Happy New Years

Today we bought New Year party items and took pictures of Summer, she is so darn cute, everyday she is cuter and cuter! She was in a good mood, and took great pictures.

Summer is starting to scoot and can roll over from back to stomach if she wants, which isn't often, but we have seen her do it a few times this past week. She has also discovered her voice and is starting to scream and talk a lot more.
We bought the first box of rice cereal today, and in less than two weeks we will begin solids. I can't wait to get fresh veggies and fruits and wait for the mess to begin, smelly diapers, food all over, the dogs are going to eat as well as the rest of us soon enough.
Oh ya my find of the week, craigslist, a 9 piece baby bed set for $30 bucks. It came with the comforter, valance, blanket, two crib sheets, lamp, rug, pillow, and picture frame. It is called "sunshine" and matches the room nicely.

What did she just say?

As I hid myself behind a tree, I was able to capture on camera the wild baby speaking to a computer ... ok it wasn't that amazing, but I thought it was a good catch, Summer gets into her babbling moods, but they are rare, and when she does, I really wonder what she is saying, and who she is saying it to. Was she telling Mr. Computer all about her day, or her new tooth, or about her bad dream the night before (when she woke up screaming and in tears), or was she telling him about the mashed potatoes she had, and the taste of pepsi on dad's finger? Maybe she was telling him about her wonderful parents who love her so much they tell her a thousand times a day, and kiss her all over her face. Whatever she said, the computer wasn't impressed, because he didn't say anything back.

she has a TOOTH

So yesterday I was sitting on the bed, reading a magazine, and Summer was chewing on my hand like normal, I reached in and actually felt something very sharp, she has her first tooth! It is barely through the gums, but it is there, and I know we just felt the day before. Kris was on the computer and he came over and felt it. We tried to get a picture of it, hahaha that wasn't happening! My little baby has a tooth, which is great because I said I wanted to wait and start solid food once she had teeth, and I will be starting in about 2 1/2 weeks, perfect timing! What else, she still is not rolling and shows no interest in it. She is really starting to grab at our faces and then once she has your chin, for example, she puts her hand in a fist and about rips it off your face, it really hurts, I have to keep her nails short now for our sake, I can just imagine going to work with scratches all over my face. Just yesterday I saw her starting to lift her butt while on tummy time, so I guess she is getting ready to crawl.
Here is video from last night's bath, it is kind of dark but it was still cute. She likes taking a bath as long as she isn't hungry, like she is right now, laying on the floor next to me getting pissed off, I guess I better go get her a bottle!

She is Walking!

ok before I explain the walking, isn't it great being an adult? Kris and I went shopping yesterday for gifts, and after 3 hours and two stores we were done. When we got home, we decided we didn't want to wrap gifts that we picked out ourselves, and we didn't want to wait until Christmas Day to play with them, so we decided we would put them all under the tree, take a good picture, and go with that, so that is what we did last night.
We ended up getting Summer some books, a bath seat, shrek dolls, 4 pairs of pants, and grandma got her a mobile walker. I put the walker together, and we put Summer in it and SHE MOVED. Not only did she move once, but she kept moving all over the house. We were shocked. We didn't think she was ready to use a walker, the directions said 15+ pounds, she is 17.5, but still, we can't believe she can actually move her feet and went forward.

Our joy was quickly turned into panic as we looked around the house at all of our plants, tables, shelves, dog food, dog water, electrical plugs ... what are we going to do with all of those things? We have at least 15 plants in one room, and some are really large. Kris suggested completely cleaning out one room (our sitting room) so Summer could move all around and not get into anything, but where would we move 2 couches, 2 tables, 15 plants, and all the other stuff. We will have to think about that more later.
We also got a food processor for Christmas, which means we are almost ready to start feeding solids. We are so tempted to buy the rice cereal, but we keep waiting, we can do it, just a few more days, and Summer slept 9 hours last night (from 9:30 to 6:30), had her bottle, and went back to bed until 8:30, so I had a lot of good sleep this weekend. Life is great!

Chrismtas Party Success

My first Christmas party was a success, the food was edible, the desserts were plentiful, the gift exchange game was fun and Summer did great. We took pictures with Santa, and I did some magic photo editing - I think the photo turned out awesome! I printed a 8x10 photo from Walgreen's and it now sits on the entertainment stand next to the holiday decorations.
What else happened this week, Summer has been eating great, 6 (and sometimes more) ounces. We are trying not to feed her real food, it is so hard to wait. I have decided to feed her fresh veggies and fruits when she is 6 months, my friend has a food processor I can use. My hope is that by buying fresh veggies and fruits I will eat healthier as well. Which reminds me, I still need to buy a high chair, I should look on craigs list and find one, there were so many last time I looked.
On Wednesday this past week, Summer and I went with some friends to Opportunity Village - the Magical Forest, and had a blast. We rode on the train that went around the park, and rode on the carousel, and I ate funnel cake. We also watched Becca dance (Summer's birthday buddy). Here is a photo of Becca and Summer on the train. Summer did great all night, she looked around at the lights and mostly ate her hand. She has also started, just this week, sticking out her tongue - all the time! I will be glad when this phase passes, it isn't very pleasant to look at and the drool continues regardless if the tongue is in or out. Still no teeth so who knows if she is close.
Oh and Summer has really started sleeping all night, usually from 9 pm to 5 am, and she still goes back to sleep after she eats. This morning she slept until 8:40 am and it was so nice to sleep in.
Well I should go and bake some cookies to take to work tomorrow, but I will probably play with photo editing instead ... more updates later.

Little Kris

Look at this cutie pie!
Summer looks just like daddy in baby pictures and nothing like me. In fact she looks so much like him I have to wonder if she is really mine. Of course I seem to remember carrying a baby for 9 months and having her cut out of me, so she better look like me when she gets older. From what I can tell now, she has her dads full plump lips, the boys are going to love her! Daddy doesn't like it when I say things like that, but I can't help bragging on her lovely lips, and blaming him. I hear she has my eyes, but her eyes are so large I don't see it at all. Her nose is cute and small, so I am not sure where her nose came from, oh and her eyelashes are long and gorgeous, a great asset to have being a girl. Her eye color this week is interesting, they appear to be hazel, blue/grey/green - which is a really pretty color, they may not turn brown, but it is still early so it is hard to tell. Her hair seems to be staying the same, light brown, almost blond, but it can still change too. I love little Kris, I mean baby Summer!

December

December is finally here and I guess I am ready. I have really been looking forward to the holidays. I have taken so many pictures of Summer in Christmas poses, you can check them out on my flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesca) there are way to many to post on here.
On Friday some friends are coming over for my first ever holiday party. I am going to cook and bake cookies and we are going to play the white elephant exchange game (and I got some really awesome general gifts for around $10). I bought everything today at walmart and Santa was sitting in the baby section, I just had to get a picture.

