleeping more at night which is great. Sunday night he slept for eight hours! Last night he woke up once around 2:30 then slept through till 7:30am. It's great that he's sleeping in his own room now; I feel that I'm getting more sleep since I'm not waking up to every little sound he makes and when he does wake up in the middle of the night he usually can fall back asleep on his own.

He's also nearly mastered the art of turning over from back to belly so I need to watch out for that especially since he naps on our bed. Usually when he wakes up he doesn't cry, he just plays with his feet and babbles. He makes raspberry sounds now which I think is adorable, except when I'm feeding him solids. Feeding time tends to be quite messy :)

He has a favorite toy, it's just a teething square but he loves it. We just call it his "square", haha.

He's also laughing a lot more and really talking with his baby babble. He loves getting kisses and when I say "give mommy a kiss" he'll actually open his mouth and press it against my cheek. I always say "thank you!" after and he just squeals with delight. He loves it when my husband puts the top of his head near his face. He'll grab his hair and talk to my husband's head. I'll have to take a video of that next time.

I'm doing better. My carpal tunnel is almost completely gone! Actually, I don't think I've had any mistakes in this post that I've had to correct, yay! I'm doing better emotionally as well. I cried a few times yesterday over small things but I think it's hormones/PMS. My PPMD group is going good. I haven't been out with the other woman from my group yet but hopefully soon.

I'm going to be visiting my dad in a few weeks which I'm really looking forward to. He's had some health problems the past few weeks and I really want to spend some time with him and have him finally meet his grandson. I think Nathan is the 10th grandchild in the family now and only one of those is a girl!

Hope everyone is doing well and I'll post some pictures soon.

Update on my teen

I've been meaning to post about my teen son. He's been doing great with school! He's been going every day since school started, almost 3 weeks ago and I am very proud of him. Here's a really recent picture of him from just a few weeks ago. He'll probably not like that I posted it, but oh well! I think he's a handsome young man :)

Fisher Price Recalls

Just heard about the Fisher-Price/Mattel recalls and wanted to share it here. Here's the article and the list of items affected.

We're doing good here. I'm feeling a lot better. No anxiety attacks lately or bouts of depression. I did go shopping for me and Nathan yesterday and that made me feel good :) I haven't been shopping in a while, well, other than grocery shopping.

Nathan hasn't been sleeping very well lately. He's still waking up every 2 or 3 hours every night though last night he only woke up once. He'd been awake ALL DAY yesterday though so he was especially tired. I gave him a nice bath and made sure the environment was calm and soothing so he'd be relaxed after his bath. He woke up around 2am for a bottle then slept through till about 6:45 this morning. That was nice. And he's sleeping again now which is great. I just might have some time to paint or play some video games (yes, I still do that!).

My dad is still not doing too well and I'm thinking of and praying for him every day. I love you Daddy!

I hope everyone is well!

Anxiety sucks

I had a mini breakdown last night - I hate it when that happens. Nathan hardly slept yesterday. I think the prunes he tried really didn't settle with him, he had gas all day and barely slept. He was a zombie from being so tired so we tried to put him down early. But he woke up during dinner so I got up from the table to get him and I didn't get to eat and I was starving.

I was also very very careless while making dinner and was preparing chicken just a little too close to some clean bottles so I played it safe and tossed them into the sink for a rewash and sterilization later.

Nathan kept crying after dinner so I changed him and then headed downstairs to make a bottle. I started assembling a bottle and then I realized that I hadn't washed my hands after changing him so I ended up tossing ALL of the clean and sterile bottle parts in the sink. At this point I had not one bottle or any bottle part clean and sterile and Nathan is upstairs crying his little heart out. So I washed my hands and started handwashing stuff to make a bottle. I tossed them in the sterilizer and popped it in the microwave for 5 minutes. I could have pulled my dinner out of the fridge and ate it during this time but I really wasn't thinking clearly (or sanely) so I just stood there looking at my kitchen thinking how dirty it was and how I'm such a bad homemaker for not mopping my floor or cleaning off the stovetop. I could feel my nerves about to snap.

The microwaved beeped and I'm supposed to leave the lid on it for a few minutes but my little baby is hungry and crying so I take the lid off and get a steam burn on my hand - which is still red today - then proceeded to make a bottle but noticed that the nipple ring is dirty. I snapped then and ended up having a little freak-out. My husband had taken Nathan off my hands while I was in the kitchen but he came down and found me crying on the kitchen floor. I was so mad that I had been so careless with all the bottles, not washing my hands, preparing raw chicken next to the bottles, not having been able to eat and kicking myself for giving Nathan prunes since we all know what prunes do and he was feeling it and suffering. I'd just spent 5 minutes waiting for the bottles to get sterilized and they weren't even clean in the end.

Apparently though, Nathan had fallen asleep while I was doing all of this. He was sleeping soundly in his crib upstairs. My husband got on the floor with me and hugged me and we talked. He cleaned up for me and washed and sterilized some bottles while I sat at the table and finally ate my dinner.

I'm feeling better today but still have this lingering depression feeling hanging over me. I'm just not happy and I hate this feeling. I mean I'm happy and grateful and feel blessed for being alive and having a family and all that, I just feel stagnant in other parts of my life and am having a hard time fixing that. Money is tight, my dad isn't feeling well, we don't have a doctor anymore... Oh well, first things first and that's try to find a doctor so I can talk about all of this and maybe try some medication. I'm supposed to be going to church this Sunday with a woman from my group, maybe that will be good for me.

No solid foods for Nathan today, I think I'll give his tummy a break.

