Update: A Good Night

Thanks for all the advice and words of encouragement ladies! I really don't expect him to be on a schedule this early - I'm not very Type A. My biggest concern with his late night feasting was that he was depleting my milk supply, and I really didn't want to buy and supplement with formula if at all possible.

Anyway, he did wonderfully last night. He did try to do his late night feast at his 1:00 feeding again (wide awake). I fed him a little more than his usual 2 to 2.5 oz, fed him 3 oz. Then Joey and I were able to take shifts for about an hour and soothed him back to sleep, rocking and with a paci. He also slept a 3 hour stretch (4 hours between feedings) and a 2 hour (3 hours between feedings). So I'm very pleased. I figured it was some kind of habit since he was doing it at the same time every night, not just a random hunger/growth spurt. So it's good to know those instincts y'all were talking about were right! Thanks again!

Advice Again

Ok, I'm going to love blogging more now that I'm a mommy because I love the free advice!

So diaper update: the size up diaper was way to big to wear around his legs, but we put it on top of his newborn diaper and that seems to do the trick! Yay! Hopefully it will continue to work. Thanks again for all the input!

So, the new problem: We are planning to implement Babywise (or at least most of it), and right now we are supposed to be trying to get in full feedings every 2 to 3 hours. Well, Marshall has insisted on going way above and beyond a full feeding at his 1:00/2:00 AM feeding. He is wide awake (even though I'm trying to keep him up more between feedings during the day) and refuses to be satisfied with his normal 2 or 2.5 oz. (which is still a lot anyway). He will cry and cry (paci doesn't satisfy and won't rock to sleep) until he gets another ounce and then the same thing until he's up to 4 or more ounces!! Dr. Chupp said that since he's back up to birth weight already (in less than a week), we need to try to limit that big feeding. Has anybody dealt with this and what did you do??

Growing

Marshall had a great Dr.'s apointment today. He is already back up to birth weight of 6.12 after being down to 6.4 when we left the hospital! Dr. Chupp said most babies take 2 weeks to do that! This little guy can eat, let me tell you!

Sunbathing for the jaundice.


Maggie is sooo interested in him! Ty doesn't care.


We had a really good night last night. Hopefully, its a habit because I started getting him up every two hours during the day to eat because he seemed to want to sleep all during the day and be up eating often at night. So last night he went 3 hour stretches between feedings without waking up! I actually got in almost 7 hours of sleep! Pray it's not a fluke! :) My wonderful sister is staying with us tonight, though, to let us get a full night's rest. Pretty sweet huh?!

Diaper Situation

Ok, so we made it home. Not gonna lie, the first night was the pits! Pretty much no sleep (he slept some, but by the time I would pump, clean up, and get to sleep he was up again).

But y'all, he is so sweet! He sleeps anywhere - in his crib, swing, or in your arms (though we're not doing that much). He really only cries if he's hungry, has a dirty diaper, or cold/wants to be swaddled. So precious! Look like his daddy or what?


So back to our diaper situation. Part of our night issues (including last night, which was a little better than the first) is that we're spending a lot of time changing clothes and sheets because he's leaking through his diapers, then the cycle starts because he's all stimulated and awake! Did it twice each night so far! Here's some details you might need to know - we are using Pampers swaddlers (Huggies little snugglers aren't as tight around his legs as these). He doesn't leak during the day, but he is also eating a lot more at night and more often than during the day, guess his days and nights are confused. Joey says it's because we jinxed him by putting owls in his room!

Anyway, does anybody have any advice/tips or dealt with this before? Do I just put a changing pad under him and still have to change his clothes? Do I try to fit two diapers on him at night?

Birth Story

Our little blessing arrived Friday, September 9, 2011 (one day earlier than his due date).

