Thursday, October 16, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Dear Sawyer, 4 Months!
Someone is four months old!!! Four! Months! Old! WOW! In two more months you will be half a year old, and that just seems crazy to me. I know, you're thinking, good work mom, you can count, but you don’t know what it’s like to see yourself grow so fast! Maybe you do, but don’t care? I can’t believe I fall into the same ol’, same ol’, everyday, average mom who says time goes by fast. Time is going by sooooo fast! Geeze Sawyer, you’re mom is sooo just average. Dang it.
I realized this month how obsessed with your brain I am. I found a pretty good website (zerotothree.org) that has in depth scientific information about infant and child brain development. I can’t get enough of it. Your brain is pretty cool! Here is just a little from that site about synapses in your wrinkled brain:
Although all of the neurons in the cortex are produced before birth, they are poorly connected. In contrast to the brain stem and spinal cord, the cerebral cortex produces most of its synaptic connections after birth, in a massive burst of synapse formation known as the exuberant period. At its peak, the cerebral cortex creates an astonishing two million new synapses every second. With these new connections come a baby's many mental milestones, such as color vision, a pincer grasp, or a strong attachment to his parents.
By two years of age, a toddler's cerebral cortex contains well over a hundred trillion synapses. This period of synaptic exuberance varies in different parts of the cerebral cortex: it begins earlier in primary sensory regions, like the visual cortex or primary touch area of the cortex, while it takes off somewhat later in the temporal and frontal lobes, brain areas involved in higher cognitive and emotional functions. Nonetheless, the number of synapses remains at this peak, over-abundant level in all areas of the cerebral cortex throughout middle childhood (4-8 years of age). Beginning in the middle elementary school years and continuing until the end of adolescence, the number of synapses then gradually declines down to adult levels.
If not already, then soon, you will have more synapses going on than me or daddy… or any other adult for that matter. Pretty amazing huh?! A little too obsessed with your brain development, I took it upon myself to note where all the teacher resource stores are near here, and what toys are in your near future to foster your development. One day you are going to ask for a toy for the only purpose of it being fun. I hope by that time, you honed in on your persuasive speaking skills That, or got a job to pay for it yourself. Are you wishing you were born into another family yet? Haha, sucker!
More things that have gone on since I last wrote you? A lot I say! Beckham decided to join the world recently. Beckham is Daddy’s best friends baby and I’m pretty sure you guys will be friends. Well, I’m pretty sure you guys will have play dates, and you will steal his toys out of his hands because you are older, and probably be a little more aggressive, assertive and all that fun stuff I’m going to have to lovingly correct. But none the less, I’m sure you guys will be friends, especially when you guys get older. We also made friends with another couple who has a baby named Ethan. You are 2 months older than him and just had your first hang out time together last night. Aren’t you the popular tike?
Besides popularity, I have mentioned several times how strong you are, but you just have not been too interested in rolling over AT ALL. That is until the other week you were on your stomach doing your dreaded ‘tummy time’ when I noticed you were insanely close to rolling onto your back. I was soo excited! I ran literally 4 steps to grab the video camera, and when I turned around you were on your back! I’m with you ALL day and STILL manage to miss your milestones! That was the only time I have seen (or more correctly, not seen) you roll over. Today for the first time, you were pretty close to going from back to stomach. Your bottom half was rolled over, but you had no idea how to get your arms to cooperate. You were stalled for quite some time trying to figure it all out, and after about 5 minutes, you weren’t going to take it anymore. Mommy had to come to the rescue. I’m hoping soon you will have the rolling down, but when it comes to really being mobile, I will take a stab at it and say you will try to walk before you try to crawl. That’s just a guess, but I’m pretty damn smart, so… yeah, you will be a walkin man.
This doesn’t have anything to do with you directly, but things that have gone on this month in general… A shark in Virginia got pregnant without a male to do his thing. She’s like the Virgin Mary Chick shark! I have already had discussions about Utah, their state bird, and Mormons with you, now let me just say, I think Virginia and West Virginia are two of the weirder States, and the whole shark thing happening there proves I am pretty much always right. Obama and McCain are at it, and soon we will vote for president in I think, one of the most passionate elections I have been alive through. Mommy got to see Barrack at her gym, isn’t mommy cool? Colorado drivers still suck. I found out one year ago this month that I had something brewing in my uterus. What else? Probably a lot, but the import part here is the, I’m usually right part, and the, I’m cool part… chew on that with your gums!
