My Baby Journal
Okay, well maybe not EVER… I’m not just going to write “I had a baby” and call it a day. Though, there are just some things that are not meant to be shared with internet land. In fact, I think I’m suffering from post traumatic stress based on that whole labor and delivery thing. It’s a ridiculous process. How did people do this before modern medicine?! So — here’s a pretty vague description of my overall “easy” labor… though at the time I didn’t think it was that easy but I do know I was lucky.
Anyway. I was induced at 38 weeks and 1 day. In my mind I thought “Isn’t this early?” but I’m not a doctor and trusted her opinion. She basically just said if I wanted any chance at having this baby the ol’ fashioned way he had to come early. His growth ultrasound placed him at 8 pounds and if we waited until I went into labor naturally she was thinking I would end up with a C section. I totally believe her now just because it was quite the task getting him out and he only weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces.
We went to the hospital on Sunday, August 26th. I had a fabulous salad at Wendy’s beforehand — I tried to stuff myself since I had no idea when I would eat again. We checked in and were brought back. It was pretty surreal since I had never really been to a hospital nor had I been a patient in recent memory. It was certainly…creepy? I don’t know. It was weird.
I was hooked up to the monitors and given cervidil. Ick. They gave me an Ambien too which I eventually took and it DID NOT put me to sleep. I felt drowsy, sure, but I did not fall asleep. I had to pee like every thirty minutes so I had to get up, unplug myself, and go. It was quite possibly the worst night of sleep I had ever had in my life and definitely not something I want to repeat again any time soon. I prayed for morning to come fast and it did and I was thrilled. They checked me out, started Pitocin, gave me the epidural (I somehow got it pretty early, I never even felt a contraction), and then it was party time. I laid in bed and watched bad reality TV. I played Words with Friends. I tweeted. I napped briefly.
At around 3pm the nurse said I was READY. FINALLY at 8:04pm Cannon made his appearance and I started shivering like a sick person. I was in la la land because I was feeling all weird and shivering and I couldn’t really see what was going on with the baby. Sure, they put him directly on me at first but then took him away for a few minutes. Scott took some pictures now and I peeked next to my bed at the baby getting all weighed and stuff.
So… what did baby look like right after birth?{Note: He looks SO different already from this photo!}
Well — he had a ridiculous cone head. His entry into the world was clearly difficult! His head had some bruising/scabs. Gross.
I’ll post more about our hospital stay soon — but if you have any questions about being induced or want more graphic details let me know… induction wasn’t as scary as I had thought and the process — overall — was painless… I just did have my “moment” of intense this-is-the-worst-pain-ever-cut-this-baby-out-of-me during labor. It definitely made me rethink the idea of having more children and going through this more than once… but I suppose I’ve already forgotten about the gory details and wouldn’t mind doing it all over again. Just not any time soon. For reals.
Not now — but after the baby was born — we stayed in the hospital for 48 hours. It was… an experience. Between nurses coming in and out all day long to the various randoms (hearing test, photographer, pediatrician, etc.), I literally think we slept like two hours. The baby was behaving pretty well, he did sleep a little bit. He wasn’t a strong breast feeder so I met with lactation consultants the entire time we were there. He always did so well with them around but when it was just me and him … no so much.
I thought it was a nice service that the hospital had someone to come around and take photos… while they were definitely overpriced at least my husband whipped out his camera at the same time to take similar shots!
Though … I did buy ONE picture from this shoot. It didn’t have the option of being digital so I just have prints, but this is the picture:
It’s great having a husband whose job is to take pictures, but then he ends up not being in any of the photos … this is the only picture we have of the three of us thus far (we took a few others but the lighting was kind of terrible so it doesn’t count).
This is one that I didn’t buy that the hospital photographer took– it’s so cute! I might have to later on down the road. His cheeks were so big the day after he was born!
After taking pictures, eating hospital food for too long, and unsuccessfully breastfeeding — it was time to get discharged. We had our car seat inspected and got the all clear from my doctor and the pediatrician to GO HOME. The husband, above, was totally READY and very anxious to get home. We had to introduce the puppies to our new lil guy!
A lot of people, myself included, put a lot of thought into the “going home outfit” for a new baby. I ended up just putting him in this little onesie. Nothing too crazy.
