One Month

Jack turned one month old on December 2nd.  Here are some of the Top Three's about the little guy.

Top 3 things people say when they see him:

1. "Look at all of that blonde hair."

2. "He's so big."  I love when they add, "You are so tiny, how did you have such a big baby?"  I think people are just referring to my height, but hey, I'll take it.

3. "His hands and feet are huge."

Top 3 cutest things he does:

1. He makes these high pitched squeals when he is in distress.  A lot of the time Chris and I just start laughing when we hear these.  He's so cute we forget to be worried that he is crying.  Like yesterday when he was getting circumcised, (this happened a little late in his life, I know) he did the cutest little squeal and both Chris and I started laughing.  The doctor informed us that his crying wasn't funny.  It's was just the little squeals he makes in between cries that are cute.

2.  I love it when he scrunches up his forehead and looks around.  It reminds me of a little pug.

3.  He smiles and laughs in his sleep.  That has to be the cutest thing he's done so far in his short little life.

Top 3 least cute things he does:

1. Poops on his parents.

2. Cries when his pacifier falls out.  They need to invent a better way for those things to stay in. 

3.  He has started to pull on my hair.

Top 3 Dislikes:

1. Getting his diaper changed.

2. Getting circumcised. (that should be a given)

3. Three way tie between, pacifier falling out, being hungry and getting put in his car seat.

Top 3 Likes:

1. Driving in the car.

2. Being in the shower. (We have family showers.  It's more normal than it sounds.)

3. Getting his back patted.  

 

Top 3 things people give me weird looks or comments for:

1. Not breastfeeding.

2. Bottle feeding

3. Formula.

  

Top 3 ailments we've had to contend with:

1. Baby Acne 

2. Gas/Constipation.

3. Dry skin.

Overall he is such a good baby.  He sleeps really well at night.  He usually only wakes up once in an 8 hour period, so in between feedings I get enough sleep.  We just love him so much.  We love watching him grow.  He is just the cutest thing to us.  We love him so much. 

And here are some pictures:

This is his gangsta photo.

We copied Mandi and are using Albert as a guide to show how big Jack has gotten. 

 

 

Her he looks like Winston Churchill.  This is his authoritative dictator look.

6 Odd Ways To Find a Jack

 1. Stuffed in a snowsuit that makes his arms and legs stick straight out.

 2. Arranged lovingly with the rest of the stuffed animals and pillows on the bed.

 

 3. Shoved in these giant St. Bernards slippers.  (More on these awesome fuzzy guys later.)

4. On the roof of Chris and Dallan's fort.  (More on that later too.)

5. Camaglouged in a sea of blue.

6. With a diaper on his head.  Chris was afraid his head was getting cold.

Hospital Pics

 Here I am after we found out that we were going to be staying and having a baby.  

Chris took it upon himself to update this board.  Notice my preferred name is Ulga.  He asked me to say the craziest German name I could think of.  I would like to think the under normal circumstances I could have mustered up something better than Ulga.  Actually I am trying right now...and I got nothin'.  

   

One of the very first pictures of the little.  (I spared you the nasty caked-in-the-grossness-that-is-birth photos.  You're Welcome.)

 My reaction to holding him for the first time.  I know I look cray-cray-banana's, but I did just shove an eight and a half pounder out my unders. 

Chris holding Jack for the first time.

 Our first family photo.  Chris looks like a 14-year-old and I look befitting of the name Ulga.

 When they swaddled him, his legs were scrunched up to his body like a frog, so he ended up looking like a cute little midget.  Or bowling ball with a head, as Mandi would say.

 Mommy and son. 

 I detested the little hat they made him wear.  I though he looked like a little dwarf headed off for a day of work in the mines.  So when it was "mommy time", I always snuck that bad boy off. Here I was trying to show how ridiculous they make a person look.  Clearly I rock this better than a baby could.

 Jack getting all ready to leave the hospital. 

