4 months and 1st taste

I never truly appreciated the saying "time flies" before I had a child. Now, I understand the meaning behind it! I really can't believe 4 months has gone by already! I think time seems to pass faster since I am focused on Nathan now instead of just myself.

I have been back at work for a month, part-time, however, I will be returning to full-time in the fall (boo). Sadly, my position at work does not offer part-time. Going back to work has been a relatively easy transition for me. It has made me realize I am not cut out to be a full-time stay at home mom. I enjoy working! I like the break it provides from being at home and it helps me to better appreciate my time off that I get to spend with my family. I like being back with my co-workers and using the critical thinking part of my brain again. Part-time would be a perfect balance for me, so I am praying a position will become available back at the hospital.

Nathan had his 4 month check-up and he is growing nicely. However, he does have a large head!!His head circumference is in the 75th percentile while the rest of his body is 30%!! I think that is why it took him awhile to hold his head up on his own, that is alot of work when your head weighs so much! I am sure he will grow into it in no time.

He still does not roll over, as he hates tummy-time, but he is good about sitting in his bumbo and playing in his exersaucer.

Below are some pictures of his first taste of real food! (OK, it is watered down baby rice cereal, but hey, yo got start somewhere!) He is not a fan, let me tell you. He will take a few bites, which he manages to just push right back out with his tongue then he starts crying.

the Dr. said it can take up to 15 times, of trying new tastes, before he decides he likes it!

Yumm!

Oh, and what a mess it made! I mean seriously, he had like 4 bites and there was cereal everywhere. He had all over his arms, face and head!

He loves his exersaucer. He is able to stand in it for quite awhile before he tires out and gets bored. It is nice that he is able to entertain himself a little bit more each week or so.

Nathan has really been a good baby, I can not complain at all about sleepless nights or long crying fits. He sleeps 9-10 hours at night and then naps 3 times during the day. He usually only fusses when he is tired or hungry (Hey, I do the same thing!!)

He is awake more now that he is getting bigger, so it is difficult at times to come up with ways ot entertain him. He loves being outside, but with our lovely Texas weather of 103 degrees most days since June 1st, it is hard to get out. We go running together before 7am and then take a walk before his bedtime after 8pm. those really the only times we can spend outside because of the heat. I still am not sure why I still am here in Texas. I hate the heat!!

I have not been able to race or train the way I had planned this summer because of the heat and just finding the time to train. That has been a big disappointment for me, i really thought I would have so much more time to train only working 2 days a week, but I never really thought through the fact I would have to have someone watch Nathan during those times!! I can't swim or bike on days that Dan is working, which is most of my days off. All we can do is run, and it is hard to do sprint and hill workouts pushing a tank of a stroller. I can start leaving him at the gym in 2 more months so that will help.

Ahh.. How a baby changes your life!! totally worth it though!

Busy Month

WOW!! May has just flown by! Nathan is growing so much and he has been quite the little traveler this month.

He is really smiling now and even starting to laugh! I love every smile and he just makes my heart melt every time he flashes me a smile! I never thought I could love this kid so much!!

We started the month by traveling to Los Angeles to visit my brother, sister-in-law and Nathan's cousin, who is only 3 weeks older than him! It was so fun for the cousins to "meet", even though they were clueless! It is so interesting ot see how different their personalities are even at such a young age. It was also weird to see my brother as a dad. I am sure he felt the same way about me!

Nathan did fantastic on the plane both ways. On the way out there he slept for about 2 hours then just looked around. When we landed the people behind us said they never even knew we had a baby on board!! Yea Nate!

After we returned for LA, we drove to Houston, as my grandfather had to undergo surgery while we were in LA. Nathan did not do well on the drive down and it was a painful drive, he just decided he no longer liked his car seat and he wanted mama to know about it! He did do much better on the way home!

He was a good baby in Houston and was excellent at cheering my grandparents up. I mean who can be down around an adorable little smiling machine!

My brother and sister both flew in for the weekend ot be with my grandpa. It was the first time we had all been together in almost 2 years. It was also the first time for my sister to meet Nathan!

We had a "practice" graduation ceremony for my sister in Houston as my grandparents were unable to travel to NY for her "real" graduation.

After we returned from Houston Nathan. my mom and I flew to NY 3 days later for my sister's graduation from Law School. It was so amazing to see her graduate after all she has been through! She also was given a prestigious award of Most Outstanding Law student!!

Nathan did great in NY. He was so easy going and brought a smile to so many people's faces. We were able ot spend a little time in the city, so he got his first Zoo experience at the Central Park zoo.

