The Arnold Archives

A Christmas Day Project

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

...gone very wrong!

I bought this Gingerbread House kit several weeks ago not knowing exactly when we would get around to doing it. Christmas afternoon seemed like as good a time as any. Shaun and Pierce took to it and when Shaun first opened it, he even commented that it seemed lame, as in "too easy." About half-way through construction, I almost wet my pants laughing when he said "this is an utter disaster."

I can't remember ever making a Gingerbread house in my life, but if we decide to do this again, I know what we need to do differently (for instance, use different frosting in addition to what they give you in the kit -- something that spreads easier).

These pictures make me smile and brought much laughter to our home this Christmas Day!

Three

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Happy THIRD birthday to my precious Christmas Eve baby!! These past three years have been some of the most amazing and blessed of my life. I am just crazy about this kiddo!!!

I put together a slideshow of the highlights of this past year. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We've got some birthday surprises and celebrations over the next couple of days and a party towards the end of January. More to come on those. :)

More snow fun

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Shaun and Pierce have been having a lot of fun in the snow. These pictures were taken today and you can see that we've still got A LOT of snow in these parts!

Introducing the Arnold Snow-family

Even Baby Reid and Tyler are represented

Pierce spends much of his time outside eating the snow

In other exciting news, Reid slept through the night last night!! He was in bed at 7:00p and slept until 5:30 this morning. Once I fed him, he went back to sleep until 8:30! I did let him fuss it out for about 5 minutes around midnight because I really believe the he doesn't need to be eating during the night. Lately, whenever I've gone into feed him at night, he is so sleepy and hardly eats. We need to teach him how to go back to sleep when he wakes up during the night. He's definitely getting there! But, boy was I hurting this morning. I was actually glad when he woke at 5:30 because I needed some serious relief!! I am really glad that we seem to be turning this corner. :)

Snowed-in

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Well, we ended up with about 2 FEET of snow and have been house-bound since! I haven't gone further than my front porch since Friday afternoon!! My parents graciously braved the conditions in the daylight of Saturday morning to bring Pierce home to us. The Lord kept them safe here and back and it's been great to have Pierce home!

He and Shaun have been out in the snow every day since Saturday. I am not a snow lover, so I've been happy to be inside...plus I don't think Reid would enjoy it all too much.

Here are some pictures that I took on Saturday. It continued to snow hard until late in the afternoon.

Pierce helping to shovel the walkways

Shaun worked really hard to shovel a path along our driveway. The sun yesterday and today have made it passable for at least our van. Unfortunately, Shaun's car is still pretty much stuck. He didn't make it into work today, but hopes to get there tomorrow.

Pierce all bundled up before they ventured out today.

The sun made it feel mild out to the point that Shaun shed his coat soon after being out there.

Mommy and Daddy Snowman

And here's a picture of my other sweet baby boy

Unfortunately, the storm really interrupted many of our holiday celebrations. We were supposed to have Shaun's extended family Christmas party on Saturday -- canceled. I was coordinating our church Christmas party on Sunday evening -- canceled. I also had planned a little birthday playgroup for Pierce this morning -- canceled! Of course, I had purchased food, gifts, door prizes, etc. for these activities and feel like I spent much of last week making plans for everything. And while I was and still am disappointed about missing all of those festivities, I also feel like it was the Lord's way of slowing me down a bit. At the end of last week, I was feeling quite overwhelmed wondering how I would pull it all off and even questioning what I had been thinking when I had willingly placed all of this on my plate! This weekend of being house-bound with my family has been a breath of fresh air, an opportunity to rest, enjoy each other and really focus on the peace and joy of this wonderful season.

Shaun has Thursday and Friday off this week and all of next week off! We're excited about celebrating Pierce's THIRD birthday on Christmas Eve, and the birth of our Savior on Christmas Day.

WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:00:00 +0000

It is REALLY snowing here!! There pictures were taken after only 5 hours of snowfall. They are predicting 2 FEET by Sunday morning. This is a BIG deal for us!!

The bad news is that Pierce is not home. He went with my mom to visit Sierra, Karen and Brian for the second-half of this week and was supposed to return home tonight. The weather has kept him with Mimi & Papa for at least another night. I had a pretty big meltdown this evening b/c I am really missing him and would love to be enjoying this big storm with him here at home. But it's better that he be warm, safe and sound and I know that he is in GREAT hands with my folks. Hopefully, we can get him here either tomorrow or Sunday.

I have had a really nice few days of one-on-one time with Reid, and gotten A LOT done, such as some major house cleaning, shopping and wrapping of presents along with planning for some Christmas and birthday celebrations -- many of which are likely not going to happen due to this weather. :( Oh well...these things are out of our control.

I'm sure to have more fun pictures to share over the next few days!

A Baby Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:29:00 +0000

The sweet ladies at my church wanted to have a baby shower for me to celebrate Reid's life and so we all got together last Thursday evening. It was very low-key and I asked for no gifts because we really have all that we need. It was more of a time of fellowship and to praise the Lord for the gift of Reid's life.

This lovely cake was hand-made by a friend at church. Isn't it precious?!

