It's a good thing Owen prefers the swing! :-)
West Fork Park | Green Township, OH | Cincinnati
7 years ago
May 13, 2010
Mine!
It's official...Austin has taken over the bouncer.
If he sees me put Owen down in the bouncer, Austin immediately comes over and tries to take him out so he can climb in. Even when Owen isn't in the bouncer, Austin wants sit in it and bounce. He drinks his milk in the bouncer in the mornings and even lies in it to watch tv. The funniest thing is that he knows how to turn on the vibration and will do so randomly.
It's a good thing Owen prefers the swing! :-)
It's a good thing Owen prefers the swing! :-)
May 12, 2010
May 10, 2010
All About Austin
I was SO happy to see my sweet boy when he came to visit me in the hospital!
Tyler came with his parents to visit Austin and baby Owen. Both boys were fascinated with the circle on that door!
Sofia came to visit with her parents Charley & Stefania and Austin got his 1st kiss!!
He wanted nothing to do with this bouncy seat when he was a baby, but it sure is fun now!! He even turns on the vibration and just sits back and relaxes!
Aunt Catherine and Uncle Nick came for a visit and spent lots of them with their oldest nephew swinging out back and playing at Monkey Joes!
Austin loves his Aunt Catherine!!
10 Things I Forgot
Tomorrow at 3:46 pm, Owen will be 1 week old! Here are 10 things I completely forgot about giving birth and about having a newborn:
1. I completely forgot about the intense contractions you feel AFTER the baby is born while your uterus is shrinking. At one point I asked the nurse if she was sure there wasn't another baby in there trying to get out! Apparently the pain is worse with your 2nd child because there's further to go.
2. I forgot how difficult breastfeeding is, but at the same time, how rewarding and special it is as well. I look forward to that special time we get to have to be close and bond. There really is nothing like nursing your child.
3. I totally forgot how exciting it is every time your newborn poops and pees for the first few days. I am happy to report that Owen is above average in both areas which makes me thrilled to know that I am able to supply him with all the nutrition he needs!
4. I didn't remember how hard it was NOT to hold your baby and snuggle with them 24/7. I never want to put him down, even when he's asleep!
5. I honestly forgot how much a newborn baby sleeps and how very little they require! If you think having a newborn is hard, just wait until they turn 18 months!
6. I seriously forgot about those crazy postpartum hormones and mood swings. I break down in tears every time I see a baby on TV now and I think Ryan has been walking on egg shells around me lately. I broke down just last night because we couldn't find a tube of Vaseline....and then again when Austin wouldn't eat his peas for lunch.
7. I can't believe I forgot how hungry nursing makes you feel. I feel like I'm eating more now than when I was pregnant. It's a good thing you burn a lot of extra calories while breastfeeding!!
8. I forgot how peaceful and still a newborn baby is when he sleeps. I put my hand on Owen's chest several times during his naps just to make sure he's still breathing!
9. I forgot just how terrifying and exciting it is at the same time when you finally leave the hospital with your new baby.
10. I forgot how you could be completely and hopelessly in love with and willing to give your life for someone you've only just met!
And 1 thing I did NOT forget about was the fatigue, exhaustion and total lack of sleep...
...but it's all SO worth it!!
If things continue to go as well as they have this past week, there may be a baby Harris #3 in the (very) distant future!
The Birth Story
Ryan and I were up early on the morning of May 4th and out the door to the hospital for our induction before the sun even came up. We walked in the door to the hospital with another couple who was being induced that day as well. As we met at the check-in counter Ryan told them "we'll race ya!"
We were up in our room in no time and they went ahead and started some fluids. I answered countless heath questions and got poked and prodded and hooked up to monitors while Ryan enjoyed a little ESPN and ran to the vending area for a some caffeine! After about 30 minutes they went ahead and started the pitocin to try and get some contractions going. They started out light and very tolerable, but I winced every time the nurse came back in our room to turn up the amount. Sitting there awaiting the pain was the worst thing about being induced.
After a couple hours and a few cervix checks, my doctor came in to break my water. It was time to get the show on the road!! Within another hour the contractions started coming on much stronger and in regular intervals. Soon enough I was having really strong contractions every 2 minutes that would never fully go away. That's when it was time for the epidural!!!
