2 Months of Jack Hudson

June 12, 2016

Weight: 12.1 lbs (57%)

Height: 23.75" (73%)

Diaper Size: 1 

Clothing Size: 0-3 and 3 months

  

Feeding: Eating every 3-4 hours during the day. Mostly nursing, though takes the occasional bottle if we are out and about. I have been much better about pumping this time around and have quite the stash building in our deep freezer. Eats 6-7 times per day. 

Sleeping: As always, we do our best to follow the eat/wake sleep cycle per Babywise. He still struggles with napping during the day. He falls asleep but doesn't always stay asleep until his next feeding. A lot of time he wakes after an hour then spends an hour rotating between fussing/sleeping until I get him up for his next feeding. He only naps swaddled in his crib. He is doing well at night. We do a bath every evening followed by a little lotion massage. He eats around 7:30 and then goes down in his crib for the night. I dream feed him around 10ish and he will sleep anywhere from 5-7 hours followed by another 4. Only having to wake once in the middle of the night is a total game changer. I am considering dropping the dream feed but can't decide if he is ready or not. He doesn't like to sleep anywhere but his crib or out and about in his car seat. I got a Lillie baby carrier and he will at nap in there or our arms in the evenings which is definitely a must otherwise he is a fussy Gus in the evenings! 

Loves his swaddle

Milestones: Lots of smiles! My favorite :) He makes eye contact and lights up when he sees me first thing in the morning and occasionally through out the day. Starting to coo but not super often. Rolls over from tummy to back during tummy time about half the time. Tolerates tummy time much better than his sister did. Just now starting to bat at his toys on his playmat.

Loves: Not much has changed since last month: walks in the stroller, being held. He is super calm during bath time. His play mat.  

Dislikes: Being in his carseat when its not moving, aka stop signs, traffic and red lights (will wake from a deep sleep to cry), getting dressed after his bath. No longer takes a paci and will gag if offered.

Adventures: Not a ton this month. We like to lay low during the week when its just the two of us and typically are out and about the days big sister is home.

That chin!! Not his best angle, this picture had me cracking up!

What we couldn't live without: Swaddles, sound machine, his bunny.

Swaddled and snuggled up next to his bunny

Macy Jane at 4 years

My sweet spunky Macy Jane turned 4 last month and I want to capture this moment in time, because it is so sweet. I really don't want to miss a single detail. Like how she will only sleep in sweet princess gowns, her long lanky legs, or how she blurts out, "Mommy, I love you!"15 times a day. She is pure sugar and gold and if Jack is half as good and sweet she is at 4, we are lucky parents.

She weighs 36.4 lbs (62%) and is 42.76" (95%).

FOUR!

Now having another baby with a totally different personality, I can tell her personality has shined since she was born. She is outgoing, happy, and full of life. Still doesn't know a stranger and when we go anywhere, she will ask, "who will I play with?" and I always respond, "I don't know honey, you will have to find someone." And don't worry, she always does, even if its the nanny to two shy girls at the park down the street she convinced to play an umpteen amount of Hide and Seek games with her the other evening. 

4 year check up

She is super curious and no detail goes unnoticed. I am starting to turn the channel when the news is on because she asks about the news stories which a lot of time include violence or dark things, etc. She very much understands the concept of death (as much as she can at this age) and asks often about my mom. She says she is disappointed that she never got to meet her, and I cry a mixture of happy and sad tears every time. She is observant of her surroundings and asks approximately 4,298 questions per day. Phew. She talks nonstop. Like NONstop and sometimes mommy has her play the "quiet game" where we can see who can go the longest with out saying anything. I said the other day that we needed to play because I was getting a headache and she said, "what's a headache?" Oy. 

After her school dance recital

She loves Jesus and I can only pray this continues to grow over time. She randomly blurts out "Mom, Jesus is the light of the world, the King, and God's son!" But also asks a lot of questions about why he died, how is he alive but also in heaven because that is where people go when they die, and when will she will get to meet him. She went through a period of time every time we passed a cross she would ask, "Is that the cross Jesus died on?" All questions that take me by surprise and are actually pretty tough to answer. She will go to her first vacation bible school next week and she is so excited. We have been listening to the CD of kid's worship music they sent and she is obsessed. I have also caught her singing her own worship songs she makes up on her own with very accurate material ("Jesus you live up high in heaven and I'll meet you when I'm really olllllldddd")

First pedicure for her bday!