I figured I would go ahead and write the birth story (because I hear you tend to forget the details especially with the fatigue).
I had been in some form of labor since Monday. I say some form because I was hurting and even on a regular schedule but not enough to be what I thought contractions should be like. They would never increase in intensity or closeness together but just moderately hurt about an hour apart. I was very much hoping all that discomfort wasn't wasted and that on Tuesday the Dr. would tell me I had dilated from the 1 cm the week before. Thankfully, it was music to my ears when he told me I was at 3!

Then I had a difficult decision to make...he offered to induce me that night because he would be leaving to go out of town Friday (when he thought the baby might come on his own). I had said from the beginning I didn't want to be induced (unless medically necessary) because I had heard too many horror stories of how long it takes and all the complications due to your body's not being ready. So after discussing it with Joey and some other friends and family, I decided to let things happen on their own.

So Thursday rolls around, and I'm very uncomfortably wondering when this thing is going to happen. Joey decided to go in to work because he had been waiting around on this little guy for a week and a half. He thought maybe if he left, Marshall would be spiteful and come :)
So that evening I decided to take a bath to try to get comfortable (thinking to myself, even though I know it won't happen would I know if my water breaks in the bathtub?). Not many mintues later, just that happened!! Joey was halfway between home and Huntsville on his way home, so I told him to just turn around and head to the hospital and that my parents could take me.

So mom and dad picked me up and we got to Huntsville about 9:00 PM. At this point I was mostly hurting in my back but still not as bad as I expected. When we got to the hospital, they were packed in L & D! A nurse came out and said I could come with her and that I had gotten the last room! She said she picked me out of everybody waiting because I was bent over holding my back, ha!

I met my wonderful nurse, Bethany, who checked me and told me I was at 4 cm. The contractions were coming about every 6 minutes or so but still weren't too bad. I was grateful, hoping that I could hold out on the epidural til the last minute. About an hour and a half went by and I was at 5 cm. Then the contractions picked up. They first were coming about every 3 minutes and were getting stronger, then they picked up to where I only had about 30 seconds rest between and they were awful!! Joey was awesome - letting me lean over him to try to take pressure off my back. I was so hoping I was 7 cm or so since it had been probably 2 hours. But unfortunately, I was only 5.5 cm. At that point I decided I wanted the epidural and would just hope it didn't slow down my progress.

The nurse got the ok from the dr. (thankfully, my doctor was still in town and decided to wait until I delievered to leave probably Friday) to use pitocin with the epidural so my progress wouldn't slow. Thankfully, either because of this approach or because I finally got to relax, I progressed to 8.5 cm in a couple hours. That epidural was so wonderful. The nurse put me in a "wedge position" to drop him as much as possible. About an hour later, I was ready to push! I did a few pushes with her before she called the dr. because he had crowned. Dr. came in and I pushed several sets with him, and there my baby boy was!! After just 45 minutes of pushing and 9/10 hours of labor, John Marshall was born at 7:19 AM, weighing 6 lb. 12 oz and 19 1/2 in long (not much different from his daddy at 6 lb 14 oz, 19 in)! It was such a physical relief, emotional relief, and pure joy to finally see him (and exactly what I hoped - his strawberry blonde hair!).

He's such a great baby already. I'm sure it can change in the coming days/weeks, but right now he loves to sleep (wherever, however) and nurses very well. Maybe this won't jinx him :) We are so in love! Amazing that God entrusted such a sweet little human to us!! We already pray that we'll be parents that point him to his Heavenly Father!

Almost there...

I got good news at the dr. today. I was hoping all my discomfort would mean progress from my being dilated 1 cm last week. Thankfully, I'm at a 3!!

I had to make a difficult decision, though. He offered to induce me tonight because he will be out of town this weekend (when he predicts the baby could come on his own). I had said from the beginning that I would not have an induction for convinience, only if the baby were in duress. It was so tempting, though, to know that I could be over this discomfort sooner (and that my doctor would for sure be the one to deliver him).

Finally, after discussing it with Joey and a few other family members/friends I decided I shouldn't let my discomfort and desire for control/convinience outweigh what I think is best - the natural process.

So that's where we are! Just uncomfortably waiting to go into active labor!