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| Don't be fooled, he's not really sleeping! |
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| Somebody is excited that the Twins won the division! |
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Naps
I hate to admit this because Kade is "perfect" but he's been a fairly fussy baby. Usually in the evenings, starting around 5:00 (when Erik gets home) until about 10:00 when he finally falls asleep. Poor Erik, for awhile there he only held Kade when he was crying! It's starting to get better since we've passed the 6 week mark but we still have our days. Turns out I might have had a little something to do with it which makes me feel extremely guilty. Rookie mistake, I thought going for stroller rides would induce naps. So, I've been planning our walks with our neighbor, Sara Jo and Michael, around Kade's nap time. Whoops! Apparently stroller rides are for awake time and naps are for the crib.
So, I've been spending the last few days trying to correct my mistake to get this kid the proper naps he deserves! Today that means we might not make it out on our walk because Michael and Kade can't seem to synchronize their napping and eating times! Oh well, there's always tomorrow. And with better sleep comes more of these so I guess I can handle a missed walk:
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ugh. Beetle Juice.
Bad news first: I get a phone call yesterday from one of my BFF's (who also happens to be the mom of Paige and Carter, the cutie pie twins from Kade's post). She saw on TV that certain lots of the formula Kade and the twins are on had been recalled. So, she went online to see if we were going to be affected. We were. Turns out there was ground up beetles and their larvae in the powdered formula. We've been feeding Kade beetle juice! Sick!! I immediately called Erik so he could pick up some new formula on his way home from work and then went online to read about any symptoms we need to watch for. Turns out it isn't as bad as it sounds and Kade probably won't be affected at all. Intestinal discomfort and maybe decreased appetite. You'll see by the picture below that Kade isn't missing any meals :-)
Now for the good news: We received a letter from Lady A yesterday! She mentioned in her letter that she, and her whole family, read the blog! I was so happy to hear that! So, Hello! to Kade's birth family!! :-) You guys are the reason for this blog so now that I know you read it, I'll keep posting (with lots of pictures!). By the way, if you ever want to send a message, we created a separate email account for that purpose. erikandkristi@gmail.com
Couple more pictures of Kade's new favorite past time:
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| Those cheeks just keep getting bigger and now he's sporting Popeye forearms! Love it! |
Couple more pictures of Kade's new favorite past time:
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He's mesmerized by the scary cardinal |
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
September 21st
Today is our anniversary! Erik and I have been married for 8 years which sounds like a long time but we've been together for 16 years! That's over half of my life that I've been with Erik. That's crazy because I still feel like I'm 21 (I'm actually 31. Sigh.)
Our story is kind of a funny one, if you find "stalker" behavior funny. I started liking Erik when we were in 7th grade. I sat behind him in English, 1st period, and I find it hard to believe that I actually passed that class because I'm pretty sure all I did was daydream about being his girlfriend the whole hour. Everyone knew I was obsessed with Erik. Erik knew I was obsessed with him! I had my friends ask him out (do kids these days still use that phrase?) for me every day. Every day he said "no". We (I) would call him A LOT just to hear his voice but I'd hang up the minute anyone answered. Which means that I hung up A LOT on Melody, Jenna or Erin because very rarely did the guys answer the phone. They were always outside doing chores on the farm. One of my best friends, Kari, lived out in the country and we'd have to drive past the road Erik lived on to get to her house. Whenever we'd go out to Kari's house, we'd have whoever was driving us take a detour past his house and then I'd duck down just in case he was outside. I didn't want him to see me! My other best friend, Megan, was in 4-H and she just happened to be in the same 4-H club Erik was in! Every year, as a 4-H project their club would pick up ditches. I went and helped pick up garbage along side the roads because Erik was going to be there! I wasn't even in 4-H!! I know there are more embarrassing stories and any of my high school friends who read this blog could probably rattle off about 10 more stories. Megan, who was my maid-of-honor, based her wedding toast on my stalker behavior!
