6th Annual Shafer Pumpkin Carving

Lastnight, we headed over to Jodi and Mark's for the 6th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest...although we never have any winners :)

More to come...crying baby :)

Tummy Time Pictures

Not a happy baby! This is what he did for the first several minutes.

Then I put a plug in...and he calmed down pretty quickly.

Then I pulled the plug out because he was in his "zone".

Then he just slept...and looked like he was swimming on his blanket.

All that crying and moving around really tuckered him out.

Holy Hef-A-Lump!!!

Today was Danny's One Month Appointment. I have been anxiously awaiting this as I've been dying to know how much he weighs. Well, my assumptions were accurate...his new nickname is PIGLET! He officially weighs 10 lbs 10 oz, which is a weight gain of exactly 2.5 lbs since he was born.

For an explanation on this phenomenon...please read the "Happy Cows Come From Lyndhurst" post. Even better is that it seems as he gains weight, I'm losing weight! I got on the scale last Saturday after a two-week hiatus, and I had lost just over 3 lbs. I am fascinated by this because not only does piglet eat like a champ, his mother has an insatiable appetite. I mean, it is RIDICULOUS how hungry I get because of breastfeeding! And I am not always making the healthiest decisions. I have almost single handedly eaten a bag of Oreos in a week. Sometimes 4-6 cookies a day! It's crazy.

I will not deny that I am damn proud of my piglet. He is nursing like a champ. He takes a bottle like a champ. He loves his pacifier. And today, he had a shot, and cried for *maybe* 30-seconds. I am definitely a proud mama.

I am hoping that his weight gain will give me "Bridget" arms. If anyone knows my coworker Bridget, she has the best toned arms, and she attributes it to lifting her children. I like to refer to mine as "bat wings" and last week they were pretty sore...one step closer to my arm idols.

Now that Danny is one month old, we have to start something called "Tummy Time". Four times a day for 15-minutes each time, he has to lay on his belly. This is supposed to help strengthen his upper body and neck. When I put him down, he didn't like it. Not one bit. He screamed for the first 7-9 minutes. Then calmed down a bit. Then fell a sleep. I have a series of pictures that I'll post to reflect his mood. It did seem to work though. He managed to switch his head from side to side twice, and he used his arms (while flailing) to lift his head. We'll see how round two goes after his nap. While he was having a fit, he worked out some gas and took a nice big poop. Another proud moment.

My pregnant friend Anmarie is due tomorrow. Please send her some *labor dust* and prayers for a safe and healthy delivery. So far, she's not feeling anything...We are hoping that changes soon. She is anxiously waiting to meet her little boy, and so are we!

Happy One Month Birthday!

Happy Cows Come From Lyndhurst!

Every time I see the commercials that say "Happy Cows Come From California" I always laugh and think that they come from Lyndhurst!

Thankfully, breastfeeding is working out...but this kid is a chow hound! If I'm not feeding him, I'm pumping. It's insane. I feel like a milk maid!

I am completely fascinated by the fact that this kid over 3-weeks old and is living and breathing solely from getting all of his food from ME!

No pressure, right?

It really is the best. Years ago, I wasn't sure this would be the option for me. I always laughed and said that I did not want anything "attached" to me. Of course, I matured a bit, and have the benefit of sisters that have nursed. From their experiences, I learned a lot of the pros/cons and what to be aware of. I know that breastfeeding one child doesn't guarantee that it will work for the next one. Or vice versa. Gradually, the concept became more interesting to me.

I took a class over the summer to learn even more about it. And I really have to attribute a lot of my success to that class, and of course the great nurses at UH. The class was a bit overwhelming in that it really stressed how much work it is. That it will hurt in the beginning. That I will get frustrated. But that if I stick it out, the benefits will be incredibly rewarding. This could not be more true. The class was also taught by a really nice nurse. Not a lactation Nazi that I feared. My mentality was always that if it works, awesome. But that you can not walk into a room and identify people by whether they had been breastfed or not. There is not badge or stamp on their forehead.

The only con with this feeding method is that I am on call 24/7. In the middle of the night, only I can go in and feed the little guy. Trust me, if David could, he would. I am not at a point where I can pump and feed him enough to plan for more then one bottle a day. Of course, we have a few emergency reserves....and some premixed formula on hand just in case, but it is a lot of work.

I never thought I would enjoy this so much. He makes the best faces. He falls asleep and looks completely drunk, and has my boob hanging out of his mouth. Too much information, maybe, but it really is very sweet. He also does what I like to call "Bobbing for Boobies" (BFB). He will open his mouth, and with this very drunk expression "bob" towards my chest in search for the great treasure. What's funny is that he will be nursing like a champ, take a quick break and then start BFB again! David gets a kick out of this too.

I never thought that I would have the ability to breastfeed and multi-task. Last week, I managed to fold a load of laundry at the same time!

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You...

