Look What's Missing...FINALLY!

Well, we were changing Caleb's diaper this morning and when we unsnapped his pjs we discovered that FINALLY his umbilical cord was 99% off. Aaron gently removed it all the way so now we can actually see his belly button and we don't have to worry about keeping his diapers below it, etc. Here's a picture of our big boy, sans his cord:

Yesterday afternoon Caleb got to meet his friend Adalie (my friend Kim's little girl). It is funny because in her pictures, Adalie has always seemed little but when we put them next to each other in the pack-n-play, she made Caleb look tiny. She is about 3 months older than Caleb and it was fun to see how alert and interactive Caleb will be by this spring.

The other big news is that I have a new vehicle!! After driving the Escape for 5+ years, I have upgraded to a Volvo XC90. It is very nice and has a great smooth ride. I haven't taken any pictures because it's been raining but here's a link to one on the Volvo website. Mine is the metallic silver, in case the link doesn't show the right color. It is definitely a "mom" car but is super safe and fun to drive.

Also, Caleb and I visited the chiropractor today. Several people had recommended that his fussiness might be helped by being adjusted. the doctor did a great job adjusting him and also did some tissue massage on his abdominal area to help relieve tension. She showed me how to do the massage so hopefully that will help some of his digestive problems. She adjusted me too, which always feels wonderful.

Aaron's parents were going to come in town this weekend but they woke up to quite a snowfall this morning so are staying put in the Panhandle. We will now spend the weekend putting away Christmas decorations (I'll try to remember to take and post a picture of my gorgeous tree and all it's Old World ornaments that I am addicted to) and just catching up on sleep (pending Caleb's cooperation, of course). Enjoy your long weekend and Happy 2007 if I don't post again before Monday.

PS- GO SOONERS!!!!!

Week 3 and Christmas

Sorry that this post is so delayed... we've been busy recovering from the holiday weekend. We had so much fun but were going, going, going the whole time so the house is a disaster and we've all been trying to catch up on sleep. Before I get into the Christmas stuff, just an update on the Incredible Growing Boy (aka Caleb). At his checkup on Friday, he weighed in at 10 pounds 5 ounces. He is growing like a weed and is now 3 1/2eeks old! Everything else checked out great and the next time we'll be back is when he's two months old for his first round of immunizations. I'm already fretting about it. Caleb has been kinda fussy over the last week with symptoms that indicate his tummy is hurting. The doctor said it could be signs of colic, especially if it happens around the same time each day. So now we are keeping an eye on that and dispensing Mylicon when needed.

The Peases and Fosters (my mom's side of the family) came in town on Friday evening and enjoyed chili at our casa then we hung out at my parents' house on Saturday for brunch, Christmas dinner, and gift exchange. It was so different AND WONDERFUL to have two babies around. Julia and Caleb were both too little to really notice each other but there were lots of fun photo opportunities. The Wilsons and Zach and Missy White stopped by and it was great to see them.

Below is our family picture at church on Sunday morning. What a great looking group, if I do say so myself. Uncle Larry had already left to go back home so he is not pictured. The babies behaved really well at church, except for the time when Caleb let one rip during a quiet part of the sermon. I was relieved we were sitting in the back or I am sure the minister would have heard it from the pulpit!

After the extended family left, we went back to our house and spent time getting ready for Caleb's first Christmas. Aaron took about a million (OK, closer to 60) pictures of Caleb under the tree in his "Baby's First Christmas" pjs. They were actually too small for this big ol' boy but he cooperated long enough to get some pictures. That night Aaron and I were heading to bed about 12:30 and we debated about waking Caleb up since he was due to wake up soon anyway. We decided to take our chances and were rewarded because he didn't wake up for 5 1/2 hours!

Christmas morning my parents and sister came over for breakfast, stocking opening, and gifts. It was a nice and relaxed time. That evening we joined Aaron's sister and brother-in-law and their immediate and extended family for dinner. It was our first time to meet our nephew Jake though he and big sister Addie were more interested in playing with all their new Christmas toys :)

Aaron had Tuesday off as well so we spent the day hanging around the house and watched movies. Today Caleb and I got out and about and took care of a few Christmas returns and exchanges. We will probably stay home tomorrow and clean house in preparation of Aaron's parents arriving this weekend.

