Twilight Party

Tonight I attended a Twilight party at my friend Krista's house. A bunch of us got together to watch Twilight and New Moon, in anticipation of the upcoming release of Eclipse. It was so nice to get away for an evening, to escape reality, to visit with friends, and to eat my little heart out.

Thanks Everyone...for a really fun, and much needed, Girl's Night Out!

Fun Flow Play Sink

Today, the weather was so nice that we decided to pull out Elizabeth's Fun Flow Sink and let her play. She had so much fun pouring water from one cup to another.


She loved that the sink had flowing water at the push of a button. I can tell that we will be getting lots of use out of this during the upcoming summer months.


**On a side note: Please know that Elizabeth dressed herself and brushed her own hair. I do not want to be blamed for the craziness that is her outfit. Seriously, I don't know what is up with that hat!

Sweet...

Could there be anything sweeter than a naked little baby in a basket?

I think not!

Have I mentioned lately that I love this little chubby face?

Giraffe and Zachary at One Month

When I saw this giraffe at Sassy Babies in Gardner Village, I knew that I needed to by it for my sweet little Zachary. It is so soft and cuddly...and I wanted him to have it. I thought that it would be the perfect stuffed animal to take his photograph with each month. I love how it is about the same size as him right now. It will be amazing to see how each month...and then how each year...he has grown in comparison to this giraffe.


We are going to try and take Zachary's picture with his giraffe, on this chair, every month. Here is Zachary's one month photograph.

Are You Ready...

To see the cutest little face that you have ever seen? Well, here it is!


Zachary has been such a blessing in our lives. He is a such a good baby and is absolutely adorable. We love him so much and are so glad that he has joined our family. I cannot believe that it has already been one month since his birth. It seems like we were just on our way to the hospital...and here it is a month later. Wow, does time fly.

We hope that you enjoy these amazing photographs that Matt captured.


Oh those cheeks! I absolutely love those chubby cheeks.

One Month

Today, my sweet little man turns one month old. I cannot believe that it has already been one month since Zachary joined our family. While it has been an adjustment, it has also been so much fun getting to know our little boy better. It always amazes me that little babies, from the day they are born, have little personalities...likes and dislikes. I love discovering all of the little things that make Zachary a unique little guy.

Some of the things that we have learned about Zachary this past month are:

• He loves to be swaddled.
  
• He hates to be naked.
• He hates taking a bath. He screams the entire time and it takes quite a while to calm him down after the bath is over.
• He is a binkie boy...but doesn't need it all of the time. Usually, he will suck on it for a couple minutes and then spit it out. It seems like he uses it to soothe himself and as soon as he is calm, he doesn't need it anymore.
  
• If he wants to eat, there is nothing else that can calm him down. There is no distraction good enough. No amount of singing, bouncing, rocking will help. Even a binkie has no effect. If you try to put a binkie in his mouth, he will makes a face like you just gave him the most vile thing known to man and will stick out his tongue so you cannot get the binkie in.
  
• He will go from a deep sleep, to screaming bloody murder...if he is hungry. There is no warning. He will go from a sweet and peaceful sleep to screaming like he is having an arm cut off within seconds.
  
• He is seriously a little gas machine. He could challenge any grown man with the amount of farts that he produces. It's funny, but I can guarantee that within 5 seconds of starting to nurse, he will either fart or poop!
  
• He has a smile that will melt your heart. Seeing his open-mouth, toothless grin makes any stress you have immediately disappear.
• He loves to snuggle. If he is awake, you have to hold him.
• He is a crazy eater. Sometimes, while trying to latch on, he thrashes around, moves his head back and forth rapidly, and grunts like he is ravenous.
  
• He sleeps in four hour stretches at night. He will wake up to eat, but usually goes right back to sleep.
• He is not much of a "finger holder". If you try and get him to wrap his fingers around yours, he will only hold on for a second and then he lets go.
  
• He is the noisiest sleeper that you will ever find. He doesn't snore...he grunts and moans. With each and every movement, no matter how small, he has to make a noise. Matt has threatened to kick him out of our room if he doesn't quiet down.
  