So, this letter is getting a little off track. More than anything, I want to say I love you even when you are crying. I love you even when you puke milk on me just as we are rushing out the door. I love you when you poop out your diaper and only manage to get it on my white tank top. All of which has happened numerous times this month! Really though, I just love you!
Happy four months kiddo!
I realized this month how obsessed with your brain I am. I found a pretty good website (zerotothree.org) that has in depth scientific information about infant and child brain development. I can’t get enough of it. Your brain is pretty cool! Here is just a little from that site about synapses in your wrinkled brain:
Although all of the neurons in the cortex are produced before birth, they are poorly connected. In contrast to the brain stem and spinal cord, the cerebral cortex produces most of its synaptic connections after birth, in a massive burst of synapse formation known as the exuberant period. At its peak, the cerebral cortex creates an astonishing two million new synapses every second. With these new connections come a baby's many mental milestones, such as color vision, a pincer grasp, or a strong attachment to his parents.
By two years of age, a toddler's cerebral cortex contains well over a hundred trillion synapses. This period of synaptic exuberance varies in different parts of the cerebral cortex: it begins earlier in primary sensory regions, like the visual cortex or primary touch area of the cortex, while it takes off somewhat later in the temporal and frontal lobes, brain areas involved in higher cognitive and emotional functions. Nonetheless, the number of synapses remains at this peak, over-abundant level in all areas of the cerebral cortex throughout middle childhood (4-8 years of age). Beginning in the middle elementary school years and continuing until the end of adolescence, the number of synapses then gradually declines down to adult levels.
If not already, then soon, you will have more synapses going on than me or daddy… or any other adult for that matter. Pretty amazing huh?! A little too obsessed with your brain development, I took it upon myself to note where all the teacher resource stores are near here, and what toys are in your near future to foster your development. One day you are going to ask for a toy for the only purpose of it being fun. I hope by that time, you honed in on your persuasive speaking skills That, or got a job to pay for it yourself. Are you wishing you were born into another family yet? Haha, sucker!
More things that have gone on since I last wrote you? A lot I say! Beckham decided to join the world recently. Beckham is Daddy’s best friends baby and I’m pretty sure you guys will be friends. Well, I’m pretty sure you guys will have play dates, and you will steal his toys out of his hands because you are older, and probably be a little more aggressive, assertive and all that fun stuff I’m going to have to lovingly correct. But none the less, I’m sure you guys will be friends, especially when you guys get older. We also made friends with another couple who has a baby named Ethan. You are 2 months older than him and just had your first hang out time together last night. Aren’t you the popular tike?
Besides popularity, I have mentioned several times how strong you are, but you just have not been too interested in rolling over AT ALL. That is until the other week you were on your stomach doing your dreaded ‘tummy time’ when I noticed you were insanely close to rolling onto your back. I was soo excited! I ran literally 4 steps to grab the video camera, and when I turned around you were on your back! I’m with you ALL day and STILL manage to miss your milestones! That was the only time I have seen (or more correctly, not seen) you roll over. Today for the first time, you were pretty close to going from back to stomach. Your bottom half was rolled over, but you had no idea how to get your arms to cooperate. You were stalled for quite some time trying to figure it all out, and after about 5 minutes, you weren’t going to take it anymore. Mommy had to come to the rescue. I’m hoping soon you will have the rolling down, but when it comes to really being mobile, I will take a stab at it and say you will try to walk before you try to crawl. That’s just a guess, but I’m pretty damn smart, so… yeah, you will be a walkin man.
This doesn’t have anything to do with you directly, but things that have gone on this month in general… A shark in Virginia got pregnant without a male to do his thing. She’s like the Virgin Mary Chick shark! I have already had discussions about Utah, their state bird, and Mormons with you, now let me just say, I think Virginia and West Virginia are two of the weirder States, and the whole shark thing happening there proves I am pretty much always right. Obama and McCain are at it, and soon we will vote for president in I think, one of the most passionate elections I have been alive through. Mommy got to see Barrack at her gym, isn’t mommy cool? Colorado drivers still suck. I found out one year ago this month that I had something brewing in my uterus. What else? Probably a lot, but the import part here is the, I’m usually right part, and the, I’m cool part… chew on that with your gums!
So, this letter is getting a little off track. More than anything, I want to say I love you even when you are crying. I love you even when you puke milk on me just as we are rushing out the door. I love you when you poop out your diaper and only manage to get it on my white tank top. All of which has happened numerous times this month! Really though, I just love you!
