Emma can roll from back to tummy now? She is now officially MOBILE! I turn my head for two seconds, and she's gone! Of course I missed the first time she rolled. I turned around and turned back and she was on her tummy! She is making up for me missing it, though. She rolls all around. I am having to get her unstuck from her crib slats, poor girl!
Emma is also babbling a lot/ It is so cute... and SO slobbery! I love it. She gets cuter and more curious every day. Her Daddy will be so happy to see her on Thursday!
Emma and I very much love our new house. We can't wait for Paul and Alpine to join us. Al lot of the unpacking is done now. Shoot! I just remembered I am supposed to be doing laundry!!!!!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Moving day
It was a piece of cake! Just a couple of complaints.
1. Why would they jumble my books up when they pack them? It makes it much harder then necessary to put them back on the shelves when they are not packed in order.
2. Why do they have to label everything in Spanish?
Other than that, I am a very happy camper. Now I just have to unpack everything, which is very difficult to do with a sad, teething, grumpy pants for a daughter. Dad came over and helped entertain Emma while the movers were at the house, and that helped a bunch. He also came back today and helped take kitchen stuff out of the box. That was a HUGE help. I can put things a way one handed while I'm holding Emma. It's getting the stuff out of the box that is hard!
Today is Mom's birthday. Dad and I went to lunch with her. I will talk more about that some other time.
Emma has something to say now. ,,,,. jn bmpok\//................
I think that means she needs her diaper changed. Emma is 5 months old today. Time sure flies!
.gigu jkd5dc trc
Emma says, "bye for now!"
1. Why would they jumble my books up when they pack them? It makes it much harder then necessary to put them back on the shelves when they are not packed in order.
2. Why do they have to label everything in Spanish?
Other than that, I am a very happy camper. Now I just have to unpack everything, which is very difficult to do with a sad, teething, grumpy pants for a daughter. Dad came over and helped entertain Emma while the movers were at the house, and that helped a bunch. He also came back today and helped take kitchen stuff out of the box. That was a HUGE help. I can put things a way one handed while I'm holding Emma. It's getting the stuff out of the box that is hard!
Today is Mom's birthday. Dad and I went to lunch with her. I will talk more about that some other time.
Emma has something to say now. ,,,,. jn bmpok\//................
I think that means she needs her diaper changed. Emma is 5 months old today. Time sure flies!
.gigu jkd5dc trc
Emma says, "bye for now!"
Monday, August 31, 2009
Grandpa's Surprise
Larry and I get to Phoenix, pick up Sam and head to Rick and Jennifer's house. Dad and Uncle Ricky are still out after golfing. Dad still has no idea Emma and I are waiting for him. Mom tells me Dad and Uncle Ricky are pulling up. Sam is holding Emma (who is napping). It's about 7PM or so. I open the door, and Dad stands there staring at me wondering how in the world I magically teleported from Colorado. It all finally clicks in his head. He has been tricked and surprised! Dad comes in and finally meets Emma for the first time. As always, Emma is sleeping!
Grandpa and Emma have been bonding since then. My 3 year old cousin, Riley, was pretty sure Emma was his baby. He even told me at one point that Emma was not my baby but was his baby. We will have to make sure the two of them visit often. He was very concerned every time she cried, and he was also confused as to why she could not run around and play with him. "Put her on the floor so she ca sit with me". "Let her down. She wants to go". i wish I had brought my video camera!
I am picking up the keys to our new house today. We are only renting for now, and for now that makes me very happy. The movers should come tomorrow or Wednesday, but I have plenty of stuff for Emma and me for the time being. Paul will be here next week, and I can't wait. I have been lucky enough to have been kept very busy, but that is coming to an end. Even though I am surrounded by family, I still miss my husband.
I spoke to my friend at NACOG and also to the director of the department I was in. Both really want me to come back, which is fantastic, because I would love to come back! As soon as I know what Paul's schedule is going to be, I will let my friend know if I can start out by coming in on Fridays. By the end of September, I should be up to two or three days a week. I am very excited. I loved the department I was in. It was the happiest I have ever been at work. Everyone truly cares about eachother, and even though I was gone for two years, every one was so happy to see me come back. They all loved Emma, and they are willing to work with meas I try to ease my way back into work. I am very thankful for friends like that!
Now to find a sitter... I feel like that will work out just as everything else has been. So we will see!
Grandpa and Emma have been bonding since then. My 3 year old cousin, Riley, was pretty sure Emma was his baby. He even told me at one point that Emma was not my baby but was his baby. We will have to make sure the two of them visit often. He was very concerned every time she cried, and he was also confused as to why she could not run around and play with him. "Put her on the floor so she ca sit with me". "Let her down. She wants to go". i wish I had brought my video camera!