A week of firsts

There have been several new experiences for Caleb and his mom since I've posted last. Like his first bottle feeding, first trip to my work, our first trip to Wal-Mart, first office Christmas party, and first pacifier encounter. All went relatively smoothly!

Tuesday morning, my mom met us in the mall parking lot and was a saint to sit in the car with Caleb while I finished up our Christmas shopping. His pediatrician would be so proud that we are following his advice to keep him relatively contained and germ-free. Plus I figure the adventure would have taken twice as long if I attempted to load him up in the stroller and take him with me. It took long enough that Caleb woke up hungry...so my mom fed him his first bottle. It went well and will hopefully allow me a bit more freedom from the nursing chair though it does mean taking the time and effort to pump ahead of time.

Wednesday was a busy day. Caleb was pretty fussy all morning. I think he has a bit of a gas issue because he gets pretty agitated, screams, and turns red then goes right back to sleep. This fussiness was enough to make me go to the nursery closet and break out the...PACIFIER! I didn't think I would use it so soon and don't know that I am supposed to be giving it to him but it really seems to sooth him so we'll use it sparingly I guess. (It is a really cute paci with a stuffed dog attached to it to help him keep it in his mouth. Check them out at wubbanub.com) Until the success with the pacifier, I had contemplated not stopping by Riverfield for a co-worker's going away party. All the way into the school parking lot he cried but quieted down as I got him out of the car and was wonderful the whole time we were there. Feeling lucky after that, I decided to take my chances with a much needed trip to Wal-Mart. He slept all the way through the adventure, plus it was just a Neighborhood Market so I'm not sure it it really counts. I had been trying to find a time to make the trip for over a week so it was a long list but I was a "power shopper" and got in and out in record time. And (thankfully) no strangers tried to come up and touch him. Last night was Aaron's office Christmas party. The invitation said "no children" but we decided that didn't apply to 2 1/2 week olds- ha! Again, we were hoping he would pass out in the car on the way there and just sleep quietly in the corner. No such luck but he wasn't too noisy. It was good to be out and about in the real world yesterday though Caleb and I were both pretty tired by the end of the day.


Tomorrow our extended family on mom's side will come in town from Dallas. We are so excited to see all of them and Caleb is especially excited to meet his new cousin Julia (my cousin Tiffany's daughter). We also have our 2 week check up with the pediatrician and I am getting a much-needed haircut and highlight. Yippee!

Here's a great picture from our time last week with my mom here helping. She really was helping most of the time- not sleeping on the couch with Caleb and Samson :)

Two Weeks Already!

I know I'm a biased mom but I seriously think Caleb grows and changes every day...and gets more handsome...and intelligent...and sweet...and aware, etc. To look at how much he has developed over the last two weeks blows my mind. It makes you see the truth when people say, "The next 18 years will fly by. Enjoy it while it lasts!". Sometimes I catch myself thinking that I can't wait until he can do something (smile when he hears my voice, hug me back, cheer on the Chiefs with me) but I realize I need to treasure these moments too.

Yesterday was our first trip to church and it went really well. He made it through all of our Sunday School and all but 15 minutes of church. He actually would have been fine through both but church ran long because it was the big Christmas musical production. Of course, he started crying during my favorite song of the oratio so I missed it. After a brief "pit stop" in the church's nursing room, we even made it through a few errands on our way home.

Last night we met the Wilsons (my second family, pretty much) for our annual Christmas dinner. When we were younger, we would give presents but for the last several years have given the gift of time together (sounds very Marilene, doesn't it?!?) instead. They had visited us at the hospital but agreed that he had grown so much in the last two weeks. Josh and Mo made the effort to come in from college so all the Longs/Wilsons/Waltons were there.

One thing our pediatrician encouraged was to incorporate some tummy time into Caleb's day. He hated it for the first few times but is getting better. He just goes to town trying to lift his head and churn those little arms and legs but really doesn't get anywhere. I think that's why he doesn't care for it- he gets easily frustrated at not making progress (sound like anyone you know??). I read on the internet that you can also put the baby on your chest/tummy and have them work on lifting their head as you talk to them. Caleb seems to like that a bit better. I think it's because he can push his legs off against mine and propel himself up my torso. Here's a picture from some tummy time last week. The hilarious thing is that literally two seconds after I snapped this, he threw up all over the place. Guess you should give your child sufficient time to digest a meal before you put him on his belly- oops!

