I brought Kenan in today for his two week check-up, how in the world is he two weeks old already. I demand time to stop in it's tracks so I can enjoy my little boy before he has to grow up and be busy.... busy catching frogs and scaring his sisters, chasing dandelion fluff and learning how things grow. I want all that but I also want him little for a little longer.
He is not quite up to birth weight yet. He was close 9 lbs 4.5 oz. He has grown 3/4 of an inch so he is now 21 and 3/4 in. His head has gained a cm. now so he is up to 15. Everything is great. He is another big, healthy baby. I am loving being his mommy so much. I am so grateful that God chose me to have him. He is such a blessing. Since last Sunday he only gets up once at night. It is between 3 and 4. He eats one side and goes back to bed until 7 or 7:30. Did I mention how blessed I feel? My girls were not great sleepers. Kenan is a wonder. Right now I hear his daddy up holding him and talking to him. I hear a lot of "little buddy's," it is so precious and I just don't want it to ever end.
I'm off to feed my lil buddy and cherish him some more because when we wake up tom. he will be 2 weeks and a day.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Content
I feel so content in life right now. I have a beautiful, healthy family, a wonderful husband who is truly a well-intentioned man in all he does. A roof over our heads, food, clothes, love. I think of the Haitan people and all I can feel is gratitude for all we have and all we are not going through. Their stories are unbelievable. We sponsor an adorable little girl from the Dominican Republic and even though the earthquake didn't happen there I find myself thinking of her and praying for her a lot more often. It would be very hard to not have enough. So many people live that way that it has been an eye opener for Joel and I as to how much we have. Sure, we can look at lots of other people who have life way easier than we do and compare but we are learning to be content.... with our own situation... with whatever God has for us. That is the way to live. Like Paul says, we must learn to be content in every situation whatever the circumstance. That is the way to truly feel happy.
Our little man feels quite content these days too...now that my milk is in full force there is no more hours of fussing all night long!
In fact, there is lots of sleeping. I layed him on the floor for a moment and he put himself right to sleep. On Sunday night he did a 6 hours stretch and lastnight he did a 6 hour and 45 min. stretch. Unfortunatly I don't get a 6 hours stretch. After he falls asleep I hold him and burp him for awhile, then get ready for bed. It is usually already a whole hour by that point. Then I wake up sore and engorged about an hour to an hour and 1/2 before he does. I spent some of my night pumping lastnight. I wouldn't trade any of it. I love being a zombie if it means I get him.
Auntie Danie was here half of his life thus far. She was such an amazing help with the girls. Thanks Auntie Danie- We love and miss you!
another alert photo. He seems to have lots of awake time.
Daddy and Kenan-- we call him our little red man-- can you tell why?? :-)
mommy and her baby
I just love him to pieces
We were trying to get a good family picture but the girls looked entirely too grumpy and the sheet wasn't big enough... darn!
If everyone was looking this one could have been good.
kissing Kenan
Our little man feels quite content these days too...now that my milk is in full force there is no more hours of fussing all night long!
In fact, there is lots of sleeping. I layed him on the floor for a moment and he put himself right to sleep. On Sunday night he did a 6 hours stretch and lastnight he did a 6 hour and 45 min. stretch. Unfortunatly I don't get a 6 hours stretch. After he falls asleep I hold him and burp him for awhile, then get ready for bed. It is usually already a whole hour by that point. Then I wake up sore and engorged about an hour to an hour and 1/2 before he does. I spent some of my night pumping lastnight. I wouldn't trade any of it. I love being a zombie if it means I get him.
Auntie Danie was here half of his life thus far. She was such an amazing help with the girls. Thanks Auntie Danie- We love and miss you!
another alert photo. He seems to have lots of awake time.
Daddy and Kenan-- we call him our little red man-- can you tell why?? :-)
mommy and her baby
I just love him to pieces
We were trying to get a good family picture but the girls looked entirely too grumpy and the sheet wasn't big enough... darn!