I am picking up the keys to our new house today. We are only renting for now, and for now that makes me very happy. The movers should come tomorrow or Wednesday, but I have plenty of stuff for Emma and me for the time being. Paul will be here next week, and I can't wait. I have been lucky enough to have been kept very busy, but that is coming to an end. Even though I am surrounded by family, I still miss my husband.
I spoke to my friend at NACOG and also to the director of the department I was in. Both really want me to come back, which is fantastic, because I would love to come back! As soon as I know what Paul's schedule is going to be, I will let my friend know if I can start out by coming in on Fridays. By the end of September, I should be up to two or three days a week. I am very excited. I loved the department I was in. It was the happiest I have ever been at work. Everyone truly cares about eachother, and even though I was gone for two years, every one was so happy to see me come back. They all loved Emma, and they are willing to work with meas I try to ease my way back into work. I am very thankful for friends like that!
Now to find a sitter... I feel like that will work out just as everything else has been. So we will see!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Changes!
So...
Paul got the promotion and is being transferred to Williams. I am actually already in the area to do the house hunting, look for a sitter for Emma and look for a job. I have accomplished one-and-a-half of my goals already. I found us a house. We had it narrowed down to two when Paul was here over the weekend, but I got to make the final decision on Monday after Paul had already gone back to Colorado. The house is about 1900 square feet and sits on 1.25 acres. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sun room and a hot tub. Due to us having to haul water (no fancy well systems like in Colorado... no ground water like in Colorado to dig a well...), we will not be using the hot tub. It also has a pellet stove, so that should help keep the house nice and toasty. We will also have lots of storage space (for all of Paul's toys) with the two car garage and a storage shed. The dogs have a fenced yard and a doggie door, and there is room for our trailer and camper. There's even hook ups for the camper in case Paul ever gets in trouble and I kick him out!
I have possibly found a job (hence the "half" of one of my missions accomplished). I was talking to a lady I used to work with at NACOG whom I ADORE! I wanted to meet up with her for lunch since I am back in town. On top of setting up a time and day to meet, she told me she needs some one to work for her part time. We are meeting for breakfast tomorrow, so I will know more then.
My uncompleted task is finding some one (whom I trust) to take perfect care of my baby pumpkin. Again... I will cut this section short so I don't have to think about all the "what ifs".
I just realized that I have to delay the publishing of this post. My dad is back in town, and he thinks Emma and I went back to Colorado with Paul. We are going to Phoenix to surprise him tomorrow morning. He has never met Emma in person. I don't want to risk him reading all of this before I get there. We (too many people involved to mention) are so excited to be surprising him. He will be so happy to see his little grand daughter.
It is so nice to be around family. Mom, Sam and Larry seems to really like seeing Emma so often. Sam moved to Phoenix, so she doesn't see Emma every day, but she will see her much more often than when we lived in Colorado. Emma Really loves her Grammy, Auntie and Uncle. It's great to see how happy she is with them.
I feel bad for Paul being without his family in an empty house. The movers came yesterday and loaded up everything. Thank goodness for Alpine. And for Rob. They should help keep Paul company.
Emma is a talker, and it is amazing to listen too. I wish I could understand what she saying. I can tell if she's happy or not, but I would like to know the specifics! She could roll from her back to her tummy if she really wanted to, but the only time she really attempts it is when I'm changing her diaper. I am using a bassinet right now, so she can only go so far. She remains a very good baby. It took a few days for her to adjust to her new surroundings, but she is very happy now. She has a temper that I am afraid is here to stay, but that won't be a real problem for a few years still.
Emma is growing like a baby weed. At her 4 month check up, she measured 24.25 inches and weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces. So she is still long and skinny. She fits into her 6-9 month jumpers perfectly, but she is still skinny enough to barely fill a 3-6 month onsie. Her 6-9 month pants are long enough for her, but they are way big in the waist. She is eating her cereal like a champ. Emma likes both the rice cereal and the oatmeal. We are waiting on other solids until Emma is 6 months old.
I think that is all I have for now. I shall share more later!
Paul got the promotion and is being transferred to Williams. I am actually already in the area to do the house hunting, look for a sitter for Emma and look for a job. I have accomplished one-and-a-half of my goals already. I found us a house. We had it narrowed down to two when Paul was here over the weekend, but I got to make the final decision on Monday after Paul had already gone back to Colorado. The house is about 1900 square feet and sits on 1.25 acres. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sun room and a hot tub. Due to us having to haul water (no fancy well systems like in Colorado... no ground water like in Colorado to dig a well...), we will not be using the hot tub. It also has a pellet stove, so that should help keep the house nice and toasty. We will also have lots of storage space (for all of Paul's toys) with the two car garage and a storage shed. The dogs have a fenced yard and a doggie door, and there is room for our trailer and camper. There's even hook ups for the camper in case Paul ever gets in trouble and I kick him out!