He even dressed up in a tie for Aunt Cheryl's graduation!

So, May has flown by!

Nate will be 3 months this week and I have to return to work soon. I am really going to miss being with him all the time, but I know it will be good for me. I am anxious about going back to work, I feel like I have forgotten everything!!

Much Improvement

It is amazing how much a baby can change in just a week, let alone 7 weeks! We are starting to get a routine down with him and I know that will only last until he decides he wants a different routine! He just started sleeping 5-6 hours at night and it is wonderful! When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he drinks his bottle then goes right back to sleep, so I can not complain at all!
He took his first road trip 2 weeks ago. We went to Houston to visit my grandparents. He did great in the car! HE slept the whole way, except t o eat once. I was afraid that meant he would be up all night, but he not so! I really feel blessed to have a baby that sleeps so well, he is definitely our child (we love sleep!) We had a fun and relaxing time in Houston and my mom was nice enough to take a 2 am feeding so we could rest!

Here he is with his "great" grandparents

He is starting to interact more and I am finally starting to feel that "bond" with him. I am waiting patiently for him to start smiling. I know once he does it will make this whole journey worth while! I still have days where I feel like he is just an extra bag to carry around, and I reminisce on the days when life was carefree and I could go ride my bike or swim without finding someone to watch the baby. That being said, my favorite part of t he day is when he and I take a nap in the afternoon. He curls up on my chest and it is so peaceful and loving! He makes the cutest noises in his sleep, like he's having a puppy mere!

Here he is watching his mobile in his crib! He kicks his legs to the music and is so intense watching the little animals

We bought him this play mat and when he is in the right mood he will just stare at all the little toys. However, this mood is usually short lived and he gets bored! He and his daddy were playing together

He seems to be growing each day and he is finally starting to get a little fuzz on his bald head!
I can't wait to see how much he has grown at his 2 month appointment, although I am not looking forward to him getting his 2 month shots. We weighed him at home and he is around 9 pounds and he is just about to big for his newborn diapers.





Hopefully next time I post I will have a picture of him smiling!!!

1 month already!

Just like my pregnancy, 1 month has flown by and crawled by at the same time! This past month has been a real adjustment for us.

Luckily my post-partum baby blues (that no one warned me about!!) have subsided and I am back to semi-normal. I don't think I will be normal until I am able to sleep at night. I am able to eat again and I am not sad or crying all the time! However, the lack of sleep has been the hardest thing for us.

We have been and were told by most people that we would adjust to life without sleep. Well, Dan and I are sleepers and our bodies require sleep. We are not really adjusting and I don't think I ever will. But, I know Nathan has to sleep through the night at some point, so I am holding on to that for comfort!! It is hard, especially for Dan, as he is training for cycling season to begin, to put in a difficult workout and then to be able to recover with sleep.

Nathan has been doing pretty good at night, he usually will go back to sleep after his feedings, or need a little rocking, so I know it could be worse!!

We decided to give up on the nursing. I tried everything from Fenu-greek, Reglan, drinking tons of water, eating more, pumping, nursing frequently and nothing brought in my milk supply. I only make 1 ounce in a 3 hour period, which is no where near enough for Nathan to thrive. We had been going through a rigorous routine of me nursing 15 minutes each side, Dan supplementing with a bottle and me pumping for 15 minutes then cleaning all the pumping pieces. It is very taxing on us as the whole process takes about an hour and we repeat it every 3, that only gives us about 2 hours or less between feedings. It is really rough at 2 am ! My OB and the lactation consult both said I gave it my best shot and for sanity's sake I should call it quits. That made me feel better about my decision. I really liked nursing and wish I could nurse exclusively, but I know I tried everything (except domperidone which is not approved by the FDA in this country).

All that to say, I think now that we are going to bottle only, life will get a little easier for us. We can take turns at night feeding him and the whole process will take 15 minutes as opposed to 1 hour. Plus I will not be tied to the house as much either! I hate being cooped up.

Nathan has been growing by leaps and bounds everyday! He is more awake during the day time and seems to be interactive at times. He is a morning person like us! After his morning feeding he is so attentive and looks around and doesn't fuss. He has been trying to smile (or so I think) but he's not there yet! I am looking forward to him smiling and interacting even more! Right now he is more like a "pet rock"! But a cute pet rock at least!