Beautiful Day

It's absolutely gorgeous out today. It's been so rainy for almost a week and today there's hardly a cloud in the sky and it's so blue. It's getting chilly though and we've started turning on the heater sometimes.

I had my second PPMD group today and I'm really enjoying it so far. I just might be going out with another woman from my group this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to that :)

Nathan is officially sleeping in his own room now in his crib! He had no trouble with the transition from bassinet to crib and he only wakes up once during the night to eat. I'm also trying to get him to nap in there instead of his swing.

He's completely out of 3 month old clothing and his 6 month stuff is getting a little snug around his chest. His 6 month pajamas weren't clean the other night so I put him in a 9 month one and it fit! A little bit big but I think I'll start buying that size instead of the 6 month stuff.

He's eating around 5.5 to 6oz. and I've actually started him on solid foods. I know a lot of people may not agree with that, but I felt he was ready to start and he's doing great. For the first week it was just rice cereal mixed with formula and he had no allergic reaction or upset tummy so I've introduced jarred food. I'm feeding him one kind for about 3 days then I try a new one. They're all mixed with a little rice cereal and I put a little formula in if it's too thick. He loves sweet potatoes, likes butternut squash, has mixed feelings about bananas, and hates apples and carrots. It's carrots again tonight and tomorrow, then prunes. Prunes are not what I would have chosen, but hubby did the grocery shopping ;)

We might be getting a family doctor soon. At least a pediatrician but hopefully someone we can all go to. It's really hard to find a walk-in clinic around here. In London they were everywhere! Canada is much different than the states and it's nearly impossible to find a family doctor here. Most people have to go to walk-in clinics and see a different doctor every time. That's what we're doing right now until we can find someone. I still have our doctor in London, but driving there is just a pain especially with a baby, and it's tough on the wallet with all the gas (and car repairs). I shouldn't complain too much though since we do have free health care in Canada and that is a blessing.

Hope everyone is well. New pictures on our shutterfly site and a vid on youtube that my hubby's mom took.

Feeling Better

I'm feeling better but still find myself getting very panicky and stressed when it seems like I have a lot on my plate. I don't know if it's the PPMD or just normal reactions to stress.

I had my first PPMD group this morning and it went good. I almost feel that an hour and a half isn't enough time to talk considering how many women are signed up for the class, but maybe, over time, we can start meeting outside of class to do things together. We'll see I guess and in the meantime I'll have to make due with an hour and a half. I'm so grateful that there's even a group to attend, I should be happy with that :)

My husband is on a business trip in Ottawa for the next three days. It's going to be tough taking care of Nathan on my own at night. We have a pretty good routine down at night when Nathan wakes up to eat. Usually I hear Nathan first since his bassinet is right next to me. I'm the one that gets up and goes downstairs to make a bottle and my husband is the one that does the feeding. I stay awake usually in case I need to change a diaper. Nathan only poops when he's being fed, it's funny.

Nathan has also adopted a pretty strict bedtime routine and I find it humorous when my husband tries to put Nathan down at night and then wonders why he won't go to sleep. Nathan usually eats with us at the dinner table, then it's cuddle time on the bed or a bath. I do the whole baby lotion massage thing if he's had a bath then read him his favorite book(that Nursery Rhymes one), then I put him in his bassinet and he almost always falls asleep within a few minutes.

He's also pretty picky in the morning. He'll wake up around 6am, get fed, but he refuses to fall back asleep in his bassinet, so he sleeps with us in our bed until we get up around 7am then he loves to be in his swing with the television on and usually he'll fall back asleep around 9am until early afternoon.

There were other things I was going to post about but have forgotten. I have these moments where something happens or I think of something and think "I have to put that on my blog" but then I completely forget what it was when I finally sit down at my computer. Must be my old age, better start taking my ginkgo biloba again ;)

More later and hope everyone is well :)

Still here

I haven't been feeling too well lately, emotionally, but wanted to check in. Nathan is doing great. My teen son starts school on the 13th which I'm excited about and so is he.

I hope everyone is well and I'll try to write more soon.

Updates!

First of all let me say that I never thought that Nathan would be such a happy baby. He smiles almost constantly! I'll walk by him as he's in his swing and he'll smile at me. I change his diaper and he'll smile and laugh. He sits with us at the dinner table and he'll smile and talk the whole time we're eating. Even feeding him is a chore sometimes because he'll just smile and laugh and usually ends up spilling his formula all down his chin. We've actually started using bibs now!

He's also started sleeping more at night. He's been going for about 4 hours, sometimes more, between feeds. He's also up to 5 or 6oz. of formula at each feeding which is usually every 3 or 4 hours during the day.

I've noticed that he likes routine which is great for me. I love routines and schedules. That's not always a good thing because it can be very difficult for me to adapt to change. Nathan's schedule is pretty regular. He wakes up between 6 and 7am, sometimes with a whiny cry if he just wants attention, sometimes with a full blown "I'm starving" cry. Then he's up for about 2 hours, then down for a nap until noonish. Then he's up for more food and some play time for about an hour, then back to sleep till 3 or so. Then he's up till bedtime which lately has been between 7 and 8pm. Usually he'll sleep till 11 or 12 then wake up for 6oz. of formula. Last night he woke up around midnight to eat and didn't wake up again until 4:30am.

He also loves books. My goodness does he love books. He doesn't look at the pictures much but he loves to look at the words. Right now his favorite book is one that my birthmother sent:




It's a sing-a-long but we've only listened to the CD once. Nathan likes the book itself :) The pictures are great and the text really stands out which I think is why Nathan likes it so much!

