One Month

Well, I don't have much to say, or much time to say it. This past month has been a whirlwind of .... amazingness. Brad and I have watched Colton grow and grow and it is wonderful. He has gone from a teeny tiny infant (okay, he still is that!) who sleeps all the time, doesn't have too much awake time, and doesn't eat much at a time. He still sleeps quite a bit, but he has increased periods of awakeness, with increasing alertness. He now LOVES watching mobiles - the mobile over his swing is his favorite. I tell you, he can stare at that mobile waving above him for 10 or 15 minutes straight, just observing. It is so sweet! He sleeps better at night than before. He will go to sleep in his bassinet around 10 or 1030 every night, as opposed to 1230, and wakes only 2 times usually to eat. Both times he goes right to sleep after he eats for an hour. During the day, he does NOT want to be apart from either Brad or I. If he is being cuddled or sleeping on one of us, life is good for him. If we try to put him down, not so much. His swing is our saving grace, the only thing that keeps him happy (sometimes) and lets me get something done!

Brad has been home from work the whole first month, which was SUCH a blessing. He only went back to work on Monday (Coltons 1 month bday) and now he still gets to come home around 10am every day, except once a week he has a full day. This should go on for another couple weeks. I honestly can't believe how blessed we are for him to have this kind of time to spend with us. So many army wives spend some or most or even all of the first few months of their child's lives with their husband deployed or on a TDY, it is quite common, and I know that the Lord has blessed us tremendously and planned the timing of Colton's birth just for us.

My favorite thing that Colton has learned to do this past month, is smile in response to my smile. He doesn't do it every time I smile at him, just about half the time, but it is so stinkin sweet! I love his little smile, his tiny dimples in his cheeks, his toothless gums.

My baby woke up... Until next time!

Jessica

3 weeks old

So, every time I try to add a picture, google chrome glitches and shuts down and loses my whole post! :( so no photos this time. And... this would have been a long post but it probably will not be any more!

So my baby is now 3 weeks old... where does the time go!!!

We had almost one week of "just the 3 of us" after my parents left, before Brads mom came to visit, and it was so fun. I felt like we were playing house... except for the 3am feedings of course! We had a few fun outings and Colton did so good! We even went to the mall for me to buy a pair of non-pregnancy jeans that fit... not quite the same size as before, but not pregnancy! woohoo!! We spent several days at home the whole day, and usually I would get a little stir-crazy doing that very often, but now that there is a baby here to take care of, I didn't get stir crazy. It was cozy and fun, and we all loved that time. I left Colton with Brad for the very first time that week. I only went to the grocery store and it was right after a feeding so i knew he would be okay, but i was still a bit nervous! I was gone an hour and a half, and was definitely ready to be home by the end of that time!

Brads mom came and we had fun with her here. Her and Colton bonded and spent lots of cuddle time together. During that almost week she was here, brad and I left colton for the very first time. We just went to walmart, and only for 30 minutes, but it was quite a big step for us! Everything was fine, of course, and I was very proud of us. Brad and I tried to go on walks every evening that week, and usually Colton loved the walks. A couple of the times he fussed, but I think those days were a little windier and was making his face, the only part of him exposed, a little chilly. Poor baby!

The same day that Jo left, Megan, my sister, arrived. I was so excited to have her here! Another first: I left Colton with Brad through a feeding for the first time! Meg and I wanted to hit the mall and do a little shopping here, but that isn't as easy with a baby.. so I pumped right before we left and Brad bottle fed him when he woke up. He did so good with the bottle, what a champ! I was a little nervous about it, but he ate 3oz in 15 minutes... hungry baby! It usually takes him about an hour to eat the same amount when nursing. I think he just likes the closeness when nursing though :) BTW, while shopping, I bought another pair of jeans that are only ONE size bigger than my pre-pregnancy jeans. WOOHOO! Hopefully not much longer, I miss having so many jean options. Right now I only have 3 (meg brought me a pair of jeans! Thanks sis!).

Colton had his 2 week appt today, which is actually 3 weeks but we werent able to make an appt for earlier. He now weighs 9 lbs 9 oz, almost 1 lb bigger than his birth weight! What a good grower!!! They also checked his jaundice levels again, and he is at a 16. That is the same it was when we went to the hospital 2 weeks ago. Hopefully it is just breastfeeding jaundice, most likely it is, but they will re check at our 2 month appt. If it hasn't dropped by then, we will discuss further treatment. Hopefully it has though!

Well.. sorry about the photos but hopefully next time I can get it to not freeze up when uploading them!

Have a great week friends!!!

