It seems that today Cole has turned a corner, he is now suddenly cooing and smiling more than I have ever seen him do. It is so nice to be around a "happy baby" and it seems that it is because he has gotten back onto his own routine as well as the 2mo shot side effects have gotten out of his system. Today, Scott and I sat and talked to him for a while and we even got him to laugh and smile at our antics easily, that was very very hard to do before today!
Another reason to celebrate this good day, Cole slept 10p-630a last night! Good Job Cole, we are proud :) <3 Sorry for the short post today, busy day as we are going out to celebrate grandpa's birthday ! :)
July 31, 2009
July 30, 2009
Baby Swing Rap
Our beloved friend, Stacy, decided to get us a baby swing for Colton. Prior to this we didn't think we would be investing in one because we figured we would soothe Cole ourselves without spending that much money. I can not thank Stacy enough for making this investment for us because it has saved us the most important quality of a parent, our sanity. Stacy bought us the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing. I decided I would share a review on the item as we love it. Actually, we love it so much that my fiance wrote a rap about it!
Assembly: This was very easy to assemble and the instruction manual was very helpful and user friendly. If my memory serves me correctly, this took less than half an hour to assemble. The ease of assembly should be proven by the fact that I did this alone at 9 months pregnant with no problems!
Ease of Use: This is very simple to use, the self explanatory switches make it easy to choose options. There are several different options to choose from including 4 different sound themes, rotating and light up mobile, and 6 speed settings. The straps are easily adjustable and comfortable for the baby. There is also a detachable tray that snaps on and off with ease. This swing is very easy to use, especially considering the magnitude of options available for use.
Effectiveness: This swing is great at calming our baby as well as keeping him entertained. The different speed settings allow us to adjust to his mood (rather he is just needing entertainment or in need of being calmed down). The amount of visual stimulation as well as different sounds available keep our baby from becoming bored too quickly. This swing is also amazing at helping get Colton to sleep when he is overstimulated! I have no complaints at all.
We love this swing and its assistance in claiming our sanity so much that we dedicated the below rap to it:
yo yo yo
mic check dawg
when times get tough and ya baby starts to cry
i gotta little trick you mother fathers gotta try
you know that wail gets louder and you start to panic
put em in the baby swing, its like baby xanax
you know that binky wont do and hes already full
flappin' on your chest like a raging bull
that vein in his forehead is about to pop
put em in the baby swing like an electric shock
sometimes it feels like there's no solution
with that little boy's lungs makin' noise pollution
your heart starts racin' a million miles per hour
put em in the baby swing and feel the power
yeah, baby swing's got power
yeah, baby swing's got power
like a stationary car ride or stroller walk
it gives you time to sleep, eat, think and talk
i been stockin' up on D batteries just in case
that swing slows down and im face to face
with a wide open mouth and sound so fierce
ringin' in your ear drums you know its bound to pierce
you know i love my little boy but sometimes its rough
put em in the baby swing and its like what! what! wha.... zzzzzzzzzzzz..... *snore*
Assembly: This was very easy to assemble and the instruction manual was very helpful and user friendly. If my memory serves me correctly, this took less than half an hour to assemble. The ease of assembly should be proven by the fact that I did this alone at 9 months pregnant with no problems!
Ease of Use: This is very simple to use, the self explanatory switches make it easy to choose options. There are several different options to choose from including 4 different sound themes, rotating and light up mobile, and 6 speed settings. The straps are easily adjustable and comfortable for the baby. There is also a detachable tray that snaps on and off with ease. This swing is very easy to use, especially considering the magnitude of options available for use.
Effectiveness: This swing is great at calming our baby as well as keeping him entertained. The different speed settings allow us to adjust to his mood (rather he is just needing entertainment or in need of being calmed down). The amount of visual stimulation as well as different sounds available keep our baby from becoming bored too quickly. This swing is also amazing at helping get Colton to sleep when he is overstimulated! I have no complaints at all.
