After dinner we each got to eat one for dessert. She was far less impressed with the eating part than she was with making them ;)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Future Pastry Chef
Outsmarted
I've been handling both kids ok, except for certain circumstances. Brooke's naptime is one of them...
Today I fed Ryan a few minutes before her nap and he fell asleep. I placed him in a bassinet in the family room so I could head upstairs with Brooke. He started to stir as soon as I placed him down, and by the time I walked away his eyes were open. I knew I had a short window, so I rushed Brooke up the stairs (literally, carried her). We got into her room and I read her three of the shortest books I could find, then she insisted on a fourth. Meanwhile, I can hear Ryan crying downstairs. She is pretty stubborn and it would have taken more time to argue with her instead of just read it, so I decided to suck it up and read it.
Her choice is Frosty the Snowman. The book is just the song put to pictures, and its got all of the verses. I figured I'd cheat a bit and skip a few pages. I got all the way to the end and was pretty proud of myself, until she said
Uh oh. One more page
She then started flipping back through the book. One page at a time. She went back 1/2 way through the book...
This page
This page
This page
She counted off as she flipped each page.
Mommy read this. Missed a page.
She went to the first page I had skipped and insisted I read the rest of the book. So, in the end, I only cheated myself. Ryan continued to scream downstairs as I sang Frosty the Snowman, and then "Wheels On The Bus" while she settled into her crib. I walked out on her crying (which is typical when I put her down for a nap) and rushed downstairs.
Ryan calmed down as soon as he heard my voice and I felt a little bit less guilty. I picked him up and he regurgitated his entire lunch directly down my shirt.
Payback :(
He is pretty content with himself right now.
Today I fed Ryan a few minutes before her nap and he fell asleep. I placed him in a bassinet in the family room so I could head upstairs with Brooke. He started to stir as soon as I placed him down, and by the time I walked away his eyes were open. I knew I had a short window, so I rushed Brooke up the stairs (literally, carried her). We got into her room and I read her three of the shortest books I could find, then she insisted on a fourth. Meanwhile, I can hear Ryan crying downstairs. She is pretty stubborn and it would have taken more time to argue with her instead of just read it, so I decided to suck it up and read it.
Her choice is Frosty the Snowman. The book is just the song put to pictures, and its got all of the verses. I figured I'd cheat a bit and skip a few pages. I got all the way to the end and was pretty proud of myself, until she said
This page
This page
She counted off as she flipped each page.
She went to the first page I had skipped and insisted I read the rest of the book. So, in the end, I only cheated myself. Ryan continued to scream downstairs as I sang Frosty the Snowman, and then "Wheels On The Bus" while she settled into her crib. I walked out on her crying (which is typical when I put her down for a nap) and rushed downstairs.
Ryan calmed down as soon as he heard my voice and I felt a little bit less guilty. I picked him up and he regurgitated his entire lunch directly down my shirt.
He is pretty content with himself right now.
Monday, November 29, 2010
It's All Worth It
These past few weeks have been hard. I am not going to lie :)
Brooke has been extra emotional and demanding, and on top of typical newborn stuff ... Ryan has had a cold. That means he needs to sleep in an upright position (has been in carseat and swing) and is generally miserable due to the fact he cant breathe.
Sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into. Both kids cry at the same time. Brooke wants me to pick her up when I'm holding Ryan. She wants me to sit on the floor and play with her while Ryan is in the middle of a screaming fit. How do I manage all of it?
I'm sure we will all figure it out as the weeks go by. I know it will get easier, but when I am in a moment (like those described above) I just simply cannot see how I will get through it all. Then, there are the little things that make it all better.
Ryan was laying on my lap sleeping and Brooke was next to me watching a video on the laptop. She leaned over, kissed the top of his head and said
"I love you Ryan"
Brooke has been extra emotional and demanding, and on top of typical newborn stuff ... Ryan has had a cold. That means he needs to sleep in an upright position (has been in carseat and swing) and is generally miserable due to the fact he cant breathe.
Sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into. Both kids cry at the same time. Brooke wants me to pick her up when I'm holding Ryan. She wants me to sit on the floor and play with her while Ryan is in the middle of a screaming fit. How do I manage all of it?
