Birth Story: Reese

Oh little Reese. He did not want to come out. At my doctor's appointment the day after my due date (a Friday), I was still only 1 cm. My doctor swept my membranes, and I really thought we'd have a baby that weekend. But just in case he didn't come, we scheduled an induction for the following Wednesday, and of course my doctor was out of town that whole week.

Tuesday night came and I just hoped and prayed I'd go into labor before the hospital called. I could not sleep at all. I finally fell asleep around 3:30, and of course the hospital called at 4:00. With Evelyn they had been so full they didn't end up calling us in until after lunch, so I was kinda hoping for at least a 6 or 7 am call. Oh well. We got up, got dressed, I ate a bowl of cereal, and we hit the road.

We got to the hospital around 5 and got checked in. The nurse got me set up, checked me (still a 1), and got Pitocin started at 6. I was already losing hope of a natural delivery at this point, but I held on. Within the hour, the contractions started getting really painful. I got up to pee and then they slowed down for a while. Then it all picked back up and got really painful again. My nurse kept getting sent to the OR and I never did see a doctor in the morning. I was feeling super nauseous and wanted my chicken broth I ordered for lunch, so I continued to hold off on the epidural, knowing I'd probably ask for it right after I ate. Around noon I threw up. A little while later I got up to pee and at this point my contractions had been awful for quite some time. I thought I was dying. While I was in the bathroom, Jesse told the other nurse that I wanted an epidural. At first I was upset because I still hadn't gotten my broth and I knew the epidural would make me sick. But after a few more contractions I figured I'd be sick either way and at least I could get rid of the pain. The nurse checked me and I was only a 4! after like 7 hours! I was so upset. At this point with Evelyn (death contractions) I was a 7. How could I only be a 4?! I lost it a little bit. This was not the birth I wanted.

The anesthesiologist came in a little after 1, I think. It took him forever to put the epidural in. He messed something up and moved it around several times (not a good feeling). I had like 5 or 6 contractions before I finally got the epidural and got some relief by about 1:30. I felt so warm and nice.

At 2:00 Dr. Sundstrom came in to see me for the first time that day (they were super backed-up). He said he could go ahead and break my water. He checked me and I was a 7! Apparently epidurals speed things up for me. Same thing happened with Evelyn. Since I was a 7, he said breaking my water would move things really fast and he had a c-section he had to perform first and didn't want to miss my baby. I was totally fine with that because I was so freaking tired and I just wanted to rest.

I threw up again, but I wasn't surprised. I kinda dozed off and on for a while, but I was so nauseous it was hard to sleep. At 3:40 my water broke on its own. It was weird but cool. I'm glad we let that happen. I called the and let them know. My nurse checked me and I was a 10! Baby wasn't quite ready to come out, but that was fine. Dr. Sundstrom hadn't finished the c-section and I wasn't feeling the urge to push.

I guess Dr. Sundstrom came in a little after 4. My nurse had already set everything up. They broke the bed down and we waited for a contraction to push. After two contractions, Reese was out, and Jesse said
"it's a boy!" That part was really cool. We thought it was a boy for most of the pregnancy, and once he was out, it was like we always knew he was a boy.

We did skin-to-skin for a good hour, and he nursed well. When my nurse weighed him, we were surprised he was 8 pounds 7.5 ounces. He didn't look that big. He was actually a lot skinnier than Evelyn when she was born. Even though he was my biggest baby, he was definitely the easiest, quickest delivery and I barely tore. His head was also smaller than Evelyn's, so that probably helped.

He did great the first night. Day two he was circumcised and had his first bath and lots of tests, and he was more cranky. As long as I held him he was fine, though. I did not get much sleep that night. He nursed great and didn't have any jaundice! I never even needed to use a pump at the hospital. We were thrilled to be going home Friday afternoon, less than 48 hours after he was born. As much as it sucked going almost a week late in the summer, I think it was worth it to not have any issues.

The kids got to meet him that evening and they were so excited. Evelyn wanted the baby, not me. Nate was mostly interested in all the buttons on my bed, but he was excited to meet Reese, too.

We love our sweet boy and are so glad he's here!

The night before. My belly was low.

Right before we left for the hospital. 40 weeks 6 days.

He looks chunky here, but he's really not! The camera adds 10 ounces.

Nathaniel is 3!

I can't believe my little man is a threenager. And that term really is so appropriate. He's got some sass, that boy. He is sweet, funny, smart, and so very strong-willed. He keeps us on our toes and constantly laughing. At 3, he weighs 33.8 pounds (60th %) and he is 39 inches tall (80th%). No more 10th and 25th percentiles for him. He's still the skinniest kid though. He wears some 3T but still fits quite well into 24 months and 2T. His 3T pants just fall off of him. He's up to a 9 in shoes and 5-6 in diapers. And there is no end in sight to diapers. He is stubborn about potty-training and I am not going to push it. I will let him work it out on his own.