• He makes the saddest little pouty when he gets upset. It breaks my heart, but it is so cute that I usually let him cry just a little longer so I can see it. (I know, I am a terrible mommy!)
• He says "aahhh" when he sees me. It melts my heart every single time I hear it.

Zachary is just starting to establish a schedule. For the first few days, he was awake from about 1:00am to 3:30am, and then a couple of other times throughout the day. Now, he is awake in the morning, from about 9:00am to noon and then a little bit in the evenings. He is not on much of an eating schedule either. He likes to eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours but so far it hasn't been at certain times. I am a believer in letting the child set their own schedule so I have not been working with him to adjust anything. Well just see how it goes!

I am so grateful for my little baby boy. It has been so fun getting to know him. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. He is such a sweet little guy and I am so blessed to be his mommy.

Love You to Pieces...

Zachary,

Even though you have only been with our family for less than a month, we totally love you to pieces. We are grateful for all of your snuggles and for your love. Each and every day, we are amazed by how you are growing and developing. Our world will never be the same, now that we have met you. Thanks for being our sweet, little baby boy.

We love holding your little hands.


And rubbing your tiny feet.


And nibbling on your adorable toes.


And whispering in your sweet little ears.


And kissing your soft lips.


Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Zachary's First Bath

Today, we finally gave Zachary his first bath in his little bathtub. Up until now, we have been giving him sponge baths, while we waited for his umbilical cord to fall off. I wasn't sure how he was going to handle the bath, since he does not like to be naked. We'll he absolutely hated it.


He cried the entire time. There was nothing that we could do to calm him down. He just had a grump on his face and screamed during the whole thing.


Elizabeth was such a big helper. She did a great job of washing Zachary's belly and legs. She was so careful and gentle. It was really fun to have her help. The whole time we were washing at him, he was looking at us like "what are you doing to me?"


For me, the best part of bath time is when it is over. I love wrapping my little ones up in a towel and giving them bath time snuggles to warm them up. It is my absolute favorite thing!

A Small Glimpse

As I sit at home today, I am filled with gratitude for my sweet, beautiful children. I am so blessed to be able to be a mother. My children are my world and I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for entrusting me with my sweet little girl and my darling little boy. Even though Zachary has just joined us, he is already an irreplaceable part of our family. I love him more than words can describe.

Becoming a parent again has reminded me of what an amazing and sacred blessing it is to be able to create life. I love Zachary with an unconditional love that only a parent can understand. From the first time I felt him move inside me, I knew that I would do anything for this special little spirit. When I met him for this first time, when his eyes met mine, I knew that I would never be the same. My entire being was filled with a love that I have only experienced one other time...when my sweet Elizabeth was born.

It's moments like this, that make me very aware of how much our Heavenly Father must really love us. If I can have this much love for a being that I just met, how much more must a perfect, loving, kind Heavenly Father feel for me. It is amazing to think that I only have a small glimpse of what that kind of love must feel like.

If you are questioning your worth, questioning where you came from, or if there is anyone that understands you and loves you, please know that there is a Heavenly Father that does. I know it. Not only do I know it, but I feel it with every fiber of my being. You have worth, you are a son or daughter of a loving Heavenly Father, you are loved...with a love that is so pure and so powerful. Heavenly Father loves you no matter what. He will never give up on you, so please do not give up on yourself. He has a plan for you, and through that plan you can have hope, comfort, and happiness.

He is there. He knows you. And He loves you more than you can ever know.

"A says P"

I overheard Elizabeth singing the LeapFrog Letter Factory Alphabet Song today. Here's how it went...

"A says P,
 A says P,
 every letter makes a sound,
 A says P"

Not quite sure she understands how this works! Funny girl.