Party on.
Our lil’ guy isn’t so little anymore. He’s now over a month old and growing ridiculously fast. I can’t believe I have a baby – let alone a one month. Time really does fly…eh? The transition has been pretty easy, it helps when you have a supportive husband who can do some work from home. It was nice since we both have been around a lot.
I returned to work and while it has been the suck — it was nice to get out of the house for a bit. I immediately regret feeling that way just because my work situation has totally taken a nosedive. Can I just go like work at Target and play in the clearance aisles? That sounds fun. We also have been lucky so far in that one of us can always be with the baby even though we both are working. No day care for us…let’s hope we can do this for awhile until he’s older!
Weight: 10.2lb. His birth weight was 7lbs, 11 oz but he dropped to 6.9lb quickly with the jaundice. It is nice to see him plumping up.
Height: 21.5 inches. His birth length was 21 inches but our pediatrician thinks that was because his head was massive.
Head: 14.8
Nickname: I just call him chubby or a monster, LOL. He gurgles and grunts ALL the time so that’s why I just say to him that he’s a monster.
Looks Like: At birth, I thought he looked like me! Now he is starting to favor Scott.
Pacifier: Sometimes. He gets fussy in the evening and it’s the only way to calm him down.
Sleeping: He’s not doing SO bad during the night, but it could be better. He is a champion napper but at night he wants to stay up and party until about midnight. He will sleep and then wake up at about 3am and then 7am. Everyone suggested a book called “Moms on Call” to help with a sleep schedule and I can’t wait to start it. First, I need to clean out his crib so we can start putting him in there at night. He currently sleeps in our room in a bassinet. Finally. He HATED that thing at first and only wanted to be in his Rock n Play. Also–Rock n Play is the one baby gear item that has saved our sanity. He seems to love it.
Clothing: The newborn stuff is just getting too SHORT on him now. I guess it’s time to pack it away. Luckily we didn’t have too many Newborn items since I knew he wouldn’t be in them long.
Diapers: In size 1s and we have learned that not all diapers are created equal. For the newborn sizes I really liked Pampers and always was getting peed on when he had Huggies on. Yes, peed on. Often. The store brands–Walmart, Target–were just fine. Luvs is okay too.
Adventures
Cannon has been on several Target trips, got “newborn” photos taken [not really since he was almost a month old!], visited to beach twice, his first restaurant, and has been on several strolls around the neighborhood. He seems to fall asleep instantly in his carseat/stroller. He’s a very good baby and we have no issues with taking him out!
We have had several visitors from our families to some of my friends! I think people are still surprised that we had a baby. We are basically the first to do so in our group of friends.
Fun Facts
I swear he is smiling now.
He doesn’t really like having his diaper changed.
He is going to be a thumb sucker. He LOVES sucking his hands…
…His hands also have to be by his head at all times.
He doesn’t like being swaddled.
Looking Ahead: Mommy & Daddy actually are going to a REAL night out — without baby — for the first time this weekend. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
& one more, just for fun…
My favorite.
{I have been saving this in drafts for a while — Cannon is actually THREE months today! Though, here’s a 2 month recap to stay up to date}
Life certainly passes you by when you have an infant in the house! Days mesh together, Fridays feel like Mondays, To Do Lists never get done.
It’s been exhausting, fun, busy, sleepless, but also restful. Sometimes I get 8 hours of sleep — that’s AWESOME for me.
So, here we go, TWO MONTHS!
Eating: Hard to gauge. All day long! Some days he acts like he is hungry and wants 6-8oz… and other days he eats 4oz at a time.
Playing: A little bit here and there. He would bat at the hanging toys on his mat… he laughs and tries to talk to you!
Firsts: “talking,” Halloween, night away from mommy & daddy, tried the Ergo out (HE HATES IT SO FAR… wah!), first time in the Bumbo… again, he’s not a big fan.
Pacifier:Sometimes but not really.
Sleeping:He got into a good schedule of sleeping from about 9-10 and going through until about 5am. Lucky us!
Clothing: He is definitely 3-6 months sized now. The 0-3 month stuff stopped fitting pretty early on. 😉
Diapers: He just moved up to a size 2!
