With Mom back at work full-time and coaching swimming, it seems that the blog has been left behind. Lots has happened since early November. I am in daycare full-time and adjusting fairly well, Mom is too! I am great at holding my head up by myself and love to play in my Exersaucer as much as possible. I have survived my first plane trip, Thanksgiving, trip to see Santa and bought my first Christmas tree. I am eating rice cereal in the morning and again at night along with Sweet Potatoes for dinner. I tend to sleep for most of the night, depending on what kind of day I have. I will try to "point" at my dogs if you ask me where they are and I am very good at voicing my opinion, even if it wasn't asked for. I reach out for the dogs and if Captain isn't careful where he puts his jowls then I am going to reach out and grab a hold of them. We are planning our Christmas holiday extravaganza first a drive to Deleware to see Grandma and Grandpa, Mom-mom and Pop-pop, Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Bise then we return back to North Carolina and then continue our journey the following day in Winston-Salem to visit with Poppy and Mimi, Aunt Lindsey, Cousins Olivia and Addison and get to meet Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina while they are over on this side of the pond for a trip home. It will be lots of hours in the car (and the dogs are coming to Deleware too!) so it could make for really good or really bad stories, depending on your outlook!
Hope everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving and is preparing for another great holiday season. Best wishes to all, Mom will try to update again soon!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Oh boy....what a week!
I'm not sure where to even begin so I guess I will start with the basics....Chase is now eating rice cereal once a day (usually around dinner time). He started last Wednesday at about 3 1/2 months old which is a little young in the mind of some people but he was hungry all the time and I knew that he was ready for "solid food". He would follow our forks and spoons and try to grab them when we would eat and then he would mimic our mouths and make a chewing movement. Sooooo, I called the pediatrician and talked to a nurse. I explained that I would be starting back to work and he would be in daycare in 5 days (that's another story though) and that I wanted to try him on cereal with me at home so I could really watch and see if he had a negative reaction before we threw daycare into the mix. Needless to say, he gets VERY excited when I put him in his highchair and his eyes get big, his mouth opens wide and his arms flail with joy when I walk toward him. Rice cereal, no problem!
The next big hurdle is me going back to work and him starting at daycare. We took him last Thursday for a trial run (actually, it was more a trial run for me than him) and it went well. I know that him teachers will do great with him it is more a matter of me accepting that fact. He started today (Monday) and did good. Jason and I dropped him off together so that we could finalize the login procedures and learn how to check him in and out every day. We also brought all his "stuff". I refused to leave if he was fussy so we waited a few minutes until some of his class mates were done with breakfast and could join him on the floor to distract him. I made Jason call once and check on him just for my peace of mind. He did good and took a brief nap on the way home. When we got home, he did want a little extra snuggle time with me, which I never mind, and then we played for a little bit. One day down, way too many to go! The good news is that tomorrow is another teacher workday so I have some flexibility in my schedule and will drop him off a little later than normal and pick him up after swim practice in the afternoon. The plan is for Jason to drop him off in the morning because I have to report to work before daycare even opens and then I will pick him up in the afternoon. Dad = bad guy, Mom = Good guy! I like this plan!
Will try to keep everyone posted on how I cope over the next couple of weeks.....I know there are multiple betting pools out there...I passed day 1, week 1 is still a question! Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the recent pictures that we sent out. If you aren't getting them, let me know and I will add you to the email list.
The next big hurdle is me going back to work and him starting at daycare. We took him last Thursday for a trial run (actually, it was more a trial run for me than him) and it went well. I know that him teachers will do great with him it is more a matter of me accepting that fact. He started today (Monday) and did good. Jason and I dropped him off together so that we could finalize the login procedures and learn how to check him in and out every day. We also brought all his "stuff". I refused to leave if he was fussy so we waited a few minutes until some of his class mates were done with breakfast and could join him on the floor to distract him. I made Jason call once and check on him just for my peace of mind. He did good and took a brief nap on the way home. When we got home, he did want a little extra snuggle time with me, which I never mind, and then we played for a little bit. One day down, way too many to go! The good news is that tomorrow is another teacher workday so I have some flexibility in my schedule and will drop him off a little later than normal and pick him up after swim practice in the afternoon. The plan is for Jason to drop him off in the morning because I have to report to work before daycare even opens and then I will pick him up in the afternoon. Dad = bad guy, Mom = Good guy! I like this plan!
Will try to keep everyone posted on how I cope over the next couple of weeks.....I know there are multiple betting pools out there...I passed day 1, week 1 is still a question! Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the recent pictures that we sent out. If you aren't getting them, let me know and I will add you to the email list.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Where to begin.....
The last week has been a complete whirlwind for all of us. Like I said before, Grandma and Grandpa were here with their dogs because we were getting ready to take a big trip. So, how did it go? GREAT! I flew on my first airplane on Wednesday and was so good. Dad was shocked and Mom was relieved! We literally got off the plane, dumped our bags at the condo in Orlando and spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. My first official ride was Winnie-the-Pooh and I liked the movements and colors and songs. We spent the entire day (from park opening until closing) and I didn't want to miss a thing so I fought naps. I took a couple power naps for about 15 minutes here and there, but that was it! By the time we got home to the condo I was cranky so Mom and I took our shower and I went right to bed. I slept from 11 pm until 6 am solid! Here is what happened on Day 2:
Sea World! It was so close to the condo that we literally could have walked there however, we decided with 2 kids, great-grandparents, grandparents and 2 sets of parents, maybe we should take the free shuttle from the condo - great plan. We got there when the gates opened at 9 am and started our day again. Sea World was much less crowded than Magic Kingdom and the weather was overcast which I have to admit was kinda nice - or at least Mom thought it was nice because I actually took a couple decent naps on Thursday! Some of the group left early but Mom, Dad, Cousin Bise, Aunt Jennifer and Grandma stayed with me at the park so we could watch the Shamu show at 6:30 pm. That was cool....but we stayed away from the splash zones! End of Day 2!
Day 3: Friday morning was our chance to relax a little at the condo before the wedding. I slept in and was a happy baby when I woke up which Mom-mom and Pop-pop loved! We went to the wedding at the Wedding Pavilion in the Magic Kingdom and then rode a bus to Epcot's Living Seas for the reception. It was really cool because we could look through the windows into the aquarium and see the fish, sharks, stingrays and divers. I took a good nap while Mom and Dad ate their dinner and then we came back to the condo. Mom and I watched while Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and Grandma played shuffleboard and then Mom and I headed to bed. End of Day 3!
Day 4: Character breakfast with Goofy, Minnie and Donald. I slept through the whole thing but Cousin Bise had a GREAT time and we got some good pictures of him with the characters. Then Dad went to visit with an old friend who lives in the area while Mom and I hung by the pool since the sun was shining and the weather was warm. I like the pool but only when I am actually in the water and when I am done and wet, I am NOT happy. I took a couple naps pool side and then we got cleaned up for a farewell BBQ back at Epcot. We hung on the beach and watched the sun set over the BBQ and then Mom and I drove back to the condo while Dad, Grandma and Grandpa went to a local bar with others from the BBQ to root on the Irish as they played Washington. Mom and I watched from the condo where I decided to fall asleep and Mom started to pack. End of Day 4.
Day 5: Time to leave...boo! We got packed and headed to the airport for our flight home. I slept on this entire flight. I was tired after having so much fun for 5 days! Besides, I need to rest this week and enjoy being home with Mom because this is her last week not working....another subject we don't enjoy talking about!
All in all, everyone had a great time and I proved that I am a good boy on planes so maybe Mom and Dad will let me do it again soon! Hope everyone is doing well. We are working on getting some pictures posted to snapfish and will send them out when we do. Dad is also trying to figure out how to post video to the internet from our camera since he took more video than still shots. Will keep everyone updated on our progress. Love to all!
Sea World! It was so close to the condo that we literally could have walked there however, we decided with 2 kids, great-grandparents, grandparents and 2 sets of parents, maybe we should take the free shuttle from the condo - great plan. We got there when the gates opened at 9 am and started our day again. Sea World was much less crowded than Magic Kingdom and the weather was overcast which I have to admit was kinda nice - or at least Mom thought it was nice because I actually took a couple decent naps on Thursday! Some of the group left early but Mom, Dad, Cousin Bise, Aunt Jennifer and Grandma stayed with me at the park so we could watch the Shamu show at 6:30 pm. That was cool....but we stayed away from the splash zones! End of Day 2!
Day 3: Friday morning was our chance to relax a little at the condo before the wedding. I slept in and was a happy baby when I woke up which Mom-mom and Pop-pop loved! We went to the wedding at the Wedding Pavilion in the Magic Kingdom and then rode a bus to Epcot's Living Seas for the reception. It was really cool because we could look through the windows into the aquarium and see the fish, sharks, stingrays and divers. I took a good nap while Mom and Dad ate their dinner and then we came back to the condo. Mom and I watched while Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and Grandma played shuffleboard and then Mom and I headed to bed. End of Day 3!
Day 4: Character breakfast with Goofy, Minnie and Donald. I slept through the whole thing but Cousin Bise had a GREAT time and we got some good pictures of him with the characters. Then Dad went to visit with an old friend who lives in the area while Mom and I hung by the pool since the sun was shining and the weather was warm. I like the pool but only when I am actually in the water and when I am done and wet, I am NOT happy. I took a couple naps pool side and then we got cleaned up for a farewell BBQ back at Epcot. We hung on the beach and watched the sun set over the BBQ and then Mom and I drove back to the condo while Dad, Grandma and Grandpa went to a local bar with others from the BBQ to root on the Irish as they played Washington. Mom and I watched from the condo where I decided to fall asleep and Mom started to pack. End of Day 4.
Day 5: Time to leave...boo! We got packed and headed to the airport for our flight home. I slept on this entire flight. I was tired after having so much fun for 5 days! Besides, I need to rest this week and enjoy being home with Mom because this is her last week not working....another subject we don't enjoy talking about!
All in all, everyone had a great time and I proved that I am a good boy on planes so maybe Mom and Dad will let me do it again soon! Hope everyone is doing well. We are working on getting some pictures posted to snapfish and will send them out when we do. Dad is also trying to figure out how to post video to the internet from our camera since he took more video than still shots. Will keep everyone updated on our progress. Love to all!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Rolling!
Nana came down to stay with me on Saturday while Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Matt and Aunt Jennifer went to the UNC/Notre Dame football game yesterday. When she got here, I showed her my new trick: I can roll from my tummy to my back. I have to use the pillow on my surfboard to do it but I can do it on command! Mom was excited when I did it on Thursday afternoon and then I did it on Friday for Grandma and Grandpa when they got into town, again on Saturday morning for Nana and Uncle Matt and Aunt Jennifer. Boy, are they impressed and do I think I am big stuff now!
