It's true. We may never get another nice family picture again.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Taking a Photo of the Kids
In the words of my Aunt Claudia, "getting everyone to face forward and look pretty in a kiddie pic is like trying to herd cats."
It's true. We may never get another nice family picture again.
It's true. We may never get another nice family picture again.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
1 Week Old
Today is my due date. Lauren is already a week old! Where has the time gone? A week of her life on the outside has already come and passed. Amazing.
Lauren seems to have caught her brothers' cold, unfortunately, and has been keeping us up pretty much all night long the past 2-3 nights. She's really a sweet little peach, otherwise, and I'm certain that if she were feeling better we'd be sleeping better.
She's changed so much in just a week's time. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this little girl. Actually I can wait. I want her to be small forever!
At her doctor's visit on Monday, when she was 3.5 days old, she weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. So she's lost a little weight since birth, but looking at her now, I know she's gained some back. She's definitely growing!
Big brothers are slowly adjusting to her. By adjusting, I mean they are starting to forget that she's around... which is a good thing even though it sounds like it isn't. The interest level in "baby sisser Wauren" was pretty high for the first few days, we were constantly keeping brothers' fingers out of Lauren's eyes, etc. Now Ian and Aaron will stop by Lauren and check on her, but don't seem to want to touch or poke or pull, etc.
Lauren is 1 week old. I can't believe it! (She's wearing the same outfit today as coming home from the hospital because we only have 3 newborn size outfits... and she's hardly filling them.)
When they were putting in my IV last week they "blew" 2 veins before they got a good one. You should see my vein today... a major battle scar from my L&D last week. Oh, ok, since you asked... here's a picture.
Lauren seems to have caught her brothers' cold, unfortunately, and has been keeping us up pretty much all night long the past 2-3 nights. She's really a sweet little peach, otherwise, and I'm certain that if she were feeling better we'd be sleeping better.
She's changed so much in just a week's time. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this little girl. Actually I can wait. I want her to be small forever!
At her doctor's visit on Monday, when she was 3.5 days old, she weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. So she's lost a little weight since birth, but looking at her now, I know she's gained some back. She's definitely growing!
Big brothers are slowly adjusting to her. By adjusting, I mean they are starting to forget that she's around... which is a good thing even though it sounds like it isn't. The interest level in "baby sisser Wauren" was pretty high for the first few days, we were constantly keeping brothers' fingers out of Lauren's eyes, etc. Now Ian and Aaron will stop by Lauren and check on her, but don't seem to want to touch or poke or pull, etc.
Lauren is 1 week old. I can't believe it! (She's wearing the same outfit today as coming home from the hospital because we only have 3 newborn size outfits... and she's hardly filling them.)
When they were putting in my IV last week they "blew" 2 veins before they got a good one. You should see my vein today... a major battle scar from my L&D last week. Oh, ok, since you asked... here's a picture.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
We Need A New Header
Lauren Marie Vandervort officially became part of the family on Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 8:44pm.
She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long.
She currently has a little dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. Long fingers & feet, and is just very petite! (Aaron was a full pound lighter ans an inch shorter, but Lauren seems smaller to me.)
She's doing all the little things newborns do... squeaky noises, some crying, some "gas smiles," etc. She is not lacking in attention... we've hardly put her down since she arrived. She's just so precious and we know all too well now that these sweet moments are fleeting. Our 3 year old and 21 month old "babies" are a constant reminder that we have to savor every moment. I reminded myself out loud at 5:30 this morning while the rest of the house was sleeping... even this icky meconium diaper is something to cherish. I may not ever change another meconium diaper. Enjoy this. Delight in her.
Big Brothers are doing ok with the transition. There have been some tears at times when Ian & Aaron would like to have mommy do something, but I simply can't. (Carry them to their beds or play wrestlemania...) Ian has a deep interest in his sister. Counting her toes, watching diaper changes, noticing her little noises, touching her hair, learning about umbilical cords (and belly buttons.) Aaron is just quietly enjoying being part of this adventure. Offering kisses and hugs and pats on the back "to help with burping." It is a truly lovely scene, even though it is chaos, watching my little family turn to a bigger family, and my children loving each other. I should mention that Ian is showing some signs of stress right now and has been having more tantrums, but we all have to remind ourselves of the huge change we are going through and that everyone needs a little extra slack. I don't think it is as bad as it could be, and we are thankful for that.