I'm sure we will all figure it out as the weeks go by. I know it will get easier, but when I am in a moment (like those described above) I just simply cannot see how I will get through it all. Then, there are the little things that make it all better.
Ryan was laying on my lap sleeping and Brooke was next to me watching a video on the laptop. She leaned over, kissed the top of his head and said
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Swinging In The Cold...
We went out to breakfast (a meal Ryan happily slept through) and decided to take Brooke to the park too. Ryan tagged along, but continued his nap in the stroller while his big sister got rid of some extra energy.
Brooke spent most of her time on the swings. It was too cold to take off her mittens to do some climbing, so the swings were really her only option :) Daddy had to push ... because he is obviously much better at it than Mommy is.
After getting lots of pushes from Daddy, Brooke decided to go on the big swings all by herself. Here is supergirl in action...
Brooke spent most of her time on the swings. It was too cold to take off her mittens to do some climbing, so the swings were really her only option :) Daddy had to push ... because he is obviously much better at it than Mommy is.
After getting lots of pushes from Daddy, Brooke decided to go on the big swings all by herself. Here is supergirl in action...
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Big Sister Loves To Share ...
Her cooties with her little brother.
Brooke made it a whole 6 weeks of her life until she got her first cold (and has had about 30 since that point). We know with siblings it's impossible to protect them from germs ... But we were hoping we could make it past 6 weeks this time around.
Brooke has grabbed his hands, sneezed and coughed in his face repeatedly, and put his paci into her mouth.
We made it two whopping weeks.
Looks like Ryan officially has his first cold :(
Friday, November 19, 2010
Ryan's 2 Week Visit
Ryan had his 2 week doctor visit. This one is a good visit ... because the shots don't start yet ;) He got weighed and measured, and the doctor did a general well-being check. Everything is looking good for our little guy.
When we first got there, we were told to strip him down to a "dry diaper" for his weight check. Of course, the diaper we brought him in was wet so we needed to do a diaper change. Mid diaper change he started peeing. This is an interesting change from Brooke, as Ryan (like all baby boys) provides a bit more of a surprise factor when he pees sans diaper. In this particular circumstance, his aim was straight up - all over his shirt and his own face. He was actually in a pretty good mood until that point, and seemed slightly peeved as he showered himself. Luckily I brought an outfit change and we went about with the visit without any other incidents!
Height: 22.5 inches
Weight: 10lbs 7oz
Note: Ryan was born off the charts ("greater than 95th percentile for both height and weight"), so after adding on an additional inch in length and 1/2 a lb, I can safely assume he is still considered to be a pretty big guy ;)
When we first got there, we were told to strip him down to a "dry diaper" for his weight check. Of course, the diaper we brought him in was wet so we needed to do a diaper change. Mid diaper change he started peeing. This is an interesting change from Brooke, as Ryan (like all baby boys) provides a bit more of a surprise factor when he pees sans diaper. In this particular circumstance, his aim was straight up - all over his shirt and his own face. He was actually in a pretty good mood until that point, and seemed slightly peeved as he showered himself. Luckily I brought an outfit change and we went about with the visit without any other incidents!
Height: 22.5 inches
Weight: 10lbs 7oz
Note: Ryan was born off the charts ("greater than 95th percentile for both height and weight"), so after adding on an additional inch in length and 1/2 a lb, I can safely assume he is still considered to be a pretty big guy ;)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Chillin At Starbucks
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Big Outing
Monday, November 08, 2010
Halloween Pictures!
Halloween was a few weeks ago, but we just got a link to some fun pictures. Each year we go to a local photo shop that does pictures of your kids in their Halloween costumes in exchange for a donation to a local charity.
Here (once again) is our little ladybug!