She is so smart. Still has a memory of an elephant. She can write her name, mom, dad, and loves to draw. She is recognizing more words by sight as well. She has a lot of room to grow in this area as far as reading and writing go but her foundational reasoning and memory skills are so good that I know when the time comes she will be a pro. 

Little mama

She is a great sleeper but dropped her midday nap. If she does nap, she is up later at night, so I am totally fine with the earlier bedtime. She is becoming more of a picky eater, but loves to eat healthy things. Her favorite are raspberries, almonds, and cottage cheese. 

Playing in our front yard

She listens well and responds to discipline. She, like any other 4 year old, does get in trouble for disobeying but just like when she was 2, you can have a reasonable conversation with her about her actions with out the need for spanking. Every once in awhile she can get overly emotional (Kyle and I say "she's on her period again") but it is few and far in between. Lately she has been recognizing her feelings, saying things like "Mom I am so mad at you right now!" And say she is "sad at me" when I discipline her. 

With her Brother Bear

She has handled our transition to a family of 4 beautifully. She loves her brother so much but isn't smothering and has not once shown a sign of jealousy. He is the perfect piece to our puzzle. I really think the age gap has helped that and she is so loved that it pours over onto her brother. Her and her daddy are the best of friends, and a lot of time she prefers him over me to do things like put her to bed or push her on the swing. They have their own hand shakes, inside jokes, and special songs they sing together. It is a definite blessing since I am so busy with her baby brother. 

Helping daddy accessorize 

I love her confidence when she walks in to the room. Whether its in her own ability to complete a task or to walk up to someone she doesn't know, I really hope it never fades. 

Queen of the castle!

Her favorite toys include Legos- which she is sooo good at! She looks at the instructions and builds them independently. She also loves play doh, "watching games" aka watching other people play with toys on YouTube, playing dress up, hide and seek, and imagination with her dolls/figures, etc. 

I asked her a few questions I saw floating around Facebook and here are her answers:

1. What is your name? Macy Jane Regal
2. How old are you? 4
3. How old is daddy? 16 (29)
4. How old is mommy? 19 (30, I guess she knows I am the older one)
5. What is your favorite color? Pink and purple
6. What is your favorite food? Mac n cheese (I'd add the above listed, plus she can dominate Chick fil A chicken nuggets -with ranch, of course)
7. Who is your best friend? Hanky and Nora and Kate
8. What is your favorite song? Lava song (the short film by Disney, her and her daddy sing it as duet and its the sweetest thing in the entire world)
9. What is your favorite animal? Horses
10. What are you scared of? Tigers (I laughed at this one, random)
11. What makes you happy? Mommy and daddy (aww)
12. Where is your favorite place to go? The museum (The Children's museum)
13. What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina (another random answer)
14. What is your mommy's favorite thing to do? Go to work
15. What is your daddy's favorite thing to do? Be silly

1 month of Jack Hudson

May 12,  2016

Weight: 10lbs* (48%)

 *what the what? I was shocked, sooo big! But to be fair, he was dressed and had soiled diaper. But still.

Height: 21.75 inches (45%)

 

Diaper Size: Newborns, though we just opened our last package so he will be in 1s any day.

Clothing Size: Still in newborn, but some of his outfits/sleepers are a little short for him. He's still swimming in size 0-3 months though. I can't wait until he gets a little bigger because he's had some cah-ute summer clothes! 

 

Feeding: Pretty much eating every 3 hours on the dot around the clock. Nurses well with out issue. He has also taken several bottles of pumped milk like a champ. Can't decide if he likes a paci. Uses it mostly during the day at nap time, otherwise we don't offer and he doesn't seem to mind. I can tell he is either going to be a finger or thumb sucker once he is coordinated to do so.