1 week old photos

crying shouldnt be this cute...

daddy, baby, and cat

on our way to church

Brad, Colton, and Lambie taking a nap

precious sleeping baby

baby is more entertaining than tv

cuddling in the recliner

the first week has been a whirlwind. my parents came in town to meet their grandson and they loved every minute of it. they were so much help as well- we didn't have to think about meals at all or do any dishes. Also... Brad and I got to nap and put the gparents on "baby duty" (which I think they secretly really enjoyed!) which was a big help for those nights we didn't sleep!

during this first week we did spend one night and one day in the hospital again. when we went in for his 2-day after discharge appt they checked his bilirubin levels and he was at a 21- which requires intervention. So we were immediately sent upstairs to the pediatric unit at the hospital to put our baby in a bili bed. It was so sad - he had to wear baby shades so he couldn't see and we couldn't hold him at all except when he was eating. I was a slight mess about it and didn't sleep at all the whole night. Colton didn't seem to mind too much actually. He fussed a little bit but we were able to calm him down just talking to him and holding his hands. luckily one day and night was all it took to get his levels down to an acceptable level and now he his jaundice is almost gone!

His sleeping is going well - he sleeps for 3 or 4 hours at a time during the night and during the day we have noticed more periods of awakeness lately. he loves to just look around. its very fun - the first few days he slept in between every feeding and had very few awake periods (i hear that is normal for most babies, esp those with jaundice). I love seeing him so curious about the world! It is so sweet!

Have a wonderful week everyone! :)

Birth Story

I first want to say... giving birth is definitely the most amazing experience of my life. Seeing my son for the first time and holding him for the very first time is something I will always remember and always cherish. He is absolutely amazing and I am every day thankful that the Lord has given brad and I such an amazing opportunity.. such a wonderful blessing .. to take care of a tiny little helpless baby, and help him grow into an amazing child (although hopefully not very soon. i want him to stay little forever.)

So here is a summed up version of Colton's birth:

My water broke around 4am Saturday morning, although I wasn't having very many or very intense contractions. Brad asked if we could sleep a couple more hours before going to the hospital since I wasn't having contractions 2-3 minutes apart yet. Haha he definitely didn't understand! At the hospital, they gave me pitocin to get my contractions jump-started and to get me to dialate.. I was only at 1-2 cm when arriving. Around noon, they re-checked and I hadn't dialated any more. My contractions were then one minute long and pretty intense, with only one minute in between each. Since i couldn't get an epidurral until 4cm, and it didn't look like that would happen any time soon, I went ahead and asked for pain medications. I had thought I didn't want anything but the epidurral because I didn't want my baby to come out sleepy, but the nurse assured me that pain medication will help me dialate faster since my body will be more relaxed. She added it to the IV and from that point on, I was pretty drowsy. I remember I could feel the pain about the same as before but I was too drowsy to care anymore. I drifted in and out of sleep for several more hours and when they checked me again at 4 or so, around the time the pain meds were wearing off, I had dialated to a 5. Thankfully! So I got the epidurral and slept another hour. Around 645 it was pushing time and Colton was born around 715. The pushing wasn't painful- but it was hard. I am so thankful that I got the epidurral because this big baby ripped me - vaginally and cervically. That would have been very painful. Because of the tears, I had to get sewn up (obviously) and it took two doctors to accomplish this. I was not allowed to hold Colton right away like I had asked. I wanted to hold him before he was even washed up, but the nurses wouldn't allow it and so I couldn't hold him for almost an hour after he was born. When I finally was able to, it was beautiful and amazing. I am so thankful for him and I can't imagine my life without him.

Brad has been the best dad I could have ever hoped he would be. He changes diapers more than I do (a lot more!) and he loves Colton so much. We are constantly "bickering" over whose turn it is to hold the baby. I never knew that having this baby would increase the love I have for my husband. It definitely has and the Lord has blessed us more than I would have ever hoped.

There's more to say.. but my baby is hungry now. :)

Welcome Baby

Colton Pierce was born Saturday, September 25th at 7:15pm, 8lbs 10oz, 22.5 inches long

this was one of his first hospital pics

getting ready to come home for the first time

more to come... not much time right now! :)

8lb Baby

Well I had another Doctor appt on Wednesday. I always go with such high hopes that I will hear something along the lines of "woah.. youre already in labor! couldnt you feel those intense contractions?" haha. I know that this will probably NOT happen and that I will know when I am in labor, but it's good to dream right? I did hear though that this baby is still in the right position to come out (oh good!) and that she guesses that he will not get here until 40 weeks or so (Oh great... 2 more weeks of this?! lol). Also... her guess as to his size right now is 8lbs, and that he will be 9 if she is correct and he gets here close to the due date. Holy big baby, Batman! Brad said "Good! I hope he's 10lbs... we could have ourselves a Saints linebacker as a son!" Um... only if you give birth to him, honey. I'm praying even more earnestly that he comes out NOW to make this all a little easier on my poor body! Also... the story at the hospital on post is that they do not induce labor until 10 days past the due date. That date happens to be 10/10/10. How cool of a birthday would that be?! Although I definitely do not want to have to be induced that much past my due date... it would be slightly worth it for him to have the coolest birthday of 2010. I guess this is all in God's timing though, right? If He picks our baby to have the coolest birthday of the year, and me to be pregnant (gulp) 3 more weeks... then I should accept this and know that God's timing is always the best timing. Maybe He is teaching Brad and I patience... or teaching me how to survive with little sleep without being slightly crabby :) We shall see, I suppose.