If everyone was looking this one could have been good.
kissing Kenan
just staring at our new little man
Our 3 kiddos
So precious
These two are so delightful!
Little Kenan- alert as always
So precious
These two are so delightful!
Little Kenan- alert as always
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Birth Story
Several of you have been asking for my birth story so here goes....
It actually started about 6 weeks ago now. Back in Dec I lost part of my mucus plug- not knowing that you can keep losing more and more of it for as long as I did, I assumed I would be starting labor soon. Not too long after that I started having contractions. I had contractions everyday from about 6 weeks out until his birth. Some nights they were so intense that I would be woken up and having diarrea and painful contractions at regular intervals. At 36 weeks I was checked and a 1 and 50% effaced. At 37 weeks a 2, At 38 weeks a 3, and at 39 and 40 weeks a 4. His head went from a -2 at 36 weeks to a 0 by 39 weeks. It is crazy to me how much labor my body did this time beforehand, with the girls I started at 0 and had my water break and my contractions would begin. This time is a much different experience....
I was set to be induced on Friday the 8th but called and cancelled it feeling that I wanted to wait to go on my own. The 18th is the longest out he would let me go so I set up an induction on that date praying I would go on my own beforehand. Friday the 15th, 3 days before my scheduled induction I had to go in to have a 20 min. fetal strip done on the baby. I guess they do this for all postdate babies. While at my appt. we discovered my fluid was leaking. I then got sent up to the hospital for further testing. It took them 2 hours to tell me that yes my fluid was leaking and they were going to admit me. My dr. is out of town so I got passed onto another dr. that I have never met. She, without seeing me wrote up orders for the nurse to start giving me pitocin. I refused it and told them I want my water broken all the way and I want two hours before any pitocin. She left to call the dr. and came back into my room telling me it was my lucky day and the dr. agreed to do that. The nurse then tried to I.V. me only to have my veins in my hands rupture twice. She called in a different nurse who finally got one in.
At 1:40 the dr. came and broke my water. I immediately started having strong contractions 2-5 min. apart. By 2:10. they were every two minutes and very, very hard. I couldn't walk, talk and needed my back squeezed with each one. By 4:00 they were one on top of the other and I was having a strong urge to push- infact, I was pushing with them even though I wasn't supposed to. I was only a 6. At this point I was on my back laying in the bed. I had to be careful as to how I layed because the babies heart rate was getting too low with contractions. The nurse wouldn't let me down to labor how I wanted and I needed my back pushed with each one which is extremely hard while laying down on my back. It became unbearable and I caved and wanted the epidural. Looking back now- the nurse should have told me no and that I was in transition (one on top of the other contractions, cold and shaking, nauseous) but she was more than happy to oblige. My friend Sarah who was with me kept telling me I could do it and it was almost done but I didn't believe her. All I could think was that I went on and on at a 7 for 7 hours with Abby and I just couldn't do that again. The anestegiologist came in and he was such a nice man. I felt at peace having him there. We had christian music on the whole time and he came in and immediately started talking about the artists and we knew right away he was a christian. I felt like I was in good hands. He did his magic amidst my hard contractions and before he even was even done with the epidural I was a 10. It was 4:23. So- less than 3 hours since the start.
It stinks to know I did the whole labor on my own and got the epidural when I didn't need it and all the risk associated with that. I have been having pains in my back where it was administered to me. There is a reason for everything though and I am choosing to believe that. Now that I had the epidural I was able to hold off on pushing and we let the baby work his way down for almost a whole hour. The dr. was busy and not able to get up to our room right away so without that I would have been delivering with the nurses. Without the epidural there is no way to control that horrific urge to push and there is no way I could have waited. I would have pushed then and there and he would have been here sooner but I also probably would have torn more severe.