For some reason, I've had this song in my head all weekend. Friday night, Dave and I were sitting on the couch catching up on the day, when it occurred to me that Saturday was Sweetest Day. I remembered this all week because of the commercials...but I opted not to do anything for it, assuming Dave wouldn't remember. So I told him that Saturday was Sweetest Day, and that I purposely didn't do anything, etc. He seemed genuinely relieved. So I said "Deal" and he said "Deal" back. This locked in the fact that we would not be celebrating Sweetest Day.

In years past, Dave and I did this stuff...or more I did, so Dave stayed on his A-Game and reciprocated. But lately, it seems silly. We do so much for each other and together all year, that we've kind of moved away from celebrating Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day and our Anniversary with gifts and cards. We've become that couple that uses a new household purchase to qualify as the gift that will keep giving all year...ie, no Christmas gifts this year because we bought a wicked camera.

Anyhow, I woke up Saturday morning, and Dave had already left to run errands. There on the kitchen counter was a note with some gifts that said "Happy Sweetest Day Mom! - Danny". One gift was a picture frame that says "My Heart Belongs to Mommy" and a beautiful locket necklace. My husband is the best. Of course, I felt like a slouch. He tricked me!

I know I've mentioned this in previous posts, but Dave is a natural father. He has been the best. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I expected it all along. It still melts my heart to see it in action though. He loves giving Danny his last feeding every night. This task requires me to pump enough for the little piglet to eat. And even though pumping isn't really "fun", I don't mind because I look forward to watching Dave give him the bottle. He's the best burper too. I don't know how he does it, but he always manages a good one!

Being loved, feeling loved and seeing that love everyday is honestly the best. It might sound sappy, but we are so lucky to have each other.

Danny's First Bottle

10/06/2008

The kid took it like a champ!

What A Difference A Year Makes

Today is October 15th. And a before our loss, I would never have known the significance of the day. But today I know.

October 15th is the National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
http://www.october15th.com/

Tonight, we will light a candle and say a prayer and miss our little girl. Last year, for as much as I remembered the day, it was David who remembered to light the candle. I remember realizing why he had done it and just having been so deeply touched.

What a difference a year makes.

This year, we hold onto this perfect little baby boy who amazes me every day. I literally stare at him in awe. I am completely fascinated by his perfect little ears, and his adorable mouth. I love to just watch him while he's nursing. He makes the sweetest little faces and expressions. I adore watching him sleep, especially when he scrunches his face all angry and then in the next breath opens his mouth and laughs.

I think about how "perfect" he is. And while this brings me so much joy, the word perfect also hurts my heart. His older sister, while as beautiful as she was, was lost to a disease that uses the word "imperfect" to describe it. What a horrible irony.

But today we will remember Angela and we will hold on to Danny, and we will thank our lucky stars for both our babies. We know that Angela is Danny's angel, and that because of her, he is absolutely perfect.

CRAP-TASTIC & Other Randomness

In a previous post, I called Danny Shit Monkey. He is not only well deserving of the nickname, but he has also become Mr. CRAP-TASTIC! I swear, I should buy him a cape to go with this super hero bodily functions.

He is ensuring that I get my exercise by changing him multiple times a day and having to walk and throw his diapers out. It's fantastic.

Speaking of exercise, I went running for the first time yesterday. I managed to go .25 miles without stopping...and if you were driving past me, you might not consider it running...but it was running to me. Overall, my walk was 2.5 miles yesterday. I'm working on trying to get out there and get rid of my J-Lo bootie. The plan is to hook the Wii Fit up tonight which should also get me moving.

I got on the scale Saturday, as I had planned, two weeks after the baby. Fortunately, it was not mean to me. I definitely have my work cut out, but I was relieved. However, because of the two pregnancies, I've decided to work towards the first ones pre-pregnancy weight, otherwise, a great wardrobe of pants will go to waste.

What a difference a year makes! A year ago this past Sunday, we ran the Towpath Half Marathon. Running that race was my goal to get back in shape after having Angela. While I never got back to my pre-pregnancy size, I did manage to run 11 of the 13.1 miles without stopping! That is pretty awesome (for me). My next racing goal is the Cleveland Half Marathon on May 17th. Since I know I was able to do 11-miles without stopping, I would love to finish the whole thing this year without stopping. We'll see!

We picked out Danny's Halloween costume! It is already hanging in his room :) He is going to be the cutest little Chili Pepper ever. That is a picture of the target advertisement.

I am off to plant some tulips today and also plan to take a few pictures of my handsome little shit monkey.

More later...

Mini Dave...

Danny is David's spitting image. He has a few Sherman traits (lips and chin) but otherwise, he's all Dave. He even chews in his sleep! Dave does this and I think it's hilarious.