I'm doing well. The labor and delivery of #3 was the easiest yet. It was not easy, but it was nothing compared to Ian's traumatic birthday. This time, I labored about 6 hours (2 of which were spent doing some serious Lamaze-ish breathing techniques and sweating through the thick of things... the anesthesiologists were backlogged & I had to wait for 1.5 hours for my epidural... after the contractions got bad enough to ask for one. Yipes!) Lauren was born after practically no pushing at all, in a flurry of activity, we were all surprised how quickly it happened in the final minutes. 8 minutes from the time the doctor entered the delivery room until she was out and crying.
So here we are. A family of five. We'll try to get a family picture soon.
She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long.
She currently has a little dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. Long fingers & feet, and is just very petite! (Aaron was a full pound lighter ans an inch shorter, but Lauren seems smaller to me.)
She's doing all the little things newborns do... squeaky noises, some crying, some "gas smiles," etc. She is not lacking in attention... we've hardly put her down since she arrived. She's just so precious and we know all too well now that these sweet moments are fleeting. Our 3 year old and 21 month old "babies" are a constant reminder that we have to savor every moment. I reminded myself out loud at 5:30 this morning while the rest of the house was sleeping... even this icky meconium diaper is something to cherish. I may not ever change another meconium diaper. Enjoy this. Delight in her.
Big Brothers are doing ok with the transition. There have been some tears at times when Ian & Aaron would like to have mommy do something, but I simply can't. (Carry them to their beds or play wrestlemania...) Ian has a deep interest in his sister. Counting her toes, watching diaper changes, noticing her little noises, touching her hair, learning about umbilical cords (and belly buttons.) Aaron is just quietly enjoying being part of this adventure. Offering kisses and hugs and pats on the back "to help with burping." It is a truly lovely scene, even though it is chaos, watching my little family turn to a bigger family, and my children loving each other. I should mention that Ian is showing some signs of stress right now and has been having more tantrums, but we all have to remind ourselves of the huge change we are going through and that everyone needs a little extra slack. I don't think it is as bad as it could be, and we are thankful for that.
I'm doing well. The labor and delivery of #3 was the easiest yet. It was not easy, but it was nothing compared to Ian's traumatic birthday. This time, I labored about 6 hours (2 of which were spent doing some serious Lamaze-ish breathing techniques and sweating through the thick of things... the anesthesiologists were backlogged & I had to wait for 1.5 hours for my epidural... after the contractions got bad enough to ask for one. Yipes!) Lauren was born after practically no pushing at all, in a flurry of activity, we were all surprised how quickly it happened in the final minutes. 8 minutes from the time the doctor entered the delivery room until she was out and crying.
So here we are. A family of five. We'll try to get a family picture soon.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Family Photo
On the Youghiogheny River Rail Trail this afternoon.
...most likely the last one as a family of four...
...which is perfectly fine with us...
Four.More.Days. (at the most)
Sidenote: Ohiopyle State Park is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Pennsylvania. I just love it there.
...most likely the last one as a family of four...
...which is perfectly fine with us...
Four.More.Days. (at the most)
Sidenote: Ohiopyle State Park is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Pennsylvania. I just love it there.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Berry Picking of the Blue variety
On a whim today I took the kids to the orchard and we picked blueberries. Not a TON of them, but a couple of pints. (As long as I could tolerate the sweat running down my forehead and back...)
Ian actually posed for an adorable picture!
Here's Ian in the blueberry patch! (No funny faces, actually looking at the camera! Love it.)
Ian actually posed for an adorable picture!
Here's Ian in the blueberry patch! (No funny faces, actually looking at the camera! Love it.)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
38 Weeks
**UPDATE**
Unless she chooses otherwise, our induction has been scheduled for 7/22/2010.
Pink shirt= Today, Black Shirt= 38 weeks with Ian.
No 38 weeks pic w/Aaron because he was already a week old!
Appointment was good. Everything is pretty much the same as last week... just waiting now.
Unless she chooses otherwise, our induction has been scheduled for 7/22/2010.
Pink shirt= Today, Black Shirt= 38 weeks with Ian.
No 38 weeks pic w/Aaron because he was already a week old!
