Snow Day

It has been an unbearably cold winter this year.  Tessa was released early from school because snow was predicted and school was cancelled for the next two days.

Ironically, Ryan went to Michigan for snow testing.  So I was home with two kids in the snow.  We tried to play a little which isn't easy with a newborn that doesn't sleep longer than thirty minutes.  Tessa and I discovered that the snow was too powdery for snowballs or snowmen so she played on the swing set.

I took Jackson out for a few minutes, bundled up of course.  He looks as miserable as I felt.  Winter, snow and cold are none of my favorite things.   

Half Birthday

Ryan thought that with two kids I would drop the whole half birthday idea.  Nope.  Especially not when it is so perfect that they are six months apart.  Tessa's 6 1/2 birthday theme was "Frozen."  The new movie is such a hit that it wasn't easy finding party stuff.  We had cupcakes and presents at G&G's house.   

She got this beautiful Elsa dress from G&G.  We had to order it from England!  She sang the hit song "Let It Go" for us all.  She can really belt it out like a Broadway star.   

As of right now, she is requesting a "Frozen" birthday party when she turns seven this summer.  I could get on board with this idea if she'll let me use Olaf and his popular song "In Summer!"  

So Strong

Jackson amazed us with his ability to hold his head up.  He's not even two weeks old here and he's already showing off his head control.  

Tessa

Tessa is an absolute doll and has handled the addition of a baby brother even better that I hoped.  One of her first questions was "Now that your belly is little, can you pick me up again?"  She got major bonus points for saying my days old postpartum belly was little.  I asked my doctor and was given the green light for all normal activities.  Touch is a BIG deal to Tessa so knowing that I could carry her again made us both very happy. 

We are trying hard to not disrupt Tessa's life any more than we have to.  She still has her normal schedule and I am making it work with Jackson in tow.  Ryan stepped up and started taking Tessa to school for me in the mornings.  And my mom has been a huge help either running Tessa to lessons, or staying with Jackson so I can take Tessa.  It's a balancing act but getting out of the house is good for me too.

The Nursery

I really expected Jackson to be born after his due date so his room wasn't exactly finished when we brought him home.  We didn't even have a crib when Tessa was born, so this didn't stress me out too much.  Here are a few shots of his room.  His bedding is called Central Park and is made with blue and tan toile.  It is the boy version of what I bought for Tessa.  When you like something, buy it in every color.  I'm struggling with artwork, hence the empty wall.  Eventually I will find a picture I like.     

I just love his sweet little clothes hanging in the closet.  Boy clothes are going to be more of a challenge than girl clothes.  There just aren't that many choices.  But my mom is a fabulous shopper and she has already found some great outfits for Jackson. 

Here he is getting a little winter sunshine through his bedroom window.  He's such a cutie! 

On a side note, check out this after bath hair.  Could it be that his hair might actually have a little wave to it?  That would be surprising considering Ryan and I both have totally straight hair.  

More Pictures

I am in love with my new little man.  Of course I couldn't resist taking a million pictures of him.  Here are a few. 

At Home

Our first days home were an adjustment as we figured out how to function as a family of four.  Ryan was able to take time off work which was a big help.  The hardest part was the bilirubin blanket.  Jackson was jaundiced so we had to wrap him in a lighted blanket.  He looked like a glowworm!  The blanket wasn't so bad except that it had to stay on all the time.  I had to work around the big heavy cord to nurse and swaddle him, not fun. 

Tessa was so excited to have us home that she wouldn't go to bed that first night.  But she still had school and activities so she needed to sleep, and so did Momma.  Things got better after that first rough night.  Jackson's bilirubin levels improved quickly and we were able to ditch the blanket.  We found our rhythm and things started to go more smoothly.  Here he is napping in his swing.    

G&G came over and Gampa got to meet his new grandson.  In my dad's arms Jackson looks so tiny but he was already gaining weight because he was eating like a champ.

G&G are so excited about our newest addition.  My dad was a hands-on kind of dad when I was little.  Dirty diapers and spit up don't phase him a bit.  So he didn't hesitate to hold and burp his newborn grandson.

