Sunday, August 30, 2009

you ask, i tell

I've been horrible lately at answering my comment questions, so I thought I'd open up a post for you to ask me anything that you'd like to know about us/me/etc...and I promise a response.

Pregnancy, my fave baby products, my camera, our journey--you name it, I'll answer.

I leave you with the sweetest furrowed brow I ever did see.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

werfnkdwoe

I'm running on maybe three hours of sleep. knsdofhpowenfnc.

Our babe is not feeling well, and I fear is battling a case of being stopped up. We're about to have to seek some form of intervention. I can't stand to see my babe in pain. It hurts my heart.

He still managed to play model for mommy today, in between giving me a few pee showers during the shoot :)





Tuesday, August 25, 2009

thankful

....and HE WEIGHED IN AT 8 LBS 1 OZ!! He is back to his birth weight! I fought back tiny mommy tears as we reached our first worrisome milestone with our tiny Hudson.


He did IT!! Although the mass chaos that is our nurse/pump/formula schedule is quite the whirlwind, it has obviously worked, and we will continue with it so long as he continues his weight gain and hopefully brings his momma's down :)

Thank you all so very much for your prayers, and I loved reading your comments about your own feeding experiences---makes me feel more confident in the world of baby fattening.

Our precious angel is quickly turning into our very own angel puff and I love it ♥

Monday, August 24, 2009

fatsy

I brought an 8 lb 1 oz baby boy into this world, and like all tiny's he lost a few ounces post-birth. Since then though, he has struggled to re-gain those lost ounces and because I had been strictly nursing, I really had no idea how much he was or was not getting. He is a great sleeper, only getting up twice a night---but that sleepiness has resulted in sleepy eating too, so when he's latched we're not quite sure he's taking it all in.



Like all motherhood adventures things don't always go as you plan and his dr's recommended we add an ounce of formula after every feeding. Not a big deal, I know...but I had these sweet mommy thoughts of Hudson getting everything he needed from me :(

It was obviously a no-brainer for us to throw in that extra ounce because puffing him up is of course number one priority. So I now nurse, pump, formula-feed, and take Fenugreek {all thanks to Kyndal, my mommy guru} and have now officially turned into a milking cow. Complete with lace teet pads...lace.

I forgot to wear them yesterday and I quickly regreted my mistake in doing so. My faucets leak like Niagara Falls. Bring your parka...it's raining milk, folks.

Please say a little prayer for us this morning----today should be his last weigh-in to see if we've plumped him up enough. If not, they will have me give him even more formula. The appts have been hard on me because these dr's seem strangely unsupportive of my strictly breastfeeding agenda which left me feeling very bitter and even more determined to find a way to chunk him up via mommy.


Thankfully, he doesn't mind the extra add-in of bottles and has still loved being latched on to his mommy ♥

Thursday, August 20, 2009

walk it off

There's pounds to lose and a baby to walk.


So out we went---daddy and his coffee, and momma with her sunglasses to mask that "haven't showered-just-had-a-baby-and-don't-sleep" look :)


We're very slowly aiming at new outings with our babe. Don't let the pictures fool you, we didn't go far---this was our neighborhood!! Our walk got cut short and we had to make a run for it, because our tiny wakes up a ravenous, ravenous beast and momma's diner must open immediately, or my MT's {milky teets} pay the consequences!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

pea pod








I always talked about my sweet pea pod...and now I have him in my arms.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Hollie!!!!

Have you NOTICED our BEAUTIFUL, AWESOME, and AMAZING new layout???!??!?

Several of you have asked about the new design, and I am super excited to point you in the right direction....please go pay her a visit :)

The eye candy comes courtesy of the boundlessly creative Hollie over at Drama Mama Designs!! She is a gorgeous, sweet, and obviously super talented momma of three sweeties and she gave us a FULL blog makeover complete with our very own button!! Please grab one ♥


Friday, August 14, 2009

birth is not a stork

I'm not sure that I had any true expectations about birth, other than getting my baby out safely...