We played some fun games, ate food and cake and laughed A LOT!! :) What a blessing these friends are to me.

And in other news, I decided at the last minute to leave Reid at home with Daddy and Pierce that night. I was going to take him, but he had a very fussy afternoon and was a bit of a mess as we were getting ready to leave. I told Shaun to put him down and I figured that he would sleep most of the time that I was gone. Well, he didn't sleep great, but he did take a bottle of pumped milk from Shaun without any problems! This was his first introduction to a bottle and he did great! No worries that he won't eat if I am unavailable to feed him. Plus, I'm pretty strict about not wanting him to be out in the evenings if he doesn't have to be. We have pretty much instituted a bedtime with him (7-8p) and I prefer not to have him out and about when he could be at home sleeping! And kudos to Shaun who took the last minute change in stride. He's such an awesome daddy!!

Two Months Old!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Reid was two months on Sunday! Many people who have met him in person say that his pictures don't do him justice. I have to agree. He is a real cutie pie! :)

He is also my chunky monkey (very different than his brother!). We had his 2-month check-up today and he weighs 12 pounds, 11 ounces -- 75th percentile for weight! I don't think Pierce ever got above 25th! Reid's length is average at 24.5 inches. We're working our way out of 0-3 month clothes quickly. :)

He is sleeping absolutely wonderfully at night. The past few nights he has done 11-12 hours stretches with one wake-up and his wake-up is usually after 8 or 9 hours of straight sleep. Last night, he slept 8p-5a--I'd call that sleeping through the night! He definitely has the "nighttime is for sleep" thing down. He easily goes down in his crib between 7 and 8 and falls asleep within minutes. The darkness is a great sleep cue for him. I have my evenings and my energy back! The 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep that I'm getting at night feels amazing!!

Daytime sleep is a whole 'nother ball game. We are having issues with sleep during the day despite my efforts to get him down within a 2-hour window so that he doesn't get overtired. He is very sensitive to that and when he's overtired, it is hard for him to settle. Unfortunately, he'll do several hour awake stretches during the day, which I know is not great for him. I'd say we're still in "survival mode" during the day when it comes to his sleep, so I let him sleep in the swing (a lot!) and if he falls asleep in his car seat while we are out, I will let him stay in there. I am trying not to stress too much about this b/c I truly believe it will all work itself out in a few short months and he'll be on a great sleep schedule during the day.

He is (obviously) a great eater and nurses every 2-3 hours during the day. We have not introduced a bottle, yet, which I know may be an issue (I've read that the longer you wait, the harder it can be for a baby to take it). And I just started pumping yesterday. I plan to pump before I go to bed most nights to build up a nice supply of milk. Last night, I got 5 oz. after pumping for just 10 minutes. I was pumped!

Reid does spit up a lot, probably more than Pierce did, and a lot of times it does seem to bother him. The doctor mentioned reflux today and we're going to explore some ways to try to resolve some of his discomfort. Overall, Reid is a bit of a fussy baby and while I don't believe that any baby is ever "bad," I do think that some have stronger personalities than others and so far, Reid seems to. I'm REALLY thankful for the sleep at night because the days can be quite exhausting!

That said, he is very smiley as well. It does not take much to get a smile out of him and it just melts my heart. He is starting to coo quite a bit, too, and we can have little conversations. He is usually his most interactive on the changing table and when he takes a break from nursing and is looking up at me. I treasure these sweet moments.

Here's a video that includes a couple clips from two different days. I apologize for the choppiness and lighting issues. Hopefully, you'll get a chuckle out of Pierce's singing and Reid will make you smile. I love these boys!!

Full

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:16:00 +0000

It's 8:10 and both boys are sleeping; Reid for his first nap of the day and Pierce hasn't gotten up for the day, yet (he's not sleeping during the day, so makes up for it at night)! I realize I haven't blogged all week, but we've had a great and productive week. I'm checking things off my "to do" list -- buying Christmas gifts, decorating the house, doing my Bible study, getting Christmas cards ready to go out, and of course, enjoying my boys.

I've been wanting to share this picture for a while. My Nana took this while she was here and Reid is probably only 2 or 3 weeks old here. It's such an example of what my days are like...hands full!

And then, the day before she left, we were shopping and she wanted to get me a Willow Tree figure for Reid. We spotted this one and I LOVE it!

It's called "Quietly" -- which I think is interesting, b/c a house with boys is probably anything, but quiet! :)

Anyway, I felt like the Lord was really laying something on my heart with these two images. My hands are full, our house is full (all the bedrooms are occupied and of course, we continue to accumulate more stuff!) and my heart is FULL! Full of love for these precious boys and for their Daddy. I longed for these children and at times, begged the Lord for them. He answered my prayers and has been so good to me.

This morning, I was reading a blog that I enjoy. It is called Baby Bangs and belongs to Beth Moore's eldest daughter, Amanda. I encourage you to go to this post and even though it's about her daughter being 10 months old, the last few paragraphs (three, to be exact) really touched me. I'll put a little of it here, but go read it...especially you mommas!

