Halloween 2010

Well, it's a good thing that I decided to put Ricky in his costume early and snap a picture of him since he slept through the whole thing when it came time for the real deal.  He hadn't been napping very well on Sunday, so I wasn't about to wake him up when it came time to get in costume to go trick-or-treating.  So instead, Rick and I took turns taking Mia trick-or-treating and staying home to hand out candy while Ricky slept soundly in his room.  Mia had an absolute ball this year and I know Ricky will have plenty years to come for fun with his sister on Halloween.  Plus, it was a great opportunity for some fun “alone time” with Mia for each of us.

Beautiful Snow White ready to go...

Loving every minute...





































And introducing Ricky the Hot Dog!  : )

Read more...

Halloween Eve Fun

While Rick was riding and Ricky was taking a nap, I decided that it would be a great idea to make cookies with Mia on Saturday.  Like she wasn't going to get enough sugar the following day, right?  Regardless, we had fun making them and once again I got some great pictures out of the deal.  : )









































































Decorating cookies is serious business!

Do you think there are enough sprinkles?  ; )

Later that night we carved our pumpkin.  Wait, let me rephrase that...I carved our pumpkin.  Rick was pretty uninterested and Mia was too grossed out by the guts.  Truthfully, I had a lot of fun carving but it did take a little longer than I expected. 

Our pumpkin before...

Our pumpkin after...

I have to add that although I love the way it turned out, it was by far the unscariest pumpkin I've ever carved.  Mia didn't want anything scary and when choosing a template, she wanted this friendly kitty cat.  : )

Read more...

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Last week we visited a pumpkin patch to pick out our prize pumpkin to carve.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen since the patch was pretty pitiful.  However, we did get some great pictures - so it was all worth it in the end.  : )



Don't ask me why we didn't get in the middle of the prop like the other pictures...but hey, we did manage to get a decent family picture - which we all know is a big feat to conquer!  

Read more...

3 Months!

As usual, time has flown by at warped speed and all of a sudden my little man is 3 months already.  I’m not sure how it’s possible, but Ricky just gets cuter and cuter by the day.

He has been a drooly mess lately – so much so that he soaks through bibs and I end up having to change his outfit twice sometimes 3x a day.   He still thinks his hands are the bomb and are in his mouth whenever possible.  Could this be a sign that teething is in our near future?  I sure hope not - but I don't ever remember Mia being this drooly and being so obsessed with gnawing on her hands at 3 months old.

  

He “talks” up a storm (when his hands aren't in his mouth), smiles constantly and is laughing a lot more as well.  His little laugh is infectious and I can’t get enough of it.

He loves his new freedom in the bath now that we’ve gotten rid of the newborn hammock.  He splashes and kicks like crazy.  However, he gets very angry when bath time is over and screams to high heaven as soon as he’s out.

I’m beginning to think that my prenatal vitamins had steroids in them because I swear he has He-Man strength.  He has a death grip like no other and rips chunks of my hair out.  He loves to straighten out his legs and “stand” for extended periods of time.  And his ninja-like kicks really hurt when he’s sitting on your lap!  He also has amazing head control and am assuming he doesn’t hate tummy time as much anymore because of it.

Notice the constant drool streaming down his chin...

I’ve already had to retire all of his newborn outfits and some of his 0-3 outfits which made me a little sad.  He went to the Dr.’s office a little over two weeks ago since we spread out his first set of shots.  It wasn't that much of a surprise to find out that he weighed a whopping 13lbs 12oz!  So he's probably hit the 14lb mark by now - mummy's milk is obviously doing the boy good.  :)  Although our monster baby weighs as much as he does, he's still up (on average) twice a night to eat...I'm sorry but I don't count 5am as the start of my day!  I've been really tempted to pump and give him a bottle with rice cereal before bed - I usually discuss this with myself at 2am while nursing - but then I somehow talk myself out of it by morning the next day. 

