Hiatus

We have decided that updates of Sam (and our family) will be on the blog my hubby started: 

JKandCompany

This blog might start up again when the family expands :)

7 weeks minus a day

Tomorrow our Sam will be 7 weeks! He really has been such a blessing. He loves being held - in arms or in a carrier, and is learning to smile and coo. He has recently started playing with his tongue and sticking it out. I'm so in love with his little faces. He's a little more than 12 lbs, wearing size 1 diapers, and 0-3 month clothes. And just as a what to expect - he goes through 8 or 9 diapers a day and nurses anywhere from 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. 

He's started liking to look at the mirror above his swing and will smile at me in the mirror. He is normally calm during diaper changes now, and will push off with his legs while he's being held or nursed (which makes him fall off his latch and get frustrated and that's probably when I get the most frustrated. He's his own worst enemy).

I'm often impressed by his tooting but he's not too much of a burper. He still makes the cutest sigh after he sneezes, but we have yet to capture it on video. So as I've mentioned, Joey works swing shifts so it's a little hard to keep up with what day it is. We haven't completely worked a schedule but I have high hopes for the future. In addition to Sam's schedule, I look forward to having a day that I meal plan, a day for grocery shopping, and a cleaning schedule. Although we aren't really doing AP and I try to apply parental directing, I do use Sam's hungry cues a lot of when he eats, and try to get him back to sleep within 2 hours of when he woke up. He seems to prefer cat naps during the day, but that's okay.
At this point, I try to have a goal for the day for accomplishment (sweeping the kitchen, uploading pictures, etc.) and if more gets done great. I'm so glad I get to spend the day with our little boy!

 

 

1 month, 3 days

This is one of my favorite pictures from our first few days. I've loved seeing Joey interacting with his son :), our son.  

Sam is now wearing size 1 diapers (he started really soaking the newborns), but still is in newborn clothes, although some are too small, particularly the head hole. He lost his umbilical cord when he turned 16 days old, and has had several bathes in the baby tub. We think he mostly likes it, but will cry some. He is still making lots of facial expressions, and more recently has been adding some smiles. One of our favorite sounds he makes is a funny little sigh after he sneezes. It's both cute and a little sad. 

At his 2 week appointment we were told Sam is healthy, 21.5 inches (88%), 9lb 10oz (79%), and his head circumference was 14.75 cm (90%).  

We've taken him out a few times on errands, most of which he's been sleeping during, although on Tuesday I walked beside the shopping cart with my pinkie in his mouth to soothe him (I think we looked funny). At least it worked! 

He also took his first road trip last weekend to Joey's parents' house. We got to watch Joey play some Ultimate, even though Sam was very bundled up.

I'd like to say THANK YOU to all for the meals, gifts and prayers. We so so appreciate it!

We are still learning how to be parents, to work on patience and love and communication, and I'm definitely enjoying my time at home (I'm a homebody). J is on another break from work so we get some good time as a family. God is good!

11 days old

We are immersed in baby life and new parenthood. I haven't left the house for much other than appointments and dinner at my parents' with family. But, I haven't minded yet. I think there has only been one day that we haven't had some sort of visitors (we really appreciate the help and support!), and big help from Joey's mom in cleaning the house while I rested or watched. We think Sam makes all sorts of fun faces, including a Zoolander look. He uses his hands a lot, and sometimes just sticks a few fingers out. Here is life according the iphone:

Joey has had a cold all week, but has been a trooper (two days back at work this week). After initially feeling pretty good and high energy, I'm learning to take it easier and will hopefully feel back to myself by the 6th week postpartum (worst is the dehydration headache and weakness). Sam has learned to latch (as of Monday) and I'm no longer pumping exclusively, which is good, but also keeps Joey a little less involved. Samuel's umbilical cord is still intact, but hopefully not too much longer. We are still so thankful for the addition in our life, the time we get to spend learning together, and for reminders to look to Christ for patience, strength and love. Life is beautiful!

5 Days Old

Samuel Rhys Connelly arrived on Tuesday 5 February 2013 at 5:22am. 

8 lbs 7 oz, 21 inches and healthy!

We weren't sure at first on Monday afternoon if what I was experiencing was the real thing, but it was! My contractions were mostly 30 to 45 sec long and about 3 minutes apart. They started around 3pm (tried to encourage with some treadmill walking) after feeling crampy from a cervical check that morning. Joey wasn't feeling well that day and after his work meeting I tried to let him rest a little. When it got even more intense we called the doctor and headed in to be checked out. We got to the hospital around 8:30 or 9, walked from 9:45 to 10:30, and were admitted into a labor and delivery room. The back pain that came with them was way worse that I had imagined and it was really hard to get comfortable. Between that and the frequency, I felt exhausted and got an epidural around 12am. It was great to be able to get some rest and take in what we were experiencing. My water was broken around 2am and was fully dilated by 4:30. I hadn't been planning to use a mirror at all while pushing but the nurse kept talking about how much hair he had, so I got a few pushes in with that before the doctor came in and Sam got delivered. It was absolutely incredible to have them put him on my stomach and clean him off. I couldn't help but tell him how happy we were to finally see him and what lush lips he had, etc. We are so so thankful that everything went well, we're all healthy and I feel mostly normal (so thankful I was already on antidepressants). He is so beautiful and we are learning so much. To lean on each other, the importance of prayer, and keeping a positive attitude.

40 weeks, 1 day

We took our picture yesterday before our appointment, where we learned he still has a great heartbeat and ideally positioned as well as in -3 station. We also found out I'm 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and  have slightly elevated blood pressure. I'll go back tomorrow just to get checked before the weekend. 

It's weird to pass the due date! We trust God's timing but still pray for him to come any minute :) (Seriously baby boy, the counters are confused. Come out)

How far along? 40 weeks (1 day)

Baby is the size of a: A baby :) or a jackfruit (18.9 to 20.9 inches long and about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds)

Total weight gain: 33 lbs (going with the doctor scale)

Maternity clothes? Wearing maternity clothes. So thankful for all I've been able to borrow! 

Stretch marks? Nothing yet. But slight linea nigra.

Sleep: Could be worse. I get up several times to pee, and the tingling hands make it hard to go back to sleep a lot. I feel pretty hefty when I roll over.

Best moment this week: Officially on maternity leave (taking a few days of vacation first).

Movement: Head down, with rolls and pokes. He moves a lot less, but passes the kick counts (sometimes barely).

Food cravings: Not really, but kinda coffee and oranges.

Gender: Little boy :)

Labor Signs: Swelling, congestion, and cramping. Lost at least a fair amount of the mucus plug.

Symptoms: Big belly (I feel like his butt sticks out more than it did), still pretty mobile but getting a bit of my waddle on, hand swelling/carpal tunnel, some in my ankles, baby brain, etc.

Wedding rings on or off? Off.

Belly Button: Pokes out and still soft.

39 weeks, 5 days

Hanging out at work (I think today and tomorrow will be my last days), after having a great weekend with Joey. We got some cleaning done, along with a lot of hanging out, movies, walks, naps, and baths (just me). Today he's having maybe one of his last home alone days. I think I tried to be mentally and house-wise prepared in case our little guy came early, so now I feel like I've been waiting a long time and am struggling to remember what exactly I put in those hospital bags :). Right now we've been praying for each day to be the day, but also acknowledge that if it doesn't happen, it doesn't lessen God's glory, it just means it's not part of our story. Until then, I'll be sitting here at work on my exercise ball, nursing some hot water and my sore hands. So excited yet patient :)