The epidural went great and I was able to relax almost immediately and even close my eyes and rest for awhile. Ryan and I passed the time playing Family Feud on his laptop. I am the queen of fast money!!
After some hours of waiting and dilating and waiting some more, I was finally at 10cm and I almost cried I was so excited. Laying flat on your back in a hospital bed unable to move your legs can get really uncomfortable after several hours! I was ready to start pushing right away but baby was still really high and they wanted to wait a little while for him to drop to make pushing a little less challenging. That last 30 minutes was absolute torture!!!
Finally I told the nurse I couldn't wait any longer and we decided to do some light pushes to bring his head down a bit. After the first contraction they could already see him! I was so excited but baby wasn't quite as ready as I was because his heart rate started dropping every time I pushed. It was nothing to be alarmed about, but I was unable to push as often as I wanted because we had to wait on the little guys heart rate to come back up before the next push.
After about 30 more minutes and pushing through about 4 contractions the nurse told me to stop pushing because she had to run get the doctor...baby was almost here!!! My doctor was there quickly and a couple pushes later baby Owen was born!
Ryan cut the cord and they wiped down my wiggly screaming baby and then placed him on my chest. I fell instantly in love and gave his wrinkled head a big kiss before they took him to the warmer. The sound of his cries were music to my ears and I waited impatiently as he was weighed, measured and cleaned. I finally got him back and he opened his eyes and looked directly at me. He was beautiful and perfect and so alert. I just laid there and stared at him in my arms for what seemed like forever.
The day honestly could not have gone any better. Labor was...dare I say it...easy, and my baby was in my arms only about 9 hours after our arrival at the hospital.
After things settled down and Ryan went to pick up Austin and bring him to see me and meet his new baby brother, my day was complete and wonderful and I felt so blessed and happy to be the mother of two very special little boys!
We were up in our room in no time and they went ahead and started some fluids. I answered countless heath questions and got poked and prodded and hooked up to monitors while Ryan enjoyed a little ESPN and ran to the vending area for a some caffeine! After about 30 minutes they went ahead and started the pitocin to try and get some contractions going. They started out light and very tolerable, but I winced every time the nurse came back in our room to turn up the amount. Sitting there awaiting the pain was the worst thing about being induced.
After a couple hours and a few cervix checks, my doctor came in to break my water. It was time to get the show on the road!! Within another hour the contractions started coming on much stronger and in regular intervals. Soon enough I was having really strong contractions every 2 minutes that would never fully go away. That's when it was time for the epidural!!!
The epidural went great and I was able to relax almost immediately and even close my eyes and rest for awhile. Ryan and I passed the time playing Family Feud on his laptop. I am the queen of fast money!!
After some hours of waiting and dilating and waiting some more, I was finally at 10cm and I almost cried I was so excited. Laying flat on your back in a hospital bed unable to move your legs can get really uncomfortable after several hours! I was ready to start pushing right away but baby was still really high and they wanted to wait a little while for him to drop to make pushing a little less challenging. That last 30 minutes was absolute torture!!!
Finally I told the nurse I couldn't wait any longer and we decided to do some light pushes to bring his head down a bit. After the first contraction they could already see him! I was so excited but baby wasn't quite as ready as I was because his heart rate started dropping every time I pushed. It was nothing to be alarmed about, but I was unable to push as often as I wanted because we had to wait on the little guys heart rate to come back up before the next push.
After about 30 more minutes and pushing through about 4 contractions the nurse told me to stop pushing because she had to run get the doctor...baby was almost here!!! My doctor was there quickly and a couple pushes later baby Owen was born!
Ryan cut the cord and they wiped down my wiggly screaming baby and then placed him on my chest. I fell instantly in love and gave his wrinkled head a big kiss before they took him to the warmer. The sound of his cries were music to my ears and I waited impatiently as he was weighed, measured and cleaned. I finally got him back and he opened his eyes and looked directly at me. He was beautiful and perfect and so alert. I just laid there and stared at him in my arms for what seemed like forever.
The day honestly could not have gone any better. Labor was...dare I say it...easy, and my baby was in my arms only about 9 hours after our arrival at the hospital.