  Chris loaded down with all of our things.  Flowers, purse, stuff we brought and the things we managed to swipe from the hospital room. (We didn't take anything we weren't allowed to take...I think.)  And this is Chris's "yes, yes, yes" pose because we finally got to take the Brevis home.

How we got a Jack Part 2

At this point I couldn't help but thinking, "I told you so."  We had been right, it was amniotic fluid.  It was a good thing I had listened to the spirit whispering to me to get to the hospital.  

The doctor arrived and informed me that she wanted the baby out of me in 18 hours from when my water broke because of afore mentioned infections.  So my water broke around 7-8 o'clock the night before.  It was now about 6 in the morning.  That gave me until about 1 in the afternoon to pop that baby out.  

Because of the urgency, they started me on Pitocin.  At this point I still wasn't feeling any contractions, but they were coming about 2 minutes apart.  The likable yet sassy nurse, who assisted me, informed me that I was 5 cm dilated.

It took about half an hour but I slowly started to feel the contractions.  About two hours in I could feel them a lot.  I was told to get the epidural when the pain was really bad and I couldn't talk during contractions.  I was afraid of being a pansy and asking for the epidural too soon.  And I could still talk during contractions, it took some effort but I could.  And I HATED pushing the nurses button.  Chris and I waited through many an alarm because we both didn't want to push the nurse button.  Chris finally figured out how to disable the darn thing himself.  We also started taking turns having to push the button.

So I waited until I couldn't talk or the nurse came back.  The pain worsened.  I started to cry.  It was a pathetic little whimper.  The pain was fine as long as I had a break.  The worst part was when the contractions were so close together that I couldn't regroup in between.  Finally the nurse came back and said maybe it was time to get the epidural.  My first thought was, "But I can still talk during the contractions."  I was a little hung up on that.  But if she was offering it, I wasn't going to refuse.  She said it would probably take 15 minutes to get it.  I doubled that in my head and set in for the wait.  I had figured out that things in this hospital took twice as long as you think they will.  Then I found out that the anesthesiologist had to give another epidural first...I was second in line.  In line? What was this, a buffet?  Except instead of those delicious scones at Chuck-a-rama, I was waiting for some beautiful numbing drugs.  

The anesthesiologist arrived about half an hour later.  My twice-as-long theory had been validated, I felt quite smug for someone who was crying in the fetal position.  At this point I had gotten to that point where I didn't really care how I was acting or what noises I was making in front of complete strangers.  Part of me was intrigued by this lack of caring, because I can't help over analyzing absolutely every situation in my life.  

So the anesthesiologist informed me that when he inserted the needle I might hear popping but that it was just the needle going through cartilage in my back.  If I hadn't been so grateful for that needle I might have gagged.  As it turned out I didn't hear that nasty thing and I didn't feel the epidural either.  From that point on the world looked much better.  The pain went away but not the pressure.  I could still move my legs and feel the contractions, it just didn't hurt.  It was perfect.  The nurse checked me right after I got the epidural and I was fully effaced and dilated to a nine.  I was surprised.  I though for sure I'd have a few more hours to go.  It had only been about an hour and a half since the last time I had been checked.  I was rather proud that I had made it that far natur-al.  I was also relieved I had gotten the epidural in time, because, I did not want to find out why they called it "the ring of fire".  

I started to feel like the babies head was about to pop our of my va-jay-jay, but we had to wait for the doctor to arrive.  The nurse informed me that doctors are quite mad if the baby arrives before they do.  And I spent the next little while contemplating nurse-doctor dynamics. (over analyzing again.)

Eventually the doctor arrived and it was time to push.  I was tired.  Both Chris and I hadn't slept in over 24 hours.  And I was afraid that somehow the epidural would take a vay-cay and I would feel it all.  The doctor told me to push as hard as I could and that the more I pushed the faster it would go.  With each push I thought of those people who can lift cars when someone they love is underneath and they have enough adrenalin   I tried to channel those hefty fiends, and pushed with all of my might.  I made some beautiful pushing noises.  

