Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Ronan's Birth Story
Ronan was born on October 8th, 2014 at 8:56 p.m. so this story is a bit long over due. So while I have a minute, because lets face it... three kids-are a hell of a lot of work. And sorry if some of it doesn't make sense, I'm a bit sleep deprived too. ;)
So... October 8th, 2:45 am. I woke up with an excruciating headache. I took my blood pressure, it was 162/112. I thought, well shit... guess today will likely be the day, as usually my pressure isn't regulated well on my meds when baby needs to come. So being the awful patient that I am, I took another blood pressure pill, text Josh to let him know that my pressure was pretty high, and instead of relaxing like he told me to do I decided I should probably pack our bags. I was 37w5d pregnant.
I didn't go back to sleep, as I had to get ready for work. Again, I'm a shitty patient. But, in my defense, I had a OB appointment at 11:00am. So off to work I went. And I felt like complete shit. I couldn't concentrate, my mind was so foggy, and I just felt all around horrible. My blood pressure had gone down to 148/88 so at least it had improved, but when I was a normal 110's/60's for most of the pregnancy, I knew it wasn't the best.
So fast forward to my doctors appt. I go in, pee in the cup, and go back to get my vitals taken. No protein, so that's a huge plus. But the machine wouldn't read my blood pressure. So they manually took it. It had gone up to 162/88. So there I waited. My doc walks in and asks me if I'm ready to have a baby today. Kinda had a feeling that was about to happen. Ahhh well....shit. So I asked if I could wait (which I knew the answer to) and she said it was time. I called my work to tell them I wasn't coming back, called my husband to tell him I was getting induced, and called my mom to come as well.
I left the office, went down to the check in, was told I was already checked in and was taken up to L&D. I got gowned up and the waiting began. The nurse started the check in process. One of the residents came in to do a quick ultrasound to make sure he was still head down and asked if medical students could come in. I said I didn't mind, I just didn't want them checking me.
I had a head to toe assessment, and while my blood pressures weren't being outrageous any longer, I had 3+ clonus, so things were brewing quickly. *Clonus during pregnancy is a sign of toxemia* They called my doctor and asked if she wanted to start Pitocin or cytotec. I was only dilated to 1cm, 50% effaced, and little dude decided to go back up into my rib cage at was at a -3 station (he had been at +2 the week prior). Doctor decided to just start with cytotec as she figured that would be enough to throw me into labor. So cytotec went in at 12:50pm.
Josh and my mom finally showed up and decided it would be a great time to eat chinese, you know... since I was only allowed ice chips. Around 2pm I was allowed to get up and walk around or go to the bathroom. I decided to go ahead and go to the bathroom and my bladder would likely explode sooner rather than later. I was told at 4:50pm I could get my second dose of cytotec if nothing started up, so then it was a waiting game. I was having some contractions, but they were very sporadic and not even on the pain scale.
Around 4pm the contractions started to become more regular though still not close together. The doctors decided to wait it out as it was doing SOMETHING to my body. Around 6:00pm the contractions were pretty intense and coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting at least 90 seconds. It was definitely starting to hurt. I decided to ask the nurse to check me as I wanted to be closer to 5cm before I requested the epidural. The nurse checked me, and I was at a defeated 2cm, 90% effaced, and like my other kiddos, still at -2 station.
I opted for the epidural at that time as I figured maybe it would relax me a bit. I argued with the nurse about getting a catheter as I had never needed one with my first two, and they won as they promised I would get it taken out before delivery. At 7pm I got my spinal/epidural combo. Voila all was well in the world... my brother, sister in law, and nephew decided to stop by (as they figured I would have had him by then--you know 3rd baby and all).
Little by little I'd start to feel more. I would wince, but kinda blew it off, figured I was close. I went ahead and had Josh grab the nurse. Around 815pm she checked me and I was only at 3cm. She went and grab the Resident on call to check me and he said a 4. I asked if he could break my water to get things moving, and he did so around 830pm. Then the pain really started coming. The anesthesiologist and CRNA came back in to give a extra dose, it was a no go. So they took it out and retried it. All the while I was feeling EVERYTHING.
They retired 8 more times, while I was sitting up trying to breathe through the contractions. I was pissed. And then I felt him coming. And I started to yell at them. They kept telling me to hold on, and I kept telling them I needed to lay down. I was afraid I was going to deliver him sitting up on the bed. The nurse told them to stop, that I needed to lay down and so they did. The nurse called STAT for the delivery team and I tried not to push while screaming for them to remove my catheter. I also screamed at my mom to get Josh, who was in the waiting room with my brother and sister in law.
Everyone rushed in, the anesthiologist and CRNA got stuck in the back corner as did my mom. They weren't able to track him on the monitors so the attending (who still wasn't gowned) placed an internal monitor to track his heartbeat. I grabbed my legs and pushed. And it hurt. God did it hurt. I told them I wanted a mirror so I could see to (since I had one with my other two, I wanted to see him be delivered). Someone ran out and got it and by the time they brought it in Ronan was on my chest. He was born at 8:56pm.
