Baby Talk: Connor- 1 Month

   Today is my first time to link up with Kristin for her Baby Talk series on Tuesdays!  Hopefully now that Connor is on a little bit more of a schedule, I can get back to blogging regularly and join in each Tuesday :) My baby boy is going to be 1 month old (holy cow!) on Thursday so I am going to share a little of what has been going on in our lives the past several weeks......

 

     Weight/Height-  On 6/5 Connor had his 2 week apt and he weighed 9.6 lbs and was 21.25 in.  I am sure by now he is well over 10 lbs.....he is a very good eater!     Sleep-  We have had some bad nights here and there but for the most part he is still a great night sleeper!  We have gotten into a pretty good nighttime routine......we start giving him a bath around 8:30, then I feed him from 9ish - 9:30/9:45 (depending on how much he falls asleep while eating) and he is in his sleeper by 10.  Then he will wake up between 1-1:30 AM and have a short feeding (usually around 10-15 minutes), then sleep until 4:30ish, eat and then go back to sleep again for a couple hours.  We are usually up and out of bed around 7.  I eventually want to start the whole nighttime routine earlier...maybe 7 or 7:30? He is napping a little better this week too.  Usually will take one long nap in the morning and one long one late in the afternoon.  Other than that, he just takes short cat naps here and there.     Feedings-    Still doing a great job at breastfeeding!! During week 3 we started giving him 1 bottle of breast milk each day so that he would get used to taking a bottle.  He does great with it!  We are using the Tommy Tippee anti-colic bottles and give him 2-3 oz in each bottle.  And it's my husband's job to give him the bottles...that way he doesn't get confused with me giving it to him.  I tried giving him a bottle once and he refused to take it from me, but as soon as my husband offered it to him, he took it.  Last week was rough...he was BF every 1-1.5 hours, which is A LOT.  I was exhausted and frustrated.  But it seems like the past several days we have gone back to 2ish hours between feedings.  I am also pumping twice a day...once mid morning and once in the afternoon.  My supply is not as good as it was the first couple of weeks so I am only able to pump a couple of oz. each time right now but I am starting to drink Mother's Milk tea and taking Fenugreek supplements to hopefully that will help.  I have friends who went from pumping 2 oz at a time to over 10 thanks to the tea/supplement!  Poor guy had a hard week last week....terrible reflux, gas, spitting up and screaming fits.  Doctor says it is colic :(   So, to help with the reflux/stomach issues our doctor has him on a baby zantac and another medicine.  I give both to him 4x a day and we have seen the biggest difference in him!! He doesn't scream after he eats and he sleeps much better and just seems much more comfortable.  I felt so bad for him last week (and even felt bad for myself...I thought I was going to lose my mind a couple of days) so, I am so happy he is feeling better this week.      Clothing/Diapers-  Still in size 1 in Pampers Swaddlers.  Still wearing NB sizes and can fit in a few smaller 0-3 month outfits.  As much as I love how little he is right now, I can't wait until he can wear more 3 month outfits....I have some REALLY cute ones :)   Favorite Equipment-  He is still loving the swing, boppy lounger and rock-n-play sleeper.  All are at an incline so it helps with his reflux/spitting up issues.  I also tried the Moby wrap for the first time and he seemed to love it!   Big Moments/Favorite Things:  - Mommy and Daddy had our first date night out on Friday 6/7 and it was so nice!! We missed our little guy and definitely talked about him our whole night out but it was nice to have some time out of the house, just the 2 of us.  I had my first drink in 10 months, so that was fun :)  We had a drink at 1252 Tapas Bar then dinner at Uni Sushi! - He is starting to grip things....loves holding our fingers and he grabs hold of my necklace when I am holding him on my chest. - HATES HATES HATES being cold.  He screams bloody murder when he is cold.  As soon as we swaddle him, put a hat on or take him outside he is perfectly fine.  -LOVES being outside.  He loves the warm temps and our swing.  Many times a day I take him outside and just swing with him. He usually will go right to sleep or calm down if he was upset.  Swinging outside with him is one of my favorite parts of the days. - Loves bath time!! Just like swinging outside...he loves the warm water and is so relaxed as soon as we get him in there.  We almost skipped bath time one night but decided against it since he loves it so much.  - He is starting to "talk" a little.  He tries so hard sometimes but nothing comes out but every once in awhile he makes cute little coo's and noises.  Melts mommy's heart.  - Smiling more while awake, especially in the morning. He has the biggest, cutest smile that lights up his whole face....I can't wait to see more of them :)   Postpartum Recovery:  I forgot to include this section a couple weeks ago, so this will be an update for the whole month...  The first week home from the hospital I was still a little sore but not bad at all.  After a week I was all healed and felt great.  Emotionally- not so much.  I cried A LOT the first week and a half.  I was not depressed but I was having some postpartum anxiety issues and baby blues.  I would cry when I would BF, when I thought about him growing up, when I saw my husband holding him, when other people held him, when he would look at me and most of all when I would think about something bad happening to him one day.  I would sit there and worry that one day something bad might happen to him and I would not be able to handle it....so then I would just sit there and cry.  I was worrying about something that MIGHT happen years and years from now.  I was a mess!  But thankfully it passed!  I still get a little emotional here and there just because I am so happy and so in love with this little guy, but I think that's normal :) I have lost the 17 lbs I gained while pregnant plus another 14!!! 31 lbs total!! WHOHOOO! Thank you breastfeeding 10+ times a day and a much, much smaller appetite than I have had in years!  I have my 6 week check up in a couple weeks and I am hoping to be cleared to start working out again....I can not wait to get back to running!         