It wasn't until the beginning of our sophomore year that Erik finally realized what I catch I was, or else he finally succumbed to my persistence. Probably the latter. We officially sealed the deal before God, family and friends on September 21, 2002. Looking back on the last 8 years I realize how much closer we've become and how much stronger our relationship is. Infertility is a hard battle. I've been imagining our kids since 7th grade English class in 1991! Children is all we've ever wanted, it's hard when it doesn't come easy. I can't imagine dealing with infertility with anyone but Erik. He's the best husband (and friend) a girl could ask for! I've been blessed.
Luckily for me (and Erik) I don't have a scanner so I don't have any of our early years together on digital. Someday, maybe, I'll post a few. Let's just say I had some big hair and even bigger clothes!
Our story is kind of a funny one, if you find "stalker" behavior funny. I started liking Erik when we were in 7th grade. I sat behind him in English, 1st period, and I find it hard to believe that I actually passed that class because I'm pretty sure all I did was daydream about being his girlfriend the whole hour. Everyone knew I was obsessed with Erik. Erik knew I was obsessed with him! I had my friends ask him out (do kids these days still use that phrase?) for me every day. Every day he said "no". We (I) would call him A LOT just to hear his voice but I'd hang up the minute anyone answered. Which means that I hung up A LOT on Melody, Jenna or Erin because very rarely did the guys answer the phone. They were always outside doing chores on the farm. One of my best friends, Kari, lived out in the country and we'd have to drive past the road Erik lived on to get to her house. Whenever we'd go out to Kari's house, we'd have whoever was driving us take a detour past his house and then I'd duck down just in case he was outside. I didn't want him to see me! My other best friend, Megan, was in 4-H and she just happened to be in the same 4-H club Erik was in! Every year, as a 4-H project their club would pick up ditches. I went and helped pick up garbage along side the roads because Erik was going to be there! I wasn't even in 4-H!! I know there are more embarrassing stories and any of my high school friends who read this blog could probably rattle off about 10 more stories. Megan, who was my maid-of-honor, based her wedding toast on my stalker behavior!
It wasn't until the beginning of our sophomore year that Erik finally realized what I catch I was, or else he finally succumbed to my persistence. Probably the latter. We officially sealed the deal before God, family and friends on September 21, 2002. Looking back on the last 8 years I realize how much closer we've become and how much stronger our relationship is. Infertility is a hard battle. I've been imagining our kids since 7th grade English class in 1991! Children is all we've ever wanted, it's hard when it doesn't come easy. I can't imagine dealing with infertility with anyone but Erik. He's the best husband (and friend) a girl could ask for! I've been blessed.
Luckily for me (and Erik) I don't have a scanner so I don't have any of our early years together on digital. Someday, maybe, I'll post a few. Let's just say I had some big hair and even bigger clothes!
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1999 and Erik still wears that shirt! I wash it weekly!   |
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Kade's Favorite Aunts
When we first brought Kade home from the hospital we had lots of visitors. LOTS. However, nobody seemed to come visit between 9:00pm to 9:00am when we really could've used the company! That is until Erik's sisters came to visit.
Kade was born at 10:59pm on a Tuesday. We worked all day Tuesday, meaning we got up at 5:30am. We didn't sleep at all the night he was born so we were REALLY tired the next few days. We brought Kade home on Thursday, August 12th and Erik's birthday was Friday, August 13th so we had a little birthday/meet Kade party at our house. Sure enough, everyone was leaving around 9:00pm! Erik and I were joking with his family that nobody ever stays later than that. That's when Erin (the older of Erik's two younger sisters) spoke up and said "I'll stay". We kind of laughed and thought "Yeah right, that's too good to be true", when she said, "No, I'm serious. I'll be wide awake at 2:00am anyway." Erin works overnights so she really is wide awake at 2:00am. Erik and I looked at each other, smiled and said "Sounds good! Here's Kade, we're going to bed! Wake us up if you need anything!"
At midnight I heard the screaming so I figured I should get up and help her change his diaper and get a bottle ready. Imagine my surprise when I saw Erin AND Jenna (the younger of Erik's two sisters) tag teaming Kade on the changing table! Jenna, who had left before it was decided Erin was going to stay, came back IMMEDIATELY after hearing that. She wasn't about to let Erin get Kade all to herself. Erik and I were fast asleep when she came back so we had no idea she was here.