He didn't cry. He just looked at me and I freaked. I kept pushing him back into the nurses arms telling them to make him cry. They told me he was okay. And he is. He is perfect in every way. We did skin to skin for two hours (though we cheated when the nursed left and I let my mom and Josh hold him) and he nursed. He is a great nurser. Then they finally weighed him. My first two were big (for their gestational age), so we expected him to be the same. Negative. He was a mere 6lb 13oz. 18 1/4 inches long. So tiny even newborn clothes were huge on him. And I loved him even more, he was going to be a small for a little while longer, knowing he is our last...I was grateful to have a tiny baby.
All in all, the birth wasn't what I had hoped and dreamed for. My back is still messed up and hurts just by picking up a gallon of milk. Its still swollen. Obviously, I hadn't wanted pain relief for the easiest part of labor (going from 2-4cm) and not the hardest, but it is what it is. Ronan is healthy and happy and getting bigger by the second. He is loved and cherished by Gabriel and Kellie. I absolutely adore him. He is a snuggler, and momma loves to snuggle.
And without further ado: Mr. Ronan Lane Coggins born 10/8 @ 8:56pm
I had a head to toe assessment, and while my blood pressures weren't being outrageous any longer, I had 3+ clonus, so things were brewing quickly. *Clonus during pregnancy is a sign of toxemia* They called my doctor and asked if she wanted to start Pitocin or cytotec. I was only dilated to 1cm, 50% effaced, and little dude decided to go back up into my rib cage at was at a -3 station (he had been at +2 the week prior). Doctor decided to just start with cytotec as she figured that would be enough to throw me into labor. So cytotec went in at 12:50pm.
Josh and my mom finally showed up and decided it would be a great time to eat chinese, you know... since I was only allowed ice chips. Around 2pm I was allowed to get up and walk around or go to the bathroom. I decided to go ahead and go to the bathroom and my bladder would likely explode sooner rather than later. I was told at 4:50pm I could get my second dose of cytotec if nothing started up, so then it was a waiting game. I was having some contractions, but they were very sporadic and not even on the pain scale.
Around 4pm the contractions started to become more regular though still not close together. The doctors decided to wait it out as it was doing SOMETHING to my body. Around 6:00pm the contractions were pretty intense and coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting at least 90 seconds. It was definitely starting to hurt. I decided to ask the nurse to check me as I wanted to be closer to 5cm before I requested the epidural. The nurse checked me, and I was at a defeated 2cm, 90% effaced, and like my other kiddos, still at -2 station.
I opted for the epidural at that time as I figured maybe it would relax me a bit. I argued with the nurse about getting a catheter as I had never needed one with my first two, and they won as they promised I would get it taken out before delivery. At 7pm I got my spinal/epidural combo. Voila all was well in the world... my brother, sister in law, and nephew decided to stop by (as they figured I would have had him by then--you know 3rd baby and all).
Little by little I'd start to feel more. I would wince, but kinda blew it off, figured I was close. I went ahead and had Josh grab the nurse. Around 815pm she checked me and I was only at 3cm. She went and grab the Resident on call to check me and he said a 4. I asked if he could break my water to get things moving, and he did so around 830pm. Then the pain really started coming. The anesthesiologist and CRNA came back in to give a extra dose, it was a no go. So they took it out and retried it. All the while I was feeling EVERYTHING.
They retired 8 more times, while I was sitting up trying to breathe through the contractions. I was pissed. And then I felt him coming. And I started to yell at them. They kept telling me to hold on, and I kept telling them I needed to lay down. I was afraid I was going to deliver him sitting up on the bed. The nurse told them to stop, that I needed to lay down and so they did. The nurse called STAT for the delivery team and I tried not to push while screaming for them to remove my catheter. I also screamed at my mom to get Josh, who was in the waiting room with my brother and sister in law.
Everyone rushed in, the anesthiologist and CRNA got stuck in the back corner as did my mom. They weren't able to track him on the monitors so the attending (who still wasn't gowned) placed an internal monitor to track his heartbeat. I grabbed my legs and pushed. And it hurt. God did it hurt. I told them I wanted a mirror so I could see to (since I had one with my other two, I wanted to see him be delivered). Someone ran out and got it and by the time they brought it in Ronan was on my chest. He was born at 8:56pm.
He didn't cry. He just looked at me and I freaked. I kept pushing him back into the nurses arms telling them to make him cry. They told me he was okay. And he is. He is perfect in every way. We did skin to skin for two hours (though we cheated when the nursed left and I let my mom and Josh hold him) and he nursed. He is a great nurser. Then they finally weighed him. My first two were big (for their gestational age), so we expected him to be the same. Negative. He was a mere 6lb 13oz. 18 1/4 inches long. So tiny even newborn clothes were huge on him. And I loved him even more, he was going to be a small for a little while longer, knowing he is our last...I was grateful to have a tiny baby.
All in all, the birth wasn't what I had hoped and dreamed for. My back is still messed up and hurts just by picking up a gallon of milk. Its still swollen. Obviously, I hadn't wanted pain relief for the easiest part of labor (going from 2-4cm) and not the hardest, but it is what it is. Ronan is healthy and happy and getting bigger by the second. He is loved and cherished by Gabriel and Kellie. I absolutely adore him. He is a snuggler, and momma loves to snuggle.
And without further ado: Mr. Ronan Lane Coggins born 10/8 @ 8:56pm
 |
| He had so much vernix it was insane! |
Saturday, June 14, 2014
ohhh yeah... those weekly updates.