Last night was another late night...which we kind of expected because he slept all day. We tried to wake him a few times, and it was useless. His eyes would just roll back and he was out. It's very cute. I know you shouldn't wake a sleeping baby, but I also know that a baby who sleeps all day wants to play all night. It's ok though. Usually, he falls asleep while I'm feeding him, and I fall asleep too. So it's not a total wash. I just end up sleeping on the glider.

He really is such a good baby though.

More Pictures

My in-laws gave me a disk of pictures, and there were some great ones from the hospital that I thought I would share...

This picture of the three of us is my absolute favorite!!!

Reality Check

Yesterday, when I was exhausted from being up all night with my sweet little baby, I had a nice reality check. A long time ago, I mentioned how I read certain "web boards". Well, the board I frequent quite a bit is called "Success After a Loss" for pregnant women who are expecting again after a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. There is one girl on the board who has just amazed me with her experience.

After she suffered a miscarriage, Stacy became pregnant again. Unfortunately, her second pregnancy was very complicated, and the baby would not survive. Stacy, and her husband Spencer, made the decision to continue the pregnancy and pray to God for a miracle. Yesterday, their son Isaac was born and was with them for a brief 16-minutes. Stacy knew she would be induced on October 7th.

Here is a link to their story.
http://sgirl79.blogspot.com/

I don't know Stacy, but I can honestly say she feels like a friend. I have followed her story, responded to her posts, and said lots of prayers for them. I even talk about her story with Dave, and told him yesterday about baby Isaac's passing.

This is just one of many stories, including our own loss, that will make those long nights enjoyable instead of miserable. I know this seems like a sad post, but her story is truly remarkable.

No More Bili-Blues & Pictures

Well, after four consecutive days of having his little tootsies pricked, Danny has beat the Bili-Blues. His levels went down enough that he no longer requires the bili-blanket. We'll be taking him back at the end of the week to have everything checked again. On a positive note, he is one ounce short of his birth weight. Not surprising since all he does is EAT! Even the doctor was impressed, especially since he is breastfed and not formula fed. At the rate this kid goes, he's going to need a treadmill to burn some of it off!

He seriously eats and poops all day long. Last night I about died laughing because I was feeding him while we were laying on the couch downstairs. Dave went to squeeze his little thigh, and could not have timed it better with a giant WET poop and loud gas. Dave jumped a foot in the air. It was really funny.

We finally gave him his first bath at home yesterday. Boy did he need it! Aunt Tasha and Emily drove out to give us a hand. We were a little nervous :)

I have developed a new nickname for the baby..."Shit Monkey". I know it doesn't sound nice, but since he's been my little monkey for months, and now he poops a ton, I thought the new name was appropriate. I also think he's a vampire. Last night he was up ALL NIGHT and didn't stop eating! After a certain point, I don't think he could have even been getting anything. He is a little breast man. I am definitely going to have to take a nap today in order to keep up with this crazy routine. I'm hoping he works his days and nights out soon. He does make it hard to be mad because he's so stinking cute. Especially when he is so frantic to eat, and then has just a little and passes out drunk.

Here are some pictures of our little angel....

This is Danny under the bili-blanket.

One week old!!!! 10/04/2008

Of course at 8:00 am he sleeps!

Now if only I could get the same picture at 3:00 am.

Bili-Blues.

Last night, monkey chose to stay up most of the evening. Not super fussy, just when I would put him down for bed. Thank God the glider is so comfortable. He is doing great with the feeding, and sometimes a bit relentless. The "girls" are still getting broken in, so this is a little bittersweet.

Today was his first pediatrician appointment. When we left UH on Monday, his bilirubin (jaundice) levels were middle of the road. This was something that the UH pediatrician wanted to have looked at by our new pediatrician at the first appointment. So, we talked about it with our doctor today. He agreed that monkey looked a little yellow, and wanted to have a blood test. So monkey got the blood test.

Poor Dave. I was at the desk registering him as a new Cleveland Clinic patient, and all I could hear was our baby SCREAMING. The girl checking me in, Stephanie, could not have been any SLOWER. She was making small talk and commenting on how nice it is that Dave and I work for the same company, and blah blah blah. Oh, and that there was another baby boy that was born on 9/27/2008 and maybe he and Danny could be friends. I was like "seriously?!". What seemed like an hour later, I found Dave and Danny in the laboratory, and Dave had calmed him down a bit. Poor little guy. They prick the heel of his foot!

The doctor called with the results, and the levels were high. Just short of having him admitted to Hillcrest to be put under the lights. So, the doctor had a company bring over a bili-blanket. It has a glowing pad that monkey lays on. You kind of stuff it up his onsie. He looks like a glow worm. We had to bring him back in this afternoon for another blood test. This one wasn't quite as bad, but he did demonstrate his large lung capacity. Those results came back better. The level was dropping.

We take him back in Thursday morning, and he'll be tested again. In the meantime, he's on the bili-blanket, and seems to like the "white noise" that it makes. I'm just glad we didn't have to spend the night in the hospital again. Being home is so nice!

Good night!