I have possibly found a job (hence the "half" of one of my missions accomplished). I was talking to a lady I used to work with at NACOG whom I ADORE! I wanted to meet up with her for lunch since I am back in town. On top of setting up a time and day to meet, she told me she needs some one to work for her part time. We are meeting for breakfast tomorrow, so I will know more then.
My uncompleted task is finding some one (whom I trust) to take perfect care of my baby pumpkin. Again... I will cut this section short so I don't have to think about all the "what ifs".
I just realized that I have to delay the publishing of this post. My dad is back in town, and he thinks Emma and I went back to Colorado with Paul. We are going to Phoenix to surprise him tomorrow morning. He has never met Emma in person. I don't want to risk him reading all of this before I get there. We (too many people involved to mention) are so excited to be surprising him. He will be so happy to see his little grand daughter.
It is so nice to be around family. Mom, Sam and Larry seems to really like seeing Emma so often. Sam moved to Phoenix, so she doesn't see Emma every day, but she will see her much more often than when we lived in Colorado. Emma Really loves her Grammy, Auntie and Uncle. It's great to see how happy she is with them.
I feel bad for Paul being without his family in an empty house. The movers came yesterday and loaded up everything. Thank goodness for Alpine. And for Rob. They should help keep Paul company.
Emma is a talker, and it is amazing to listen too. I wish I could understand what she saying. I can tell if she's happy or not, but I would like to know the specifics! She could roll from her back to her tummy if she really wanted to, but the only time she really attempts it is when I'm changing her diaper. I am using a bassinet right now, so she can only go so far. She remains a very good baby. It took a few days for her to adjust to her new surroundings, but she is very happy now. She has a temper that I am afraid is here to stay, but that won't be a real problem for a few years still.
Emma is growing like a baby weed. At her 4 month check up, she measured 24.25 inches and weighed 12 pounds, 13 ounces. So she is still long and skinny. She fits into her 6-9 month jumpers perfectly, but she is still skinny enough to barely fill a 3-6 month onsie. Her 6-9 month pants are long enough for her, but they are way big in the waist. She is eating her cereal like a champ. Emma likes both the rice cereal and the oatmeal. We are waiting on other solids until Emma is 6 months old.
I think that is all I have for now. I shall share more later!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
It's official...
This morning at 3:30 AM, I was christened Mommy To Emma Poopy Pants! It finally happened... I was pooped on... The worst part was that I wasn't completely grossed out, and I was even a little thankful. At least Emma didn't poo while she was sleeping. Emma is officially sleeping by herself in her own room. The humidifier has taken my place on her floor. She is doing so well, I have decided when we move to take her crib with us in the car, instead of letting it get packed. I don't want her to have a hard time sleeping. However, I anticipate traveling to be difficult. We have a travel crib, but she needs something with lights to watch so she can fall asleep. Nothing will fit on her travel crib...
This leads me to my next bit of news. Paul officially accepted a position in Williams yesterday! He reports September 14. Time is going to fly. This weekend we have a BBQ, next weekend we will probably visit his family (therin lying the crib issue), the weekend after we may have to go house hunting (hopefully it can wait until we get there... more traveling), the weekend after is our going away BBQ, the next is Labor day weekend (my family visiting and Paul hunting) and the next weekend, we will move! Enough about that, or I will start to freak out. I am excited, but it is all happening so fast. It's just like last time we moved. Everything all at once! I am just really happy to be so close to family and that Paul has been offered such a great opportunity!
I will keep you posted on what happens. Emma has her 4 month check up on Friday, which means more shots. Sad times for all.... I'm excited to see how long she has gotten! I guess we need to find a new doctor for her 6 month check up!
This leads me to my next bit of news. Paul officially accepted a position in Williams yesterday! He reports September 14. Time is going to fly. This weekend we have a BBQ, next weekend we will probably visit his family (therin lying the crib issue), the weekend after we may have to go house hunting (hopefully it can wait until we get there... more traveling), the weekend after is our going away BBQ, the next is Labor day weekend (my family visiting and Paul hunting) and the next weekend, we will move! Enough about that, or I will start to freak out. I am excited, but it is all happening so fast. It's just like last time we moved. Everything all at once! I am just really happy to be so close to family and that Paul has been offered such a great opportunity!
I will keep you posted on what happens. Emma has her 4 month check up on Friday, which means more shots. Sad times for all.... I'm excited to see how long she has gotten! I guess we need to find a new doctor for her 6 month check up!
Friday, July 31, 2009
17 Weeks and Counting
Since it has been so long since I have posted, I am going to break everything down by months. I don't have my calendar handy, so I am going to have to guess on specifics as far as dates and measurements go.