Happy First Father's Day!

Yesterday we celebrated my husband's 1st Father's Day! We celebrated with our families on Saturday evening so we just spent the whole day as a family of 3 at our house.   It really is true what they say about how you never know how much you love you have until you have a baby....love for your new baby and love for your spouse.   Seeing how good my husband is with Connor makes my heart so happy and brings me to tears daily (happy tears!).  He is the best daddy and best husband and we are so lucky to have him!   Hope you had a wonderful day celebrating the dads in your life! :)  

     

Connor: 2 weeks!

Wow...I can't believe Connor is already 2 weeks (and 1 day) old! When people tell you how fast time goes when you have a baby, they are not kidding.   

    The past 2 weeks have been filled with so many emotions and memories and we are loving every second (even the 1 AM feedings) with our little guy.  I could stare at him all day and I give him at least 200 kisses a day.  He has brought so much happiness and love into our lives and I can not imagine life without him.    Here is a little of what we have been up to and how our little man is doing.....   Weight/Height-  When we left the hospital on 5/22 he weighed 7.11 lbs and at his first doctor apt on 5/24 he was back up to 8 lbs. and he was 20 3/4 in.  I had to take him back to the doctor last Wednesday, 5/29, because I was worried he had an infection in his eye and acid reflux and he weighed 8.15!!!!  So, I am sure by now he is over 9 lbs but we will find out tomorrow at our 2 week appt.    Sleep-  We have a great little night sleeper!  He usually sleeps 4-5 hours at a time at night.  Whohooo! We have gotten on somewhat of a schedule/routine in the evenings and it seems to really be working for him.  I feel rested pretty much every day and have only had to take a couple naps since coming home from the hospital.   During the day is a different story...although it is getting better.  He takes quick little cat naps all day long and takes 1 or 2 longer naps (2+ hours).  He loves the rock-n-play sleeper that he sleeps in at night and loves taking naps in his swing or on the boppy lounger....or on momma and daddy.  This baby loves to sleep skin to skin :)   Feedings-  Connor has done a great job with breastfeeding!  We have not had to use formula at all, so far. During the days he started out eating every 2-3 hours but the past several days it has been more like every hour or hour and a half. I am hoping he is just going thru a growth spurt and that in the next week or so we can get back to every 2-3 hours.  Most nights he will eat around 9 and eat and on for 45ish minutes, then he will sleep until 12:30-1.  Then he will eat again and sleep until 4ish.   I have to say, I LOVE breastfeeding way more than I thought I would.  It is definitely hard, painful at times and exhausting but so worth it.  I get all emotional when I think about the day that I will stop breastfeeding.   I also started pumping this week.  My body is producing A LOT of milk...way more than he is taking in.  So, I got Mastitis and it was awful.  High fever, flu like symptoms, extremely painful lumps in my breasts and hot spots.  Several people suggested I start pumping and storing the excess milk so I did and it has helped so much.    Clothing/Diapers-  Size 1 in Pampers Swaddlers.  I am a bad mommy and don't have many outfits that fit him right now so he pretty much lives in white onesies and a couple other onesies that fit.  We assumed he would be much bigger at birth so I did not buy or register for a lot of newborn clothing....well it turns out that is what he needs!  He has SO many cute things for when he gets closer to 3 months.  I haven't left the house much yet so I haven't bought him anything new but I plan on making a Target and Babies R Us run soon to get a few things.  Poor guy has one boring wardrobe right now ;)   Favorite Equipment-  Definitely the Rock-N-Play Sleeper, My Little Lamb Swing and Boppy Lounger.....Connor and Mommy love all 3 of these for sleeping or awake time.    -Smiles in his sleep a lot and started smiling some when awake during the 2nd week -He is very gassy....constantly burping, spitting up and tooting ;)  Gripe Water or Gas Relief Drops help though. -He loves to look at lights and windows.  I know he can't see very far right now but he is always staring out the windows or at a light that is on. -Loves to be swaddled and shushed.  We have been using The Happiest Baby on the Block techniques and they really work when he is all worked up and fussy.  -Hates to be cold -Loves to go outside and swing with Mommy...he usually goes right to sleep! -Everyone says how strong he is.  He is starting to hold his head up and he is constantly kicking and moving around.  Our doctor thinks he will roll over soon. -We had his newborn photo shoot last week!! Once I have all the pictures back from the photographer I will post some of them :)  Major cuteness overload :)   1st walk-  May 26th 1st bath-  June 1st 1st bottle (with breast milk, given by daddy)- June 2nd     And here are some pictures from our first couple weeks:   