I had a good time with all my people visiting me even though I wasn't feeling too great. Mom isn't sure but she thinks there is a chance that I might be starting to cut my teeth. This is not a good thing in her mind but man, am I ready to eat some good stuff when I get my teeth!
I am getting very excited for my next trip: Disney! We leave in a little over a week for our trip down there. I already have my Pooh outfit for my visit to the Magic Kingdom and another with Dumbo for my trip to Sea World. Then I have a wedding and a beach party, man, what a busy little bee I am!
Anyway, Mom just wanted to share my big news with everyone so that you would know the latest and greatest. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun like me. Hope you are enjoying the pictures on snapfish. If you can't open them, send me an email and let me know and I will have Mom send you instructions. Bye for now!
I had a good time with all my people visiting me even though I wasn't feeling too great. Mom isn't sure but she thinks there is a chance that I might be starting to cut my teeth. This is not a good thing in her mind but man, am I ready to eat some good stuff when I get my teeth!
I am getting very excited for my next trip: Disney! We leave in a little over a week for our trip down there. I already have my Pooh outfit for my visit to the Magic Kingdom and another with Dumbo for my trip to Sea World. Then I have a wedding and a beach party, man, what a busy little bee I am!
Anyway, Mom just wanted to share my big news with everyone so that you would know the latest and greatest. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun like me. Hope you are enjoying the pictures on snapfish. If you can't open them, send me an email and let me know and I will have Mom send you instructions. Bye for now!
Friday, October 3, 2008
New tricks
Well, as much as I dislike tummy time, mom has been told to make me try anyway. Thing is, if she catches me in the right mood, I enjoy it....as long as she is on the floor next to me. She is fearful that I am going to roll over soon and she is right. I am part way there already, just have to figure out what to do with my opposite arm!
Let's see. What to share with you. I am getting bigger. Actually enjoy being in the "front pack" as long as I can see what is happening. That requires me sitting on a blanket because otherwise all I can see is the inside of the pack! I actually enjoy it so much that every time I have been in it lately, I have fallen asleep. That includes taking walks in the neighborhood, helping Dad vacuum (Mom has this on video as evidence in the future!) or going with Mom to school.
I am laughing and responding to voices and noises even more than before. I love talking on Skype to my grandparents and other family members. If you don't have it yet....ask Mom, it is GREAT!
I am just starting to notice my dogs, although they still ignore me! If mom sees me looking at them, she tells me "there's your dog" and I will track which ever one is around. Pretty soon, I think I will realize that they are on the floor and tummy time will take on a whole new meaning!
My feedings are still going good. Pretty consistent during the day (anywhere from every 2-4 hours) and during the night I am going anywhere from 5-6 hours. Mom and Dad have a definite bedtime routine that I know and follow. Around 7:45 -8:00 at night, my eyes get red and I start to get sleepy. Mom or Dad then shower with me (I like the sauna feel of the shower) and the other one gives me a massage with lotion and puts me in my PJs. Then Mom feeds me and I drift off to sleep around 9:00 - 9:30. I will wake up once about 10 minutes later (they don't know it but that is my way of testing Mom and Dad to make sure that they are still around) and then I will fall asleep for the night. I typically will wake back up between 2:00 and 3:00 AM for a diaper change and feeding and then will fall back asleep until somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. Mom and Dad have started taking the collars off the dogs so that their chains don't jingle and wake me up and that makes a huge difference. I am no longer waking up at 6:00 AM when the dogs go outside and have breakfast. Mom hopes that this pattern continues and that I will soon start sleeping even longer and longer although she does love the middle of the night cuddle (as long as I go right back to sleep after feeding!)
Grandma and Grandpa Corn are coming back down next week for the Notre Dame/UNC football game. I am making my first trek to Kenan Stadium and will be wearing my ND game day shirt but will also have on some Carolina Blue. Not sure how I will pull this one off...hopefully my good looks will help!
Oh well, Mom has chores to do so she says I have to go. Hope everyone is doing well out there. Hope to send new pictures soon.
Let's see. What to share with you. I am getting bigger. Actually enjoy being in the "front pack" as long as I can see what is happening. That requires me sitting on a blanket because otherwise all I can see is the inside of the pack! I actually enjoy it so much that every time I have been in it lately, I have fallen asleep. That includes taking walks in the neighborhood, helping Dad vacuum (Mom has this on video as evidence in the future!) or going with Mom to school.
I am laughing and responding to voices and noises even more than before. I love talking on Skype to my grandparents and other family members. If you don't have it yet....ask Mom, it is GREAT!
I am just starting to notice my dogs, although they still ignore me! If mom sees me looking at them, she tells me "there's your dog" and I will track which ever one is around. Pretty soon, I think I will realize that they are on the floor and tummy time will take on a whole new meaning!
My feedings are still going good. Pretty consistent during the day (anywhere from every 2-4 hours) and during the night I am going anywhere from 5-6 hours. Mom and Dad have a definite bedtime routine that I know and follow. Around 7:45 -8:00 at night, my eyes get red and I start to get sleepy. Mom or Dad then shower with me (I like the sauna feel of the shower) and the other one gives me a massage with lotion and puts me in my PJs. Then Mom feeds me and I drift off to sleep around 9:00 - 9:30. I will wake up once about 10 minutes later (they don't know it but that is my way of testing Mom and Dad to make sure that they are still around) and then I will fall asleep for the night. I typically will wake back up between 2:00 and 3:00 AM for a diaper change and feeding and then will fall back asleep until somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. Mom and Dad have started taking the collars off the dogs so that their chains don't jingle and wake me up and that makes a huge difference. I am no longer waking up at 6:00 AM when the dogs go outside and have breakfast. Mom hopes that this pattern continues and that I will soon start sleeping even longer and longer although she does love the middle of the night cuddle (as long as I go right back to sleep after feeding!)
Grandma and Grandpa Corn are coming back down next week for the Notre Dame/UNC football game. I am making my first trek to Kenan Stadium and will be wearing my ND game day shirt but will also have on some Carolina Blue. Not sure how I will pull this one off...hopefully my good looks will help!
Oh well, Mom has chores to do so she says I have to go. Hope everyone is doing well out there. Hope to send new pictures soon.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Busy little bee....
Well, the past 2 weekends have been full of events and commitments. The weekend of the 15th, Dad officially graduated from MBA school and I got my first trip to the Dean Dome. I didn't understand why there were no whistles or balls bouncing, but I was a good boy anyway. Then this past weekend was my baptism. Grandma and Grandpa come down from Deleware, Nana came from Winston, along with Poppi, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Dale, Uncle Ron, Aunt Debbie, Cousin Liz. Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and Cousin Bise came from Greenville. Godmother Jennifer and her husband, Gary, came up from Savannah and Dennis and Missy Rolo journeyed from Deleware too. Mom-mom and Pop-pop stopped on their way back to Florida from Vermont where they spent the summer once I was born. Whew! It is no wonder that I decided this past weekend that I didn't like to take long naps during the day so I would only let myself fall asleep for about 15-30 minutes at a time. I did still sleep at night for 6-7 hours but mom really wants me to go back to napping more during the day so she can get stuff done. I got used to being held and passed around like a beer at a frat party (or so Grandma said) so sleeping by myself is not happening right now. Mom is building some serious arm muscles because of it though.
Oh yeah, did I mention that I had to go see the doctor for my 2 month appointment the Friday before Dad graduated? I was a big boy, weighing in at just under 11 pounds and got a clean bill of health from the doctor. Then they did something to me that felt like I was being shot by a machine gun (Dad's analogy!) and boy was I unhappy for about 30 seconds. Then I was held and loved by Dad, put in the car by Mom and fell asleep on the way home. I also found out that I really like Tylenol (apparently Mom likes what it does for me but I like the way it tastes). All in all, the last couple of weeks have been crazy. Mom says that things will slow down but that doesn't mean that I personally will. As a matter of fact, I have a few new tricks.
If you lay me on my back on my floor mat, I will kick and swing my arms until I hit the toys and make it sing for me. I am happy doing that inside or out and will play there for almost an hour before I start to get fussy! I will mimic Mom when she makes noise at me and then laugh and smile from ear to ear when I think she or Dad does something funny. I have started taking a bath or shower every night before bed as part of my routine. I normally have my bath or shower around 8 or 8:30 and then feed one last time and fall asleep around 9:30 or 10:00. If that happens, Mom usually races to bed and will sleep with me until about 4:00 AM when I wake up hungry and wet. Then I eat again and hopefully, but not always, will go back to sleep for another 2-3 hours for Mom so we can play the next time I wake up. I am the happiest in the morning and will usually play my hardest and have the most fun then although I am starting to have some fun in the early afternoon too. I blow bubbles with my spit all the time and have started chewing on my own hand and Dad's thumb knuckles. Of course, his knuckles don't make me happy when I am hungry but if I am just looking to "chew" then they do just fine. I am super strong and will grab onto your finger if you offer it, but don't think you can let go when you want, I don't work that way! I also grab at my lovey and my toys when Mom and I play. I am just starting to arch my back and Mom fears that I am getting ready to roll over. She likes me immobile but I think I want to start to explore a little more - watch out dogs!
Other than that, life is good. Dad is home more at night and not so busy so I get to spend more time with him. Mom and I try to get out of the house at least once a day (if I cooperate and the weather isn't too bad), even if it is just to take a walk around the neighborhood. I loved having so much company and can't wait until my next trip. Mom tells me that we are going to Walt Disney World at the end of October for a wedding....Cousin Bise says I am going to have a great time....and I trust him since he is so much fun for me to watch! Mom will write more soon and hopefully Dad will upload some pictures although we did finally get more out on Snapfish for you to enjoy.
Oh yeah, did I mention that I had to go see the doctor for my 2 month appointment the Friday before Dad graduated? I was a big boy, weighing in at just under 11 pounds and got a clean bill of health from the doctor. Then they did something to me that felt like I was being shot by a machine gun (Dad's analogy!) and boy was I unhappy for about 30 seconds. Then I was held and loved by Dad, put in the car by Mom and fell asleep on the way home. I also found out that I really like Tylenol (apparently Mom likes what it does for me but I like the way it tastes). All in all, the last couple of weeks have been crazy. Mom says that things will slow down but that doesn't mean that I personally will. As a matter of fact, I have a few new tricks.