Month 1:
Bringing Emma home was by far the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done. She hated being dressed to go home, and she hated her car seat. Every time the car would stop, she would cry. I cried, too, because I hated seeing her upset. We won't even discuss the affect my hormones were having on my sanity. My mom (Grammy), my sister (Auntie Sam), my sister's boyfriend (Uncle Larry) and my mom's mom (Cracker) were waiting at the house for us. My family was a source of help we could not have done without. At the very least, they kept me from killing poor Paul. He probably wasn't even doing anything wrong, but the first few days (and eventually the first couple of months) I blamed everything on my dear husband. Emma slept a lot, and I barely slept at all. I was so worried something was going to happen to her while I slept. Thankfully, the only thing that happened while I slept was Emma woke up to be fed. Nursing was very hard for both of us in the beginning. We were both too lazy to do it right. After a couple of weeks, we figured it out, and it's still going well. Emma went to her first pediatric appointment when she was about four days old. She had already gained a few ounces above her birth weight. My fears of starving my child were put to rest. At one month, Emma had gained two pounds. She was definitely not starving! Since she started out so skinny, her rapid weight gain was a good thing. By the end of the first month, I was beginning to loosen up a little bit, and we were finally starting to really bond. I was still having painful symptoms from the complications I had experienced, but they were getting better, and I was able to carry Emma and be on my feet a bit more. Soon, I would have to go back to work, and I was dreading it for several reasons. I would miss Emma horribly since we were just getting to really know each other, and I was not sure how well I would be able to deal with my bleeding and pain while at work. Emma also went on her first road trips during her first month. We went to Flagstaff, AZ to visit my family and Colorado Springs to visit Paul's family. Emma did very well, and we quickly learned what to bring with us and what could be left at home. Emma was still mostly sleeping in bed with us at this point, so that was pretty easy. Grammy got her a My Little Lamb chair, and she started sleeping in it the for the next few weeks.
Month 2:
This was a month of firsts for Emma, and I know every month henceforth would be similar. First off, we got some money we were not expecting, and I was able to stay home for a few more months. This was a god send. I needed to be home due to my complications, and now I could afford to do so. The best part? I GET TO BE HOME WITH MY LITTLE LADY!!!!! I will have to go back to work eventually, but I will deal with that when it happens. We may end up getting transferred at the end of the summer, so it was better for me to just quit my job and let them find some one else. I will start looking for a new job in August if we do not move. During this month, Emma started sleeping in longer stretches. She gained another two pounds and was 22.5 inches at the beginning of her second month. She is still a long, skinny little girl. And the most beautiful baby I have ever known. We went on our first "back road" road trip to Silverton, CO. Emma loved the bouncy roads, and therefore slept through most of her first 4-wheel excursion. Emma had her first series of shots. She cried... I cried... and Daddy was informed that he is expected to come to every one of her appointments from now on more moral support, if nothing else. The shots gave Emma a bit of a fever, and I decided to give her Tylenol before our next appointment to nip that in the bud for the next time. We bought some toys Emma didn't like, but in time she learned to love them. The best was her Baby Einstein floor gym. At first she just laid on it and watched her friend Ocho the Octopus (we named all of her "friends"). After a little while, she figured out how to hit Ocho, though it was sporadic. Then... she learned to LOVE Ocho and SMILE at him. Not only did she smile at Ocho, but she smiled at us! We are not sure when gas grins turned into real smiles. The first time we really noticed it was when Paul had come home late from work. Emma was lying down while I was getting ready for bed. Paul went over to her (I could see the whole thing form where I was) and said "hello". Emma looked right at him and gave him the most beautiful smile. It was the first of billions of heart warming smiles. Paul and I laughed and thought it was the most amazing thing we had ever seen. As the days went by, Emma got better at punching Ocho, and she even started to grab at him and shake him once she caught him. Emma was very grumpy and cried a lot during the first part of her second month. I began to realize that she was not sleeping longer than 15 minutes or so, and I figured she was not getting enough sleep. How she slept the best changed from day to day. Sometimes she liked her Lamb chair and the next day she might like one of her swings the best. She began taking longer naps, and her mood rapidly improved. Emma also started sleeping longer at night. She would sleep from about 8pm to midnight, eat, sleep from 12:30am to 4am, eat, and sleep until about 7:30 or 8am. At that time, I thought 7:30 was early. As her time between late night meals lengthened, the time she woke up in the morning got earlier. Around the end of the month, Emma was up and ready to play at 5:30-6am. It was at this time I decided to revise her schedule.