We love this swing and its assistance in claiming our sanity so much that we dedicated the below rap to it:
yo yo yo
mic check dawg
when times get tough and ya baby starts to cry
i gotta little trick you mother fathers gotta try
you know that wail gets louder and you start to panic
put em in the baby swing, its like baby xanax
you know that binky wont do and hes already full
flappin' on your chest like a raging bull
that vein in his forehead is about to pop
put em in the baby swing like an electric shock
sometimes it feels like there's no solution
with that little boy's lungs makin' noise pollution
your heart starts racin' a million miles per hour
put em in the baby swing and feel the power
yeah, baby swing's got power
yeah, baby swing's got power
like a stationary car ride or stroller walk
it gives you time to sleep, eat, think and talk
i been stockin' up on D batteries just in case
that swing slows down and im face to face
with a wide open mouth and sound so fierce
ringin' in your ear drums you know its bound to pierce
you know i love my little boy but sometimes its rough
put em in the baby swing and its like what! what! wha.... zzzzzzzzzzzz..... *snore*
July 29, 2009
My Dream
Do you ever have dreams about your actual dreams? I keep longing for the day that Colton can communicate with me through more than a cry, I dream for the day that he says "I love you".
Last night, I had a dream that Colton was a newborn again. He was just as tiny as he was the day we brought him home! In my dream, he started crying furiously, so I said "baby doll, what's wrong". He looked up at me, instantly done crying, and said "it's gas". I stared at him in disbelief, thankful that he was finally able to tell me what was ailing him. I asked him if he wanted some Mylicon. He said "yes, please" (how great that my baby had manners in my dream). Then he continued to cry because I was the only one able to understand his speech. Everyone else in the room heard only him crying. I got him Mylicon and he looked at me and mouthed the words, silently "I love you Mom, I really, really love you". So I mouthed back to him, "I love you too angel". The dream continued with some other nonsense but these are the parts that left me feeling so warm when I woke up.
I guess part of the reason I dreamt that is because I feel a strong bond with Colton that I did not feel before due to my postpartum depression. Now I feel that, even though he can only communicate through crying, that sometimes I am able to understand him. I am able to comfort him through touch and my words even though he can not give me any words back yet. And I still am dreaming for the day he can tell me he loves me because, even in my dream, that was one of the BEST feelings I ever had.
Last night, I had a dream that Colton was a newborn again. He was just as tiny as he was the day we brought him home! In my dream, he started crying furiously, so I said "baby doll, what's wrong". He looked up at me, instantly done crying, and said "it's gas". I stared at him in disbelief, thankful that he was finally able to tell me what was ailing him. I asked him if he wanted some Mylicon. He said "yes, please" (how great that my baby had manners in my dream). Then he continued to cry because I was the only one able to understand his speech. Everyone else in the room heard only him crying. I got him Mylicon and he looked at me and mouthed the words, silently "I love you Mom, I really, really love you". So I mouthed back to him, "I love you too angel". The dream continued with some other nonsense but these are the parts that left me feeling so warm when I woke up.
I guess part of the reason I dreamt that is because I feel a strong bond with Colton that I did not feel before due to my postpartum depression. Now I feel that, even though he can only communicate through crying, that sometimes I am able to understand him. I am able to comfort him through touch and my words even though he can not give me any words back yet. And I still am dreaming for the day he can tell me he loves me because, even in my dream, that was one of the BEST feelings I ever had.
Cole Loves Baby Einstein!
If you are a parent, you have prob heard of the craze surrounding the Baby Einstein products. Cole's Nana decided to buy him one of the DVD's because we, too, have heard many great reviews. Cole used to have really bad colic until a few weeks ago so we thought this would help him calm down. Cole is a little over 2 months and already is in love with the first DVD we got him, Baby Beethoven (its for 3months +). It's really hard to get Cole to smile, but when he does it melts my heart. This DVD got him smiling straight from a fuss!!!! I can't wait to buy him more as he grows up! I highly recommend these DVDs and CD's to all mom's out there-it is so fun to watch your baby's brain being stimulated, you can literally see him learning in front of your eyes!!!! Baby Einstein DVDs are in my top 3 favorite baby products right now (see below):
1. Fisher Price Ocean Swing (review coming soon)
2. BE DVD's
3. Fisher Price Ocean activity gym (review coming soon)
1. Fisher Price Ocean Swing (review coming soon)
2. BE DVD's
3. Fisher Price Ocean activity gym (review coming soon)
July 28, 2009
Nothing in Life is Free
I've learned a lot already by having a baby. Lately Ive been reflecting on the idea that you must give in order to receive. This applies in different areas of life and, I suppose, I already knew this. However, having a baby has reiterated this point in my life. For example, I was laying in bed last night thinking solemnly about the things that I miss about being pregnant. Then I remembered all of the things that I now get to do with Cole since he is an outside baby. I was also thinking about how dramatically my life has changed since the morning I found out I was pregnant and how much more it changed the moment Cole entered this world. I never could have prepared myself for this. Sometimes I get down when I realize how much I have to give up to be a parent but that only lasts a second because I get so so much in return. Change is hard to accept and this is the biggest change that has ever happened to me. So, I decided to make some lists just to prove to myself how much I am receiving from being a parent by giving up so much of my former self.