Of course, they had everything under control and didn't need my help. They were charting his bottles, diaper activity and taking turns holding him. They even had a late night snack of leftover birthday cake when Jenna was holding Kade. She wasn't going to put him down just so she could eat so Erin lovingly fed her little sister cake and then some water while making sure to not drop any crumbs on Kade. I would've loved to have joined them because I love spending time with them but at that point my pillow was the most important thing on my mind.
They even came back the next night and brought Jay (Jenna's husband) for extra support! We are forever grateful to them for giving us 2 nights of blissful sleep knowing that Kade was in good hands.
Here's some pictures of the very excited aunts!
Kade was born at 10:59pm on a Tuesday. We worked all day Tuesday, meaning we got up at 5:30am. We didn't sleep at all the night he was born so we were REALLY tired the next few days. We brought Kade home on Thursday, August 12th and Erik's birthday was Friday, August 13th so we had a little birthday/meet Kade party at our house. Sure enough, everyone was leaving around 9:00pm! Erik and I were joking with his family that nobody ever stays later than that. That's when Erin (the older of Erik's two younger sisters) spoke up and said "I'll stay". We kind of laughed and thought "Yeah right, that's too good to be true", when she said, "No, I'm serious. I'll be wide awake at 2:00am anyway." Erin works overnights so she really is wide awake at 2:00am. Erik and I looked at each other, smiled and said "Sounds good! Here's Kade, we're going to bed! Wake us up if you need anything!"
At midnight I heard the screaming so I figured I should get up and help her change his diaper and get a bottle ready. Imagine my surprise when I saw Erin AND Jenna (the younger of Erik's two sisters) tag teaming Kade on the changing table! Jenna, who had left before it was decided Erin was going to stay, came back IMMEDIATELY after hearing that. She wasn't about to let Erin get Kade all to herself. Erik and I were fast asleep when she came back so we had no idea she was here.
Of course, they had everything under control and didn't need my help. They were charting his bottles, diaper activity and taking turns holding him. They even had a late night snack of leftover birthday cake when Jenna was holding Kade. She wasn't going to put him down just so she could eat so Erin lovingly fed her little sister cake and then some water while making sure to not drop any crumbs on Kade. I would've loved to have joined them because I love spending time with them but at that point my pillow was the most important thing on my mind.
They even came back the next night and brought Jay (Jenna's husband) for extra support! We are forever grateful to them for giving us 2 nights of blissful sleep knowing that Kade was in good hands.
Here's some pictures of the very excited aunts!
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Aunt Erin holding Kade for the first time at the hospital  |
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Adoption Stories
I realize I talk about adoption a lot but that's Kade's story! And, since he doesn't do much besides eat, sleep and fill diapers there isn't a whole lot to report! His big milestone this week is that he's now following objects with his eyes, yeah, not all that exciting. Well, for Erik and I, we're super pumped about it but we're super pumped about everything.
Back when we started the adoption process we had to take some classes about it. Becky, our social worker, posed a lot of thought provoking questions and scenarios to get us ready for when we did bring a baby home. At the time, I didn't put a lot of thought into the questions because we knew it could be years before we were chosen. I figured I'd deal with issues when we actually had a baby in our arms. Big mistake.
One question I remember her posing was what would we say/do when complete strangers came up and asked us who the baby looks like/how does new mommy feel after labor/Wow, mommy looks great for just having a baby! Would we tell these strangers that he's adopted? Would we just smile, say thanks and move on knowing we'd never see these people again? I answered the question with a positive "YES!" we'll definitely tell strangers he's adopted! After all, adoption is a positive thing so we should be shouting it from the roof tops to help spread the word! We're proud to be adoptive parents so we want to show Kade a positive message by telling everyone his story! I'm sorry to report that I failed miserably on my very first outing with him. I was caught off guard! I wasn't prepared!
We were in the elevator, going up to visit my mom at work, so it was only a 30 second interaction (that's my excuse). Some ladies were in there with us and they were oohing and aahing over Kade. Then they turned to me and asked "How does new mommy feel? Are you all healed?" What did I do? I smiled and said "I'm doing great!" The elevator door opened, we stepped out and I was kicking myself. Granted, he was 4 weeks old, he's not going to remember. However, I should have told them. I should always tell people so it becomes habit because when Kade gets older he is going to remember and I want to set a good example. Also, it helps put a positive light on adoption. Those ladies may have known someone who could be considering adoption and they could think back to that super cute baby in the elevator and say "Yes! I saw an adopted baby and he was obviously very loved and his adoptive mom had a smile from ear to ear!" I promised myself that on our next outing I'd handle things differently. I did but only because I had to.