Prior to getting pregnant I never could have imagined a tiny human exiting my body. Nope, nope, NO. It seemed barbaric. Frightening. Not something I was capable of doing.

August 5th, 2009. I did it. I DID IT. Not only did I do it, but it was hands down {pain and all} the most amazing experience of my life. I find myself sad as the days pass that we're farther away from that sweet day that I got to birth our son.

We all know now of my false alarm on Sunday the 2nd, silly me. I thought I was that one in a million whose contractions felt like a flutter. FLUTTER NOT. Come Tuesday night, around 1am they started. When they start, you know. I had been warned. I rocked in bed, laid on pillows, walked, did whatever my body told me to do as the contractions became more and more horrid.

By 4am, I could do no more and cried to JR to please call the hospital because it was time for some drug intervention. I had done my part :) He told me again to be prepared just in case I wasn't dilated...the good contractions truly knock the breath out of you and I was running on no air by this point with evil thoughts swirling my mind for anyone in my path. I knew it was time.

We made it to Triage by 5ish I think, saddled up in pretty hospital gear and again I got a ridiculous nurse. The silly ones flock to me. By this point, I vividly remember my poor husband startled at how much pain I was in as he watched my contractions on the monitor as I was pulling the mattress over my head. It hurt. Naughty naughty words were coming out of my mouth, unapologetically.

The nurse sprung a leak in my arm after failing miserably to find the vein for the IV, and I wished terribly it would have sprung right in her silly face. I was that mad. My arm puffed up like a toadfrog, and we had to switch arms. JR was none too pleased by this point...she then topped off my Triage experience by asking me if I was going to throw up on her while pointing to her pants showing me that her previous patient had made do on her. SERIOUSLY?!?!? I thought JR was going to punch her right between the eyeballs. {We're not violent people I promise, outside of L & D}. I thought of conjuring up some nausea just to fulfill her other pant leg.

After several peaking contractions, and finally some tears, Nurse-Nat-Doesn't-Like had to ask me 1,789 questions which I understand is required, but asking a woman in labor if she has a prosthetic leg when I clearly am flailing about my hospital rolly bed with half my body clearly exposed IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. At that point I wanted to take my real leg and kick her in the shins. Both of them. Then she'd really see it was not prosthetic...had it been, I would have taken it off and used it as a bat.

I realize how hateful I sound, but I keep it honest in these parts, and I'm only showing you on a scale of 1-10 that my contractions felt like a 95.

I get examined, find out I'm only 1-2 cm and get the joyous news that we're getting a room in LDR and that I get my EPIDURAL! PTL! I started to see butterflies and rainbows.

At around 6am, we move to LDR 3 and we get a visit from the Epidural Fairy. He was my favorite. To the point and efficient. I have to say, that administering the epidural was one of the hardest parts of laboring because you have to sit completely completely still while they insert it. Once in though, I stopped seeing the light and found myself in ecstasy knowing I could feel nothing and that I was hours away from seeing my sweet Hudson.

Dr broke my water {not painful, by the way} and I quickly progressed to 5-6 cm in no time. This baby wanted out, out, out.

With my self-administer button, I joyously epidural'd my way through labor until around noon-ish when I felt lots of pressure down under and they told me it was go time and they made me put my epi button up :(

My birthing experience was perfect because of my husband. I have to give him so much credit because he did not miss a single second of the process and sat and encouraged me and loved me and held me thru the whole process which is terribly exhausting. Once it was time to push, we pushed in a quiet room with just the two of us and our sweet nurse, Erin. I remember JR's every word as Hudson got closer and closer and it was so special to have those moments together in "peace"...at 1:15pm, we got him.

I felt pain, but I think at that point your body takes over, and you just do it. It is not barbaric, not at all...it is human nature. We are designed to bring babies into the world, and we were able to make it the most beautiful moment of our lives. I pushed for only 30 minutes, start to finish, with the Dr barely able to make it in time!!