About 20 minutes later the little guy popped on out.  Chris and the doctor were so amazing and encouraging.  It was very helpful.  I also had a mirror so I could watch.  I was very grateful that I couldn't feel what the doctor was doing.  There was a lot of stretching, tugging and pulling on my unders.  I have to admit, getting such a good view of oneself is...disturbing with a dash of intrigue thrown in there.  

They put the baby on me and all I could think was, "this thing is covered in white nastiness."  I felt like I should hold my baby for sentiments sake.  But all I managed was a poke and then I was grossed out by the white nastiness and just decided to save the sentimentality til later, when the baby was a little cuter.   

The doctor showed me the placenta and all I could say was, "Wow that looks like a swimming cap."  Which in retrospect is a pretty nasty comparison....but it did.  

I was so happy to have my baby and that everything went so smoothly.  I really think that my labor was just about as good as it could have been.  For me the worst part was when the rest of my water decided to break and I was left sitting in my own juices for a couple of hours.  That traumatized me quite a bit.  Darn my nurse button pushing fear.  I could have remedied that situation much sooner.  

Recovery has gone amazingly too.  I love being able to move, bend, run and not feel winded and sore.  I was told I should take it easier but I am so glad to be able to move again.  And my emotions finally leveled out.  I feel like a brand new person.  I love not being pregnant.  And I just love having my little Brevis Cutus Shortus around.  That is his scientific name.  

He is about a month old and I just love him so much.  Sometimes I just look and him and tear up.  I still love Chris more than anyone in the whole wide world but little Jack is just a little bit behind him.  And Mandi you are just a little behind that.  

How we got a Jack, Part 1

So here it is...the story of the time I popped out a wee human...

It all started when my membranes were stripped at my doctor's appointment.  She told me that 50% of the time when this is done nothing happens and the other 50% of the time, people's water break or their contractions start.  I was still 5 days from my due date but I was hoping for the latter.  

I made my way to Chris's hockey game where I signed to him my progress in previously established hand gestures.  (The sign that my membranes had been stripped was a violent clawing motion,  Chris's idea).  All throughout his game I kept hoping my water would break all over that cold bench and I could have my baby.  The fact that I would have to walk away from everybody on the ice with a wet butt didn't bother me that much.  But...nothing happened.  Until...

...later that night around seven o'clock.  I was sitting there making a felt stocking for Jack.  Chris and his cousin Dallan were sitting on the couch talking and I think Everybody Loves Raymond was on.   And I felt it, a warm gush.  I threw my sewing and ran for the bathroom.  This is were it gets graphic (well maybe that started at "warm gush").  I discovered in the bathroom something that led me to believe my water had been broken but there wasn't enough water.  I'd always heard about it reaching people's ankles.  After much in depth discussion with Dallan, Chris, Chris's mom, and eventually a picture being sent with Dallan's phone to Chris's mom of the offending fluid (not my idea), it was determined that I had in fact leaked some amnionic fluid/my water had broken.  Chris's mom informed me that I had 24 hours from when my water broke to get the baby out or there could be serious infections. 

So I called the doctor's office asking them if I should go to the hospital.  They said no and that it was probably just spotting.  They said unless there was a lot of fluid then it wasn't my water breaking.    I got kind of sassy with the medical assistant and asked her to double check with the doctor.  The doctor again told me not to worry and that if I wanted I could go to the hospital I could, but it was probably nothing.  I was still worried so I called the hospital and spoke with one of the nurses there who also told me that what I leaked was probably just spotting.  

Around this time it was determined by Chris's mom that the reason there was so little amniotic fluid was because the baby was sitting so low blocking the rest of the fluid from coming out.  Chris and Dallan wanted to test this theroy.  I don't know how exactly it happened or why I let it happen, but let's just say peer pressure is a very powerful thing.  And the next thing I knew, Chris had one of my legs, Dallan had the other and I was hanging upside down.  That's right...they decided if the baby was blocking the rest of the fluid, tipping me upside would pull the baby down away from the opening allowing more fluid to come out.  So there I was, a 9 month pregnant women, hanging upside down, who had fallen victim to the inquiring minds of two inquisitive young men.