So working full time, two toddlers, and pregnancy don't mesh well in a blog world. Obviously. So I'm still pregnant. Did you know that the 3rd pregnancy seems to be the longest.freaking.pregnancy.in.the.entire.universe. You didn't? Well it is... for me anyway.
It's been the most miserable pregnancy thus far too. Morning sickness (which I never had with Gabriel, and had for like a week with Kellie) lasted, ehhhhh, 16ish weeks. I pretty much died on the couch every night after work. I'm surprised the family hadn't shriveled away. I couldn't cook, I couldn't even see or smell meat. AWFUL. BH contractions also started at an awesome 14w4d... and they haven't stopped. RLP....go somewhere please?!
Anyway... A/S went relatively well. The tech pointed to a spot on baby's heart, which was a bright white spot. They can usually mean nothing, but can also be a soft marker for Down syndrome or Trisomy 18. Now I had the 12 week scan and testing to see what the odd of these two things were anyway, and my odds were pretty slim. So a couple percentage increase likely means nothing. I go back to the doctor on Friday, so we will see from there. In the mean time here is a picture of the little babe.
It's been the most miserable pregnancy thus far too. Morning sickness (which I never had with Gabriel, and had for like a week with Kellie) lasted, ehhhhh, 16ish weeks. I pretty much died on the couch every night after work. I'm surprised the family hadn't shriveled away. I couldn't cook, I couldn't even see or smell meat. AWFUL. BH contractions also started at an awesome 14w4d... and they haven't stopped. RLP....go somewhere please?!
Anyway... A/S went relatively well. The tech pointed to a spot on baby's heart, which was a bright white spot. They can usually mean nothing, but can also be a soft marker for Down syndrome or Trisomy 18. Now I had the 12 week scan and testing to see what the odd of these two things were anyway, and my odds were pretty slim. So a couple percentage increase likely means nothing. I go back to the doctor on Friday, so we will see from there. In the mean time here is a picture of the little babe.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
I pretty much suck...
Yep time has passed me by. It's been what?? Almost a year since I last posted?! Oops. Like I said I pretty much suck.
Soooo.... Big news in the Coggins household! Baby #3 is making its way into our lives! Yep, we are nuts. I'm currently wondering how in the world we are going to be able to go anywhere or do anything with 3 kiddos. But, its not that we only wanted two haha.
So, I guess I should start posting weekly updates, huh?
Symptoms:
Oh Boy are they completely different from my other two. Constant nausea, horrible aversions to most food, sore belly, lots of gas :/, fatigue aka simply exhausted, very tender breasts-- to the point of wearing a bra hurts.
Weight:
No gain yet thankfully.Sleep: I sleep okay thus far. Though it seems I have to wake up 1000000x a night to pee. Or Gabriel is kicking me in the back or stomach.
Food Cravings: Ha! Funniness right here. Nothing. I crave nothing :( I can pretty much eat bread, potatoes, fruit, and yeah thats about it. I can't even look at a picture of meat without getting sick. Best Moment this week:
Getting a day or two of less nausea and exhaustion. And the warmer weather. It's been in the high 60's-low 70's here which has been amazing to get the kids out to play outside.Movement:
None, just gas thus far :-PLabor signs:
NoneGender:
Not sure. I wanted to be team green, but Josh is not for it. I was thinking boy as did Josh--but now with all this crappiness we are starting to question it.Belly button:
Innie still...What do I miss:
feeling normal, being able to actually help with cleaning, being able to feel good enough to play with the kiddos...What am I looking forward to:
Not feeling like complete shit... lol. Yep, I suck right now. Milestones:
2 months down, 2 to go...Appointments:
Next Appt is April 3, I'll be a day shy of 11 weeks. Then April 14th I have a NT scan.
Soooo.... Big news in the Coggins household! Baby #3 is making its way into our lives! Yep, we are nuts. I'm currently wondering how in the world we are going to be able to go anywhere or do anything with 3 kiddos. But, its not that we only wanted two haha.
So, I guess I should start posting weekly updates, huh?
Symptoms:
Oh Boy are they completely different from my other two. Constant nausea, horrible aversions to most food, sore belly, lots of gas :/, fatigue aka simply exhausted, very tender breasts-- to the point of wearing a bra hurts.
Weight:
No gain yet thankfully.Sleep: I sleep okay thus far. Though it seems I have to wake up 1000000x a night to pee. Or Gabriel is kicking me in the back or stomach.
Food Cravings: Ha! Funniness right here. Nothing. I crave nothing :( I can pretty much eat bread, potatoes, fruit, and yeah thats about it. I can't even look at a picture of meat without getting sick. Best Moment this week:
Getting a day or two of less nausea and exhaustion. And the warmer weather. It's been in the high 60's-low 70's here which has been amazing to get the kids out to play outside.Movement:
None, just gas thus far :-PLabor signs:
NoneGender:
Not sure. I wanted to be team green, but Josh is not for it. I was thinking boy as did Josh--but now with all this crappiness we are starting to question it.Belly button:
Innie still...What do I miss:
feeling normal, being able to actually help with cleaning, being able to feel good enough to play with the kiddos...What am I looking forward to:
Not feeling like complete shit... lol. Yep, I suck right now. Milestones:
2 months down, 2 to go...Appointments:
Next Appt is April 3, I'll be a day shy of 11 weeks. Then April 14th I have a NT scan.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wow, where has the time gone?!?