And lets not forget her friends! We have Paige (the bunny) and Evan (the spider)
And Daniel (Shrek), Olivia (the witch) and Edward (a super scary three eyed monster)
And lets not forget her friends! We have Paige (the bunny) and Evan (the spider)
And Daniel (Shrek), Olivia (the witch) and Edward (a super scary three eyed monster)
Friday, November 05, 2010
The Arrival of Ryan
It was a long 39.5 weeks. Around 34 weeks I started having regular braxton hicks contractions. Regular enough that we were sure I was in labor several times leading up to the main event. Luckily, instead of rushing into L&D we waited them out each time ... and each time passed.
At my 39 week appointment (on Monday) my OB talked to me about scheduling an induction for the next week, as it looked like this baby was pretty content and not gonna come any time soon. I agreed. I was tired of being pregnant, and even more tired of all of the false labor.
Thursday I had contractions all day. They were regular intervals and some were pretty strong. All day long I wondered if this was another fake labor. They never got stronger, and often they would stop for a bit and come back. Its pretty classic braxton hicks stuff. But, with a due date approaching and constant contractions, we called my sister over to be safe. She came over Thursday night and everyone stared at me waiting for a baby to come ;)
We told her that we might be leaving in the middle of the night to head to the hospital and all of us tried to get some sleep. I got about zero hours of sleep. The contractions were enough to be irritating (and keep me awake), but I wasnt in labor. In the morning I woke up and apologized to my sister for wasting her time (yet again, as we had gone through this in the past). We went to Starbucks with Brooke for some breakfast and hung out ... all the while the contractions still happening.
I called my OB's nurse just to make sure what I should do. She told me it didnt sound like labor and to rest and drink some water. I asked about signs of my water breaking ... what if I had a leak? I thought maybe I did. The nurse told me to go into L&D to get checked out. But, all of our conversation sounded like she thought I wasnt in labor and it wasnt serious ... so I decided to keep waiting out the contractions. I misunderstood that she was calling L&D to tell them I was on my way ;)
So, a few hours later I get a call from her again, asking why I hadnt arrived at L&D. I told her the truth - I didnt think it was the real thing and I didnt want to get sent home. I was waiting it out. She told me to go to L&D (and I'm sure thought I was an idiot) so I called Jeff and told him he had to come home so we can head to the hospital. I was irritated. Mad at myself for calling the OB's office and having to go into L&D when I knew it was going to be a several hour trip followed by a return home to continue waiting.
And basically, I was right. Sort of.
We get to L&D and they hook me up to all the machines. Check to see if my water was leaking and it wasnt. Once you are on the machines they have to monitor you for an hour - we were stuck. The triage nurse told me I would likely be sent home after the hour, but they just had to monitor the baby to make sure there were no issues. We hung out for about 20 minutes and my contractions started picking up. They got stronger and much worse. After the hour the nurse came in and said that due to the frequency of my contractions now I had to walk around for another hour while drinking water, and then come back to get re-checked. They needed to know if these contractions were progressing my labor or if they were just more braxton hicks.
So, we walked in a small circle around triage for an hour. My contractions stayed the same. They hurt, but I wasnt crippled in pain. Now its been over 2 hours since our arrival and we go back in to get checked again. I was told there was no progress and they were sending me home, but the nurse had to call the OB to confirm and she left the room. At this point the pain became unbearable. By the time she came back to tell me I was being discharged, I was in tears. She checked again and this time there HAD been some progress. Back for another call to the OB as I sat crying in the triage room ;)
She came back again and told me I was being admitted. We arrived at 12:30 and it was about 4PM when I was admitted. As I had clearly not been in labor when we walked in, we werent quite prepared. We had our stuff with, but it was in the car. We hadnt arranged childcare for Brooke. Honestly, we were a bit stunned. (Silly, since it was 2 days from my due date, but yet we werent expecting a baby just quite yet).
I get up into L&D and (of course) the anesthesiologists were changing shifts, so I had to wait for the drugs! By this point I was getting a little bit tired of the pain and dreading the next few hours to come. I finally got the epidural, and all was great for about 2 hours. Then the pain started again and I had the guy come back to give me a boost. Suddenly, things were better and I was ready to settle in and wait. Unfortunately, I didnt really have that option. Not long after the boost I was informed it was push time, baby was coming whether or not I was ready. I thought I was ready, since I was heavily medicated and Brooke's delivery was so easy. I was wrong again. Why?