She says:

"All I can think to end with is this - isn't it an honor to be a woman? As hard as it is and sometimes unfair, we get a front row seat to see the magic of a life growing from tiny cells into a baby, a toddler, a preschooler, and so on. And to feel it all so fully! To others and often to ourselves our lives can look utterly mundane and common....

The thing is, God is using us to grow lives. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. Stop and marvel at whatever new thing your three-year-old said or did today. In all likelihood (as long as it was pure and lovely, of course), he learned it from you! In case no one else says this to you today, well done mama. You're doing an important job and you will be richly rewarded, even if for the time being it's a big hug around the knees every time you have to wipe your preschooler's rear."

And one last thing I wanted to include is this Taylor Swift song. I wouldn't say that I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan, necessarily, but I do enjoy some of her music and think that she is talented (especially as a musician and song writer, if not vocally!). I heard this a while ago and it meant a lot to me. Even though I don't have a daughter and it is more about a mom and her daughter, I feel like it still applies. I hope and pray that one day, my children will look back on their childhood and the simplest moments that we have spent together in the day-to-day will be some of their fondest.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:5-6

Trimming the Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:16:00 +0000

We had a very low-key Thanksgiving with small, intimate gatherings with both sides of the family. Unfortunately, Reid had an extremely fussy day, which made it pretty unenjoyable for me. :( He was having trouble sleeping and got very overtired, which caused him to spend a lot of the day crying. Thankfully, he spent Friday and Saturday sleeping a lot to make up for it.

We spent those days getting most of our Christmas decorations up. Pierce has been *begging* us to set the tree up for weeks and he and Shaun did it while I was away last weekend. We did the decorating this weekend. It's so fun because this is the first Christmas that Pierce is really into all of this stuff. We're also excited to take every opportunity to teach him more about Jesus as the reason we celebrate Christmas, and we lit the first candle on our Advent wreath tonight at dinner.

I was able to get a hold of a matching stocking with an 'R' on it for little Reid -- I just love the stockings, it's one of my favorite things! And I feel beyond thankful to be hanging an additional stocking this year. Only God knew last Christmas that we'd have this precious blessing celebrating the holidays with us this year. We praise Him!!

It's so easy to feel stressed this time of year and I find my mind really going at times with everything to do (and with 2 kids in tow this year!). But, I want it to be peaceful and enjoyable and am just taking one thing at a time and really using Shaun's help a lot (don't know what I'd do without him!).

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start of the holiday season!

Outtakes

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:54:00 +0000

We had a little photo shoot this past weekend to attempt to get a good picture to use on our Christmas card. Thankfully, we did get a really great one! Getting a toddler and newborn baby to cooperate during picture taking is challenging. Here are some of the outtakes...hopefully, they'll put a smile on your face!

I love these two munchkins! (No denying they're brothers, huh?!)

These last two were very close runners-up, but did not make the cut! They are precious, though.

My Favorite Things -- Baby Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:44:00 +0000

I've been thinking recently about the things that I feel have been really useful over the past few weeks with a new baby. I think "favorite things" lists are fun, so here is my must-have list for baby:

Itzbeen Timer -- I read about this on another blog long before Reid was born and decided to give it a try. I LOVE it!!! It takes care of everything from how long it's been since you've changed a diaper and fed the baby to which side you last nursed on. This timer has allowed me to really know how long Reid actually nurses, and you can use it to time things like how long their naps have been or how long they have been crying (if you believe in letting them cry it out). For some people, knowing this stuff is unimportant, but I'm a big believer in putting a baby on a schedule and so I feel like this was made for me! A great example of the use of this is that last night, I pressed the sleep button when I put Reid down and this morning, I knew that he had only woken up ONE time in a 9-hour, 33 minute time-period. Pretty awesome.

Nursing tanks. This is something that I wasn't really even aware of with Pierce, but again, LOVE them. They are great for layering, especially in these winter months and I don't feel like my belly is hanging out. I've gotten all of mine from Target.

Baby bjorn. We had a front carrier with Pierce, but I rarely used it and I feel like he didn't like it because he wasn't used to it. With only one kiddo, it's much easier to have your hands tied up. A friend is letting me borrow the bjorn and it has been great. Reid doesn't mind it and has slept in it each time he's been in it. Last Saturday, we spent most of the day shopping and it was very helpful! This past Monday, I had him in while we were at the playground. Super! I haven't ventured to a store with both boys, yet, but I envision using the carrier with Reid while Pierce sits in the cart (I'm not quite ready to have Pierce walking with me in a busy store!).

Boppy pillow. When I am home, I use the boppy pillow during every nursing session. It makes it so much easier and comfortable for both of us. It has even become a crutch almost in that I have trouble nursing without it, say when we are out. Sometimes, I bring it with me if I know I'll be nursing in the car...it just makes it go so much smoother! I also like it as a place for the baby to rest with his head propped up.

Nursing cover: Again, something that I was completely unaware of when I was nursing Pierce. A friend introduced this to me and I knew for sure I would need one for my next baby. I have bought them as gifts for both of my sisters and some other friends. Nursing in public was something I rarely did with Pierce b/c I just couldn't get the hang of the blanket on my shoulder, unsnapping my bra, latching the baby, etc. This cover allows you to have 2 hands and makes nursing in public so much more comfortable for me. I have always been able to find them on ebay for very reasonable prices (and handmade).

