Much Needed Update

I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted! I make sure to stay on top of things like Facebook and the MAMA board I am a part of but I have been slacking in the blogging department!

Things have been pretty good around here! They're about to get busy, though! This is the last weekend Dan and I will have alone until after Christmas. Next weekend my brother, Garrett, is visiting and the weekend after that my brother, Galen, is coming to stay. The next weekend is Dan's staff Christmas party (an evening with adults! yay!) and the next day Paul and I are going to stay for a week with my parents. We come back on the 20th or 21st and then the next weekend is over Christmas and we will be at my parents again! It will be a lot of fun but I'm sure it will also be quite tiring!

So, I know you're just itching for an update on Paul! Well, he's doing a lot better than he was the last time I updated. I tried to go back to full time nursing but it STILL wasn't enough for him. He was cranky most of the time and it was getting very exhausting. So we started supplementing with formula and things got a lot better. We were never able to go back to nursing full time and he is now completely on formula. Every couple days I can nurse him once for about 2 minutes! The most part is he is strong, healthy and reaching milestones.

A few weeks ago he spent two days in the hospital for a UTI (urinary tract infection.) Those were a long couple of days. I slept beside him on a cot and stayed with him all day. Dan only had to work one of the days so it was nice to have him with me the other day. Paul slept a lot and didn't eat a much so I pretty much watched TV (we don't have cable at home so it was nice to have it) or talked to the woman across from me. He is fully recovered and hasn't had any problems since! He still hasn't even gotten a cold. Dan and I got our H1N1 shots last week since Paul can't get his yet. We felt fine after, just a sore arm for a couple of days.

Paul is now 24 inches and close to 12 pounds! He's still small for his age but he is gaining and the doctor is happy with that. We had a month of weekly appointments and that was no fun but now that he's on track we don't have to go that often. He got his first set of shots last week and it wasn't too bad. He bawled while it happened but five minutes later he was asleep in the car! I didn't even cry while he got them done but it was still hard to watch. I had to give him some baby Tylenol that evening because he was SO cranky (and ONLY wanted his mommy...aww.)

We are just really enjoying him! He is smiling lots and jabbers away like crazy! He's always jumping in on conversations, especially ones that I am in. He is starting to laugh but right now only does it a couple times a day. I'm anxiously awaiting more!

Well, I should get some cleaning done before he wakes up from his nap!

Fun With Hallmark

These are a couple of things that I put together with Hallmark's Smilebox. I just might end up with a lot of these! LOL!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Slow Climb

So, Paul is finally back to his birth weight! Well, he's actually a little more now. Because of his tongue tie he wasn't latching properly and wasn't getting enough to eat. Yesterday we got it snipped and already it's better! I weighed him at the doctor's yesterday and he was 8 lbs 3.5 oz! Yay! I was really happy to see that because they're supposed to gain it back by a week and a half, not 3 weeks!

It was frustrating because I was having to pump for five minutes on each side after every feed and also give him an extra ounce through a syringe (he would suck on my finger while I slowly gave him the milk or formula through the syringe.) It was very exhausting! I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore. Although today he is really hungry and I'm trying to just breastfeed him and not give him extra. I'm waiting to see how it goes. It might be a looong day...lol! But, the more I feed him the better my supply will be so I think it's a good idea.

I gave him another bath today and he HATED it! Probably because he was STILL hungry...lol! The last bath he seemed to like a lot better but today he wasn't going to be happy. No way! But I got him clean and that's what matters most! lol!

Anywho, he's finally asleep in his swing so I'm going to take the small amount of time I've got to do a few dishes!

Hanging out after a good eating.

The syringe feeding.

Wearing the hat his Uncle Blaine brought back for him.
It's a little big now but he'll grow into it!

I LOVE this one! This is after waking up in the morning.

On a walk with my little man!

Life Is Good

So, life with Paul is pretty darn good! He's not too terribly fussy (only when he's really hungry...lol!) I can't imagine life without him now. Everyday I feel more and more like his mother. As he becomes more alert and is interacting more with me I am enjoying him a lot. I am anxiously awaiting his first smile. When he's falling asleep I get a lot of "sleep smiles" but no awake ones yet. I'll make sure to post a picture when I get one!