Tears flowed as soon as they laid our precious tiny on my belly, and we were in complete and utter awe at seeing our baby boy for the very first time.

Start to finish, we were blessed with a very short labor and delivery and it could not have gone more smoothly. Looks like my babies will come quick :)

After 10 minutes alone with him, we let family in and life started with Hudson...look at what we got to go home with!!!!!!


We are obviously now home, and much has happened in the short time with the addition of my MT's {milky teets}. They are part II of my birthing experience...stay tuned...

Thursday, August 13, 2009

day 8

It's been a week.

8 days to be exact. He has completely changed our life, our hearts, our marriage, our family.


Our everything. Everyday brings new things, discovering his love of being swaddled {they put him in a swaddly-trance}, finding just the right paci for him, and the adventure of nursing. I've worked really hard at maintaining a pretty tight 3-hr schedule of eat, sleep, poo---and it seems to be working out for our little family.

We have round-the-clock help from our family and it has been the greatest blessing to share his first few days of life and blow-out diapers with them :)

I still owe you a birth story, because it turns out the stork doesn't make a pit stop with babe in tow---there's a whole lot more to it. A whole lot ♥

Monday, August 10, 2009

miracle


Our tiny miracle...our whole world.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

living life with Hudson

Update: We are now home, this post was started on Friday and my doctor came into examine me while I was blogging and he laughed so hard that while my babe slept I took to blogging :) He wasn't aware of how serious a blogger this patient is!

It's Friday morning, feeling like we've been at the hospital for two weeks...so anxious to get this babe home. We're running on maybe a combined 8 hours of sleep out of the last 48 but it's never felt this good to be so tired.
our angel baby, the most kissable face in the world


I haven't left this room in two days, and tried to coax myself out just to see people or the outside world and I just can't. I can't leave my baby.

The grandparents are smitten with this baby kitten and it is such a joy to watch our parents completely melt at the sight of this new babe.

Yesterday afternoon Hudson just went round...

and around...

and around...

All day was a constant flow of nurses, naps, and FEEDINGS!!!

Again, something I could go into so much detail about but will spare you the milky bits---nursing him was my utmost goal outside of succesfully delivering him. Forever thankful to Marlene, the nurse on shift yesterday for finally showing me how to provide for my sweet tiny. Once I got it, he got it and we had some champion meals that make my heart full knowing I am all he needs in nourishment.

*UPDATE* I am fearful my nips are going to fall off, we're in the "toughening up" stage. eeesh.

In fact, he ate SO well yesterday he turned into the cutest and floppiest pea pod after his meals so mommy took advantage and played dress up! I was tired of seeing him in hospy shirts. {not to mention, that double chin is to die for}

He got a very special visit from his Aunt K and ended up just gazing at her and loving on her.

There is a transformation in the love for your spouse that comes with bringing a baby into this world. So much takes over your heart knowing that this sweet babe was made by you two and carefully brought into this world by Him. It makes you a kind of thankful you've never experienced. I'm not sure that I could be any more blessed.

The sound of my son's cry and my husband comforting him is the sweetest sound in my house.

This post has taken me 3 days to complete, and I have so much more to say. It's been an eventful couple of days so I leave with a few pictures of our sweet angel baby until I get a shower in a maybe even a nap...wishful thinking.

Bringing him home ♥


Hudson Alexander Pettijohn

We are so very very proud to introduce you to our sweet tiny, our 8 lb 1 oz tiny :)

Hudson Alexander Pettijohn
August 5th, 2009
8 lbs 1 oz
20 1/2 inches long
My labor was textbook {post-epidural} and I was so fortunate to have gone from 1-10 centimeters in just 6 hours on my own!! After 30 minutes of pushing we met our son. Our doctor could just not believe how fast he came! He was ready to see the world---and this mommy and daddy are more than willing to show it to him ♥
He is a clone of his daddy, with his momma's lips! Just about the only contribution I made to this precious child. We are in awe of the miracle that he is, so perfect and ours. It is a love that you cannot explain, beyond any any any love we have ever experienced. Last night we snuggled with him and kept saying that it felt like we've known him forever, our baby boy. Mommy's tiny pea pod :)
I just sit and stare at him and have a really hard time laying him down to sleep, because we end up just wanting to hold him forever. My heart could explode right now, August 5th is the greatest day of JR and I's life!!! Welcome to the world, Hudson. You are loved more than you could ever ever know.