The baby swing. Something else that I am borrowing from a friend because my sister has been using mine. Reid loves, loves, loves the swing. It almost always puts him to sleep. And I feel like I have depended on it a bit too much at times to soothe him to sleep. I am trying to get away from letting him sleep in it and putting him in his crib during the day. But, this was definitely very useful when I was in survival mode in the first few weeks. I even came downstairs a few nights and used it when I really needed sleep!

I treated myself to this Vera Bradley baby bag (got a great deal on it on ebay!) before Reid was born because I really wanted a large bag that could hold both kids' things as well as be a purse for me. This bag is perfect. Plenty of room/pockets for diapers, wipes, sippy cups, cell phone, wallet, diaper cream and on and on. It's sylish and fits everything that I need when I'm out without having to carry mulitple bags.

Sleep sack -- used this a ton with Pierce and Reid sleeps in one every night as well. I only had one that I used with Pierce, but Kirsten has passed on a few that she is done with and they are so great for keeping the baby warm and comfy.

I'm sure there are some other things that I haven't thought of, and I definitely have a couple of books that I want to share about (mostly around sleep training), but I'll save that for another post. Reid has been doing great with his nighttime sleep and I am so thankful!

Six weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Reid hit the 6-week mark yesterday and I feel like we've turned a corner! A lot of people (and literature) will say that fussiness tends to peak right around six weeks, but I think it's been a magic number with this kiddo. Of course, I could be way off, but his fussiness has decreased significantly recently and he has many pleasant, content awake moments. And we've seen some intentional smiles, which is such a blessing!

There isn't too much to report, but I wanted to document some things for my personal journal. Two nights ago, Reid did a 6+ hour sleep stretch! In general, he is doing 4 hours stretches at night, but goes right back to sleep after he nurses. I can even put him down while he is still awake (but I know he is sleepy) and he'll drift off to sleep. There was one night last week, that he did one wake-up in a 9 hour period. It was glorious!

Over the past several weeks, Reid's biggest fussy period has been between 8 and 10ish in the evening. This has been difficult for me because it's such a treasured time of the day when Pierce is down and I can relax. It is getting better, though and we're hoping to get Reid into the habit of going down at the same time that Pierce does.

Reid is a much faster nurser than Pierce at this age (I compare everything to how Pierce was!). He nurses 10 minutes on each side and we're done in just about 20 minutes. That means at night, I'm up for no longer than 30 minutes and can hop back in bed!

Life is definitely getting back to normal for us and it feels good. We've been back to our Thursday morning Bible study the past two weeks and it's been so great. Pierce just LOVES his little classroom and I so enjoy the fellowship and time studying God's Word. We also did our little gymnastics class on Monday morning for the first time since Reid was born. It was so nice to be back. I feel very accomplished when we're able to get out the door and to these things on time!

I'm feeling more rested these days and it has really helped my patience level and my energy is coming back. It's been a long time!! Pierce and I have been able to spend some nice one on one time while Reid is sleeping and I think it really helps us both feel like we've had a successful day and makes things peaceful in our home.

God's grace has been abundant during these past few weeks and I am so grateful for how He has blessed my little family!

Up a tree

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

This is how Shaun and Pierce spend a beautiful Saturday morning. Daddy is teaching this overly cautious kiddo not to fear certain things... such as climbing trees. Oh, boy!

Fun Fall Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Reid - 1 Month Old

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Reid is 1 month old!!

I'm not going to sugar-coat and say that it's all been wonderful this past month. In some ways, it has gone by very fast and in others, it hasn't. Overall, I'd say it's been a pretty tough month! Just being real, folks. The upside is that Reid seems to be regulating and evening out a bit (aside from the screaming bloody murder for over an hour last night...ugh!). He has cried less and been less fussy this past week than he had been for the 3 weeks prior.

Shaun has been asking me to get all of this down in writing so that we "remember" for the future. It has occurred to me this past week that I would usually tell my new mom friends and family that the first 6 weeks is the hardest. Even though I seemed to have suppressed those memories, I'm sure that was true with Pierce and Reid has not been different. The good news is that we're more than half-way there!!

Pierce is a great big brother and has adjusted really well. He wants to watch me with every diaper change...even gets teary if I do it without telling him. He sweetly doles out hugs and kisses regularly and is not affected by the crying. The hardest thing for me is my patience with Pierce during the day when I'm going on little sleep. He wants my attention and so much of the time I am nursing or holding a fussy baby. I know that Reid will continue to get easier and we will strike a balance. Sleep deprivation has been the hardest thing for me. I can endure intense labor without pain relief, but going days on end with so little sleep has taken its toll on me. Thankfully, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

At Reid's appointment this past Tuesday (4 weeks), he weighed in at 9lbs, 15 oz. He's gained over 2 pounds in a month! He's a great eater and wants to nurse every 2-3 hours. He has suffered from a lot of gas the past few weeks, which I know is a big contributor to his fussiness. I'd say he's an average spitter, about the same as Pierce was.