Mia is truly an amazing big sister.  She loves to be the first one to greet him after he wakes up from a nap.  She loves to help me bathe him and then soothe him while I’m getting him in his pj’s (remember he hates getting out of the bath).  She loves talking to him and teaching him how to play.  Watching them together and seeing Ricky smile at her just melts my heart and really makes me realize that this is what life is all about!

 

  

Please excuse Mia's bed head in this picture.  It was taken at 8am this morning.  Also note how Ricky doesn't look so tiny anymore next to his big sister!

Seriously, how can you resist this face?  We love you baby boy!

Read more...

My Sweet Girl

The theme at Mia's pre-school from last week was about "favorites".  She brought home this project and my heart melted a little when I read the bottom of the page. 

Seriously, how sweet is that? 

Mia had two birthday parties to go to last weekend - I swear she has a better social life than me!  Anyway, one of the parties had pony rides.  It was a huge hit...especially since horses are her favorite thing in the universe right now (see toy category above).

I'm not sure she could be any happier...

 



































Check out her long legs...she certainly doesn't get them from me!  ; ) 

Read more...

Fun Comparison

I came across a picture of Mia during bathtime at 6wks old and thought it would be fun to compare it side by side to a picture of Ricky at 6 wks old...(Mia is on the left)

Sooooooo, what do you think?  Am I SOL again?  Or do you think I have a chance that one of my kiddos will look even remotely like me?  And be honest...I can take it.  ; )

Read more...

2 Months!

This month has flown by compared to the first.  Maybe it’s because we’ve fallen into some kind of a routine.  It’s definitely not perfected…but it’s better than the sporadic eating and sleeping schedule from the first month.  Although, up until last week, Ricky was still eating every 2 hours during the day and taking 30 minute cat naps in between – I was seriously beginning to lose it!  Then, just like that, he started stretching his feeds to every 3 hours and taking marathon naps compared to the little cat naps he was giving us before.  Wow, wow, WOW - what a difference this has made!!!  I can actually get some things done around the house now and even have some extra time for me afterwards while he naps.  I can’t begin to express how incredibly nice this has been and I thank my little man profusely for giving mummy a much needed break!  ; )

I was trying very hard not to complain about his rigorous eating/sleeping schedule before since he’d been giving us a decent stretch of sleep the first part of the night - usually going 6 hrs between feedings.  Last night we had a huge hiccup though because the little man got his first batch of shots.  Can we say, “NOT FUN”.  Surprisingly, I held it together while he was lying on the table, beat red and crying so hard that no noise was coming out of his mouth.  L.  The handout we got at the Dr’s office noted this statement, “these immunizations can cause your baby to have a fever, decreased appetite, act fussy or change his/her normal sleep patterns”.  That explained Ricky to a “T” yesterday.  I’m hoping that these symptoms only last 24hrs and he’ll be back to his happy go lucky self today. 

Now for his stats…he weighs a whopping 12lbs 5.5oz (75^th percentile) & measures 23 7/8” (90^th percentile).  So yeah, I’d say he’s doing pretty awesome!  The pediatrician did say that this is a typical pattern that breastfed babies follow.  They spike at the top of the charts at their 2 & 4 month appts and then level back out around their 6 month appt. 

His favorite pastimes are still staring intently at the fan and chewing on his hands.  It’s actually quite hysterical to watch him try so very hard to shove both fists in his mouth at the same time.  He's smiling a ton now.  I just love when I get greeted with that gummy grin when I walk into his room to get him.  Watching his face light up with a huge smile makes my day every time!  I remember how fast the infant stage went with Mia and so I’m making a conscious effort to not take a second for granted and soak everything up.  I love you baby boy!

Read more...

They're real!

Ricky's smiles, that is.  He's been giving us genuine smiles for a little over a week now and we finally caught them on camera.  Oh, how nice it is to get a little bit of love back from the little man!  : ) 

Read more...