Okay so, we moved at the beginning of March. It's now a few days until the end of May. Crazy how fast time flies huh? We now have a 1 year old and a 3 year old!!! I don't have any pictures of their actual party, but I do have some preview pictures of their birthday pictures. So get ready for picture overload. I absolutely love them.
So, since March I started a new job as a circulator in the OR. I absolutely love it. It's so much fun and I get to do such a variety. My main room now though is DaVinci robotic assisted surgeries which is so much fun. Josh just started his job as a correctional officer and is going to CO academy right now. He's pretty stressed, but I know he'll be able to accomplish it. The kiddos are going to daycare. It took miss Kellie about a week to adjust but now she's doing well. Gabriel is just excited to have kids his age to play with.
Kellie is walking!!! I never thought it was going to happen. She had been taking one or two steps since 11 1/2 months, but didn't officially walk across the room until about 2 weeks after her birthday. She can say many words already though. She says baby, mommy, daddy, bubba, bubbles (sounds like bubba though haha), yes, hi. I know there are a few more but I don't feel like racking my brain. She also waves bye bye, blows kisses, and gives kisses...and absolutely LOVES to dance. Anytime anybody is singing or music plays she starts shaking her little booty and throwing her hands up in the hair. She also loves to growl at her brother if he's annoying her, and thinks its funny when he gets into trouble.
Gabriel is coming a long away with his speech. He talks just like me or you know. He's doing great. He loves ninja turtles right now. He also is getting into pirates. Every month his favorite toy changes haha, but he always has his tigger. He is so loveable, and loves to give his sister and us lots of love. He is very good at temper tantrums. Three is a rough age.... for all of us, lol. I can't wait for this year to go by. He's like his normal sweet self one minute, and a terror the next.
Oh the adventures of having a toddler and preschooler. Wonder what it'll be like when we have a 3rd? Complete choas, I'm sure of it. But we love it all! *We are not currently pregnant, nor plan to get pregnant for awhile*
**Pictures will be on the next post since this one has been so long, and completely disoriented. Sorry, just had so much to tell...and it all came flooding out :) **
So, since March I started a new job as a circulator in the OR. I absolutely love it. It's so much fun and I get to do such a variety. My main room now though is DaVinci robotic assisted surgeries which is so much fun. Josh just started his job as a correctional officer and is going to CO academy right now. He's pretty stressed, but I know he'll be able to accomplish it. The kiddos are going to daycare. It took miss Kellie about a week to adjust but now she's doing well. Gabriel is just excited to have kids his age to play with.
Kellie is walking!!! I never thought it was going to happen. She had been taking one or two steps since 11 1/2 months, but didn't officially walk across the room until about 2 weeks after her birthday. She can say many words already though. She says baby, mommy, daddy, bubba, bubbles (sounds like bubba though haha), yes, hi. I know there are a few more but I don't feel like racking my brain. She also waves bye bye, blows kisses, and gives kisses...and absolutely LOVES to dance. Anytime anybody is singing or music plays she starts shaking her little booty and throwing her hands up in the hair. She also loves to growl at her brother if he's annoying her, and thinks its funny when he gets into trouble.
Gabriel is coming a long away with his speech. He talks just like me or you know. He's doing great. He loves ninja turtles right now. He also is getting into pirates. Every month his favorite toy changes haha, but he always has his tigger. He is so loveable, and loves to give his sister and us lots of love. He is very good at temper tantrums. Three is a rough age.... for all of us, lol. I can't wait for this year to go by. He's like his normal sweet self one minute, and a terror the next.
Oh the adventures of having a toddler and preschooler. Wonder what it'll be like when we have a 3rd? Complete choas, I'm sure of it. But we love it all! *We are not currently pregnant, nor plan to get pregnant for awhile*
**Pictures will be on the next post since this one has been so long, and completely disoriented. Sorry, just had so much to tell...and it all came flooding out :) **
Monday, February 4, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Big changes are happening with this family!!!
And no, it has nothing to do with another child. {yes we plan on one more...in the future}
BUT! A few months ago we had decided to move, while we are only moving about an 1 1/2 away...it's going to be a big change. Well our deadline is closing in, and I put in my resume` to University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital. Their interviewing process is quite long.... usually takes 1- 1 1/2 months.
Well I went in for my first interview, with HR, last Wednesday and immediately following I got a call to go meet with the nursing supervisor of the OR dept. So we headed straight over (and by me, I mean Morgan {my bff}, both kiddos, and I) and I talked with her quite a bit. Then last Thursday, only a day after my first interview, I got a call for my phone interview and set it up for Monday 1/28 at 3pm.
The phone interview tests to see if you care for your job, are a friendly person, quick to get upset, etc. I was told to be quick and not hesitate and be very friendly and positive. It tested to see how well you would fit in and if you would be a good match with the rest of the team. I took that interview yesterday, and frankly, I was really unsure if I passed it. I honestly don't remember half of the questions or how I answered them. I remember talking about my kids a lot, which I was sure would probably hurt me. I remember talking about taking Gabriel to the park, making cupcakes with Gabriel, etc.... I do remember some of the silly questions, like "would you ever borrow an item from a friend?" "give me an example?", "when you get off work, how do you prefer to go home?" "what are your interests and hobbies?" I really wondered what any of that had to do with...really anything, but I answered quickly and to the best of my abilities.