Well everyone.. the weekend is upon us! Any exciting weekend plans??

apple cider doughnuts!

I have been craving and craving apple cider doughnuts the past few weeks... but there is no cider mill anywhere near me!! Which is really weird to me, growing up in Kansas there are cider mills everywhere, or apple markets, or other places that have these delicious cider doughnuts. So I decided to order some cider doughnuts from the amazing Louisburg Cider Mill (mmmm.. they are delicious!) a couple weeks ago, but all that did was make me want them even more! And unfortunately, ordering donuts and paying for shipping makes them cost a lot more than they are probably worth. :(

SO: I decided to attempt to MAKE my own cider doughnuts! How hard could it be, right? Here is the recipe I picked:

Apple Cider Doughnuts

• 1 cup apple cider
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2t baking powder
• 1t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/8 t ground nutmeg
• 4 T butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Shortening or vegetable oil for frying

1. In sauce pan over medium-low heat, gently reduce cider to 1/4 cup (about 20 minutes). Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, continuing to beat.
4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add reduced cider and buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Add flour mixture and continue to mix just until dough comes together.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with flour. Turn dough onto one sheet and sprinkle top with flour. Flatten until 1/2 inch thick. Transfer dough to freezer and freeze until slightly hardened, approximately 20 minutes.
6. Pull out of freezer & cut doughnut shapes. Place cut doughnuts and holes onto other baking sheet and refrigerate another 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Add enough oil or shortening (I picked shortening.. the doughnuts are less greasy I hear when you pick shortening!) to a deep sided pan to measure almost 2" deep. Heat over medium to 350*.
8. Carefully add donuts to oil and fry each side until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels.

Now... I read this recipe and thought "sounds simple enough.. I can totally do this!" So I got all the necessary ingredients and equipment and attempted it. I did not, however, purchase an oil thermometer, so I had to guess the temperature and do the fry a donut hole, check to see if the inside is as done as the outside method. It failed and failed. Finally, I called my grandma (who I swear knows everything about everything to do with cooking/baking/frying, etc). She suggested baking them on a wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath it to catch the oil after frying. She said that should dry up the inside a bit. And guess what? She is a genius.. It worked! my done on the outside but not on the inside doughnuts were done all the way around after 5 minutes in a 350 oven! I wish I had a picture to show you, but I don't. Anyway... here's the glaze recipe, because they don't taste as good without a topping:

Apple Cider Doughnut Glaze

• Simmer 1 cup apple cider until reduced to 1/4 cup (again). Whisk in confectioners sugar until smooth and glossy, I used almost 1 cup.
• In another bowl, mix 1 cup sugar & 2 t cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside
• After doughnuts are done, dip one side in the glaze and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

mmm... these are delicious! It makes about a dozen... and I have eaten one. My husband has eaten 5... yes, FIVE... since last night.

Speaking of the husband.... Our 2 year anniversary is coming up on Monday! Isn't that precious? The picture at the beginning of this post is a picture taken of us almost exactly 2 years ago. So much has changed since then!

Baby Talk:

I had another appointment yesterday, which was not very exciting actually. Baby's heart beat is the exact average of what most baby's heart beats are (which it has been since like... week 7). I think that is probably good though! I asked if there was any way to tell if he is breech or if he has already flipped himself into the right birthing position, and so she pulled in an ultrasound machine and said that we could find out right then. I wish Brad could have been there, but he had to work and didn't know that we would have the ability to see an ultrasound.. anyway, this baby is absolutely precious and I cried a few tears yesterday... He is adorable! His head looked HUGE.. but I am hoping that is just the ultrasound distorting it a bit :) .. His belly also looked big, which is good because chunky babies are absolutely adorable and because that means he is growing quite well inside of me. The midwife showed me his little hands, and I saw all 10 fingers. I think he actually had some of his fingers in his mouth, but it was hard to tell. Anyway.. all this to say that he is head down, feet up, ready to come out. I would have guessed this being as I feel his hiccups so low and such powerful kicks up in my ribs. But it is good to know for sure!

Anyway... that is pretty much it! They won't check dilation until 40 weeks or until I am having real contractions for a couple days with no increase in intensity or duration. Or until I am in labor at the hospital, of course. I do have appts for the next 3 weeks scheduled though, but I am hoping I don't need them!

Any guesses on when he decides to arrive? I keep telling him there's a whole big world out here, and he can actually stretch out (which he so wants to do... but unfortunately either a rib, or a bladder, or the side of my belly, etc. stops him from fully stretching) Hopefully I can sweet talk him out early! Brad even told him he would buy him anything he wanted if he appeared by a certain date... with suggestions like a pony, a toddler motorcycle (hah.. we'll see about that..), an ATV... really mostly things Brad probably wants to buy him anyway!

--Jessica