12 Weeks! William Facts!

 

I am totally aware that most babies probably do the following things at the exact same time as William, BUT, I just want to give an update about what we have been up to! Today William reached 12 weeks. This little guy is so fun to have around. He loves to smile, talk and sing. He always has something to babble about and lets you have it when you aren't paying enough attention to him. 

He comes with me to work everyday (about 4 hours) and sometimes is nice enough to sleep the majority of the time. Those days are GREAT! Other days he needs to be held and cuddled. Good thing I have a sling that I stick him. Hopefully he gains something from going to work everyday, like how to design, or about cows, or how not to double task with a screaming child.

He loves to snuggle and be held close. William is bottle fed and lets you know when he is hungry, he moves into position and starts sucking your arm. Apparently that is where he thinks his food comes from. He is drinking about 4-6 oz. every three hours. We give a little milk cocktail of half reflux/costco formula. He seems to be doing great and is getting plump.

William has started to sleep through the night now. This past week he has gone to bed around 8:30 and wakes up at 4:30-5. Let me tell you, BLESSING FROM ABOVE!!! We moved him into his nursery and I think that has made all the difference. He sleeps snug as a bug in his crib and has a cute little snore every-so-often. He likes his binky in at night to help him sleep. That can be a curse as it wakes him up if it falls out too soon.

NOW  FOR WILLIAM'S TRICKS!!

William can bring his fingers together and look at them.

He can move them to his mouth and suck on them.

He can bring toys to his mouth to suck on them. Pictured is his favorite toy alligator that Grandma Miles made for him. He loves to cuddle with it. He also lets me know when it has fallen off his lap. We also use the Alligator to sing him his favorite play song, "Three little monkeys swinging in a tree, teasing Mr. Alligator, "Can't catch me"."

 William will look at Mom and Dad when they talk to him. He loves when Dad comes home from work and gets excited. Sometimes he tells Dad off for being away so long.

William also loves to blow bubbles. We have him wear mittens for the dual use of wiping his face and avoiding scratches. Babies have such sharp nails!

William weighs 13 lbs. 5 oz. and is 24 inches long. We feel so blessed to have this little guy in our home. He is so fun to be with and we can tell he has such a happy personality!

Delivery

I really enjoy reading delivery stories so I thought I would share my own.

William was due the 27th of January. The day came and went, and then a few more days came and went...and I thought it was getting ridiculous that he hadn't arrived. No contractions, no broken water, maybe a mucous plug. My doctor told me she rarely lets her mothers go over 41 weeks and said she would induce me on the 31st.

So the morning of the 31st I walked into our little 20 bed hospital in Jerome and signed in. I hardly slept the night before because I was so excited/nervous. I was feeling at ease that everything would go normal, but had no idea what to expect.

I told the nurse, a woman in my ward a church, all of my birth plans. It was going to be all natural. These were the most important things:

• No epidural
• No pitocin
• No pain meds
• Baby remains with me the whole time

The doctor came in around 8:30 and broke my water. It was the most awkward feeling of my life sitting in the hospital bed and feeling like I was wetting myself. My Mom and Bryce sat there watching me, waiting for things to happen. I finally told them to find something else to do because it was just too embarrassing. I also had requested that they turn away whenever the nurse did an exam...which is funny because at the end I could care less.

Around 2:00 things started to pick up and I started to have painful contractions...Right away I told the nurse to call the anesthesiologist. Epidural...PLEASE!!! I realized very quickly that I could be here all night with that amount of pain, and I wasn't going to have it. I kicked Bryce and my Mom out of the room while they prepped and placed the epidural. Once everything was situated and only working on half of my body. (BOO) My entourage returned. The doctor then called and told me since I had the epidural I might as well get some pitocin to help things move along faster. By this point I had backed out of my entire birth plan but honestly didn't care.

The next few hours were a blur of just waiting around until 6:00. I started to move into transition and remained dilated at a 9 for four hours. The pain on the right side of my body (where the epidural didn't work) was throbbing. Every time I had a contraction my sciatic nerve would be pinched. I sat there moaning as my Mom and Bryce tried to comfort me, tell me to breathe, and press on my back. I demanded ice chips be shoveled in my mouth. I told my Mom after that had it not been childbirth and I was in that much pain I would have killed myself to end the pain. I literally sat there in the bed contemplating death. I cried. I begged for someone to remove the baby by hand. I cried some more. I complained I couldn't take it anymore. 

What else was uncomfortable was I had my least favorite Paul Simon song stuck in my head. FOR HOURS!! Over and over again...War Time Prayers. Seriously nothing better than feeling like death and having a dumb song in your head.

There were also precious moments in the midst of everything. It was a very spiritual experience knowing that a little soul was about to enter this world and I was going to be his Mom. I was so excited for him to come and so nervous that everything would turn out ok.

At about 10:00 the nurses called the Doctor and said it was time to push. They rolled me over on my back and Bryce took one leg and my Mom took the other. It was as if there was no pain at all. My doctor was impressed with my pushing skills, saying she rarely sees a woman who has an epidural push that well. We joked for the whole hour I pushed and finally I worked the baby out. William was born at 10:49. It all happened so fast.

They placed him immediately in my arms. Bryce quickly said he looked like Predator, and I was just overwhelmed by the experience. I laid there holding him trying to calm him down after what must have been just as traumatic experience as I had. It was such a blur of them cleaning me up and taking pictures.

That night Bryce and my Mom went home to sleep and left me alone at the hospital. I was honestly a little peeved that Bryce left, but that quickly turned around as I had one of the most spiritual experiences. We laid there in the hospital room, little baby William in my arms and I smelled him and kissed him and knew he was a gift from God.

It was also amazing to know that my Mom was there to help me. I had reservations about anyone but Bryce being there but I felt so relieved to know my Mom was at my side encouraging me and supporting me. I am sure she enjoyed witnessing his entry into this world.