I got this picture with my cell phone. It wasn't the best picture but I think Summer did great, she sat there like a champ and just waited for me to take the picture. A walmart employee took pictures also, and they are printing them out for free but they weren't ready until 4:00 and we left at 11:00, no way I was going to wait for them.
Summer has been doing great this week, I think she is going to roll very soon. I keep singing the "roll over" song. "There was 10 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over, so they all rolled over and one fell out, 9 in the bed and the little one said ... "
I also think she might have teeth soon as much as she is tounging her mouth and gums and eating her hands and everything she can get. She doesn't seem to be in any pain so I guess it might still be a while. I had cream of wheat for breakfast today and I gave Summer two bites. She seemed to do fine with the spoon, she wanted to put the whole thing in her mouth (so I bought some infant spoons at walmart today) and I think she ate it, but it was mostly all over her face. I am really disappointed in Killer and Lexi, they would not come clean it off of her face, stupid dogs. I had to get a washrag, and isn't it amazing, with just two small (very very very small) spoon fulls, actually I only had a touch on the end of the spoon, she managed to get it all over both hands, her face and bib. I guess I should get a high chair in the next month.

Traveling with a Baby

It is over, the holiday trip to Oklahoma was a success, and so am I! I traveled alone with a 4 month old and survived to blog about it. The airport was not as busy as I thought, but I still arrived over 2 hours early. No one was in line at the ticket counter, nor the security line while leaving Las Vegas. I did not know what to expect, but I had to put everything through the security screening, the diaper bag, the car seat, the stroller, my jacket and shoes (I forgot to take my shoes off). I wasn't allowed to bring the bottled water for formula, but I had premade formula with me and I could buy water once I was past security. Summer was outstanding on the plane, she slept for the first hour, woke up and ate, and didn't cry. It was only a 2 hour flight so it really wasn't that bad. She had no issues with the pressure, I made sure she was sucking on the pacifier during take off and landing. Once we arrived in Oklahoma it was FREEZING! Summer slept on the ride from the city to Lawton (a little over an hour) and we arrived at grandma's house around 6:00 pm. Everyone was happy to see her and meet her for the first time, in fact they took Summer and ignored me, which was a first! I really didn't mind. Summer got to meet a whole bunch of people, family, friends: (Frannie, Pop, Bobby, Mande, Jordyn, Alex, Charlie, Kali, Matthew, Roe, Timmy, Joshua, Charity, Leah, Ariel, Shawn, Grandma Bobbie, Aunt Patty, Ann, Arianna, Shanesia, Olivia, and some people I can't remember names) We spend the weekend in Lawton, had a great busy Saturday and Sunday, and I returned to 65 degree Las Vegas weather today. It feels great to be home, daddy and grandpa really missed this little girl. So far today I unpacked everything, started laundry, downloaded some pictures, and here I am on the computer. I am glad it was a great trip, now time to get back to work and recover.
This picture of Summer is from the Las Vegas airport sitting at the window. Our next trip will probably be in the spring when we go see the other great grandparents in the Texas panhandle, but daddy will accompany us on that trip.

4 Month Check-Up

Well Summer had her 4 month check up today. Last Tuesday I weighed her on the bathroom scale and she was 15 1/2 pounds, and in fact she was today at the hospital! I also measured her with a tape at home and figured she was 26 inches and she was! I am glad to know my measurements are the same as the hospital. Her weight and height are well above average, and her head circumference is also right on with all her other measurements. She is also not too fat, her chunky thighs are normal.

I had to fill out a 4 months evaluation, and Summer seems to be doing exactly what she should. She could be rolling more, but I wonder if she isn't because we don't put her down enough. She has rolled from back to front, but rarely, so maybe I will work with her some more and let her lay on her own longer.

The doctor also said she needs to move to her crib soon and get out of the co-sleeper. I really don't even want to think about her going into her own room, upstairs, all alone. We have the baby monitor, and it works great, it has the monitor, but I love having her sleep at the end of our bed. I guess it has to be done, but I do not have to like it!

I asked about food and the doctor said to wait as long as I could, and agreed it was better to wait until 6 months because of the allergies and weight issues. I am glad the doctor agreed because it is hard to wait, I can't wait to give Summer food.

I also asked about shots, and all the concern over autism, and the doctor said there is no proof about vaccines being linked to autism, and even said there was something that recently happened in the courts that proved there wasn't, so I felt better about getting her shots, until she got them...

I really tried not to cry, I told myself I could do it, shots are necessary and do not really hurt, but as soon as I heard my baby cry (I had my face up to hers telling her to please not cry) I started crying myself. The three shots were so quick, but I couldn't see if they were done to know when I could comfort her because my eyes were blurry. She really calmed down quickly, and I stopped crying right after. Poor baby, that kills me.

Next appointment is in two months, hopefully I will be recovered by then.

4 Months!

Summer is four months old! She is getting so big and doing new things. Just today she really started to reach out and grab, and of course everything she grabs goes right into her mouth. I keep checking for teeth but I don't really feel anything yet. She still isn't sleeping all night, usually 4-6 hours, but with time I am sure she will. Still satisfied with 6 ounces every four hours, maybe in another month we will introduce cereal with a spoon and let the dogs clean up the mess. As I am typing this, one handed, holding Summer with my other arm, I am finding my left hand to be completely slimed with drool ... ewwww! I will be glad when this phase passes.
I took this video tonight, Summer was in her usual happy self, hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Down Hill

This picture of Summer was taken last night, using all natural lighting. I know you are only here for the pictures!

Summer continued to sleep good for about three nights, it was 8.5 hours, 8 hours, 7 hours, but last night it was maybe 5 hours. I guess eventually her sleeping will get consistent, for now she can sleep how she wants.
Summer is still blowing bubbled, slobbering, chewing on her tongue, drooling, but she still has nothing to show for it. She has not been cranky either so I don't think she is cutting any teeth yet, maybe she is just doing all of the prep work.
Daddy has enjoyed having a new camera, and has taken a lot of pictures this week. We are going to take our own holiday picture, do some editing, and get cards printed to save money and to get some picture we really like. We attempted a few photos this morning, after an hour of getting ready, fixing my hair, putting on make-up, putting on a green sweatshirt when it is in the 70's outside, we took a few shots but it isn't going to be as easy as I had hoped. Summer was really hungry so she was not in the mood to begin with, and it is really hard to get her to smile or look at the camera when we are both sitting next to her. Maybe when Grampa gets home we can try again to get that magical shot I envision in my mind.
Summer will be 4 whole months on Tuesday. Each month on the 13th she has a birthday where we take pictures and recap the milestones for the past month. I am really glad I bought a baby book because I do enjoy filling it out.
I guess not much else new happened this week. Oh I almost forgot, last Friday I took Summer to work with me. The ladies at work loved her, and I really didn't get to see her very much. She did great all day, didn't cry, hung out, looked around, and was her normal cute self. I will have to do that again one day.

Too Much?