JR and I also thank you ALL for so many prayers and well wishes. We have really been looking forward to sharing him with you, and appreciate so much your sweet words/phone calls/messages...we love you.

{birth story to come} must sleeeep.....

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

waiting on centimeters

We are now in between 5-6 cm, still happily hooked up to this push button epidural :)

Listening to Hudson's sweet heart pumping away...

See you in a few centimeters, hopefully with a babe.

he's HATCHING!!

I won't get into too many details but in short:

We are officially in Labor and Delivery Room 3!!

I was not able to get here pageant-style this go-round...my contractions hurt like the deadliest of all sins.

The epidural is hands down the most spectacular and necessary creation of all time.

I'm numb, numb, numb and have a self-administer button. That makes me feel professional but with a touch of drug addict on the side.

My Triage nurse was no good and hit a "valve" she called it while trying to put in the IV and she sprung a leak in my arm. Heinous. JR was not happy, neither was my arm. Evil thoughts started swirling in my mind.

I am comfortably at 4 cm, and the dr broke my water so CHEERS!!

Cheers to baby hatching, praying the rest goes smoothly and that our sweet tiny makes a safe and healthy arrival into this world...

We will keep you posted as he continues his hatching!

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Zero??? ZERO?! ZEROOOOOO???!!!

Two days ago I was feeling awesome, WAY too awesome to be bringing a child into this world. Yesterday though, I started feeling baby-ish {or so I thought}...after an awesome birthday dinner complete with a suprise cake at the end we headed home and I was up from 12:30am-7:30 counting contractions ranging from 7 mins apart to 5, to 3, to 4--you get the idea.

Very irregular, and very irritating. So I called the on-call doc at 7:30am and she said to come in, so we all got ready---I did a full-out get ready, pageant style. New shampoo, makeup, hair, etc...

Apparently these are not things on your mind when you are a few centimeters into baby delivery. I'm new to this, I thought it was sort of like Miss Pregnant America.

We check into the Birth Center, and I'm feeling like Super Mom. That mom that is 7 centimeters and feels no pain {she doesn't exist the dr later told me}. I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and I felt very professional, and loving it. JR kept telling me, "Babe please don't get your hopes up!!! There's a VERY good chance we're going home, because they are showing no rush in seeing you"....liar. I thought he was full of silly lies.

45 mins later, dr comes in, Cool 30 yr old dr---takes one look at me and says," You wouldn't be smiling at me if you were in labor right now!" with a #$%-eating grin across his face which of course made JR laugh in man-world. I wanted to pull that dr close and slap his pretty dr face with my heart monitor and tell him to please examine me because HE WAS WRONG.

Sure enough, post-exam he looks up and says ZERO! Not even one centimeter. Those words breathed out of his mouth like fire balls from the mouth of a heinous, hideous sea monster.

Or atleast that's what I saw.

I took my "professional-mom" label off, begged to stay strapped on to the table in Triage while my husband helped de-monitor me.

We are now home, waiting, but I thought I'd give you a clear-minded update while I can because turns out labor ain't no Miss Pregnant America.

I leave you with a rather unflattering picture of me, JR snapped on his phone as my "last pregnant picture ever" on our way to the hospital. Since I'll be pregnant for 73 more days, it likely won't be the last. So the picture is a big lie. Next time I'm wearing a blue shirt, the pink must have thrown Hudson off...


we will keep you posted over the next several days, 73 days :)