At 4:15, the dr. arrived, the head was visible even though I hadn't pushed yet so we started pushing. I got his head halfway out on the first contraction and the dr. just had me wait like that to work on stretching. I had 4th degree tearing with Abby and have all the scar tissue now so tearing is always an issue with me. The 2nd contraction came and out he came. 5:20 p.m. All 9 lbs 6 oz of him. The dr. had to unwrap the cord around his neck twice before handing him to me. He was so beautiful. I just felt deeply in awe! There was a knot in his cord too and the dr. told us she had never seen that except for in c-sections. I had 2nd degree tearing again. That is what I had with Emily too. Even with letting him work down on his own and stretch me so there is a good chance that without that epidural and with a faster pushing delivery I would have torn much worse again. The dr.'s dated him 41 weeks gestation which did put my due date to Jan. 8th. It is amazing to me. Abby was born 12 days earlier than Kenan weighed the same, their heads measured the same and she was 1/2 inch longer. How crazy. She was a big girl!!!
All in all, it was amazing. It was super fast- and intense but so worth the result. Now, if only I can find a way to keep him little longer. I just don't want the time to pass so fast! I am going to do my best to enjoy every moment. Thanks for all your prayers during this time in our lives! We appreciate it!
It actually started about 6 weeks ago now. Back in Dec I lost part of my mucus plug- not knowing that you can keep losing more and more of it for as long as I did, I assumed I would be starting labor soon. Not too long after that I started having contractions. I had contractions everyday from about 6 weeks out until his birth. Some nights they were so intense that I would be woken up and having diarrea and painful contractions at regular intervals. At 36 weeks I was checked and a 1 and 50% effaced. At 37 weeks a 2, At 38 weeks a 3, and at 39 and 40 weeks a 4. His head went from a -2 at 36 weeks to a 0 by 39 weeks. It is crazy to me how much labor my body did this time beforehand, with the girls I started at 0 and had my water break and my contractions would begin. This time is a much different experience....
I was set to be induced on Friday the 8th but called and cancelled it feeling that I wanted to wait to go on my own. The 18th is the longest out he would let me go so I set up an induction on that date praying I would go on my own beforehand. Friday the 15th, 3 days before my scheduled induction I had to go in to have a 20 min. fetal strip done on the baby. I guess they do this for all postdate babies. While at my appt. we discovered my fluid was leaking. I then got sent up to the hospital for further testing. It took them 2 hours to tell me that yes my fluid was leaking and they were going to admit me. My dr. is out of town so I got passed onto another dr. that I have never met. She, without seeing me wrote up orders for the nurse to start giving me pitocin. I refused it and told them I want my water broken all the way and I want two hours before any pitocin. She left to call the dr. and came back into my room telling me it was my lucky day and the dr. agreed to do that. The nurse then tried to I.V. me only to have my veins in my hands rupture twice. She called in a different nurse who finally got one in.
At 1:40 the dr. came and broke my water. I immediately started having strong contractions 2-5 min. apart. By 2:10. they were every two minutes and very, very hard. I couldn't walk, talk and needed my back squeezed with each one. By 4:00 they were one on top of the other and I was having a strong urge to push- infact, I was pushing with them even though I wasn't supposed to. I was only a 6. At this point I was on my back laying in the bed. I had to be careful as to how I layed because the babies heart rate was getting too low with contractions. The nurse wouldn't let me down to labor how I wanted and I needed my back pushed with each one which is extremely hard while laying down on my back. It became unbearable and I caved and wanted the epidural. Looking back now- the nurse should have told me no and that I was in transition (one on top of the other contractions, cold and shaking, nauseous) but she was more than happy to oblige. My friend Sarah who was with me kept telling me I could do it and it was almost done but I didn't believe her. All I could think was that I went on and on at a 7 for 7 hours with Abby and I just couldn't do that again. The anestegiologist came in and he was such a nice man. I felt at peace having him there. We had christian music on the whole time and he came in and immediately started talking about the artists and we knew right away he was a christian. I felt like I was in good hands. He did his magic amidst my hard contractions and before he even was even done with the epidural I was a 10. It was 4:23. So- less than 3 hours since the start.