Last night Summer slept from 9 pm to 5 am. I woke up around 2 am wondering why she was still asleep. I woke up again at 5 am and woke up Kris and asked if she had been up, thinking maybe I had slept through it, but she had not. Not 1 minute later she starts to stir, so either I woke her, which I doubt, or she might have been making noises, which could have woken me up, which is more plausible. I guess it is ok for new babies to sleep all the way through the night, but I really do not like it. If she continues to do it - it might get better, but randomly picking nights to sleep all the way through is going to give me a panic attack! Otherwise Summer is doing great! This has been a week of slobbering, spitting, drooling, and getting everything nice and wet. The hands have been discovered and go right into the mouth, where they quickly become soaked with baby drool. This is all normal, yet very unpleasant and wet. This could mean teeth very soon, but so far I do not feel anything that I think should not be there, and she is really good about letting me feel. Summer has also mastered (I swear she did it overnight) the amazing ability to enjoy tummy time. She hated it one day, would not even attempt to get up on her arms, and just like it was nothing she is up and smiling away. Babies are great, I am so glad I had one :o)

Noises

Girls Day Out

Summer and I met Casey and Anastasia for lunch today, it was a perfect girls day out and everyone had a blast. It was a lot of fun seeing another baby (Anastasia was born on the 26th) and comparing notes. We are going to try to meet monthly if we can, you know how it is being a mom though - busy busy busy!
Remember those leaves I got, they made an excellent picture! I can't believe how colorful they were, and Summer was happy and cooperative. It may not really feel like the fall yet, but it is November and the pictures turned out better than I expected. Time change this weekend, I wonder how it will be with a baby. We really don't have Summer on any schedule, so I don't think it will really matter much, but I will enjoy going to bed later and getting up later!

Dr. Seuss

Today I bought Summer her first Dr. Seuss book! Actually it was a set of three books, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and Hooper Humperdink ...? Not Him! So far I read her the first two and I cannot believe how weird these books are. I know I have read them before a long time ago but I must have forgot how they went. Next time I am at the store I will get the pack that has the Green Eggs and Ham, I think I remember how it goes. I also picked up three things of formula and spent $75.00 ~ ouch formula is expensive, but it should last a month, hopefully a little longer.
Summer had a great Halloween, I took her to the door to see some of the trick or treaters and she just looked around with her normal amazed at life expression. Now, what do I do with her costumes, all three of them.
Today is November 1st, I asked a lady at work if she could pick up some a bag of some fake fall leaves from the craft store (she was going anyway) so I can take some fall pictures of Summer. It does not look anything like fall yet in Las Vegas, my grass is still full and green, so the leaves should set the mood. I will hopefully get some good fall pictures this weekend.

Halloween

October has been a great month. It is still warm, I can go outside without a jacket, of course it will be cold soon. Friday night we went to dinner. Summer was really awake and active so we held her while we ate our appetizer. Soon Summer started getting tired, and we quickly discovered we did not bring her pacifier. I remember getting the pacifier ready and bringing it into the kitchen, but I guess that's where it stayed because we did not have it. Summer was starting to get fussy so I thought maybe I could rock her to sleep, then Kris suggested I use my finger as a pacifier, and after about 5 minutes of sucking on my finger, she was out cold. Our dinner came, we ate, then we went grocery shopping. She woke up while we were shopping but she was fine and just looked around. I wouldn't say she is a pacifier baby all the time, but it definitely helps sooth her while she is trying to fall asleep.
Saturday afternoon I had a brilliant idea, let's put Summer in a bowl, fill it up with our Halloween candy, and take pictures! Kris thought our bowls were too small, so I used a basket instead. I searched for a cute outfit and found a great green and pink outfit that actually said "candy mouse" on it (I have no clue what the mouse part means) so we used it. 4 bags of candy later, an orange towel and some great photos. Unfortunately Summer was too distracted by all the colorful candy papers so she really didn't look up much, but we got a great picture of her covered in candy and smiling away. We were going to let her taste one, but nah.
Our yearly Halloween party was last night, I think we had great costumes, and the party was a lot of fun. Summer was adorable in her little raggedy ann bunting costume, and I was really amazed she even kept the hat on without any problems. The costume was a little hot, but she did great. She only cried once when she was hungry, I was playing the plunko game and I probably would have won had it not been for her distracting me. Overall it was a great day, great weekend, we all had a lot of fun. I can't wait for next year, we are going to create a haunted house!

it's cold out

Summer(the season) is over, we had a cold front hit and things have really cooled down. Summer (the baby) doesn't seem to notice, and continues to grow bigger every day. I finally pulled out her 3-6 month onsies and threw her 0-3 month onsies into the "too small pile" I started. Soon, the "too small pile" will turn into a clothes mountain. I am still not sure what I am going to do with them. The last of the Halloween costumes arrived, next weekend is our Halloween party so we will have some good pictures next week. Here is a picture I took of Summer on the 18th. She looks so big in this photo, which makes me a little sad. I think she is going to have blonde hair and brown eyes. It looks like her eyes are starting to change colors, and her hair keeps getting lighter. I guess I will find out one day, I better not rush it.

I was so ready too

Last night I decided to put Summer's yellow dress on, she had not wore it since she was about a month old, and instead of a yellow dress, it turned into a yellow shirt. I guess it was never a dress, she was just too small at one month. I figured I would try on the huge jeans I had and of course they fit just fine. I also paired the outfit with some socks and the sneakers that should have been too big, yet fit. I guess she is growing and I don't even see it, sneaky baby! I also prepared myself for the idea that Summer might sleep all night. I fed her 6 ounces at 5:30 pm, then another 3 ounces at 9:00 pm (she wouldn't eat anymore) and when she woke up after a short nap around 10:00 pm, she ate another 2 1/2 ounces. I was sure she was going to sleep all night, until 2:00 am when and she woke up. Daddy was just coming to bed, so he fed her four ounces. She went back to sleep and slept until 8:00 am. She did not sleep all night, I guess the night before was just a trick. I will wait for the treat :o)

Nine

You would think 9 is a good number, especially when we are talking about babies and how much sleep they get, but last night was not a good night.
I went to bed late to begin with. I am usually cozy in the covers by 10, but I couldn’t sleep so I got up and fixed my computer, then I played around, and finally ended up in bed around 11. Summer ate dinner like normal, 6 ounces around 7. I think she went to bed around 8:30. She normally goes 4-6 hours between feedings at night, so I expected her to be up around 1. Kris stays up until 1, he usually waits until she feeds next, feeds her and comes to bed.
Around 4 I wake up. I never heard Summer get up to eat, but I thought I might have slept through it and Kris may have fed her. I tried to go back to sleep but kept thinking about when she ate last, if she ate. I kept counting the hours in my head over and over, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 = 9 hours. Surely she ate and I slept through it. About 10 minutes go by and I shake Kris and ask if she ate. He said no, she never woke up at her usual time to eat. Ok I start counting in my head again, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 = 9 hours. Kris also said he had just checked on her and she is sleeping. I still can’t sleep, so I reach out and grab her leg, and she moves. She is fine, but it has been over 9 hours since she ate, how is that possible? She should be starving by now! At 4:45 she finally wakes up to eat, and I am so relieved. I haven’t slept since 4, wondering when she is going to wake up. Kris gets up and gets her a bottle, I change her diaper, Kris feeds her and I try to go back to sleep. She eats another 6 ounces and goes right back to sleep. She may have slept well but I sure didn’t. She went 9 hours and 45 minutes without a bottle. If she wants to do it again tonight I guess I will be ready, the first night is always scary, just like when she went from 4 hours a night to 6 hours a night.