And I guess I did well, because I got a call this morning setting up my last interview with the nurse manager of the OR dept. So Thursday at 11am I have my last and final interview. I don't want to jinx myself, so I'm not saying anything other than I really just have the formal processes to go through: physical, references, drug screen, making sure all my immunizations are up to date... things like that.
So...by the end of this week, it looks like I'll be good to go! Josh has his testing on Tuesday the 5th, and we will hopefully find something out within 3 weeks on him. Regarless, as long as I have a job we will be moving. We are looking for places around the 18th of February, and plan on moving the following weekend.
I'm sooooo excited, not only to move and start new, but to get an experience like the job that I soon {hopefully} will have.
BUT! A few months ago we had decided to move, while we are only moving about an 1 1/2 away...it's going to be a big change. Well our deadline is closing in, and I put in my resume` to University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital. Their interviewing process is quite long.... usually takes 1- 1 1/2 months.
Well I went in for my first interview, with HR, last Wednesday and immediately following I got a call to go meet with the nursing supervisor of the OR dept. So we headed straight over (and by me, I mean Morgan {my bff}, both kiddos, and I) and I talked with her quite a bit. Then last Thursday, only a day after my first interview, I got a call for my phone interview and set it up for Monday 1/28 at 3pm.
The phone interview tests to see if you care for your job, are a friendly person, quick to get upset, etc. I was told to be quick and not hesitate and be very friendly and positive. It tested to see how well you would fit in and if you would be a good match with the rest of the team. I took that interview yesterday, and frankly, I was really unsure if I passed it. I honestly don't remember half of the questions or how I answered them. I remember talking about my kids a lot, which I was sure would probably hurt me. I remember talking about taking Gabriel to the park, making cupcakes with Gabriel, etc.... I do remember some of the silly questions, like "would you ever borrow an item from a friend?" "give me an example?", "when you get off work, how do you prefer to go home?" "what are your interests and hobbies?" I really wondered what any of that had to do with...really anything, but I answered quickly and to the best of my abilities.
And I guess I did well, because I got a call this morning setting up my last interview with the nurse manager of the OR dept. So Thursday at 11am I have my last and final interview. I don't want to jinx myself, so I'm not saying anything other than I really just have the formal processes to go through: physical, references, drug screen, making sure all my immunizations are up to date... things like that.
So...by the end of this week, it looks like I'll be good to go! Josh has his testing on Tuesday the 5th, and we will hopefully find something out within 3 weeks on him. Regarless, as long as I have a job we will be moving. We are looking for places around the 18th of February, and plan on moving the following weekend.
I'm sooooo excited, not only to move and start new, but to get an experience like the job that I soon {hopefully} will have.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Oh how he's changed...
So I'm officially planning a 3rd birthday and a 1st birthday. It's going to be a joint birthday since we will {hopefully} will have new jobs and be moved into a different town, and well....I don't feel like having two parties back to back, especially since the people who will be coming--would have to travel for both. Their birthdays are 8 days apart. Sooo... a double party it is. It's a mickey and minnie party. I'm stoked for it too!
But alas...on with the title of this post right??
So I was making their month by month picture banners {Gabriel's is every 6 months} and it's so crazy to think how much he has changed. He used to be this little tiny baby...who than became a chunky big boy.... who now is this thin, but big boy. He's always been on the big side, and he's always been my little {big} baby, but he really doesn't look as big as he used to be... yet he's a whopping 40lb, 40+ inch toddler.
He's become this independent, free, want-to-do-it-on-my-own boy. Every day he learns new words. Heck, he used his fingers to count to 5....I didn't know he could do that. Crazy?!?! He amazes me daily... he frustrates me daily....and he shows me how much he loves me daily. I couldn't ask for a better son.
He has started to become a tad jealous of Kellie now. Not sure where it came from, maybe because she's more mobile now...maybe because she's getting bigger and he thinks he needs to show her who's boss, either way, it's frustrating. BUT, he always...and I mean ALWAYS will kiss her goodnight and tell her he loves her. When they are laying down by each other, he pats her on the head, as if to tell her "I'm here little sister, and I love you". I'm just hoping the jealousy phase goes quickly, because it's hard not to defend her and not make him feel horrible or burst out in tears.
He has some pretty good tantrums, to say the least. Most during bedtime, because he hates going to bed. Afterall there is just sooo much to do. Others are when he's trying to explore, and the exploring will get him hurt...so we stop him. And....first thing in the morning. Like me, Gabriel is NOT a morning person. Like his father if he is hungry, he gets irritable and angry.
Oh and did I mention the boy is potty trained {learned-which ever you prefer}... And now, he pees standing up... which is quite humorous, since he puts his hands on his hips and pushes his hips forward. And just stands there and smiles while he pees. He also will pee standing up, then turn around and sit on the potty to poop. Seems like that turns it into a long process, but hey...the boy does what he wants. He hasn't had an accident in I don't know how long. One proud mama right here :o) We still put a pull up on him at night, just because we don't have a waterproof cover on his bed yet... but he still doesn't pee at night or naptime {he doesn't wear one at nap time}. Soooo nice not to buy diapers {I bought a pack of pull ups over a month and a half ago}, well except cloth. But that's a different subject.
His favorite shows are Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and certain disney movies. He gets hooked on a movie for a month, then moves to another... The Lion King used to be his favorite, right now it's the "kitty movie" aka Puss N Boots.