If you lay me on my back on my floor mat, I will kick and swing my arms until I hit the toys and make it sing for me. I am happy doing that inside or out and will play there for almost an hour before I start to get fussy! I will mimic Mom when she makes noise at me and then laugh and smile from ear to ear when I think she or Dad does something funny. I have started taking a bath or shower every night before bed as part of my routine. I normally have my bath or shower around 8 or 8:30 and then feed one last time and fall asleep around 9:30 or 10:00. If that happens, Mom usually races to bed and will sleep with me until about 4:00 AM when I wake up hungry and wet. Then I eat again and hopefully, but not always, will go back to sleep for another 2-3 hours for Mom so we can play the next time I wake up. I am the happiest in the morning and will usually play my hardest and have the most fun then although I am starting to have some fun in the early afternoon too. I blow bubbles with my spit all the time and have started chewing on my own hand and Dad's thumb knuckles. Of course, his knuckles don't make me happy when I am hungry but if I am just looking to "chew" then they do just fine. I am super strong and will grab onto your finger if you offer it, but don't think you can let go when you want, I don't work that way! I also grab at my lovey and my toys when Mom and I play. I am just starting to arch my back and Mom fears that I am getting ready to roll over. She likes me immobile but I think I want to start to explore a little more - watch out dogs!
Other than that, life is good. Dad is home more at night and not so busy so I get to spend more time with him. Mom and I try to get out of the house at least once a day (if I cooperate and the weather isn't too bad), even if it is just to take a walk around the neighborhood. I loved having so much company and can't wait until my next trip. Mom tells me that we are going to Walt Disney World at the end of October for a wedding....Cousin Bise says I am going to have a great time....and I trust him since he is so much fun for me to watch! Mom will write more soon and hopefully Dad will upload some pictures although we did finally get more out on Snapfish for you to enjoy.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
My first overnight trip away from home
Well, Mom, Grandpa and I took a trip to Greenville, SC to visit Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Bise....wow, what fun! I did great on the ride down. Slept for most of the time and when I did wake up, I only had about 15 minutes left in the 4 hour drive! When we got there, cousin Bise and I played all afternoon. I probably should have had a nap but he was so much fun to watch that I couldn't even think about missing it. I slept pretty well overnight which Mom was happy about (and so was everyone else in the house who was trying to sleep!). Then we hung out in the morning too until Grandpa got back and then we headed home. We thought about staying one more night but Mom said there was this thing called a hurricane that was on its way towards our house and we didn't want to be driving home in it (or so she said). I got more pictures taken and when we came home Dad tried to upload them from the camera to his computer but the program isn't working so he is really frustrated. We are either going to buy a new camera or try to buy the software from Cannon so that we can upload the pictures and send them to people. One way or another...Mom and Dad promise that we are working on it and will send a batch out soon....
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Labor Day Adventure....
From the eyes of Chase:
Well, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit me from Delaware, and man the fun we had! Thursday afternoon we just visited here at the house since they hadn't seen me since I was a few days old. They were very impressed with how big I am and the new tricks that I have. Friday I went shopping with Grandma and Grandpa and mom while we looked for some special outfits for my upcoming occasions - Dad's graduation from MBA school, my baptism and the wedding in Florida. Grandma is over the moon with the matching outfits she found for me and cousin Bise....we will be show stoppers down there.
Saturday since Dad was home. Mom and Grandma left me with the guys while they ran some more errands. We then watched college football...I like the colors and the noises which are fun on the big T.V.
Sunday, I went with Mom and Grandma to run a few errands so Dad could finish some items around the house without me there to distract him. We all worked hard on Saturday and Sunday so we could play on Monday.
On Monday, I made my first trip to the lake on the boat. The adults brought bagels and coffee and I had my special meal from Mom of course. The weather was PERFECT! Cool with a breeze, sun with shade and very little traffic....especially since we were on the water by 9:30 a.m. and off before the major lunch crowd arrived. We had a great time and I loved the scenery. Grandma snuggled me in my lifejacket on the ride back to the dock and I fell fast asleep. It made Mom and Dad happy to know that I survived my first boat trip without incident. Guess I am allowed to make more in the future!
Grandma left today (Tuesday) but Grandpa stayed here and he, Mom and I are going to Greenville, SC to visit Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and Cousin Bise on Thursday. Then we will come home. Dad is excited at the thought of a good night sleep but I think I heard him mention something about having boys over for poker....not sure that will overtake a full night of sleep though!
Will ask Mom to update the blog sometime next week. I can hold my head up really good now and I love to lay on the floor and play with my gym toys. I also talk alot and smile when you have a high pitched voice. Hopefully Dad can get the camera working so we can start to upload all these pictures he has taken.
Well, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit me from Delaware, and man the fun we had! Thursday afternoon we just visited here at the house since they hadn't seen me since I was a few days old. They were very impressed with how big I am and the new tricks that I have. Friday I went shopping with Grandma and Grandpa and mom while we looked for some special outfits for my upcoming occasions - Dad's graduation from MBA school, my baptism and the wedding in Florida. Grandma is over the moon with the matching outfits she found for me and cousin Bise....we will be show stoppers down there.
Saturday since Dad was home. Mom and Grandma left me with the guys while they ran some more errands. We then watched college football...I like the colors and the noises which are fun on the big T.V.
Sunday, I went with Mom and Grandma to run a few errands so Dad could finish some items around the house without me there to distract him. We all worked hard on Saturday and Sunday so we could play on Monday.
On Monday, I made my first trip to the lake on the boat. The adults brought bagels and coffee and I had my special meal from Mom of course. The weather was PERFECT! Cool with a breeze, sun with shade and very little traffic....especially since we were on the water by 9:30 a.m. and off before the major lunch crowd arrived. We had a great time and I loved the scenery. Grandma snuggled me in my lifejacket on the ride back to the dock and I fell fast asleep. It made Mom and Dad happy to know that I survived my first boat trip without incident. Guess I am allowed to make more in the future!
Grandma left today (Tuesday) but Grandpa stayed here and he, Mom and I are going to Greenville, SC to visit Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and Cousin Bise on Thursday. Then we will come home. Dad is excited at the thought of a good night sleep but I think I heard him mention something about having boys over for poker....not sure that will overtake a full night of sleep though!
Will ask Mom to update the blog sometime next week. I can hold my head up really good now and I love to lay on the floor and play with my gym toys. I also talk alot and smile when you have a high pitched voice. Hopefully Dad can get the camera working so we can start to upload all these pictures he has taken.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
One small step...
No, Chase is not some boy wonder who is taking his first steps at 6 weeks. The small step is for his parents, well, his mother in particular. Two weeks ago, Jason and I left Chase overnight here at home with his cousin, Liz, while he and I went to be beach with some co-workers of mine for a mini-vacation. I honestly did better than I thought I would considering that it was the first time that I was away from him for longer than 1 hour since he was born! He did great for Liz and they had a good time (aka he didn't scare off a potential babysitter!) Then, last weekend, Jason and I had adult only plans for both Friday night and Saturday night. Jason's mom (aka Nana) came to town while Jason and I went to the Kenny Chesney concert on Friday night, we then celebrated Jason's birthday on Saturday by attending an end of the program dinner party at the Carolina Inn sponsored by the EMBA program. Although we didn't spend the night away, we were gone 2 nights in a row and Nana survived, again, a babysitter saved!
Chase is getting bigger by the day. He can hold his head up on his own for long period of time, unless he is sleepy and then all he wants to do is snuggle. He is more alert for longer periods of time and 'talks' all the time. He smiles on a regular basis and has a great laugh. He loves to talk to people on Skype and will look directly at the camera when he hears people talking to him.
His Grandma and Grandpa Corn are coming later this week for a visit and I don't know who is more excited, them or him! They haven't seen him since he was born and Grandma is going crazy to hold him! Grandpa is just waiting for him to grow up so they can play together! Not sure if the dogs feel the same way. They are not too sure about this squirming bundle that makes noise on its own. They typically just go the opposite direction when he is crying which is kinda funny. Jason and I are already trying to figure out how to make a 'baby-free zone' in the bonus room for them. Everyone deserves to have a little space to call their own, right?
School officially started on Monday and I have to admit that I told Jason on Sunday night that I was glad I didn't have to go. There is no way that I could have dealt with both a 6 week old and the start of the school year. He is just too little for me to think about leaving him just yet. I hope that it gets better in a couple of months when he is a little bigger but I don't think it will ever be easy. My sub says that I have a great group of students this semester. They better be good. I don't think they want to deal with a hormonal first time mom who is leaving her child at daycare and then going to swim practice! Yikes!
Well, Chase is starting to stir which means my free time just ended.
Chase is getting bigger by the day. He can hold his head up on his own for long period of time, unless he is sleepy and then all he wants to do is snuggle. He is more alert for longer periods of time and 'talks' all the time. He smiles on a regular basis and has a great laugh. He loves to talk to people on Skype and will look directly at the camera when he hears people talking to him.
His Grandma and Grandpa Corn are coming later this week for a visit and I don't know who is more excited, them or him! They haven't seen him since he was born and Grandma is going crazy to hold him! Grandpa is just waiting for him to grow up so they can play together! Not sure if the dogs feel the same way. They are not too sure about this squirming bundle that makes noise on its own. They typically just go the opposite direction when he is crying which is kinda funny. Jason and I are already trying to figure out how to make a 'baby-free zone' in the bonus room for them. Everyone deserves to have a little space to call their own, right?
School officially started on Monday and I have to admit that I told Jason on Sunday night that I was glad I didn't have to go. There is no way that I could have dealt with both a 6 week old and the start of the school year. He is just too little for me to think about leaving him just yet. I hope that it gets better in a couple of months when he is a little bigger but I don't think it will ever be easy. My sub says that I have a great group of students this semester. They better be good. I don't think they want to deal with a hormonal first time mom who is leaving her child at daycare and then going to swim practice! Yikes!
Well, Chase is starting to stir which means my free time just ended.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Another day in the life.....
Well, I wish I had some ground-breaking news to report, but Chase hasn't learned any new tricks since the last time that I blogged. He is becoming more aware of his surroundings, including noises. He startled Captain a couple days ago when he reached out his arm and "petted" him on the neck. Captain wasn't too sure about that and quickly left the vicinity!
Chase is starting to make more "noise", not just crying but cooing and laughing (no, it isn't always gas!) and he definitely is responding more to me and to Jason when he hears us. This past weekend I was making animal noises at him and he would smile at some and frown at others. He is starting to enjoy laying on his playmat on the floor and hitting the toys that hang from it. His attention span isn't too long and if he goes for a period of time without hitting them, he isn't happy, but as long as they are making noise, he will lay there for a time.