Right now, we're just going with the flow as far as his sleep goes. Some nights are really good with 3-4 hour stretches of sleep, and others, we're up for 2 hours because he's fussy/gassy after he eats. He's been in his crib at night since our first day home from the hospital (we did this with Pierce as well) and I am trying to get him napping in the crib more during the day (as opposed to the swing, which he loves!). I have also started putting him down drowsy, but awake and he is learning to put himself to sleep. I know this will be key when we really get down to strict sleep training.

I forgot how much there is to teach a new baby, like sleeping on their backs in a big, cold crib. They just don't like it! He'd much rather be sleeping on/next to me or in my arms and will often wake up from a deep sleep as soon as I put him down. And his little body is so new and just trying to get used to everything. We have had some really sweet moments when he's awake and content. Those have been happening more lately and I think he's on the verge of smiling, which I'm really looking forward to!

We are so very thankful for this precious gift from God and rely on Him for grace as we all get used to this new normal!!

Family Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:24:00 +0000

We were in Richmond this past weekend visiting family. It's a whole new adventure packing for another whole person, especially a baby who goes through A LOT of clothes, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, etc., but we really enjoyed our time away.

On Saturday, we were with Shaun's family and had all planned to go to the Frog Level Parade and Fall Festival (a local fundraiser for the volunteer fire dept. of which Shaun was once a part). Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative and Reid and I had to stay back. Pierce really enjoyed the firetrucks, horses, candy and time with his grandparents and uncle. We only got a couple of pictures.

On Saturday evening, we headed over to my parents' house to spend time with my family. We chose, once again, to forgo dressing Pierce up and doing the trick-or-treating thing. Each year, I am more and more confident about our decision in this regard. Pierce got plenty of treats and Halloween is just not a "holiday" that we want to make a big deal about (I've blogged about this before). We helped pass out candy at Mimi & Papa's house and there were plenty of scary costumes -- one of my very least favorite things about this cultural tradition -- that even had Pierce mostly choosing to be inside.

Aunt Karen and Sierra picked out pumpkins for S & P and he had a blast painting it...very pensive!

On Sunday, my nephew, Jacob, was baptized and then, we spent the rainy afternoon resting, watching football and enjoying Mimi's Sunday spaghetti. We were all pretty beat by the time we got home!

On our own

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:53:00 +0000

We were blessed with my grandmother's (Nana) company and help for three weeks following Reid's birth. She headed back home yesterday and were sad to see her go. She was an amazing help while she was with us and we miss her already!!

She was the most helpful with playing with Pierce...reading, doing puzzles and building train tracks inside as well as lots of fun play outside (when the weather allowed). She was also a great help with things around the house such as folding laundry (I've never been so on top of my laundry! :), cooking delicious meals and allowing me to get a shower! I didn't get too many pictures, mostly because I was tending to Reid (usually nursing!) a lot of the time that she was busy playing with Pierce.

Oh, and she definitely has the touch with calming a screaming, uncomfortable baby. Her arms were a GREAT help so that I could do things like bathe Pierce, change diapers, put him down for naps, etc. (Shaun continues to work many hours making for long days away from home).

And she even did some gardening for me! :)

I was a bit anxious about not having the help once she left because I haven't really been on my own since Reid was born. So far, so good, though! Yesterday, we hosted playgroup and had a great day. This morning, I was able to get us all out the door for Reid's 1-month check-up (and a flu shot for Pierce).

I think that Nana was here at the most perfect time because in the last few days, Reid's temperament has gotten better. He's less fussy and has pleasant, contented awake periods (of which we did not see much in his first few weeks ... when he was awake, he was usually crying!!). I really needed her help precisely when she was here and thank God for it. I just wish she didn't live 500 miles away!!

I am still quite sleep deprived (probably got about 5 hours of broken sleep last night...kind of a rough night) and trying to catch a nap in the afternoon if both kiddos are sleeping at the same time. But, I do hope to get to some other blog posts this week and especially a one-month post for Reid in order to share his stats from today. He's doing great!!!

All Aboard!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:20:00 +0000

This past Saturday we took the boys on a train ride. I have been wanting to do this with Pierce for some time and was too late back in the spring. So, when I saw the flyer for this fall train ride, we decided to go for it. We bought our tickets way back during the summer and picked the very last date they were offering...wanting to make sure that the baby was as old as possible. At the time, I thought that he was going to come earlier and would have been older than just shy of 3 weeks, but I was wrong!

We had to be up and at 'em early in order to make the 45 minute drive and be there 45 minutes before departure (9:30) to get decent seats. Even getting there that early, we stood in a long line and didn't get the *best* seats, but we made do. Unfortunately, we had seats that were back-to-back, but I had 2 seats to myself and the baby (even though we hadn't paid for that extra seat). That made nursing easier and I had enough room for our stuff and the baby carrier.

Boy, do I look tired!

Snug as a bug in a rug. Reid slept for about the first hour and did very well overall.

The scenery was beautiful!