My brother and sister-in-law found him this cyclist onesie! It is perfect!

this was so sweet. He fell asleep holding my finger up to his cheek! Dan was giving him a lesson on changing brake pads! He likes spending time in the garage with daddy (well, by that I mean he likes taking a nap in the garage)! The first time we put him in his car seat he was lost in it. Now his head reaches the top of the cushion! He's growing so fast!

This is his 1month picture. I accidentally downloaded the wrong one. But I am not "blogger savvy" enough to know how to delete it without deleing the entire post!

Each month we are going to picture him next to his lion!

Nathan's Birth Story

My orginal due date was March 7, 2011. I had a very easy pregnancy with no complications and few complaints. At 35 weeks I did have to go into the hospital for decreased fetal movements, which were nothing and everything was fine. At that time they did a sono and estimated his weight was 6lbs 2oz and I still had 5 weeks to go!! Of course I was sure I was going to have a 8 0r 9 pound baby at this point.
My weekly appointments then started,
At 36 weeks I was not dilated or effaced and he was high. I figured this normal as I still have 4 weeks left to go.
At 37 weeks I was not dilated or effaced and he was high, so I continued to walk a ton each day in hopes of bringing him down or dilating.
At 38 weeks I was dilated to 1cm, not effaced and he was high, so I began to jog (wth my Dr's permission) for a few minutes at a time during my walks to convince him to make his way downward. Did'nt work. I just had a gut feeling he was going to be an overdue baby.
I went into my 39 week appt. ( on Wednesday) expecting just another exam and for her to tell me I was not dilated or effaced and that he was still high, of course I was secretly hoping I had made SOME progress. Well, the nurse took my blood pressure and it was much higher than normal for me. My whole pregnancy I had been 110-120/70's. Today it was 130's/90's. The nurse told me my Dr. would not like that. However, I knew I was'nt pre-eclamtic because I was not spilling any protien in my urine.
My Dr. came in with a frown and took my BP herself, 3 times, where she said the lowest she got was 148/94. Now granted thatt is not horrible in a non-pregnant person but un pregnancy can be dangerous for mother and baby. It can cause decreased blood flow to baby and stroke in the mother. She then said we are going to induce and have a baby on Friday. I was kinda in shock! What! This is not how I had in planned in my head. I planned on going into natural labor at home, walking around until I could not bear the pain any more, going to the hospital were I would already be dilated to 7, be in labor another 2 hours or so, give a few pushes and "poof" have a baby...................Yes, keep laughing, that was my dream!!
Sadly my dream would not be a reality this time. My Dr. (who I totaly respect and adore) was going to be out of town for the next day(Thursday). I really wanted her to deliver my baby. She made me promise to go right home and do nothing but finish packing and relax. I also had to take my BP every 3 hours and if my diastolic got into the 100's, I had to go to hospital right away. She was going to have me come in to hospital on Thursday night and be admitted so I could recieve Cervidil. Cervidil is supposed to help soften your cervix as I was still not effaced, he was high and I was only 1cm dilated. Not ideal numbers for an induction.

Here is my last pregnancy picture at our house. We were on our way to the hospital! Nervous and excited!

My mom and cousins came up to hospital Thursday night to keep me company and play games. It was a bummer becasue I had to be laying pretty flat in order for the Cervidil to do it's job. It was really hard ot eat my "last meal" on my back!

We were admited at 5pm. I took some Ambien to help me sleep, but it did no good! I was up all night with my brain spinning. It was so weird to think I was going to have a baby tommorow! This is our last night as a childless couple!

They wheeled us down to L&D at 0530 Friday morning. My Pitocin, for the induction, was started at 0600. The first few hours were not bad. I was more worried about the fact I was not going to be able to eat AT ALL today, however I turned out to be nauseated and never wanted food anyways.

They kept turning up the pitocin and my contractions got stronger. At 10:30 my Dr. came in and broke my water. At that point I was dilated ot a 2 but my cervix was softer. I figured this was going to be a LONG labor. My biggest coping mechanism to pain is walking or exercise, but since I was on pitocin they had to monitor the baby constantly, so I only had a 6x6 ft area I could walk around in. after she broke my water, my contractions got really strong! I wanted to try and do this without an epidural so I asked for some Stadol ( which is a narcotic). It was horrible. It made me so sleepy but it changed my contractions to a much more intense burning pain. So, I woud fall dead asleep for 2 minutes, have a contractio and be in awful pain, then fall back dead asleep. Not much fun. Dan finally convinced me to get an epidural. I am glad Idid. However, I stayed fuzzy brained the rest of the day from the Stadol. It also caused me to throw up multiple times. Can you believe I went through my entire pregnanc without ever throwing up and then I am retcing my guts during delivery? Go figure.