Jackson did not enjoy his first bath.  His umbilical cord had not fallen off yet so I gave him a sponge bath in my bathroom.  Even though I warmed the room, I think he got cold.  He screamed bloody murder and I couldn't finish the bath fast enough. 

Once he was dried, lotioned and dressed, he calmed down.  I snuggled him and smelled him.  That wonderful combination of warm baby and Baby Magic lotion is heavenly.

Jackson Ryan

A name is a big deal and we tried out many names for our baby boy.  After studying his sweet face and getting to know him for a couple of days, we chose the name Jackson Ryan.  I had wanted this name all along but couldn't actually commit to it until we met him and made sure the name fit.  He is named after his great-grandfather and his father.  My grandpa was an incredible man with twinkling eyes and a smile on his lips.  He always had a joke to tell, usually a corny pun, but one that would make you laugh nonetheless.  He was the most Godly man I have ever known.  He worked hard and adored his family.  In many ways, Ryan reminds me of my grandpa so putting their names together works.  I like all the variations of this name, Jackson or Jack or JR or Jack Ryan.  But for now I think we will call him Jackson.   

Jackson had a photo shoot our last day in the hospital.  He was freshly back from his circumcision.  The pediatrician and nurse said that usually babies nurse and then fall into a deep sleep after the procedure.  Not my baby, he was wide awake but perfectly content.  I was ridiculously pleased that he was so cooperative during his first photo session.  He's gorgeous, if I do say so myself.     

 

 

When he finally did fall asleep, Ryan and I ordered lunch and took a few minutes to relax.  I had hardly slept in the past four days but I was so happy I didn't really care.

I dressed Jackson for the drive home.  It was still cold outside, but not nearly as cold as it had been.  Gamma had made him this sweet hat to keep his little head warm.  He looked so cute that we had to stop and take more pictures. 

Finally we bundled him into the carseat and checked out of the hospital.  We took our son home on that beautiful sunny day.

 

In The Hospital

Since Baby was born so early on Monday morning, we were able to stay in the hospital until Wednesday afternoon.  While I could have gone home on Tuesday, I wanted to stay as long as I could and take advantage of all the great help the nurses were giving me.  We had lots of visitors during our stay.  Tessa was thrilled to introduce her best friend to her baby brother.  Each day we had people from church who came and prayed with us.  Dr. Harley's prayer made me cry it was so beautiful.     

Many of my coworkers came upstairs to meet my new little guy.  My friend Cathy was the first of them to visit.  Everyone wanted a report on me and the baby, most especially what we were going to name him.  But, we still hadn't decided on a name, so Cathy went back with not much information to share.  We all laughed that they were giving her such a hard time.  Cathy ended up being a huge help that night.  Ryan discovered a pipe had burst in our house, thanks to the cold weather, and that our basement was flooded.  My mom was helping with Tessa so Cathy stayed with me.  Ryan and our very helpful neighbor fixed the pipe and cleaned up the water.  It was almost midnight before Ryan could get back to the hospital but Cathy stayed with me the whole time.      

Over those few days, Gamma spent many hours with us at the hospital getting to know her new grandson and taking care of me.   

And, of course, Big Sister Tessa visited each afternoon.  She loved holding Baby Brother. 

My mom has a great eye for aesthetic design.  As flowers and presents arrived she arranged them to look pretty on my dresser.  One of the lactation consultants was so impressed that she said my mom should open a shop.  I was especially amused when my mom arrived later that day in a outfit that color coordinated with her "shop."  Tessa beautifully colored a picture of a new baby and a big sister.  We hung it on the wall so I could see it from the bed. 

When Tessa was born Ryan surprised me with a Momma gift, a gold and diamond watch that I love.  While I told him that I didn't need any gifts this time, I love that he ignored me.  He bought a gorgeous solid gold bracelet by Texas designer James Avery.  Now both of my arms wear symbols of the children I hold and love in those very arms.   