His grip is stronger every day. That is probably the biggest thing I have noticed in the last week or so. When he is feeding, he grabs at my shirt or holds my finger like his life depended on it. He still has talon toes and will try to grab your finger if you hold it under them but I see that as a sign that he has good leg strength!
He is still having tummy issues so we have started him on gas drops which make a difference. He was gassy before but this helps to ease the discomfort. It is highway robbery what they charge but they know they have a sleep-deprived, captive audience willing to do anything to make the baby happy so they will pay whatever price it put on it!
He is officially 1 month old and Jason and I keep commenting on how much things have changed in our lives, not just since his birth, but in the last 2 years. Jason is getting ready to finish his EMBA program. Two years ago, we were dating, since then we got engaged, bought a house, got married and had a son! We are amazed at the changes but also excited to see where the next 2 years will take us....only time will tell.
Chase is starting to make more "noise", not just crying but cooing and laughing (no, it isn't always gas!) and he definitely is responding more to me and to Jason when he hears us. This past weekend I was making animal noises at him and he would smile at some and frown at others. He is starting to enjoy laying on his playmat on the floor and hitting the toys that hang from it. His attention span isn't too long and if he goes for a period of time without hitting them, he isn't happy, but as long as they are making noise, he will lay there for a time.
His grip is stronger every day. That is probably the biggest thing I have noticed in the last week or so. When he is feeding, he grabs at my shirt or holds my finger like his life depended on it. He still has talon toes and will try to grab your finger if you hold it under them but I see that as a sign that he has good leg strength!
He is still having tummy issues so we have started him on gas drops which make a difference. He was gassy before but this helps to ease the discomfort. It is highway robbery what they charge but they know they have a sleep-deprived, captive audience willing to do anything to make the baby happy so they will pay whatever price it put on it!
He is officially 1 month old and Jason and I keep commenting on how much things have changed in our lives, not just since his birth, but in the last 2 years. Jason is getting ready to finish his EMBA program. Two years ago, we were dating, since then we got engaged, bought a house, got married and had a son! We are amazed at the changes but also excited to see where the next 2 years will take us....only time will tell.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Bottle vs. Breast......
Well, Chase ate from the bottle with success twice yesterday after his first failed attempt. Well, maybe failed is the wrong word, he was simply distracted by the idea of a nap instead. Jason was very excited to be able to feed him and while Chase was a little confused as to why Dad was providing "the good stuff" and not Mom, he didn't put up much of a fight! Jason is convinced that because Chase ate so much from the bottle before bed, he is the reason we both got sleep last night. Chase went 6 hours between feedings last night! From 10:00 pm until 4:00 am! While he didn't fall asleep until closer to 11:00 pm, it was still a long time. When Chase did start fussing around 4, both Jason and I were dazed and confused and convinced that we had slept through a feeding and Chase crying. However we were both wrong.....maybe we have stumbled upon something here!
Chase has had a pretty good weekend. The feedings are going better and his sleep is shorter during the day but longer at night which is okay when you stop and think about it. If he wants to "play", I would rather it be at 3 in the afternoon and not 3 in the morning!
Jason has spent lots of time with him this weekend even though he has been working for most of it. Because he has been "tied to his computer" with work, it has given me a great excuse to leave the house ALL BY MYSELF! I have been to the gym twice and am a much happier mommy because of it! Jason is seeing the difference in simply allowing me to have 45 minutes to be away from Chase and do my own thing. While I do think about him and miss him, it is better for all of the family for me to get some alone time. Jason is still trying to figure out the little tricks to calming a fussy Chase but they have their own pattern...one of which is stairs! Chase loves to walk up and down the stairs while Jason holds him! When Jason tires of the stairs, he mimics the movement in the bonus room which I will get video of soon because it is quite comical to watch!
The dogs could still care less about Chase although he is getting more interested in them because his black/white vision is starting to develop. Although Captain doesn't fit the 'color requirement' for him, seriously, could anyone not see that dog?! Chase has started waving his arms and actually "touching" the dogs when they come close. None of them are too sure of this new development so they basically walk away and look at him when he is wiggly.
Well, another weekend down. Chase is officially 3 weeks old and has upgraded from the newborn size diapers to size 1. I am not too happy about this progress but Jason is.....it saved him from having to buy another pack of newborn diapers! I did manage to save 1 newborn diaper for memory sake. I already have a hard time remembering when they were big on him so I know that I will forget that he even could fit in them!
Will write more when I find time.....
Chase has had a pretty good weekend. The feedings are going better and his sleep is shorter during the day but longer at night which is okay when you stop and think about it. If he wants to "play", I would rather it be at 3 in the afternoon and not 3 in the morning!
Jason has spent lots of time with him this weekend even though he has been working for most of it. Because he has been "tied to his computer" with work, it has given me a great excuse to leave the house ALL BY MYSELF! I have been to the gym twice and am a much happier mommy because of it! Jason is seeing the difference in simply allowing me to have 45 minutes to be away from Chase and do my own thing. While I do think about him and miss him, it is better for all of the family for me to get some alone time. Jason is still trying to figure out the little tricks to calming a fussy Chase but they have their own pattern...one of which is stairs! Chase loves to walk up and down the stairs while Jason holds him! When Jason tires of the stairs, he mimics the movement in the bonus room which I will get video of soon because it is quite comical to watch!
The dogs could still care less about Chase although he is getting more interested in them because his black/white vision is starting to develop. Although Captain doesn't fit the 'color requirement' for him, seriously, could anyone not see that dog?! Chase has started waving his arms and actually "touching" the dogs when they come close. None of them are too sure of this new development so they basically walk away and look at him when he is wiggly.
Well, another weekend down. Chase is officially 3 weeks old and has upgraded from the newborn size diapers to size 1. I am not too happy about this progress but Jason is.....it saved him from having to buy another pack of newborn diapers! I did manage to save 1 newborn diaper for memory sake. I already have a hard time remembering when they were big on him so I know that I will forget that he even could fit in them!
Will write more when I find time.....
Saturday, August 2, 2008
My first "almost" bottle
Written from the perspective of Chase:
So mom decided to go to the gym for some much needed alone time while dad was home with me. Mom had fed me before she left and Dad was working on his computer so I decided to take a nap. I hadn't slept well the night before so it wasn't a hard sell! While Mom was still at the gym, I felt a rumble in my belly and realized that I was kinda hungry so I told dad. He, of course, couldn't really help much, which made me mad so I told him a little longer and a little louder of my displeasure in the situation. Dad called mom who said she was literally on her way home but if he wanted, Dad could get some milk out of the freezer and try to give me my first bottle. Not only my first bottle, but also by himself!
Mom got home and didn't hear me crying and took that as a good sign until.....
she walked up the bonus room stairs and saw the bottle sitting on the coffee table, Dad holding me, and me sleeping! When she asked what happened, Dad explained that before he could get the milk defrosted and into the bottle, I had fallen back asleep.....go figure! So, they have a bottle ready for me to try, but I would have to wake up first!
So mom decided to go to the gym for some much needed alone time while dad was home with me. Mom had fed me before she left and Dad was working on his computer so I decided to take a nap. I hadn't slept well the night before so it wasn't a hard sell! While Mom was still at the gym, I felt a rumble in my belly and realized that I was kinda hungry so I told dad. He, of course, couldn't really help much, which made me mad so I told him a little longer and a little louder of my displeasure in the situation. Dad called mom who said she was literally on her way home but if he wanted, Dad could get some milk out of the freezer and try to give me my first bottle. Not only my first bottle, but also by himself!
Mom got home and didn't hear me crying and took that as a good sign until.....
she walked up the bonus room stairs and saw the bottle sitting on the coffee table, Dad holding me, and me sleeping! When she asked what happened, Dad explained that before he could get the milk defrosted and into the bottle, I had fallen back asleep.....go figure! So, they have a bottle ready for me to try, but I would have to wake up first!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Lots of little things
So it has been a while since I was able to blog and since Jason is back at work, trying to catch up, and still in school, his ability to blog is even less than mine (which is kinda ironic when you stop to think about the fact that I am home all day long with a 2 1/2 week old and he gets to go play with the "big kids". Since I last posted Chase really hasn't made many advances in the "what I can do" realm of life. He is sleeping a little better but still has his moments. We are watching him closely for acid reflux or gas issues since he seems to get fussy about 30 minutes after feeding. They don't think it is acid reflux since most babies will "pull away" almost instantly after a feeding begins and that is NOT his problem!
We went for his 2 week check up on the 26th and he was up to 8 lbs, 5 oz. We went to the pediatrician on Monday of this week about the reflux and he was up to 8 lbs, 13 oz....the child had gained 1/2 pound in 3 days.....so don't worry to much about his feeding because it is going quite well. He is still doing very well with breast feeding although I have to admit I am ready for him to go a little longer between feedings just so I don't feel like his personal cow on demand.
My childhood friend, Jennifer, was here visiting again over the last few days on business. She had the option of staying at a hotel (which the company would pay for) or staying at Casa deLiner. She chose to stay here, even with the "warning: crying baby in the middle of the night" disclaimer. Good news is that she didn't hear him crying at night (I take credit for my cat like reflexes when he starts to fuss!) but she did get to witness several meltdowns. The first was the first night she was here, Jason had worked all day and had class that night and wasn't getting home until close to 11:00 pm. Chase decided around 9:00 pm that he was going into meltdown mode and he proceeded to cry for the next 2 hours. Neither Jen nor I could console him and believe me, we tried everything from the boob, pacifier, swaddle, swing, stairs, changing pad and nothing worked. Jason walked in the door, took him and within 10 minutes, the kid is out cold. If I hadn't been so exhausted, I would have had my feelings hurt but I think it just goes to show that he really does miss having Jason around during the day. I know Jason didn't feel like he could "do much" to help, but even just having Jason sit next to him on the couch or holding him while he sleeps means that Chase knows that Dad is around.
Right now he is asleep on my chest while I work on the blog. I have managed to get the upstairs level of the house clean and 2 loads of laundry during the day but I am still waiting to get one more out of the dryer and the downstairs clean. When dad gets home, he will go on baby duty and mom is going to the gym to walk since it is raining outside and then I will work on dinner after that. I have been trying to rest/nap when Chase does but it never fails that when I finally get him to sleep, I have energy and try to do even just a handful of little house chores. I have been getting better sleep at night than I expected which helps.