Here are some of the other books we read to him:






That's it for now. Hope everyone is well!

New picture site!

I was using Picasa for my pictures but decided to go with Shutterfly. I'll be uploading pictures there from now on.

I'll have a longer post soon, I promise! :)

Fun at the park

Nathan and I went to Victoria Park today and fed the ducks and squirrels. Nathan loved laying under the trees so much that I had to take a few videos :)






There's a squirrel at the bottom of the tree.




More later :)

Happy Birthday Dad :)

It's my dad's birthday today! Happy Birthday Daddy!

Just got back from our Infant Massage class. Nathan was extra fussy. He'd been up for a few hours early this morning with really bad gas and it was starting to bug him again during class. He wouldn't let me do anything but hold him. Other then the gas he's doing great. He was actually trying to grab a toy hanging from his play mat yesterday. I kept cheering him on until he got tired and frustrated :)

I think I'll head to Michael's and get some quotes on getting some things framed. They're having a 50% off framing sale, but they seem to have those quite often but it'll give me something to do outside of the house. My husband never got his University degrees framed so I think I'll get that done for him for his birthday in September. I also have a puzzle I just finished that I want to get framed. Those cats' eyes are pretty freaky though, haha. I've always liked putting together puzzles of cats (not photos but actual artwork prints of cats) and framing them.

10 weeks :)

Nathan is 10 weeks old today! I haven't been taking too many photos of him lately but I'll do that this weekend for sure.

We've switched from powdered formula to concentrated and Nathan's gas has seemed to practically disappear. I think the powdered had too much air in it when we'd mix it with water whereas the concentrated is liquid and mixes smoothly with water. We're still using Dr. Brown's bottles mainly but I still use the Drop-ins and he seems to like those more. He latches on to the nipple a lot better.

Our Infant Massage group is going good. We've attended two classes so far. All of the other women seem to be really nice and their babies are adorable too. In a previous post I mentioned that Nathan was "flirting" with one of the other moms. Last week he was flirting with the instructor's demonstration doll, haha. He would stare at it and coo and make his baby noises. I'm a little sad that the class falls exactly during Nathan's nap time and he's usually pretty grumpy within 20 minutes of class starting. He'll let me massage him for a short period then I have to stop and give him a few minutes without touching. He is easily overstimulated, even at home. Sometimes he'll scream and cry if there's just too much going on around him.

My husband's brother is here for the weekend and all the guys (well, except Nathan) have gone to the movies so I have the house to myself. I think I'll have some ice cream and put my feet up for a bit while Nathan sleeps.

Hope everyone is well. More soon! :)



Edit:

Forgot to mention that we're talking about when to get pregnant again. I think we've decided to try around Christmas time :)

Quick update

Things are going good here. Had the alternator replaced in the car and it's running great now.

Heading out to run some errands but I'll be writing more later today or tomorrow.

Hope everyone is well!

Car Problems but a Healthy Baby! (long post!)

Nathan had his shots yesterday. I was anticipating him screaming for a while but surprisingly he only cried for about a minute. It was a pretty intense cry, similar to the way he used to cry when he was really hungry (he cries much differently now when hungry) but it didn't last long. He did end up sleeping for 5 hours after that though which was nice since we ended up having a very long day.

Nathan's weight is 12 pounds, he's 23 inches long. His head circumference is 40.7cm (16"). He is in the 75-85th percentile for his growth. He's a big boy :)


He is also almost constantly smiling when he's awake. He seems so happy almost all the time! He sits at the table with us when we have dinner and he keeps us entertained with his smiles and cooing :)


Last week when I was driving with my teen son to the movies our car's electricity kind of flickered. My ABS and air bag lights came on and the radio went out for a few seconds. The car shuddered a bit too. The ABS and air bag lights went back out and everything went back to normal but I was pretty scared since I was on the freeway so we got off and took city streets to get home.

We never got to see the movie, by the way, as it was sold out both times we went (we wanted to see Inception), but we did go out later in the week and saw Salt.

The next day I called our local Ford dealer and explained the issue and they had me take the car in and they shuttled me home. Later that day they called back and said they couldn't find anything with the electrical system but noticed that our brakes were really low. I had just mentioned to my husband a day or two earlier that I noticed the brake pedal had to go pretty close to the floor to get the car to stop but I hadn't had any issues with actually stopping. So we had the brakes done along with an oil change, tire rotation and overall inspection.

Since then we hadn't had any other electrical issues but they came back yesterday when I was coming home from Nathan's doctor appointment in London which is about 75 miles away. My car dash beeped and showed "Check Charging System" on the display and the battery light came on. I am really happy that I made it to my off ramp before the car decided to tell me there was a problem but my off ramp is still 20 miles from the Ford dealership.

So I called my husband then I called the Ford service center and they suggested I don't drive it and call roadside assistance. We don't have CAA but our extended warranty for our car has roadside assistance so I called them and they sent out a tow truck. I made sure to tell them that I needed a truck that could accommodate an infant car seat. The guy they sent out was so nice and he had such a nice truck. It was a Chevrolet something or other.

So now I'm driving a 2011 Ford Focus and waiting for my service guy to call with the news about our car. It's either the battery or the alternator and I'm hoping it's the alternator because our warranty covers that. The Focus is really nice but super small compared to our Taurus. The baby's car seat fits but you have to move the front seat up so your head is nearly touching the windshield. Does not work for my husband at all since he's 6' and barely fits in our normal car! It smells nice though :) Oh and it has satellite radio which is awesome! We just might have to get that...

More later!