I feel like I was pretty useless on the trip as I didn't move from my seat at all and just tended to Reid. Back when we booked the trip, we talked about just Shaun and Pierce going, but Shaun felt like he wanted us all to go. It went well and I'm glad that we got to do this as a family. And the kids and I took great naps on Saturday afternoon! :)

Reid's Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Here are a couple of pictures that I had planned to share just before Reid's arrival. They were taken on my due date (the 1st) with my dear friend, Amy, who was due a week after me. Please pray for Amy as she is still pregnant and is 42 weeks today. She is hopeful to have a VBAC and is waiting on the Lord's timing and will.

It was really fun to be pregnant together and I look forward to our babies growing up together!

This is the final belly shot taken the weekend before Reid arrived.

I'm excited to record and document the happenings on sweet Reid's Birth Day. As I shared in this post, I was scheduled to have a non-stress test and ultrasound done on the morning of Tuesday, the 6th. Well, the night before, I didn't sleep great. No real contractions, but I was restless and had to move down to the couch around 3am. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the early morning hours.

I started getting myself ready early, knowing that I had to get Pierce to my friend's house as Shaun was planning to join me for the appointment. Due to having sick kids, my dear friend had to call last minute to say that it probably wasn't the best idea for Pierce to be there. Usually, I wouldn't mind the sickness, but with all the flu stuff going around and the likelihood of a new baby joining us very soon, I didn't want to chance it. I called Kirsten (early enough to wake her up!) and asked if we could bring Pierce there. By this time, I was having what I thought were early labor contractions. They started around 7:00 and were mostly in my back. I was able to go about getting myself ready, making Shaun's lunch, packing up things for Pierce, all the while taking mini-breaks when the a contraction would hit. They weren't lasting more than 30 seconds and were coming every 8-10 minutes.

I wanted to call the doctor's office to see if I still needed to come in, if in fact, I was actually in labor, but they don't open until 8:30 -- that's about the time I'd need to leave my house to make it to my appt. on time. Shaun left around 8:00 to take Pierce to Kirsten's and I got a hold of the doctor's office right around 8:30. They told me that I still needed to come in to be checked by the doctor. I was quite annoyed by this as I really didn't want to drive myself there...but would not have made it in time if I had waited for Shaun to get back to our house. We just decided to meet each other there. I drove to the doc's office...in labor. I was watching the car clock and my contractions were coming every 5-6 minutes. I feel like I was still able to drive safely, just breathing through the pain.

The doctor checked me around 9:30 and I was already 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. He confirmed that I was indeed in labor and that he would let the hospital know I was coming. He gave us permission to return home to get our things and take care of what we needed, but warned us not to waste too much time at home. We left a car in town and Shaun drove me home. Again, I was irritated that I had to spend so much of my labor going back and forth in the car, but at least I knew for sure that this was it! We spent some time at home getting our things together and that is when I blogged and updated facebook. I also grabbed something to eat. Even though it was only 10:30 or so, I was craving the chicken salad sandwich that I had made Shaun for lunch, and ate that along with some peanut butter crackers. All the while my contractions were coming on stronger and stronger and I had to take more and more breaks from what I was doing. Shaun was massaging my back and helping me get through them as he packed the car and took care of other things around the house.

I was in full, active labor by the time we arrived at the hospital and remember a lady in the waiting area watching me and telling me good luck! I had to be wheeled up to the fourth floor and it is all kind of blurry. The pain was intense. Our nurse, Meredith, was a perfect match and asked us right away if we planned to do it naturally. I was required to lay in the bed for just 5 minutes with the monitor on so that they could get a good strip of the baby. After that, I was free to labor how I wanted. The doctor checked me shortly after our arrival, right around noon, and I was 8 cm. That was fast!!

I spent the next 2 hours in and out of the tub and laboring over the birth ball on the bed. Shaun did an incredible job (again!) of massaging and encouraging me. I will not lie. It was extremely painful and I cried a lot. Shaun says this was the hardest part for him. My labor with Pierce was so drawn out, that it almost wasn't as intense and the pain didn't come on as strong. This time was very different. Very fast and very painful. At 1:50pm, my water broke as I labored over the ball on the bed. I got back in the tub for only about 15 minutes and then was checked and was fully dilated. I spent the next 20 minutes pushing (hardest thing (x2) I've ever done!) and Reid was born at 2:32pm!!

He cried on my chest for about 5 minutes straight while they cleaned him (and me) up.

I delivered Pierce at a different hospital and while I had a very positive experience there, it was different. This time around, it was a lot less medical. I did not require an IV (whereas with Pierce, they put an IV as soon as I got to the hospital), nor did I have to have a monitor on the whole time (had the monitor on the entire time that I labored with Pierce). Everything was so natural and there was never any pressure to do it any other way -- there also wasn't very much time!

As I've said before, I am so very thankful that everything happened spontaneously and I was able to have another natural, non-medicated birth. I do not overlook the Lord's hand in it all. He made Himself so evident in so many ways and we praise Him!!

Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Reid was awake from 1:30 until almost 5ish this morning and that means I really should be using this downtime when both boys are sleeping to sleep myself, but I am feeling behind and blogging has been one of the things I've been wanting to do, so here goes.