My Chunky Monkey

Today, I received very good news! I took Zachary in for another weight check and discovered that he now weighs 8 pounds 9 ounces...that is a 9 1/2 ounce weight gain in one week! He is not only back up to his birth weight but has passed it by 3 ounces. I don't know who was happier...me or Dr. Broadbent. For a guy that is usually reserved and quiet, Dr. Broadbent was dancing and smiling. He gave me two thumbs up and told me that he was so proud of our progress! We don't need any more weight checks...so we won't be back until Zachary's Two Month Wellness Check.

Hooray!

Sometimes I Wonder...

This past week has been quite challenging. Since Zachary has not been gaining weight very steadily, I have been nursing and bottle-feeding him breast milk every three hours. For the first four days of the week, I only bottle-fed him breast milk so that I could quantify exactly how much he eats during each feeding. Then, for the next three days I only nursed him but continued to do so every three hours...night and day. Needless to say, it has been exhausting but I will do it for as long as needed so that my little man can get the nutrition that he needs. Heck, I would nurse him while standing on my head if that's what it took to make sure that he was eating well and getting all of the nutrients that he needs.

With nursing and/or pumping every three hours for an entire week, I sometimes wondered why I have even bothered wearing a shirt!

Little Mommy

Elizabeth is absolutely obsessed with anything and everything to do with her brother. She constantly wants to help and follows me around everywhere. If I am swaddling Zachary, she has to swaddle her baby. If I am changing Zachary's diaper, she has to change her baby's diaper.

Today I just had to laugh, when I saw Elizabeth sitting on the floor, with a pillow in her lap, her shirt lifted...she was nursing her baby doll.

She is such a good little mommy!

Doodles

Elizabeth received a package of sidewalk chalk in her Easter Basket but has not been able to play with it until today. The weather has been so cold and rainy, and then Zachary was born and life got a little hectic for a while. Since the weather was good and things have calmed down, we headed out to draw and color in our backyard.


Elizabeth loved all of the different colors. She did a great job scribbling all over the patio.


Elizabeth's new fascination is with drawing straight lines. She had fun drawing lines of every color on the sidewalk.


I had so much fun drawing with my little girl. She was so excited to try something new. When Elizabeth is happy...it makes my heart swell. I am so lucky to have these amazing memories with Elizabeth.

Our Little Musician

Elizabeth's new favorite activity is playing the piano at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I hope that her love of music continues. I know a couple of really great piano teachers in our neighborhood and I would love to have her take piano lessons...when she is a little older.

Weight Check

At Zachary's two week appointment, he was not back up to his birth weight so his pediatrician wants me to bring him in weekly for weight checks. Today was his first one. We learned that he has gained a little bit of weight...but not as much as the pediatrician would have liked. Our little Zachary is currently 7 pounds 15 ounces, which is a 2 ounce weight gain in the past four days.

The pediatrician has asked me to continue to feed Zachary every three hours and to supplement with formula for every other feeding. I still have to decide if I am going to follow the doctor's orders because I hate the thought of giving Zachary formula. I may try a few things on my own before resorting to formula. I think I will try feeding Zachary breast milk in a bottle so I will know exactly how much he is eating. Then, at his next weight check we'll see how it goes. I also need to talk to the doctor about the possibility that he may just gain weight slower than normal...because heaven knows Elizabeth did.

Hopefully, we can get his weight under control soon. Everything else has been smooth sailing, so once we figure out his eating and weight issues I'll be so happy.

Little Knitted Beanie

While at Gardner Village, I stopped into Kamille's knitting store. She had just received a shipment of the most darling yarn. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to make Zachary a little knitted beanie. I am so happy with how it turned out. I think it looks absolutely adorable on my little baby boy!

Back to Broadbent

I have been struggling with the decision of which pediatrician to have care for Elizabeth and Zachary. Our insurance changed in January and ever since, I have been researching our different options. Well, after taking Zachary to two different IHC pediatricians, we are going back to Broadbent at Wasatch Pediatrics.

Today, we brought Zachary to Dr. Broadbent's office for his Two Week Wellness Check-Up. I was looking forward to going because there were a few things that I wanted to discuss with Dr. Broadbent. Since he has not seen Zachary before, it would be a fresh set of eyes looking at some of the issues that we have encountered.