Things I miss about being pregnant:
-Feeling Cole kick , it depresses me so much that I can barely remember what that felt like
-Eating everything I wanted (esp when it was perfectly acceptable for me to have dessert for dinner)
-Carb Lunch ;) (getting away with things that I normally wouldn't)- yes, I may have used that to my advantage once or twice, but hey I was carrying a person around INSIDE of me!
Things I miss about my independent life:
-The beach with friends
-Being spontaneous
-SLEEP
wait, wow- I cant even think of anything more at the moment because I have realized how much more meaningful my life has become. So when I think about things to add to this list, it makes those things sound very minuscule and unimportant.
Things I get in return from being a parent:
-Unconditional Love- something I have never known before
-The chance to watch a baby grow day by day into a toddler, child, teenager and adult
-The chance to teach someone with a completely blank slate as much as I can about the world
-The chance to get to experience every life experience over again like it is new by sharing it with Cole
-Meaning, a reason to thrive
-I get to play with toys all over again and I have a perfect excuse to do so (hotwheels at that)
-A new cuddle buddy
-Unexpected surprises every day as he learns new things
I finally can say I have truly never been happier to have Cole in my life. Being a parent is the hardest job, just as much as that saying is cliche. However, I wouldn't trade this job for anything and I am so glad that my life has taken this turn.
Things I miss about being pregnant:
-Feeling Cole kick , it depresses me so much that I can barely remember what that felt like
-Eating everything I wanted (esp when it was perfectly acceptable for me to have dessert for dinner)
-Carb Lunch ;) (getting away with things that I normally wouldn't)- yes, I may have used that to my advantage once or twice, but hey I was carrying a person around INSIDE of me!
Things I miss about my independent life:
-The beach with friends
-Being spontaneous
-SLEEP
wait, wow- I cant even think of anything more at the moment because I have realized how much more meaningful my life has become. So when I think about things to add to this list, it makes those things sound very minuscule and unimportant.
Things I get in return from being a parent:
-Unconditional Love- something I have never known before
-The chance to watch a baby grow day by day into a toddler, child, teenager and adult
-The chance to teach someone with a completely blank slate as much as I can about the world
-The chance to get to experience every life experience over again like it is new by sharing it with Cole
-Meaning, a reason to thrive
-I get to play with toys all over again and I have a perfect excuse to do so (hotwheels at that)
-A new cuddle buddy
-Unexpected surprises every day as he learns new things
I finally can say I have truly never been happier to have Cole in my life. Being a parent is the hardest job, just as much as that saying is cliche. However, I wouldn't trade this job for anything and I am so glad that my life has taken this turn.
July 27, 2009
Colton's Birth Story/ Catching Up
I wanted to start a blog when Colton was born so that I didn't forget anything as he was quickly growing up before our eyes. However, I didnt fully realize the time dedication it takes to raise a baby so I haven't been able to start until now. Cole is a little over 2 months old at this point but I guess I should start with his birth story. Other small things to note besides the birth story
-he started to smile and coo shortly before he turned 2 months old
-he bats at his toys on his overhead gym that his Nana bought him
-his first holiday was July 4th- we spent the day at Nana's pool with all of the family and some friends
-we took him to Hershey Park the day before his 2month monthday. He hated it!
-he had thrush, lactose allergy, severe diaper rashes and several other minor complications (including colic for a few weeks).
