Rice Cereal and Big Tummies

Yesterday Nathan was having an especially adorable day.  Nathan is now eating like a horse and wants a bottle every hour.  Well, Matt and I are getting worn out so we have started him on rice cereal.  The past week we have just been working on on him getting used to eating from a spoon but last night he was all over it!

I made him his serving of food and began feeding him to it.  Well, I could not get the food in his mouth fast enough and so he started grabbing the spoon from me and shoving it into his mouth.  He did this until the cereal was gone. I told Nathan we were all done and took the bowl off his tray.  Well he went NUTS!  He started screaming and so I put the bowl back and he calmed down. 

I made him a second helping of cereal and he downed that as well.  So Nathan got a THIRD serving of cereal.  Luckily halfway through that bowl he decided that since he had eaten his body weight it was probably time to stop.  I love that he is doing so well and that he loves to eat with the spoon!

Four Month Old Checkup

Nathan had his four month check up on Monday.  I love taking him in for these check ups to see how much he has progressed and grown.  My little stud has gained three pounds in the past month and is shooting up like a weed!  The doctor and nurse both commented on how he finally is getting some fat on him.

Nathan weighs 13.5 pounds and is 26 inches long.  He is in the 20th percentile for his weight and 60th percentile for his height.  He isn't rolling over but the doctor said not to worry and that he will figure it out soon.

The doctor also said that Nathan is small enough that he does not need to be started on food, but if we wanted to it would be fine.  Well Matt has been counting down the days to feed him food since Nathan was born so we went ahead and tried.  We gave Nathan sweet potatoes and he did great with the first two bites, then realized what was going on and then put up a fight.  He did better than I thought he would and we are going to keep trying.

  Nathan got his shots as well and was such a trooper.  He cried like crazy at the doctor's office and then on and off for about an hour.  We got him home and gave him children's Advil and within 20 minutes we had a happy playful baby again. I feel like I have been so blessed to have such a happy easy baby and I can't wait to see what is to come in the next few months.

Three Months Old!

My little baby turned three months old today!  I can't believe how quickly time has flown by and how much he has changed in such a short amount of time. 

He is finally growing hair on the top of his head and getting longer and skinnier by the minute.  Nathan is also smiling, laughing, and playing like crazy.  Even just a month ago Nathan wanted to be held more than anything and would cry if I put him down for too long.  Now he cries if I try to hold him for too long and will kick his legs until I lay him down to play on his mat.

He is sleeping so much better too!  The last few weeks he has been sleeping between six and eight hours straight at night and it has been absolutely wonderful!  Because he is sleeping better he is happier and awake more during the day too.

I think my favorite thing about my little bug right now though is the talking.  He started it up only about two weeks ago and just thinks its the greatest thing.  At first he was just cooing but now he is making all sorts of noises all the time!

Matt and I love our little man so much and are so grateful every single day to have him in our lives.  I can't believe how blessed I am to have such a happy sweet baby and I am excited to see how much he is going to grow and change in the next few months.

Five Years Ago...

Five years ago today Matt left to serve his mission in the Dominican Republic.  FIVE YEARS AGO!  I can't believe how fast time has flown by and how much our lives have changed.  I also can't believe that I survived two years without him. 

I have been thinking all day about the day Matt left.  I remember feeling so excited for him and happy that he had chosen to serve a mission.  But I also remember feeling devastated, the worst I have ever felt in my entire life.  I felt so uncertain, so lonely and so heartbroken without my best friend.

Matt and I tease sometimes that if we were able to get through him serving a two year mission we can get through anything but I believe it with all my heart.  I know the Lord blessed both of us for him serving a mission and continues to do so in our marriage.

I am so grateful that five years has passed and that we are married with the cutest baby in the entire world!  Ya...life is good!

Birth Story

This is my favorite picture of my sweet baby boy!  I can't believe Nathan is 5 weeks old!  The time has gone by so quickly but at the same time its hard to remember before he was born.  He has become Matt and my entire world and I can't believe how much I love him.