Adventures
We have had several visitors from our families to some of my friends! I think people are still surprised that we had a baby. We are basically the first to do so in our group of friends.
Fun Facts
He seems ticklish! It’s fun to watch.
He sticks out his tongue and giggles — it’s adorable.
I love that it’s getting colder outside… I love putting him in baby jeans and sweats!
Looking Ahead: Cannon’s first Christmas! 🙂
I seem to be keeping with the trend of always updating a month behind. Oh well, life happens!
Cannon actually turned 4 months old on the 27th — but here is his 3 month update. My mind is a little foggy so in the future when I go back to reference these… I am not entirely sure what happened last month, what happened this month. It’s a total blur. 😉
Eating: He has been eating ever 3 hours or so. Pretty consistent there.
Pacifier: Never.
Sleeping: He has been getting better — going to bed earlier now … maybe 8 or 9 and sometimes making it through until 5, 6, or 7!
Clothing: He is definitely 3-6 months sized now and some 6-9 month stuff.
Diapers:Wearing a size 2 for now!
Adventures
CHRISTMAS. That’s an adventure in itself.
Fun Facts
He is just a big ball of energy. He will grab at my hair and yank. He will kick his legs and roll over on his mat. He will stand up on your legs when you hold his hands and he smiles all proud. It’s pretty cute.
We are just flying through his first year – it’s insane! I am lucky that I got a *squeeze* in a post today… Cannon is already asleep. He must have been tired!
He changes so much every day. He is chatty, feisty, and GRABBY. He’s constantly tugging at my hair, necklace, face. Whatever he can get his hands on.
Likes: His playmat and tummy time! He LOVES to be on his stomach all day long – rolling and playing. He is a fan of his Fisher Price car and pushes it and tries to get it to play music. He is starting to notice the TV screen, my iPhone screen, etc. and diverts his attention to whatever is happening on those! He is generally a happy-go-lucky baby and his mood has certainly improved compared to the last update where he was fussy ALL.THE.TIME. He is generally content and now that is kind of mobile, he doesn’t get as pissed when we put him down to play independently.
Dislikes: Being alone. He has a general distaste for nap time since he refuses to sleep during the day (and if he does it doesn’t last long).
Eating: Every 3-4 hours or so a solid 8oz! We have tried rice cereal with him a few times too. He actually seems like he might be enjoying it!
Weight: At his 4 month visit he was nearly 16 pounds.
Height: I think it was 26 inches!
Sleeping: Joy of JOYS! He goes to sleep somewhere between 7 & 9pm and is up somewhere betwee 5 & 7am.Clothing: Slowly transitioning to the 6-9 month stuff. The 3-6 month stuff “fits” but not as well as the larger size.
Diapers: We are down to our last box of size 2. We use size 3 at night. After this box, he is definitely going to be a size 3.
Adventures
We took a trip downtown for the fireworks and he stayed up way past his bedtime! 😉
Fun Facts
He likes to blow bubbles.
Oh baby … look how you’ve grown!
Our little guy is six months old. Everyone always says “how fast they grow” but it’s true. You don’t really know until you experience it.
I’m terrible and forgot to do a five month recap … so he is everything I can remember jumbled into one post.
He can crawl — kind of. He just drags his legs behind but he can MOVE from one side of the room to the other. Carpet is best and he can really take off. We have tile so it’s a little harder, but when he is at Grandma’s he is really moving.
He can sit up for a little before toppling over. I took out the infant insert in his tub to see how it would work … it was successful.
He “talks” more and more now… basically variations of “da da da da da da da” or “ma ma ma ma ma ma ma.” Who know if he actually know dad and mom but it sounds cute.
He loves to blow bubbles and will copy you if you blow raspberries at him!
His last appointment, his six month checkup, he weighed in at 17 pounds and 4 ounces.
He LOVES to eat. I had no idea how fast he would transition into eating three meals a day plus all of his bottles. Sweet potatoes are the easiest thing for me to feed him…he eats those quickest. Peas were not very fun for him … but everything else has been easy. Around four months we started giving him rice cereal and it was okay … he didn’t seem interested. Now, he is loving it. He will try to grab the spoon and feed himself but that ends up being a big mess. The first actual “food” we gave him was
apples followed by bananas and sweet potatoes.