She giggles!

Pumpkin Time

Today really was a great Saturday. Earlier this week I received the clown costume in the mail and it ended up being much cuter than I thought. I put it on, it fit perfectly, and Summer took really good pictures in it this morning. We met some friends for lunch (The Springston's) so I put on Summer's Halloween pumpkin patch outfit and it also fit perfectly. Charlene bought Summer some Halloween mittens and socks, and we put those on for the pumpkin patch pictures. The pumpkin patch was actually really fun, we bought a large pumpkin that we will draw a face on in a few days. When we came home, since Summer is three months old today, I had to get face shots of her so I can update her monthly picture frames. While taking some pictures, I decided to take some video of her to see if I could catch her smiling, and I got lucky and caught her laughing instead, it is so cute! I need to update her baby book, at her doctor appointment on Tuesday, Summer is 24 inches and in the 90% for height, she weighed 13 pounds, and is in the 75% for weight. She is doing great, and is still such a great baby.

Its the End

My little helpless baby is gone, now I have a baby who can sit up really well and who likes to smile for pictures! Not to mention a mother who can't go a week without taking pictures and posting them to her blog. Did I also mention how big Summer is, this dress was huge, or so I thought when I saw it hanging on the hangar. Luckily I got it out of the closet tonight and put it on her, because she won't be in it much longer. Oh did I already tell on myself, you know, how I bid and won three halloween costumes for Summer, that is right, three! She will have her choice of: cute orange pumpkin - the classic, the sweet pea - daddies favorite, and a clown for the fun of it. I can't wait for the packages to start arriving!

I love October

I bid on two Halloween infant costumes from ebay and won them both, Summer is going to be a sweet pea and a clown this year. Next weekend we are taking her to a pumpkin patch so she can get her first pumpkin, and we will get pictures (of course). Uncle James is in town this week, so he will get to go with us, and the Springston's are coming too, so it should be a lot of fun. I still have to get a small pumpkin and make some pies, but I will do that closer to the end of the month. Kris and I went looking for costumes, but we didn't find anything we like. We are going to get something online, we have a few ideas.
This has been a really good week for Summer, she has slept over 6 hours three times, I think she is going to continue this routine for good. She even slept 7.5 hours once. I love taking showers with Summer, and I told Kris he should try it. He told me he didn't think it was a good idea because it was dangerous, but I told him how much she loves it, and he tried it. That was yesterday, and so far they have had two showers together! It isn't as hard as you think holding onto her, and she loves the shower, we can even get her head wet and she doesn't mind.
Summer is really starting to giggle, I can smile at her and she will smile back. She is really a happy little baby, I still don't know how I got so lucky.

Black and White

This weekend I took more pictures of Summer (of course) and played around with some photo editing and created this picture. I think I might take some photo editing courses in the future, or just learn what I can myself.

Videos from Today

Enjoy!

Random Summer Updates

Summer was sitting in her jumper earlier today and she actually had her whole foot on the floor and was almost jumping. I swear we just put her in it for the first time on Monday and only her tippy toes reached!
Summer (as of last week) is starting to look at her mobiles. She has one on her swing and one on the pack-n-play. I wasn't going to get one for her crib, but I might now (of course I will wait until she actually sleeps in her crib).
Summer drinks 6 oz most of the day now, and we still give her 4 oz during the night. She still only sleeps about 4 hours at night, but I don't mind. She drinks her milk and goes right back to sleep.
Summer had her first shower with mommy today, and she did fine. I didn't wash her with soap because I was afraid to get her slippery, but I put her under the water and rinsed her off. Luckily when daddy bathes Summer he usually pours some water over her face so she is not afraid of water. She didn't mind the shower at all.
Since it is getting colder, I bought Summer some sweet pea outfits to sleep in and they are wonderful. It makes changing her diaper easier during the night too!
Summer scratched her face bad last night (I didn't have the hands covers on) so I filed her fingernails down today. I swear they grow overnight! I still haven't used clippers, I am just filing her nails down. The scratches are on her cheek, and it looks like cat whiskers, hehe. I am glad babies heal fast.
Summer isn't getting the hiccups as much anymore, I am glad because they annoy me!
I am still waiting for giggles, daddy has heard them a few times when I am at work, but I haven't heard a good giggle yet.
I read books to Summer at least 5 times a week, usually at night, so today I bought her two Halloween books, very simple with bright colorful pictures, and when I laid her on my lap to read, she was actually looking at the book.
I saw a pumpkin patch on the way home from grocery shopping today and got excited. In the next week or two I want to take Summer to pick out her first pumpkin and get pictures. She will only be three months so I guess I will have to pick it our for her, and I plan on baking pumpkin pies again, my new tradition. Maybe I will let her taste a little and see what she thinks.

Busy Week & Weekend

Jury duty all week long and visitors on the weekend, talk about busy! I had jury duty on Monday and finished around 3:00pm on Friday. Friday, Aunt Wendy, Aunt Margie, and Grammy Jackie flew in for a weekend visit and to celebrate Grammy Jackie's 50th birthday. We all went to Olive Garden to celebrate, then on Saturday we spent about 7 long hours on the strip. Today we are planning a bbq, and we are trying to decide what we should grill (chicken or hamburgers).
Aunt Wendy brought Summer a really cute OU college football outfit, and Aunt Margie brought Summer a set of Disney princess books. All three of them plan on signing the Sleeping Beauty book, because they are calling themselves the "fairy godmothers". Actually, they have been acting like"grannies gone wild" this weekend and want to get shirts made that say it.
Everyone had a great time so far, but I will be glad to get back to normal tomorrow, back to work, back to a normal schedule.
Here is a picture of Summer in her OU outfit. I always said she looked so girly, but let's be honest, she could be mistaken for a boy in this picture. I think she has cute girly eyes though!

I am addicted

I am addicted to taking pictures of Summer! During the week I think about backgrounds, outfits, and positions that I can put Summer in. I bet I already have over 500 pictures, because to get a decent shot, you have to take about 20 pictures. Surely this cannot continue right?
Next weekend Grammy Jackie, Aunt Wendy, and Aunt Margie are coming to visit. It is Grammy Jackie's 50th birthday, so they are all coming out to see Summer, and party Vegas style. I should be thinking about what we will eat and what we will do, but instead I am thinking about how I am going to get them to pose with Summer for pictures...
Oh I thought of a mommy gripe too, I had a pack of onsies, size 3-6 months, in Summer's dresser. I was saving them until she hit 3 months, but decided to open them up because she is getting really long. Guess what, the stupid things are almost too small. How can 3-6 month onsies be so mislabeled? I am finding it hard to put clothes on Summer because you really cannot go by the tag, 3-6 month might fit at 3 months, or it might not fit until 6 months.