After things settled down and Ryan went to pick up Austin and bring him to see me and meet his new baby brother, my day was complete and wonderful and I felt so blessed and happy to be the mother of two very special little boys!
May 5, 2010
May 3, 2010
Final Countdown!!
Hey friends!
I just wanted to update you on some Baby H news since I know many of you have been waiting patiently to hear about his arrival. We actually went to the doctor this morning and there's still no change and no sign that this little guy is preparing to come, so we have planned an induction for tomorrow morning. I'll be 40.5 weeks.
We have to call at 5am to make sure the hospital has room for us and if everything's a go we should be having our baby boy sometime by tomorrow afternoon or evening. We can't wait to send out pictures and updates as soon as he's here and Austin is thrilled about being a big brother!!
Also, baby H measured to be close to 9 lbs. at his ultrasound today, so please pray for a quick and safe delivery for us all! We hope to have a normal delivery but have not ruled out c-section if things don't progress as planned.
Hope to be updating you all very soon with the news!!
Love,
Jennifer, Ryan & Austin
UPDATE: I sent this e-mail to some friends and family this morning but held off alerting the public in case we were turned away from the hospital due to over capacity...however, we just got a call saying that we are all clear and a room will be waiting for us in the morning!! We can't wait to share the news so check back tomorrow to hopefully see our newest baby boy!!
April 30, 2010
ABC's of Me
I saw this on Kristy's blog and thought I'd join in since it's 10pm on Friday night and I'm doing nothing but sitting here and waiting to go into labor! :)
A - Age: 28
B - Bed Size: King
C - Chore you hate: Laundry, laundry & more laundry
D - Dog's name: Lucy
E - Essential start your day item: Something with caffeine!
F - Favorite color : I've noticed recently that most of my clothes are pink but I never would have said that was my favorite color if asked. Apparently that's what I'm drawn to though.
G - Gold or Silver: Silver most of the time
H - Height: 4'10"
I - Instruments you play(ed): I played piano for several years when I was younger. I can still play a mean chop-stix!
J - Job title: Mommy, Wife, Chef, Maid, Playmate
K - Kid(s): 1 with another on the way any day now!
L - Living arrangements: Living with my 2 (almost 3) boys at our home in Greenville, SC
M - Mom's name: Susan
N - Nicknames: Jeni, Jen, Mama and/or Mamba
O - Overnight hospital: 1 night for my appendectomy a few years ago and 3 nights when Austin was born...anticipating another one here shortly!
P - Pet Peeve: Bad grammar...especially when people confuse the words lose and loose, gah!
Q - Quote from a movie: I've never been one of those people who can remember movie quotes...
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Younger sister, Catherine
T - Time you wake up: Whenever Austin calls, usually between 7-8 am
U- Underwear: I wear 'em
V - Vegetable you dislike: Tomatoes, mushrooms, olives (Update: Ryan just informed me that none of these are technically vegetables....so while these are all foods I do certainly dislike, my least favorite actual vegetable is probably cauliflower)
W - Ways you run late: I could blame it on Austin, but usually it's because I procrastinate and don't start getting ready early enough...
X - X-rays you've had: Broken hand in high school, sprained ankles in high school and this past December and of course my teeth at the dentist office
Y - Yummy food you make: Banana pudding, nachos, mac & cheese
Z - Zoo favorite? Elephants & tigers
A - Age: 28
B - Bed Size: King
C - Chore you hate: Laundry, laundry & more laundry
D - Dog's name: Lucy
E - Essential start your day item: Something with caffeine!
F - Favorite color : I've noticed recently that most of my clothes are pink but I never would have said that was my favorite color if asked. Apparently that's what I'm drawn to though.
G - Gold or Silver: Silver most of the time
H - Height: 4'10"
I - Instruments you play(ed): I played piano for several years when I was younger. I can still play a mean chop-stix!
J - Job title: Mommy, Wife, Chef, Maid, Playmate
K - Kid(s): 1 with another on the way any day now!
L - Living arrangements: Living with my 2 (almost 3) boys at our home in Greenville, SC
M - Mom's name: Susan
N - Nicknames: Jeni, Jen, Mama and/or Mamba
O - Overnight hospital: 1 night for my appendectomy a few years ago and 3 nights when Austin was born...anticipating another one here shortly!