Month 3:
Our third month will be coming to and end on Monday. Time is flying by. Emma is getting bigger, but she is still skinny. She is a non-stop mover. Once she learned how to grab and shake things, she wanted to grab everything. Sometimes she shakes her friends a little too vigorously, which leads to flying toys. She has started to look for them when they fall, and that is a milestone only a parent can recognize! We were having a hard time with tummy time, because our little lady has quite a temper and hated being on her belly. She would kick her feet and scream and never even attempt to figure out what to go about it. The one day, she just rolled. Like it was nothing at all. Now we have a hard time with tummy time, because Emma rolls the instant she is put down on her tummy. I will find other ways to strengthen her arms. It is cute to watch Emma roll, as her arms play not part. She pulls her feet under her tummy and kicks. Silly but very effective! Soon after she figured out how to roll, Emma discovered her toes, and she LOVES them. Out of all her toys, her toes are her favorite. She grabs them and swings her feet all over the place. I a hoping all this fun will lead to laughing soon. She giggles, but much prefers to pant when she is having fun. Emma loves to chew on everything (especially her hands!) and most objects she gets a hold of are covered in slobber. Daily squats and sit-ups are giving Emma some very impressive muscles. She loves to hold on to my fingers and sit up then stand up. Standing must make Emma feel very proud, because she does it often and always with a smile. She hold herself up while standing and just needs my fingers for balance. She will even take a few steps sometimes. All the sit-ups are also helping Emma learn how to sit. She has been using her Bumbo since she was four weeks old, so she is able to keep her back and head pretty straight. Balance is what she has to work on the most. She can sit in my lap without much help from me. As she starts to lean to the side, I help her get back to the middle. All toe toe grabbing is going to help Emma learn to roll over whether she means to or not. As she crunches her head to her toe and brings her legs to her head, she sometimes tips over to her side. She doesn't even realize that is the hardest part! I am pretty sure month 4 will be a month of rolling all over the house. As a Mommy Milestone, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Now I just have to lose the 10 pounds I wanted to lose before I found out I was pregnant. I am beginning to look for a job. We have not heard anything about the position Paul applied for in Williams, AZ. I was so sure he would get it, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. The only part about going back to work that stresses me out, is finding someone to watch Emma. As of today, I have no leads on anyone I trust to watch her. I am going to quickly move from that topic, or I will go on about it and all the "what-ifs" forever. I have been slowly getting Emma used to her crib. She takes most of her naps there and really enjoys it. She usually wakes up laughing. Last night was Emma's first night in her crib. I slept on the floor, and was actually VERY happy and comfortable. The only reason I didn't get more sleep than I did was I had a hard time falling asleep, because I was thinking about work and some one to watch Emma. She woke up twice to eat, but I think she may be growing. We are supposed to talk about starting cereal next week at her 4 month appointment, and I think it's time. All this wiggling around and growing is making her super hungry, and I don't think I am enough anymore! I forgot to mention that we bought Emma a Baby Einstein Jumper, which she hated at first. Over the past few weeks, She has discovered that she likes it more and more. She will only stay in it for about 10 minutes at the most, but she is still learning what to do with it. Her favorite toy as of yesterday (besides her toes) is a little doll. I say little, but it is almost half as big as Emma is. She has rattles, plastic rings to chew on a d a crinkly dress. Emma loves her! I could go on all day about everything Emma does, but I think I have covered the basics. I am not sure when I will be able to get back online. In the mean time, please cross your fingers about the Williams job, and at the very least pray that I can find some one to watch Emma who will love her and treat her well. Emma is my life and I cannot even fathom something happening to her or for her to be mistreated.
Month 1:
Bringing Emma home was by far the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done. She hated being dressed to go home, and she hated her car seat. Every time the car would stop, she would cry. I cried, too, because I hated seeing her upset. We won't even discuss the affect my hormones were having on my sanity. My mom (Grammy), my sister (Auntie Sam), my sister's boyfriend (Uncle Larry) and my mom's mom (Cracker) were waiting at the house for us. My family was a source of help we could not have done without. At the very least, they kept me from killing poor Paul. He probably wasn't even doing anything wrong, but the first few days (and eventually the first couple of months) I blamed everything on my dear husband. Emma slept a lot, and I barely slept at all. I was so worried something was going to happen to her while I slept. Thankfully, the only thing that happened while I slept was Emma woke up to be fed. Nursing was very hard for both of us in the beginning. We were both too lazy to do it right. After a couple of weeks, we figured it out, and it's still going well. Emma went to her first pediatric appointment when she was about four days old. She had already gained a few ounces above her birth weight. My fears of starving my child were put to rest. At one month, Emma had gained two pounds. She was definitely not starving! Since she started out so skinny, her rapid weight gain was a good thing. By the end of the first month, I was beginning to loosen up a little bit, and we were finally starting to really bond. I was still having painful symptoms from the complications I had experienced, but they were getting better, and I was able to carry Emma and be on my feet a bit more. Soon, I would have to go back to work, and I was dreading it for several reasons. I would miss Emma horribly since we were just getting to really know each other, and I was not sure how well I would be able to deal with my bleeding and pain while at work. Emma also went on her first road trips during her first month. We went to Flagstaff, AZ to visit my family and Colorado Springs to visit Paul's family. Emma did very well, and we quickly learned what to bring with us and what could be left at home. Emma was still mostly sleeping in bed with us at this point, so that was pretty easy. Grammy got her a My Little Lamb chair, and she started sleeping in it the for the next few weeks.
