Some good looking genes!

 When Samuel was born, I thought he looked just like Jesse.  Now that he is putting some weight on and filling out, I am not sure who he looks more like.  A pretty good combination of both of us.  He has my nose and ears, dad's lips and eyebrows.  He makes the same sour-puss looks as Jesse too.  We think he's a pretty good lookin' baby! :)

Me at 2 weeks old

Samuel: 10 days old; resembling me

Samuel looking like Jesse

Jesse as a newborn- don't you live his outfit?

One week down....18 years to go!

Week 1 was rough!  I was not quite prepared for the lack of sleep and hormone roller coaster that was to be during the first week.  Everybody tells you that you will be sleep deprived and exhausted, but living it is a different reality.  I have learned to function on 3 hours of sleep and to utilize only one hand while holding our sweet boy in my arms.

We had a slight hiccup over nursing.  Samuel was not into nursing- he would latch on, but would not suck enough to get the milk flowing.  When he was hungry, he wanted his food immediately.  He was getting frustrated and I was getting stressed out over nursing.  Considering he feeds every two hours, it was a constant battle.  I even tried a lactation consultant to help us.  The solutions she offered us helped, but in the end, Samuel still did not want to put the effort in to getting the milk to flow.  He was losing weight, so we decided to switch to a bottle of breast milk.  He LOVED the bottle; immediate gratification of milk!  Although I was very disappointed that he did not want to nurse, I am so much happier with bottle feeding; Samuel is happy and gaining weight, and everybody is less stressed out over feeding.  As my dad said, you will not win a battle of wills with a baby.

Samuel is a great baby so far.  He sleeps well and rarely fusses.  I think he has my personality- laid back and mellow.  He even sleeps in his crib at night, and has from day 1.  It has been so fun getting to know his little personality.  At just 2 weeks old, he is quite alert and focused during his awake time.  He makes some of the funniest faces; I would love to know what he is thinking.

Duke continues to be Samuel's guardian.  When Samuel cries, Duke jumps up to check on him.  Duke does not spend the night in his nursery any more, but he lays down at my feet when I am feeding Samuel in the middle of the night.  We took the dogs and Samuel for a walk around the neighborhood last weekend.  The dogs walk on extendable leashes, so for the most part they are way ahead of the stroller.  Duke circled back to the stroller, looking into the car seat to check that Samuel was in there and doing okay.  Duke is such a good big brother!

Daisy continues not to really care either way.  She still likes to sniff Samuel, but does not seek him out like Duke.  I think Daisy will be Samuel's fast friend when he is old enough to sit in the high chair and eat solid foods.  I can picture Daisy planting herself underneath his high chair, waiting for food to hit the floor.



Every day is better than the last, as we get the hang of parenthood.  One of my co-workers said that you just try to survive.  I think we are doing a pretty good job of surviving, and maybe even having some fun with it! :)

Out for our first neighborhood walk- there's a baby in there somewhere!

....and baby makes 5

Our baby has finally arrived!  The stork did not miss our house this time.  He arrived right at 41 weeks gestation, and even then did not want to come out.  After a very long labor process, we welcomed Samuel Christopher into our family Friday morning at 2:48am.

After being discharged from the hospital (god bless the post-partum nursing staff; that is a job I would not want!!) we arrived home to introduce Samuel to his big brother and sister, Duke and Daisy.  Jesse had brought home a hat and blanket that Samuel wore while in the hospital so that the dogs could get a smell prior to meeting him.

I was not 100% sure how the dogs would react to a new baby.  They have been our center of attention for so long.  We take them for long walks every day and to the park on the weekends for an extra long walk.  I assumed the dogs would be really interested in the baby, but did not know what to expect of how they would continue to react to our newest family member.

When we brought Samuel home, we allowed the dogs to sniff Samuel in his car seat.  Duke went first, and then Daisy had a turn.  We took Samuel out of his car seat and sat on the couch, allowing the dogs time to sniff him up close and personal.  We did not let the dogs get in his face, as they needed to learn to show him some space.

In terms of how the dogs are getting along with their new brother, they have gladly accepted their role of big brother/big sister without hesitation.  Duke thinks it is his personal job to be Samuel's nanny.  Duke is very watchful over Samuel.  The first night we brought Samuel home, Duke spent the majority of the night in his nursery, sleeping on the floor between the crib and the door.  I often find Duke making his rounds to check on Samuel, peeking over his pack-n-play or sneaking into his nursery to make sure he is safe and sound in there.


Daisy is interested in Samuel too, but more for the smells and sound that come with a baby.  She otherwise gives him space. Both dogs have been great sports about the change in their daily routine- they don't get walked as often and trips to the park will be on hold for a while.  My parents stopped over the other day and my dad offered to take the dogs for a walk.  The dogs LOVE going for walks, but Duke refused to go, as he wanted to be home and on big brother duty.

Duke seems to really relish his new role in our family.  It is like he was always meant to be the protector, he just needed somebody to protect.

Because it has only been 4 days since Samuel arrived, I am sure there will be lots of new surprises along the way with our bullies and baby.  More to come!!

It's Baby Day!

Our little guy has decided to hold out on us and has not made his arrival yet.  That means that at 5pm tonight, I am checking into the hospital for to start the induction process.  It is eviction day!

 

Countdown to baby...

My last day of work was Friday, my due date.  Although everybody, including me, was hoping the baby would come over the weekend, our baby is officially fashionably late.  Three days overdue so far.

Since it is now Monday and baby is not here yet, I am passing my time at home various ways....

1)  Extra bonding time with the dogs.
We went for a really long walk, which didn't help to bring baby, but at least the dogs enjoyed it.  Turns out, there are a million squirrels running around our neighborhood around 9am.  By the time we got home, the dogs were exhausted and were ready for an epic nap.

 I get out of the shower, and find Daisy making her 'nest' in our bed covers.  She has been the culprit that has been messing up our neatly made bed.  Caught in the act!

















2)  Shopping

Since I have all this free time on my hands, I decided to hit the stores and browse.  Look what I found....   :)

The baby needed a little brother shirt, since he will be the newest addition to our family.  And it's black and gold, perfect Hawkeye colors.  Perhaps before we have newborn photos taken, I will make 'big brother/big sister' tees for Duke and Daisy.











3)  Some pampering

My last stop today was getting my nails done.  My friend always advised to have a fresh pedicure before going to the hospital.  You never want the nurses commenting on your toes while they are up in the stirrups, so I swung by the nail salon to get some pampering.  Manicure? Check!  Pedicure? Check! Since I am uber-pregnant, I had to pee before leaving the salon.  To my surprise, I find a bidet attachment on the toilet in the nail salon bathroom.  A picture to prove it.  And no, I did not use it; I chose to squat! :)




So, back at home, I am once again waiting for baby to make his arrival.  Daisy and I are watching a movie, lounging on the couch on this rainy afternoon.  Patience may not be my strongest virtue, but I know there is an end in sight.  If baby decides not to surprise us sooner than later, we do have an induction scheduled for Wednesday night.  Which means...........baby should be here by Thursday! :)  Then the real adventure begins!