Grant - 1 Month & What I've Learned

 

Grant is already 1 month old! Where did the time go?  I couldn't believe it was already time to start the "monthly pictures" process.

Things to note about Grant:

LOVES:

Being Swaddled (loves, loves, LOVES!)

Going outside

Putting on his PJs

Rocking

Looking at Mommy and Daddy

HATES:

Taking a bath (he's warming up to this now)

Being naked

Changing clothes/diaper

Getting the hiccups

The carseat

 He's weighing in at almost 10 lbs based on my weighing with and without him on the scale at home.

Can we take a second to just appreciate how adorable sleep smiles are?  They are so hard to catch on camera, but I managed to get this one! I can't wait for his social smiles to start, but I love seeing this little smirk when he's sleeping.

Now here is my rundown of what I've learned in the first month and my advice to new/expectant parents.

1. Buy gas drops and Gripe Water before you go into labor to have ready when you come home.  I wish I had it at the hospital! Grant had major gas pain at the hospital and when we came home.  I didn't find out about these two products until we were a week in.  They will save your life! Trust me on this.  I just bought 3 bottles so I could have one in the diaper bag, one in the nursery, and a spare.

2. SWADDLE! I cannot stress this one enough. It calms him down and will double his sleep time.  Grant is a wiggle worm and always has his arms flapping around.  The swaddle keeps him from waking himself up.

3.  Wear your baby! Grant loves it! I thought it looked ridiculous, but it makes him happy and it leaves my hands free. 

4. Schedule and Track! I downloaded an app that helps you track feedings, diapers, naps, etc.  I'm so tired that I can't remember when I fed him last and it helps me know when he is crying out of hunger.

5.  Get ready to do laundry.  I do laundry at least once a day.  It's smaller loads, but you can't make it through a day with clean clothes (mom or baby).

6.  If your baby won't stop crying, walk outside.  This has calmed Grant down every time.

7.  Breastfeeding is hard.  I BF for about 3 weeks before I broke down and started pumping and using bottles.  I could never get Grant to get a deep latch and I was in so much pain that it hurt to carry him against my chest.  Don't feel bad if you have to bottle feed.  It actually speeds up feed times and gives you more time to play with the baby or it's quicker to put them back to sleep at night. 

8.  Try to keep the baby on a schedule.  I read Baby Wise and used it as a basis to plan our day.  The book says to feed every 3 hours, but Grant eats every 2 so I just modified it to fit our needs.  I feed Grant (15 mins), have a little bit of awake time to talk and "play" (about 30 minutes), and then put him down to sleep (his naps range from 45 mins-1.5 hrs). This repeats all day except at night (after 8pm) there is no awake time and he goes right back to bed after eating.

9.  Another tip I found online is to skip diaper changes at night.  This has drastically improved my sleep situation.  Grant hates having his diaper changed and would completely wake up and scream during this process.  By skipping it at night, he stays drowsy and falls right back to sleep (most of the time anyway!) I always change his diaper first thing in the morning though, even before feeding him.  

10. Enjoy your baby! The time goes by so fast. It seems like I just had him yesterday, but he's already a month old.  Cherish all the snuggles and sleep with him on your chest.  Don't worry about spoiling your baby, just give him lots of love and affection and soak in every second.

He's Here!

 

 

This post is very late, but Grant made his debut 12 days ago on May 29, 2014 at 6:33 pm.  

 

 

 I've been a little busy taking care of the little guy, so I'm just getting around to recording his birth story.  I wanted to write it all down before I forget everything that happened.

 

So on Tuesday, May 27 I went in for my 39 week appointment and my doctor stripped my membranes.  I was only 1.5 cm dilated at this point.  The plan was that if I didn't go into labor myself by Monday June 2, that he would break my water after my 40 week appointment. 

 

All Tuesday afternoon I anxiously waited to feel contractions or some sign that I would go into labor, but nothing happened.  Wednesday rolled around and I started to feel a little crampy and lost my mucus plug that morning.  I went to work like normal, but was feeling pretty tired and left around 3pm.  At this point work was really a chore.  The chair hurt my back, my feet were so incredibly swollen, and I had to take a million bathroom breaks.  Anyway, so I left work a little early and came home and tried to take a nap.  My lower back was bothering me too much to sleep though and I gave up after a fitful 30 minutes of in and out sleep. 