Kade and I were at the post office. I was getting a package ready to send to Lady A. Whenever we want to send her something we have to package it up, get the correct postage on it, bring it to Catholic Charities and then they put her address on it and mail it. So, I was at the post office and I'm embarrassed to admit this, but in my entire life I've never mailed a package. I'm a post office rookie. So, when it was my turn I brought everything up to the counter and asked the postman to weigh everything and stamp it. Postman: "Well, I can't stamp it if it doesn't have an address." Me: "I don't know the address. Just put the correct amount of postage on the box and then I'm having a friend address it." Postman: "Well, where is it going? You can't just stamp something without knowing where it's going." Me: "It's going somewhere local." Postman: "Well, what if you get the wrong address. You need extra postage to get the package returned to you. It'd be easier if you could get the address and then come back." Me: "If it doesn't get to where it's going, I won't get it back anyway." Postman: "Well, this looks like a very nice item, wouldn't you want it back? Why don't you find out the address and come back." Me: "Look, this baby is adopted. This is a gift for his birthmom. I don't know the address. I'll never know the address. I need it stamped so I can bring it to the adoption agency so they can mail it to her. If it doesn't get to her then it just gets lost or goes back to the agency. Please. Just. Stamp. It." Postman: blank stare, uncomfortable silence, quick glance at Kade, "Okay". I turn around, everyone in line is staring at us. I smile at everyone and walk out.
Capping off this post with more pictures!
Back when we started the adoption process we had to take some classes about it. Becky, our social worker, posed a lot of thought provoking questions and scenarios to get us ready for when we did bring a baby home. At the time, I didn't put a lot of thought into the questions because we knew it could be years before we were chosen. I figured I'd deal with issues when we actually had a baby in our arms. Big mistake.
One question I remember her posing was what would we say/do when complete strangers came up and asked us who the baby looks like/how does new mommy feel after labor/Wow, mommy looks great for just having a baby! Would we tell these strangers that he's adopted? Would we just smile, say thanks and move on knowing we'd never see these people again? I answered the question with a positive "YES!" we'll definitely tell strangers he's adopted! After all, adoption is a positive thing so we should be shouting it from the roof tops to help spread the word! We're proud to be adoptive parents so we want to show Kade a positive message by telling everyone his story! I'm sorry to report that I failed miserably on my very first outing with him. I was caught off guard! I wasn't prepared!
We were in the elevator, going up to visit my mom at work, so it was only a 30 second interaction (that's my excuse). Some ladies were in there with us and they were oohing and aahing over Kade. Then they turned to me and asked "How does new mommy feel? Are you all healed?" What did I do? I smiled and said "I'm doing great!" The elevator door opened, we stepped out and I was kicking myself. Granted, he was 4 weeks old, he's not going to remember. However, I should have told them. I should always tell people so it becomes habit because when Kade gets older he is going to remember and I want to set a good example. Also, it helps put a positive light on adoption. Those ladies may have known someone who could be considering adoption and they could think back to that super cute baby in the elevator and say "Yes! I saw an adopted baby and he was obviously very loved and his adoptive mom had a smile from ear to ear!" I promised myself that on our next outing I'd handle things differently. I did but only because I had to.