He still takes his Tigger every where, but now he has a cat that he takes everywhere. He got the Cat from Build a Bear and he "built" it on his own. It's name is Cooper {which is also his pretend friend's name} but he doesn't call him Cooper now, he just says Cat. And he cares for him like it's a real cat.
Did I mention that he's a total sweetheart? He kisses boo-boo's, tucks in all his stuffed animals, snuggles when I'm sad, hugs and kisses Kellie out of no where. And while randomly tell me "I love you momma". Melt my heart.
He is also a clown. He loves to show off. He sings in the car, and will put on a show in the store for everyone...but the moment a little girl walks by he freezes and turns into jello. Silly boy.
He picks up random things from tv now too. We noticed when he watched "turtles" or TMNT that he would get more aggressive {yes, we stopped that immediately, and any other 'violent' types of shows} or he'll go explore and stop swipper with Dora. The cutest one though...he got one of his toys and "cracked" it open like the baboon off of The Lion King and stuck his finger inside and pretended to paint the goo on our foreheads like the baboon does to Simba. He did it to Kellie first, then to all his stuffed animals...then finally to Josh & I. It was sooo cute.
I tried counting all the words he can say...and it's impossible. It's got to be over 250-300 now....and that's the low end. He says about 3-5 new words a day, just out of no where...and I just look at him like "uhh huh... interesting kid". I just can't believe how much this little boy knows. It seriously amazing me.
Oh and another cute thing... He loves to pray. Which I love. We believe in God, we teach him that God is great... he has his own bible, but we don't go to church really... only when we go to my parents {I hope we can change that soon, I want them to go to church...I want to go to church}. Anyway, a 2 1/2 year old saying "Amen" and thanking God for everything is purely precious.
I plan to post some on Kellie sooner rather than later, but I had some time tonight...so I thought I would talk about how much this boy amazes me, and if you haven't figure that out yet...then you probably never will haha.
But alas...on with the title of this post right??
So I was making their month by month picture banners {Gabriel's is every 6 months} and it's so crazy to think how much he has changed. He used to be this little tiny baby...who than became a chunky big boy.... who now is this thin, but big boy. He's always been on the big side, and he's always been my little {big} baby, but he really doesn't look as big as he used to be... yet he's a whopping 40lb, 40+ inch toddler.
He's become this independent, free, want-to-do-it-on-my-own boy. Every day he learns new words. Heck, he used his fingers to count to 5....I didn't know he could do that. Crazy?!?! He amazes me daily... he frustrates me daily....and he shows me how much he loves me daily. I couldn't ask for a better son.
He has started to become a tad jealous of Kellie now. Not sure where it came from, maybe because she's more mobile now...maybe because she's getting bigger and he thinks he needs to show her who's boss, either way, it's frustrating. BUT, he always...and I mean ALWAYS will kiss her goodnight and tell her he loves her. When they are laying down by each other, he pats her on the head, as if to tell her "I'm here little sister, and I love you". I'm just hoping the jealousy phase goes quickly, because it's hard not to defend her and not make him feel horrible or burst out in tears.
He has some pretty good tantrums, to say the least. Most during bedtime, because he hates going to bed. Afterall there is just sooo much to do. Others are when he's trying to explore, and the exploring will get him hurt...so we stop him. And....first thing in the morning. Like me, Gabriel is NOT a morning person. Like his father if he is hungry, he gets irritable and angry.
Oh and did I mention the boy is potty trained {learned-which ever you prefer}... And now, he pees standing up... which is quite humorous, since he puts his hands on his hips and pushes his hips forward. And just stands there and smiles while he pees. He also will pee standing up, then turn around and sit on the potty to poop. Seems like that turns it into a long process, but hey...the boy does what he wants. He hasn't had an accident in I don't know how long. One proud mama right here :o) We still put a pull up on him at night, just because we don't have a waterproof cover on his bed yet... but he still doesn't pee at night or naptime {he doesn't wear one at nap time}. Soooo nice not to buy diapers {I bought a pack of pull ups over a month and a half ago}, well except cloth. But that's a different subject.
His favorite shows are Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and certain disney movies. He gets hooked on a movie for a month, then moves to another... The Lion King used to be his favorite, right now it's the "kitty movie" aka Puss N Boots.
He still takes his Tigger every where, but now he has a cat that he takes everywhere. He got the Cat from Build a Bear and he "built" it on his own. It's name is Cooper {which is also his pretend friend's name} but he doesn't call him Cooper now, he just says Cat. And he cares for him like it's a real cat.
Did I mention that he's a total sweetheart? He kisses boo-boo's, tucks in all his stuffed animals, snuggles when I'm sad, hugs and kisses Kellie out of no where. And while randomly tell me "I love you momma". Melt my heart.
He is also a clown. He loves to show off. He sings in the car, and will put on a show in the store for everyone...but the moment a little girl walks by he freezes and turns into jello. Silly boy.
He picks up random things from tv now too. We noticed when he watched "turtles" or TMNT that he would get more aggressive {yes, we stopped that immediately, and any other 'violent' types of shows} or he'll go explore and stop swipper with Dora. The cutest one though...he got one of his toys and "cracked" it open like the baboon off of The Lion King and stuck his finger inside and pretended to paint the goo on our foreheads like the baboon does to Simba. He did it to Kellie first, then to all his stuffed animals...then finally to Josh & I. It was sooo cute.