We're two weeks into having baby #2 and I've had several thoughts and reflections that I wanted to jot down for future reference (can you believe that I am already thinking I would do this again?!). This is mostly for me to remember certain things, so I'm going to just do a bullet list.

Reid is doing great health-wise. All his blood work came back normal. Praise the Lord! He had his 2-week check-up on Tuesday and he weighed in at 8lbs, 6oz. Last week, he was 7 lbs., 11oz, so he is eating and growing very well. He is a great nurser, much better than Pierce...and I find myself comparing everything to how Pierce was. I guess that is normal.
Speaking of nursing, it is so much easier the second time around. Not any less painful for me (I still had blisters, bleeding, etc.), but I feel like I have been way more confident this time around, which has probably helped with Reid's eating. I never felt comfortable nursing in public with Pierce, but have already done so with Reid, with a nursing cover, of course.
I definitely still feel like I spend a lot of time nursing throughout the day and night, but I'm not as apt to solve every cry with the breast, like I feel like I did with Pierce. Yes, I still resort to feeding on demand much of the time, but have also learned that not every cry means hunger.
Reid is much more alert and awake than I remember Pierce being at this age. We've had some decent 4-5 hour stretches between feedings both during the day and night, but Reid also remains awake for long periods as well. I know from my sleep training knowledge that this is not necessarily great, but we're going with the flow right now. I feel like I'm already using sleep training techniques, which is earlier than I did with Pierce. Of course, we're still soothing to sleep and won't let him cry it out for another few weeks, but I'm just more aware this time of the little tricks that will hopefully make sleep training easier.
Pierce has done magnificently well with all of this! I can't believe how big and "old" he seems to me now. It has made me nostalgic for his baby days...but it's amazing how independent and mature he is. I feel like he grew up so much in the short time I was in the hospital! The crying doesn't seem to bother him too much and he asks about his "baby brother" as in where he is and can he go places with him (to church, etc.). It's really cute.
My body is slowly getting back to normal. The swelling has gone down significantly in my feet and ankles, although I still can't fit into most of my shoes. I'm really hoping that my feet have not grown permanently as I have quite a bit of money invested in my shoes! :) I am not able to get my wedding rings back on, yet either. I am having serious night sweats, which I know is helping me shed this excess fluid. The healing and recovery has been ten times easier the second time around as well. I can't believe how good I feel physically (aside from the exhaustion) despite having birthed a baby just a little over 2 weeks ago. The body really is amazing.
My baby blues lasted about a week-10 days. I am feeling much better emotionally and less tearful over the past few days. My biggest "worries" in the first days mostly revolved around Pierce and how things were going to change for him, and how I would miss our one-on-one time. Fortunately, I've been able to enjoy bathtimes and storytimes with him many days and catch kisses and cuddles when I can. It has really helped that he has had a lot of attention from Nana and other family visiting.
We have been spending a lot of time at home these days, which is a change for Pierce and I. Thanks to Nana and the beautiful weather this week, she and Pierce have been able to spend a lot of time both inside and out playing. This has been a HUGE help to me. Probably one of my biggest anxieties comes from wondering how I will ever get all three of us out the door and to anything that starts before noon. Ha! I'm hoping to get us back to our Thursday Bible study in a couple of weeks, which means leaving the house by 8:45. I'm sure it's laughable to those of you working, but I know it will be a lot to get all of us ready and out the door on time (especially with an unpredictable sleep and nursing schedule). I trust that we'll get into a groove soon enough.
In our 7+ years of marriage, nothing has made me feel closer to and more in love with my husband as going through this birthing/parenting experience together, now two times over. From the labor/delivery/hospital experience to helping me in the middle of the night, Shaun has more than pulled his weight, despite his demanding work schedule of mandatory overtime right now. He is one of the greatest blessings in my life.
I can't believe I have TWO boys! As most of you know, this was my leaning most of my pregnancy, but towards the end, I started believing that maybe it was a girl (and others were doing a good job of convincing me of such!). I was a bit surprised when Shaun announced to me that it was another boy. I do desire to have more kids and the experience of raising a daughter. For now, I am really excited to have two boys back-to-back and look forward to the wonderful relationship they are sure to share.
We have had meals cooked for us every day since last Tuesday and it has been so fabulous! We've got several more coming in the next couple of weeks, too. The support and love from our friends and family has been out of this world.

I think that's most everything for now. Sorry no pictures in this post. I'm hoping to get to Reid's birth story soon, so stay tuned for that!

More from our weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:24:00 +0000

A few fun pictures from the past several days:

On Friday morning, we ventured to our local library's storytime. Pierce did great and Reid was quite fussy. Thank goodness I had Nana there to help! This is the craft that Pierce made.

Pierce and Sierra had such a wonderful time together over this past weekend. Pierce has been asking about her since she left! So wish they lived closer.

Reid was a bit fussy by the time we got him in Sierra's lap.

Taking a snooze with Daddy (they have similar profiles, don't ya think?).

