Happy Fathers Day....

6 months

I am playing catch up this month. Connor is thriving. He was 16 pounds at his 6 month check up on the ninth. He had a huge growth spurt from his four month checkup, especially in length. He was 26 3/4 inches. This puts him in the 16th percentile for weight and the 51st percentile for length. We are working hard at getting back to California, we hope by September. We are sooooooo excited. Arizona has been good to us but it's not our home and Tom and I have both felt very lonely out here. It's time to come home(please if you have facebook, do not mention me coming back to CA until I have given my notice at work, thanks). I have a job lined up, but moving out of state takes time and planning, so there you go. Tom is doing great with Connor and they seem to have a great time while I am at work. I miss him like crazy but he doesn't leave my side when I am home. I also know my weaknesses and I think if I were a stay at home mother, I would go a little batty and have a lot less patience. Surprisingly enough, Tom has more patience for the crankiness than I do. I did no expect that and it is wonderful to see your husband become a great father. The following are some of Connor's milestones.
At 6 months he is....

1. Eating about the equivalent of 3 mini jars of baby food a day and 4- 8 oz bottles a day
2. Rolling and scooting all over the living room.
3.Working on sitting up without support, but only lasts about a minute.
4. In 6-9 clothes just this week, finally!
5. On the verge of moving on to size 3 diapers.
6. Sleeping 10-12 hours at night
7. Taking three naps a day(1-2 hours)
8. Loving the pool with mama
9. Still the easiest baby ever, I can take him anywhere.
10 Just starting to cry at strangers if they are too loud or get to close, but only on rare occasion.
11. Looking a LOT like his dad.

I have decided to make Connor's baby food. So far I have had success at applesauce, blueberry applesauce, squash, yams, pears, blackberry pear, green beans, and carrots. He likes it all so far. I freeze the pureed food into silicone ice cube trays and then put them in freezer bags. I posted a picture above. Sorry this update took a while. I promise to do better. If anyone wants to come see us in Arizona we welcome visitors and you only have a few months to do it!

5 months

This is just a catch up blog for Connor's five month picture, here he is in all his cuteness. Taken just after my first Mother's day.

4 months!

I waited too long to post this one. Connor was 4 months on the 9th. His 4 month appointment was on the 13th. He weighed 12 lbs and 12 ounces and 23.8 inches long. He is in the 49th percentile for height and the 10th percentile for weight but he is climbing the charts slowly. He is perfectly healthy which I could not be more grateful for. We experimented with cereal today, but I don't believe in pushing solids too early, so we are taking it very slow. He did seem to enjoy the new experience and it looks like he will like solids which is great. I plan to make our own baby food so we shall see how that goes. Work is going well, I miss him like crazy but Tom is a great dad and three days a week is not bad if you have to work full time. Tom and I are getting away this weekend, I am meeting up with family and he is seeing some good friends of ours we don't see often enough. Connor is laughing, babbling, and sleeping 6 hours his first stretch, then another three or so. We love him to pieces and he is the best form of entertainment ever! Enjoy the pics from his first cereal feeding today..too cute!

3 months!

This is a few weeks late, but what can I say, babies keep you busy! Connor turned three months on the ninth. We happened to be in CA for his blessing that weekend. It was a very beautiful day and I know it was a very special day for Tom. Connor was such a trooper being passed around like a football. We got to visit with most of our family and friends who we have missed so much. Connor got so loved on he came back with a little cold, nothing serious, but we are all battling it now. His doctor visit is not until next month but I got on the scale with him and am guesstimating he is 11.5 pounds. He just moved up to size 2 diapers today, is still in 0-3 month clothes but fits in to 1 or two things from his 3-6 wardrobe. His sleeping is still not regular. Some nights he does six, night before last he did seven and scared me to death. But I would say four in the first stretch is about average, then he is good about going down for another 2-3, sometimes twice. He is growing and changing so much. He can sit up with support and is grasping at his toys. He laughs and coos and mimics. He is a GREAT baby. We couldn't have asked for better. P.S. He LOVES his BUMPO chair, doesn't he look like such a big boy sitting up?

2 months old!

Connor is the joy we knew he would be. Not a completely content baby, but I wouldn't call him fussy either. Tom and I work great as a team, since I like to go to bed early and get up early and he likes to stay up late and sleep in. Because of this, we both get at least six to eight hours each night. Nursing Connor has finally become like clockwork. But I have found I do not like to nurse all day long, so I pump and bottle feed half the time, this gives Tom a chance to bond with him too. His two month checkup was today and he was 9 pounds 5 ounces and 22 inches long. The doctor called him petite, but growing well and hitting all his milestones. The only little hiccup is that he favors sleeping with his head turned to the right, causing a slight misshape to the back of his head, The doctor says if we are persistent in putting him on his left, it should self correct in a matter of weeks. Their little skulls are still so soft. I go back to work Thursday and I am sooo sad. But nine weeks was a great chunk of time to be at home with my baby and I am so glad I got to do it. Tom is a GREAT dad. Even better than I knew he would be. He is so patient and loves his son so much. He will be a great stay at home dad. The picture above was Sunday all dolled up for church.

Connor's Birth

So the big day came on December 9th, 7:34 PM and not at all like I had hoped, but we are all well and healthy and for that I am grateful. We had checked in on the 8th at 9 PM to be induced. I was in my room by 10:00 PM. After getting hooked up to monitors, the doctor placed the cervadil around 11:00. PM. I was pre warned some women go into labor with cervadil, but the majority do not and I was encouraged to sleep while I could. Well, that was not in the cards. By midnight I was in labor. It was tolerable like most early labor is, but enough discomfort to keep me awake all night. By 7 AM I was vomiting and wanting an epidural. I tried to hold out, but I was only dilated to a 2-3 and I knew I had a long way to go and the pain was going to get worse before it got better. So by 9 AM after two attempts, my epidural was placed and they broke my water. The epidural was heaven. The only problem was it wore off by 1 PM. Just as it was wearing off, I also started having an excruciating headache which after a visit from anaesthesia was determined to be a spinal headache from the epidural. The anaesthesiologist tried several times injecting more medicine in my epidural to get me some relief, but nothing worked and the pain from the spinal headache made it hard to stay on top of my contractions. All of this led to IV pain medication mostly to control the headache which made me drowsy but very much aware of the contractions. By 4:30 PM I was dilated to a 6 and although in a lot a pain, the progress I had made encouraged me to keep going. At 6:30 the doctor came back and checked me again. I was still a 6, and Connor's head was a minus one station still. He felt that his head was not going to descend and recommended a C-section I was in so much pain and was vomiting off and on that by that point it did not take much convincing, I was so done. From there it was fast and kind of hazy. Once in the OR it took a while to get me numb due to the crappy epidural. But I was able to watch the birth in the reflection of the OR lights. Connor came easily and screamed before they even pulled him out. I cried and Tom rushed over to see him. They brought him to me and let me kiss him and Tom held him, then it was off to nursery to get weighed and measured. He weighed in at 5 lbs 13 oz. and 17 3/4 inches, such a little peanut! I stayed an extra day in the hospital for a fever, but my recovery since has been remarkably fast. I was up and about the day after with minimal pain. It was definitely not the birth experience I had dreamed of and I am still kind of dealing with that. But once I look at my sweet boy who is so healthy it is hard to find much to be sad about. A little update from the last three weeks. Connor is now 6 lbs 13 ounces and thriving. He is a great sleeper and has a very sweet temperament. Below are pictures from the birth and the last one is from Christmas Day. He is our miracle boy and we are thrilled to have him!

7

Christmas Day!