Happy four months kiddo!
Dear Sawyer, 3 Months!!! You reap what you sew.
My Boy!
Dear Sawyer:
I am not good at making things. I'm not "crafty". I don't scrapbook, I don't knit, I'm not the person with the awesome personalized present. Speaking of presents, I suck at picking them out. Presents make me nervous. I'm only good at getting presents for people when there is no reason to give them a present. THAT is when you will get your best present, when the time isn't right. I can't pick those things out under pressure, no, no good at that. No, nooo good at crafty things. I wanted to start sewing. I wanted to sew you cool onsies out of old concert tee shirts. I took a sewing class with my friend and you know what came out of it? A pocket. A freaken pocket. I talked up this pocket to daddy just because I was excited to make something out of nothing, but really, it's pretty bad. You don't want me to make you a pocket! I will say however, I did the best damn job making you. You are sooo cute and perfect! I can't believe I had anything to do with something that turned out so awesome!
Here are some of your updates…
Lately your thing is to drool. You drool and drool and drool. I was thinking about bringing you to places suffering from a drought because your drool can fill not just pools but aqueducts. In 24 hours you will have a drought-ridden town flooded. How about that for your first public service opportunity? Soon after the drool thing came the discovery of your hands. HANDS! Connected to YOUR body! Hands that YOU move yourself! How is that for amazing?! These hands you decided are so great you will see if you can fit each one whole into your mouth. You first did this when we were at the grocery store! I started exclaiming loudly, "Yes, those are YOUR hands! Do you love them? Do they taste good? HANDS! YAY!" I was so excited by your find, I couldn't help but show it, while everyone in the produce section just kinda looked at me. What do I care, you found HANDS!!! As I type this, you are playing under this little floor mat play thing. You just swatted the lion so hard, he flipped around the bar that he is hanging from, and you got a kick out of it. I did too. Man, I love you and your hands!
You are also strong! You are the strongest little thing I have seen. You love to stand! You can stand for hours on end if I let you. You hold on to one finger from each of my hands and just stand up. You do this hip shaking move to keep your balance, but you are strong. Daddy now has you stand on the palm of his hand and with your awesome standing capabilities and him moving has hand back and forth to make up for your hip shaking, you just balance there. No one holding on to your hands! You stand there with your mouth open wide, looking out in the crowd like you are doing some trick on the promenade waiting for your fans to throw money in a jar. Now that I think of it, maybe it's time you start pulling your weight around here, I'll go get you a money jar!
Every day gets better with you. You become more fun, have more personality, more tricks up your sleeve, and more poop in your diaper. Speaking of poop, you think yours is sooo funny. Whenever I open your diaper and yell "GROSS," or "NASTY", or, "That came out of YOU? SICK!", you just crack up. You also think it's funny when you fart loud, or when I say I see your buggers. You are such a boy! My favorite thing though is that we are reading every day. You like books! You already have a favorite. You love this fabric book that makes crackling noises, it has a mirror and a little bear that squeaks. You open the pages and put the page up close to your face, like you are an old man who forgot his glasses in the car. You read that one a few times a day. Our routine is, I read you a few books in the morning and one or two before bedtime. You lay in the crib and smile as I read to you. I hope that contributes to some awesome dreams! You also really like Dr. Seuss, but who doesn't???
Sawyer, you and daddy are the best things that have ever happened to me. I feel soo lucky to be his wife and your mommy. You guys are better than all the pockets in the world!!!
Your mamma!
Dear Sawyer:
I am not good at making things. I'm not "crafty". I don't scrapbook, I don't knit, I'm not the person with the awesome personalized present. Speaking of presents, I suck at picking them out. Presents make me nervous. I'm only good at getting presents for people when there is no reason to give them a present. THAT is when you will get your best present, when the time isn't right. I can't pick those things out under pressure, no, no good at that. No, nooo good at crafty things. I wanted to start sewing. I wanted to sew you cool onsies out of old concert tee shirts. I took a sewing class with my friend and you know what came out of it? A pocket. A freaken pocket. I talked up this pocket to daddy just because I was excited to make something out of nothing, but really, it's pretty bad. You don't want me to make you a pocket! I will say however, I did the best damn job making you. You are sooo cute and perfect! I can't believe I had anything to do with something that turned out so awesome!
