22 Months

 

Well that month flew right on by.  This past month is a little foggy due to the newest member of our family.  You have taken on your new big sister role better then I could have ever imagined.  I had a feeling you would love him but you are always coming up and telling him hi, kissing his head and asking to hold him.  He's been a fussy baby but for the most part, you tolerate me having to hold and feed him most of the day.  Your always right beside me, usually rocking or feeding your baby doll.  There have been a handful of times that you've pointed to his seat and said "there" cause you want me to hold you instead of him.  Luckily daddy has been home most of these times and I've been able to give him the baby and hold you.  Other times your ok with me holding you and him at the same time. 

You've taken your love for your baby dolls to a new level.  Everything you see me do to Brooks, you do to your babies.  You say they stink and change their diaper (you insist on using real wipes and diapers), nurse them and swaddled them in blankets and put them in Brooks swing, car seat, play mat, anywhere he isn't.  You sleep with approximately 10 babies, a few stuffed animals and usually 2 books. I have to go in and move everything after you fall asleep. 

 

It's probably just because of the new baby but you seem a lot bigger this month.  You've been a bottomless pit so I wouldn't be completely surprised if your having a growth spurt.  I've started getting you some clothes for Fall and I'd say 18 month clothes will probably get your through Fall.  You can get by with 2t shirts but no way can your short legs fit in 2t pants.  Even 18 month ones can be long.  I've debated busting out your pants from last Winter because I'm thinking they'd still fit. Some size 5 shoes fit but mostly 6's.  I can't freaking wait to put you in some boots!

Your getting over either a cold, allergies or just a little sickness from teething but you've been sleeping like a rockstar.  About 8pm-8am and taking a 2 hour nap.  Now if I could just get brother on the same schedule, we'd really be set.  Your last 4 teeth have broke through so you should get a little break before the 2 year molars start coming in.

 

We're gonna give potty training a shot next weekend.  You go almost every time we put you on the toilet and are all about taking your pants off and on.  Not buying diapers for 2 would be great but we won't push it if you don't handle it well.  You adjust pretty well to new things (besides losing the pacifier) so I'm hoping we'll have minimal accidents and you'll be potty trained in no time.

You call daddy "dick" (Derek) most of the time and he doesn't appreciate it. I think it's hysterical. You really try and repeat words but usually they sound nothing like the real word. It amazes me that you can say 3 word sentences but can't repeat simple words. We'll keep trying and see what doctor says at your 2 year appt. I think your doing just fine though. 

 

You've probably spent too much time on my phone the past month while I've been feeding brother. You prefer YouTube videos over any of the apps I've downloaded. Videos of dogs and kid songs are requested 1000 times a day. Now if only we could get you to watch more then 5 min of TV. Yes, parents of the year for begging our child to watch TV. Everyone needs a little break sometimes. 

We love you baby girl and are so very proud of the way you've adjusted to our new family.  Your the best big sister and we love you so very very much. 

Brooks at 1 month

 

We survived the first month! I think most people say the first 3 months are the hardest but I'm hoping it's not really that long.  Brooks has been a great addition to our family but the poor guy hasn't been happy for the past 2-3 weeks. We went for his 1 month visit this week and he got a prescription for reflux. He doesn't spit up but he swallows really loudly and then screams. That and painful gas pains have him pretty upset. Hoping the medicine will make him feel better. It seems to be already!!

Stats| Weighed in at 10 lbs 1 oz (55%), 21 1/4 in (50%) and his noggin was 15 in (50%). Average all around.  He very light hair (and hardly any of it) and blue eyes. I'm pretty sure his blue eyes are going to stick around. So he looks like daddy but has my hair and eye color (I was a blonde growing up) and Collins looks like me but has Derek's hair and eye color. He is wearing 0-3 month clothes but I don't think he'll be in them too long. 

 

Eating| The boy would eat all day if I let him. He was a big snacker in the beginning but I'm finally getting about a 2-3 hour window before the next feeding. He's been eating around 9pm and sleeping till about 2am and then again around 5am. Back to 2-3 hours after that feeding. 

Sleeping| I mentioned above his night routine and he hardly wakes up for those feedings. I feed, change his diaper and  feed him a little more before putting him back down. He sometimes stirs but will put himself back to sleep. He sleeps the majority of the day but is awake for about 1-2 hours in the mornings and evenings.  Sleeps mostly in the rock n play (night time too) and sometimes on the couch or in his crib on his belly for naps. I know it's a no no but I only let him sleep on his belly when I am awake and can watch him. 

 

 

Play| Now that he's awake more, he's been enjoying play time. He loves to lay on the floor and stare out the window and look at his toys. He showed the doctor his smiling skills and she said he shouldn't be doing that till 2 months. He's advanced already :) He can get some coos out if he works really hard but mostly grunts and farts. All boy. 

Health| Upon many recommendations, we took him to see the chiropractor in hopes of getting his gas pains figured out. He adjusted his pelvis and showed us a couple belly rubs to do. Our doctor said to limit gassy foods and to use the gripe water and gas drops we've been using. Overall, he looked great and he left without any shots! 

 

 

Brooks, you've made us so very happy in the short amount of time you have been here. We all absolutely adore you and can't get enough of your snuggles. Everyone usually has to fight sister for you because she's a big baby hog like her mom. You've had a bit of a rough month but we're gonna get that all figured out and hopefully you can be a much happier boy. We love you so much and are so glad your here! 