Well, I need to eat something while Paul's sleeping 'cause once he wakes up I won't get a chance! LOL! I'll continue to give you little updates when I get the chance.

Paul Is Here!!

Paul Peter Stanley Wilson
08/12/09, 4:22 pm, 8 lbs 2 oz, 20 in

Well, I went in Wednesday morning to be induced. I called them at 7:30 and they said "come any time!" After we all got showered and ate and stuff we got there around 10.

I asked them if they could break my water first and see what happens with that before they start me on the pitocin. They said that breaking the water is something they always do first but for first time moms they start them on the drip right away instead of giving it time. They said they would be willing to give me an hour to walk around and stuff after breaking my water to see what happens.

They broke my water at 10:30 and I was 3 cm. I walked around for about 5 minutes and I already started having contractions. I didn't like standing through the contractions so I returned to the bed. From the very start my contractions were already coming 5 minutes apart, steadily. They were also slowly getting more painful.

They came in to check me at 11:30 and I had already gone 1 cm! I was really excited! So they said they would give me another hour and start the pitocin after that. Over the next two hours I went 2 more centimeters, on my own! By this point my contractions were coming closer together and getting a lot more painful. I made the decision to get an epidural, not because of the intensity of the pain but because they were so close together (1-2 mins apart) and I wasn't able to really get a break in between. I was 6 cm when they gave me the epidural. Also around this time I started to feel really nauseous and threw up badly. NOT fun!

Well, the epidural didn't take...at all! The contractions were getting more and more intense and really close together. I was thinking "why am I feeling everything??" They asked me if I wanted to use the laughing gas and I said "sure! Why not?!" She told me that it doesn't take away the pain but it more takes ME away from IT. Well, I really didn't care for it. I was still in pain and it only made me feel like I was hammered for a minute. I don't think I would use it again. After I got the epidural they checked me (about 45 mins) and I was 7 cm. Suddenly the contractions were less than a minute apart and I was starting to feel like I could push. 15 minutes later they checked me and all I had was just a lip of a cervix. I went from 7 to 10 in about 15 minutes!! Insane! (No wonder it was so painful! lol)

They let me start pushing at 4:08 (my mom was keeping track.) After a few pushes they realised his heart rate was dropping when I pushed. So they used the suction thing to help guide him out. The doctor said later that she only used it for about half a contraction. He came out super fast after that. He was born at 4:22. I only pushed for 14 minutes! I couldn't believe it. Within 6 hours my precious baby boy was born! I thought it was going to take a lot longer than that but maybe genetics does have something to do with it! (My mom never had a labor longer then 6 hours with 4 kids.)

All in all it was a good experience! And I never had to be induced! Looking back it wasn't that bad. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Good News!

I'm going to make this short.

I had my doctor's appointment this afternoon and I was (finally) dilated! Two centimeters; a stretchy three!! So, they went ahead and stripped my membranes. The doctor said that I will most likely go into labor tonight! If not tonight, at least by the morning.

So I will keep you updated with it all! I'm feeling quite crampy right now (which is what the doctor said would happen) and I'm having a few random contractions here and there. We'll see!!

I Am Slowly Going Crazy 1-2-3-4-5-6 SWITCH!

As you can guess I am still pregnant. Although, my title is somewhat deceiving. I'm not actually going crazy. I am surprisingly calm. I guess it is because I know that no matter what happens they will induce me on either Monday or Tuesday. There is some comfort in that!

I'm really excited because my parents are coming tomorrow! I'm not sure how long my dad is staying but my mom will be here till the middle of the week next week. She wants to stay for a week after I'm home with baby (which will most likely start Wednesday.) Today I've been trying to get a lot of laundry and dishes done so I'm not leaving her a pile of things to do while she's here. It always feels good to get those things done anyway!

So I will keep you all up to date with everything. Right now I am heading to bed because I am exhausted! I might last through one page of my book tonight! LOL