First, I wanted to know where we stood on Zachary's weight. He lost a lot of weight in his first couple of days and I wanted to see if he was gaining any weight back. Zachary weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces (25th percentile), was 21 inches long (75th percentile) and his head circumference was 36cm (30th percentile). I was a little concerned at the small amount of weight that he had gained. Dr. Broadbent decided that I should feed Zachary every three hours, even if I have to wake him up to do so. I really hope that this works because I am so concerned about whether or not he is getting all of the nutrition he needs.

I also wanted Dr. Broadbent to look at Zachary's tongue because I feel that it is still pretty tight. The two other pediatricians felt that they had done everything that they could and that the next step would be surgery but I wanted another opinion. Dr. Broadbent took one look at Zachary's tongue and felt that there was more that could be clipped. After discussing the benefits and the risks, we decided to have Zachary's tongue clipped again. Matt took Elizabeth to the waiting room to play with toys, and I stayed with Zachary while they performed the procedure. I am so glad that we decided to have Dr. Broadbent clip Zachary's tongue again. It looks great and I can tell that it is a lot more free than it was before. Hopefully this will help with nursing, and with the weigh gain issues that Zachary has been experiencing.

Matt has been concerned about Zachary's eyes looking a little cloudy, so he brought this issue up with Dr. Broadbent. He acknowledge our concern and reassured us that Zachary's eyes are developing normally and that everything looks fine. Dr. Broadbent told us that his eyes will continue to get clearer as time goes by. He also confirmed that Zachary is no longer jaundice and that his skin looks great.

I am so pleased with how our visit went today. All of our concerns were addressed and resolved. I am so happy with our decision to return to Dr. Broadbent. At this point, I will be bringing Zachary back for a weight check next week...and we will go from there!

Childish Innocence

Today Elizabeth was holding Zachary and she was being a little rough with him. I asked her to be careful with her baby brother.

Elizabeth immediately said, "Why do I need to be careful?" I started to explain that Zachary is brand new, that he is so little and that he could get easily hurt.

Elizabeth asked "why is he brand new?" I reminded her that he just came from Heaven. I explained to her that Zachary was just with Heavenly Father and Jesus right before he was born.

Elizabeth looked at me with this really puzzled look on her face and said, "Heavenly Father and Jesus are in your belly?"

...You gotta love the innocence of little children!

Announcing...

It Comes From Within...

Zachary, I don't think that you could possibly know how blessed you are to have Elizabeth as your big sister. She absolutely adores you. From the moment we told her that you were growing in mommy's belly, she has been so in to you. She would ask about you every single day. She would kiss mommy's belly every single day. She would bring you toys to play with before you were even the size of a seed. Each day, she would tell mommy and daddy about all of the things that she was going to do with you, about all of the things that she was going to share with you and teach you.

When Elizabeth met you in the hospital, you could see the pure love in her eyes. It was the sweetest, most powerful example of unconditional love that I have ever seen or felt. The way she smiled at you was priceless. She was so excited the first time we let her hold you in her arms. I don't think that she could love you more. One of my favorite memories of Elizabeth and you, happened while we were still in the hospital. Elizabeth had just arrived for a visit, you were in your hospital bassinet crying. With a concerned, caring face, Elizabeth walked up to the side of your bassinet, tapped the glass and in a sweet whisper reassured you by saying, "It's okay Zachary. Don't cry. Everything will be alright." Tears trickled down my cheek as I watched Elizabeth's example of love and compassion.

The sweet examples of love and concern did not stop there. Since you have been home, Elizabeth has doted on every little sound that you make. Each time you whimper, Elizabeth is the first one to come and check on you. She wants to be with you all of the time. When we are out, she makes sure that every person we encounter knows that you are her little brother and that they need to be careful with you. She is constantly telling people that they need to be gentle with you, that they cannot squeeze you too tight, and that you cry "because you are a baby".