So, there's the short summary- more to come as we watch our little human grow up. It seems he does something new every day. It's crazy, having a baby is more rewarding that you can imagine, even when you hear people say it's rewarding. You literally get to watch a human evolve, learn and grow in front of your eyes. You pay a very high price for this, but once the rewards begin to show the price seems less relevant. Here's the birth story:
I woke up on Friday, May 15, 2009 with a bit of a sore throat and headed to work for the day. I was feeling a bit discouraged at the fact that I was still unable to hold my darling boy in my hands yet. Pregnant and miserable, I carried on thinking that I would eventually have to be induced the following week. Work was pretty uneventful and miserable, and I remember feeling a pressure in my abdomen all day that had not been there previously. However, I ignored this feeling, thinking I was imagining it since I had been overanalyzing every ache and pain in anticipation of the start of labor. After work, I drove home and Scott and I met his family at Cracker Barrel to celebrate Scott’s dad’s promotion!
At Cracker Barrel, I ate an amazingly filling meal of fire roasted beef with potatoes and corn on the cob. I topped it off with strawberry shortcake that I split with Scott’s mom. While we were eating, a baby beside us started crying. I said “Colton, hear that baby? Come outside and be like him”. Then Amy, Scott’s sister, said “Colton, wait until after dinner”. We finished our dinner, had an amazing, fun time and then decided to go back to Scott’s parents’ house to watch an on-demand movie.
Scott and I stopped by our place to change into comfortable clothes and then headed over to the house. On the way up the walkway to the house I said to Scott “you know, the pain might make me curse, but your mom will be in there- do you care if I ask her if it’s ok to curse”. Scott said “no, ask her- she won’t care”. The next words out of my mouth were “UHM I just peed mys-no no wait- my water broke”. I remembered hearing stories where women thought they had peed themselves and I promised I wouldn’t be as oblivious to do the same thing. So, officially, at 8:30PM my water broke!!! We ran into the house, announcing the news and Scott called the doctor. Scott’s dad and Chris were there and seemed amazingly relaxed amidst the chaos I was feeling. I was so nervous and excited and in disbelief, FINALLY!!! Scott, in typical fashion, also made sure to update his facebook status and use the restroom before we headed to our place to grab our bags and off to the hospital!
Once we got to the hospital at 8:45PM, Barb and Amy met me at the Emergency room doors. We went in; I refused to be wheel-chaired and continued to say “ewww ewww eww” as water ran down my legs (gross). I was so excited and so nervous at the same time.
By 9:45 PM, I was hooked up to my antibiotics and given an IV for hydration. The nurse began monitoring my contractions- they were 4 minutes apart at this time. I guess this is where my adrenaline wore off because I started feeling the pain of the contractions. Six days later, as I write this, I can barely remember what they felt like, only that they hurt. I told the nurse that I would take an epidural ASAP! She told me I had to be 3 cm dilated before I could have my epidural.
Dr. Curry came in to check me out and said that I was 2cm but could have my epidural whenever I wanted it. At 10:45 I called the nurse to check me again to see if I was 3cm yet because I was in pain and wanted that epidural now! I am such a baby! The nurse said I could have my epidural and at 11PM she called the anesthesiologist to hook me up! My parents arrived around this point after their 2 hour drive.
At 11:30PM I was given my epidural and at 11:45PM I was given my catheter. The nurse that gave my epidural was extremely nice and did a good job of hiding a HUGE needle that I later heard about from Scott. The epidural only stung a little bit, but felt much better than the contractions and I felt almost immediate relief. I was so relaxed at this point. We turned on the TV and hung out, rotating visitors in the room to chat with.
At 12:45AM on May 16, 2009, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I must mention here that I LOVE EPIDURALS. I did not feel a thing. At 1:15AM, the nurse gave me some Pitocin to speed up my contractions. I remember that as everything was happening I could not believe how fast time was going. For being in labor, time was flying by and I knew it wouldn’t be too much longer until I could finally meet my angel boy.
Around 2AM, the nurse doubled my dose of Pitocin. I soon began feeling pressure, not pain, as Colton was shortly ready to make his appearance. The nurse told me that once the pressure came and did not go away to call her in because that would mean that it was time to push. We all decided to take a small nap.