Nathan was born on November 6, 2011 even though my due date was October 30.  I went in to my 39 week doctor appointment hopeful that I would soon be done with being pregnant.  By that point I was so exhausted and ready to be done.  My doctor had been watching my blood pressure and swelling and was all ready to send me to the hospital to be induced.

Unfortunately my blood pressure was just a few numbers away from going to the hospital and when the doctor checked me I was had not begun effacing or dilating, and the baby was still up high.  The doctor told me to not be discouraged, to walk a lot, and that she was sure I wouldn't go too far past my due date.

My last day of work was the Friday before my due date because the doctor told me I was not allowed to work beyond that.  My due date came and went with no excitement and I showed up to my regular doctor appointment at 40 weeks 2 days.  My doctor told me if I was even just dilated to a 1 she would send me to the hospital to be induced but unfortunately I still hadn't progressed at all.  She scheduled me to be induced on Sunday when I would be 41 weeks.

I ended up going to the hospital Saturday night because the doctor thought it would take at least 20 hours once I got induced.  The nurse told me they would start me on three pills throughout the night and then begin pitocin in the morning.  The pills were supposed to help me efface but not start contractions.  Within 20 minutes of taking the first pill I started having contractions. 

The nurse came to check me after three hours and I was 50 percent effaced, dilated to a 1 and the baby had dropped down into position.  By 7 am I was dilated to a 4 and didn't even need pitocin.  They gave  me my epidural right as my mom and Emily got to the hospital.  By 12:45 I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push. 

They called the on call doctor, Doctor Warren and I began pushing.  I pushed for two hours but couldn't get the baby's head out. At 1:30 the doctor suggested using the vacuum to get the baby out and by that point I was so exhausted I would have agreed to anything to get the baby out.  Once she put the vacuum on the baby's head he was out within 5 minutes!

It was the most amazing moment when all of the sudden the baby was out and I heard him cry for the first time.  The nurses immediately laid him on my chest and was overcome with how much love I instantly felt for my sweet baby.  I held my baby and cried with absolute joy and as I held him he calmed down and snuggled next to me.  Emily cut the cord and they took the baby to weigh him. He was born at 2:49 and was 8 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long.  Matt decided that his first name would be Nathan and I picked David after my dad for his middle name.

I was so grateful to have Matt by my side throughout the entire labor as well as having my mom and Emily there.  They were all so wonderful and encouraging and I was so happy to share the experience with them.  Labor was such an amazing experience even though it was not how I had planned it but more than anything I am so happy to have my little Nathan here after 9 long months!

Cute Husband

I got a text from Matt today with this picture and a caption saying "The baby is coming today!"  Well husband, lets just hope that Panda Express is correct and that the baby will be here today.

10 Days Left

Good and bad news.  I am still borderline preeclampsia but my test results came back low enough that I do not need to be induced early.  It is good news to know that the baby and I are healthy and not at risk.  The bad news is that I am still pregnant!!!

In some ways it feels like everything is going by so fast and the baby will be here before we know it.  On the other hand 10 days until my due date feels like forever, and then I could possibly go two more weeks over that date.  Arg I hate the waiting game.

My work is holding interviews for my position today and tomorrow.  I had not even realized that my last day at work is scheduled for next Friday.  Leaving work and letting someone have full control over my job is going to be extremely hard for me.  I keep having horror nightmares about coming back to work in January and having files missing and erased or corrupted.

Matt and I were talking about the baby last night and both of us have decided we have not grasped the fact that we are going to be taking a baby home with us from the hospital.  I know that sounds so strange but I feel like I haven't even had time to think about it.  I just keep thinking that I am almost done being pregnant and that is as far as I get.

I just need to have this baby soon!  The anxiety about making sure everything is ready and leaving work and the thought of labor is making me an absolute crazy person.  I hope this baby comes any day!!