Elizabeth kisses you at least 20 times a day, and would kiss you a thousand times a day...if we let her. She loves to give you your binkie and is so proud of herself when she is able to "calm you down". The look of pride and happiness on her face is priceless. As I get ready to nurse you, Elizabeth is right by your side while you cry. She rubs your cheek with the back of her hand and calmly tells you that your "food is coming" and that "mommy is getting your food ready".

Elizabeth gets so excited when you have your eyes open and you "look at her". As she looks into your eyes, a smile comes across her entire face. I don't think that she could smile any bigger. She tells you that you are a "sweet little boy" and that you have "such a cute face". Each morning, the first thing she asks is "where is baby brother?" She always wants to know where you are and wants to know if you are okay. Each time I go to change your diaper, Elizabeth reminds me that I need to be very careful because you don't like your diaper changed. She always tells me to make sure that I don't make you cry. She stands by your changing table and tells you, "It will be okay. We are almost done. I know that you don't like it, but we have to do it."

Each day Elizabeth asks if she can hold you. She does such a great job of holding you in her arms. She is so careful (most of the time) and supports your head so well. She loves to smother you with kisses and always has to rest her head on yours. She loves when you move your arms and thinks that it is so great when you kick your legs. She smiles and says "He's moving!". She always asks if she can see your tiny hands and your little feet. I love the way she holds your hand in hers. It is amazing for me to see your tiny hand up against hers. If you start to cry while in her arms, Elizabeth will sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or the ABC's to calm you down.

Elizabeth is so generous with you. As she is playing, she always brings you a toy so you can play too. If she is eating a candy or treat, she will ask me if she can give you some. While playing with stickers, you get covered from head to toe with all of her favorites.

Zachary, I hope you know how loved you are. Elizabeth has a pure love for you that cannot be taught...it comes from within. I pray with all of my heart that you will be able to feel it and that this special bond will continue to develop and grow.

Quite a Surprise

Zachary decided to join our family on April 22nd, ten days earlier than his expected due date. It was quite the surprise and somewhat of a whirlwind. At 2:20pm, I felt something that may have been my water breaking...but I was not sure. Since I didn't want to go to the hospital on a false alarm, I decided to wait and see if I noticed any of the other signs of labor. About an hour and a half later, I called my doctor's office to see what they recommended that I do. The nurse suggested that I get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Matt grabbed some last minute items and got Elizabeth up from her nap, while I finished getting ready. After dropping Elizabeth off at my parent's house, Matt and I headed to Intermountain Medical Center. We arrived just after 5:30pm and checked-in at Labor & Delivery.

After a quick check to make sure that my water had broken, I changed into a hospital gown and my nurse hooked up all of my monitors. The monitors showed that I was having pretty strong and somewhat consistent contractions. I was dilated to a 3 and was 80% effaced.

About a half an hour later, I started to feel a little bit of pressure and asked the nurse for my epidural. It didn't hurt yet...but I didn't want it to start. The nurse called for the anaesthesiologist and checked my progression. I was dilated to a 6. The anaesthesiologist arrived within a couple of minutes and began administering my epidural. After he was done, he asked me to roll onto my other side...as soon as I did I knew that my little baby was on his way. I yelled out "He is coming right now!". My nurse ran to my side, threw herself onto my legs and paged for the doctor. Her page sounded something like this..."Paging Dr. Brown, Where are you? Run to Room 4 now!".

The doctor arrived within a minute and barely had enough time to put on her gown and gloves. I pushed three or four times and...

At 7:12pm, my sweet little Zachary was born...

and at 7:15pm, my epidural kicked in and my lower body went numb.

I Cannot Believe It!

For some reason, today I had a moment of insanity and decided to try on my pre-pregnancy pants. Yes, it has only been 8 days. I knew that I was probably setting myself up for failure and that depression would follow...but decided to do it anyway. My maternity pants have been really loose and I was sick of constantly pulling them up...so why not, right?

Talk about blow me away...my pre-pregnancy pants actually fit. I could not believe it. Other than needing to work on my non-existent six-pack...my pre-pregnancy body is back!