Kade and I were at the post office. I was getting a package ready to send to Lady A. Whenever we want to send her something we have to package it up, get the correct postage on it, bring it to Catholic Charities and then they put her address on it and mail it. So, I was at the post office and I'm embarrassed to admit this, but in my entire life I've never mailed a package. I'm a post office rookie. So, when it was my turn I brought everything up to the counter and asked the postman to weigh everything and stamp it. Postman: "Well, I can't stamp it if it doesn't have an address." Me: "I don't know the address. Just put the correct amount of postage on the box and then I'm having a friend address it." Postman: "Well, where is it going? You can't just stamp something without knowing where it's going." Me: "It's going somewhere local." Postman: "Well, what if you get the wrong address. You need extra postage to get the package returned to you. It'd be easier if you could get the address and then come back." Me: "If it doesn't get to where it's going, I won't get it back anyway." Postman: "Well, this looks like a very nice item, wouldn't you want it back? Why don't you find out the address and come back." Me: "Look, this baby is adopted. This is a gift for his birthmom. I don't know the address. I'll never know the address. I need it stamped so I can bring it to the adoption agency so they can mail it to her. If it doesn't get to her then it just gets lost or goes back to the agency. Please. Just. Stamp. It." Postman: blank stare, uncomfortable silence, quick glance at Kade, "Okay". I turn around, everyone in line is staring at us. I smile at everyone and walk out.
Capping off this post with more pictures!
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| Michael and Kade, lounging in their Boppy's, watching the Vikings lose the season opener |
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| Track Star! Those shoes make Kade run really fast! |
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Kade's BFF's (in his words)
I would like to take the opportunity to use this post to introduce you to all of my friends! First, we have Michael. He's my neighbor and he's only 2 months older than me! We go for walks in our matching strollers whenever it's nice out. Our mom's push us and chat non-stop about all things baby. Apparently Michael and I are pretty interesting! Our dad's stay behind and discuss lawn care. They've been hard at work grooming our backyards into a football/baseball/soccer/kickball field.
Next, we have the twins! Paige and Carter, they are 6 months old and are teaching me all sorts of cool stuff like rolling over and army crawling. We're even related! Our dad's are first cousins and best friends, so I'm not sure what that makes us but I just call them my cousins. Carter and I are going to be busy following Paige's orders because she's definitely in command of the Three Amigos!
Here's another picture of the twins with their big brother, Reed (5). He told me he's going to teach me everything he knows about dinosaurs! He even bought me a toy T-Rex, which is what he's posing like in this picture. He's so funny!!
Here's a picture of some super cute girls. Addy, on the right, lives in Seattle so I won't get to see her very often. But my aunt Jenna and uncle Jay just moved out there so I'm going to look Addy up whenever we visit them! I hope she remembers me! Ellie, on the left, is the first girl to ever kiss me! I'm going to see her a lot because her grandma and grandpa have a pool and they live just down the road! Ellie has a big brother named Owen (who mom didn't get a picture of) and he said he's going to teach me how to go down the water slide and make a big splash when I'm big enough.
Finally, this is Olivia. She's only a couple of weeks older than me. Actually, I was born on her due date! Our parents waited a long time for us so it's pretty exciting to them that we came around the same time. Olivia is Owen and Ellie's cousin so I'll be seeing her at the pool a lot too!
I have lots of other friends too but my mom forgot to take their picture when they came to visit me. Their names are Jaxon, Spencer, Logan, Bode, Braeden and Mikey. It's going to be so fun playing with all of them!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Lady A
When we first started the adoption process we weren't sure what to expect. We knew it could be awhile before we brought a baby home--it was, over 2 years, which I guess is a short/average time compared to most domestic adoptions. We knew it would be stressful--I'm not sure non-adoptive families can fully grasp how stressful it is. We also knew it would be well worth the wait!! What I didn't expect was the love and compassion I would feel towards our birthmom. I knew I would be forever thankful and grateful for the choice a birthmom made but that was before I met OUR birthmom.
Lady A (which, by the way, is a nod towards one of my favorite groups, Lady Antebellum) is so fantastically great! As I noted in a previous post, we were chosen before so I do have a little something to compare her to. I know that I would not be singing these praises about our first birthmom, even if she had gone through with it. Everything about Lady A felt right and good. She seemed so excited and genuinely happy about choosing adoption for Kade. When we told her he'd be the first grandchild on both sides of the family she got a big smile on her face. Our meeting with her was fun, relaxed and even humorous at times! I always pictured "the meeting" to be somber, maybe even some tears, but that was definitely not the case. It was so relieving to see our birthmom nearly as excited as we were! We were even told by the hospital social worker that if she could describe a "perfect birthmom", Lady A would be it. Talk about putting an adoptive couple's mind at ease! She's the reason I started this blog. It's just a small way to show my appreciation. I don't even know if she reads this but I'm just going to assume she does and so I'll keep on posting pictures and updates of Kade so she can see him grow.