2 months today!

Summer is two months old today, she is getting to be such a big girl! Turning two months old means the first set of shots, and daddy and grandpa had the honors. Daddy said he had never heard Summer cry like that, and she had real tears. Grandpa said he almost cried because she sounded so pathetic. I was just glad I had to work, because I would have cried worse than Summer. Turning two months old also means mommie has to fill out the baby book, which I did, and take pictures, which I did, and put pictures in the monthly wall frames, which I will hopefully do this weekend. So much work being a mommie, and I love every minute of it.

Smile Summer!

Summer is smiling now, but not when I want her to, and here is a video to prove it.

The funny things

Before I forget, I need to write down all the funny names and things about baby Summer. For example, because her formula stinks so bad, we call it broccoli milk and when she is full and won't take the bottle, she will purse her lips together, so I call her Pursy. When I am trying to change her diaper, I call her squirmy wormy because she doesn't stop kicking. Daddy likes to call her booboo baby, but if she just had a diaper incident that needs tending to immediately, she becomes poopoo baby or just poopoo. We call her precious, princess, beautiful, cutie, sweetness, and other variations of these kind of names and we do call her Summer quite a bit too!
This week I found out I should talk to Summer all the time because babies who hear lots of words are smarter when they get older. Last night I decided I would just ask her a lot of questions, such as "are you going to look like me or daddy when you grow up?" and "are your eyes going to stay blue or are they going to turn brown?" and "when are you going to start hugging me back?" She never answered, but I didn't expect her too. I will keep asking until she does.

Who Knew

Before we had a baby, we thought having a baby was going to be a lot of work, we thought we would be sleep deprived, we thought it was going to be hard. I was really concerned that life would be changed forever, and nothing would be the same, and Kris didn't think he really needed a baby in his life to be happy. Since we have Summer we have discovered that having her is easy, she is not hard to take care of, we are getting plenty of sleep, and we can not stop staring at her beautiful face, or grabbing her long toes, or kissing her all over. Who knew having a baby would be so much fun, and we would be so good at it, and love it as much as we do. I never realized why people had kids, I was clueless to the joy they had. Kris and I are two people who are thrilled to be parents, and are finding it easy and fulfilling. I can't wait for Summer to hold out her hands when I go to pick her up, or smile when I make funny noises, or laugh when she is happy. Kris caught a smile from her last week, and it is precious, I can't wait to see smiles all the time.

Labor Day Weekend

I had a great first week back to work, and I think Kris can say the same. I enjoyed getting back into the swing of things, and Kris enjoyed taking care of Summer. I am really happy things are working out for us! Summer is still doing great, this week she is starting to smile and she has found out that if we tickle her face, she can use her hands to scratch. She is also doing great keeping her head up, and twice this week she went 7 hours without eating (5 of which was sleeping during the night). Today I had a photo shoot with Summer, and took several great pictures, so here are a few. She is growing so much, it amazes me big she is already. The first picture was taken in a basket, mostly full of Killer's dog toys, but I added a few of hers and thought it would be a cute shot. The second picture is in a smaller basket with a purple blanket, it just looked nice and bright, and the last picture is in a very cute red and white dress I found while hanging up some of her clothes, this dress fit perfectly, so we had to take a few pictures ~ enjoy!

Purple Dress & Pretty Girl

Today Summer wanted to play dress up, so I found this pretty purple dress, and a pretty purple headband, and a nice green background, and TADA, a pretty little girl! I am still having so much fun being a mom, it seems so easy, I really thought it was going to be a lot harder. I am getting enough sleep, my body is back to normal, I feel ... well I am really sore, picking her up is strengthening my back and my arms, but otherwise my body feels great. She is napping right now, finally, she has been up since 8:00 am, almost 4 hours, and it is probably time for her to eat, so I should go find myself something to eat before she wakes up and wants to eat herself.

6 Weeks Today

We made it, Summer is 6 weeks old today, where has the time gone. Summer is still doing great, she is starting to chunk up a little bit. I was holding her earlier, and she had her eyes closed, and I noticed her long beautiful eye lashes. I swear those were not there just a day ago! She is also still losing some of the hair on her head, I guess her "real" hair needs room. Her hair color also looks reddish brown, I am not sure where that would be coming from. Her eyes still look blue, but they could change. Today I put a pair of purple pants on her, they are still a little too big, but they sure are cute! I love looking through her clothes to see if something new will fit. I need to go get some baby size hangars, next time I am at the store, because 1) she has some really nice dresses that should be hung up and 2) there is not enough room in her dresser for all of the clothes. It must be nice having so many clothes, most of which are too big.
Speaking of too big, I tried on my work pants, and luckily they fit again. I washed them today, so I am ready for work next week. I am excited about going back to work, I just hope I am really busy and don't have time to miss Summer that much. I think on Monday I will make Kris take some pictures of Summer and I, I will finally look decent, I will have my hair fixed, I will put on make-up and have on nice clothes. I guess it has been nice 6 week break, I have really enjoyed it, but I don't think I could stay home for much longer.

the Reflection

The pregnancy: My pregnancy was a challenge in the beginning, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I became deathly ill. I ended up missing about a month of work, and for the first 20 weeks I lived on unisom and B6 to help me cope. For the last 20 weeks, I switched my unisom and B6 for tums! At around 15 weeks my morning sickness really went away, and I had a great time for the rest of the pregnancy up until I hit the final month, and they discovered my blood pressure was high, and the baby was breach. I started going to the hospital twice a week for monitoring in the end, and it was a pain. Towards the very end, the last weeks, I had trouble walking and breathing, it definitely was a lot harder to make it to work and get around. Now that it is over, and I have had Summer, I just might do it again some day.

The birth: I knew I would more than likely have a c-section because Summer was breach, and I was scheduled to go in on the 24th, they were first going to attempt to turn her again, and if they were successful, I would be induced, if not, I would have a c-section. On the 13th, my water naturally broke, so my c-section ended up being an emergency. I am actually glad it happened this way, I did not have time to worry about what was going to happen.

The recovery: I have to admit, having a c-section (even an emergency) was a lot easier than I thought, and probably a lot easier than a natural delivery. I had a spinal block (and it did not hurt) and I really did not have any pain afterwards. I was on percocet the next day, then switched to motrin, and that was all I needed. I delivered on a Friday, and on Monday I was walking around Target shopping with my mom. It took some time to recovery physically, near the end of the pregnancy I was so out of shape, that just walking short distances made me out of breath, but if I ever do it again, I will definitely not fear a c-section.