Here are some of your updates…
Lately your thing is to drool. You drool and drool and drool. I was thinking about bringing you to places suffering from a drought because your drool can fill not just pools but aqueducts. In 24 hours you will have a drought-ridden town flooded. How about that for your first public service opportunity? Soon after the drool thing came the discovery of your hands. HANDS! Connected to YOUR body! Hands that YOU move yourself! How is that for amazing?! These hands you decided are so great you will see if you can fit each one whole into your mouth. You first did this when we were at the grocery store! I started exclaiming loudly, "Yes, those are YOUR hands! Do you love them? Do they taste good? HANDS! YAY!" I was so excited by your find, I couldn't help but show it, while everyone in the produce section just kinda looked at me. What do I care, you found HANDS!!! As I type this, you are playing under this little floor mat play thing. You just swatted the lion so hard, he flipped around the bar that he is hanging from, and you got a kick out of it. I did too. Man, I love you and your hands!
You are also strong! You are the strongest little thing I have seen. You love to stand! You can stand for hours on end if I let you. You hold on to one finger from each of my hands and just stand up. You do this hip shaking move to keep your balance, but you are strong. Daddy now has you stand on the palm of his hand and with your awesome standing capabilities and him moving has hand back and forth to make up for your hip shaking, you just balance there. No one holding on to your hands! You stand there with your mouth open wide, looking out in the crowd like you are doing some trick on the promenade waiting for your fans to throw money in a jar. Now that I think of it, maybe it's time you start pulling your weight around here, I'll go get you a money jar!
Every day gets better with you. You become more fun, have more personality, more tricks up your sleeve, and more poop in your diaper. Speaking of poop, you think yours is sooo funny. Whenever I open your diaper and yell "GROSS," or "NASTY", or, "That came out of YOU? SICK!", you just crack up. You also think it's funny when you fart loud, or when I say I see your buggers. You are such a boy! My favorite thing though is that we are reading every day. You like books! You already have a favorite. You love this fabric book that makes crackling noises, it has a mirror and a little bear that squeaks. You open the pages and put the page up close to your face, like you are an old man who forgot his glasses in the car. You read that one a few times a day. Our routine is, I read you a few books in the morning and one or two before bedtime. You lay in the crib and smile as I read to you. I hope that contributes to some awesome dreams! You also really like Dr. Seuss, but who doesn't???
Sawyer, you and daddy are the best things that have ever happened to me. I feel soo lucky to be his wife and your mommy. You guys are better than all the pockets in the world!!!
Your mamma!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Dear Sawyer, 2 Months! Still no Z'S
Sawyer, Sawyer, Sawyer:
Lets talk about sleep, shall we?
For the last few weeks, when we put you down for the night you go for an average of 4 hours of sleep then wake up pretty frequently after that. That long stretch grew a little longer with each passing night until a few nights ago you slept for six hours in a row. SIX!!!! Six hours in a ROW!!! After feeling what it is like after SIX hours of sleep in a row after MONTHS of hardly any sleep at all, I could of bought you a car I was so happy. If I had the means to do it, I would have bought you a car on the spot just to show you how happy I was and bribe you to let me sleep that long more often. I was SO happy that if someone said I could eat all the chocolate chip cookie dough in the world I wanted and never gain an ounce, ever, but I would never be able to sleep for 6 hours in a row again, I would have punched him or her in the face. This is crazy because I LOVE chocolate chip cookie dough and I don’t punch people in the face. However, I can’t buy you a car, that would be foolish, and the cookie dough would give me a stomachache, but I looked forward to more of that thing people call sleep. Unfortunately, that six-hour thing was a total tease. The last few nights you have hardly slept at all. I would like to blame it on a growth spurt, but I don’t think it is. Really, you just want to hang out. How can I blame you for wanting to hang out, I am pretty awesome, however I don’t want to hang out with you at midnight, 2:00am, 3:30am, 5:00am, 5:05am, 5:10am, 5:20am, and so on. Get where I am going here? This morning at 5:30 I turned on the light a bit to change your diaper and you looked up at me with a smile on your face the entire time. I couldn’t be mad, your smile is too cute, but I was confused. You HATE to have your diaper changed, but the look in your face portrayed something to the effect of, yes, mommy is UP, time to PARTY! I guess I shouldn’t expect SIX hours asleep again and be happy with maybe two hours and a five am party in your room.
Due to that random sleep schedule, I have the weirdest dreams, even weirder than when I was pregnant with you. Lately, the dreams have to do with you being in some kind of danger and I end up doing whatever it takes to take away that threat. When I wake up and see your cute face and big eyes, I know that I would do anything to keep you safe and make you feel loved. This is a different world than the world I grew up in. There is more crime, more preservatives, spinning rims and these shoes called Crocs. I’m sorry.