 

David and I decided to go eat Jalapeno Tree for dinner where they sat us in a booth that my belly was too big for.  I ate a delicious dinner however even though I was still feeling kind of crampy.  We came home and did our nightly ritual of walking around the neighborhood to get my dilation going.  After walking I bounced on my exercise ball and noticed that I seemed to be having small contractions (feeling like period cramps) all throughout Catfish (we love that show!) As soon as bedtime rolled around though I noticed that they had stopped and I was disappointed that once again I was going to go another day pregnant.

 

However, as soon as I got in bed at 11pm, my lower back started really aching off and on consistently and that the pain was 10 minutes apart.  I tried to sleep, but I was just too uncomfortable laying down.  I tried sleeping in the recliner and after a while the pain was coming 7 minutes apart lasting about 30 seconds each contraction.  David was asleep during all of this since there was nothing he could do to help at this point and I figured at least one of us needed to be rested if this was actually labor!

 

I had already decided I wanted to labor at home as long as I could, but once my contractions were coming 2-5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds, I was in some PAIN.  These contractions HURT.  No sooner had one ended, another one started and I ended up throwing up from the pain.  At 3:00 am I decided that this must actually be labor and let David know we needed to head to the hospital.  The drive there was awful (you think that at 3am there wouldn't be any traffic) because we hit road construction where it was down to one lane.  The whole drive I was having constant contractions and doing my best to stay relatively calm so I didn't freak David out.

 

We finally made it to the hospital around 3:30 am and my worst nightmare came true.  I was only 2.5cm dilated.  I knew you had to be 3cm to be admitted and I did not want to be sent home only to turn around and drive right back.  They called my doctor and they told me to walk around for 2 hours and they would check me again.  Walking while having contractions is horrible.  They are so much more painful when you have gravity pushing the baby down too.  I kept having to take breaks and sit in the waiting room.  The whole time I was wondering how women go through this without an epidural!  At 6:00am they checked me again and I was at 3cm which meant I was in active labor and progressing so they admitted me and at 7:00 am gave me and IV with some pain meds to take the edge off a little.

 

At 8:00 am I was 4cm dilated and they gave me the epidural!  20 minutes after the epidural was administered I was still feeling the contractions so they upped my dose, which turned out to completely paralyze me from the waist down for the next 8 hours - but at least I wasn't in pain anymore!

 

At 11:30 am I was 8cm and I was able to start pushing at 3:00 pm.  The pushing was near impossible because I was completely numb and couldn't move my legs.  David and the nurse had to actually hold my legs with each contraction.  After pushing for 2 hours the epidural had worn off enough that I could hold my legs myself and I felt like I started to make more progress.  However when the doctor came in and checked me, he told me that Grant was posterior and hadn't moved down at all in the 2 hours I had been pushing.  He said a C-Section was more than likely at this point, but I really didn't want to do that after laboring so hard for so long!  He told me I could push for 30 more minutes to see if I made any progress.  Well after another hour of pushing (3.5 hrs total!) Grant was born!

 

I had been running a low temp the entire time I was pushing (around 100), and after he was born they checked and my temp was 103.  My temperature caused Grant to be born with a fever, and this meant more testing for him to make sure everything was fine.  Luckily everything came back perfect and we were able to come home 48 hours later.

 

It definitely wasn't an easy labor or how I imagined it would go, but we are both so happy that he is here and healthy!

 

 

Grant's Navy & White Nursery

My husband and I had the hardest time coming up with a theme for Grant's room, but we finally fell in love with a bedding set and ended up creating a room centered around that.

 My husband came across this airplane wall art and had to add it to our nursery.  His parent's gave it to us as a gift.

 I love to read, so I loved the idea of adding a little reading nook to the room.  There is this small space between the door and closet door that you can't do much with, but there was just enough room for some shallow bookshelves!  David's cousin made us the wall art with the quote from I'll Love You Forever.

I found this glider on Craigslist and had a friend recover the cushions to match the decor.

 

I absolutely fell in love with these curtains and had to have them.  They are blackout curtains so they will help keep the room nice and cool (and dark!) during the hot Texas summers!

Nothing too exciting on this wall, just the diaper changing necessities!

I'm very pleased with how it turned out and can't wait for Grant to make his arrival so we can put it to use.