He has a tooth … and it’s sharp. Friday night he took my hand and decided to chomp and my finger and it was painful! He hasn’t been acting like he has been “teething” so I hope this is a good sign.
Likes: His jumper. If you are debating between getting n exersaucer, a jumper, or nothing … get a JUMPER!! HE likes his exersaucer too, but nothing compares to how he goes CRAZY in his jumper. We have the Baby Einstein jumper and I found it at Salvation Army for $12. Hooray!
Sleeping: He goes down at about 7:30pm and gets up anywhere from 5am to 8am… today he got up at 7:45am and it was glorious!
Clothing: I have packed away everything 0 – 6 months. He is in 6 – 9 months but even some of that is kind of tight. Basically he is wearing everything we have left in his closet… haha. The Gerber 12 month onesies are sized much smaller so he can fit in those too!
Diapers: Size 3
Adventures: We have done tons of things since I last updated at 4 months! We explored Downtown for New Year’s Eve, tons of mall trips, a few walks on the beach, and now our next big adventure … moving!
Seven Months. Talk about a change. Not only in his behavior but his sleeping habits too. Life has certainly been challenging the past few weeks! Just look at that face though …
He’s already a handful! 😉 He’s so energetic! He likes to wake up at 5am which I would love to change … any suggestions?! He went to bed last night at like 8:30 so I know he doesn’t go to bed too early.
How many days at daycare does it take to get violently ill?
A day and a half.
Likes: Crawling around independently…and by crawling I mean the army guy scoot! He hates being confined in a jumper, play pen, or fenced in area. Talk about frustrating! He lasts a few minutes before getting cranky.
Sleeping: Usually 7:30pm. Maybe 8pm. His new trend is waking up at 5am. Again, not sure how this working mom thing works but this is h.a.r.d.
Clothing: I’ve been letting him wear his 12 month t-shirts — still a little big — but they fit. I haven’t gone kiddie clothes shopping in a while, so we are down to the last few items that were gifted or bought when I was pregnant! Clothes go fast!
Diapers: Holding strong in the size 3’s
Adventures: We MOVED. How’s that for an adventure. Moving + Child+ New Job + Daycare. Oy. This month is sure to give me a heart attack. I just don’t know how to GET READY for work! I know that sounds silly, but he is just very demanding of my time in the morning. How do I brush my hair and shower? I can’t seem to put him anywhere without a meltdown.
As for HAPPY adventures … POOL time! We had fun in the pool this weekend – he seems to love it!
I want to write this on Monday, but it didn’t happen. I’ve been kind of mad at my computer and needed a break. I get very frustrated when things (like computers!) don’t work like they should, so I just stepped away for a few days.
Either way! Cannon is eight months old and we celebrated my first “real” Mother’s Day (we celebrated last year too but this time Cannon got to enjoy too!). It’s amazing how fast time flies and sometimes I feel like I’m just going through the motions. I’ll wake up Monday morning and all of a sudden snap out of my trance and realize it’s Friday night. I’m trying to slow down and enjoy the days as they come, but between my mandatory 8 hours of sleep (or else I’m a monster) and my long days at work … things just go by in a big blur.
Some mornings I will look at Cannon and say … WHY IS HE SO HUGE?! How did that happen!?
Likes: Eating. Puffs. Crawling everywhere. Putting things in his mouth that don’t belong there. Petting (aka pulling) the dogs. Swinging. Standing. Destroying electronics (he has snapped off the cover to our Blu ray player and pulled out the disc drive on our xbox).
Dislikes: He has been a very happy baby lately. He doesn’t fuss (much) and seems to enjoy going to daycare. He doesn’t like when I put him in his carseat and he doesn’t like when daycare is chaotic when I drop him off (I can’t just get him settled with toys if babies are crying, he likes to be held and for it to be quiet!).
Sleeping: He is out by 8pm and is up by 5am…maybe 6am. It just depends. He was waking up in the middle of the night this past week.
Clothing: 6-9 month stuff is fading fast. He’s basically wearing everything else we have!
Diapers: 3
Adventures: Swimming! We have enjoyed a few brief moments in the pool and he seems to really like it. He likes to splash and play. He likes swinging at the playground and STANDING. We have a toy that you stand and push and he seems to really be into it.