Last night I also realized that you are MY child. That the nursery at the hospital didn’t mix up babies in their bassinets, and it was pretty awesome. How? You sat with me and watched the woman’s gymnastic team perform in the Olympics and even got mad at the exact time one of the girls landed outside the white line. You knew what was up, and that America had to step it up to beat China. You were so content sitting in my lap watching the girls vault, do giants on the parallel bars, double fulls on the floor and standing back tucks on the beam. I can’t wait to put you in gymnastics. Hell, I can’t wait to put me in gymnastics!
Other fun things:
You know who mommy and daddy are and look for us when we walk away.
You coo and coo and coo. It’s awesome. You are actually cooing to me right now!
You notice your toys and begin to play with them.
You let me read to you. I love books and want you to love them too!
You are growing perfectly, the pediatrician even said so. Your clothes fit and are no longer baggy. Soon, you will fit in the cute camo pants!
Your poop is really starting to smell. Not sure if that is a ‘fun’ thing, but proves you are more and more grown up every day.
I love you kid, five am parties and all.
Your momma
Lets talk about sleep, shall we?
For the last few weeks, when we put you down for the night you go for an average of 4 hours of sleep then wake up pretty frequently after that. That long stretch grew a little longer with each passing night until a few nights ago you slept for six hours in a row. SIX!!!! Six hours in a ROW!!! After feeling what it is like after SIX hours of sleep in a row after MONTHS of hardly any sleep at all, I could of bought you a car I was so happy. If I had the means to do it, I would have bought you a car on the spot just to show you how happy I was and bribe you to let me sleep that long more often. I was SO happy that if someone said I could eat all the chocolate chip cookie dough in the world I wanted and never gain an ounce, ever, but I would never be able to sleep for 6 hours in a row again, I would have punched him or her in the face. This is crazy because I LOVE chocolate chip cookie dough and I don’t punch people in the face. However, I can’t buy you a car, that would be foolish, and the cookie dough would give me a stomachache, but I looked forward to more of that thing people call sleep. Unfortunately, that six-hour thing was a total tease. The last few nights you have hardly slept at all. I would like to blame it on a growth spurt, but I don’t think it is. Really, you just want to hang out. How can I blame you for wanting to hang out, I am pretty awesome, however I don’t want to hang out with you at midnight, 2:00am, 3:30am, 5:00am, 5:05am, 5:10am, 5:20am, and so on. Get where I am going here? This morning at 5:30 I turned on the light a bit to change your diaper and you looked up at me with a smile on your face the entire time. I couldn’t be mad, your smile is too cute, but I was confused. You HATE to have your diaper changed, but the look in your face portrayed something to the effect of, yes, mommy is UP, time to PARTY! I guess I shouldn’t expect SIX hours asleep again and be happy with maybe two hours and a five am party in your room.
Due to that random sleep schedule, I have the weirdest dreams, even weirder than when I was pregnant with you. Lately, the dreams have to do with you being in some kind of danger and I end up doing whatever it takes to take away that threat. When I wake up and see your cute face and big eyes, I know that I would do anything to keep you safe and make you feel loved. This is a different world than the world I grew up in. There is more crime, more preservatives, spinning rims and these shoes called Crocs. I’m sorry.
Last night I also realized that you are MY child. That the nursery at the hospital didn’t mix up babies in their bassinets, and it was pretty awesome. How? You sat with me and watched the woman’s gymnastic team perform in the Olympics and even got mad at the exact time one of the girls landed outside the white line. You knew what was up, and that America had to step it up to beat China. You were so content sitting in my lap watching the girls vault, do giants on the parallel bars, double fulls on the floor and standing back tucks on the beam. I can’t wait to put you in gymnastics. Hell, I can’t wait to put me in gymnastics!
Other fun things:
You know who mommy and daddy are and look for us when we walk away.
You coo and coo and coo. It’s awesome. You are actually cooing to me right now!
You notice your toys and begin to play with them.
You let me read to you. I love books and want you to love them too!
You are growing perfectly, the pediatrician even said so. Your clothes fit and are no longer baggy. Soon, you will fit in the cute camo pants!
Your poop is really starting to smell. Not sure if that is a ‘fun’ thing, but proves you are more and more grown up every day.
I love you kid, five am parties and all.