Chase made his first appearance at school yesterday. I had to go pick up some papers so I decided to make a run down that way while I was out running errands and of course he was a doll and everyone raved about how adorable he is. He napped on the ride there and then was awake for most of the visit so all the office people could see his blue eyes (at least while they are still blue if they decide to change). He is a great car rider which is great. Will make travel that much easier in the future. He falls asleep if he is awake and will stay asleep even while being put in the car seat if he is already asleep. Not sure how long that pattern will last but I am going to take full advantage of it while I can!
So far, we have had visits from Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Bise, Nana (Jason's mom), Aunt Jen (my childhood friend). Poppy and Mimi (Jason's dad and stepmom) are coming this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa (my mom and dad) will be here on labor day but we have a couple "trips" planned between now and then. Chase will make his first beach trip the weekend of August 15th when Jason and I join some of my co-workers at a beach house we won at an auction in February. Jason's cousin, Liz, is coming to stay at a hotel near the beach house so we can enjoy the trip but I can still be close enough to feed and not have to put him on a bottle full-time. The next weekend, Jason and I have tickets to the Kenny Chesney concert on Friday night and then the EMBA program is hosting a formal dinner at the Carolina Inn on Saturday night. Jason's mom is coming in town to watch Chase for us which is nice. That is about all that I have for now. Hopefully this will keep you readers content for a little while. I will try to make sure that either Jason or myself post once every couple of weeks, unless Chase has something new and exciting that he wants me to share!
We went for his 2 week check up on the 26th and he was up to 8 lbs, 5 oz. We went to the pediatrician on Monday of this week about the reflux and he was up to 8 lbs, 13 oz....the child had gained 1/2 pound in 3 days.....so don't worry to much about his feeding because it is going quite well. He is still doing very well with breast feeding although I have to admit I am ready for him to go a little longer between feedings just so I don't feel like his personal cow on demand.
My childhood friend, Jennifer, was here visiting again over the last few days on business. She had the option of staying at a hotel (which the company would pay for) or staying at Casa deLiner. She chose to stay here, even with the "warning: crying baby in the middle of the night" disclaimer. Good news is that she didn't hear him crying at night (I take credit for my cat like reflexes when he starts to fuss!) but she did get to witness several meltdowns. The first was the first night she was here, Jason had worked all day and had class that night and wasn't getting home until close to 11:00 pm. Chase decided around 9:00 pm that he was going into meltdown mode and he proceeded to cry for the next 2 hours. Neither Jen nor I could console him and believe me, we tried everything from the boob, pacifier, swaddle, swing, stairs, changing pad and nothing worked. Jason walked in the door, took him and within 10 minutes, the kid is out cold. If I hadn't been so exhausted, I would have had my feelings hurt but I think it just goes to show that he really does miss having Jason around during the day. I know Jason didn't feel like he could "do much" to help, but even just having Jason sit next to him on the couch or holding him while he sleeps means that Chase knows that Dad is around.
Right now he is asleep on my chest while I work on the blog. I have managed to get the upstairs level of the house clean and 2 loads of laundry during the day but I am still waiting to get one more out of the dryer and the downstairs clean. When dad gets home, he will go on baby duty and mom is going to the gym to walk since it is raining outside and then I will work on dinner after that. I have been trying to rest/nap when Chase does but it never fails that when I finally get him to sleep, I have energy and try to do even just a handful of little house chores. I have been getting better sleep at night than I expected which helps.
Chase made his first appearance at school yesterday. I had to go pick up some papers so I decided to make a run down that way while I was out running errands and of course he was a doll and everyone raved about how adorable he is. He napped on the ride there and then was awake for most of the visit so all the office people could see his blue eyes (at least while they are still blue if they decide to change). He is a great car rider which is great. Will make travel that much easier in the future. He falls asleep if he is awake and will stay asleep even while being put in the car seat if he is already asleep. Not sure how long that pattern will last but I am going to take full advantage of it while I can!
So far, we have had visits from Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Bise, Nana (Jason's mom), Aunt Jen (my childhood friend). Poppy and Mimi (Jason's dad and stepmom) are coming this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa (my mom and dad) will be here on labor day but we have a couple "trips" planned between now and then. Chase will make his first beach trip the weekend of August 15th when Jason and I join some of my co-workers at a beach house we won at an auction in February. Jason's cousin, Liz, is coming to stay at a hotel near the beach house so we can enjoy the trip but I can still be close enough to feed and not have to put him on a bottle full-time. The next weekend, Jason and I have tickets to the Kenny Chesney concert on Friday night and then the EMBA program is hosting a formal dinner at the Carolina Inn on Saturday night. Jason's mom is coming in town to watch Chase for us which is nice. That is about all that I have for now. Hopefully this will keep you readers content for a little while. I will try to make sure that either Jason or myself post once every couple of weeks, unless Chase has something new and exciting that he wants me to share!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Where has the time gone?
Well, I feel like I have been living in the movie "Groundhog Day". One day bleeds into the next and I have no concept of time, unless it relates to the last feeding that I did and the last dirty diaper we changed. Good news though is that this is normal! Or so we have been told.
Chase has made 2 trips to Target thus far and slept during both of them. We are both hanging out this morning while Jason is at work. He initially planned to take 2 full weeks off work but the more we talked about it, the more we realized it was a better plan for all 3 of us if he "eased" his way back into work and school instead of being here 24 hours a day and then disappearing for 14 hours a day (on school nights). We are hoping that this transition will give Chase and I time to establish a routine and Jason a chance to see how he will function on little to no sleep!
The last few days, Chase has made great progress. He is going anywhere from 2 1/2 to almost 5 hours between feedings which is great. Now, that doesn't mean that I am getting 5 hours of sleep because when he eats, he eats! Feedings take anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes depending on his level of sleepiness. Then of course, even though we have changed his diaper before the feeding, he typically fills it during the feeding so we change it again!
The dogs could still care less about him. Rokky showed a little more interest this morning than he has since we brought Chase home but I think it was because Chase "smelled" good to him and he thought there was something in it for him!
I am still feeling pretty good. Moments of being exhausted come and go but physically I am doing really well. I am going to start mall walking with Chase to get myself moving again because it is too hot outside, even before the sun comes up, to take him for a walk. I am hoping that this will help me heal a little quicker so that I can continue to get back to my normal routine....or at least develop a new routine.
Jason has been a remarkable help to me. He does anything that I ask, and most times, will do things before I even have to ask which is even better. He is an amazing Dad and Chase loves to sit on his lap and just look at him. Those are more of the moments that Mom loves. Chase is getting bigger every day. I can't tell by looking at him, but more by the fat that his diapers are getting more snug! Almost time to upgrade from the newborn size, although that makes me a little sad. I really am enjoying this stage and don't want him to grow up too fast.
Jason will try to upload some pictures later but for now keep checking the snapfish account as that is where we load all the pictures for friends and family. Will try to post again sooner rather than later.
Chase has made 2 trips to Target thus far and slept during both of them. We are both hanging out this morning while Jason is at work. He initially planned to take 2 full weeks off work but the more we talked about it, the more we realized it was a better plan for all 3 of us if he "eased" his way back into work and school instead of being here 24 hours a day and then disappearing for 14 hours a day (on school nights). We are hoping that this transition will give Chase and I time to establish a routine and Jason a chance to see how he will function on little to no sleep!
The last few days, Chase has made great progress. He is going anywhere from 2 1/2 to almost 5 hours between feedings which is great. Now, that doesn't mean that I am getting 5 hours of sleep because when he eats, he eats! Feedings take anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes depending on his level of sleepiness. Then of course, even though we have changed his diaper before the feeding, he typically fills it during the feeding so we change it again!
The dogs could still care less about him. Rokky showed a little more interest this morning than he has since we brought Chase home but I think it was because Chase "smelled" good to him and he thought there was something in it for him!
I am still feeling pretty good. Moments of being exhausted come and go but physically I am doing really well. I am going to start mall walking with Chase to get myself moving again because it is too hot outside, even before the sun comes up, to take him for a walk. I am hoping that this will help me heal a little quicker so that I can continue to get back to my normal routine....or at least develop a new routine.
Jason has been a remarkable help to me. He does anything that I ask, and most times, will do things before I even have to ask which is even better. He is an amazing Dad and Chase loves to sit on his lap and just look at him. Those are more of the moments that Mom loves. Chase is getting bigger every day. I can't tell by looking at him, but more by the fat that his diapers are getting more snug! Almost time to upgrade from the newborn size, although that makes me a little sad. I really am enjoying this stage and don't want him to grow up too fast.
Jason will try to upload some pictures later but for now keep checking the snapfish account as that is where we load all the pictures for friends and family. Will try to post again sooner rather than later.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Mom's turn!
Well, in case you haven't noticed, all of the posts up to this point have been written by Jason. Needless to say, I seem to have lost all sense of time and any "free time" that I have, I am in such a haze that I don't think I would be able to complete an entire sentence. I have been reading the blog updates that Jason writes and will admit that so far, he has been pretty accurate. Quick summary of the first 3 1/2 days at home: dogs - could care less; feeding - going really well, he is a Corn after all and we plan our every move from one meal to the next; sleep - getting better with each passing day.
Of course, it hasn't been all roses but I didn't expect it to. The one thing that still surprises me is how I can literally just sit and stare at him for hours and hours. I still don't think the reality has hit that he is mine and that after all the months of "feeling" him inside of me has led to this. Even when he is screaming and giving me his full out, top of his lungs (which are getting stronger every day) cry, I still feel nothing but love for him. Last night was when this moment came clear for me. I had sent Jason to take a much deserved nap in the late afternoon/early evening and Chase was napping himself. He woke from his nap, ready to eat so we fed. It wasn't long after when he was convinced he needed to eat again. I knew better since it was simply that his stomach was a little grumbly and he just needed time to "process". Normally, when he gets fussy like that, Jason will take him and try to comfort him while I leave the room. He associates me with food (shocking!) and thinks when I hold him, food will follow. Well, dad was not available last night so he was stuck with me (or as he would probably tell you if he could), I teased him while he cried and pitched a fit. Ultimately, he cried himself to the point of exhaustion and fell asleep and stayed that way for the next 2 1/2 hours! Geez, funny that mom knows best (at least in this particular case). While it was hard to have him cry, even at the peak of his fit, I still loved him and I wasn't frustrated or upset by him, just by the fact that I had to let him suffer in order to help him. That was when I had one of my first "mom moments". That notion that even though it was hard for me to do, I had to sit by and let him "hurt". I was kinda hoping to hold off on that kind of moment for a few years, not a few days.