 Spending time with Daddy outside on Memorial Day

 First walk around the neighborhood

 One of my favorite pictures :)

 Woke up Wednesday morning with a high fever and all the symptoms of Mastitis :(

 Tummy time with Daddy

 Baby Love

 So many things I should be doing but this is MUCH more fun

 The milk I pumped in just 30 minutes!      

First bath and he loved it....as long as he was warm

 

 

 Didn't love getting out of the bath...poor baby was freezing!        

{Connor's Birth Story}

 Hi everyone!! I am 10 days into mommy-hood and things are going great so far! But more on the first couple of weeks later.  I am here today to share Connor's birth story :)   Connor man decided not to come on his own so we were scheduled to induce on Monday, May 20th.  Sunday night, the 19th, my husband and I headed to the hospital to check in a little before 7.   We got there, checked in and were taken to the room we would call home for a few days.  They didn't waste any time....I was in my gown and in the bed by 7:30, ready for them to hook my IV up and start the Cervidil.  Before inserting the Cervidil, they checked me one more time to see if I was dilated at all but I was still at a 0.    So, they inserted the Cervidil and explained that it would probably make me cramp some but it would hopefully help me dilate overnight.  I knew I needed to get some sleep because I had been awake since 3 AM that day and I knew the next day was going to be long and tiring.  My doctor had previously approved for the nurse to give me Ambien so that I could sleep.  They brought me the Ambien at 9 and I attempted to take it but it immediately made me throw up.  Boo.  So, I tried to sleep but no luck.  I was cramping pretty bad and had to go to the bathroom once an hour, plus I was just restless...so needless to say I did not sleep at all that night.  By 5 AM Monday when they came in to take out the Cervidil and see if I was dilated I was exhausted.  But, I was dilated 1 cm...finally some progress!   They started the Pitocin around 6:30 AM.  Around 9 I noticed a big change in my contractions...they were more frequent and more painful.  At 10 they came to check me again and I was 2 cm dilated.  Around this time I started asking for the epidural.  The contractions were AWFUL and coming every 2 minutes.  The first time I asked for it, the nurse called my doctor to let her know but my doctor asked for me to try to wait a little bit longer to see if I would progress some more on my own.  She was worried the epidural would slow things down.  They did give me Demerol and Phenegren to help with the pain & nausea but that just made me high as a kite....the room was spinning, my arms got so heavy that I could not even lift them to get my water and it caused me to throw up.  And it didn't really help the pain.  By 11 I was in the worst pain I have ever experienced and I told the nurse that I HAD to have the epidural ASAP....I didn't even care at that point if I had progressed any or if this would end in a C-section.  I just needed some relief.   All of our parents were at the hospital at this point.  When they came in to do the epidural they made everyone, including my husband, leave the room.  They said they have had too many husbands pass out so they make everyone but 1 nurse leave the room.  They guy that was about to do the epidural looked 5 years younger than me so that made me a little nervous.  I got into the position he told me to, then he told me to let him know as soon as I was starting to have a contraction so that he could stop.  I had 3 full blown contractions while he was doing the epidural so he had to keep stopping and waiting for them to pass.  But as soon as he was done, I felt immediate relief.  Thank God for epidurals!    Between being awake for over 30 hours and all the medicines, I was finally able to sleep.  