Your momma
Monday, July 28, 2008
Real Quick!
I just got back from the gym, am thirsty and extremely hungry, so I'll make this one short.
He really does smile!
Told ya so!
He really does smile!
Told ya so!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Dear kid:
Sawyer,
I haven't written about you since you were born and I'm so sorry. It's not that you are not important, it's just that you take up so much of my time. Grandma Linda came to visit last week and was able to hold you and let me and Daddy rest a bit. She left and sent us a package shortly after. You got some more clothes (You have so many clothes!) and she sent me pictures of Daddy when he was a baby along with a Journal/Diary documenting the day to day happenings of when your daddy was 16 months old. I take this from page one of that journal...
"Today you thought it would be a good idea to take a dirty paper cup from the trash basket in the bathroom and drink from the toilet. After each gulch you would say "aaaaah" as if it was good!!!"
I can't believe I kiss that guy!!! Anyway, what a fun thing for me to read as his wife, and what a great thing to pass down! In general it inspired me to start writing about you more often. All in all, I love writing and I love you, so why not smash the two together? Here goes…
I have catching up to do, but when I think about it, not that much catching up to do. No offense, but at seven weeks old, you are still kinda boring.
You came home from the hospital as one of the greatest breast feeders ever. I have never breastfed before, so I guess I can't make that comment official, but I hear the horror stories. You latch, you eat, you burp, and everyone comes out alive. What more can I ask for? I am notorious for hating dairy. The last thing I would want you on is some formula concoction, but you are a booby man and that makes things easier. You nap, but they started at tops two hours and we have topped out at one four hour nap a day now. The rest of the naps are much shorter. Waking up so often at night to feed you can leave me exhausted, but I know this time will pass and I will miss it. People still say how small you are, but you seem so big to me! You are great at holding your head up, but even better at holding your body weight up on your legs, or "standing" with our help. You LOVE to stand and stretch your legs. You LOVE to stretch your arms. You LOVE to stretch and it's the cutest thing. You stretch all the time and it's the best thing to watch.
We are still waiting for more smiles. I think I am getting little ones here and there. You smile after I wipe spit up off your face, you smile when I pretend to eat your hands, and you smile at the wall in the living room. Now that I actually wrote that, I'm realizing you are pretty weird! Daddy has yet to see a smile so he doesn't really believe me that you can do it. Smile for Daddy, it would make him sooo happy!
You cry a little less in general now, unless of course you are not held. You HAVE to be held. I can't get anything done! I have to let you cry just so I can get myself something to eat! If I happen to walk by, you stare at me with sad eyes and a pushed out bottom lip and it gets me every time. Mommy is already a sucker!
Besides that, I'll update you quickly on a few other cool things…
You had your first camping trip and did GREAT!!!
You go for a jog with me every morning, and fall asleep while I jog. It's really nice to be able to run again, so thanks for being so agreeable, and being able to nap in the jogger, what a relief!
You are freaken cute, and everyone says so. EVERYONE! We hope it's not the sympathy "cute" from them, but I think you're cute, and that saves us a trip to the fire station. Free baby any one? JK!!!
You go to Daddy's kickball games every week and have since you were a few days old. You get mad when I turn you away from the game, so I think you might actually like it!
That is all I have for you right now. You are still my baby and I actually really like that. I think you recognize me and love to be in my arms. I know soon you won't like that, so I'm cherishing the moments while I can… that is unless I'm trying to eat.
Oh and last but not least, I already downloaded applications to get into these private schools around here. They are intense!!! I have to tell them everything, dates of every milestone, even how my pregnancy and birth went. It makes me think if you don't hit certain milestones insanely early, you won't be accepted. It makes me wonder if getting an epidural is some sort of minus on your application. Just keep that in mind, momma wants you go to a good school. You know those weird things I do with my hands while I talk to you? That is sign language. We will start slow, but you have to get on the ball quickly because the applications are waiting. No pressure though.
I love you kid,
Mom
I haven't written about you since you were born and I'm so sorry. It's not that you are not important, it's just that you take up so much of my time. Grandma Linda came to visit last week and was able to hold you and let me and Daddy rest a bit. She left and sent us a package shortly after. You got some more clothes (You have so many clothes!) and she sent me pictures of Daddy when he was a baby along with a Journal/Diary documenting the day to day happenings of when your daddy was 16 months old. I take this from page one of that journal...