Your new body: I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, all 26 pounds. I have a nice scar across my lower abdomen, but my swim suit covers and it really doesn't look bad, it is healing nicely. I did not get stretch marks on my stomach, I did get them on my *** (uh I hope they go away) and I still have the nice brown line on my stomach, I hope that goes away too. My belly button looks a little funky now, but it may look better with time. I was able to put my belly ring back in with no problem. Overall I got lucky how my body handled the pregnancy and looks, my stomach is not as firm as it was, but with a little work, I can probably get it back into shape (if I find time!)

Your baby: I am so lucky, Summer is one of those easy going babies. I don't know why I got to be so lucky, but she never really cries, and I can put her down to sleep and she can be awake and eventually get herself to sleep. When she wakes up from a nap, she will give us a few yells to let us know she is hungry, and once she was in her swing and she must have had a bad dream because she just started crying, but otherwise, she is really great, and the whole experience has been a lot easier than my husband and I expected.

Regrets: Breast feeding did not work out for me, Summer was a "lazy" baby and all she wanted to do for the first 24 hours was sleep, so she didn't latch, I became frustrated and didn't think she was getting enough food, then I started pumping, but never got more than an ounce, so I gave into formula, I do feel bad, and wish it would have been easier, but once again, if I ever do this again, I will know more about what to do, and I will definitely try again.

The future: Right now I am going to go back to work in a week, daddy retired from the military and is going to stay home with Summer. We plan on staying in Vegas unless we have financial difficulties or the crime gets worse, if it does we will sell our house and make a lot of $$$ and move to a small town probably in Texas closer to family. I hope Summer has a wonderful life, she is so loved, she can grow up and do whatever she wants.

Super Cute!

This morning I gave Summer a bath, put lotion on her, and put her in a new outfit, put on a hat, took her into her room and sat her in a chair, added her stuffed animals and .... SUPER CUTE! I can't believe how fun she is, and I am really surprised how good she is. Kris and I are really lucky to have such an easy going baby. In fact, last night she slept from 1:30 to 5:30, then didn't wake up again until 8:30, so we had a lot of sleep, which makes for extremely happy parents. She is really awake a lot more during the day, and is really doing good at keeping her head up, and she is also starting to extend her legs and scoot when we keep our hand in the way. I have a feeling she will be crawling sooner than later.
Yesterday we went to Babies R Us and I picked up a nursery rhyme book. I really can't believe how many I didn't remember, or had wrong. I have read it to her a few times, but I can't wait until she starts looking at the pictures with me. She is such a great baby :o)

Foot and Hand Prints

Things are going great, have I mentioned yet how lucky we are, because Summer is such a good baby! She still does not cry unless she is hungry, and we usually know when she is hungry and get the bottle before she gets fussy. When she does cry, it is so cute, her nose is so little she starts snorting, and we start laughing.

Summer turned 1 month yesterday, and we took her to get her "professional" pictures taken. She was asleep, but we were able to wake her up. She did really good, she wasn't fussy, but she didn't look where she was suppose to look, she kept looking up at the bright lights. She really loves looking at the lights (windows, bulbs, etc). We got some really cute pictures, her fancy dress and black patent shoes, her diaper shot, and a couple other outfits. They should be ready in about two weeks, I can't wait! Yesterday we also found Summer's first freckle or mole, on her abdomen, a little brown dot, very cute! Neither of us have a mark in that area, so I guess hers is unique to her. I was wondering when she would start getting moles or freckles, since I have a zillion and Kris has a few.

Summer went swimming in a pool for the first time this past Saturday at the Springstons. They keep the water nice and warm, over 90, and Summer loved the water. She didn't enjoy the bright sun so her eyes were closed most of the time, and we kept her under an umbrella, but she loved the water and just relaxed as I drug her through the water. They don't make the little swimmers in her size, so we put it on over her diaper (double protection right) as as she was getting out, we took the swimmer off and then her diaper, and her diaper was full of poop!!!! but luckily none got in the pool, shew!

Today we tried to get Summer's hand and foot print for her baby book. Let me repeat that, we tried. It was not easy and it did not turn out well, in fact, it looks like she has a huge hand! We were laughing so hard trying to get her to keep her hand outstretched, I had tears running down my face. We are going to try again with some ink instead of this paint stuff, and wait until she is asleep so maybe she won't be moving so much. Here is what it looked like.

One month old already, time is passing so fast. Summer has tummy time each day, she is doing a great job picking up her head, she was standing for short periods today (while Kris was holding her up), she is eating about 4 ounces every 3-4 hours, she has limited her dirty diapers to one a day, instead of one after each feeding, she is definitely awake a lot more than before, all morning, in fact she is awake most of the day, maybe taking one or two naps. She doesn't bother either of us, she fits right in to our life, she lays on the bed while we watch tv, or she sits in our lap while we play eq, she is so calm and easy to take care of, we really got lucky! Here is a picture of her from yesterday, I had to get some face shots for her monthly picture frames, and this was one I took while she was hanging out in her rocker next to me on the computer.

More Videos!

Here is another cute video, Summer getting a bath this morning, she is 4 weeks old today. Monday, she will be one month, and we are taking her to get photos. I have to pack several outfits ahhhh! Having a little girl is so much fun, she is still a great baby, and I still feel really lucky. I cannot believe it has been 4 weeks already, time flies when you are having fun! Right now Summer is sleeping in her swing, she was up about 5 hours this morning, so she is definitely more alert lately. Tomorrow we are going over the Springstons, and it will be the first time she will go swimming in a pool! They keep the pool temp set to around 90, so it will be nice.

Funny Face Video

Enjoy!

Eyes Wide Open

It has been over 3 weeks, and Summer is doing awesome, still the great baby I keep bragging about. I realized I didn't post many pictures of her beautiful eyes, so here is a picture. Right now her eyes are blue-ish but who knows what they will end up being. Kris, MeMe and I met some people at In and Out Burger today and took Summer, and of course she was great, she slept the entire time. She is such a joy to be around, I can't help but looking at her all the time. MeMe gave her a bath today and put her hair in a "mohawk" and it was so cute! This mommy thing is great, I love being a mom to a baby girl!

Loving It All

Summer is three weeks old today, and I am still in love with her, and being a mom. I am amazed to discover a new secret in life, something that many people already knew, but I would never see until I had my own baby, the secret of a new love. My emotions have always been guarded and hidden, but when I had Summer, something in me was unleashed, and I find myself overwhelmed with feelings of love that I could have never imagined. I can now look at other mothers and understand something that I never could have known, the deep emotional love a mother can have for her child. When I look at Summer, it amazes me to know she is mine, she is depending on me to take care of her in every way, and as scary as it is, I have become a protective mother, ready to do anything for my child. The harsh reality is, she will eventually grow up and leave me. I look at the relationship I have with my own mother, and I now understand how my mom can love me as much as she does. I also feel sad for my mom, because I grew up and left her, and it must have been really hard for her, and yet I never looked back when I left.