Ricky's 1st bottle

Ricky got his first bottle of expressed milk yesterday.  I'd be lying if I said that he liked it...it was more like he tolerated it.  But, he did end up drinking 3oz so I'm still going to call it a success.  : )

 

I have no idea how we're going to incorporate a night time bottle so I can get a good stretch of sleep in.  Truthfully, the whole process was a pain in the ass - from pumping to warming the milk to washing and sterilizing the pump parts and bottles.  Nursing is so much easier but I really, really need some good sleep!  So wish us luck please!  ; )

Read more...

1 Month

At times, it’s hard to believe you’re one month old already...and at other times it seems like it’s been longer (I blame the sleep deprivation on that).  I'm somewhat sad that you've lost that sleepy newborn look already, but I love those cubby cheeks of yours and can't kiss them enough!   You stay awake for longer stretches during the day now and we have so much fun with you while you lay in our lap.  You make a million different faces which makes us laugh all day long.  I’m amazed at how alert you are for a one month old and love when we stare intently at each another.  You love Eskimo kisses and getting your toes nibbled on and I can swear that I sometimes get a genuine smile out of you.

You have a love affair with all the fans in the house.  We’ve even heard chuckles from you while you stare completely fascinated at what I like to call your "beloved fans".  Oh, how I would love to know what you’re thinking!  You love when you big sister talks and “plays” with you – even though she totally invades your private space by getting an inch away from your face.

You’ve been exclusively breastfed for these past 31 days which I’ve loved and am so proud of.  Mummy is definitely in need of a little break though so we’re planning to give you a bottle of expressed milk this week. Daddy is excited about that!

Ricky - you’re a complete joy, a blessing from above and you’ve filled the void in our family that I didn’t even know existed. I love you baby boy!

Read more...

"He's an Angel Baby"

These were the exact words that came out of the mouth of our labor & delivery nurse.  Why, you ask?  Because Ricky was born with a 'true knot' in his umbilical cord.  Apparently, this is extremely rare.  So rare that it only occurs in about 1% of pregnancies.  Without going into detail, the knot could have caused severe complications...one of them being disastrous. 

I was still in a euphoric high when the L&D nurse explained the knot to us...so the disastrous outcome wasn't really registering in my brain.  But when I think about it now, my eyes well up with tears and I thank God profusely for our tiny miracle.

You can clearly see the knot here... 

And a close up...

Ricky's here for a reason...a true miracle from God.  I truthfully believe he had Guardian Angels watching over him while he was in utero...and I'll always be eternally grateful.

Read more...

More Pictures!

Auntie Rachael & Cousin Molly come for a visit...

He loved his first bath!

I know this smile is from gas but it's still adorable...

Mia in her Turbie Twist!  : )

Aunt Lisa comes for a visit...

Seriously, how cute is he?!?!?!?

Bindy wants to snuggle too.  : )

Read more...

The greatest thing since sliced bread.

I read about the Itzbeen timer at this blog and thought that I would love this baby gadget...turns out I was right!  It's basically a timer that tells you how long it's been since a feeding, diaper change and nap (it also has a wild card button).  Believe me when I tell you that you don't remember a damn thing when you wake up completely groggy at 3 in the morning.  Obviously, it's not necessary, but I absolutely love to know that he's had a 3 or 4 hour stretch between feedings.  And then in turn, how much sleep he and I got between that stretch.  I can't explain it but it's just good to know.  It also has a feature that reminds you which boob you nursed with last so you don't have to guess - since I never remember.  So anyway, I highly recommend this gadget to anyone who is about to have a baby or just had one.

I also have to give a shout out to the Moby Wrap.  My mum bought this for me and I'm so happy she did!  He loves it and basically fades away to dreamland and soon as I put him in.  And then I get to use both of my hands - woo hoo!  That's definitely a win-win situation.  ; )  The only problem I have is getting him out of the moby without waking him up.  It definitely takes two people to do this and luckily Rick has been able to help me since he works at home.  So the Moby Wrap is another baby gadget that I highly recommend!

I mean, how happy does he look here?  : )

Read more...

My Birth Story

This is the super long version...