After the epidural, it dropped my blood pressure (irony!) pretty low so I got 4 liters of fluid and a dose of ephedrine. The baby also started having decels (drops in his heart rate) so they had to put me on oxygen to make sure baby was getting enough oxygen. Around 2pm she checked me and I was only dialted 4 cm. Argg...this is going to be rough.

I tried to get a little rest since I felt foggy and nauseated, but I never did. My family and husband kept me company and entertained me. At 4:45pm I began to feel presure and the baby began to have decels agian. She decided to check me. She asked me what I thought Iwas dialted too. I was hoping for anything more than a 5! Turns out Iwas fully dilated and ready to push!! Yea!

The pushing was hard work, but not painful, so I was so glad I had the epidural at that point. It made it more enjoyable. I pushed for 30 minutes and then had a sweet little boy! When he came out I realized he was not hte 8-9 pound baby I had been epecting. My doctor said he looked kinda scrawny and guessed his weight was 6pounds. Well, she was right! He was 6pounds 1 oz. She said my placenta was failing and that had casued him to lose some weight and for me to have the hypertension. Tha made me feel better, knowing we had made the right decsion to induce, reagardless of the unpleasantness of it.

Here he is !! Nathan Bradley Hill! Pretty cute, I think!

They moved us to post partum about 2 hours later. Dan is such a good dad! He is very loving towards Nathan and loves to hold him!

ok, not hte best picture of me, I was a smidge fluid overloaded in my defense!! A very proud Grandma!

Here we are about to be dischargedfrom the hospital! I can't believe the whole pregnancy and birth experience are over! It makes me sad, I like being pregnant and I miss feeling him kick and squirm in my tummy. But, a whole new adventure is about ot begin!

On the way home from the hospital, Nathan and I fell sound asleep, at least I know he is my child! He naps as good as I do! W econitnued our nap when we got home!

Nathan has been a good baby so far. We have had feeding issues, I have a hormonal imbalance so I am not making no where near enough milk for him, but are giving him formula and supplementing with breast milk that I pump. He will hopefully start gaining weight now! He sleeps good at night, and all day, and we have fun "entertaining" him during his short awake periods.

I love this cuddly newborn stage but I am also looking forward to him becoming more interactive too.

An update is coming - I promise!

Introducing Nathan Bradley

He was born March 4 at 1720 (5:20p) he weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 19 1/4 inches long

I am trying to find time to update my blog from over the past 3 weeks. We now have a beautiful som named Nathan who is 9 days old today! I never realized how exhausted I would be. Everyone warns you but it is much worse tahn I ever expected. I love sleep and miss it horribly. I am trying to learn to adjust without it! All that to say, my life is in 3 hour chunks now, well actually 2 hour chunks. We find the little guy every 3 hours, but with feeding issues, it takes an hour to feed, give a supplement , pump and wash all the pump materials, so then you only have 2 hours or less before you start over agian! I promise I will carve out time this week to work on my blog. Hopefully it will help me feel normal to work on it.

Work baby Shower and 37 weeks

Yea!! Less than 3 weeks to go! I am so excited for Spartacus to arrive I just know these next few weeks are going to drag by. We finished the nursery and now I need to do all the baby clothes washing. I also need to pack my bag, although I still feel like I have plenty of time since this is my first I am sure he is going to overstay his welcome in my belly!

Here are some belly shots from 36 week and below is from one of our showers! I will try to remember to post pictures next week. My belly has really dropped just in the past week!

We have been busy the past few weeks with finishing the nursery and having baby showers!!

We had my work shower a few weeks ago and it was so much fun! I work with alot of men so we made the shower co-ed. I think the guys had fun without feeling bored or overloaded with estrogen!! We started the shower with the guys playing a game! The had to all drink a bottle of juice without using thier hands! It was so funny to watch their jaws and mouths get tired so they had to put the bottle down and then pick it back up agian without thire hands! Congrats to Jason for winning!!!

Dan said it was much harder than it looks!

Two of my close frineds hosted the shower and it was a great success! They had a table full of all my favorite snack adn they made the cake which was delcious!! I am very grateful for all the hard work they put into it!!

A bunch of my co-workers all pitched in an bought

us our car seat and swing! they were all very generous in all the gifts we recieved!

A fun diaper cake my friend made

I feel blessed to have such wonderful co-workers who care about us!