I tried counting all the words he can say...and it's impossible. It's got to be over 250-300 now....and that's the low end. He says about 3-5 new words a day, just out of no where...and I just look at him like "uhh huh... interesting kid". I just can't believe how much this little boy knows. It seriously amazing me.
Oh and another cute thing... He loves to pray. Which I love. We believe in God, we teach him that God is great... he has his own bible, but we don't go to church really... only when we go to my parents {I hope we can change that soon, I want them to go to church...I want to go to church}. Anyway, a 2 1/2 year old saying "Amen" and thanking God for everything is purely precious.
I plan to post some on Kellie sooner rather than later, but I had some time tonight...so I thought I would talk about how much this boy amazes me, and if you haven't figure that out yet...then you probably never will haha.
Friday, December 28, 2012
7 Months old!
Like how I'm posting this a mere 6 days before she turns 8 months old? Ehhh...at least I posted it right? These two little rascals keep this momma BUSY! Not to mention throwing a few holidays into the mix, and it's turned into pure chaos. Oh and we're moving in 8ish weeks. Whoohooo! <<< that's a good whoohoo btw. Anyway here is her 7 month update!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Halloween Pictures!
As you can tell we had a Tigger & Piglet for Halloween this year. Gabe chose the costumes, and as you know (or maybe you don't) he has a thing for Tigger. He has slept with his Tigger since he was 9 months old. Piglet just suited Miss Kellie. Halloween was pretty fun this year. Gabriel figured it out pretty quickly. And once he had it figured out he wasn't going to allow anyone to take his bucket of candy. Here is pictures from their professional photo shoot by Heidi Lynn Photography (she also did their pictures that are at the top of the page).
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Cloth Diapering!
I'm currently putting my Monday Night Dinner post together. But while I'm getting that together, I figured I would talk a little about cloth diapering!
Then I switched to Tots Bots, which is an all in one, meaning you don't have to add an insert...BUT I still had to stuff the tongue of the attached insert into the pocket, and it had the pocket to add absorbancy. I got tired really quick of stuff. I LOVED Tots Bots, but ehhh... I hate stuffing, it's time consuming. Baby girl rockin' the Tots Bots Easy Fit
Okay, so originally I had wanted to cloth diaper Gabriel BUTTTTTTT Josh wasn't having it. Come to find out the reason he didn't want to was because he thought it was like "the olden days", where you have to safety pin a piece of cloth to the kid then put him/her in plastic pants. Well cloth diapering has come a LONG way from then. Yes, many still use that technique, although they are called prefolds, but some use this thing called a snappi instead of pins. I'm sure some still use pins, we don't. We mainly use a diaper called an AIO a.k.a. all-in-one. So let me start at the beginning....
I showed Josh on the internet some types of cloth diapers. Mainly the pockets, aio, ai2's...because they were most like a sposie (disposible diaper). I also wrote down some calculations. A 'stash' of diapers would run roughly 400-500 dollars. Yeah that seems like a lot of money, but that's the higher end of the deal. Some can be as low as 200-250 dollars to diaper your child until they are potty trained...and these days that's on the closer end of three. Boys actually average three and a half. Then I calculated how much diapers are costing us for just Gabriel until potty trained...that equalled up to around 3500 dollars (and that was birth until three-ish years!!!!! so it's actually going to cost us more since he likely won't be potty trained by then). Yeah, expensive right? So I hooked him.
Yeah, Gabriel is still using sposie's because for some reason I just can switch him over. I'm not sure why. I think in the beginning it was the whole washing the poop off the diaper because solids don't dissolve in the wash, and breastfed baby poo does. But now that Kellie is on solids, it kinda seems silly to wash her diapers and keep him in sposies. I will ponder on that some more.
Okay so back to the diapers. So my mom went a little crazy, we ended up having something like 75 diapers right before Kellie was born. A good stash you only need around 30ish. So we went a little over board, to say the least. But here is where one of the cool parts come in. What I tried and didn't like or what she grew out of, we sold. And we pretty much made our money back too. Amazing right?!?!?! Well I think so. So the ones I absolutely hated, I sold...and bought others to try and so on and so forth.
So my stash now is actually completely different from what it was like in the beginning, then again changed after a few more months. I mainly had pockets in the beginning.Pockets are a diaper you stuff with an insert. Like there is literally a pocket between the PUL (what keeps the diaper waterproof, so baby doesn't leak out of the diaper) and microfleece inside (which is a stay dry fabric and helps to pull the urine off the bum and into the insert). The inserts can be made of different types of material. Most come with a MF or microfiber insert. It's a synthetic material that is really absorbable. You can also buy them with natural fibers such as hemp, cotton, or bamboo. These are really absorbent as well, SUPER absorbent, but also on the expensive side. The top two pictures are a WAHM (work at home mom-made diaper), the second a Blueberry Mini Deluxe (MY FAVORITE NEWBORN DIAPER BY FAR), then a bumgenius pocket diaper in the last two. By the way, notice how you can coordinate your outfit around the diaper and vice versa. I love it.