Month 2:
This was a month of firsts for Emma, and I know every month henceforth would be similar. First off, we got some money we were not expecting, and I was able to stay home for a few more months. This was a god send. I needed to be home due to my complications, and now I could afford to do so. The best part? I GET TO BE HOME WITH MY LITTLE LADY!!!!! I will have to go back to work eventually, but I will deal with that when it happens. We may end up getting transferred at the end of the summer, so it was better for me to just quit my job and let them find some one else. I will start looking for a new job in August if we do not move. During this month, Emma started sleeping in longer stretches. She gained another two pounds and was 22.5 inches at the beginning of her second month. She is still a long, skinny little girl. And the most beautiful baby I have ever known. We went on our first "back road" road trip to Silverton, CO. Emma loved the bouncy roads, and therefore slept through most of her first 4-wheel excursion. Emma had her first series of shots. She cried... I cried... and Daddy was informed that he is expected to come to every one of her appointments from now on more moral support, if nothing else. The shots gave Emma a bit of a fever, and I decided to give her Tylenol before our next appointment to nip that in the bud for the next time. We bought some toys Emma didn't like, but in time she learned to love them. The best was her Baby Einstein floor gym. At first she just laid on it and watched her friend Ocho the Octopus (we named all of her "friends"). After a little while, she figured out how to hit Ocho, though it was sporadic. Then... she learned to LOVE Ocho and SMILE at him. Not only did she smile at Ocho, but she smiled at us! We are not sure when gas grins turned into real smiles. The first time we really noticed it was when Paul had come home late from work. Emma was lying down while I was getting ready for bed. Paul went over to her (I could see the whole thing form where I was) and said "hello". Emma looked right at him and gave him the most beautiful smile. It was the first of billions of heart warming smiles. Paul and I laughed and thought it was the most amazing thing we had ever seen. As the days went by, Emma got better at punching Ocho, and she even started to grab at him and shake him once she caught him. Emma was very grumpy and cried a lot during the first part of her second month. I began to realize that she was not sleeping longer than 15 minutes or so, and I figured she was not getting enough sleep. How she slept the best changed from day to day. Sometimes she liked her Lamb chair and the next day she might like one of her swings the best. She began taking longer naps, and her mood rapidly improved. Emma also started sleeping longer at night. She would sleep from about 8pm to midnight, eat, sleep from 12:30am to 4am, eat, and sleep until about 7:30 or 8am. At that time, I thought 7:30 was early. As her time between late night meals lengthened, the time she woke up in the morning got earlier. Around the end of the month, Emma was up and ready to play at 5:30-6am. It was at this time I decided to revise her schedule.
Month 3:
Our third month will be coming to and end on Monday. Time is flying by. Emma is getting bigger, but she is still skinny. She is a non-stop mover. Once she learned how to grab and shake things, she wanted to grab everything. Sometimes she shakes her friends a little too vigorously, which leads to flying toys. She has started to look for them when they fall, and that is a milestone only a parent can recognize! We were having a hard time with tummy time, because our little lady has quite a temper and hated being on her belly. She would kick her feet and scream and never even attempt to figure out what to go about it. The one day, she just rolled. Like it was nothing at all. Now we have a hard time with tummy time, because Emma rolls the instant she is put down on her tummy. I will find other ways to strengthen her arms. It is cute to watch Emma roll, as her arms play not part. She pulls her feet under her tummy and kicks. Silly but very effective! Soon after she figured out how to roll, Emma discovered her toes, and she LOVES them. Out of all her toys, her toes are her favorite. She grabs them and swings her feet all over the place. I a hoping all this fun will lead to laughing soon. She giggles, but much prefers to pant when she is having fun. Emma loves to chew on everything (especially her hands!) and most objects she gets a hold of are covered in slobber. Daily squats and sit-ups are giving Emma some very impressive muscles. She loves to hold on to my fingers and sit up then stand up. Standing must make Emma feel very proud, because she does it often and always with a smile. She hold herself up while standing and just needs my fingers for balance. She will even take a few steps sometimes. All the sit-ups are also helping Emma learn how to sit. She has been using her Bumbo since she was four weeks old, so she is able to keep her back and head pretty straight. Balance is what she has to work on the most. She can sit in my lap without much help from me. As she starts to lean to the side, I help her get back to the middle. All toe toe grabbing is going to help Emma learn to roll over whether she means to or not. As she crunches her head to her toe and brings her legs to her head, she sometimes tips over to her side. She doesn't even realize that is the hardest part! I am pretty sure month 4 will be a month of rolling all over the house. As a Mommy Milestone, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Now