What is even more great about our adoption story is the similarities we share with Lady A. She grew up in a town of 900 people, we grew up in a town of 1,100. She played all the sports small towns have to offer, we played almost all of the sports (I gave up softball in 4th grade when I got hit in the head by a bad throw during summer rec and gave up track in 7th grade when I realized I'd never be able to drop the plow that was causing me to get last place in every race). She grew up on a dairy farm, Erik grew up on a dairy farm. Actually, Erik still gets tractor withdrawal every spring and fall and we still have to make a swing through the 4-H dairy cow barn at the fair every year.
I genuinely like Lady A, I actually think we would've been great friends had we been in the same class. I want to see her again and I hope we do. I just didn't expect to feel that way about the birthmom. I expected that I would want our child to know about his/her birth family and maybe even meet them once or twice but that was as far as I would want the relationship to go. That's completely the opposite of how I feel now. I want them at milestones in Kade's life. I want Kade to really know his birth family. I know that's a lot to ask and I realize that probably won't happen but that's my dream. I'm so proud of his adoption story and I'm so happy that Lady A and her family love Kade as much as we do. I feel so blessed that Kade has such a wonderful birthmom and family. I've heard horror stories, lived through one myself, so I was expecting the worst but what we got was the best.
Lady A (which, by the way, is a nod towards one of my favorite groups, Lady Antebellum) is so fantastically great! As I noted in a previous post, we were chosen before so I do have a little something to compare her to. I know that I would not be singing these praises about our first birthmom, even if she had gone through with it. Everything about Lady A felt right and good. She seemed so excited and genuinely happy about choosing adoption for Kade. When we told her he'd be the first grandchild on both sides of the family she got a big smile on her face. Our meeting with her was fun, relaxed and even humorous at times! I always pictured "the meeting" to be somber, maybe even some tears, but that was definitely not the case. It was so relieving to see our birthmom nearly as excited as we were! We were even told by the hospital social worker that if she could describe a "perfect birthmom", Lady A would be it. Talk about putting an adoptive couple's mind at ease! She's the reason I started this blog. It's just a small way to show my appreciation. I don't even know if she reads this but I'm just going to assume she does and so I'll keep on posting pictures and updates of Kade so she can see him grow.
What is even more great about our adoption story is the similarities we share with Lady A. She grew up in a town of 900 people, we grew up in a town of 1,100. She played all the sports small towns have to offer, we played almost all of the sports (I gave up softball in 4th grade when I got hit in the head by a bad throw during summer rec and gave up track in 7th grade when I realized I'd never be able to drop the plow that was causing me to get last place in every race). She grew up on a dairy farm, Erik grew up on a dairy farm. Actually, Erik still gets tractor withdrawal every spring and fall and we still have to make a swing through the 4-H dairy cow barn at the fair every year.
I genuinely like Lady A, I actually think we would've been great friends had we been in the same class. I want to see her again and I hope we do. I just didn't expect to feel that way about the birthmom. I expected that I would want our child to know about his/her birth family and maybe even meet them once or twice but that was as far as I would want the relationship to go. That's completely the opposite of how I feel now. I want them at milestones in Kade's life. I want Kade to really know his birth family. I know that's a lot to ask and I realize that probably won't happen but that's my dream. I'm so proud of his adoption story and I'm so happy that Lady A and her family love Kade as much as we do. I feel so blessed that Kade has such a wonderful birthmom and family. I've heard horror stories, lived through one myself, so I was expecting the worst but what we got was the best.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A Story About Pooping
Disclaimer: This really is a story about pooping so if this topic isn't your thing, please do not read any further.
People that know me know that I'm a bit Type A. I LOVE making lists and crossing off accomplishments. I like things clean, neat, orderly and I like for my loved ones to be regular in their "movements". It means they are healthy and things are working properly and that gives me peace of mind. We have a dog, Molly, if you can really call her a dog. She's a 7 pound Yorkshire Terrier and looks more like a teddy bear if you ask me. Anyway, before Kade came along she was THE baby (now she's my furry baby). I made sure each and every day that she pooped twice and if I was present during the act I made sure they were normal. One time she had a lot of blood in her stool so I promptly got a plastic bag and scooped it up in case we needed to make a trip to the vet. For her next movement I wasn't going to be around so I made Erik in charge of examining it. He even went so far as to take a picture of it on his cell phone and send it to me. We still have the picture, I'll spare you the visual but let's just say there was no need for a vet call and I was much relieved.