Immunizations today

Nathan goes in for his shots today. I'm not looking forward to having him cry from the pain but I'm happy he'll be getting immunized.

We attended our first Infant Massage class on Tuesday and it went well! I learned how to massage his legs and tummy. The next few classes will be for the rest of his body. He started fussing so I had to stop for a bit. Too much rubbing I guess! He kept looking at the woman next to me and smiling at her and we joked that he was flirting with her, it was cute :) There were 5 other women with their babies. I didn't socialize much but hopefully I'll get to know them a little better over the next few weeks. I was going to go to the Baby Blanket Time class today but forgot that we had to drive an hour to the doctor for his appointment. I'll try to attend their next class.

I've been feeling a little better lately. I cried this morning because I let a few silly things get to me. I was changing Nathan like I usually do, on our bed on his change pad and he decided to throw up his breakfast from when his Daddy fed him earlier. I was still half asleep and was hoping to go back to bed but we ended up having to give him a bath, which actually was good since I didn't give him one last night like I wanted. He went back in the bassinet after that so we could get one more hour of sleep before the alarm went off. He was fussy and I ended up having to change a poopy diaper. My reaction time was slow and ended up getting peed on. It's happened quite a few times but this morning I cried about it because I was tired.

Then when I went to take my shower I dumped all the water out of his baby tub and went to put it away but hadn't dumped it all out and ended up spilling water all over the bathroom floor. I cried about that too.

And my hands are still numb. I've had to fix so many typos in this post already. Maybe one day I'll make a post without edits! It's pretty bad.

Nathan is crying, gotta go feed him. I'll post more after our appointment today.

Some pictures

I just might make some friends

I finally talked to the lady at Our Place yesterday. We'd been playing phone tag for about a week. I registered for their postpartum depression group that starts in September and also for their Infant Massage group that meets twice a week. Nathan and I will be attending the tuesday morning class.

"Parents with babies under 1 will learn how to massage their babies in a comfortable and relaxing environment. Our facilitators are certified members of the International Association of Infant Massage and will teach techniques that will help to relax the baby and relieve common physical discomforts. (4 week program)"

We're also going to the Baby Blanket Time class on either monday or thursday (it's a drop-in class so no registration required so we can go to either or even both classes).

"Parents of babies 12 months and younger can meet and socialize together. Learn songs, rhymes and finger plays to play with your baby. After the songs, stay to play with the teachers and other parents. Bring your baby’s favourite blanket along!"

I'm pretty excited about finally getting out of the house and hopefully making some friends!

My depression is still lingering. I had an episode yesterday but I felt better as the day went on. My husband and teen son are so patient with me and I am so so blessed to have them. I have such a wonderful family. :)

Nathan is doing fine. He's been pretty gassy lately but it doesn't last too long. He's really smiling now too and he seems to smile every time someone talks to him. He seems like a really happy baby. He's up to a little over 4oz.(130ml) every 2 to 3 hours and he's not sleeping through the night yet. He goes in for his shots on August 5th so I'll have info about his weight and stuff then.

To E: I read your blog every time you have a new post and just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and baby! I hope you both start feeling better and as other posters have said, you can never hold your baby too much! Hugs to you and your little guy!

More later (along with pictures!) :)

Forgot to mention that we switched back to Dr. Brown's bottles.

7 weeks!

Nathan has grown by leaps and bounds! I have been so bad at taking photos of him when he's awake. Usually he's moving nonstop so all the pictures are blurry. I'll have to fool around with the settings on my camera so I can catch him and keep him in focus.

Immunization appointment and general well-baby checkup in about a week so I'll know more then regarding his weight and length. He's pretty long already and we're going to have to move him out of the bassinet and into his crib soon. I've been putting him in his crib occasionally so he'll get used to it when that time comes.

He's up to about 4oz. of formula every 2 to 3 hours and is still not sleeping through the night. Last night he did sleep for 3 hours before waking up which is rare. I think his longest sleep stretch was 4 hours.

We've switched his formula a few times since my last post about switching back to his original. We've found one that seems to settle with him though he still fusses sometimes from gas. I'm trying a new bottle type with him to see if that helps. We were using Dr. Brown's.

There are so many things that could be upsetting his tummy. We've both hard and soft water here and we've been using filtered (with our Brita and still boiling for 5 minutes after filtering) hard water for his bottles. My husband did research on using the soft water and due to using salt to soften it, it can have a much higher concentration of sodium and it's not recommended even for us to drink. Today I decided to buy a big jug of bottled spring water from the store and have made a few bottles with it to see how it settles with him. I'm still boiling all the water we use.

He's able to hold his head up for extended periods when I'm holding him. He still hates tummy time but I try to make sure I give him a few minutes a day on his belly. Also, he's nearly out of size 1 diapers. I think my next diaper purchase will be size 2.

I've been doing better lately. I think most of my crying and general sadness has been amplified by my lack of sleep. I've been trying to get as much sleep as I can during the day (when there aren't an overabundance of chores to do!) when Nathan sleeps. My husband has nearly taken over the night feedings to allow me to get a few hours of sleep at night. He's so wonderful :) I'm feeling a bit more rested but what I wouldn't give for 8 or 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Here are a few recent pictures of Nathan (and of me, in my awesome recliner). Hope everyone is well!

Still here

We're still around.

I'm still fighting this depression and it's really wearing me out. That PPD support group doesn't meet in the summer which makes no sense to me. I do have a call into the lady that runs it and hope to hear back from her soon about finding another group I can attend. I'm going back to London next week to see my doctor about getting help so we'll see how that goes.

Nathan is getting big. I will send/post photos as soon as I'm able.

