Sleep Deprivation, what's that?

I very easily may be jinxing myself, but I want to write this post because I am curious as to how Claire was at this age. I remember being EXHAUSTED. I remember wondering and bouncing and swaying and shushing in the middle of the night all night long. I do not remember 2-3 hour chunks of sleep on a regular basis all night long. I only remember maybe sleeping 2 or 3 hours total for the night. Patrick is a sleepy boy and loves to wake up only to nurse. He falls back asleep instantly and stays unswaddled in his bed next to our bed. I began wondering today, if it because he is going to be trouble in the future. Will he be like his Daddy, keeping me up all hours of the night when he's a teenager? I fear this, but I cannot stress over it now, as I am one happy mama since he is letting me sleep soundly every night and I truly am not sleep deprived. Life is really good right now.

7 days new

Seriously, 7 days have gone by and our little man has completely fit right into our lives. He is absolutely perfect. By Saturday he had peed on both of us for the first time. Holy boy pee stream; it was like fireworks, yet urine. Gross. By Tuesday he had gained all his weight lost back. He was 8 lbs 13 oz at his first doctor's appointment. We were told he was healthy and perfect. He sat in the car at his first lacrosse game. By Wednesday my milk was completely in. By Thursday Claire was excited to see Patrick and he attended his first real lacrosse game. By Friday he peed on me for the second time. I jumped. It was kind of scary.

Got sleep?

Little guy was a sleeping rockstar last night! Looks like he doesn't want to be swaddled so I put him down, arms wide as can be, no blanket and e slept for 2-3 hour increments and woke up 2-3 times o be changed a nurse. Here's to hoping this becomes a pattern.

Happy Birthday, Patrick John! April 26, 2013

Little Mr.Sunshine has arrived (April 26, 2013), a day later than his 20 week ultrasound dated him to arrive (April 25th), and a few days earlier than his original due date (April 29th). He is the sweetest, most content little fellow; we have been so blessed. Patrick John graced us with his presence at 10:15 am after exactly one hour of pushing. He started to let us know he was coming at 9:00 am, Thursday morning with contractions that were caused due to an extremely boring work meeting. Daddy and I decided to leave work a bit early to see if the contractions would subside or were the real deal. They did get closer and more intense throughout the day so we headed into the hospital to see if I had progressed since Tuesday cervical check. No such luck and Dr. J sent us home telling me to stay home from work Friday and if he hasn't arrived I could go to the Hebron - MR game I so desperately was trying to make. Turns out around 9:30 pm contractions were more intense and I just had a feeling if we didn't go in we'd be calling Dr. J around 3 am. And of course I feel funny waking anyone up in the middle of the morning even if it's because I'm in labor. We called Mimi up to sleep over with Sweet C and headed to the hospital. After an hour of walking I had dilated from 1-2 cm to 3-4 cm. Progress, YAY! So we were admitted and knew little man would arrive on April 26th. After two tries with the space for the epidural, which happened to take about 45 minutes (Tim was worried), I felt no more contractions and was in heaven. I dozed off and on for 2 hours, while Tim was able to manage almost 4 hours of sleep. When we woke, Dr. J arrived and checked me at 8:30 am. He was pleasantly surprised I was 10 cm and baby's head was real low. He asked where Tim had gone (he ran out to the car) and said to call him soon because I was probably about to push any moment. At 9:15 he left me start pushing. After several different types of pushing PJB arrived quietly and fairly smoothly into the world at 10:15 am. He weighed 8 lbs 13.8 oz and measured 19 1/4 inches long. He received an 8/9 on his Apgar tests and initially was taken off my chest to make him scream some more since he didn't seem to have the lungs his big sister had/has. He's been super content and was able to nurse immediately following delivery. The following hours he spit up a good bit of mucus which probably explains why he didn't come out scream, instead her swallowed some amniotic fluid. He finally starting nursing like a champ at 10:15 that night and has been super ever since. Claire Beth came to visit her "baby" and loves the new baby. Although she is not thrilled that he eats with mommy and she cannot sit on my lap too. Looks like Mommy is going to figure out a way to keep her content during nursing sessions all spring and summer long. I am pretty sure Claire is bummed Mommy hasn't been home with her and we are so looking forward to heading home tomorrow as a family of four. Our perfect little family of four. Our little Brady Bunch!

It's the beginning

Here he comes...

Cramping since Sunday.

1-2 cm dilated today.

Sitting down all day.

Hips kill at night.

Waddling, check.

Oh, and totally feeling ICK!

Tick tock...

Time keeps passing with nothing but the occasional Braxton hicks contraction. Nothing real. Nothing substantial and fingers (and legs) still crossed for after 9 pm April 26th for labor to start.

We play Mt. Hebron out biggest competition in the county. I need to be there. We shall see what takes place. He's already predicted at 7 lbs 13 oz.



Claire at 2 days old and 19.5 months. She's my beauty!

The cast is off (4/8)

Her tibia is 90% healed. I am a nervous wreck about her reinjuring it but the doctor assures me as long as she doesn't fall on it from a high height she should be fine. Easy for him to say, my child is a daredevil.

She was a trooper with the saw and barely cried the first time down the outside of the leg. Mimi was stuffing her face with yummy m&m's, her favorite. As it came off they cleaned it off and taped it up for our special Claire Memory box. Her leg was yucky and stinky. She kept telling us, "Dat cast I yucky." Yes dear, it is!

Once home she took a long, fun bath with her new Ariel doll as Mimi played with her:) she smells lovely now.

While watching Ariel and Ursala, Claire tried walking and really couldn't do it unless she was holding on to something to help her out!

She's such a sweetie. A trooper and a special little girl. I cannot believe how brave she is and was during this whole process.