It stinks to know I did the whole labor on my own and got the epidural when I didn't need it and all the risk associated with that. I have been having pains in my back where it was administered to me. There is a reason for everything though and I am choosing to believe that. Now that I had the epidural I was able to hold off on pushing and we let the baby work his way down for almost a whole hour. The dr. was busy and not able to get up to our room right away so without that I would have been delivering with the nurses. Without the epidural there is no way to control that horrific urge to push and there is no way I could have waited. I would have pushed then and there and he would have been here sooner but I also probably would have torn more severe.
At 4:15, the dr. arrived, the head was visible even though I hadn't pushed yet so we started pushing. I got his head halfway out on the first contraction and the dr. just had me wait like that to work on stretching. I had 4th degree tearing with Abby and have all the scar tissue now so tearing is always an issue with me. The 2nd contraction came and out he came. 5:20 p.m. All 9 lbs 6 oz of him. The dr. had to unwrap the cord around his neck twice before handing him to me. He was so beautiful. I just felt deeply in awe! There was a knot in his cord too and the dr. told us she had never seen that except for in c-sections. I had 2nd degree tearing again. That is what I had with Emily too. Even with letting him work down on his own and stretch me so there is a good chance that without that epidural and with a faster pushing delivery I would have torn much worse again. The dr.'s dated him 41 weeks gestation which did put my due date to Jan. 8th. It is amazing to me. Abby was born 12 days earlier than Kenan weighed the same, their heads measured the same and she was 1/2 inch longer. How crazy. She was a big girl!!!
All in all, it was amazing. It was super fast- and intense but so worth the result. Now, if only I can find a way to keep him little longer. I just don't want the time to pass so fast! I am going to do my best to enjoy every moment. Thanks for all your prayers during this time in our lives! We appreciate it!
Some more pictures
Just love his cheeks!
A content, baby sleeping in his daddy's arms
Kenan is just sooo perfect! Now, if only we could get him to sleep at night. He is up wanting to suck all night!
My beautiful mom and Kenan. She has been such a huge help. She was here all lastweek thinking I would go into labor before I did and she was even here 3 nights from the week before. I'm bummed she can't stay longer with us now that he is here but she has already been gone for so long. She leaves on a trip this weekend and already will be up till all hours getting everything done. I am so grateful to her though and am so glad she was here for the birth. Love you mom!
Abby loving on Kenan
Kenan is just sooo perfect! Now, if only we could get him to sleep at night. He is up wanting to suck all night!
My beautiful mom and Kenan. She has been such a huge help. She was here all lastweek thinking I would go into labor before I did and she was even here 3 nights from the week before. I'm bummed she can't stay longer with us now that he is here but she has already been gone for so long. She leaves on a trip this weekend and already will be up till all hours getting everything done. I am so grateful to her though and am so glad she was here for the birth. Love you mom!
Abby loving on Kenan
Abby singing to Kenan
Abby had been singing to Kenan but by the time I got my camera out to tape it she started to not be so interested and more interested in her t.v. show. She really loves him and wants to hold him all the time. She tries to help already. I am learning either I hold him or I bring him with me! :-)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
some photos
My sweet little man on our way home. The spots on his face aren't that red. I don't know why they show up so badly in the pictures.
Love the position of his hand
He looks like Emmy soo much here!
Such a sweetheart
Joel and his "lil buddy" (as he calls him) sleeping together
some awake time
He looks like Emmy soo much here!
Such a sweetheart
Joel and his "lil buddy" (as he calls him) sleeping together
some awake time
The girls meeting him
The love him and jumped up and down when they saw him. Abby kept saying that he is cuter than her.
Emily thinks he is a toy! She asked me if there was another baby in my tummy when I told her that Kenan came out.
getting weighed
He is such a honey!
Daddy's first time holding him and he was just so content staring up at daddy.