I'm pretty sure I missed my parents anniversary which I'm sad about. Mom, Dad, I hope you both had a great anniversary and I'm sorry I missed it :( I love you both.

More soon hopefully.

Smiles!

Nathan had a real smile for me yesterday. In fact, he smiled at me twice! What I thought had been smiles in the past may have been attempts to smile, but yesterday they were real. His whole face lit up when he smiled. It was wonderful and I nearly cried :) He has yet to smile at daddy and big brother, but soon :)

I've been doing okay lately. My depression is still lingering and I find myself crying almost every day over something. It doesn't last long, the crying that is, but I usually end up in a funk for a few hours over whatever it was that set me off. I feel that I'm doing better than I was a few weeks ago, but I'm still frustrated that it's still around. I'm hoping to get involved with a place here called Our Place and they offer a support group on Mondays for mothers suffering from PPD. They'll watch Nathan while I'm there which is nice. I have to register ahead of time so it will be at least another week. I'm really looking forward to going. My husband and son have been so wonderful but I feel I really need some help and support from other mothers. I never thought I'd have postpartum depression but I'm glad that I have a family that supports me and wants to help me get better. It sucks being so sad all the time and not getting excited about things that used to interest me. Even shopping isn't fun! ;)

Nathan is doing great. We switched his formula again and he seems to have way less gas. Almost no fussing at all and he's sleeping really good. Well, when he sleeps! He is so stubborn when it comes to sleeping. He tries so hard to fight it and stay awake. His eyelids try so hard to close and his eyes roll back in his head but he fights it with everything he has to stay awake! It's a bit funny to watch actually. Eventually he just can't do it anymore and he'll drift off into dream land.

He's not eating quite as often anymore it seems but he's eating more during feeding (about 100mL or 3.5oz, approx., sometimes more). Maybe every 3 hours or so and I want to say that he's sleeping more during the night, maybe 3 hours there too. He naps a lot during the day, well, somedays. Today, no. He's been up almost all day and I finally was just able to put him down for a nap (after the whole fighting it thing I mentioned above).

He's able to lift his head 45 degrees when on his belly for a few seconds. Today he went all the way to 90 degrees for a few seconds. We really aren't doing as much tummy time as we should so I hope to start doing that more.

We're slowly getting settled in here. I have mixed feelings about this city but it's probably just because I'm so unfamiliar with it and have no clue where half the stores are that I used to shop at in London. Everyone (cashiers, neighbors, etc.) has been super nice though which is good.

My husband is really enjoying his job. He works with a few people that he worked with in London and he likes that. I'm still really happy that he got a job at RIM and I hope he continues to like working there. They still seem to be a really good company to work for. My son is enjoying the city too. We'll be going to his new high school this week to look at registering for fall. Now if I can just get some therapy and make some friends then we'll be set! :)

Hope everyone is well. I have to find the wires to my camera so I can get the pictures I've taken off of it and I'll post them as soon as I'm able.

Still here!

We've been busy trying to get settled in and I'll be posting more soon!

We're all doing good except for the high temperatures and humidity and we don't have central air. We have a window AC unit in our bedroom though so we've all been hanging out there when it's really hot!

Hope everyone is good. I'll post more in the next few days!

To SandeeMomz :)

Yep found my camera. Pictures being posted soon!

Love and hugs!

All moved in!

We're finally in our new home! Everything is still in boxes though.

Pretty busy but wanted to make a quick post. Hope everyone is well. I'll make a longer post soon.

Nathan is doing good :) He's one month old now, yay! Pictures soon too.

The Queen is coming to Waterloo

Maybe my husband will get to see her :)

The Queen Heads to RIM

"From there, they will be whisked away to the Waterloo headquarters of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, where they will survey the facilities and meet with employees for 45 to 50 minutes."

Moving & PPD

We'll be busy moving over the next few days so I won't be posting probably until Sunday or Monday. Our internet will be turned on at our new place on Sunday.

We're all doing good here. I think I've got a case of postpardum depression and we've been trying to deal with that over the past few weeks. A part of me thinks it's just trying to adjust to having my life be so different now that Nathan is here but I honestly think it's PPD. It's so hard for me to watch my family take care of things that I normally took care of before Nathan arrived such as laundry and general housekeeping. It's always been my job and I loved doing it. I know that my son and husband are helping because they know they should but in my head it feels like I'm slacking on my job though I'm really not. I am blessed with a wonderful husband and older son. I think I'll get better at accepting help over the next few days. :)

Nathan is going great. He's lifting his head when on his belly and on my shoulder. He loves to look around. He's also scooting himself a few inches when on his belly. And he still loves music.

Hope everyone is doing good. I'll post more when I can!

Nathan's 3 week birthday pictures

Where's My Camera?!

Nathan is actually enjoying his time with the play mat that I bought last week and now I can't find my camera!

*rushes off to clean the house*

err, I mean to search for the camera!

Nathan's 3 week doctor visit

Nathan had his 3 week visit today. He weighs 9lbs. and 14oz. and is holding steady around 21" in length. Everything else is good. His diaper rash is gone and we've switched back to his original formula and his fussing seems to have ended! He went out with me to run various errands and he didn't cry once :)

Off to make dinner, more tomorrow. Hope everyone is well!

Earthquake!