Today will be our first adventure out of the house by ourselves. Last week, we ran several errands but always with my mom staying in the car with Caleb. Aaron mounted my backseat view mirror last night so I can see him back there and today we are going to my two week check up with my doctor. If that goes well, we may venture a few short stops on the way home. Thanks to those of you that have asked how I am recovering. I really feel fine with very little pain or discomfort from the incision. It is still crazy to me that the doctors were able to get my almost 9 pound baby with a 15 inch head out of a 4 inch opening! I am going to invest in some vitamin E or some Mederma or something to make the scar as unnoticeable as possible. Because it was an emergency, it is a vertical incision so it could show more than the usual horizontal C-section scar. Hopefully I'll get more clarification from the doctor today about when I can resume activities like vacuuming since we have company coming this weekend.

Have a great week before Christmas. I still have quite a bit of shopping to do- hope you're further ahead of the game than I am!!

Midweek Update

Well, we've made it this far in the week. My mom has been a huge help (even when I've been not so pleasant from lack of sleep and hormone roller coaster). Another plus is that our Sunday School class has been bringing dinner every night so I have not had to worry about dinner or lunch (leftovers, anyone?). Thanks to our Covenant friends for their generosity and helpfulness! Tomorrow I think I may have my mom come around lunchtime to see if I can figure out the whole "take a shower and get ready while living with a newborn" thing. I am planning on putting him in his bouncy seat in the bathroom and shutting the door to keep the dogs out. If anyone has any better ideas (especially for if he is awake or wakes up during the process), let me know.

I realized that our parents have shared this blogsite with some of their friends and that it would only be fitting to post some pictures of Caleb with his grandparents. Frank and Joan arrived the Friday before Caleb was born and were able to stay until the following Wednesday. Hopefully they will make it to Tulsa for part of the holidays. My parents are only 15 minutes away but are doing a good job of respecting our attempt to figure out this whole parenting thing and give us some "family time".

Last night was a pretty fussy night. Not only did Caleb decide he wanted to be wide awake from 8:00 on, he was fussing most of the time. Earlier this week, I watched Oprah when she had a guest who had interpreted a baby language based on different crying sounds. From this, I surmised that Caleb must be having intestinal issues so we burped and rocked and soothed to very little avail. He finally passed out around 10:30 but only slept in hour and 1/2 stretches. We've been spoiled so far with several 4+ hour sleeping periods. His fussiness continued today and my mom mentioned she thought he might feel a little hot. We've taken his underarm temp at least 10 times (new parent alarmists, I know) and he seems to be OK. We actually have a 10 second rectal thermometer but I can't bring myself to do that to the poor little guy. If he continues the "fussies" tomorrow, I will call the doctor.

On the plus side, I did get a really cute picture in his Christmas bib from his second cousin Julia. My cousin Tiffany had her baby on November 2nd, a girl they named Julia Nicole. (By the way, really cute birth announcements TT!) They will be headed this way for Christmas next weekend and I can't wait to take all sorts of pictures of the two of them together. You'll notice in the picture that his cord has not fallen off yet. I know they say it can be as long as two weeks until it falls off but I am ready for it to be gone. It is hard to clean around when we bathe him and hard to maneuver diapers around too.


We also had a fun visit from George and Ethel White, our longtime family friends who are FINALLY moving back to Broken Arrow next Spring. They are in town for Christmas and stopped by to meet Mr. Caleb. I was remiss in not getting a picture of them together so I don't have one to post here. Ethel gave Caleb a fun book called "The Sweet Smell of Christmas" - a scratch and sniff book that she advised us not to scratch until next year when he could really appreciate it. It was so fun to see you guys and hopefully Zach and Missy will be able to meet Caleb when they're in town too.

OK, off to get a few household things accomplished. Happy Friday (almost) to everyone!

One Week Birthday

(I tried to post this Sunday night but the blogger wouldn't let me attach pictures. Sorry!)

It just so happened that we were up last night for diaper changing at 2:19 a.m. so the three of us got to celebrate Caleb's one week b-day together. I think he was a little perplexed by the singing of "Happy Birthday" to you but his parents enjoyed it! Kim has done a great job keeping track of Adalie's milestones so I am going to try to follow her lead.