P - Pet Peeve: Bad grammar...especially when people confuse the words lose and loose, gah!
Q - Quote from a movie: I've never been one of those people who can remember movie quotes...
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Younger sister, Catherine
T - Time you wake up: Whenever Austin calls, usually between 7-8 am
U- Underwear: I wear 'em
V - Vegetable you dislike: Tomatoes, mushrooms, olives (Update: Ryan just informed me that none of these are technically vegetables....so while these are all foods I do certainly dislike, my least favorite actual vegetable is probably cauliflower)
W - Ways you run late: I could blame it on Austin, but usually it's because I procrastinate and don't start getting ready early enough...
X - X-rays you've had: Broken hand in high school, sprained ankles in high school and this past December and of course my teeth at the dentist office
Y - Yummy food you make: Banana pudding, nachos, mac & cheese
Z - Zoo favorite? Elephants & tigers
No Baby Yet...
Well, I'll be 40 weeks tomorrow and still no baby...
Nothing had changed as of my doctor's appointment Monday, which was a little disheartening, but I just KNEW he would be here by at least today. I was wrong....again....and I'm starting to see a pattern here....
Today and Thursday have been really rough for some reason which makes me think that baby will be here soon, but then again I'm starting to feel like I might just be pregnant forever.
Just in case I am right and this baby has no intentions of ever leaving....the doctors (and myself) have decided to evict him next Tuesday regardless. Doesn't he know that there are tons of people out here just dying to meet him?
Anyway, it's been a pretty laid back week around here. A lot of dinners out to get spicy food, several walks around the neighborhood, a few bumpy car rides and a bunch of trips up and down the stairs.
Tonight we've already got plans for Mexican and a walk to the playground...and hopefully some baby news before the end of the weekend (but don't get your hopes up).
Nothing had changed as of my doctor's appointment Monday, which was a little disheartening, but I just KNEW he would be here by at least today. I was wrong....again....and I'm starting to see a pattern here....
Today and Thursday have been really rough for some reason which makes me think that baby will be here soon, but then again I'm starting to feel like I might just be pregnant forever.
Just in case I am right and this baby has no intentions of ever leaving....the doctors (and myself) have decided to evict him next Tuesday regardless. Doesn't he know that there are tons of people out here just dying to meet him?
Anyway, it's been a pretty laid back week around here. A lot of dinners out to get spicy food, several walks around the neighborhood, a few bumpy car rides and a bunch of trips up and down the stairs.
Tonight we've already got plans for Mexican and a walk to the playground...and hopefully some baby news before the end of the weekend (but don't get your hopes up).
April 25, 2010
In case you were wondering...
Yes, I'm still pregnant.
And even though you probably don't want to hear it, I need to take a moment to vent...
I am SOOOO ready for this little guy to make his appearance and be DONE with pregnancy for a looooong time (possibly for good)?
I haven't slept more than an hour at a time in the past 4 weeks. I wake up several times a night, even in the middle of vivid dreams, because my shoulders and hips fall asleep and start hurting like crazy from lying on my side. Sometimes I just have to lie on my back to give both sides a break, but then I sacrifice breathing, start gasping for air and feel like my lungs are collapsing. I'm really not sure which is worse...
When I don't wake up because my body is screaming at me in pain, I wake up because I have a 7-8 lb. baby pushing on my bladder at all times and can't go more than 2 hours without having to run to the bathroom. Oh yeah, I also just started getting this terrible heartburn at night which is absolutely miserable. I've never dealt with heartburn before but I finally understand what all the complaining is about!!
Since I'm probably not going to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time for the next 4 months due to around the clock feedings, imagine how stressful it is to not be able to sleep when I have nothing but my own body to blame for it. Uhh, so frustrating!
Some other things that should come as natural as sleeping, like moving/sitting/standing/driving, have become increasingly difficult as well. I'm convinced that my 4'10" frame just wasn't built to carry a baby past 35 weeks. I think my body knew this and that's why I was having pre-term labor contractions a few weeks ago. For baby's sake, I'm glad they stopped it, but that's all I'll say about that...
So, yeah, the happy, carefree, glowing stage of pregnancy is WAY over. I'm not exactly sure I ever really went through that stage, but I'm certainly in the "beyond miserable" stage at the moment.