We had an earthquake here just a little bit ago. I'm originally from Southern California (born and raised and lived there for 30 years) so I'm used to them but it was odd to feel one here in Canada. I wasn't sure it was an actual earthquake since they just don't happen around here but I called my husband at work and he felt it too. It was his first earthquake! It wasn't very big here but I noticed my desk swaying back and forth. Anyway, just wanted to share :)

Magnitude 5.5 Quake

Music

We've discovered Nathan just loves music. Here are a few links to some of the songs we play for him. And yes, they're almost all from video games we play :)

Song 1
Song 2
Song 3
Song 4
The piano songs above are by Jerry Martin and available on iTunes
Song 5(Helene has such a beautiful voice but please ignore the dancers, lol)

And some popular songs like Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" because I used to sing along with it on the radio while driving ;) He also likes jazz, and lately I've been playing Nikki Yanofsky for him.

Enjoy!

16 days old!

Nathan is growing by leaps and bounds! He's already outgrown the outfits he wore during his first few days. Not sure if I even mentioned he never even fit into newborn diapers.

I took him to the doctor yesterday because he'd been so cranky the past few days. We switched his formula about 4 days ago and soon after he began to have gas and wow, he sure let us know he was uncomfortable! I think both hubby and I got maybe 2 hours of sleep for a few nights there. We just couldn't console him. He wouldn't cry, just fuss and squirm and general crankiness. Our doctor told us to give him 2 or 3 more days on the new formula and if it continues then to switch back to our original one.

I've also been giving him Infacol for the gas the past day and he seems to be doing better. Last night we actually had a good night and slept very well! He woke up at his usual 2 hour intervals for feeds and changes and then fell right back to sleep. It's nice being able to sleep in my bed next to my husband and not in the recliner :) We still have him in a bassinet next to the bed. I think in our new house we'll set the crib up in our room and try to get him used to sleeping in that, then eventually move it to his room (which is already decorated for a baby boy, yay!).

My teenage son has been such a blessing to have around. He is so happy to have a baby brother and he helps out with just about everything! I don't know what I'd do without his help and I make sure he knows how much I appreciate him.


(That glass of water on the floor behind my son is for our cat. She won't drink out of bowls, haha)



My feet and legs (okay, breasts too!) have finally returned to their normal size! I'm slowly returning to my pre-pregnancy state. According to my scale, I've lost 30 pounds in the past 2 weeks. Not sure if it's accurate but I am not complaining. Still have numbness in hands though :(

Gotta go make phone calls to have utilities turned on in our new place and get all that kind of stuff taken care of. Hope everyone is well!

New photos of Nathan

Nathan at 2 weeks old!

Sleep when he sleeps...

Now I know why everyone tells me to "sleep when your baby sleeps"... We are all so sleep deprived here! Nathan's schedule is so erratic. For a week or so there he seemed to have somewhat of a schedule but not anymore. I was up from 2am to 5am with him this morning. He doesn't cry, he just fusses. My husband took over then and brought him downstairs to keep him entertained for a while. He finally fell back to sleep around 8am this morning until 11am and we managed to sleep while he did. It's amazing what even 3 hours of sleep can do. I felt refreshed :) He just fell asleep again a little bit ago but instead of sleeping I'm up doing laundry and having some "me time". Yes, I will probably regret not using this time to nap too but I still have a house to take care of which brings me to my next paragraph...

My lochia doesn't seem to be slowing down. I'm afraid that I'm over doing things and not delegating household chores as often as I should. I'll call my doctor and make an appointment for next week about it.

Also I've got back pain which I've had even before being pregnant so I'm not terribly concerned about it other than it hurts. I'm taking Naproxen still for my carpal tunnel and it seems to help with my back. I may make an appointment with a chiropractor while we still have our health insurance. As far as the carpal tunnel goes, I've had some hand pain but nothing too bad but my fingers are still numb. I've had to keep my nails short because I started noticing small scratches on Nathan's legs from me changing him and not being able to feel where my fingers are. I have no worries about holding him, it's mainly small things that I can't grip like pens and silverware.

The moving company is coming out on Monday to get an idea of how much stuff they have to move.

I hope everyone is well. Once we hear from our new landlords about a move-in date then I'll send out address changes and birth announcements with pictures. Hopefully that'll be soon!

More later :)

We got it!

We got the house yay! Hubby mailed off the money to our new landlord today! We hope to be moved in by July 2nd. July 1st is a holiday here in Canada so the moving company can't move us then. I am so excited! So now all we have to do is put in our change of address with the post office and transfer utilities over to the new address.

Here's a link to my son's new school and a .pdf with even more info about it if anyone is interested. It looks like a great school!

Our current landlords are coming over tonight to take a look at the place before they start showing it to potential tenants. Gotta go clean up for a bit!

House update!

The owner of our new home called back! It looks like we got it! She wants to fax back some signed papers and give us info so we can express mail our rent/deposit. I am so excited! Here are a few more pictures.





The backyard photo only shows about half of the size of it. It's actually really big! I'm so excited to have a real backyard, and a decent sized kitchen! We currently have a galley kitchen (similar to this) and it's just too small for me since I love to cook and bake often.

So, once all the technicalities are taken care of (money sent, papers signed, etc.) we can call RIM's moving company and set a date for them to come out and start packing our stuff. I think they come out to estimate how much stuff we have, then they come back closer to our move date and do everything for us. I mean EVERYTHING! They'll pack our stuff, load it onto the truck, drive it to our new home and even unpack for us. We are so blessed that my husband was able to get a job with them. I really think we're going to have many good years ahead of us. Thank you to friends and family that kept us in their prayers during the past few months. We love you all so much.

I promise to write to everyone as soon as things here start settling down.