Joel and his son
Holding him for the first time
Little Kenan had a knot in his cord and his cord was also wrapped around his neck 2 times. The dr. said that this is why c-sections occur. We were so blessed!
I'll write the birth story later. Now I am off to bed with my baby!
The love him and jumped up and down when they saw him. Abby kept saying that he is cuter than her.
Emily thinks he is a toy! She asked me if there was another baby in my tummy when I told her that Kenan came out.
getting weighed
He is such a honey!
Daddy's first time holding him and he was just so content staring up at daddy.
Joel and his son
Holding him for the first time
Little Kenan had a knot in his cord and his cord was also wrapped around his neck 2 times. The dr. said that this is why c-sections occur. We were so blessed!
I'll write the birth story later. Now I am off to bed with my baby!
Introducing Mr. Kenan
Our son finally arrived on Friday Jan. 15th. at 5:20 p.m. We named him Kenan (pronounced Keenan) Daniel. Joel found his name in the Bible- he was Adam and Eve's great grandson via Seth and Enosh. He weighed 9 lbs 6 oz and was 21 in. long. He is so very precious and we are so grateful for another healthy child. I will post pictures soon but I wanted to get this video up for my family far away who can't come to meet him right now.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Prayers Please
I have just found out that my friend Beth and her husband Jason could really use prayer. He has some sort of infection that has spread to other parts of his body and making him really sick. He just had surgery this morning and found they couldn't' get it all and have to go back in on Saturday. They just had a new baby 4 weeks ago and also have a 6, 4, and 2 year old. Beth and I met back when I did hair in the interchange tower and Joel and I used to get together with them quite a bit before we each moved to separate ends of the cities. I feel so bad for them as I know how hard it would be to be leaving your children and yet having your husband need you. Hearing there was more infection is really kind of a blow for them as we now don't know the extent of what he needs. Please pray for healing of his body and that this infection would stop. He is the youth pastor at fourth Baptist church in the cities and she is a stay at home mom. Thanks in advance for prayers for them!
Here is the caring bridge website, also the link to their blog is on the side. She is the Stamper Story and also Ragtop Originals if you wanted to check it out.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stampers
Here is the caring bridge website, also the link to their blog is on the side. She is the Stamper Story and also Ragtop Originals if you wanted to check it out.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stampers
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Overdue
I never dreamed I would go overdue- or plan at all for it for that matter. For the last month I was just so sure everynight could be the night. I had a dr. appointment yesterday and there is reason for why I kept feeling that. I am dilated to a 4 and can be stretched to a 6, I am soft and effaced and baby's head is at 0 station. My body has been in labor for the last month. Just not hard enough yet to get him out. I am for sure a day overdue now but going through records and talking with the dr. it is more likely my due date was the 8th and I am now 5 days over. I am set to be induced on Monday morning for sure this time, if it comes to that. The dr. said several times he didn't think it would come to that so we shall see. So far this little guy seems like he is perfectly content to stay put.
On another note we are pretty sure we have a name... we think anyway. Yeah! This whole pregnancy has been such a struggle for us on agreeing on something and Joel was reading through the Bible last week and found a name that I like too so stay tuned for that after his birth. We don't want to say it quite yet just because we aren't 100%.
I am off to mop on all 4's anything to get this going! :-)
On another note we are pretty sure we have a name... we think anyway. Yeah! This whole pregnancy has been such a struggle for us on agreeing on something and Joel was reading through the Bible last week and found a name that I like too so stay tuned for that after his birth. We don't want to say it quite yet just because we aren't 100%.
I am off to mop on all 4's anything to get this going! :-)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Items
My husband is a knitter-- who knew! He actually has a knitting Jenny and since he hates to be idle he sits and works on these while watching t.v. in the evening. The girls love them.
I made Abby a nursing cover today so here she is gazing at her baby
She is such a precious, precious little girl. I love how motherly she already is. It is just engraved in her. She will be so good with her little brother. I can already foresee everytime I sit to nurse the baby she will be grabbing her doll and nursing right along with. Precious moments!