And have I mentioned how my husband, whom I love dearly, just doesn't understand any of this? He tries his hardest, bless his heart, but he's just not the type of person who can empathize, especially when it comes to "women things" like hormones and pregnancy. The other man in my life (Austin) doesn't quite get it either. He still thinks it's funny to kick mommy in the belly while fighting diaper changes, climb all over me like a jungle gym and hurl books, balls and other toys at me from a close distance. I don't blame him though, sometimes I think he has to do it to get my attention and knock me out of this sleep deprived pregnancy stupor I fall into at random times throughout the day.
There are many, many other less than blog-worthy symptoms that come along with being 9 months pregnant that I just won't go into so as to not scare anyone away from trying to get pregnant. If you really want to know or you're currently pregnant and want to know about those things that no one really talks about....shoot me an e-mail and I'll be glad to fill you in!
So there ya have it, my 39 week 1 day "why am I still pregnant" vent. Sorry for all the complaining.
If this baby doesn't get here before May 1st (my actual due date), not only will I cry, but I will be begging my doctor to induce on the 4th. I'm counting on the full moon this Wednesday though to hurry things along.
So friends, please pray that I will get to meet my newest addition sooner than later, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my husband and son who are only one small hormone fluctuation away from being caught in the middle of an angry pregnancy induced rage!
And even though you probably don't want to hear it, I need to take a moment to vent...
I am SOOOO ready for this little guy to make his appearance and be DONE with pregnancy for a looooong time (possibly for good)?
I haven't slept more than an hour at a time in the past 4 weeks. I wake up several times a night, even in the middle of vivid dreams, because my shoulders and hips fall asleep and start hurting like crazy from lying on my side. Sometimes I just have to lie on my back to give both sides a break, but then I sacrifice breathing, start gasping for air and feel like my lungs are collapsing. I'm really not sure which is worse...
When I don't wake up because my body is screaming at me in pain, I wake up because I have a 7-8 lb. baby pushing on my bladder at all times and can't go more than 2 hours without having to run to the bathroom. Oh yeah, I also just started getting this terrible heartburn at night which is absolutely miserable. I've never dealt with heartburn before but I finally understand what all the complaining is about!!
Since I'm probably not going to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time for the next 4 months due to around the clock feedings, imagine how stressful it is to not be able to sleep when I have nothing but my own body to blame for it. Uhh, so frustrating!
Some other things that should come as natural as sleeping, like moving/sitting/standing/driving, have become increasingly difficult as well. I'm convinced that my 4'10" frame just wasn't built to carry a baby past 35 weeks. I think my body knew this and that's why I was having pre-term labor contractions a few weeks ago. For baby's sake, I'm glad they stopped it, but that's all I'll say about that...
So, yeah, the happy, carefree, glowing stage of pregnancy is WAY over. I'm not exactly sure I ever really went through that stage, but I'm certainly in the "beyond miserable" stage at the moment.
And have I mentioned how my husband, whom I love dearly, just doesn't understand any of this? He tries his hardest, bless his heart, but he's just not the type of person who can empathize, especially when it comes to "women things" like hormones and pregnancy. The other man in my life (Austin) doesn't quite get it either. He still thinks it's funny to kick mommy in the belly while fighting diaper changes, climb all over me like a jungle gym and hurl books, balls and other toys at me from a close distance. I don't blame him though, sometimes I think he has to do it to get my attention and knock me out of this sleep deprived pregnancy stupor I fall into at random times throughout the day.
There are many, many other less than blog-worthy symptoms that come along with being 9 months pregnant that I just won't go into so as to not scare anyone away from trying to get pregnant. If you really want to know or you're currently pregnant and want to know about those things that no one really talks about....shoot me an e-mail and I'll be glad to fill you in!
So there ya have it, my 39 week 1 day "why am I still pregnant" vent. Sorry for all the complaining.
If this baby doesn't get here before May 1st (my actual due date), not only will I cry, but I will be begging my doctor to induce on the 4th. I'm counting on the full moon this Wednesday though to hurry things along.
So friends, please pray that I will get to meet my newest addition sooner than later, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my husband and son who are only one small hormone fluctuation away from being caught in the middle of an angry pregnancy induced rage!