Our little man is officially nine months and what a PERSONALITY. He is growing fast and becoming a spunky little boy. He is so active, so energetic, I have no idea how I will keep up with him when he actually STARTS walking. He hasn’t even started and he is already racing around the house. He crawls swiftly and pulls himself up on all the furniture to get around.
His check up was today so for the first time in many months, I actually have his stats. This is more for me than you, but he is 29.5″ tall + 20 pounds. I thought he would weigh more and I’m surprised he is only in the 25th percentile for his weight.
Likes: PLAY TIME. All day long. He loves the toys that have balls that bounce or slide. I caught him snuggling up to his giant stuffed dog this morning. He is just so happy, he likes everything.
Dislikes: Antibiotics. He had an ear infection (in fact, HAS, just got bumped up to stronger antibiotics!), and giving him his dropper full of medicine has been challenging.
Clothing: We officially are in 12 – 18 month items. I bought a bunch of shorts that were 18 months and they seem to fit perfectly.
Diapers: 4
Adventures: Swinging! He loves the park. We haven’t gone out too much lately, but going shopping with him is getting ridiculous. He wants to stand IN the cart. He wants to play with everything on the racks. He is a handful.
Our little dude has entered into the tenth month. He is much more lively now. He claps, he basically walks (a few steps here and there every so often), and he is much more talkative. Sure, he might not be saying any REAL words, but it sounds like it. Lots of “MA” and “DA” and we swear he said one of the dog’s names. It’s possible.
As for all his vital stats – no clue. He has grown a LOT this month though. He is back at the doctor tomorrow to check on his ear infection (which he hopefully is OVER) and to get another shot. He has four teeth now and huge feet. I bought him a pair of shoes a long time ago to be his “first” pair. He is already too big for them and he isn’t even really walking. They were not newborn shoes or anything – they were a legitimate size. Oh well. They were only $4 from Target.
We had a bit of a milestone this past week. We took him to his first baseball game. It might have been a minor league game, but it was still a new activity. I was a little stressed out about taking him somewhere new. I’m used to taking him shopping. I consider Target to be our “safe place.” He can relax in the cart, watch me shop, and if he gets fussy it isn’t a big deal. There are tons of fussy babies inside Target. But, a baseball game? New territory. Do we bring a stroller? Do we carry him? Try out the Ergo? We brought the Ergo but didn’t use it. Daddy held him the majority of the time and we stretched out in the lawn before it started to pour. Of course!
Before the rain, he seemed to love all the activity. I had a bit of anxiety as there were children running around and almost fell on us a few times (the lawn was slanted so people were just tumbling). After the rain, we snuggled up top in the bleachers and waited for the fireworks.
Overall it was a success. He may have had an accident but it was easily fixed. I think we can handle big public outings!
I’m anxiously awaiting his first birthday. I cannot believe it has already been almost a year. He has grown so fast. The time has flown. When you are this busy, it is hard to really focus and take a few moments to really think. I am grateful for my little man and I cannot wait for the future with him. He already has quite the personality. He is definitely like his daddy!
My monthly recaps are always some of my highest visited and most commented posts. However, when do these stop? I am sure once he reaches a year old that his 13 month or 14 month updates will not be as nearly exciting. Perhaps I will still do a monthly parenting update on something we learned. How did you transition your blog posts after your kiddos turned a year?
My kiddo is almost a year old (EIGHT DAYS!), and I realized I needed to continue with his monthly updates. Just because I managed to (surprisingly, I might add) keep up with monthly updates, I can’t let his 11th month update slip by.
Likes: Tiny balls that he throws, tormenting the dogs, screaming, Cheerios, my iPhone, and running around the house.
Dislikes: Being put in his playpen, his NEW car seat (we upgraded to the convertible, and he is not a fan just yet).
Clothing: A few 12 month items but mostly 18 months.
Diapers: Holding steady at a size 4
Adventures: We had our beach weekend last week, he can walk for long stretches, we went to a birthday party, and he didn’t fuss, he had a few french fries, and he is trying all kinds of new foods at daycare. They feed him everything from spaghetti to pasta. He is basically a toddler.
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