One small step for Jack, One HUGE step for Mommy!

We had a small success today...Jack sat in his swing for a good 20 minutes and I have to say that it was the most incredible 2o minutes! To make it even better, he enjoyed it! Hopefully soon we will been swinging to and fro more often! Today has been another big day of progress!!!

Jack now weighs a whopping 8 pounds and 5 ounces! We are so excited about his growing progress. I get so excited when thinking about Jack and what he will be like when he is just a little older, but then I look at him and feel like he has grown so much that time should just stop. He has gained so much more strength in his neck. He can hold his neck up without it wobbling from one side to the other. He is also so much more alert. He can identify both Brian and my voice. I love it. Let me just mention how much I love to here him burp. I never knew a burp could make me so happy. There is just this great satisfaction for me when I am feeding him and he is able to expel a huge burp! I can't get enough of them and I think it's because with each burp means less gaseous pain! The only times he becomes really fussy is when he has gas or if he is starving! I couldn't be any more lucky.

I will have to admit, though, I might have spoiled him a little too much. Usually when Jack is awake, he is in someones arms. I am trying very diligently to get him use to the swings that we have, but he just does not appreciate the back and forth motion of something other than someones arms! It has only been in the last couple of days that he becomes irritated when not being held, so I am naively thinking that there is still time to break this habit!!! Wish us luck!

3 Weeks!

We are well into the third week of Jackson's life and loving every minute of it. Up to this point, Jack has been, shall I say, "by the book." He has been sticking to a feeding, sleeping, and waking schedule of every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. This has really been great for me because it has allowed me to leave out all of the guess work. Unfortunately, we are starting to change up our great little routine. I'll explain in more detail, but first let's talk about the DELIVERY!!
I think I might have been a little misleading when I said that I labor for two days. My contractions started Sunday morning, November 16Th. It was the most odd feeling I have ever had and I knew right away that I was experiencing the onset of labor. Fortunately, the contractions were very sparse and not too painful. Brian and I had a full day of visiting family out of town and having painful contractions would have really put a damper on our plans. So, instead of listening to my gut and staying at home, we continued with our day. This was probably my first mistake. Having to slouch in a church pew clutching your huge, massive belly in pain while making an awful face is not the easiest thing to be discrete about, nonetheless, trying to be a good guest at someones house. After an entire day of random and inconsistent painful and not-so-painful contractions, we made it home. I started to freak myself out by the time we made it home and decided that we should go to the hospital. So, bags packed and the dog taken care of, we rushed off to the hospital, only to be told to go home and wait until Monday afternoon. (My original due date)I was given a mild sleeping aid and told to "get some rest." Yeah, right!! The next day, with my inconsistent painful and not-so-painful contractions, I was in full nesting mode. Everything, and I really mean Everything, was taken care of before I had to report to the hospital at three. Thanks to the help of Brian and my mom, we were completely ready for Jack to come home.


Now, in earlier posts, I had mentioned how I was not dilating AT ALL before this entire labor process began, so I knew that it could take a while before we had made any real progress. By Monday morning I was in full blown labor with constant and consistent contractions. Unfortunately, I was still not progressing and this meant having to wait for the epidural! Tuesday morning, around 3:00, pain relief finally arrived. I was able to rest for a while before the family arrived. Tuesday afternoon, the doctor made the decision to go forward with a c-section. Needless to say I was not progressing properly! They prepared Brian and I both for surgery and at 2:33 Jackson made his debut. It turns out, I was not dilating because Jack's head was turned a certain way and the umbilical cord was wrapped around it!


(I love this picture....our little monkey!!)

I will never forget the sound of his cry for the first time. It was the purest joy I had ever felt. Now, let me mention something here: I know that the epidural is suppose to relieve pain, and it did for me, but it seemed like I was so swollen by the fluids they were pumping in me that being literally paralyzed was just as painful. After the surgery I was a blimp!! (I have been a blimp this entire pregnancy, but I couldn't even see the outline of my knees in what appeared to be my legs!!)


(Swollen Much? It was out of control!!)

After two or three hours of recovery, they took me to my room and I was finally able to see Brian and hold Jack. We were a family. Brian was able to give Jack his first bath and hold him until I was brought up to the room. It was the most unbelievable experience to see and hold him for the first time!!!


Put your dukes up!!!

I have put in some pictures of Jack when he was born. Hopefully I will have some more recent pictures soon. He has grown so much after just three weeks. I just want time to slow down. Oh, but he is the perfect baby!!!!

This is our little angel and his big debut!!! It took two days of labor that ended in a c-section to get this little monkey here and we couldn't be any more excited. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family that came to show their love and support at the hospital. I want to blog all about the adventures of Jack's first week, but I can't seem to find the time right now!!! (Imagine that!) Until then, keep us in your prayers...we are feeling our way through the dark and it is sooo amazing. Brian and I both agree that this is the best thing we have ever done!!!

Monday, Monday

Well, just as I expected...no progress. I suppose I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be about finding out that I have not dilated any since my last appointment. I think I found a little comfort in knowing that on Monday I will defiantly be induced!!! Soo...until Monday...

Are we there yet?

Alright, this is getting a little old. I know that I have stressed how much I am ready for Jackson to come into this world and maybe a little too much because I think it is coming back to bite me in the rear. I went to the doctor Friday and I have not progressed ANY! I have hardly been dialated a fingertip for the past three weeks now. That isn't even worth bragging about! Actually, when he first checked me, I bragged about being dialated, thinking that I would only continue to dialate....I was wrong and should have just kept my big mouth shut. This little monkey, I think, is hanging on for as long as he can. So, as I am in with the doctor, I attempt to bargain with him about inducing me early! He, to my dismay, did not agree with my idea. He told me the reasons why and I had no choice but to agree with him. Fortunatly, I have an appointment on Thursday and if I have made any progress, then we are going to discuss inducing! (what is there really to discuss, we know the obvious answer!) So, keep your fingers crossed for Thursday! If nothing has happened, then we will wait unti the 17th, Jack's original due date!

There is so much out there!

So I am learning that this blog thing could be a lot more fun than what I have been making it out to be. I have been searching some other blogs and not too much to my surprise, there are a lot of neat blogs out there! I have put a few of the links in a sidebar tab thing so you can take a look at other blogs that are very intresting and informative! (Thank you LauraBeth for having some of these links on your blog) Motivated by these very intresting and informative blogs, I have tried to spice my page up a little bit. I have no clue yet what I am really doing, but I think the more I play with it, the better I will understand how to make this more fun for my readers, which, I'm sure, are few!!! I also hope that Jack will pop his little head out soon so that I can start uploading pictures of the little angel! The one problem is that Brian and I do not have internet connection at our new apartment. This is going to really put a hold on making this blog thing really exciting. I do think that we will try and work something out by mid month. (hopefully it will involve a little cable too!!!)
On a different note, I have not gone into labor yet. I am having contractions, but nothing that is bending me over and taking my breath away! Keep us in your prayers!