You can imagine my delight when Kade was off the charts in his pooping the first week of life. Doctors, nurses, other mothers were extremely impressed with the number of movements this kid was having. I was quite proud! Until, one day, he didn't poop. He's only 3 weeks old, according to all of the literature he's supposed to be having 1-3 a day for the first 3 weeks of life. I was freaking out. I was ready to call the doctor but Erik talked me out of it. The next day--success. Then he went 2 days without pooping. I called the nurse, she went through a series of questions with me and he passed all of those so she said to wait until it's been 72 hours. If he hasn't had a movement in 72 hours we were going to have to bring him in. This was at 9:00am, at 2:00pm it was going to be 72 hours so I decided to take matters into my own hands. My mom had told me that sometimes when you take a rectal temperature it gets things moving. So, at 11:00am I had the thermometer out, a bit of lubrication for a more comfortable insertion and a naked baby laying face down on the floor. I was literally inches from his behind when...VOILA!...POOP! It was almost like Kade was saying "Okay, okay, I'll poop, I'll poop! Just get that thing away from me!" It just kept coming and coming and Erik asked me if I was going to move him or just let him poop on the towel he was laying on. Let me tell you, I was so excited that he was pooping that I wasn't dare going to move him for fear that it would stop the process. Immediately afterwards we were having our first unscheduled bath.
I'll cap things off with a picture of my two favorite poopers. This is the closest Molly has ever come to Kade. She's even letting him touch her!! Maybe they'll be friends afterall...
People that know me know that I'm a bit Type A. I LOVE making lists and crossing off accomplishments. I like things clean, neat, orderly and I like for my loved ones to be regular in their "movements". It means they are healthy and things are working properly and that gives me peace of mind. We have a dog, Molly, if you can really call her a dog. She's a 7 pound Yorkshire Terrier and looks more like a teddy bear if you ask me. Anyway, before Kade came along she was THE baby (now she's my furry baby). I made sure each and every day that she pooped twice and if I was present during the act I made sure they were normal. One time she had a lot of blood in her stool so I promptly got a plastic bag and scooped it up in case we needed to make a trip to the vet. For her next movement I wasn't going to be around so I made Erik in charge of examining it. He even went so far as to take a picture of it on his cell phone and send it to me. We still have the picture, I'll spare you the visual but let's just say there was no need for a vet call and I was much relieved.
You can imagine my delight when Kade was off the charts in his pooping the first week of life. Doctors, nurses, other mothers were extremely impressed with the number of movements this kid was having. I was quite proud! Until, one day, he didn't poop. He's only 3 weeks old, according to all of the literature he's supposed to be having 1-3 a day for the first 3 weeks of life. I was freaking out. I was ready to call the doctor but Erik talked me out of it. The next day--success. Then he went 2 days without pooping. I called the nurse, she went through a series of questions with me and he passed all of those so she said to wait until it's been 72 hours. If he hasn't had a movement in 72 hours we were going to have to bring him in. This was at 9:00am, at 2:00pm it was going to be 72 hours so I decided to take matters into my own hands. My mom had told me that sometimes when you take a rectal temperature it gets things moving. So, at 11:00am I had the thermometer out, a bit of lubrication for a more comfortable insertion and a naked baby laying face down on the floor. I was literally inches from his behind when...VOILA!...POOP! It was almost like Kade was saying "Okay, okay, I'll poop, I'll poop! Just get that thing away from me!" It just kept coming and coming and Erik asked me if I was going to move him or just let him poop on the towel he was laying on. Let me tell you, I was so excited that he was pooping that I wasn't dare going to move him for fear that it would stop the process. Immediately afterwards we were having our first unscheduled bath.
I'll cap things off with a picture of my two favorite poopers. This is the closest Molly has ever come to Kade. She's even letting him touch her!! Maybe they'll be friends afterall...
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