But the experiment worked...I leaked again.  And again later on.  And pretty much every time I stood up.  The night wore on and I started to get worried.  I had heard about people leaking too much amniotic fluid and then the babies head squished the cord causing brain damage.  I was torn about what to do.  I didn't want to show up at the hospital and look like an idiot after two people had told me not to worry, but I was worried and I couldn't stop a little voice in my head that kept saying, "Just go in to the hospital."  

After a few tears of frustration it was decided that Chris and I weren't getting any sleep.  So, we decided to head to the hospital where I informed the front desk people that, "I wanted to make sure  I wasn't leaking anything that needed to stay inside of me."  That was the most intelligent thing I could come up with at that point.  

I was hooked up to monitors and tested to see if I had leaked amniotic fluid.  One test came back negative but the nurse decided to double check and performed another test.  Meanwhile Chris and I were getting prepared mentally to go back home and go to bed.  By this time it was about three in the morning and we were sure it was a false alarm.  I was so tired I wasn't even that disappointed.   Bed started to sound really good.  

One of the monitors that was on me was testing to see if I was having any contractions.  I was highly confused because the monitors kept saying I was having contractions about every three minutes, but all I could feel was what I thought was the baby pushing on me under my ribs.  It didn't hurt, it was just a little pressure.  

In due time the nurse came back with an IV in her hands.  She asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"  One always asks for the bad news first.  She said, "The bad news is, I have to start an IV.  The good news is, you are going to have your baby."  At this point I was excited but scared all at the same time.  Was I ready for all of the pain and pushing and agony that I had dreaded my whole life?  Probably not, but it was going to happen either way.

Halloween and such things...

Mostly our lives around here consist of waiting for a baby to come.  I've decided to stop getting excited every time I feel the tiniest cramp because it usually just ends up being gas anyway.  I'm going to just plan on living life normal and if he comes, he comes.  And from what I'm told all babies do tend to come eventually, although I have my doubts. 

Chris and I are almost finished with the little guys nursery.  I will take pics when it is done completely.  Chris figured out how to make fitted sheets for Jacks cradle and whipped those babies out in no time...sexy man. 

We do own a table, Chris just wanted to be in the room with me.

Making the fitted sheet.

Last weekend Chris and I visited a corn maze in Provo.  It was fun and involved finding clues to catch a killer, which ended up being a bull.  The corn was only knee high in some places though.  I'm not quite sure whether to blame that on the drought or the corn maze people.  By the end of the semi-short corn maze I was limping like an old man with a peg leg.  That tends to happen these days when I walk more than a few feet. 

Chris has been really busy with school and often comes home smelling of corpses after his Anatomy labs.  It is disgusting.  I hate dead things.  He spends much of his time poking me in random places and telling me what the name of whatever he is poking is.  I've had my mental protuberance nudged more times than I can count.  Hopefully when Jack gets here he can be the little study helper instead. 

On Su nday we went to Chris's family annual Halloween shin-dig. It was most delightful.  We went as Snoopy and Charlie Brown.  We also carved pumpkins with his fam.  Chris gets very into this and made a fabulous haunted mansion.  I am carving challenged so I drew on mine instead.  We also visited this ladies house in his aunts ward who goes all out with decorating for holidays.  She used to decorate for both Halloween and Christmas but that took too long so now she switches off every year.  Chris said that she is like an old cat lady but instead of collecting cats, she collects decorations.  I just love seeing the inside of people's homes and analyzing their lives so this was rather enjoyable.  

Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

This is at the decoration ladies house.

Chris was being a creeper with the creep.

Chris's awesome pumpkin.

My tattooed pumpkin.  If I can't tattoo people I shall have to settle for pumpkins.

That is pretty much it in our lives right now.  Hopefully soon we will have more exciting news to share.