Sleeping: Still inconsistent in this department. I'm TRYING to instil the eat/wake/sleep cycle, which for the most part he follows. However, he is a horrible napper during the day. He will fall asleep but not stay asleep so there is a lot of intervening with the paci/rocking/shushing. He does well at night, he goes down right away and stays asleep, however he is still waking up every 3 hours to eat. We've gotten a few 4-5 hour stretches but nothing consistent quite yet. For the first 4 weeks he slept in his rock and play. He has been in his room since his first week home (he was in our room about 4-5 nights, I can't remember exactly). He is now in his crib at night and takes naps in either his crib or rock and play. His best naps are in his car seat when we are out and about or the occasional nap in my arms.  

Sweet swaddled baby in his crib at nap time. 

Milestones: Being born! Lost his umbilical cord when he was 12 days old and had his first bath with big sister that evening. Sleeping in his crib (we didn't move Macy until she was 10 weeks old!). He is also starting to give some social smiles and hold eye contact longer. 

First bath with sister!

Loves: Long car rides, walks in the stroller. Being held. 

Dislikes: Taking naps, getting dressed after bath time, diaper changes.

Adventures: A ton! We have been on the go since the day we got home from the hospital. We went to the zoo on his 1 week birthday, and have been back a few times since. He's been out to eat countless times, to church, and a couple birthday parties. Of course, he has slept through basically all of it but he was there!

First day back at church when Jack was 2.5 weeks old. Macy proudly wore her "big sister" shirt.

What we couldn't live without: Swaddles, gas drops, paci, sound machine 

Macy is OBSESSED with her baby brother!

What a first month! As cliche as this sounds, I literally can't remember what life was like before little brother came along. The first two weeks were pure bliss. I was running off adrenaline and just so freaking happy to not be pregnant anymore (because we all know I HATED being pregnant). He was also the easiest baby ever and sleeping like a champ. He was only waking up once a night around 3am and was a sleepy newborn during they day. At exactly his 2 week mark, things changed. He was much more awake during the day and also woke up every 3 hours at night to eat. I wasn't good with making myself rest or take naps and by week 3 I was riding shotgun on the struggle bus. The exhaustion and physical/emotional fatigue hit me like a ton of bricks. I was weepy and frustrated for about a week. Kyle was so good and always aware of my needs. He took the 10 pm and 2 am feedings for me a couple nights and that allowed me to catch back up and get to ground zero. Jack also gave me a few nights in a row of extended sleep so that really helped too. To be honest, I can't remember a thing about what life was like when Macy was a newborn. Was it this hard? Was I this tired? I thrive so much on structure (a high "J" for all you Myers Briggs fans) so life with an unpredictable newborn is not easy. It is hard work, but I have to remind myself this is my sole "job" right now. I have to help him learn to nap and sleep well. Eventually he will get the hang of it, just like Macy did. Even so, having a new baby is just the sweetest thing and he couldn't be loved any more!

I could stare at this photo all day!!

How I'm spending my maternity leave.

Trying to clean my closet out with my little helper. It only took me 10 hours to complete. 

Welcome Jack Hudson

I love reading Macy's birth story, and anyone's for that matter, so I wanted to make sure and write down Jack's before I forget it! 

It's no surprise I was super anxious for the day to come. Before my OB went on vacation we discussed the possibility of me getting induced given my history. She said she would obviously only do it if my body was ready, but that she was definitely open to it after I was 39 weeks. At my 39 week appointment Friday April 8 I saw a different OB who checked me and said I was 2 cm, low, and "definitely ready" for an induction. She put me down for Tuesday the 12th since that would be the first time my OB would be on call back from her vacation. I was actually put on a wait list because the maternity unit already had their max amount of inductions scheduled that day. The OB told me that there is always someone who goes before their induction date so I should be able to go then, but I wouldn't know until Monday. Ugh, of course I hated not knowing/being able to plan. Over the weekend I got ZERO sleep and was up with contractions through out the night that would go away during they day. Even though it was 32 degrees and snowing (literally) on Saturday we went to the mall and the Zoo that day. I HAD to get out and walk. I ended up losing my mucus plug that day which left me on pins and needles thinking labor could come at any time. Monday finally rolled around and by 1pm I got the call that there was an opening for induction the next day. Ahh! Of course I agreed but as soon as I hung up the phone I immediately started doubting it. Was I rushing this by having an induction? Was this what was best for the baby? But, prior to getting that call, I had spent an hour in quiet time with God praying through this pregnancy and delivery, and asking for peace and patience. I felt like God had been with me through this all and to trust the process. I got council from friends who reminded me my OB would not proceed if she didn't think I wasn't ready. I felt at peace and was almost numb the rest of the day. It was so weird knowing I would be meeting our baby the next day!