Beautiful babe

Yesterday, we got the rare chance to catch the second half of the Buffalo Bills (I was raised in Bills territory) game (it was on local TV). Here is a series of pictures I took as we watched a nail-biter in overtime.

Yay!! We pulled out a win!!!

We had such a great weekend! I wish every day was a Saturday or Sunday...I just love having Shaun at home!

Carter Mountain Orchard - 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Yesterday, Shaun and Pierce joined Nana, Kirsten, Keith, Jacob, Karen and Sierra for a trip to our local apple orchard for hot apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, a hayride and apple picking. I was not able to join them due to the quite chilly temperature and having a newborn to care for. Our trip last year fell on one of the colder days we had had thus far, and this year was no different. Recently we've been experiencing below average temps...it feels more like winter than fall these days!

We've had many, many visitors this past week, including my brother and sister-in-law who made a long trip up for a day; as well as Karen and Sierra who spent the weekend with us. And Nana is with us from NY until the end of the month. I absolutely love my family. It is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

I put together a little slideshow of some of the pictures that were taken. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Brothers

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:04:00 +0000

Get ready to have your heart completely melt! This absolutely made me tear up. What a special gift we have been given in these two precious boys. I SO look forward to watching them grow up together and be the best of friends.

Homecoming

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:27:00 +0000

We are home! We were discharged from the hospital on Saturday with a mostly clean bill of health. Reid had a slightly elevated creatinine level (has to do with kidney function) and the doctor wants to re-check that with bloodwork this week, but was okay with us doing it in the office. Our appointment is tomorrow afternoon. We are not worried though as he is peeing and pooping just fine, eating well and has not run a fever.

It is so good to be home!! Reid has just seemed calmer and more contented since we got here. There is no doubt that having a newborn is tough in the first days. I am not sleeping much at night and am feeling a bit overwhelmed and emotional all the time. Fortunately, I've done this before and know that it will get better. I continue to focus on that and taking one day at a time.

Shaun is home today and tomorrow, working half a day on Wednesday and then, back full-time on Thursday. My grandmother has traveled south from NY and will be staying between my house and my sister's house until the end of the month. I know that will be a huge blessing! Meals will start pouring in this week and we feel very loved and taken care of.

I have so many adorable pictures that I want to share (and quite possibly the cutest video clip you've ever seen!) and will try to do so as time and energy allow over the next several days. I have been writing several blog posts in my head and hope to get to them. Like everything else, with time.

Thanks to each one of you for your prayers and support. It was a scary and trying week last week, but we are confident that our little guy is perfect and we lift up praises to the Lord for all his abundant blessings!

Life on the outside

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Well, it's been a tough couple of first days for this sweet little guy. He started running a fever on Wednesday (Day 2 of life) and it definitely got his pediatrician alarmed. I was a bit oblivious, but apparently, fever in newborns can be very dangerous, if the cause is not found and treated.

The doc decided to run a slew of tests, which bought us an additional minimum of 48 hours in the hospital. Yesterday, Reid had a spinal tap done along with two different blood cultures. They started an IV with antibiotics as a precautionary measure in case there was anything bacterial going on. He's had other blood work done and lots of observation (of weight, dirty diapers, etc.).

I was discharged and Reid became the patient. We were moved to the pediatric floor yesterday afternoon in order for him and I to be together (originally, we thought that he'd have to be in the nursery away from me for the whole 48 hours...very difficult news to hear). What a blessing it has been to be together in our own room and the staff on the Peds floor has been amazing.

So far, nothing has grown in the blood cultures and Reid's fever "broke" and he hasn't had one since yesterday afternoon. The spinal tap results will be in tomorrow and our hope is to be discharged sometime in the afternoon.

The past two nights have been extremely difficult with hours upon hours of screaming and nothing consoling our little guy. Today has been so much better! We noticed fluid build-up in his tiny foot where the IV was placed and so it was removed. They were not able to get another IV started (ran out of places to put it on his little poked and bruised arms, hands and feet), so it was decided that the meds could be administered via shots. None of this is ideal, but he handled his first shot very well and I think he is more comfortable without the IV in his foot. Also today, my milk seems to be coming in, which has made him a very happy camper (and me too, knowing that he's getting his little belly filled up).

This has been a very, very stressful situation and I have had many a breakdown of just plain sobbing. My emotions are so very raw. It doesn't help that I am extremely exhausted and just gave birth 3 days ago (read: hormones raging!). As a friend said yesterday, nothing can quite rock you to your core like the fear of your tiny baby's health being at risk. It so hurts my heart to know the distress that this has caused my just 3-day old baby...all the needle sticks and the rectal temperature checks and the just plain not being left alone! It's difficult living at the hospital and missing the house and my bigger boy. And there's all the coordinating that goes into making sure Pierce is getting what he needs. Our families have been so fabulous in helping us and we are so incredibly grateful. And I would be a complete mad woman if I didn't have my husband by my side through all of this. What a gift he is.

Here's Reid during a contented moment in Daddy's hands earlier today. Can you believe all that hair?! It really makes him look like a little man!

The Lord has been near us and I know that things are going to be fine. I'm praying for a smooth night tonight and an early discharge tomorrow. I covet your prayers as well.