Nathan is fast asleep. I had a pretty sleepless night last night, maybe 3 hours of sleep total. Nathan is nocturnal, haha! Hubby went into work around 12:30 today so I was able to grab an hour or so of sleep before he left while he watched Nathan. He found this article online and so I've been trying to do what it says but Nathan is just too pooped! I might head out later and get him some sort of play gym/mat that will keep him stimulated for an hour or two between naps so that he'll sleep more at night. We have play time during the day where I cuddle with him, eat his toes and make up rhymes for him, but it seems like he needs way more interaction/stimulation that I'm able to give!

More soon!

New home!

Template change! :)

Anyway... Some news! We think we've found our new home in Waterloo!



We had a relocation specialist do some searching for homes for us and yesterday we met up with her and saw about 7 or 8 different houses/townhomes in Waterloo yesterday. There were about 3 total that we liked but we narrowed it down to the one pictured above. We called the owner after dinner last night after hubby and I talked it over and then faxed our rental application today, now just waiting to hear from her! It's a really nice 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home with a nice kitchen and even an extra room that we're going to use for our computers. What I really like about it is that it's kind of a split level so there's no more than maybe 8 stairs going in any direction to any level. We have too many stairs in our current home and they're laminate and very slippery so I always ask hubby to take Nathan up and down them. I slipped on them in early pregnancy and really bruised my bum and I don't want that to happen while I'm carrying Nathan!

I've been wanting to send out birth announcements but since we're going to be moving soon I thought I would wait until we're sure that we got the house so then I can include our new address.

Everything else is good here. My in-laws left last night so we're on our own now! Hubby is going back to work tomorrow but he might only work half days if it turns out I need some extra help with Nathan. I'm feeling almost 100% since having Nathan, I'm happy my recovery has been so quick. I am experiencing a lot of breathlessness and my diaphragm hurts when I try to take deep breaths. I'm hoping it's just from the pushing I had to do to birth Nathan. My feet/legs are still balloons but it's so hard to find time to put them up. I've taken a few water pills to help flush the extra fluid away but haven't taken many so haven't noticed too much of a difference yet. My hands are still pretty numb but the arm pain is completely gone! YAY!

Nathan is doing great! He's up to almost 3.5oz. of formula every 2 or 3 hours. We have tummy time a few times a day. He's still sleeping most of the time but usually twice a day he'll be awake for a good hour or two just observing and taking in everything around him. He seems so intelligent already! His eyes are so big and always moving back and forth watching everything! His diaper rash is getting better too.

More later, hope everyone is good!

Doctor visit

Nathan has gained 3oz since being discharged from the hospital and has grown 1.5"!

Our doctor gave me a prescription for some butt cream for him but also suggested I try this stuff called Boudreaux's Butt Paste first and I admit that his bum is looking much better! It's not nearly as red and he hardly cries at change time. We like that it doesn't stick to the skin and can easily be wiped off with a wipe while the other brand we were using would really cake itself onto his skin.

Nathan is eating around 80mL (3oz) every 2 to 3 hours. We're using Similac Advance formula. Sometimes he'll eat more but he'll rarely not finish a bottle. He's got quite an appetite!

Oops, better go, he's waking up and Dad's sleeping so it's my turn to change and feed :)

Sleep, breastfeeding and diaper rash

For the first few days we managed to try to get some sleep while Nathan slept but yesterday and last night we weren't so lucky. Nathan has been restless at night and my senses are on overdrive so every little sound he makes or if it even sounds like he's about to cry I'm there next to the bassinet to see if he's okay. I think I got about 2 hours of sleep last night. It's 6:30am currently and I'm up making bottles while the rest of the house sleeps!

Breast feeding didn't work out for me. Nathan couldn't latch on very well and it was hurting me badly. I did manage to breastfeed him for about 2 days and I'm confident he got most of the colostrom that he needed. My milk came in about 2 days ago and I tried to feed him and even rented an electric pump to try to get some breast milk for bottles for him, but it just didn't seem to be working out for me.

The breastfeeding along with all the other stresses of trying to care for myself and Nathan was just getting to me and I was crying all the time. I finally made the decision at around 3am the other morning that I wasn't going to breastfeed anymore. Sometimes I still break down and cry about it, feeling guilty and wondering if I gave up too early or if I was in some way hurting Nathan by not giving him the best, but I try to tell myself that whatever decision I make is the best one for me. My husband supports me completely in my decision and that helps too.

Nathan has developed a case of diaper rash. So far it's just redness on his bum cheeks. We have an appointment at the doctor today for his first checkup so hopefully she will have some advice or medicine recommendation. We are using a zinc oxide ointment but it's not working too well. He gave him a bath yesterday and put him belly down on some towels before dressing him to let his bottom air out a bit. I'll post a picture of that, he looked adorable (as always!)!





I've also resorted to using a pacifier. I never used one with my first son and I was hoping I wouldn't have to use one with Nathan. He gets cranky and seems like he's hungry quite often, even just after a full feeding and good burping. We've given him an additional bottle shortly after he's finished one but he just gums the nipple. Sometimes he'll drink the formula and end up throwing it up after because his tummy was just too full. So sometime around 4am I got up and sterilized a pacifier and gave it to him. He fell asleep in 5 minutes after being up for 3 hours. I'm still not happy about using one, but hey, if it helps him sleep then it helps me sleep and that's really all I need right now! :)

We're heading to Waterloo this weekend to meet with a relocation specialist from RIM. She's currently looking at finding us a place to live which is awesome. Nathan will be staying here in town with my in-laws while we're gone. We're not ready to take him out yet on trips.

I'll post more later, going to try to get some sleep!