Because this "little guy", was a 10 pound baby.
Ryan Jeffrey
11/5/2010
11:26PM
9lbs 15oz
21.5 inches
At my 39 week appointment (on Monday) my OB talked to me about scheduling an induction for the next week, as it looked like this baby was pretty content and not gonna come any time soon. I agreed. I was tired of being pregnant, and even more tired of all of the false labor.
Thursday I had contractions all day. They were regular intervals and some were pretty strong. All day long I wondered if this was another fake labor. They never got stronger, and often they would stop for a bit and come back. Its pretty classic braxton hicks stuff. But, with a due date approaching and constant contractions, we called my sister over to be safe. She came over Thursday night and everyone stared at me waiting for a baby to come ;)
We told her that we might be leaving in the middle of the night to head to the hospital and all of us tried to get some sleep. I got about zero hours of sleep. The contractions were enough to be irritating (and keep me awake), but I wasnt in labor. In the morning I woke up and apologized to my sister for wasting her time (yet again, as we had gone through this in the past). We went to Starbucks with Brooke for some breakfast and hung out ... all the while the contractions still happening.
I called my OB's nurse just to make sure what I should do. She told me it didnt sound like labor and to rest and drink some water. I asked about signs of my water breaking ... what if I had a leak? I thought maybe I did. The nurse told me to go into L&D to get checked out. But, all of our conversation sounded like she thought I wasnt in labor and it wasnt serious ... so I decided to keep waiting out the contractions. I misunderstood that she was calling L&D to tell them I was on my way ;)
So, a few hours later I get a call from her again, asking why I hadnt arrived at L&D. I told her the truth - I didnt think it was the real thing and I didnt want to get sent home. I was waiting it out. She told me to go to L&D (and I'm sure thought I was an idiot) so I called Jeff and told him he had to come home so we can head to the hospital. I was irritated. Mad at myself for calling the OB's office and having to go into L&D when I knew it was going to be a several hour trip followed by a return home to continue waiting.
And basically, I was right. Sort of.
We get to L&D and they hook me up to all the machines. Check to see if my water was leaking and it wasnt. Once you are on the machines they have to monitor you for an hour - we were stuck. The triage nurse told me I would likely be sent home after the hour, but they just had to monitor the baby to make sure there were no issues. We hung out for about 20 minutes and my contractions started picking up. They got stronger and much worse. After the hour the nurse came in and said that due to the frequency of my contractions now I had to walk around for another hour while drinking water, and then come back to get re-checked. They needed to know if these contractions were progressing my labor or if they were just more braxton hicks.
So, we walked in a small circle around triage for an hour. My contractions stayed the same. They hurt, but I wasnt crippled in pain. Now its been over 2 hours since our arrival and we go back in to get checked again. I was told there was no progress and they were sending me home, but the nurse had to call the OB to confirm and she left the room. At this point the pain became unbearable. By the time she came back to tell me I was being discharged, I was in tears. She checked again and this time there HAD been some progress. Back for another call to the OB as I sat crying in the triage room ;)
She came back again and told me I was being admitted. We arrived at 12:30 and it was about 4PM when I was admitted. As I had clearly not been in labor when we walked in, we werent quite prepared. We had our stuff with, but it was in the car. We hadnt arranged childcare for Brooke. Honestly, we were a bit stunned. (Silly, since it was 2 days from my due date, but yet we werent expecting a baby just quite yet).
I get up into L&D and (of course) the anesthesiologists were changing shifts, so I had to wait for the drugs! By this point I was getting a little bit tired of the pain and dreading the next few hours to come. I finally got the epidural, and all was great for about 2 hours. Then the pain started again and I had the guy come back to give me a boost. Suddenly, things were better and I was ready to settle in and wait. Unfortunately, I didnt really have that option. Not long after the boost I was informed it was push time, baby was coming whether or not I was ready. I thought I was ready, since I was heavily medicated and Brooke's delivery was so easy. I was wrong again. Why?
Ryan Jeffrey
11/5/2010
11:26PM
9lbs 15oz
21.5 inches
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