Last night Chase and I ventured out for our first walk around the neighborhood together. Dad was napping and mom needed a change of scenery so we got the car seat and stroller out and took a little stroll. I am still trying to build up my own energy level so we didn't go far, but it was nice to get out of the house for a little bit. We are going to run some more errands today while waiting for my brother, Matt, his wife and my nephew to arrive for a visit.
Chase slept like a champ last night, at least in my opinion. After taking a 3 1/2 hour nap early in the evening, he woke for a feeding. After feeding, I took a shower and went to bed while Jason took the night shift (remember he had just taken a 4 hour nap himself and was more rested at that point than I was). I took my shower and went to bed and actually got to sleep for 2 1/2 hours before Chase needed to be fed. He fed and fell back to sleep for another 3 hours before he needed to be fed again! He woke up a little more than 1 hour later for another feeding and slept for 2 hours. He has been down for a nap right now for over 1 1/2 hours. While I feel great this morning with those decent blocks of sleep, Jason is still a bit groggy. While I thought I would be the one who would suffer from the lack of sleep, I seem to be doing a bit better than daddy is at this point. May it continue in this way for all of us!
Well, who knows when I will be able to update again but that is a glimpse of parenting from my perspective. I hope that you are enjoying reading our blog. It is fun to go back and see how things have changed from the start and will be a cool thing for Chase to have as he gets older. For now, I want him to stay a little baby who is sweet and innocent and smiles at me (no, it isn't always gas!) when he hears me talk to him. Thanks to everyone who has sent, emails, gifts, cards and thoughts of well wishes. It means a lot to both Jason and I to have so many people in our lives who care about us.
Of course, it hasn't been all roses but I didn't expect it to. The one thing that still surprises me is how I can literally just sit and stare at him for hours and hours. I still don't think the reality has hit that he is mine and that after all the months of "feeling" him inside of me has led to this. Even when he is screaming and giving me his full out, top of his lungs (which are getting stronger every day) cry, I still feel nothing but love for him. Last night was when this moment came clear for me. I had sent Jason to take a much deserved nap in the late afternoon/early evening and Chase was napping himself. He woke from his nap, ready to eat so we fed. It wasn't long after when he was convinced he needed to eat again. I knew better since it was simply that his stomach was a little grumbly and he just needed time to "process". Normally, when he gets fussy like that, Jason will take him and try to comfort him while I leave the room. He associates me with food (shocking!) and thinks when I hold him, food will follow. Well, dad was not available last night so he was stuck with me (or as he would probably tell you if he could), I teased him while he cried and pitched a fit. Ultimately, he cried himself to the point of exhaustion and fell asleep and stayed that way for the next 2 1/2 hours! Geez, funny that mom knows best (at least in this particular case). While it was hard to have him cry, even at the peak of his fit, I still loved him and I wasn't frustrated or upset by him, just by the fact that I had to let him suffer in order to help him. That was when I had one of my first "mom moments". That notion that even though it was hard for me to do, I had to sit by and let him "hurt". I was kinda hoping to hold off on that kind of moment for a few years, not a few days.
Last night Chase and I ventured out for our first walk around the neighborhood together. Dad was napping and mom needed a change of scenery so we got the car seat and stroller out and took a little stroll. I am still trying to build up my own energy level so we didn't go far, but it was nice to get out of the house for a little bit. We are going to run some more errands today while waiting for my brother, Matt, his wife and my nephew to arrive for a visit.
Chase slept like a champ last night, at least in my opinion. After taking a 3 1/2 hour nap early in the evening, he woke for a feeding. After feeding, I took a shower and went to bed while Jason took the night shift (remember he had just taken a 4 hour nap himself and was more rested at that point than I was). I took my shower and went to bed and actually got to sleep for 2 1/2 hours before Chase needed to be fed. He fed and fell back to sleep for another 3 hours before he needed to be fed again! He woke up a little more than 1 hour later for another feeding and slept for 2 hours. He has been down for a nap right now for over 1 1/2 hours. While I feel great this morning with those decent blocks of sleep, Jason is still a bit groggy. While I thought I would be the one who would suffer from the lack of sleep, I seem to be doing a bit better than daddy is at this point. May it continue in this way for all of us!
Well, who knows when I will be able to update again but that is a glimpse of parenting from my perspective. I hope that you are enjoying reading our blog. It is fun to go back and see how things have changed from the start and will be a cool thing for Chase to have as he gets older. For now, I want him to stay a little baby who is sweet and innocent and smiles at me (no, it isn't always gas!) when he hears me talk to him. Thanks to everyone who has sent, emails, gifts, cards and thoughts of well wishes. It means a lot to both Jason and I to have so many people in our lives who care about us.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
7/17 - I've been peed on!!!
OK, it's official. He finally got me! It took him until he was 5 1/2 days old, but this afternoon while changing his diaper, he peed all over me! Ah, the good times!
7/17 - Day 6
So, the past 24 hours has been much better for all of us. We're trying to get into a pattern.
Chase has been sleeping a little better and still feeding well. He still has bouts of cluster feeding, where he feeds for shorter periods of time and more frequently. When he's doing that, he feeds about every hour to an hour and a half, from start of one feeding to start of the next feeding. That doesn't leave much time in between for Mom to get any rest. Most of the time though, he's going 2-3 hours in between feedings, which is great.
For those who don't have kids, the best way that I can explain the sleep challenge is that there are two facets to it...the quantity and the quality of sleep.
On the quantity side, it's like I've explained a few times. Between the feedings, he doesn't always sleep the entire time. He almost always needs a diaper change and usually he fusses a little too. So, he may sleep for as much as an hour or two in between feedings. If he does that, then it's a matter of how fast you can go to sleep. That's where the art of the power nap comes into play. Obviously, when you're done changing diapers and listening to him fuss, you're pretty much wide awake. So you're not going to sleep immediately. The faster that you can get to sleep, the more sleep you can obviously get.
On the quality side, it's like when you've got an early morning flight and you set your alarm for 4:30 am and all night long, you don't really sleep because your body is worried that you might oversleep, so you keep rolling over and eyeballing the clock. With a newborn, especially until you start getting used to each of his unique sounds, you wake up with each sound that he makes. It is definitely helping that he's taken to sleeping in his crib in the nursery, so we've already moved his bassinet out of the bedroom. When he was in there, we never went to sleep (you can just hear too many little grunts coming out of him to be able to sleep). Now that he's taking his naps in the nursery, we can actually get a little sleep. I typically get up and go change his diaper and get him "ready" to feed while Melissa gets ready on her end to feed him. Then I'll either bring him back to the bedroom and she'll feed him in bed, or, more often than not, she'll take him to the bonus room and feed him in there so that I can go back to sleep.
Sometimes, he goes right to sleep after feeding and sometimes he needs a little coaxing. Last night, I took him in my arms for a while after one of his feedings because he was being fussy. I got him calmed down and we both fell asleep on the couch for a good two hours. Melissa LOVED the long nap that she was able to get during that period.
We're starting to get the hang of it and develop some patterns. And we're definitely figuring out which cries mean what...is he hungry, or does he have gas or does he have a dirty diaper...it's not always obvious, but usually we can figure it out.
I do have to say, and I know I'm biased, but this kid is so freakin' cute!! Here are some more pictures from the past 48 hours.
Mom and Chase after a good feeding.
Grandpa holding Chase...I'm not sure what's up with the hoodie thing.
Mom and Chase taking a nap.
Seriously, is that not the cutest baby ever!
All wrapped up in his swaddling blanket and napping in the crib.
Rokky makes for a very comfortable pillow for Chase...note that he still could care less about the baby.
Chase has been sleeping a little better and still feeding well. He still has bouts of cluster feeding, where he feeds for shorter periods of time and more frequently. When he's doing that, he feeds about every hour to an hour and a half, from start of one feeding to start of the next feeding. That doesn't leave much time in between for Mom to get any rest. Most of the time though, he's going 2-3 hours in between feedings, which is great.
For those who don't have kids, the best way that I can explain the sleep challenge is that there are two facets to it...the quantity and the quality of sleep.
On the quantity side, it's like I've explained a few times. Between the feedings, he doesn't always sleep the entire time. He almost always needs a diaper change and usually he fusses a little too. So, he may sleep for as much as an hour or two in between feedings. If he does that, then it's a matter of how fast you can go to sleep. That's where the art of the power nap comes into play. Obviously, when you're done changing diapers and listening to him fuss, you're pretty much wide awake. So you're not going to sleep immediately. The faster that you can get to sleep, the more sleep you can obviously get.
On the quality side, it's like when you've got an early morning flight and you set your alarm for 4:30 am and all night long, you don't really sleep because your body is worried that you might oversleep, so you keep rolling over and eyeballing the clock. With a newborn, especially until you start getting used to each of his unique sounds, you wake up with each sound that he makes. It is definitely helping that he's taken to sleeping in his crib in the nursery, so we've already moved his bassinet out of the bedroom. When he was in there, we never went to sleep (you can just hear too many little grunts coming out of him to be able to sleep). Now that he's taking his naps in the nursery, we can actually get a little sleep. I typically get up and go change his diaper and get him "ready" to feed while Melissa gets ready on her end to feed him. Then I'll either bring him back to the bedroom and she'll feed him in bed, or, more often than not, she'll take him to the bonus room and feed him in there so that I can go back to sleep.
Sometimes, he goes right to sleep after feeding and sometimes he needs a little coaxing. Last night, I took him in my arms for a while after one of his feedings because he was being fussy. I got him calmed down and we both fell asleep on the couch for a good two hours. Melissa LOVED the long nap that she was able to get during that period.
We're starting to get the hang of it and develop some patterns. And we're definitely figuring out which cries mean what...is he hungry, or does he have gas or does he have a dirty diaper...it's not always obvious, but usually we can figure it out.
I do have to say, and I know I'm biased, but this kid is so freakin' cute!! Here are some more pictures from the past 48 hours.
Mom and Chase after a good feeding.
Grandpa holding Chase...I'm not sure what's up with the hoodie thing.
Mom and Chase taking a nap.
Seriously, is that not the cutest baby ever!
All wrapped up in his swaddling blanket and napping in the crib.
Rokky makes for a very comfortable pillow for Chase...note that he still could care less about the baby.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
7/16 - Day 5
Last night was a rough night. That makes two nights in a row. Chase likes to cry from 4 am - 6 am for no apparent reason at all. Of course, by 4 am, Melissa is exhausted from feeding him and being up with him, so I get up to deal with him from 4:00 - 6:00. I love the little guy, but I'm not very fond of his schedule right now! :)
Melissa's parents left this morning, so now we're officially on our own. Jenn Mountjoy, one of Melissa's friends from Savannah, was in town for business and stopped by last night for dinner.