Surprisingly Monday night I fell asleep immediately. But around 3am I woke up and knew I was up for the day. I laid in bed and looked up scriptures and found a great blog that had prayers to recite through delivery. Finally around 5am I got up and got ready for the hospital. My brother came over around 6:30 am to be with Macy and Kyle and I were at the hospital by 7:15am.  

Last belly shot before getting hooked up.

My OB came in around 9am and checked me. I was still 2 cm and 80% effaced. She went off to clinic and told me she would be back to check me again around noon. My nurse informed me that if I plan on getting an epidural- the sooner the better. Most people ask around noon and if I wait until then there will likely be a long line since there are only 2 anesthesiologists that place them (in a 64 bed unit). I was hooked up to the pitocin around 8:30 and by 9:30 the contractions were pretty intense and I was ready for that epidural! The CRNA (nurse anesthetist) was awesome- military guy that had been doing this for 25 years. The moment the needle was going in my back I thought- wow I hope this goes ok. Its scary having something inserted into your spinal cord, but luckily all was well and I was pretty numb immediately, but could still feel the pressure from the contractions which was perfect. After that Kyle went down to hospital cafeteria to get some breakfast and I "took a nap" aka looked on my phone, read through the scriptures j has saved, and drifted in and out of sleep. Cassy arrived around 11:30 and we hung out until Kyle and my OB showed back up around noon. At that point she checked me again and I was 5 cm. As she was checking me my water broke on its own. This was about 12:25pm. She had to go to a clinic on the north side of town and told me she would come check on me after, and it would likely be time to deliver then. In my mind I was thinking the baby would be coming around 4-5pm. Once she left the room I could hear the baby's heart rate dropping with contractions. I was a little concerned but my nurse said since his heart rate recovered quickly after the contraction there was nothing to worry about. She left the room but returned 5 minutes later and said "ok time to turn to your left side and put on oxygen, I don't like what the baby's heart rate is doing". I tried not to panic and as soon she turned me to my left side I could feel a lot of pressure. She checked me again and I was 8 cm. Mind you, this was about 10 minutes after just being 5 cm! She stayed in the room with me monitoring baby's heart rate and with the next contraction I said "ok there is more pressure!" She checked me again, which I thought was weird because I was JUST 8 cm, but low and behold, I was at a 10 and ready to go. That fast. I was in shock! Within 20 minutes I went from 5 cm to 10 cm. WHAT?? Luckily my OB hadn't left the hospital yet and came back to get things going. By the time they put me in to "position" Jack man was ready to make his arrival. I was literally laughing, because I was in such shock that it progressed so quickly, and my nurse told me "you have to stop laughing, you are pushing him out!". My OB was barely ready and my nurse had to yell at her "You better turn around!" because Jack was coming. I pushed once and his head came out, then pushed again he was here. I was still awkwardly laughing when he came out because I COULD NOT BELIEVE what just happened! He was born at 1:07pm. This was absolutely NOTHING like what happened with Macy.

As soon as his head came out he was already screaming which is always the best noise you can hear. He was placed with me and eventually weighed in at 7 lbs 7.9oz and 21 1/2 inches long. He latched right away and ended up nursing for an hour and half (ouch). 

Macy's twin, for real!

Angel baby, minutes old 

Immediate skin on skin action.

I was up and moving within an hour or so after he was born. I did have a pretty significant tear but the pain was manageable. The visitor restriction hadn't been lifted yet, but would be by the next day. So it was just Kyle, Jack and I the first night. It was nice. I nursed him every 3 hours and sent him to the nursery at night to try and get some sleep in between feedings.