On being a Preggo...

Finally here it is...a post about my preggo-ness.  I have been hesitant to write this post because I'm afraid it will just turn into a complaining session, but I shall try to avoid that.  And since I love lists, I'm going to do my Top 3's.

This is me and Chris at Texas Roadhouse with that little devil armadillo.  I am about 5 and half months along.

Top 3 Most Annoying Physical Side-Affects of being a Preggo

1.  "Morning Sickness" which does not magically go away once the morning is over.  It is more "All-day Sickness."  Thankfully I rarely get sick now but I was sick almost everyday for about the first six and a half months of my pregnancy and then it slowly started to taper from there.  It's like having the stomach flu for months on end.  No fun at all...

2.  Because of said morning sickness, I was given this delightful pill which would magically make my nauseousness go away.  I started popping that baby like there was no tomorrow, which lead to the 2nd worst physical side-affect of my pregnancy.  Maybe it's actually a side-affect of a side-affect.  Anyway, after about a week and a half of taking that pill, I got MAJOR constipation.  Let's just say, the ability to poo at will is a blessed thing I had always taken for granted.  After a horrible week I decided I'd rather be sick all day than be blocked up worse than a shower drain in a 6 girl apartment.

Here, look at something cute after you heard all about my constipation.  This is the diaper cake Chris's mom made for my baby shower.  She put together the whole shower.  She did amazing! I wish I had gotten more pictures.  It was jungle themed because that is how we are doing Jack's nursery.

3.  I feel like this is a toss up between my sciatic nerve, heartburn, and general uncomfortableness of having a bowling bowl hanging off the front of me.  But probably the most annoying would be the heartburn.  I've had ulcers in the past which have always give me pretty bad heartburn and I've taken Nexium everyday throughout my pregnancy, but I still find it horrible.  There were a couple of months when the baby was pretty big and hadn't dropped yet that my heartburn got pretty bad.  I felt like a gas stove.  Even when the heartburn wasn't in full flame, there was always a little pilot light in my stomach causing a constant little burn.  Like I've mentioned before, the heartburn was worse when I tried to lie down and I had a hard time sleeping sitting up, so that lead to a few sleepless nights.  In Kansas, I learned to tell what time it was by the sprinkler system.  First time I heard them it was midnight, then two am and then four am.  Now that the baby has dropped though, I hardly ever get heartburn so that is a b to the lessing.

These little beach ball/jungle animals were hanging out all over at the shower.   This lion is chilling on the fan.

Top 3 Most Annoying Emotional Side-Affects of being a Preggo

1.  I get bummed out real easy these days.  I will go to make a sandwich and realize I have no bread and then an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and sadness rushes over me, and all I can do is sit down and cry...over a sandwich.  It's pretty pathetic.  Sometimes I feel like half of me is on a crazy roller coaster and the other half is sitting on the sidelines watching the crazy ride and wondering what the heck is going on.  I'm usually fully aware of how crazy my emotions are making me act, I just can't help it.

2.  I also get moments of unsolicited rage.  Poor Chris is usually the victim of these times.  I feel like a boiling pot of water; I have to let off some steam or I will explode.  These feelings come out of nowhere and surprise me just as much as the poor onlookers.  I'm ashamed to say that I have thrown a good many things across the room as hard as I could since becoming pregnant. (And maybe once or twice before that.)

3.  I just get emotionally exhausted or overwhelmed and just want to veg out and forget about everything.  When this happens it becomes really hard for me to communicate. I think things in my head and figure other people know what I'm thinking (which makes no sense at all) but find it almost painful to actually say things out loud.  Basically I become a mute. 

(I'm adding one more) 4.  I have become socially handicapped.  The thought of talking with some one I don't know scares me so much sometimes I make myself sick.  And you can forget about phones.  I hate them with a passion.  I talk with Mandi and Chris on the phone and try my best to avoid anything else.  The idea of having to small talk with someone also makes me uber nervous.  I feel like I'm a little kid again trying to get up the nerve to talk with all of the big, scarry adults.