Stressful Day

Yesterday was a really stressful day. First, Summer didn't sleep well, she was waking up every 2 2 1/2 hours so I didn't get much sleep. Then we had the two week check up at 1:30, so the stress of getting everything ready, and getting to the appointment on time is always fun. At her appointment we found out that she was not 7 pounds 11 ounces when she was born, she was more likely 7 pounds 6 ounces. The hospital uses grams, so they did not calculate her weight correctly. As of yesterday she is up from her birth weight, I think 7 pounds, 8 ounces. She is also now 21 1/2 inches long, up from her birth of 18 1/2 inches long. She checked out just fine, but had to have another blood test, which consist of slicing her foot and milking it for blood. I could not hold her to do it, Kris had to, it was too painful for me (I was almost crying) and yet, she barely made a noise. Oh ya, also, her belly cord came off yesterday, I was changing her diaper and it just came off. I have no clue what you are suppose to do with it, do you keep it or just throw it away?
Anyway, after the doctor appointment, we picked up Terri and Kevin (meemee and papa) and went out to eat at the Outback. The food was great. Summer did good, she even had a bottle while we were at the table. I had to change her diaper, and the bathroom did not have a changing area, so I used the area between the sinks, good thing the diaper bag has a changing pad! Once we got home, Summer got her first bath! She actually liked it, she had a look of "this is new" on her face, but it was so cute and she smelled so yummy! I was in bed by 8:00 and luckily, slept better last night ;o)

Things I have learned ...

• Not everything goes as planned. I was scheduled to be induced on the 24th, but my water broke on the 13th.
• I was in the hospital 2 days with my c-section, and not once got into my hospital bag. I also did not pack a baby bag, and the nurses told me just to use their things. They had all the diapers, outfits, blankets, wipes, and I didn't have to use my own things. They also had a toothbrush and toothpaste, and soap in the shower, so I didn't need any of that. I also didn't need a nightgown or my own bathrobe. I am glad I didn't stress over getting that bag packed! Of course a vaginal delivery might be different.
• I didn't expect ot have the baby in my room all night, I thought they took them to the nursery, but no, I had Summer all night, and I am glad, we bonded :o)
• I thought I would be in a lot more pain, but I really never had any, I am glad!
• It is really boring to stay home all day, babies sleep too much :o)
• I had all the baby furniture, clothes, baby items in the nursery (upstairs) and slowly it is moving down into my room (the changing table, clothes, diapers, blankets, etc).
• It is hard to take a nap in the day. Everyone says to nap when the baby does, but even though I am exhausted, I have trouble sleeping during the day!
• I never knew how much love I could have for a baby. I am so protective of Summer, and so in love, it amazes me.

Love

Last night was a good night, Summer sleeps about 3-4 hours, so she only got up twice, and she went right back to sleep. We woke up around 7 this morning, and even got an hour nap! We gave her her first butt bath (I hadn't heard of this) where we sat her in the sink with a little water to wash the butt, and she hated it. I am wondering how the bath is going to go in a few weeks. I found a cute little dress in her size, so we put it on and took some cute pictures. Summer was up for a long time today, so maybe she will be nice and tired tonight. Who knew being a mom would be so awesome, I am just loving it.

7 Days Old

Last night Summer slept so good, she only got up twice, so I got a lot of rest, and today I feel great. I mailed out the birth announcements, so I feel like I have accomplished something. I took a shower and shaved my legs, I feel human now. I am so in love with Summer, have I mentioned that before? Well, here are some more photos of my sweet baby, and here is a video link I took this morning. Summer was in her crib, and just woke up and is cranky because she is hungry - I love it when she is hungry, she opens her mouth like a little bird or she sucks on her hands.

6 Days

6 days has past, and Summer is doing great, still absolutely beautiful. I still feel weird sitting at home, I feel like I am waiting for something to happen, I guess I have never been able to "stay" home before. I have been getting about 1-2 hours of sleep at a time, for about 3-4 hours total a night. I usually try to get a nap in during the day, but it is hard for me to sleep when she naps, I am not sure why, and I have no clue how I am not exhausted.
Have I mentioned how precious Summer is? I love when she is hungry and opens her mouth wide like a little bird, and I love giving her open kisses. She hates having her diaper changed, well the cold wipes, but stops crying as soon as it is over. She rarely ever cries, only when she is hungry and I am waiting on the bottle. She will take a pacifier, but doesn't need it to fall asleep. She makes the cutest noises when she sleeps too. She is asleep right now and I just can't help staring at her. I am so in love with her!

Summer is Great!

I think I have finally notified everyone, sorry it took so long. I am feeling better each day, I went to the grocery store today with my mom and we should have enough food for a week, and a lot of healthy food too! Here is another picture of my cutie, enjoy!

2 Days as a Mommie

We came home yesterday, and talk about scared. Luckily I am way more comfortable at home, even without all of the nurses and doctors to help out. I can't believe you can just have a new baby, and in two days you know everything you need to know, so they send you home. The first night home was actually refreshing, Summer sleeps in 4 hours increments, so I really got a lot of rest. I was (am) so worried she isn't eating enough, and I ended up starting her on formula as well as the breast. I am probably confusing her, so today I bought a breast pump, and will just give her breast milk in the bottle. That will make going back to work easier. Speaking of work, I can't believe I am going to be home for 6 weeks. I guess I do need to recover, because today I went to Target with my mom (who arrived today YAY) to get the breast pump and that short trip wore me out. I am afraid I am over doing it, but there is still so much left to do, yet when I take the ibuprofen, I really don't feel much pain. Well I need to keep this one short, mom just finished making dinner so I am going to eat, I am starving!

Pictures of Summer!

Happy Birthday Summer!

Friday, July 13th, 2007.

My last day of work, I made it (or so I thought). I woke up at 6:30 to my alarm, lay in bed for about 5 minutes, got up and went to the bathroom. I went pee and sat on the toilet for a second waiting to wake up. All of a sudden I heard a big gush hit the water. I knew it was my water, I had just went pee. I also knew Summer was still breach and I could not go into labor, and I was home alone. I put a pad on (I was still leaking water) and went and got my cell phone (I was shaking) and sat back on the toilet and called Kris. I told him my water broke, and he thought I was kidding. I finally convinced him and told him I would just meet him at the hospital (he was right across the street on base, I was about 15-20 minutes away with good traffic). I called labor and delivery and told them my water broke, they said come in and they would verify,and they were very patient about it. I didn't know what to take, I brushed my teeth, put my hair back in a pony tail, grabbed my "hospital" bag - it had three pairs of socks, a tooth brush, toothpaste, and my disability paperwork, and that was about it. I changed out my soaked pad with another, and grabbed a towel on the way out the door to the hospital.

As I was driving to the hospital (still shaking, I was so scared), I called work (it took me three tries to call my boss) and then I called my mom. I was scared to call her because she was suppose to be here for the birth and I knew she was going to miss it. She was actually ok, and excited. I then called Kris again, and told him just to meet me in labor and delivery.