Later in the day, By this time I was exhausted

On Wednesday Kyle left and picked Macy up from school. She was SO excited to meet Baby Brother! She kept squealing "he's so cute!" but surprisingly didn't want to hold him. She spent a few hours with us in our suite but wasn't sad to head home to her mamaw's afterward.

A genuine shot of her excitement. Love my 2 babies!!

Thanks to all who prayed with and for me through out all of this. Literally, every single one of my prayer requests were answered! I was able to delivery vaginally with my OB, Jack and I are both healthy, and Macy got to come to the hospital! Seriously- praise Jesus for all of these answered prayers! 

Brother (Jack's only name around the house) is now 2 weeks old and we are settled in nicely at home. This has been much easier the second time around. He is such a joy and I am just so happy to not be pregnant anymore and have this angel baby in my arms!

I see the light!

I see the light! As in, this baby is going to be here SOON. Knowing this has really changed my perspective on everything. Even though I am still just as huge and uncomfortable, everything seems to be less miserable because I know the end is near. I am 38 wks 4 days now. I had an ultrasound last week and once again, the baby looked great and the fibroid hasn't changed. He is estimated at 7 lbs 15 oz already (Lord, help me). But I know this can be off as much as a pound, so I am holding on to that truth. It has been SUCH  a blessing to make it this far with out that stupid thing (the fibroid, not the baby) causing any issues. Praise you Jesus! There was so much unknown and so much my OB had to prepare me for, all the what-ifs that never occurred, and I am so happy to have a healthy 38.5 week old baby! Obviously there is still a HUGE mountain to come with delivery, but I am so happy this pregnancy has gone as well as it has. ( I can say this only hindsight, right?)

So what is 38 weeks looking like? I feel like I am getting some energy back which is nice. I am so huge and starting to retain a lot water, as told by my huge swollen feet at the end of the days. Guys, cankles are sexy. Only a select few of my maternity clothes are still comfortable. The rest have already been put up and said goodbye to forever. Our bags are packed and ready to go! I keep adding stuff to baby boy's bag, its kind of getting out of control. It doesn't look like the visitor restriction is going to be lifted due to an increase in flu admissions, so I feel like I want to be prepared with things to do, like a few photo shoots, haha.  Every shower I take I make sure to shave my legs because I can't help but feel like it may be my last. I make sure to pick up the house really well before bed each night, just in case. Maybe it is just hopeful wishing to do this every night, but I am glad to have that energy back to be doing it! 

Here are a few pics of life lately:

The sweetest 3.75 year old you ever saw! Fun photo shoot outside with my new camera

My foot at the end of the work day. Try not to gag.

Girl's lunch followed by a mani/pedi

Spent HOURS with Cassy cooking one day filling up my freezer

Sweet little celebration at a work meeting last week

My LOVES on Easter! Can't wait for that baby to be in my arms, not my belly!

Prayer Requests

"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." John 16:21

I am finally taking the time to update this thing on what is going on. I had an ultrasound at week 34 to check on the baby and the fibroid. Baby looks great, actually slowed down in size. At week 29 he was measuring ahead, but this past time he was right on track/just a tad smaller, in the 45th percentile. The fibroid isn't growing and continually seems to be "out of the way".  I had a long talk with my OB about what I can expect with the delivery and after about an hour long conversation I walked equally confused/anxious/relieved. It's hard to explain. What it comes down to, is I need to trust God in the process. I need to remember He loves me, He loves this baby. And all I can do is pray, and ask for prayers as these final weeks approach.

Prayer Requests:
1. That I could have a vaginal birth. There is a high risk for a "dysfunctional" labor due to the fibroid, and the inability of my uterus to contract enough to get the baby out. This puts me at a greater risk for c-section. The issue with having a c-section is that I am at high risk for a hysterectomy due to the fibroid.
2. IF I have to have a c-section, that I would not have to have a hysterectomy. Having a hysterectomy would obviously be devastating, as this means my child bearing years would officially be over. But this is something I have known I am risk for since the beginning... so in a way, my heart is being prepared for this. What also comes with a hysterectomy though, is risk for hemorrhage, need for blood transfusions, and a higher mortality rate. Not to mention a longer recovery.
3. That I would go in to labor with my OB being in town. Did I mention she will be on spring break April 2-9? I feel like we are on the same page with a plan, as much of one we can have, and my anxiety would go through the roof if I had to experience all of this with someone I've never met. Oy.
4. That the visitor restriction would be lifted. Currently most hospitals around the city have limited visitors right now due to heightened flu admissions. This means Macy would not be able to come to the hospital at all if I were to be there during the restriction. This would be devastating to me, especially if I have surgery and have to be in for awhile.
5. That ultimately, the baby would arrive safely and would be healthy. And that I would be healthy too so I can be the best mom and wife I can be.
5. My anxiety. Remember to turn to God. To pray.