We have been blessed with good nights of sleep the last two nights. Caleb had several sessions of 3+ hours of sleeping. Of course, right at 3 hours, I start waking up wondering why he hasn't yet- ha! Hopefully this trend will continue as Aaron heads back to work tomorrow. My mom is planning on staying most of the week during the daytime with Caleb and me but hopefully we can handle nights on our own and let her go home. I am not sure how I will hold up with Aaron not here 24-7 (I'll blame my hormones for the tears that have already been shed thinking about it) but am glad Mom will be here. This week our Sunday School class will also be bringing dinners, which will be a big help.

Friday was our trip to the pediatrician and our first trip out (and the first time I had to really get dressed since we've been home). The visit went really well; Caleb's weight was down to 8 pounds 1 ounce when we left the hospital on Wednesday but in two days he had already gained weight and was back up to 8 pounds 10 ounces. The doctor was really impressed and even said we could wait a bit longer until our next appointment since he was gaining weight so well. Since we were out and Caleb was cooperating, we went by Aaron's office and showed him off up there.

On Saturday, my sister came in from OKC to spend time with her nephew. We just hung out and watched movies. The extra set of hands allowed Aaron to run a few errands and me to get some household tasks accomplished- thanks Mo. Last night was our Sunday School Christmas party and we made a brief appearance there. It worked out really well as Caleb was being a sleeping angel for the whole time and woke up and started crying literally as we were walking out the front door.

Today has been a good day as well. I have allowed myself to put Caleb in the pack-n-play while he sleeps so I can get things done instead of just sitting in the recliner with him while he sleeps. Aaron is tackling things around here so he can just hang out with us when he gets home from work this week. Caleb and I watched the Chiefs get man-handled by the Ravens- so much for working toward a Wild Card spot!

One is a picture of our sad puppies hanging out in the glider. We are really trying to show them affection but they are still feeling neglected. I guess they thought that sitting in the glider meant they would get some attention eventually since that's where Caleb and I spend a good portion of our time. The other is a funny picture of Aaron burping Caleb in the hospital. He has a funny face and I couldn't resist putting it on here. By the way, have you noticed that every hospital has the same baby blankets (the white ones with the blue and pink stripes down the side)? From different Tulsa hospitals to Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs on TV, we've seen the same blankets all over the place since Caleb has come into our life.

On the non-Caleb front, we are so excited to welcome our nephew Jake into our family. Aaron's sister Julie and her family have been working to adopt Jake from Guatamala for well over a year now. They were able to travel there last week to bring him home. We have yet to meet him in person so hopefully that will happen soon.

Have a great week and wish me luck without my right-hand man here full time!!

We're home!

Aaron did a lovely job filling in but I (Emily) am back writing the blog. As you read from Aaron's post, we had quite the drama getting Mr. Caleb into the world but he is here and we couldn't be happier!! We had a great stay at the hospital and came home yesterday (Wednesday) after being cared for by Rachel and Brooke, our favorite duo of nurses that had taken care of us. Leaving the hospital was our first experience with how getting somewhere with a baby takes so much longer. We intended to leave around 3:30 and ended up not leaving until closer to 5:15. To our defense, we did spend quite a bit of time waiting for the nursery to discharge Caleb and for our host to arrive with the cart and the wheelchair.

My parents met us at our house with the task of helping keep the dogs calm as we introduced them to Caleb. It really went well and Mom and Dad did a great job distracting them as best anyone could. The pups were very excited to see us since we had been gone for 4 days and very curious about the noises coming from the infant carrier. Samson got so excited that he jumped up on the coffee table, something he's only done once before. We ate dinner with my parents and put Caleb in his Moses basket on the table so the dogs tried to stand on their hind legs and see where he went. I am thankful they are not any bigger than they are or they'd be in to all sorts of stuff.

When my parents left, Aaron and I kinda looked at each other like "Here goes!" and indeed it did. I hope that all people have a challenging first night at home or I will feel like a complete moron. It was about 2:15 when we were up with him that I thought, "So this is why people say to stay in the hospital as long as you can" and about 4:45 when we were crawling back in bed (again) that I told Aaron, "This is hard". Of course hormones and lack of sleep don't help anything. I am so thankful for Aaron's active participation in this. Seriously, he has just jumped right in to everything from changing diapers to writing down nursing and diaper schedules. He is so tender and sweet to Caleb; I am totally blown away. I think I have a cute picture of the two of them napping in the recliner that I'll try to post. We have strategized throughout the day as far as ways to make tonight go more smoothly.