I just have to lose the 10 pounds I wanted to lose before I found out I was pregnant. I am beginning to look for a job. We have not heard anything about the position Paul applied for in Williams, AZ. I was so sure he would get it, but I guess it was just wishful thinking. The only part about going back to work that stresses me out, is finding someone to watch Emma. As of today, I have no leads on anyone I trust to watch her. I am going to quickly move from that topic, or I will go on about it and all the "what-ifs" forever. I have been slowly getting Emma used to her crib. She takes most of her naps there and really enjoys it. She usually wakes up laughing. Last night was Emma's first night in her crib. I slept on the floor, and was actually VERY happy and comfortable. The only reason I didn't get more sleep than I did was I had a hard time falling asleep, because I was thinking about work and some one to watch Emma. She woke up twice to eat, but I think she may be growing. We are supposed to talk about starting cereal next week at her 4 month appointment, and I think it's time. All this wiggling around and growing is making her super hungry, and I don't think I am enough anymore! I forgot to mention that we bought Emma a Baby Einstein Jumper, which she hated at first. Over the past few weeks, She has discovered that she likes it more and more. She will only stay in it for about 10 minutes at the most, but she is still learning what to do with it. Her favorite toy as of yesterday (besides her toes) is a little doll. I say little, but it is almost half as big as Emma is. She has rattles, plastic rings to chew on a d a crinkly dress. Emma loves her! I could go on all day about everything Emma does, but I think I have covered the basics. I am not sure when I will be able to get back online. In the mean time, please cross your fingers about the Williams job, and at the very least pray that I can find some one to watch Emma who will love her and treat her well. Emma is my life and I cannot even fathom something happening to her or for her to be mistreated.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Happy Birthday, Emma!
Emma Noёl Hancock was born April 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM. Emma weighed 6 lbs, 5 oz and was 20.5 inches at birth.
The first half of our story is already posted. I'll start at 2AM. My contractions were getting intense, and I was hurting from the doctor opening the scar tissue on my cervix. At 4 AM, the doctor came and checked me again, and I had no made any progress. He broke my water and uppped my pitocin. I was in so much pain that I was crying, and I broke down and got the epidural. I was still only at 4cm after 12 hours of contracting and 6 hours or pitocin, so I knew it was going to be a long night, and I couldn't handle the pain in my cervix anymore.
After the epidural was in place, my blood pressure kept crashing. The lowest it got was about 68/34. They had to give me a few shots of epinephrine, but I stabalized after about an hour. I tried taking a nap at that point, but my legs kept twitching and keeping me up. The nurse had me lay on my side to even the epidural out and that helped my legs chill out. At about 7 AM, a nurse came in to check me, and I was still a 4. Emma was also starting to stress out with the contractions, so they had to take me off of the pitocin. I was starting to lose heart at this point. I had to keep switching sides to keep Emma happy, so I was still unable to really rest.
At 8:30 AM, the doctor came on to check me again. This time he brought an internal monitor for me and baby to make sure Emma was okay and to see if my contractions were getting intense enough. He was also going to put some saline back into my uterus to see if that would help Emma drop lower. The doctor checked me first to see if I had dilated any more. I was AT A 9!!!!!!!!! He didn't even need all the reinforcement he had brought. Within half an hour, I was ready to push.
I pushed for an hour, and Emma was born. I would have been able to have her sooner if she wasn't angled. Her head was a bit sideways. It was amazing to hear Paul say, "She's a girl! We have a little girl!" I cried and cried and said I knew it all along. I cried and told her she was such a sill looking baby, because she was so squished and dirty. I was so happy and have never known such love for any one or anything. I told Paul that she is a vital part of my life now. I could never life without her now.
After I had Emma, I had to try to go to the bathroom to make sure my bladder was okay. We noticed I was bleeding pretty bad, but no one was really to concerned about it at the time. I got really dizzy and had to be revived with smelling salts before I passed out. I decided to take a shower to help me feel better. I kept the water just barely warm. I noticed I was still steadily leaking blood, and I even had small gushes from time to time. I got dizzy again, so I turned the water to cold to see if I would help. It did help but only long enough for me to get as far as the toilet. I was still bleeding and I was passing large clots. Long story short, I was losing way too much blood. I was gushing blod out periodically. At one point, I started having horrid contractions and had an urge to push. I called my nurse to say something was coming out of me. She checked me and said it was only blood. I involuntarily pushed and there was a "pop" and blood and blood clots came gushing out. I was pretty sure I was going to die at that point. I got put on several medications to try to get my uterus to contract. It wasn't staying firm enough to stop the bleeding.