I remember hearing the above verse from John one week at church awhile back. And even though it refers to the pain of childbirth itself, I can really relate it to my entire pregnancy. The pain, the fatigue, the nausea, the growing body, the anxiety. But all that fades the moment your baby arrives. And its worth it, so worth it. I think its totally normal, and OK, to not enjoy being pregnant. It doesn't make you less grateful or that you love your baby any less. It's not like moms who say "I don't' like that my baby doesn't sleep through the night" love their baby any less either. There are parts to this that are hard. And continue to be hard even after the baby comes. There's the notion that marriage is sanctifying, but I have always said, there is nothing more sanctifying than being a parent. To be a parent is the closest picture of Jesus I know. To love with out reprieve, to love no matter what you get in return, to serve with out being served in return. This kind of love starts the moment you find out your pregnant and continues on until eternity.

In other news. We are ready for this baby. Like nursery done, clothes washed, and hospital bags are packed. Can you tell I am anxious to get this over with it? Haha, but for real. Jack any day, K? Here are a few shots from recent times.

A shot of his crib and monogram in his nursery

Me and the hubs at my baby sprinkle

I should really avoid wearing stripes in public. You don't even want to know some of the comments I got wearing this shirt the other night. 

GD: How it's going

Well it has been 1 month since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and I'm happy to say it hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had my 4 week follow up with the endocrinologist yesterday, and he was so happy with how things looked, I don't need to see him again until after the baby arrives. Which means no insulin for me- an answered prayer for sure! I still have to regularly check my blood sugar levels and inform him if something changes, but I am thinking that shouldn't be an issue.

It took a few days of researching good meal plans/snacks/lots of label reading in the stores, but once the foundational work was done, the rest has been easy. I am checking a fasting blood sugar when I wake and up and 1 hr after each meal. I am eating a morning and mid afternoon snack. I try to stick to no more than 30g of carbs at any given time. I have really been focused on high protein meals as well. I am not counting calories or worrying about fat grams, so bring on the extra cheese! (a new concept for me) If there is any silver lining to all of this, its that I haven't gained any weight this month, in fact I've actually lost 3lbs. Having to watch what I eat and not letting this pregnancy be an excuse to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, has been a blessing. I am really hoping to hold on to these good habits post partum, since diet has always been my downfall in my weight loss efforts. Always.

Examples of what I am eating:
Breakfast: Low carb english muffin with eggs and cheese. If I'm feeling fancy I'll add bacon and/or avocado. If I am running late I'll just eat a protein bar.
Morning snack: Low sugar greek yogurt, fruit and cheese, or PB and apple
Lunch: Grilled chicken salads, low carb wraps, or leftovers from the night prior
Afternoon snack: Cottage cheese with tomatoes, almonds and cheese, or PB and celery
Dinner: Spaghetti squash, bun-less turkey burgers, sausage and peppers, or something boring like chicken and veggies

It really hasn't been bad. I have eaten about a jar of PB a week. No kidding. And I don't hate it. At night before bed I typically have a sugar free popsicle to feel like I am getting SOMEthing "sweet" in for the day. It works =)

These seem to be the best bang for my buck as far as high protein low carb. Taste is SO-SO but they do the trick!

Tuna salad with egg whites and greek yogurt to up my protein. Served with Trader Joe's plantain chips

Cottage cheese, tomatoes and avocado. With my FAVE no calorie drink

Swapped out my usual chai tea latte for an unsweetened green tea.

Out to eat at Red Robin, Their lettuce bun did not disappoint!