I felt the first contraction as I arrived at the hospital but luckily it wasn't very intense. I got to the parking space and had soaked through another pad, got a little on my car seat, but I was able to hop out quickly so it mostly went on the ground. I used the towel to wrap around myself and went into the hospital. Luckily around 7:00-7:15, there wasn't many people there yet.

I got to labor and delivery, wearing a towel, and went into a room. I undressed, tried to stop the water (that was still leaking) and got in a bed. They put monitors on me and detected the heartbeat. The water was still leaking, I couldn't believe how much water there was. The doctor came in and did a exam, ouch she had to push hard, and determined I was dialed to about a 3. She got the old ultrasound machine and saw there was no water around Summer, so they didn't have to test to see if my water had broke (not to mention the bed was soaked). The doctor then did a visual exam, but there was so much water she could not see, but thought she could see the cord (which is very bad when the cord is coming out first). Maybe by this time I had one other contraction, still not bad.

So I was in the room around 7:30, and Summer was born at 8:11, so at this point things went real quick. The elevated the end of the bed to keep the cord from coming out, the anastecologist came in, I signed paperwork, they started an IV, and the next thing I knew, I was being wheeled into the operating room. Kris was there standing around somewhere, I had lost him at this point.

In the operating room there were about 10 different doctors and nurses doing this and that. We didn't have a camera, but luckily Kris had someone bring him one from work (shew). I received a spinal block, it took a few pokes, but I was really surprised that it did not hurt. I was laying down, my knees were at my chest and my chin was to my chest, and this is when I did actually feel a stronger contraction. Once the spinal block was in, I had an air mask on my face, I was lying out, they were swabbing my stomach, and I was afraid I wasn't all the way numb. I even told the anastesiologst I wasn't numb yet, and he said they had already started cutting, so I said ok never mind I guess I am numb :o)

Kris was sitting next to me, I was squeezing two of his fingers, and some nurse with a mask kept telling me how good I was doing. They kept telling me to take deep breaths, and I asked Kris, "am I taking a deep breath?" because I couldn't tell. Once they were all cut, they said I would feel pressure, and oh ya it almost took my breath out, and I bet I tensed up, but it was over quick. I guess the baby came out because Kris said "do you hear that?" and I said, "no, do I hear what?" and then I heard it, and I said, "I heard that!". I was really cool. I was still being operated on, wishing they were done and this was over, and they were cleaning Summer off. Her apgars were either 8/9 or 9/8 - so I knew she was ok. Kris went and took some pictures of her, but only pictures of her cleaned.They took her to the nursery and Kris left with her, I guess I was all sewed up, I ended up having internal stitches and external glue, Kris said they used a torch somehow.

It seemed to me like it took forever for them to sew me up. I did get to see a glimpse of her, but I couldn't see much, she was wrapped in a blanket and she had a hat on her head. I also did not know what she weighed yet. Then ... I started shaking. They said the hormones and the drugs were doing it. I would have felt ok if it wasn't for the shaking. I was taken to the recovery room and was still shaking, they gave me some demoral. While in recovery, my blood pressure was still going up, which was making me scared. I shouldn't have looked ...

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I was wheeled into my room. Kris was already in the room with the baby. It was about 10:00, so I was in recovery a while I guess. I still didn't know what she weighted, but finally in the room, I was able to see the tag on the bassinet, she was 7 pounds, 11 ounces, 18.5 inches long, and technically she was 12 days early.

I spend the most of Friday recovering, all the drugs and I was druggy. Kris held her and just stared at her most of the day. He ended up taking over 60 pictures before he left . We were both taking pictures with our sidekicks and emailing everyone. My blood pressure was up all day on the 13th, and I had to take a pill, but it finally went back to normal. Two days later, I am home, feeling great, walking around, and my mom arrives tomorrow to help for the month YAY!

Breastfeeding has been an interesting challenge. All she wanted to do was sleep, and she had issues latching on, but the nurses said she had enough to keep her full for a while. Just today has she really latched on, but I have formula too just incase, and ended up giving her about 4 ounces between today and yesterday just to make sure she wasn't starving. She did end up losing 7 or 9 ounces, which they said is fine, so I am not worried. I try to breastfeed every 4 hours, but I have to wake her up to do it.

I will post pictures as soon as I sort through the 60 and find good ones, and as soon as Kris puts them on the computer! Sorry so long, I bet I forgot something important!

37 Weeks and Counting

I made it another week, Summer is still breach, my blood pressure is still high, but I guess it could be worse. I saw the doctor again this morning, everything looks good and everything is still on as planned, I will be induced on the 24th, either vaginally (if they can turn her) or with a c-section (if she is stubborn). I have to quit working a week earlier than normal so I can relax to help my blood pressure, which makes me sad, I like working, but I will do what I have to do. This picture was taken on the 4th of July with Killer, he just loves to pose (not!)

Breach Turning

Well I went in to see if the doctor could turn Summer today. After getting naked, putting on a robe, getting an IV, giving blood, getting a shot to relax my uterus and waiting over an hour, the doctor comes in and gives it his best three shots to turn her stubborn butt but ... nope, she wasn't having any of it.

It was not the most painful thing I have ever done, but there were some times when his damn thumb was jabbing me and I was like ouch ouch ouch and tensing my stomach, which I am sure did not help anything.

So the plan now is to come back on July 24th (the day before my due date) and get an epidural and try again. If she finally turns, I will be induced and hopefully deliver. If she does not turn, I will be prepped for a c-section.

I must admit, I was (am) really surprised how opposed to c-sections the doctor is. I am glad, I think too many doctors are just ready to go into major surgery. I am also happy to have a date, it is nice knowing when your baby will arrive.

what to do, what to do ...

So I went for my Friday NST appt, which consisted of blood work, urine sample, 20 minutes of monitoring, seeing the doctor, getting an ultrasound to check for fluid and position.

Last week the big issue was blood pressure, this week we are back to breach.

The doctor said I had to hurry and make my decision because I am running out of time!

My options are: try to turn the baby or have a c-section, and even if the baby turns, they may make me do a c-section anyway because of the high blood pressure, but regardless I think they are going to induce me at 39 weeks because of the high blood pressure (I think, I got a bit confused).

I chose to go in on Monday morning and see if the doctor can turn Summer without an epideral (using an epideral is another more aggressive turning option). I figure if I need an epideral to try to turn her, the hell with that, I would rather just schedule a c-section ...

On Monday I have to call L&D and see if they have a bed, and if so, I will be going in to see if they can turn her. Again, the doctor said it is unlikely at this point she will turn on her own because she is running out of room (and has never turned since at least 27 weeks when I had the 4d).

Part of me just says the hell with it, let's do a c-section, I don't plan on having more kids, it is so convenient, and I know exactly when she is coming, and people do it all the time, but I wanted to experience labor at least once, and I would feel bad if I didn't at least try.

Monday should be interesting ... I will keep you posted,