Part of that strategy was to give Caleb his first bath. Of course, he hated it but it was really cute to see him so angry. We had watched the bathing video in the hospital and it said to keep the diaper on and wash that area then quickly change the diaper. Well, of course, we had already washed everything but his hair and go to take the diaper off and he gives himself a shower of a different kind. So then we were like, "Do we wash him all over again or just rinse him off?". HA! He actually calmed down after we changed the diaper and seemed to enjoy getting his hair washed. He is now clean and fresh and ready for his first pediatrician appointment tomorrow.

When he was born he weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces but weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce on Wednesday morning. The nursing thing has been going well and, without going into too many details on the internet, we are hoping we'll find out at the doctor that he is gaining back some weight. The biggest challenge as far as breastfeeding has been keeping him awake through the process. We've tried everything that's been suggested...from stripping him down to his diaper to putting a cold wash cloth on him. It works temporarily then he passes back out again only to wake up when we either change his diaper or an hour later when he wakes back up because he didn't fill up. The pediatrician has a certified breastfeeding consultant on staff so we will meet with her tomorrow. Hopefully she will have some helpful hints.

OK, must find some pics to post and then hit the hay to stay on our "schedule". Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers and well wishes. Feel free to keep them headed this way as we figure out this parent thing.

Finally - a chance to update!

Hey everyone - I (Aaron) finally got a couple of minutes to get home and update the blog - under Emily's orders, of course! :) Caleb Scott created all sorts of drama for us early Sunday morning, but he is here, healthy, and of course, perfect. While preparing for a long night Saturday evening and for a probable delivery sometime Sunday, Caleb decided to make a show of things and take us on a ride that we won't ever forget! Emily had a huge contraction (luckily post epidurale) and Caleb's heart rate went through the floor around 2:10 Sunday morning. After a few heartwrenching moments (probably the quickest and highest emotional rollercoaster that we've ever been on), Emily was sent to the OR, and the wonderful doctors and nurses took less than 5 minutes to perform a C-Section and get Caleb out. He was born at 2:19 a.m. at 8 lbs. 15 ozs, and he was 22 inches long. (Tall and skinny like his dad!) Dr. Williamson made it to the hospital in 7 minutes, but was too late! He arrived just in time to stitch her back up. Everything is great - he is a beatiful, healthy baby, and Emily has been a trooper through the entire process. I'm sure that she can't wait to get back and fill you in on some more details. I'm sure you all will skip straight to the pictures, so here they are - enjoy!

Emily in Labor & Delivery before all of the craziness.

PUT ME BACK IN!!

BIG FEET!

WE HAD HIM IN THIS OUTFIT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT WE HAD TO CHANGE IT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T KEEP HIS LONG LEGS IN IT!

MAMA RELAXING WITH CALEB.

THE PICTURES ARE ALSO UP ON THE HOSPITAL WEBSITE:
http://www.sfh-tulsa.com/webnursery/default.asp
THE PASSWORD IS OUR LAST NAME.

Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers and support - we're truly blessed to live the lives that we do with friends and family like you!

Making Some Progress!

We talked to the doctor last night and got the OK for me to take Tylenol PM to help me sleep. It was wonderful! I slept from about 10 to 4 without waking up. Yippee! So even though things weren't necessarily progressing today, I was in a much better mood. My contractions continued to get stronger but not any closer together. This afternoon, Aaron and I debated about whether we just should go on up to the hospital (our doctor had said that was fine) or wait it out. Eventually, we called the doctor to see what he thought about setting tomorrow morning as our "deadline" to show up at the hospital either because we were making progress or because we weren't but were ready to make things happen. The doctor suggested meeting him up at his office to see where we stood and from then would either say "go on to the hospital" or "spend another night at home and head to the hospital in the morning". Our doctor is great to be so very helpful and considerate.

So we met him at the office around 6pm and I am dilated to a 4-- definite progress. We decided that we'd eat a bite of dinner and feed the dogs then head up to the hospital. We are also watching the Big 12 Championship so even though Aaron keeps saying "we can go when you're ready", he's not exactly moving away from the TV- ha!! As the doctor said, we are in for a long night but are eager to get things going and I'm eager for the drugs so we are headed to St. Francis:) We will be sure to keep you updated. Thoughts and prayers appreciated, as always!