He loves movies. His favorites are Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Big Hero 6, Tangled, Balto, An American Tale, Wreck-It Ralph, Star Wars (esp. The Empire Strikes Back), Home Alone and Home Alone 2, Tarzan, The Lion King, Frozen, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and many more. He likes a few TV shows. He still loves Sesame Street and Adventure Time. He occasionally likes to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Daniel Tiger. He also likes that animated Star Wars show.

He absolutely adores books. He brings me books constantly and asks me to read them. Sometimes when I can't, he'll sit down and "read" them to himself. He's gotten pretty good at memorizing them and I'm always impressed. Whenever we go to Target he says, "I'm gonna get a book!" And he always does. I just can't say no to that.

He is so good at playing on his own. He has this wild imagination and he can make anything fun. Whether he has all of his cool Star Wars toys or a hanger and a broken flashlight, the boy will play out scenes where all the characters carry out hilarious conversations. Lots of "oh no! I'm falling! Help me!" and "oh, that's my cousin. Hey R2D2's cousin. I'm C3PO." I just love to listen while he plays.

He is an endless ball of energy and has basically given up naps. Occasionally I can get him to sleep for a bit, but I've mostly given up trying. If I need to work on homework I'll let him watch a movie for quiet time. He fights bedtime, but he's asleep before 9 and sleeps through the night most nights.

He loves to play with other kids. He's gotten friendly now and he'll play with other kids at the park or the mall. Sometimes they're a little scared of him because he runs up and growls at them. He's constantly in character. He especially loves to play at the park with Amelia twice a week and if we miss a day, he asks about her.

He's the small t-rex. Like I said, he's constantly in character, and his most frequent is The Small T-Rex. I'll say "hey Nate," and he'll respond with "I'm the Small T-Rex!" He's occasionally a jaguar or a mongoose, but Small T-Rex almost always wins out. He even refers to himself as "it" when he's in character. He usually says Evelyn is a small t-rex too.

This boy talks non-stop. He says the funniest things and he speaks so clearly. I'm always amazed by how quickly he picks up new words and how articulate he is. He corrects himself when he misspeaks. He has gender pronouns down. He's pretty good at using the right tenses of words. It blows my mind. I try to keep track of all the great stuff he says and it's great. He also knows everything and corrects us constantly. Here are some of my favorites:

"What are you thinking about mommy? I'm thinking about poop! haahahaha! and toots!"

Me: "Why did you hit the baby?"
Nate: I'm gonna say . . . excuse me."

Nate: "Do you reneber? . . . "

Nate: "no, it's not! It's . . . "

Nate: "did you know that people can't have candles?"

Nate: "So mommy. What's your favorite animal?"
Me: "a wolf."
Nate: "oh a wolf? that sounds cool."

"Buzz, your girlfriend, Woof!"

"There was a penis in the toilet. Yeah. I saw it, but I didn't touch it."

He woke up sobbing in the middle of the night. "A dinosaur bit me! And it hurt!"

Nate: "I texted lindy on the way."
Me: "oh yeah? What did you say?"  
Nate: "in a quarter mile, turn left and right."

Me: "I love you"

Nate: "I love you too"

Me: "I love you too!"

Nate: "We love us!"
Me: "finish eating and then we'll take Evelyn to the doctor." (Just for shots, no checkup)
Nate goes into the dining room where Evelyn is: "you're really sick Evelyn."

And he constantly tells us "Evelyn can't talk! Tell Daddy Evelyn can't talk!" Then turns around and says, "Evelyn, can you say 'alligator'? Can you say 'apatosaurus'?"

Also, I love the words he mispronounces. He calls one leaf a "leave." He calls oatmeal "open meal." And so do we now.

Anyway, I love this silly, funny, sweet boy of mine. I can't wait until he stops taking every opportunity to hit/kick/push/sit on/drag/pull on Evelyn and they can be best friends. They'll get there.

This was a "space ship"

Whenever he wears one of these colorful bows, he says he's a caterpillar.

Battle Scars

He was pumping.

Nap-time destruction

Evelyn's Twelfth Month

I can't believe my little baby girlie is a whole year! It's ridiculous. She still looks like such a baby to me. Could be the complete lack of teeth. Or that she has a 3-year-old brother who really does look huge in comparison. Either way, I was so not ready for how fast this milestone came!

At one year, Evelyn weighs 20 pounds 7 ounces (60th %), she is 30 inches (80th %), and her head is 18 inches (70th %). She wears 12-18 month clothes and size 3 diapers. She started wearing the cutest little shoes from Target. I thought her feet were bigger than they are and ordered her a couple pairs of soft-soled shoes and moccs (even though I'm not a big fan of the fringe), and they were HUGE. So I sent them back and got her some 6-12 month shoes and they fit her little feet perfectly. She's got the softest little blondie hair and it's getting longer and thicker, and filling in on the top of her head (no more receding hair line!). As I said before, she has yet to cut any teeth. I'm not complaining, though. She still nurses 3+ times a day. It would make for more food options if she had some chompers, but for now she's content with all the foods she can gum.