I slept off and on until about 2:30.   At 2:30 my doctor came in to check me.  I was watching her face and the look she gave me and the nurse made me think I was still at a 2....but then she got this big smile on her face and said I was FULLY DILATED!  I thought she was kidding!  But thank goodness she wasn't.  She went ahead and broke my water then she said she had to run back to her office for a little bit but we were going to start pushing in 30 minutes.    So, for the next 30 minutes my husband is frantically texting our friends and letting our family know.  My dad and step-mom had just left the hospital to go back to where they were staying so they turned around and came right back.   It ended up being a little longer than 30 minutes, but right before 3:30 my nurse (whose name happened to be Leslie too) came in and said it was time to start pushing.  They were going to let me push for awhile then call my doctor to come back when he was getting close to coming out.   So, I started pushing at exactly 3:30.  My husband, my nurse and one of my Mom's best friends (who works at the hospital and used to be a L&D nurse), Lori, were the only ones in the room.  They would tell me when I was starting a contraction and I would push for 10 seconds, 3 times during each one.  After pushing during the 1st contraction the nurse said she could see his head and it was full of hair :)  When she said that I knew I wanted to watch the birth in the mirror.  When they first offered the mirror I said no.  I never thought I would want to watch but I am SO glad I did.....not only is it just amazing to see your baby being born but seeing his head gave me just the amount of motivation I needed to keep pushing.   When I saw his head and saw myself making progress, I was determined to not let this end in a C-section.  My husband even "went south" and saw what I was seeing too.  I was not too sure I wanted him to see all that but now I am so glad he did, and so is he.  Speaking of my husband...he was amazing thru the whole experience.  He was so excited and he was my biggest cheerleader....constantly encouraging me and saying the sweetest things.  Going thru that with him makes me love him so much more than I already did.     So, the nurse put the big mirror down at the end of the bed and we kept pushing.  After 15-20 minutes I was at the point where I could tell when I needed to push before the nurse told me when. Finally the nurse told me he was almost out and she needed me to not push anymore so she could call my doctor and get her over to us.  Well...that worked for a few minutes but soon I HAD to push.  The nurse had called my doctor and told her to hurry and that this baby was coming out in 5 minutes or less.   My doctor made it in to my room about 2 minutes before he came out....she did not even have time to finish putting on her scrubs and gloves! Ha!   Connor was born at 4:13 PM on Monday, May 20th.  He weighed 8.3 lbs and was 20.5 inches long.  And we are so, so, so in love with him.  Within 10 seconds of being born he was on my chest and it was the most amazing, emotional moment of my life.  I will never forget that feeling.    

  Here are a few pictures our time in the hospital!

 

      I got really lucky and had a great experience with labor and delivery and it turned out to be pretty easy (well...as easy as pushing out a 8 lb baby can be...and mostly thanks to the epidural ;)  ).  We are loving our new life as a family of 3 and things are going pretty great so far! I will be back in the next couple of days to share more about the first 2 weeks!   Thank you for all the sweet comments, emails and texts!! :)   xo   

{he's here + newborn/new mommy necessities}

Hello, sweet Eat.Pray.Love.Run readers! I'm Jen from Down with the Dearmore's.