All of these problems I've had before I got Preggo, now they are just magnified.  So hopefully they will shrink again when this cutey pa-tooty finally comes.

Don't worry I'm just scattering these shower pictures out and about to hopefully lighten the mood of this post.

The 3 Most Awkward things about being a Preggo

1.  The day I realized that I was skinner straight on than to the side was a weird day.  I'm so used to turning side ways when I want to squeeze by something.  Now I just have to plow straight through head on.

2.  The looks.  You would think people on campus and around Provo would be used to pregnant people.  But whenever I go on campus or out to do something fun I get strange looks.  Like when Chris and I went to the Homecoming Dance.  People looked at me like I was crazy to be leaving the house in such a state.  It's like unless its absolutely necessary, like grocery shopping, I should be hiding my shame.  Same thing with campus...I get bestowed the stomach glance quite often.  It's like "elevator eyes" only not flattering at all, and from girls too.  I always wonder if I used to give preggos looks too...and I think unfortunatley the answer is yes.  I think for the most part people are just looking because it's something out of the ordinary and my waddle is probably entertaining as well.  So I shouldn't judge the judgers so much I guess. 

Chris and I at the Homecoming Dance for BYU where all of the strange looks were given.  I am about eight months here.  Have you ever tried finding a maternity formal dress?  It is hard work.  Especially if you don't want to spend a lot of money for something you may only wear once.  Chris helped me fashion this number for about twenty dollars in a couple of days.

3.  When people ask me what I am doing with my life. ..."Uh...um...well...just growing a human I guess."  I had to quit my job very early in my pregnancy, even before I knew was pregnant, thanks to a wonderful combination of bleeding ulcers and a series of gnarly U.T.I's.  Then in Kansas I was too morning sick to work.  I never knew when I was going to need to lay down or upchuck.  And now that I'm feeling better there is really no time to get a job for just two months.  So now I'm a stay-at-home-wife.  Which is not a recognized profession.  I am so excited for when my tiny comes and I will have a purpose again.  And so that I when people ask,  I will sound more legit. 

Chris and I on a carriage ride at the Homecoming shin-dig.

Top 3 Best Things about being a Preggo

1.  When I was sick all of those months I lost a bunch of weight.  About 10 pounds I would say.  I didn't feel good but I looked good.  And now that I'm gaining so much weight these last few weeks I'm really glad I was able to lose some at the beginning.

2.  I'm never alone.  I always have my little buddy Jack to keep me company.  One time when I was really lonely and Chris had fallen asleep, I spent the night poking Jack so that he would stay awake and keep me company.  He hardly ever kicks too much or too hard.  Usually it's just comforting nudges that remind me that I have a little tiny friend that I already love so much. 

3.  Chris and I have become a lot closer.  I just love him so much.  He has been so good to me while I'm going through all of this physical and emotional trauma.  I just always feel like I have a best friend who will do anything for me.  It is such a comforting thought.  I don't know how people do this on their own. 

Chis and I this last weekend, in Park City for our Anniversary.  I am 8 and a half months here.  Too bad that means nothing because you can't see my belly...just the way I like it :)

Well that's about it and this did kind-of turn into a complaining session...oops.  This pregnancy has been really hard for me so maybe there was no avoiding it. 

In good news, I was informed yesterday that I am 2.5cm dilated and 85 percent effaced.  I was also told I have "a really nice cervix."  Strangest compliment I've ever been given.  Basically my doctor said that I have made significant progress in the last week and sometimes when this happens people have their babies within a couple of days or it could just mean that when I do actually go into labor it will be that much easier since I've already progressed so much.  And this morning I think I ejected part or all of my mucus plug (probably the grossest sentence ever to grace this blog).  While that is nasty I find it exciting.  Maybe little Jack will make his entrance this weekend.  And If not, that will just give me more time to emotionally prepare and more time to get those darn monkeys painted in his nursery.