That is Jenn holding Chase!
It was good to see Jenn and the timing worked out great.
We've been talking to Popi and Nana and Marc & Sabrina on Skype a lot. They all think that Chase does nothing but sleep. I keep telling them that when he's screaming and crying wanted to eat or with a poppy diaper, it's not that easy for me to dial them up on Skype and have a conversation. The only time that I can Skype them is when he's resting and being quiet, so that's about all they ever see. If they could have seen him late last night, they would understand that he's not the quiet little angel that they always see! He truly is a bundle of joy though, even with the rough times.
At this point we're trying to get into a routine and start back to regular life. Melissa went for a walk yesterday with her Mom and I went for a run around the neighborhood. We just needed to get out and get some fresh air. The back screened in porch has been nice too. I think today we might put him in the stroller and take a very brief walk around the neighborhood.
I've got some more pictures of him that I'll upload to the blog soon. Great one a few minutes ago of him right after he fed. He was in "milk heaven"!! Such a cute little guy when he's relaxed and calm.
More to come later...
Melissa's parents left this morning, so now we're officially on our own. Jenn Mountjoy, one of Melissa's friends from Savannah, was in town for business and stopped by last night for dinner.
That is Jenn holding Chase!It was good to see Jenn and the timing worked out great.
We've been talking to Popi and Nana and Marc & Sabrina on Skype a lot. They all think that Chase does nothing but sleep. I keep telling them that when he's screaming and crying wanted to eat or with a poppy diaper, it's not that easy for me to dial them up on Skype and have a conversation. The only time that I can Skype them is when he's resting and being quiet, so that's about all they ever see. If they could have seen him late last night, they would understand that he's not the quiet little angel that they always see! He truly is a bundle of joy though, even with the rough times.
At this point we're trying to get into a routine and start back to regular life. Melissa went for a walk yesterday with her Mom and I went for a run around the neighborhood. We just needed to get out and get some fresh air. The back screened in porch has been nice too. I think today we might put him in the stroller and take a very brief walk around the neighborhood.
I've got some more pictures of him that I'll upload to the blog soon. Great one a few minutes ago of him right after he fed. He was in "milk heaven"!! Such a cute little guy when he's relaxed and calm.
More to come later...
Monday, July 14, 2008
7/14 - Day 3
Another fantastic day with Chase in our lives!
Chase and Melissa are both continuing to do great. Chase has been eating and sleeping well.
All three of us slept much better last night...at least until late last night. Around 4 am, they came in to take Chase to do the hearing test. He was supposed to be gone about 15 minutes. Turns out that when they changed his diaper, his circumcision wound had started bleeding and they had to keep him back in the nursery for a while. He is fine, but it was a little scary for us.
He slept for a while when he came back to the room (apparently he was exhausted from the turmoil). He finally fed and actually fed a few more times through the morning. Finally, about noon, we were discharged to come home.
Chase looked so tiny in the car seat. It was raining like crazy when we got home. Introducing Chase to his new home was yet another moment that I will never forget. We brought him in and set the entire car seat, with Chase in it, on the kitchen counter. Melissa's parents had already put the dogs outside, so Melissa and I went out to say hi to them. It was good to see them and they were obviously excited to see us, especially Melissa. We brought them in one by one and they really weren't interested in Chase. They sniffed him a few times, but that's about it.
Since we've been home, he has fed several times and all is still well there. Melissa and I both slept a little in the afternoon. After eating some lunch and unpacking some bags, we really settled in. A few hot showers this evening made us feel like entirely new people. As I sit here writing this update, Chase is laying on my lap, sound asleep. Melissa is finally getting some really welcome rest in her own bed. God bless her, she's a fantastic mother and I'm lucky to be with her!
I've always heard people say that it's weird to love something so much, even though you're just getting to know them. I understand what that's like now. I can just look at him forever and love him so much!
Here are some pics from Days 2 & 3.
Nana is such a proud Grandma!
This was my going home outfit!
Mom & Chase getting wheeled out of the hospital.
Captain wasn't sure exactly what to think of little Chase.
But he did want to lay on the blanket that had Chase's scent on it.
Chase and Melissa are both continuing to do great. Chase has been eating and sleeping well.
All three of us slept much better last night...at least until late last night. Around 4 am, they came in to take Chase to do the hearing test. He was supposed to be gone about 15 minutes. Turns out that when they changed his diaper, his circumcision wound had started bleeding and they had to keep him back in the nursery for a while. He is fine, but it was a little scary for us.
He slept for a while when he came back to the room (apparently he was exhausted from the turmoil). He finally fed and actually fed a few more times through the morning. Finally, about noon, we were discharged to come home.
Chase looked so tiny in the car seat. It was raining like crazy when we got home. Introducing Chase to his new home was yet another moment that I will never forget. We brought him in and set the entire car seat, with Chase in it, on the kitchen counter. Melissa's parents had already put the dogs outside, so Melissa and I went out to say hi to them. It was good to see them and they were obviously excited to see us, especially Melissa. We brought them in one by one and they really weren't interested in Chase. They sniffed him a few times, but that's about it.
Since we've been home, he has fed several times and all is still well there. Melissa and I both slept a little in the afternoon. After eating some lunch and unpacking some bags, we really settled in. A few hot showers this evening made us feel like entirely new people. As I sit here writing this update, Chase is laying on my lap, sound asleep. Melissa is finally getting some really welcome rest in her own bed. God bless her, she's a fantastic mother and I'm lucky to be with her!
I've always heard people say that it's weird to love something so much, even though you're just getting to know them. I understand what that's like now. I can just look at him forever and love him so much!
Here are some pics from Days 2 & 3.
Nana is such a proud Grandma!
This was my going home outfit!
Mom & Chase getting wheeled out of the hospital.
Captain wasn't sure exactly what to think of little Chase.
But he did want to lay on the blanket that had Chase's scent on it.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
7/13 - Day 2
Wow, what a first 24 hours. It's such an amazing experience that I don't even know where to begin this post.
First of all, thanks to everyone for all of the emails and phone calls and visits. It's great to share this wonderful time in our lives with so many loving friends and family!
After Chase was born yesterday morning, they of course cleaned him up real good. Skype is a wonderful thing, as Marc & Sabrina (my brother and his wife) were able to visit with Chase almost immediately after he was born (literally about 15 minutes later) - they live in Hong Kong. They were actually the first family to see Chase, since they were "allowed in the room" before other visitors. Melissa's parents and my Mom were waiting downstairs and got to come up about 45 minutes after he was born.
Around 7:00 am we got moved to our postpartum room, which was down the hall from the delivery room. Throughout the day, many friends and family came by. It was great to see everyone and Chase was great. He's been feeding on a regular basis and eating well. Without getting into details, the breast-feeding thing is going really well so far. The diaper changing thing , on the other hand, is a real adventure. I've been changing all the diapers so far since it's a lot easier for me to be up and about. He's definitely had the newborn baby poops, which are difficult to clean. And of course, he's so little, that it's just a challenge (these diapers look more like kleenex to me). I'm sure I'll get used to it really fast at this rate. The last of our visitors left around 8:00 pm. From 8 pm to 4 am, it seemed like he fed the entire time. The nurse says it's called cluster feeding...he fed about every hour and a half, and he feeds for around an hour, so yes, that's about 30 minutes in between. That gave me enough time to change his diaper and hold him for just a bit and then he was hungry again. So, needless to say, we didn't get much sleep last night. After his 4 am feeding, I changed his diaper again and then he laid down with me for a while and we all three slept for a couple of hours. Chase and I slept better than Melissa, but even she got some winks. At some point around 6 am I think, I put him in bed with Melissa and we all slept for another little while. So, from 4 am to 8 am, we slept sporadically and got a little rest.
Today holds new challenges...Chase is getting circumcised this morning. He went in for the procedure about an hour ago, but then they brought him back because the doctor got paged for a delivery. So they're coming back to get him any minute. We're going to try to get some rest while he's out of the room, although he's sleeping great right now.
I'm sure we'll have some more visitors today, which is great, and then we go home tomorrow around noon.
Attached are a few more pictures. Also, we've created a snapfish account in Chase's name, so we'll be uploading more pictures there and emailing them out for sharing. So don't be surprised when you get an email from Chase!
Thanks again for all of your support!
The Liner Family
Chase with Great Grandpa
Chase with Grandma Liner
First of all, thanks to everyone for all of the emails and phone calls and visits. It's great to share this wonderful time in our lives with so many loving friends and family!
After Chase was born yesterday morning, they of course cleaned him up real good. Skype is a wonderful thing, as Marc & Sabrina (my brother and his wife) were able to visit with Chase almost immediately after he was born (literally about 15 minutes later) - they live in Hong Kong. They were actually the first family to see Chase, since they were "allowed in the room" before other visitors. Melissa's parents and my Mom were waiting downstairs and got to come up about 45 minutes after he was born.
Around 7:00 am we got moved to our postpartum room, which was down the hall from the delivery room. Throughout the day, many friends and family came by. It was great to see everyone and Chase was great. He's been feeding on a regular basis and eating well. Without getting into details, the breast-feeding thing is going really well so far. The diaper changing thing , on the other hand, is a real adventure. I've been changing all the diapers so far since it's a lot easier for me to be up and about. He's definitely had the newborn baby poops, which are difficult to clean. And of course, he's so little, that it's just a challenge (these diapers look more like kleenex to me). I'm sure I'll get used to it really fast at this rate. The last of our visitors left around 8:00 pm. From 8 pm to 4 am, it seemed like he fed the entire time. The nurse says it's called cluster feeding...he fed about every hour and a half, and he feeds for around an hour, so yes, that's about 30 minutes in between. That gave me enough time to change his diaper and hold him for just a bit and then he was hungry again. So, needless to say, we didn't get much sleep last night. After his 4 am feeding, I changed his diaper again and then he laid down with me for a while and we all three slept for a couple of hours. Chase and I slept better than Melissa, but even she got some winks. At some point around 6 am I think, I put him in bed with Melissa and we all slept for another little while. So, from 4 am to 8 am, we slept sporadically and got a little rest.
Today holds new challenges...Chase is getting circumcised this morning. He went in for the procedure about an hour ago, but then they brought him back because the doctor got paged for a delivery. So they're coming back to get him any minute. We're going to try to get some rest while he's out of the room, although he's sleeping great right now.
I'm sure we'll have some more visitors today, which is great, and then we go home tomorrow around noon.