 

 

Leslie and I have been best friends since the 5th grade {yes, a waaaaay long time ago}! She is just as beautiful {inside and out} as she appears on her blog! I can't even put into words how excited I am for her and Chris as they welcomed their precious little miracle, Connor Christopher, into this world yesterday! There is no feeling quite like it! I was thrilled when Leslie asked me to guest post after his arrival {I'll let her give all the fun details about his birth in a later post}!

 

Meet the newest, most adorable little boy in the world, Connor Christopher.

 

 

Speaking of newborn, I wanted to share some of my most very favorite necessities for not only baby, but for mommy as well. I am {in my mind} still a new mommy, but had to go back 20 months ago to remember life with a newborn at home! Yikes, time flies {when you're having fun}!

 

 

I know everyone has their own "must haves", but I remember appreciating and loving getting to see what others considered a necessity!

 

1. My Little Lamb Cradle 'N Swing - this was an absolute life saver in our home. Our little one slept in this pretty much all of the time initially and sometimes even at night as she dealt with reflux, so it was a great way to keep her elevated {yet still comfortable and secure}.

 

2. Moses Basket - We had a Moses Basket similar to this one, but it fit into the actual bassinet. I loved having a basket that was easy to take out and move around. I remember using this many times during the middle of the night once we got her to sleep and taking her into our room or into the room connecting to our bedroom. Very convenient!

 

3. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets - I cannot recommend these enough! We still use them to this day {not for swaddling, but for a comfy/light blanket at night}. They are the perfect shape and size and are very lightweight and airy. In my opinion, THE perfect swaddle blanket around!

 

4. Baby Mittens - Not something I had thought about until we were in the hospital and doing everything we could from keeping our baby from scratching her little face! Their nails are so tiny, brittle, yet so sharp. These were a must-have for us initially!

 

5. Cloud B Sound Machine Soother - Our little one loved noise {and still does} to help her go to sleep and relax. I loved the different sound options on the Cloud B Sound Soother. It was easy to turn on and off and didn't make too much noise when you wanted to re-start it after she had just fallen asleep! Isn't that the worst?!?!? We also really loved the Jewel Lullaby CD. Such sweet music and her voice to could put ME to sleep!

 

6. Medela Tender Care Lanolin - Nipple cream for breastfeeding mommies. It is safe for both mom and baby. I know for some, breastfeeding is very painful, especially in the beginning! I mean, come on, you now have something sucking on you 24-7!! You will be sore! I loved this cream - thankfully, it was the first and only one I had to try and it worked for me.

 

7. Nursing Tank - Ahh...makes nursing SO much easier! This particular top is a bra and cami all in one. Perfection! It is not only comfortable, but supportive {both on top and in the tummy}.

 

8. Last, but certainly not least....hook a new momma up with some caffeine! We all know the days and nights can be long as sleep-less. For me, gift cards were perfect so I could use them whether I was going through a drive-thru or at the grocery story that had a Starbucks! A small and easy gift!

 

Thanks for letting me share today, Leslie! For those of you reading, I would love for you to stop by and get to know me and my little fam a little more! Hope you all have a wonderful week!  

  OXOX, Jen

My Very Last Bump Update- 40 Weeks!