Maternity pics

SO glad my sister talked me into doing these.  I wanted to cancel a couple days before we planned on taking them because I was feeling huge (37 weeks pregnant) and I didn't like the way I looked in the dress.  We survived the 90+ degree weather, snake, tons of walking and a restless 1 year old for these photos I absolutely adore. You did good, sis!

 

 

 

Brooks' Birth Story

*The credit for most of these AMAZING pics goes to my sister, Amy.  Seriously, if your having a baby I strongly encourage you to have a photographer there. I treasure these pics and the ones of Collins' birth dearly.  Let me know if you want her contact info!*

 

August 21, 2014 we parked the car at 4:56am for our 5am induction.  It wasn't until we were on the elevator heading up to labor and delivery that a since of panic swept over me.  That hospital smell really made it all feel real and I thought I was going to throw up.  Maybe that was my clue for what later was going to entail.  We got to the desk and told them we had a scheduled induction and they looked at the board and didn't see our name.  Oh hell no was I going home.  It was rough enough leaving my first born, I wasn't doing it again.  They looked in the planner on the counter and sure enough, our name was on there.  Luckily they had a clean room ready for us and didn't make us turn around and go home. 

 

 

 

They needed to monitor Brooks for a bit before they could start me on Pitocin so they hooked me up and we went through all the paperwork, questions and got my IV in.  At 6am I was checked and was 1cm and 50% effaced.  Baby looked great on the monitor and I was actually having some contractions on my own.  Derek wasted no time pulling out the bed and getting some sleep before things started picking up.  I hardly slept the night before but I was too excited to fall asleep.

 

 

Pitocin was started at 6:10am.  It only took about 30 min for the contractions to become stronger and the nurse came in every 30 min to bump up the Pitocin and make them even stronger.

My ob came in at 7:45am and I was dilated to a 2 and had my water broke. Things really picked up after that and the contractions got really strong.  I was in pain and trying to go as long as I could without the epidural. I got to facetime Collins when she woke up and before Amy come up to the hospital.  Amy watched her until Derek's parents got there around 8.

 

 

 

 I finally through in the towel at 10am and got the epidural.  My mom tried to convince me to go without it but there is no way.  I'm a wuss and epidurals are a god send.  Once the epidural had me nice and numb I got checked and was a 4.  Things were going a little slower then I anticipated but I knew after I got past 5, things would probably speed up.

 

 

Derek and my parents left at 11:30am to go up the street and grab some lunch.  Amy stayed incase I magically dilated to a 10.  You know cause pictures are way more important then the dad being there.  They got back quickly and all ate yummy food right in front of me.  Jerks. 

Nausea set in while they were eating their lunch.  I had everyone scrambling around the room trying to find something for me to puke in. I paged the nurse when we couldn't find something but luckily only a tiny bit came up and I swallowed it back down. So gross but better then being all over the bed! She gave me some medicine into my IV to help with the nausea but I didn't notice much of a difference. I never threw up again though. 

 

 

At 12:15 I was a 7.  Now we were on to something.

 12:45, 8cm. 

 

The nurse came in again at 1:25pm and turned down the Pitocin because he wasn't tolerating the contractions and his heart rate kept dropping.  She asked me if I felt any pressure to push and I said no.  She left the room and I kept waiting for this strong urge to push like everyone says you get.  I think the Pitocin just works extremely good on me because I didn't feel a single thing when I had Collins.  I kept telling my mom and Amy that I felt a little different but not pressure.

 

 

 At 1:45pm I buzzed the nurse and said I felt a little something and maybe I should get checked just in case.  She hardly touched down there and said "yeah, your baby is right there."  I gave a set of practice pushes for the nurse and then my ob walked in the door.  She looked panicked and an oxygen mask was placed on me.  I remember hearing his heart rate super slow and they were telling me to breath slow and deep.  Not easy when your freaking out.  My ob hardly got her scrubs on and was ordering me to push.

 

 

 

 

3 pushes and about 30 sec. later, Brooks Anthony was born at 1:55pm.  7lbs 8oz (just like his mama) and 19 in.  I was instantly in love.

 

 

 

He went straight to my chest for awhile before getting weighed and all that jazz. 

 

 

 

Then it was back to mommy and daddy for some alone time.  We really soaked up meeting our newest addition and talking about how different he looked from Collins.  But so cute in his own way.

 

 

 

Then he got to be loved on by the family who was anxiously waiting to meet him.

 

 

Memo and papa brought Collins up soon after he was born.  I bawled as soon as we saw the car pull in and the tears really started coming when I watched her run to daddy out the window.  You'll see that the tears didn't stop for quite awhile.  I made sure to not be holding him when she came in the door and she got to open a present from her new brother before we introduced them. She took right to her brother and wanted to hold him over and over again.  Melted this mommy's heart like crazy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nurse came in to give him his first bath and she had many onlookers.  Big sister was very concerned for the crying baby and wanted to be right there.

 

We got moved into our new room and since Amber had just started a new job, she didn't make it to the hospital till after work. 

 

 

 Another easy and perfect labor and delivery.  Our family is complete...for now :)