Nursery Details:

 Crib:  Delta Sedona 3-in-1 Crib

Changing Table:  Graco Mason Changing Table - Classic White 

Chest: Savannah 5-Drawer Kids Chest by Kith Furniture 

Glider: Craigslist find and had a friend recover the cushions

Paint Color on Accent Wall: Naval by Sherwin Williams (SW 6244)

 Bedding: Harper Crib Skirt, Navy,  Tile Geo Crib Fitted Sheet, Navy,  Harper Crib Bumper, Navy 

Curtains:  Rugby Blackout Panels  44 x 96”

Airplane Wall Art: Planked Airplane Panels

Bookshelves: IKEA RIBBA Picture Ledge (21 ¾”)

ABC Print: ABC Baby Boy Name Art - Choose your colors - 8x10

Lamp: CoCaLo Couture Harper Lamp Base And Shade

Blanket: Baby Blanket - Baby Boy - Minky OR Chenille - Lime Green & Navy Argyle Remix

39 Weeks - Membranes Stripped, Contractions!

How far along: 39 weeks

Total weight gain: Way too much! lol

Maternity Clothes: Too big for most of my maternity clothes now. I grabbed a bunch of XL work T-shirts and have been living in those and yoga pants the past 2 weeks.

Stretch Marks: None on my tummy!

Sleep: Not good.  Been waking up once an hour to go to the bathroom and can't seem to get comfortable. 

Best moment this week: Hearing that Grant may come soon!

Worst symptom(s) this week: Swelling.  I'm so tired of having swollen feet and ankles.

Movement: It's slowed down/changed this week.  No more kicks or punches, just slow movements as he changes positions.

Food cravings:  Nothing much right now. Been pretty thirsty.

Anything making you queasy:  Not really.

Have you started to show yet:  Yep.

Gender prediction:  It's a BOY! Grant James Martinez

Labor signs: 1.5 cm dilated today.  Lot's of contractions where my stomach tightens up, but nothing very painful yet.  My doctor stripped my membranes today (he couldn't even reach them last week, so yay for progress!) so I am hopeful for some stronger contractions as the day progresses.

Belly Button:   Flat.

Wedding Rings:  Nope.

Happy or Moody:  Moody. 

Milestones: Finished the nursery! I will do a nursery tour post later on today.

Looking forward to: The next few days.  Either Grant will decide to come on his own, or my doctor said he will break my water on Monday.  So ready to meet my little man!!

38 Weeks - Sunny Side Up, Back pain, Insomnia!

How far along: 38 weeks

Total weight gain: About 40 lbs.  :(

Maternity Clothes: Too big for most of my maternity clothes now.

Stretch Marks: None on my tummy.

Sleep: Horrible. I had an awful case of insomnia last night.  I tried the couch, watching tv, reading, sleeping propped up on pillows, and nothing could get me to fall asleep.  I ended up getting about an hour and half of sleep :(

Best moment this week: Being lazy all weekend.

Worst symptom(s) this week: Insomnia, Awful back pain!

Movement: Lots of movement going on in there.

Food cravings:  Nothing much right now. I get full very fast and stay full longer.  Guess my stomach is really squished at this point.

Anything making you queasy:  Being really full and getting hot.

Have you started to show yet:  Yep.

Gender prediction:  It's a BOY! Grant James Martinez

Labor signs: 1 cm dilated today.  Had a few inconsistent contractions.  Lots of back pain.  Found out that the baby is "sunny side up" right now, which is causing my back pain.  I really hope he turns himself around before D-Day so I can avoid back labor. 

Belly Button:   Flat.

Wedding Rings:  Nope.

Happy or Moody:  Moody. 

Milestones: It's crazy that we are already at 38 weeks.  I'm so ready for our little man to get here, but he doesn't seem to be in any hurry.  Everything is ready, just waiting on Grant!

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment next week.  I only have 1 more appointment between now and my due date, so I am REALLY hoping he decides he's ready to be born! I'm hoping he turns himself around so that I can start dilating faster and can have an easier delivery too.

37 weeks - BP Scare, RLS, Heartburn

 That is a WATERMELON.  Insane.  Today at my appointment, the ultrasound tech estimated the baby to weigh 7 lbs.

How far along: 37 weeks

Total weight gain: About 40 lbs.  :(

Maternity Clothes: Too big for most of my maternity clothes now.

Stretch Marks: None on my tummy.

Sleep: Horrible. Guess I'm getting ready for nighttime feedings.