  How far along? 40 weeks, 2 days....my due date has come and gone.....   How big is baby?  The size of a pumpkin!  19-22 inches, 6-9 lbs.  At my doc. appt. on Wednesday my doctor estimated that baby was about 8.5-9 lbs.  Yikes!     Total weight gain/loss?  +17 lbs     Maternity Clothes?  That is all I can wear....maxi dresses, skirts, tank tops   Stretch Marks?  My sides and boobs and just noticed this week I have them on my lower stomach.  Boo.  I have used really good lotions and creams thru my whole pregnancy and they haven't worked.        Sleep?   Much better the past week! Even though I wake up at least 3-4 times to use the bathroom, I go back to sleep easily and feel rested when I get up every day.            Miss anything?  I can't wait to sleep on my stomach again!  Same as every week...I miss not being in constant pain and miss walking normal.           Movement?  He is still moving all day, every day. I think he must be really hyper-active....I always read that at this stage you may not feel their movements as much because they have ran out of room.  Not the case for my little man...he moves ALL THE TIME.  I don't have to worry about counting kicks!               Food Cravings?  Nothing new...still ice, anything cold, pasta        Anything making you queasy or sick?  Meat in general.  This has been constant since the week I found out I was pregnant (4 weeks).     Have you started to show yet?  My belly is HUGE!            Gender?   Baby boy!! Connor Christopher :)   Labor Signs? 2 times in the past week I actually thought something might be happening....Saturday night and Tuesday morning.  I was having the worst cramps in my entire life.  I couldn't walk, I could barely breath, I would cry out in pain if I even moved...it was awful.  I would have a mixture of sharp cramps and Braxton Hicks and they would just all run together so I couldn't really time them.  But eventually it would get better so I never went to the hospital.         Belly Button in or out?  Almost completely flat and so stretched out.    Mood?  SO excited and happy that baby boy will be here in the next 4 days or less!  I am feeling a little anxious and nervous about the whole labor, delivery and recovery process.          Symptoms?   Cramping, braxton hicks, heartburn, slight swelling in hands, a lot of pressure and pain down below, hot flashes.  In church on Sunday I had to get up and leave about 20 minutes into the service...I was dripping sweat and starting to feel nauseous.  And new this week-  A couple brown spots (mask of pregnancy is what it's called I think??) have shown up on the right side of my face.           Wedding rings still on?  Officially off :(  They made until 39 weeks then had to come off once I started really struggling to get them off at night.             Best moments of the week?  - Celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday  - I had a great pre-natal massage on Friday :) -  We brought all the baby equipment downstairs to the living room....our downstairs is looking much different these days, filled with swings, diapers, the pack n play, etc... All ready for when we bring Connor home next week!  

Me & my Mom after lunch on Mother's Day     Looking forward to? - Enjoying our last weekend as a family of 2! - Having this sweet baby boy sometime in the next 4 days and bringing him home, hopefully around this time next week, or sooner! - Getting to spend tomorrow morning with my 3 best friends!  :) -Honestly???  Not being pregnant anymore.  I know recovery will be tough for a few weeks, but I am looking forward to losing the baby weight, running again and feeling like my old self. - My dad & step mom coming in town at the beginning of the week.   Doctor Appt. Update- I had my 4th and FINAL weekly appt. Wednesday morning!  Can't believe that 10 months worth of baby appt's is over.   I went into my doc. appt knowing that I had to be dilated given how much pain I had been in the past week.  But, nope...still nothing.  I am at a big fat 0 and his head is still high.  So, even though there is a chance I could still dilate and go into labor on my own, we don't think that is going to happen.  I am all set to check in to the hospital at 7 PM on Sunday.  They will insert the Cervidil and hope it dilates me overnight.  Then my doctor will come in to see me early Monday morning and she will HOPEFULLY be able to break my water, start me on Pitocin and get things going.  She did tell me she won't make me lay around all day not making any progress....so if by mid-day I am not making any progress, we will start planning for a c-section sometime Monday afternoon.    So this was my last bump update!! I didn't do as good of a job keeping up with the weekly bump pics and updates as I had hoped but oh well! :)  I have one more post planned before baby comes, and I will try to do a post once Connor arrives next week, then I will probably take a couple weeks off from blogging as we adjust to having a newborn at home. Thank you for following along with me the past 10 months and thank you for all the sweet comments and emails! xoxo  

Easy Chicken Piccata

One of my husband's favorite foods is Chicken Piccata.  He has been asking for me to make it for at least a year, but I kept forgetting about it.  Until this week! I FINALLY made it last night.  Not only is it MUCH easier than I thought it would be, it was so good!  My husband (who is a bit of a Chicken Piccata snob) loved it! :) So, here is the recipe!   Ingredients: - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded flat) - Salt & Pepper - 1/3 cup all purpose flour - 1 stick of butter, softened - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley - 1 lemon sliced - 2 tbsp capers - 1 can chicken broth   Directions: -  Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  - Place the flour in a large bowl and coat the chicken breasts in flour. - Melt about 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 6-8 minutes.  While cooking the chicken, pour about half of the can of chicken stock into skillet. -  Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. - In the same skillet, add remaining butter, chicken stock, parsley, lemon slices and capers and heat for a few minutes.    Serve chicken breasts with sauce poured on top and serve with a side of pasta and spinach (or whatever you want...that's just what I did)    



  And that's it!! So easy and yummy! Enjoy!