I bled quite bad into the evening. The doctor came in to check me for a uterine laceration. Luckily there was nothing torn. He removed some clots and sutured some tears inside (without anesthesia...) to see if he could help to stop my bleeding. Eventually the bleeding slowed down, and my uterus finally figured out how to stay firm enough.
Emma and I are still in the hospital. She is doing VERY well. She is starting to look around and is quite vocal when she is upset. She is eating about every 2 hours and is staying awake longer and longer. I am biased, but I am pretty sure we have the prettiest baby EVER! It looks like she will have auburn hair (which was my prediction!), and she has the cutest nose. She is always chewing on her hands, so she will be a thumb sucker. Since we've been in the hospital, I've been letting her sleep on my chest. She really enjoys skin to skin contact. That is all I have for now. I will update more as things happen. We should be able to go home tomorrow, assuming my bleeding has not started up again. We are all very happy with our sweet, new addidtion.
The first half of our story is already posted. I'll start at 2AM. My contractions were getting intense, and I was hurting from the doctor opening the scar tissue on my cervix. At 4 AM, the doctor came and checked me again, and I had no made any progress. He broke my water and uppped my pitocin. I was in so much pain that I was crying, and I broke down and got the epidural. I was still only at 4cm after 12 hours of contracting and 6 hours or pitocin, so I knew it was going to be a long night, and I couldn't handle the pain in my cervix anymore.
After the epidural was in place, my blood pressure kept crashing. The lowest it got was about 68/34. They had to give me a few shots of epinephrine, but I stabalized after about an hour. I tried taking a nap at that point, but my legs kept twitching and keeping me up. The nurse had me lay on my side to even the epidural out and that helped my legs chill out. At about 7 AM, a nurse came in to check me, and I was still a 4. Emma was also starting to stress out with the contractions, so they had to take me off of the pitocin. I was starting to lose heart at this point. I had to keep switching sides to keep Emma happy, so I was still unable to really rest.
At 8:30 AM, the doctor came on to check me again. This time he brought an internal monitor for me and baby to make sure Emma was okay and to see if my contractions were getting intense enough. He was also going to put some saline back into my uterus to see if that would help Emma drop lower. The doctor checked me first to see if I had dilated any more. I was AT A 9!!!!!!!!! He didn't even need all the reinforcement he had brought. Within half an hour, I was ready to push.
I pushed for an hour, and Emma was born. I would have been able to have her sooner if she wasn't angled. Her head was a bit sideways. It was amazing to hear Paul say, "She's a girl! We have a little girl!" I cried and cried and said I knew it all along. I cried and told her she was such a sill looking baby, because she was so squished and dirty. I was so happy and have never known such love for any one or anything. I told Paul that she is a vital part of my life now. I could never life without her now.
After I had Emma, I had to try to go to the bathroom to make sure my bladder was okay. We noticed I was bleeding pretty bad, but no one was really to concerned about it at the time. I got really dizzy and had to be revived with smelling salts before I passed out. I decided to take a shower to help me feel better. I kept the water just barely warm. I noticed I was still steadily leaking blood, and I even had small gushes from time to time. I got dizzy again, so I turned the water to cold to see if I would help. It did help but only long enough for me to get as far as the toilet. I was still bleeding and I was passing large clots. Long story short, I was losing way too much blood. I was gushing blod out periodically. At one point, I started having horrid contractions and had an urge to push. I called my nurse to say something was coming out of me. She checked me and said it was only blood. I involuntarily pushed and there was a "pop" and blood and blood clots came gushing out. I was pretty sure I was going to die at that point. I got put on several medications to try to get my uterus to contract. It wasn't staying firm enough to stop the bleeding.
I bled quite bad into the evening. The doctor came in to check me for a uterine laceration. Luckily there was nothing torn. He removed some clots and sutured some tears inside (without anesthesia...) to see if he could help to stop my bleeding. Eventually the bleeding slowed down, and my uterus finally figured out how to stay firm enough.
Emma and I are still in the hospital. She is doing VERY well. She is starting to look around and is quite vocal when she is upset. She is eating about every 2 hours and is staying awake longer and longer. I am biased, but I am pretty sure we have the prettiest baby EVER! It looks like she will have auburn hair (which was my prediction!), and she has the cutest nose. She is always chewing on her hands, so she will be a thumb sucker. Since we've been in the hospital, I've been letting her sleep on my chest. She really enjoys skin to skin contact. That is all I have for now. I will update more as things happen. We should be able to go home tomorrow, assuming my bleeding has not started up again. We are all very happy with our sweet, new addidtion.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
