{Ben: 2 Week Check-Up}

Ben is already 2 weeks old!  Well, actually 2 weeks and 2 days.  It is going by fast, but with the circles under my eyes, I sometimes wonder how it has only been 2 weeks.  We went to his 2 week check-up today and he got a great report from his pediatrician.  He was awake the whole appointment and acted very calm and content during the exam.  The only time he cried was when the nurse pricked his heal to get some blood towards the end, but he calmed right down quickly after that.  His current measurement stats are:

Weight: 10 lbs 7.8 oz (90%)

Length: 21.65" (80%)

Head Circumference: 14.57" (44%)

We have got another chunky monkey on our hands!  He is actually weighing almost a pound more than Luke was at the 2 week mark.  Ben was about 8 pounds 5 ounces when we left the hospital so he is gaining weight beautifully -- about 2 pounds in the those 2 weeks.  The doctor said no need wake him anymore to eat.  I then told her that I never do wake him -- he wakes up every hour and a half to eat at night :).  I keep hoping that he will start making some longer stretches at night.  At some point he has start sleeping better (let's hope he doesn't follow in Luke's footsteps).

Above is a picture I snapped of him on the exam table. I love how his little arms are flung up above his head - that startle reflex is a hoot and many times throughout the day you seem him just like this.   

{Visiting Santa...Luke's Day Out}

Last week Chat and I left Ben with my parents and had a little Luke/Mommy/Daddy time since getting home from the hospital.  I was aching to spend some time with Luke since it had been all about Ben/nursing since we came home.  We wanted Luke to visit Santa before Christmas since we started that tradition last year so we figured we would make a morning of it.  Remember last year?  At 10 months old, Luke seemed to be happy to be on the Big Guy's lap!

Well, this year Luke is 22 months and it was a bit different experience (and I pretty much knew what was going to happen).  Luke didn't really want to hang out with Santa this year...

But he loved the candy cane he got from Santa at the end!  We should have given it to him to start and maybe he would have done better.  Oh well, I still love the picture!  It shows his age and so I am glad we got the momento for this Christmas.  To make up for this, we headed to ride the train that was in the Galleria.  This was the highlight of Luke's day!  His obsession with trains is at an all-time high right now and we just knew he was going to love this.  I rode with him and Chat waited for us and took a few pictures from his phone...

Luke said "choo-choo" about 30 times on our quick ride and just had a ball.  After the train, we went to lunch for some hamburgers and then headed to my parent's house to pick up Ben.  Ben did great there -- he slept the whole time so my parents got some time to just hold him and get to know him a bit without Luke around. 

I can't wait for next Christmas when we can bring both Luke and Ben on this outting! 

{The Terrible, Horibble, No Good, Very Bad Day}

Well the title sums it up.  Today....err...more like last night was rough.  It was the essence of what makes having a newborn hard.  I did not sleep.  AT ALL.  It has been no secret that Luke was a terrible sleeper.  His first year was hard and lacked many hours of sleep, so much that sometimes you would find me in the fetal position on his rug in his nursery praying that he would go to bed.  So when we found out that we were expecting this time around, I first prayed for a healthy baby, then very quickly after that, I prayed for a sleeper.  Now I don't know many 9 day old babies that sleep all that well, but apparently that is what I was expecting.

Last night I fed Ben around 11:15, went to bed myself around 11:30 and hoped for the best.  The previous few nights were challenging with many wake-ups, but I was handling it well (or so I thought).  Last night, Ben woke up at 1:00 am.  Then at 2:00 am.  Then he stayed awake till 5:00 am or so.  That was a long 3 hours.  After finally falling asleep, he then woke again at 7:00 am.  And shuffled in those hours were challenges with nursing...mostly from me being engorged and Ben not having it and/or choking and just giving up with it.  When I woke up and realized how the night went, my hope for a sleeper flew out the window.  I took one extremely hard night (after several hard nights that totalled one tired mama) and immediately thought we were doomed.  That last night was going to be every night and I was never going to sleep again.

So today was hard.  There were many, many tears shed.  Some came out when I talked to my mom or sister wondering what I was doing wrong - that why both my boys could never make it to even 2 hours in the middle of the night.  Some tears came out as I sat on the bathroom floor alone trying not to let Luke and Chat see me. I was already feeling like a failure and I think it stems from my experience with Luke and that I was so afraid my infant experience was on repeat.  Why was I taking this so darn hard?