About 20 minutes into my nap, the nurse came back. It was 3AM; she checked me and told me it was time for me to push. I was in disbelief, a little scared, and mostly anxious because this was it, finally time to meet Colton. I could not believe how easy and quickly this time had come once I had gotten the epidural. My mom and Scott’s mom came into the room and Fresh Prince was on TV; the theme song had just begun as the nurse got me all set up and explained to me how to push. I told the nurse that it sounded a lot like pilates and yoga, isolated movement. I was to grab my thighs and push with my abdomen.
At 3:20AM I began to push, it wasn’t too bad and no pain at all. My face turned bright red with every push and I put all of my energy into meeting my little one. Scott was by my side the entire time, though I must say I was completely unaware. The only people in the room were Colton and I. The nurse let me feel his head as he began to crown- it was so nice and a little disgusting to feel (I’m squeamish) but almost time to hold him. After 2 contractions of pushing the nurse called the doctor in because Colton was ready to come out. Once Dr. Curry arrived, I pushed through 3 more contractions and at 3:41AM COLTON SCOTT HARRIS WAS BORN!
His head was extremely cone shaped and he looked so purple and lifeless for what seemed like eternity, but was only seconds. He started crying and it was the most amazing sound I have ever heard in my entire life. The doctor put him on my chest and Scott and I began to cry as I told him “that was easy”. Colton was so perfect and precious, scoring 9’s on all of his apgar scores. He weighed 5lbs 9.6 oz and was 19inches long. It felt so amazing to feel his soft skin on my chest and touch his precious full head of hair. I felt immediately like I had already known him all my life.
Everyone was allowed into the room and we celebrated and took probably way way too many pictures. We were all so excited and Colton is so lucky to have so many people in his life that already love him more than he will ever know. I cannot wait to share every little experience with Colton and Scott as he grows up and turns into a man. The good and the bad, which we’ve already had both of, will make him such a strong person and Scott and I are going to do everything we can to provide the best life possible for our little man. Welcome to our world, Colton Scott, you are truly very loved.
-he started to smile and coo shortly before he turned 2 months old
-he bats at his toys on his overhead gym that his Nana bought him
-his first holiday was July 4th- we spent the day at Nana's pool with all of the family and some friends
-we took him to Hershey Park the day before his 2month monthday. He hated it!
-he had thrush, lactose allergy, severe diaper rashes and several other minor complications (including colic for a few weeks).
So, there's the short summary- more to come as we watch our little human grow up. It seems he does something new every day. It's crazy, having a baby is more rewarding that you can imagine, even when you hear people say it's rewarding. You literally get to watch a human evolve, learn and grow in front of your eyes. You pay a very high price for this, but once the rewards begin to show the price seems less relevant. Here's the birth story:
I woke up on Friday, May 15, 2009 with a bit of a sore throat and headed to work for the day. I was feeling a bit discouraged at the fact that I was still unable to hold my darling boy in my hands yet. Pregnant and miserable, I carried on thinking that I would eventually have to be induced the following week. Work was pretty uneventful and miserable, and I remember feeling a pressure in my abdomen all day that had not been there previously. However, I ignored this feeling, thinking I was imagining it since I had been overanalyzing every ache and pain in anticipation of the start of labor. After work, I drove home and Scott and I met his family at Cracker Barrel to celebrate Scott’s dad’s promotion!
At Cracker Barrel, I ate an amazingly filling meal of fire roasted beef with potatoes and corn on the cob. I topped it off with strawberry shortcake that I split with Scott’s mom. While we were eating, a baby beside us started crying. I said “Colton, hear that baby? Come outside and be like him”. Then Amy, Scott’s sister, said “Colton, wait until after dinner”. We finished our dinner, had an amazing, fun time and then decided to go back to Scott’s parents’ house to watch an on-demand movie.
Scott and I stopped by our place to change into comfortable clothes and then headed over to the house. On the way up the walkway to the house I said to Scott “you know, the pain might make me curse, but your mom will be in there- do you care if I ask her if it’s ok to curse”. Scott said “no, ask her- she won’t care”. The next words out of my mouth were “UHM I just peed mys-no no wait- my water broke”. I remembered hearing stories where women thought they had peed themselves and I promised I wouldn’t be as oblivious to do the same thing. So, officially, at 8:30PM my water broke!!! We ran into the house, announcing the news and Scott called the doctor. Scott’s dad and Chris were there and seemed amazingly relaxed amidst the chaos I was feeling. I was so nervous and excited and in disbelief, FINALLY!!! Scott, in typical fashion, also made sure to update his facebook status and use the restroom before we headed to our place to grab our bags and off to the hospital!