Appointment was good. Everything is pretty much the same as last week... just waiting now.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
37 Week Update
So my OB is out sick... for the next 3 months.
Apparently he has some kind of terrible hearing problem & is now being treated at the Mayo Clinic. Pray for him! He's a great doctor & a very nice man.
So I saw a different doctor today, who I will probably see the rest of the time... interesting to get a "new" perspective on things.
First, I actually lost 1/2 a pound since last week, my BP was 120/80, my belly was measuring a little big this time, which probably just means the baby has moved positions. The baby's heart rate was 150 and everything else looked good.
There was no change in dilation/effacement from last week.
The doctor I saw today expressed a lot of disgust with the fact that "they" let me go so long after the due date with Ian and then ended up with so many complications... and he said, "If Aaron hadn't needed to be induced for his health reasons, they would've let you go again and had another 9 pound baby."
So... he said we're looking at maybe inducing a week early if I'm still pregnant at that point. I told him that sounded good to me. ;-) He said, "I'm assuming, since you had an epidural both times before that you're going to have one this time too, and if they're going to hook you up, we might as well help you out on the size of the baby."
So that's fine.
It was a good appointment. I'm pretty sure Roger's going to be home from his trip before it's baby time.
I'm going to take a belly picture later, hopefully!
Apparently he has some kind of terrible hearing problem & is now being treated at the Mayo Clinic. Pray for him! He's a great doctor & a very nice man.
So I saw a different doctor today, who I will probably see the rest of the time... interesting to get a "new" perspective on things.
First, I actually lost 1/2 a pound since last week, my BP was 120/80, my belly was measuring a little big this time, which probably just means the baby has moved positions. The baby's heart rate was 150 and everything else looked good.
There was no change in dilation/effacement from last week.
The doctor I saw today expressed a lot of disgust with the fact that "they" let me go so long after the due date with Ian and then ended up with so many complications... and he said, "If Aaron hadn't needed to be induced for his health reasons, they would've let you go again and had another 9 pound baby."
So... he said we're looking at maybe inducing a week early if I'm still pregnant at that point. I told him that sounded good to me. ;-) He said, "I'm assuming, since you had an epidural both times before that you're going to have one this time too, and if they're going to hook you up, we might as well help you out on the size of the baby."
So that's fine.
It was a good appointment. I'm pretty sure Roger's going to be home from his trip before it's baby time.
I'm going to take a belly picture later, hopefully!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Allergy Update
Aaron saw his allergist this morning and got a pretty good review. His eczema is still bothersome, but there isn't a whole lot more we can do about it and it doesn't seem to be linked to how much egg product he eats. Ian had yucky eczema on his legs (backs of his knees, and in his armpits) pretty much until he turned three. Ian's has very recently cleared up to practically nonexistent.
Aaron's ear infection from 2 weeks ago is all cleared up and he is breathing well.
The allergist wants us to cut back on Aaron's pulmicort (nebulizer) dosage for July and August and then start back up "full force" on September 1st for the winter. So Aaron will get it every other night in July and every 3rd night in August instead of every night like he has been. Pulmicort is a steroid and there are always concerns about slowing down his growth. Aaron is already a peanut and he could use any break he can get to help him continue to grow well! Aaron has been gaining and growing in the last few months (as opposed to not gaining any weight at all over the winter) and his doctors attribute that to well-managed allergies and asthma not consuming all of his calories to fight off illnesses so he can pack on a little weight. He is still not on "the chart" for weight and only in the 5th percentile for height.
I happen to love his allergist. He's such a caring doctor and has great bedside manner. He really seems to love children, too. (He's both a pediatric and adult allergist.) He's a really good doctor. We've really been blessed with some excellent medical professionals for our children!
He also gets bonus points for mentioning to Ian that he was going to have a new baby sister "in the fall" and about fell out of his chair when I corrected him and said, "no...a couple of weeks!" He said, "Really?! You look great!" Telling a very pregnant lady she looks small and healthy will get you a pat on the back any day! (Sidenote, it must be true, I've been hearing it quite a bit lately... "you look great! you must feel good!" I do feel good. I feel great for being 36 weeks pregnant. Really!)
Aaron won't be going back to the allergist (or pediatrician) until October unless there's a problem! That's the longest stretch for him without having to see a doctor...ever! Let's hope he stays healthy and we don't have to have any sick visits between now and then!