P.S. Forgot to mention that my carpal tunnel is slowly getting better. I haven't had any pain really in either arm/hand and the numbness I've been feeling is more of a tingle now. My fingers are still basically numb, but they just feel different. My doctor gave me a prescription for Naproxin (Aleve).

Doing good!

Things here are good. We're slowly falling into a routine but hitting some snags along the way here and there. Nathan was able to breastfeed fairly easily for the first day or so but he's having some issues with latching on now. I'll be calling a consultant today or tomorrow and see if they can come out to help me with it. We've been feeding him formula lately and I really want to go back to all breastmilk if possible.

My carpal tunnel is not getting any better. My left hand and arm are just killing me all the time. I have an appointment today at noon with my doctor, I hope I can get a steroid shot or something.

More later and hope everyone is well. :)

Forgive my disheveled looks, I'd just had a baby! :)

Nathan James Wilson Has Arrived!

Short post but wanted to share!

Nathan James was born at 1:46am on June 5, 2010. He was 8lbs. 7oz., 19.5". Normal vaginal delivery. Induction went smoothly, and I had an epidural. Breastfeeding is going well so far though supplementing with formula until my milk comes in.

More later, need to rest for a day or so.

Today's the day!

The hospital called at 7:07am this morning. I have to be there by 8am which is in like 20 minutes so this post will be short.

Had the catheter inserted in my cervix last night and everything has been fine. Some cramping.

Anyway, gotta go. Nathan should be here this afternoon! Not sure when I'll post again but I'll do my best.

Thanks to everyone that has followed me on this journey :)

Getting nervous!

I've been having a lot of lower back pain the past day or so. I wake up in the middle of the night and have to get down on all fours just to take the pressure off my spine. Eventually Nathan shifts or moves and I'm able to sit back down for a few hours. I was craving laying on my side last night so I slept in bed for a few hours but my arms started hurting again so it was back to the recliner. After I'd gotten up and driven around town for half an hour! I think it's odd that driving helps with the pain, it must be the curve of the seat or position of the steering wheel. Who knows! It'll all be over soon! *crosses fingers*

I'm still having spotting and cramping though not as much. My legs are still swollen and the skin on my feet and ankles is starting to hurt from being so stretched.

Sometime today I head into the hospital for the foley catheter. I'm nervous but excited. I can't wait to have Nathan!

More soon :)

Rainy Day!

Rain and thunderstorms here today. It's quite humid too which I am not having a good time with but it's not as bad today as it has been recently.

A few weeks ago I posted that I had "bloody show" when in fact it was just some spotting since I'd had an internal exam that day. Yesterday I had the real thing while we were at the movies but I didn't let it interrupt my night :)

I had terrible back pain around 5am this morning, but my OB had told me that Nathan is facing forward instead of toward my back so he's really pressing on my spine. My first son did the same thing and I think it may have to do with my retroverted uterus but I haven't talked to my doctor about that, it's just a hunch ;) It's never caused me problems before and I'm really not too worried about it, I'm just hoping I don't have extreme back labor like I did with my first child! The back pain has lessened today.

Everything else is good. I'm having a lot of pelvic pain and pressure, and some cramping but otherwise doing fine.

I'll update as necessary!

New due date!

I am scheduled for induction for Friday! I go in on Thursday afternoon/evening for a foley catheter balloon to be inserted in my cervix to get it to open to 2cm. I go home that evening with the balloon left in then I go back to the hospital on Friday to have my water broken. We're hoping contractions will start on their own after the water breaking but pitocin may be needed. I'm just glad that something is going to happen! My OB said Nathan is completely healthy and she's not concerned that we're doing this too soon so I'm content with that.

We're heading to the movies tonight to see Iron Man 2 since we won't be able to go out so easily much longer :)

OB Today

5 days!

I have an appointment today with my OB at 12:45, I hope she's in today and I don't get that doctor I had last week.

My in-laws have been staying with us for a week so far since we all thought Nathan would arrive early and they came to help out. I'm hoping that my doctor will try to get labor going as my body is just getting more and more worn out every day. My feet look like they're going to explode! I've been trying to drink water and put them up whenever I can but it doesn't seem to help much. My arms haven't been bothering me which is good! Still numbness and weakness but not much pain. I slept for almost 5 hours last night which makes me very happy :) I love my new chair! My cat even likes it and she sleeps with me for a few hours every night which she usually doesn't do when I'm in bed, probably because I toss and turn every 5 minutes when I'm laying down.

As far as baby pains go, I am still having pelvic pain and pressure and it's hard to stand or walk for very long. My back has also been hurting quite a bit. Nathan doesn't have much room to move anymore and eventhough he's dropped, his feet are still up in my ribs. Two weeks ago my OB said he weighed over 9 pounds and if he's supposed to be gaining 1/2 pound a week then currently he's 10 pounds. That's a big baby! And even if he's not 10 pounds, he's at least very long since he's dropped but still able to reach my ribs! I am still getting growing pains in my abdomen along my sides but the Braxton Hicks have lessened.

I'm feeling better mentally and emotionally, and I think it has to do with the sleep I've been able to get. Have I mentioned that I love my new chair? :)

We bought a Dyson vacuum and it's AWESOME! I can't believe how clean our carpets are, they look like they've been steam cleaned! It was pricey but well worth it!

We're going to be moving in the next two months which is going to be stressful but I'm pretty excited about it. My teen son has decided to go with us which makes me very very happy. He's been staying with us for a few weeks and things are going well. He's still on medication and our doctor increased it to 20mg from 10mg last week. He meets with her again this week to check in to see how it's going.

Overall, things are good. I'll post later about the results of my OB appointment!