"Today you thought it would be a good idea to take a dirty paper cup from the trash basket in the bathroom and drink from the toilet. After each gulch you would say "aaaaah" as if it was good!!!"
I can't believe I kiss that guy!!! Anyway, what a fun thing for me to read as his wife, and what a great thing to pass down! In general it inspired me to start writing about you more often. All in all, I love writing and I love you, so why not smash the two together? Here goes…
I have catching up to do, but when I think about it, not that much catching up to do. No offense, but at seven weeks old, you are still kinda boring.
You came home from the hospital as one of the greatest breast feeders ever. I have never breastfed before, so I guess I can't make that comment official, but I hear the horror stories. You latch, you eat, you burp, and everyone comes out alive. What more can I ask for? I am notorious for hating dairy. The last thing I would want you on is some formula concoction, but you are a booby man and that makes things easier. You nap, but they started at tops two hours and we have topped out at one four hour nap a day now. The rest of the naps are much shorter. Waking up so often at night to feed you can leave me exhausted, but I know this time will pass and I will miss it. People still say how small you are, but you seem so big to me! You are great at holding your head up, but even better at holding your body weight up on your legs, or "standing" with our help. You LOVE to stand and stretch your legs. You LOVE to stretch your arms. You LOVE to stretch and it's the cutest thing. You stretch all the time and it's the best thing to watch.
We are still waiting for more smiles. I think I am getting little ones here and there. You smile after I wipe spit up off your face, you smile when I pretend to eat your hands, and you smile at the wall in the living room. Now that I actually wrote that, I'm realizing you are pretty weird! Daddy has yet to see a smile so he doesn't really believe me that you can do it. Smile for Daddy, it would make him sooo happy!
You cry a little less in general now, unless of course you are not held. You HAVE to be held. I can't get anything done! I have to let you cry just so I can get myself something to eat! If I happen to walk by, you stare at me with sad eyes and a pushed out bottom lip and it gets me every time. Mommy is already a sucker!
Besides that, I'll update you quickly on a few other cool things…
You had your first camping trip and did GREAT!!!
You go for a jog with me every morning, and fall asleep while I jog. It's really nice to be able to run again, so thanks for being so agreeable, and being able to nap in the jogger, what a relief!
You are freaken cute, and everyone says so. EVERYONE! We hope it's not the sympathy "cute" from them, but I think you're cute, and that saves us a trip to the fire station. Free baby any one? JK!!!
You go to Daddy's kickball games every week and have since you were a few days old. You get mad when I turn you away from the game, so I think you might actually like it!
That is all I have for you right now. You are still my baby and I actually really like that. I think you recognize me and love to be in my arms. I know soon you won't like that, so I'm cherishing the moments while I can… that is unless I'm trying to eat.
Oh and last but not least, I already downloaded applications to get into these private schools around here. They are intense!!! I have to tell them everything, dates of every milestone, even how my pregnancy and birth went. It makes me think if you don't hit certain milestones insanely early, you won't be accepted. It makes me wonder if getting an epidural is some sort of minus on your application. Just keep that in mind, momma wants you go to a good school. You know those weird things I do with my hands while I talk to you? That is sign language. We will start slow, but you have to get on the ball quickly because the applications are waiting. No pressure though.
I love you kid,
Mom
Sawyers Labor Day Story
Sawyers labor day story...
So, it went something like this…
I talked to Sawyer daily and told him I was ready to meet him. I thought he wasn't a good listener, but turns out he is. Saturday May 31, I woke up (Exciting already, huh?), probably peed 8 times, and had breakfast with Geoff. There was a baby expo in Denver, and I was surprised Geoff remembered me telling him about it and asked if I wanted to go, uhhh, ya! So, off we head to baby mania. There wasn't as much stuff as I expected there, but we walk out with a cool baby holder thing, and a swaddling baby burrito blanket thing. Sawyer was getting excited. He must like presents. The rest of that day I had contractions, but they didn't really hurt, and I figured it wasn't anything. Later we headed off to a Jeep shop, had lunch, had 'fun with Geoff' and went for a walk. I still had contractions, but they felt the same as the contractions I felt weeks before this, however, I decided to time them… secretly.
3 minutes apart.