Next week Ian will see the ENT to figure out what is going to happen now that his right ear tube has fallen out (and he's had an ear infection in that ear...). I'm not looking forward to hearing that it's time for a new set and most likely having tonsils/adenoids removed too. I'm prepared to hear it, but I don't want to hear it. Not right now. *sigh* If you could pray about that situation, we'd appreciate it!
Last weekend we went to Round Hill Farm Park with our friends Mike and Kim Markiw. We had a great time. It's a great park! Here are a couple more pictures from our visit to the "exhibit farm."
Aaron's ear infection from 2 weeks ago is all cleared up and he is breathing well.
The allergist wants us to cut back on Aaron's pulmicort (nebulizer) dosage for July and August and then start back up "full force" on September 1st for the winter. So Aaron will get it every other night in July and every 3rd night in August instead of every night like he has been. Pulmicort is a steroid and there are always concerns about slowing down his growth. Aaron is already a peanut and he could use any break he can get to help him continue to grow well! Aaron has been gaining and growing in the last few months (as opposed to not gaining any weight at all over the winter) and his doctors attribute that to well-managed allergies and asthma not consuming all of his calories to fight off illnesses so he can pack on a little weight. He is still not on "the chart" for weight and only in the 5th percentile for height.
I happen to love his allergist. He's such a caring doctor and has great bedside manner. He really seems to love children, too. (He's both a pediatric and adult allergist.) He's a really good doctor. We've really been blessed with some excellent medical professionals for our children!
He also gets bonus points for mentioning to Ian that he was going to have a new baby sister "in the fall" and about fell out of his chair when I corrected him and said, "no...a couple of weeks!" He said, "Really?! You look great!" Telling a very pregnant lady she looks small and healthy will get you a pat on the back any day! (Sidenote, it must be true, I've been hearing it quite a bit lately... "you look great! you must feel good!" I do feel good. I feel great for being 36 weeks pregnant. Really!)
Aaron won't be going back to the allergist (or pediatrician) until October unless there's a problem! That's the longest stretch for him without having to see a doctor...ever! Let's hope he stays healthy and we don't have to have any sick visits between now and then!
Next week Ian will see the ENT to figure out what is going to happen now that his right ear tube has fallen out (and he's had an ear infection in that ear...). I'm not looking forward to hearing that it's time for a new set and most likely having tonsils/adenoids removed too. I'm prepared to hear it, but I don't want to hear it. Not right now. *sigh* If you could pray about that situation, we'd appreciate it!
Last weekend we went to Round Hill Farm Park with our friends Mike and Kim Markiw. We had a great time. It's a great park! Here are a couple more pictures from our visit to the "exhibit farm."
The point at which they no longer...
...stop labor if it starts.
That's right folks. 36 weeks pregnant. Baby is head down and engaged. I didn't gain any weight since 2 weeks ago. My previously "borderline" high blood pressure was good today (and the last 2 appointments too) and is not a concern anymore. My belly is measuring "right on" at 36cm and baby's heart rate was 151 BPM. (I know "they" say the gender/fetal heart rate correlation is just an old wives tale, but it has proven true for me and my 3 children. Ian and Aaron never had a FHR above 140. Little Miss has never had one below 150. Maybe there's some truth to it!)
I'm 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. We already know from experience that this doesn't really mean anything as far as when things might get moving... I walked around 3cm and 80% for 5 weeks with Ian... he was a week late!
So we're in the home stretch. +/- 4 weeks until we meet our baby girl!
That's right folks. 36 weeks pregnant. Baby is head down and engaged. I didn't gain any weight since 2 weeks ago. My previously "borderline" high blood pressure was good today (and the last 2 appointments too) and is not a concern anymore. My belly is measuring "right on" at 36cm and baby's heart rate was 151 BPM. (I know "they" say the gender/fetal heart rate correlation is just an old wives tale, but it has proven true for me and my 3 children. Ian and Aaron never had a FHR above 140. Little Miss has never had one below 150. Maybe there's some truth to it!)
I'm 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. We already know from experience that this doesn't really mean anything as far as when things might get moving... I walked around 3cm and 80% for 5 weeks with Ian... he was a week late!
So we're in the home stretch. +/- 4 weeks until we meet our baby girl!
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