She loves food. We call her the bottomless pit. If there is food near her, she will fuss until she has it. She will eat all of her food, and finish off Nate's food. If there are other picky children around, she will finish their food too. She loves beans, cheese, yogurt, avocados, oranges, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peas, carrots, green beans, corn, oatmeal, Cheerios, veggie straws, goldfish, pretzels, quinoa, rice, baby food purees, crackers, hummus . . . basically anything we give her. Except canned tuna. She did not like that. She also likes to feed herself with a spoon. She's not bad! It's a messy affair, but she's got good coordination and gets the spoon to her mouth.

She's gotten really chatty. She says "Dada," "Mama," "Na na na" while shaking her finger at us, "dah!" (dog), "tahh!" (cat), "uh uh," and now shes waves and says "haaaaa," or "baaaa." It's so cute. She waves and says hi to all the strangers who pass by us at the store, all the people at church, animals . . . Despite her friendliness, she is still a mommy's girl. She clings to me. She still cries occasionally if I hand her off to Jesse. She just turns toward me and stuffs her face in my shoulder when others reach for her. I don't mind the snuggles.

She's still a good sleeper. She takes a good 2-3 hour nap everyday. And she needs it. She is so cranky without it. She sleeps well at night, going down between 7 and 8 and sleeping until around 8 or 9. She wakes up at nights more now, I'd say it's about 50% of the time. When she doesn't want to sleep or when she's getting sick she sits in her crib and talks and shrieks and plays. It's so weird. She rarely cries in that situation. When she wakes up in the morning or after a nap, she often lays there quietly with her fingers in her mouth. I don't realize she's up until I check on her or hear movement on the monitor. Total opposite of Nate.

She started taking a few steps here and there at 11.5 months, but she has not perfected the art yet. I think she's hesitant because Nate's around. She loves to climb everything. She loves to play with all of Nate's toys. She loves his Star Wars toys, light sabers, Duplos, stuffed animals, blankets, and books. She loves to turn pages. She loves to give kisses and hugs. Her favorite game is peek-a-boo and she's so good at it. She plays it in the curtains or with sheets, blankets, or clothes. She doesn't jump out right away when you say "Where's Evelyn?" She waits it out for the right moment and then giggles when you say "There she is!!!!" She is super ticklish and laughs hysterically. She absolutely loves to dance. This girl has got the moves. It doesn't matter what the music is, when music comes on, she immediately starts to dance. Even to the hymns at church. Or if you just say "dance." She doesn't even need the music.

I'm sure I could go on forever, but I'll stop. We just love our little ray of sunshine! And now for picture overload.

Evelyn's Eleventh Month

First of all, how is she already eleven months? Second of all, isn't she just the sweetest little ray of sunshine??? I mean, she has her cranky moments, but her bright blue eyes and wide smile just make me so happy. And she even smiles for pictures!

We just love our little Evelynnie so much. She is usually happy, loves to smile, squeal, and she's even laughing more. She laughs so much on the "mommy-and-me" swing at the park. She laughs when we blow raspberries on her belly or tickle her neck. She squeals with delight over puppies and kitties. She loves stuffed animals, dinosaurs, Duplos, and Star Wars figurines. Seriously, she will crawl around with Luke and Leia in her hands, and if Nate snatches them from her she wails. It's great.

She is still into everything. She does not like to be held against her will. She wants to get down and be a part of the action. She isn't walking yet, but she loves to give it a try while holding onto my fingers. She's got great balance and I'm sure she could do it on her own, but I think she's a little hesitant. And with Nate always pushing her down, I don't blame her. She is really into climbing stairs, climbing benches, climbing from the couch onto the end table. It drives me crazy! I'm not super worried about her falling; I'm more worried about Nate intervening. He's pretty rough with her these days, but she still adores him. She does flinch or crawl to me when he approaches her sometimes.

She loves clapping, she's getting pretty good at high-fives, and her favorite game is peek-a-boo. She will play it with any fabric she can get: clothes, towels, blankets, curtains. It's ridiculously adorable. She isn't really saying words beyond "Dada" whenever Jesse enters a room. She gets so excited and jumps up and down and shoves her head into my shoulder. She also gets excited when she sees a dog, real or stuffed, and points and says "dah dah dah" over and over. I'm pretty sure she's saying "dog." She says "mama" occasionally, but it's mostly when she's hungry or mad. She shouts "nanananana" a lot. Sometimes she does it when she wants more food or something, but sometimes I think she yells it at Nate because she hears me yell "no no no!" so much . . .

This girl is all about the food. If there is food in her line of sight, she wants it and will freak out until she gets it. She still has no teeth and no signs of any soon, but girl can chow down on some food. She loves black beans, cheese, brown rice, avocado, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, canned carrots, canned peas, canned green beans, baby food veggie and meat blends as long as they're in a squeezy pouch, apple sauce or other baby fruits also in a pouch, yogurt, Cheerio's, and especially veggie straws. Sometimes I think she looks at Nate's neglected plate at every meal and thinks he must be crazy because she'd eat it all if we'd let her.

She sure is a sweet baby and I can't believe I'm already planning her first birthday. Time needs to slow down!