Then I switched to Tots Bots, which is an all in one, meaning you don't have to add an insert...BUT I still had to stuff the tongue of the attached insert into the pocket, and it had the pocket to add absorbancy. I got tired really quick of stuff. I LOVED Tots Bots, but ehhh... I hate stuffing, it's time consuming. Baby girl rockin' the Tots Bots Easy Fit
I also tried fitteds with a cover and/or fleece soaker for a short (very short) time. A fitted is best for night time diapers, but a lot of moms use them for any time. They are great for heavy wetters, and most moms use them without a cover around the house--because they are JUST that absorbant. However, Kellie would cry when she was in them because the bulkiness would cause her not to be able to move her lower half really. So...I got rid of them pretty quickly, but I am glad I at least tried them out :) A cover is a waterproof cover you put over the fitted, which is another step I didn't like having to take. Pretty much like pockets, it's an extra step I didn't want to have to take. Because I'm just that lazy. And the fleece soakers act as a wicking agent. Meaning you put it over a diaper and it will help push the pee back into the diaper, thus less leaks. Here are some pictures of fleece soakers (with ruffles [I die!] and a fitted without and with a cover on.
Now my stash is all contained of all in ones. I also am a bit obsessive and have 3 of every color that I own. The brand that I use is Bumgenius and I use freetimes. They have two flaps attached that you can fold however you want to put the most absorbancy in the area you need it most PLUS they dry super fast. AIO's are usually a pain because the soaker is attached to the actual diaper itself, thus not having to stuff it. But since its attached it usually takes so much longer to dry (in my opinioin anyway). But the freetime dries in half the time it takes any other AIO I've tried. Here is baby girl rockin' a freetime.
I am by no means a diaper expert. I do what works for us and us only. For instance, most HATE velcro but I prefer it. It's so quick and easy to put the diaper on--not worrying about which snaps to put together and what not. Although I'm sure we will have to convert our diapers to snaps at some point as older babies tend to rip their diapers off with velcro since it's easy removal. But for now that's what we like.
Here is a little chart that shows another reason why we are cloth diapering (although its not the main reason by far, as we do still put disposibles on Gabriel)...
We also use disposibles on Kellie when we need to go out of town. It's just easier that way. We don't have to worry about what kind of water there is (hard, soft, normal--believe it or not that plays a big part), whether or not they use fabric softener in their washer and/or dryer (yes that plays a huge part too), etc. It's just easier that way. BUT Kellie hates them. She really doesn't like the feel of them on, which who really would? Plastic and scratchy absorbant material vs. soft cotton or microfleece against the bum... mmm, I would choose cloth too.
So there is my speal on the whole diaper thing. It's not for you? That's fine... it works for us. Do what works for you :)
So there is my speal on the whole diaper thing. It's not for you? That's fine... it works for us. Do what works for you :)
*By the way, I started this post last week...and it literally took me this long to put it together. Shame on me*
Monday, September 24, 2012
Menu Monday!
Okay, so I'm getting a little better, eh? Well, I'm trying anyway. Today I'm going to start a new weekly blog post called Menu Monday. I got the idea from a blog I follow: Blessings, Miracles, & Thoughts in Between. So here it is:
Monday: Chicken & Scallop Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo (yum!)
--It's actually suppose to be shrimp, but...I hate shrimp, so I'm substituting with Chicken!
Tuesday: Chili
--I'm so excited it's started to get more and more chilly outside, because I love me some soup. And Gabriel LOVES Chili!
Wednesday: Salsa Chicken Wraps
--Delish! And so easy to make!
Thursday: Leftovers!
--I'm sure we will have all sorts of leftovers from the Chili & Salsa Chicken! *I like to cook for 20 and often forget I'm only cooking for 3. Womp Womp...
Friday: Tuna Noodle Casserole
--super easy to make and throw in the fridge for Josh to cook right before I get home on lunch break!
Saturday: Leftovers!
--Remember how I said I usually cook for 20??? Yep, we frequently have lots of leftovers.
Sunday: Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
--Haven't tried this yet, but it sounds yummy! My parents went to Alaska on vacation, thus I have lots of salmon and halibut! *and some game meats too--bear, moose, buffalo!* :)
So, that's what we're having this week! What are you gonna eat? Also, I will post pictures and recipes on each of my days if anyone wants to try them out! (The whole 10 people who follow me that is, haha.)
Monday: Chicken & Scallop Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo (yum!)
--It's actually suppose to be shrimp, but...I hate shrimp, so I'm substituting with Chicken!
Tuesday: Chili
--I'm so excited it's started to get more and more chilly outside, because I love me some soup. And Gabriel LOVES Chili!
Wednesday: Salsa Chicken Wraps
--Delish! And so easy to make!
Thursday: Leftovers!
--I'm sure we will have all sorts of leftovers from the Chili & Salsa Chicken! *I like to cook for 20 and often forget I'm only cooking for 3. Womp Womp...
Friday: Tuna Noodle Casserole
--super easy to make and throw in the fridge for Josh to cook right before I get home on lunch break!
Saturday: Leftovers!
--Remember how I said I usually cook for 20??? Yep, we frequently have lots of leftovers.
Sunday: Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
--Haven't tried this yet, but it sounds yummy! My parents went to Alaska on vacation, thus I have lots of salmon and halibut! *and some game meats too--bear, moose, buffalo!* :)
So, that's what we're having this week! What are you gonna eat? Also, I will post pictures and recipes on each of my days if anyone wants to try them out! (The whole 10 people who follow me that is, haha.)
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