April 22, 2010
April 21, 2010
The Hives
They went away briefly yesterday after his 1st dose of medicine, but they were back this morning in full force. Scary looking, huh?!
Today, I was one of THOSE moms...
Austin woke up this morning with what looked like several mosquito bites on his right cheek. I put some hydrocortizone on them and didn't think much of it since we have seen a lot of those little buggars around here lately. Over the course of the morning, though, more "mosquito bites" started to appear and on several different parts of his body. By noon, the entire left side of his face was red and swollen and I began to freak out.
He wasn't acting like anything was bothering him so I put in an emergency call to the pediatrician's office hoping to talk to a nurse. Of course it was lunch time and they said they'd have to have someone call me back in a few minutes. I waited about 3 minutes, took one last look at the red swollen spots on Austin's face, packed him in the car and headed down the road anyway.
We got to our doctor's office at 12:30, which is when they close for lunch, but the doors were open and a receptionist was at her desk. I barged in scared and frazzled with my red, swollen baby in tow and the wonderful, wonderful people at Parkside were more than happy to help this terrified mom. Of course all the medical staff were in a meeting, but the receptionist found Dr. M and told him the situation. As long as Austin wasn't having trouble breathing, he said, I shouldn't be too worried and even though his next appointment wasn't until 2:30 that afternoon, he'd take a few minutes before he started back on his rounds to see us. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE our pediatrician???
A few minutes later we were back in the exam room and as I took off Austin's shirt I noticed several more patches of these red, swollen bumps had popped up. Dr. M was in shortly and those bumps finally got a name....hives! Ok, so nothing terribly serious and certainly nothing which warranted our kind doctor giving up part of his lunch break to diagnose, but I swear those things were really really scary looking!!!
We don't know what's causing the hives, either something he ate, a virus or even a bug bite maybe....but for the 3rd time in the past 2 weeks we were back at CVS picking up a prescription....the only 3 prescriptions he's ever needed and all within days of each other!
So, we made it 18 months without anything more than a runny nose and all of a sudden wham, bam, ear infections and hives! Maybe when these things clear up, however, we'll have another 18 months of wellness ahead of us. We can only hope!
With that, I leave you with a sweet, sweet sight. My precious little boy, infected ears, hives and all, but still sleeping peacefully in his crib. And in case you're wondering, still totally loving the video monitor!!
He wasn't acting like anything was bothering him so I put in an emergency call to the pediatrician's office hoping to talk to a nurse. Of course it was lunch time and they said they'd have to have someone call me back in a few minutes. I waited about 3 minutes, took one last look at the red swollen spots on Austin's face, packed him in the car and headed down the road anyway.
We got to our doctor's office at 12:30, which is when they close for lunch, but the doors were open and a receptionist was at her desk. I barged in scared and frazzled with my red, swollen baby in tow and the wonderful, wonderful people at Parkside were more than happy to help this terrified mom. Of course all the medical staff were in a meeting, but the receptionist found Dr. M and told him the situation. As long as Austin wasn't having trouble breathing, he said, I shouldn't be too worried and even though his next appointment wasn't until 2:30 that afternoon, he'd take a few minutes before he started back on his rounds to see us. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE our pediatrician???
A few minutes later we were back in the exam room and as I took off Austin's shirt I noticed several more patches of these red, swollen bumps had popped up. Dr. M was in shortly and those bumps finally got a name....hives! Ok, so nothing terribly serious and certainly nothing which warranted our kind doctor giving up part of his lunch break to diagnose, but I swear those things were really really scary looking!!!
We don't know what's causing the hives, either something he ate, a virus or even a bug bite maybe....but for the 3rd time in the past 2 weeks we were back at CVS picking up a prescription....the only 3 prescriptions he's ever needed and all within days of each other!
So, we made it 18 months without anything more than a runny nose and all of a sudden wham, bam, ear infections and hives! Maybe when these things clear up, however, we'll have another 18 months of wellness ahead of us. We can only hope!
With that, I leave you with a sweet, sweet sight. My precious little boy, infected ears, hives and all, but still sleeping peacefully in his crib. And in case you're wondering, still totally loving the video monitor!!
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