Let’s just say that Ricky got the point after I posted this post about my 40 wk appt. update at 9:25 pm on Wednesday night.  That, your labor vibes (thank you!) and all the walking I did at the mall that day probably helped too.  ; )  But literally, about 20 minutes after I posted, I started to feel contractions.  Even though they hurt, I thought they were Braxton Hick’s since they were only lasting about 30 seconds.  So I decided to go to bed…but the contractions kept waking me up every 5 minutes or so. 

Now, for some unknown reason, I was in denial that this was the real deal and proceeded to lie in bed, in pain, for two more hours. Yes, stupid I know! Rick woke up around midnight, found me awake and breathing pretty heavily through my contractions, so he decided to stay up with me and time them. They were very consistent at 4 minutes apart but they were still only lasting 30 – 45 seconds. I always thought the rule of thumb was that a true contraction would last at least a minute or longer and I was still in a little bit of denial.  Thank God Rick has a brain that is in working order since he convinced me that there was NO denying that I was in active labor.

So, we immediately called our parents and finished packing our hospital bag.  It was past midnight now and I knew right then and there that neither set of our parents were going to make it in time to get to the house to be here while Mia slept.  And our backup plan of taking her to the neighbor’s house got axed when they told us they were leaving for out of town the day before!  So around 1:00 am, we headed to the hospital with Mia in tow. She was wide awake in the car and super excited that she was about to meet her baby brother very soon. 

When I checked in to triage, I was at a whopping 8cm!  I couldn’t believe my ears – although at this point the contractions were intense and coming every 2 minutes.  I had actually thought about the possibility of going au natural and not getting an epidural so when they asked me if I wanted one at L&D, I was really indecisive.  I can’t blame her whatsoever but one of the nurses mentioned that I wouldn’t know how long I’d be pushing for and then I had a flashback of Mia’s birth where I pushed for an hour and a half.  That sealed the deal for me and so I caved since I was in so much pain and still had 2 cm left to dilate.  My water had also broken during a contraction which in turn caused the contractions to be even more insense. 

When the anesthesiologist arrived, she told me that the epidural would probably only take the edge off since I was getting ready to push soon anyway.  Well, she was exactly right – but it was absolutely perfect! The pain was pretty much gone but I still had the insane urge to push. So probably 20 minutes after receiving the epidural, I was fully dilated and ready to get the show on the road. Three pushes later, my precious baby boy entered this world at 3:10 am.  It was one of the happiest moments of my life.  He was placed on my chest and I just looked at him in awe.

Sooooo...I guess they weren't kidding around when they said your subsequent labors go much faster than the first.  From the start of the first contraction to when Ricky was born, I was in labor for only 5 and a half hours!!!  That's just crazy!  And, I still can't believe the fact that I only pushed three times!  Three times - that's definitely a feat I’m very proud of!!  : )   

Now remember, Mia was in the L&D room the entire time.  We tried to distract her with coloring books and cartoons but apparently she was very intrigued when it came time for me to push.  The nurses said that she did see some of the birth and her eyes opened up really wide when he came out.  I still can’t believe that she was there for the whole thing but everything happens for a reason.  She doesn’t seem traumatized and I suppose it will be a great story to tell her when she’s older.  :)

Read more...

Too funny not to share...

Or at least I think it's hysterical that Mia is "nursing" her baby doll while I nurse Ricky.  : ) 

I cannot begin to explain how elated I am that nursing is going well.  Without going into detail, let's just say that Mia and I had numerous problems when trying to nurse.  I gave up too quickly and it's a decision that I still regret to this day.  But Ricky is a greedy little guy and latched on immediately after birth.  I did have quite a scare yesterday and thought I could possibly be developing mastitis on my right side, but we think it might have been a clogged duct now...which is still pretty serious.  I caught it early enough though and it's feeling/looking much better today.  I continue to hope and pray that I reach my nursing goal of 6 months with this awesome little dude! 

Read more...

Lots & lots of Pictures!

Love at first sight...

Proud Daddy...

Proud Big Sister...

With Granny, Auntie Maria & Cousin Olivia...

With Nana & PawPaw...

We're home!

I LOVE these two!

Our sweet boy...

Read more...