Once we got to the hospital at 8:45PM, Barb and Amy met me at the Emergency room doors. We went in; I refused to be wheel-chaired and continued to say “ewww ewww eww” as water ran down my legs (gross). I was so excited and so nervous at the same time.
By 9:45 PM, I was hooked up to my antibiotics and given an IV for hydration. The nurse began monitoring my contractions- they were 4 minutes apart at this time. I guess this is where my adrenaline wore off because I started feeling the pain of the contractions. Six days later, as I write this, I can barely remember what they felt like, only that they hurt. I told the nurse that I would take an epidural ASAP! She told me I had to be 3 cm dilated before I could have my epidural.
Dr. Curry came in to check me out and said that I was 2cm but could have my epidural whenever I wanted it. At 10:45 I called the nurse to check me again to see if I was 3cm yet because I was in pain and wanted that epidural now! I am such a baby! The nurse said I could have my epidural and at 11PM she called the anesthesiologist to hook me up! My parents arrived around this point after their 2 hour drive.
At 11:30PM I was given my epidural and at 11:45PM I was given my catheter. The nurse that gave my epidural was extremely nice and did a good job of hiding a HUGE needle that I later heard about from Scott. The epidural only stung a little bit, but felt much better than the contractions and I felt almost immediate relief. I was so relaxed at this point. We turned on the TV and hung out, rotating visitors in the room to chat with.
At 12:45AM on May 16, 2009, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I must mention here that I LOVE EPIDURALS. I did not feel a thing. At 1:15AM, the nurse gave me some Pitocin to speed up my contractions. I remember that as everything was happening I could not believe how fast time was going. For being in labor, time was flying by and I knew it wouldn’t be too much longer until I could finally meet my angel boy.
Around 2AM, the nurse doubled my dose of Pitocin. I soon began feeling pressure, not pain, as Colton was shortly ready to make his appearance. The nurse told me that once the pressure came and did not go away to call her in because that would mean that it was time to push. We all decided to take a small nap.
About 20 minutes into my nap, the nurse came back. It was 3AM; she checked me and told me it was time for me to push. I was in disbelief, a little scared, and mostly anxious because this was it, finally time to meet Colton. I could not believe how easy and quickly this time had come once I had gotten the epidural. My mom and Scott’s mom came into the room and Fresh Prince was on TV; the theme song had just begun as the nurse got me all set up and explained to me how to push. I told the nurse that it sounded a lot like pilates and yoga, isolated movement. I was to grab my thighs and push with my abdomen.
At 3:20AM I began to push, it wasn’t too bad and no pain at all. My face turned bright red with every push and I put all of my energy into meeting my little one. Scott was by my side the entire time, though I must say I was completely unaware. The only people in the room were Colton and I. The nurse let me feel his head as he began to crown- it was so nice and a little disgusting to feel (I’m squeamish) but almost time to hold him. After 2 contractions of pushing the nurse called the doctor in because Colton was ready to come out. Once Dr. Curry arrived, I pushed through 3 more contractions and at 3:41AM COLTON SCOTT HARRIS WAS BORN!
His head was extremely cone shaped and he looked so purple and lifeless for what seemed like eternity, but was only seconds. He started crying and it was the most amazing sound I have ever heard in my entire life. The doctor put him on my chest and Scott and I began to cry as I told him “that was easy”. Colton was so perfect and precious, scoring 9’s on all of his apgar scores. He weighed 5lbs 9.6 oz and was 19inches long. It felt so amazing to feel his soft skin on my chest and touch his precious full head of hair. I felt immediately like I had already known him all my life.
Everyone was allowed into the room and we celebrated and took probably way way too many pictures. We were all so excited and Colton is so lucky to have so many people in his life that already love him more than he will ever know. I cannot wait to share every little experience with Colton and Scott as he grows up and turns into a man. The good and the bad, which we’ve already had both of, will make him such a strong person and Scott and I are going to do everything we can to provide the best life possible for our little man. Welcome to our world, Colton Scott, you are truly very loved.
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