Best moment this week: Hmm... not sure.  I'm in a funk.

Worst symptom(s) this week: Hot flashes, swelling, acid reflux, exhaustion, heartburn seems to be picking up too.

Movement: I can't tell if I'm having BH contractions or if it is the baby balling up in one spot, but it HURTS and takes my breath away.  It seems to be happening much more often now.

Food cravings:  Nothing much right now. I get full very fast and stay full longer.  Guess my stomach is really squished at this point.

Anything making you queasy:  Being really full and getting hot.

Have you started to show yet:  You think?

Gender prediction:  It's a BOY! Grant James Martinez

Labor signs: Starting to have mild period-like cramps periodically.  Nothing consistent though.  Went to L&D for monitoring last week and they said I was having regular contractions every 7 minutes to start out and they got 2-3 minutes apart.  I never felt anything, and the nurse assumed they were BH from being dehydrated.  That was over a week ago and nothing has happened since, so I think they were BH.  I'm desperate for SOME labor signs!  At my last appointment I wasn't effaced or dilated at all, which was so depressing. I've started all of the old wives tales at this point to try and get things moving along. Update: at my appointment today I was half a centimeter dilated!

Belly Button:   Flat.

Wedding Rings:  Nope.

Happy or Moody:  Moody. Very moody.  And emotional.  I want to cry (and have actually already had one emotional breakdown) when I think of being pregnant 4 more weeks.  I'm seriously hoping he comes by his due date at the very latest. If I go a week past my due date, I think I will lose it. 

Milestones: Hospital bag is 100% packed.  The nursery is 100% done.  Everything is assembled and installed.  We had a slight scare last week with my blood pressure and the doctor made it clear that if anything was wrong we would induce that day.  Luckily my observation didn't show any signs of high bp other than protein in my urine, so they let me go home.  I went into crazy preparation mode all weekend to try and get everything ready just in case something happens at my next appointment.

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment this week. I want to see some progress! Each week brings me a little bit closer to my end goal.

36 Weeks - Swollen, Acid Reflux :(

How far along: 36 weeks

Total weight gain: About 40 lbs.  :(

Maternity Clothes: Yep all maternity. Starting to grow out of the maternity clothes I have now, but I refuse to buy anything else at this point.

Stretch Marks: None on my tummy.

Sleep: Tossing and turning. I'm having a hard time breathing when I lay down too.

Best moment this week: Had a date night with the husband and went to see Wayne Brady's improv show.  So much fun!

Worst symptom(s) this week: Hot flashes, swelling, acid reflux, exhaustion, nausea...

Movement: He feels gigantic in there.  He's been kicking my ribs and pushing out hard on the sides of my belly now.  It's very uncomfortable! 

Food cravings:  Nothing much right now. 

Anything making you queasy:  Being really full and getting hot.

Have you started to show yet:  Yep. I'm huge.

Gender prediction:  It's a BOY! Grant James Martinez

Labor signs:  Nothing really at this point.  Had some backache and some cramps, but nothing that is regular or can even be timed.  It is more of just an uncomfortable feeling that comes and goes.

Belly Button:   It's almost flat at this point.  Still hoping I can avoid it popping out!

Wedding Rings:  Gave up on them :(

Happy or Moody:  Moody.

Milestones: Washed and sanitized all of the bottles and nipples and put them in the cabinet. Bought the baby monitor and the seat protector to go under the car seat.  I'm hoping to get it installed in the next week or so just in case I go into labor early.

Looking forward to: My doctor's appointment this week. He will check for dilation and I'm anxious to see if my body has started prepping for labor or not.  It doesn't feel like he's dropped yet though, so I don't anticipate that I'm dilated or effaced at this point.  

I'm finally to the point where I'm over being pregnant.  I am ready to lose this extra weight and water that I'm retaining.  I've grown out of most of my clothes at this point.  I'm not sure what Grant's doing in there sometimes, but it feels like he's punching me in the stomach and it hurts! I have constant backache and my feet and hands seem to stay swollen now.  I've also developed acid reflux and have had to give up my daily glass of orange juice :(  I really miss drinking orange juice, but I have reflux ALL DAY if I have even one small glass!  

I really don't feel that he will be super early either, so I foresee at least another 3-4 weeks of pregnancy for me.  I'm really, really hoping he comes the last week of May though!  I think I will go insane if I go past my due date!