BUT...I am trying not to overthink this.  I am trying to not make assumptions based on one night.  And one night when Ben is only 9 days old.  I need to give it more time.  I need to get a few winks tonight and try to wake up on the right side of the bed and realize this is temporary.  TEMPORARY.  Ben is a sweet, beautiful baby who I just love and am enjoying so much.  Eventually he will make it to 2 to 3 hours before waking at night.  I need to focus on enjoying him, try to take a nap during the day and know that one day I will sleep again. 

{8 Days Old}

And on Ben's 8th day, he rolled over...twice!

{Chub}

The chubbiness has started...

{Cousin Love}

Ben and Molly

(Born exactly 8 weeks apart)

{Meet Ben}

Benjamin David

December 12, 2011

1:56 pm

8 lbs 13 oz

20 3/4 inches

{Monday}

Well, plans have changed once again!  I was scheduled for induction for this Thursday.  I would have been 39 weeks exactly.  But after having high blood pressure again on Friday, my doctor made me do bloodwork again and a 24 hr urine collection over the weekend.  I dropped it off at the hospital yesterday and really didn't think twice about it since I did this last weekend and all was well.  But this time was different and I got the call this morning.  It is never a good sign when your doctor (who is officially on maternity leave herself) calls you on a Sunday morning from her cell phone.  I officially have preeclampsia and going in to deliver tomorrow. 

Although it is only 3 or 4 days earlier than planned, this surprised me a bit.  Now that I am over the shock, I am very excited to meet our little guy tomorrow!  We are in the midst of trying to get everything done to get Luke squared away for his sleepover at his grandparents for the next 3 nights, get the dogs ready to go to doggie daycare and get us packed for the hospital.  Next time you hear from me I will be a mommy of two precious boys!  Yahoo!

{38 Week Update}

I went to my 38 week ultrasound today to check up on the baby's heart and weight with the high-risk OB.  Here are the highlights:

• Good news -- Baby's heart looks perfect and the arrhythmia is completely gone!  Woo hoo! 
• News that is a bit scary -- Baby is weighing in at 9 pounds and 11 ounces at 38 weeks.  Yes.  You read that correctly. 
• Induction news -- High-risk OB is recommending an induction at 39 weeks or sooner.  So that means baby boy will be here by next Thursday.

All this still needs to be discussed with my regular OB and we will do that tomorrow at my appointment.  I guess I need to be ready for next week if she has the same recommendations.  I am praying for an uncomplicated delivery and a healthy baby boy! 

{37 Weeks and Another Hiccup}

Well I reached 37 weeks on Thursday, so I am officially full term! I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and unfortunately I had zero progress since my last appointment. Other than that all went well until they did a blood pressure reading. Shocker...I had a bit of high blood pressure. They took it again about an hour later and it had lowered, but they are concerned enough to have me check it twice a day (which means about 20 times a day to me) and do a 24 hour urine collection to make sure. I don't think this is major, just another hiccup in a very eventful pregnancy. I went and got my dad's blood pressure machine and started readings yesterday evening. Most of them were good, but then around 9:30 last night they started getting high again. I am not sure what all this means, but plan to call on Monday (unless it gets dangerously high) and discuss what I truly should be looking for. The high number got above 140 (which is what they said is an issue) last night, but it is normal today. So I am not sure what to be concerned with - that it got high or if I shouldn't worry since it lowered again. Urine collection starts tomorrow morning...fun, fun!

{New Words & New Obsession!}

Luke is a few days over 21 months and I wanted to post another list of words that he has learned recently. This is mostly just for my knowledge! I realize I write nothing in his baby book and this blog is the only documentation I have of anything he does. He is still probably a bit behind other boys and girls his age as far as the number of words, but he is making lots of progress! Here are a few more things he has been saying lately...

Slide
Duck
Go
Shoes
Snack
Annie
Car
Stick
Night-Night
Choo Choo
Sissy

Milk

Apple

"moos" for cow

"rooooars" for lion

Where did it go?

It's stuck

Up

Toes

Nose

Eye

I know he says more, but some of the words I still can't quite figure out what he is saying. He will say the same thing over and over again, so I know it is something but just not quite sure what it is :). I am so proud at his new words and the fact that he learns new ones everyday!


The other new development is Luke's obsession with trains...and when I say obsession, I mean OBSESSION! This has developed over the past 4 weeks or so. He wants to play choo-choo all day long, every day. We have one small train track with a few trains and it keeps him busy for literally hours. He has never been as into a toy as he has with trains, so this is all very new and I just love watching him play, play, play. One day he played in his room by himself (wuh?!? it was heaven!) for almost an hour and a half. He says "choo-choo" probably 30 times a day. He is constantly bringing Chat and I one of his trains and then running to his room. So needless to say that he will be getting some new trains for Christmas!