I knew that Sawyer was going to be late, that is my luck, he seemed comfy, nothing before this was happening to really show that labor could be coming soon, but 3 minutes apart, hmmm. I wait a while figuring they would go away. A few hours later I am still feeling them, 3 minutes apart. I mention this to Geoff. He takes it a little more seriously and we make sure the bag is about ready, and it is. I figured it was nothing, and wait longer. Around 9pm, I end up calling labor and delivery. Every time contractions are around 5 minutes apart or less, they say labor can be around the corner and to call. These contractions didn't hurt that bad though, I wasn't crawling on the floor screaming, but maybe I have a high tolerance for pain, maybe this baby will fall out of me while napping and I won't even notice. I start to worry about my tolerance of pain and wonder how tough I am. They tell me that if I'm not in that much pain, try to sleep tonight and if they get more painful or closer together, give them a call.
I don't sleep, they get closer together, I call around 3 am, because I'm pretty sure this baby will just end up in my pants and I won't even notice. They tell me to come in and get checked out. I wake up Geoff, we get dressed, and grab our bag, it wasn't ready. We try to pack it, without over packing, but remembering the essentials like our DVD's. Where are the DVD's?!
We arrive at Labor and Delivery triage, and I tell the midwife that my contractions are less than three minutes apart. She hooks me up to all the machines, and tells me that my contractions are less than three minutes apart. Isn't that what I said? Anyway, I wasn't dilated anymore than I have been for the last two weeks, so she says we can wait two hours to see if I dilate or go home. I said go home. She gives me a sleeping pill so I can sleep.
I don't sleep, and now feel drugged. People from Boulder are in my livingroom helping me through my contractions. My contractions are starting to hurt, I'm breathing through them, they are around two minutes apart. Why was I talking to people from Boulder? No one from Boulder was here, my contractions are still about two minutes apart, and I feel drugged, I hate sleeping pills.
I tell Geoff the next morning that my contractions are closer together, that they hurt and that I don't want to call the hospital and cry wolf, so I ask him to. They say it doesn't hurt to go in. We wait, I hurt, we go in.
I'm admitted, yay!!! Contractions are less than 2 minutes apart, and they freaken hurt. I can't walk down the hallway, I can't do much. Every nurse that sees the monitor print out of my contractions seems surprised at how they are non-stop and I don't get any break. Tell me about it! They ask if I want to start my IV for the epidural, I say I want to wait it out a bit, she looks back at my contractions like, good luck!
I take a bath in their jet tubs. My contractions freaken hurt. I get out of the bath. My contractions freaken hurt. I lay down, I can't breath, I don't feel like talking and I want my epidural. Did I mention that the contractions hurt? The nurse sets me up for the IV and misses my vein twice. I ball. She asks someone else come in to do it, and informs me that the epidural man has two people in front of me. I want mine now! I wait about another hour. Geoff tries to take a picture of me. I am not one of those girls that look good during labor, it looks like I got hit by a truck and am now in labor. Geoff does take my picture. I want my epidural.
I get my epidural.
I love my epidural.
Sleepy…
I sleep.
The stupid Blood Pressure cuff keeps waking me up.
I manage more sleep.
I love my epidural, I want to take the epidurals home and have them for dinner after a bad day.
They keep checking me and things happen pretty slow until I hit 6 cm. I go from a six to a nine in two hours. Finally some progress. The nurse says she will be back in two hours and hopefully I will be a ten by then, but to let her know if I feel a lot of pressure.
Geoff is sad cause when he tickles my feet, I don't laugh. He doesn't want the epidural to take away my ticklishness forever.
I feel pressure. It's been about 45 minutes, and I think I feel pressure. Maybe we should get the nurse? Geoff gets the nurse.
She comes in, checks me and says we will do a practice push, and that with first time moms, pushing can take a few hours.
I do a practice push and the nurse and Geoff see the head.
She calls the doctor, and the doctor pages everyone from my room. Sawyers heart rate drops and they tell me to start pushing. I push and his head is out, two more times, and Sawyer was born! Everyone looks a little surprised that it took just three pushes, and I realize that they weren't officially ready. People rush out to grab stuff, like the scale and other thing they need. Hours of pushing, how about a few minutes?! Sawyer welcomes himself into the world by peeing on everyone. I love him even more.
Sawyer was born June 1st, at 11:23 pm. He weighed 5lbs 15 oz. Due to low birth weight and me spiking a slight temperature during delivery, we have to stay an extra day so he can go through extra testing. Everything turned out perfect except for a super mild case of Jaundice, turns out my boy is just an average height, skinny guy, a little yellow, but damn cute and I am sooo happy to have the most perfect family and am excited to eventually add more of these little things!
Oh, and he likes his baby burrito snuggle blanket thing!
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