Baby Boy Bobbie Arrives

I went into labor at 2am on Sunday morning.  My contractions were regular but not particularly strong so I let everyone sleep until the sun came up.  At about 7am my water broke and we called my doctor.  We dropped Tessa off at G&G's house and headed to the hospital. Walking into the hospital I actually told Ryan that I thought this would be more dramatic.  Famous last words.  In triage my blood pressure was unusually high.  I was admitted and started on Pitocin.  My blood pressure continued going up and my lab work didn't look good either.  My doctor very calmly told me I would be starting IV meds to prevent seizures.  The nurse part of my brain checked out and I'm so glad it did because I would have been scared if I had realized how high my blood pressure was.  But I have the BEST doctor in town and I trusted him to take care of me. 

 

At about 6pm I thought I was going to die from the pain of the contractions.  Ryan was a fantastic labor coach and worked so hard to help keep me comfortable.  But I wasn't dilating and I was ready for an epidural.  My anesthesiologist was fabulous and I felt better almost immediately after he placed my epidural.  Baby wasn't doing so great though.  My nurse worked extra hard positioning me and repositioning me to keep his heart rate up.  Later I would find out that Baby's cord was wrapped around his neck.  Apparently at this point I was close to needing a C-section. But then things started progressing and before I knew it, I was ready to push.  I gave one practice push with my nurse before she told me to hold on while she called my doctor.  A whole crew of people swarmed into the room and I heard her ask "does Dr. Smith walk fast?"  Since I work with him, I knew the answer to this was "yes" so I didn't worry.  He arrived and I pushed for just a few minutes and then heard that magical sound of our baby screaming at the top of his lungs.  I cut the cord and then he was placed in my arms.  There are no words to describe that incredible moment.  

Baby Boy Bobbie arrived very early on Monday morning weighing 8 pounds 13 ounces, measuring 22 inches long and he was perfect in every way.  But even after we met him, we still couldn't decide on a name. 

I love my doctor.  Even though his partners are great too, I'm thankful I didn't go into labor early while he was on vacation in Australia.  He always predicted I would get pregnant.  I just didn't think he could be right, but he was!     

We got settled into a room on the Mom & Baby unit.  My mom's car was dead so Ryan ran home to take Tessa to school.  Boy did she have exciting news to tell her friends.  Ryan left my mom our extra car and came back to the hospital.  We had car trouble when Tessa was born too, how ironic!  But soon my mom made it to the hospital to meet her newest grandchild.  My dad was at work in Texas and he was so sad that he missed the excitement.  

My hospital is designed for baby to "room in" with mom.  I was a little nervous about this.  When Tessa was born, she spent her nights in the nursery and we were able to sleep.  But my nurses were amazing and they took great care of both of us.  They helped me learn how to breastfeed and were so attentive to my every need.  Baby slept in the bassinette right next to my bed and I liked having him so close.         

After school and ballet Tessa dressed up in her pink scrubs and came to meet her baby brother.  My heart felt like it would burst with happiness when she crawled up into bed with me and held him for the first time.  She was incredibly sweet with him, gently kissing him on the head and studying his little face.  Precious memories.       

  

Happy New Year & 39 Week Baby Bump

I'm almost there!  Yesterday was my last day of work before the baby arrives and I'm glad.  I had a really busy morning and felt okay but by the end of the day I was beat.  The thing that was bothering me the most was the scratchy scrub tie on my pants.  I have sensitive skin anyways and now it's stretched tight so it's even worse.  My poor belly button (which is still an inny) was so sore.  It's funny how the little things can drive you crazy.  But since that's about all I have to complain about at this late stage of pregnancy, I consider myself very lucky indeed.  I have plans to get my hair done, my nails done and have one last massage before this baby arrives.  I figure I have plenty of time to do all of this because when my doctor checked me two days ago, absolutely nothing was happening.  Ryan laughs at my priorities like shaved legs and painted toes but it distracts me from worrying about all the scary stuff I can't control. 

To celebrate the New Year we headed over to my parents for an early dinner and basically took it easy.  We played one of Tessa's new games and ate chili.  I hear spicy food can induce labor.  We shall see.