Attached are a few more pictures. Also, we've created a snapfish account in Chase's name, so we'll be uploading more pictures there and emailing them out for sharing. So don't be surprised when you get an email from Chase!
Thanks again for all of your support!
The Liner Family
Chase with Great Grandpa
Chase with Grandma Liner
Saturday, July 12, 2008
7/12 - 7:15 am - Pics of Chase
Mom and baby are still doing great. Chase is one laid back dude!
He's had his bath and gotten all cleaned up. Very adorable if I do say so myself.
Here are a couple of pictures...I'll update more later.
7/12 - 5:45 am - WE HAVE BABY!!!
We are pleased to announce that we have a baby boy!!
Chase Matthew Liner was born at 5:13 AM
He is 7 lb 4 ounces.
Mom and Chase are doing great!!
I'll update with some pictures in a little while.
Chase Matthew Liner was born at 5:13 AM
He is 7 lb 4 ounces.
Mom and Chase are doing great!!
I'll update with some pictures in a little while.
7/12 - 4:10 am - We're running hot here!
OK, we've made some good progress in the past hour or so. She's 10 cm dilated and they woke me up from what was turning into a pretty good nap to let me know that we're getting close to the "pushing time".
I've called Mom Corn so she and Mike and Mom Liner are getting there stuff together and heading this way. Jayme says that we're looking at an hour or so on average, but it could be quicker or it could be 2 hours. We'll see.
This is probably the last update until we have a baby to announce, see if anyone is reading this at this point, keep thoughts and prayers with us the rest of the way!
I've called Mom Corn so she and Mike and Mom Liner are getting there stuff together and heading this way. Jayme says that we're looking at an hour or so on average, but it could be quicker or it could be 2 hours. We'll see.
This is probably the last update until we have a baby to announce, see if anyone is reading this at this point, keep thoughts and prayers with us the rest of the way!
7/12 - 2:55 am Update
OK, seriously, doesn't ESPN have something better to discuss than Brett Favre at 3 o'clock on the morning?
Not much change here. No naps, but a lot of laying around and trying to relax. It's amazing how much your mind wanders around during this process. At 2 am when the baby's heart rate went wacko, they decided to stop the poticin for a bit to let the baby relax some. All looks great right now, so they turned the poticin back on. Still ~ 6 cm. Contractions have been slow and weak without the poticin, but progress should pick back up in the next little bit. I'm already looking forward to the stale breakfast bagel in the cafeteria in a few hours!
Not much change here. No naps, but a lot of laying around and trying to relax. It's amazing how much your mind wanders around during this process. At 2 am when the baby's heart rate went wacko, they decided to stop the poticin for a bit to let the baby relax some. All looks great right now, so they turned the poticin back on. Still ~ 6 cm. Contractions have been slow and weak without the poticin, but progress should pick back up in the next little bit. I'm already looking forward to the stale breakfast bagel in the cafeteria in a few hours!
7/12 - 2:00 am Update
We both had little naps in the past hour. I think mine was better than hers because Melissa says that I was snoring. The baby's heart beat slowed a little and got a bit sporadic, so they came back in a checked her again. It scared me a little, but they assured us that it was somewhat expected. It's because the baby is starting to come down and rotating a bit. She's 6 cm dilated. After they checked her, the baby's heart beat settled down and returned to normal, so no worries.
Heart beat holding steady at 150 BPM for those who believe in the old wives tales - although I can't remember whether that is supposed to mean boy or girl.
This whole experience is so surreal. At times it seems to be flying by, but I'm also really able to take it all in and really appreciate what's happening...absolutely amazing.
Heart beat holding steady at 150 BPM for those who believe in the old wives tales - although I can't remember whether that is supposed to mean boy or girl.
This whole experience is so surreal. At times it seems to be flying by, but I'm also really able to take it all in and really appreciate what's happening...absolutely amazing.
7/12 - 12:50 am Update
Seriously, drugs are awesome! The epidural is in. She had another hit of stadol around 11:30 pm and decided that it was no longer enough. She was at 4 cm dilated at that time. They got the epidural in around 12:25 am. She was really scared about getting it (did I mention that she hates needles), but she did great. Throughout the pregnancy, she and I both just want to know what to expect. Jayme and the anesthesiologist were great about telling her exactly what to expect and she did great. It took about 5 minutes to take effect and, man, that is some good stuff!
Contractions are still cruising right along...typically 2-3 minutes apart. But now she isn't really feeling them. She can feel the pressure, but no real pain at all...just like they say in the book! She's VERY happy now.
Moms (Liner & Corn) have left for the evening to go home and sleep. Melissa is now taking a little nap and I will rest some too.
Contractions are still cruising right along...typically 2-3 minutes apart. But now she isn't really feeling them. She can feel the pressure, but no real pain at all...just like they say in the book! She's VERY happy now.
Moms (Liner & Corn) have left for the evening to go home and sleep. Melissa is now taking a little nap and I will rest some too.
Friday, July 11, 2008
7/11 - 11:20 pm Drugs are GOOD!
So, Jayme (the nurse) says that stadol is liking drinking a six pack in 2 seconds. Wow! I asked for a hit for myself, but she said no.
Melissa had the first dose at 10:00 and another about 11:15. She can have it once per hour. It definitely has helped. The contractions are still pretty rough, but she says that it's definitely better with drugs. Contractions are pretty consistent. Roughly 2 minutes apart. Still no epidural. She is being SO strong! They checked her around 10:00 and she was between 2 and 3 cm dilated. (Is that too much information here?)
Anyway, she's a real trooper. Her Mom and my Mom are both here. They will probably stay for a little while and then head to our house to get some sleep. Neither want to leave, but they'll need their rest too! Melissa's Dad is at the house with the dogs (our 3 plus their 2), so the dogs are very happy! Jayme still says that the baby won't be here until tomorrow morning sometime. Her shift ends at 7 am...she says it's 50/50 that the baby will be here before the end of her shift. We'll see. Stay tuned...
Melissa had the first dose at 10:00 and another about 11:15. She can have it once per hour. It definitely has helped. The contractions are still pretty rough, but she says that it's definitely better with drugs. Contractions are pretty consistent. Roughly 2 minutes apart. Still no epidural. She is being SO strong! They checked her around 10:00 and she was between 2 and 3 cm dilated. (Is that too much information here?)
Anyway, she's a real trooper. Her Mom and my Mom are both here. They will probably stay for a little while and then head to our house to get some sleep. Neither want to leave, but they'll need their rest too! Melissa's Dad is at the house with the dogs (our 3 plus their 2), so the dogs are very happy! Jayme still says that the baby won't be here until tomorrow morning sometime. Her shift ends at 7 am...she says it's 50/50 that the baby will be here before the end of her shift. We'll see. Stay tuned...
7/11 - 9:50 pm Update
She's really progressing. Very strong contractions for the last half hour or so. And not much time in between. We're discussing stadol which is an IV drug that will "take the edge off". We are definitely heading towards an epidural, but she wants to start with the stadol to see how that does. She's still doing very well. Monitors show that the baby's heartbeat and Melissa's blood pressure are all doing very well. Nurse says that Melissa is a very "routine" patient...I take that as a good thing. This whole process is just so amazing to me...very fascinating!
7/11 - 9:00 pm Update
Still hanging in there. Contractions have been about 2 minutes apart for a while. Getting more intense. She's making progress. Melissa is still doing very well. She's moving around trying to find better positions. Sitting on the birthing ball watching CSI Miami seems to be working pretty well for now! :)
7/11 - 7:30 pm Update
Making some progress. Melissa is having some contractions now. Nothing major, but when they spike, she definitely can feel them and they are starting to hurt a little.
Family are starting to arrive. Grandparents Palmisano are here. Melissa's parents should be in town in a few hours (they were in Greenville, SC visiting with Matt, Jennifer & Bise). My Mom is leaving Winston-Salem right now. The excitement is building and I'm probably much more nervous than Melissa. My giddiness probably shows in my writing!
We'll check back in later.
Family are starting to arrive. Grandparents Palmisano are here. Melissa's parents should be in town in a few hours (they were in Greenville, SC visiting with Matt, Jennifer & Bise). My Mom is leaving Winston-Salem right now. The excitement is building and I'm probably much more nervous than Melissa. My giddiness probably shows in my writing!
We'll check back in later.
7/11 - 6:30 pm -Baby is almost here!
So, we're in the hospital now. Melissa's water broke around 2 pm. She called me around 3:15 (I was in class). She called the doctor and called me back. The doctor said to come on in to the hospital. By the time I got home and we got here, it was around 5:15 pm.
They confirmed her water break and said that we were here to stay. After a few phone calls (I made them, Melissa stayed put), we got all checked into the room (Room 232 at Rex Birthing Center).
Melissa still wasn't having contractions, so they've started the poticin to induce contractions (as of now, she's starting to have some mild ones. They say 12-24 hours after the poticin starts, but as Daryl told me, it's out of our control and up to the kid from here on!
I will try to update every few hours, so long as Melissa doesn't kill me!
They confirmed her water break and said that we were here to stay. After a few phone calls (I made them, Melissa stayed put), we got all checked into the room (Room 232 at Rex Birthing Center).
Melissa still wasn't having contractions, so they've started the poticin to induce contractions (as of now, she's starting to have some mild ones. They say 12-24 hours after the poticin starts, but as Daryl told me, it's out of our control and up to the kid from here on!
I will try to update every few hours, so long as Melissa doesn't kill me!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Induction date set
Well, the OB office called this morning and scheduled me for induction the night of Tuesday, July 15th. I might get a call from the hospital at 6:00 pm or at 11:00 pm so who knows when I will actually arrive at the hospital and be induced. This of course is all based on no initiation by the baby before then.
Jason is convinced the baby is coming this weekend, either Friday or Saturday, but I think it is wishful thinking on his part since he has class Friday and Saturday afternoons and would love an excuse to miss some or all of it! Already using this kid as an excuse to get out of things!
Will update if anything changes before the 15th, otherwise, will post pictures as soon as we can function!
Jason is convinced the baby is coming this weekend, either Friday or Saturday, but I think it is wishful thinking on his part since he has class Friday and Saturday afternoons and would love an excuse to miss some or all of it! Already using this kid as an excuse to get out of things!
Will update if anything changes before the 15th, otherwise, will post pictures as soon as we can function!
Monday, July 7, 2008
No Baby Yet...
Still no baby yet. We had another appointment this morning and all looks great with both Melissa and the baby. The doctors say there is no reason to be concerned and that, if the baby doesn't come on its own, they will induce at 42 weeks, which is Wednesday, July 16th. We will continue to update this site, so stay tuned.
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