Lastnight while driving we smelled campfire smoke and Emily says, "I love that mell, it mells like Jesus." It was too cute. I don't know what would make her identify that smell with Jesus but it did. It is nice to see that she thinks of him and integrates him into her life.
She is such a precious, precious little girl. I love how motherly she already is. It is just engraved in her. She will be so good with her little brother. I can already foresee everytime I sit to nurse the baby she will be grabbing her doll and nursing right along with. Precious moments!
Lastnight while driving we smelled campfire smoke and Emily says, "I love that mell, it mells like Jesus." It was too cute. I don't know what would make her identify that smell with Jesus but it did. It is nice to see that she thinks of him and integrates him into her life.
Life
It seems all I have been doing lately is waiting. It has been weeks now since I started having signs of labor and my body started getting ready. I have never had this with the girls so I just thought with his size and all that he was going to be very early, so did the dr. Well, his due date is now only 2 days away and my arms are still empty. Considering his sister's both came early and he is going later has been kind of a shock to me. I really didn't plan for this. I am learning to trust God with his perfect timing and just try to rest in the meantime. I was all set to induce this Friday, which anyone who knows me knows that isn't me. I am very into your body doing what it is going to do when it is going to do it. I felt so sick about it on Thursday night that I called a nurse at the hospital and she actually advised me not to go through with it. There were several factors leading to the induction but nothing medically necessary. The fact he is very large is a concern and also my dr. is now out of town all this week so he was going to do it before he left. Now I have no clue who will be delivering this big boy but I know God does so I can rest comfortably in that.
I may still end up being an induction if he won't leave his little peaceful abode, but at least I will wait as long as we think safe before doing that. I have faith he will come on his own soon. I am so anxious to meet him and gaze upon him and count his fingers and toes and run my fingers through his hair (I'm assuming he will have hair- we'll see), if not his big bald head. He will be beautiful, as all of God's creations are. It is so amazing to me that before the beginning of time God predestined for him to be ours and he knew exactly what day he would come and what he would look like and even what we will name him. (We still aren't sure yet.)
So- the waiting continues but it won't be forever. He will come soon. I am telling myself that over and over these days. When he does come it will be God's perfect timing for our son's life to begin with us. I just can't wait!
I may still end up being an induction if he won't leave his little peaceful abode, but at least I will wait as long as we think safe before doing that. I have faith he will come on his own soon. I am so anxious to meet him and gaze upon him and count his fingers and toes and run my fingers through his hair (I'm assuming he will have hair- we'll see), if not his big bald head. He will be beautiful, as all of God's creations are. It is so amazing to me that before the beginning of time God predestined for him to be ours and he knew exactly what day he would come and what he would look like and even what we will name him. (We still aren't sure yet.)
So- the waiting continues but it won't be forever. He will come soon. I am telling myself that over and over these days. When he does come it will be God's perfect timing for our son's life to begin with us. I just can't wait!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
book review
My husband and I just had the privilege of attending a love and respect seminar a few months back. It really enlightened us as to how to make our relationship excel. I was very pleased when I found I could review The Language of Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.
Dr. Emerson does a great job at teaching a husband how to love his wife and a wife how to respect her husband. He shows the miscommunication we all face when trying to bring two people who think very differently together. He teaches the value of how to "decode" what the other person has said before letting it get to you. I was relieved when I finally found someone who understands marriage and is able to effectively who teach others how to understand it too.
This book has inspired me to show respect to my husband whether or not he always deserves it because that is what God has commanded us to do. I am excited now to implement different ways to let my husband know I appreciate him and all he stands for. Dr. Emerson's advice of remembering your spouse is good-willed and doesn't set out to do you harm was crucial for me. Knowing he is good-willed helps me to let things slide and not become so sensitive.
I strongly recommend this book for every marriage. We can all benefit from the powerful practices described in this book. To purchase a copy for yourself you can visit here, or to preview the book you can look here.
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