Baby Friends

Yesterday we had a surprise visit from my from friend Brianne, her new baby Kadence and her mom Kathy! They were on their way to Des Moines and decided to drop in on us so we could meet each other's babies!

It was so nice to see them-Brianne is a great mother and her little girl is so, so sweet. She was quite the snuggler during her visit, unlike Michael who was a total fuss bucket. As a result, I have no pictures from the visit! We'll have to wait until next time, if I ever make it home for a visit.

Brianne and I have known each other our whole lives and have been very good friends since junior high. It is funny how things have turned out! :o) Kadence and Michael's due dates were originally just a few days apart, but Kadence was born a few weeks earlier. It was still fun to see how different they are, even though they are so close in age.

Michael has been going through a little phase-he doesn't want to sleep and is fussy during the day...BUT last night he slept for 3 big 3 hour chunks of time and all of those were in his bed-yay! So I guess for every cloud, there is a silver lining.

Is that really how you use that phrase?

Sleepy pictures fail

I am in awe of people who can get great sleepy baby posed photos...I totally failed when I attempted it today!



It is harder than it looks!

3 is the magic number

Happy 3 week birthday, Michael!

Today is was a beautiful fall day and we actually made it out of the house for a long walk at Jester Park. It was the perfect temperature and no one was around! Not many days are this perfect!

Michael was a very good baby the whole walk and didn't make a peep! He was a good boy!

Don't you love his new blue jacket my sister in law Jen's mother (follow that?) sent us? It makes his blue eyes look so pretty! It has been so fun getting little boy clothes as gifts because all of the stuff I had on hand was very gender neutral.

Other milestones this week:

-has started crying real tears although I really hate to see them! :o(

-has taken two bottles from grandma while I ran errands

-took first bath in the baby bathtub! And loved it! (except when it was time to get out and then he was mad!)

-stayed home with dad for an hour while I went to small group and slept the entire time in his swing

-enjoys listening to his baby lullabies CD while getting a diaper change and nursing in the rocking chair

Monday Vacation

Look at that happy baby! :o)

Mom was here today and yesterday to visit and help out. It is so nice having her here watch M...I actually got out of the house two days in a row!

Yesterday Scott and I got our H1N1 vaccinations. We had to wait for three hours at the state fairgrounds-ouch! It was brutal. We went right at noon when the clinic started although on the news they said some people were waiting in line since 6 a.m.! No thanks, that is crazy people!

Today Mom took M while I went out for a Target and HyVee Excursion. It felt like some sort of tropical vacation...it was glorious!

M is for Male Model

One of Scott's customers came over last week to take some photos of M. She is starting her own photography business and wanted to photograph a newborn. She got some great shots for it being a semi-stressful photo shoot. M was awake for the almost 3 1/2 hour shoot! Can you believe it? I feel bad because I know she really wanted some sleepy baby photos, but some things are out of my control.

I'm so, so glad we got these photos taken-he is already growing and changing and it hasn't even been 3 weeks! I feel like the newborn window is so small and should be captured asap!

At any rate, I think M has the potential to be a future male model...he is just too cute, if I do say so in my perfectly unbiased opinion!

Here is the link for a few more teasers to check out!

Houston, We Have Flooring

We have tile in one of our bathrooms down in the basement!

I have a feeling it is going to be finished before we know it-yay!

Our tile guy recommended this great tile to us-it is a natural stone and looks like a beautiful granite countertop. We thought it was maybe a bit busy for the main living area, but it works really well in this little bathroom off the guest bedroom.

They needed one more tile to finish the job-reminds me of the episode of Flipping Out where Jeff flips out (ha ha) about needing to order two more pieces of tile to finish a shower project. That show is my reality!

Also, interesting fact about this bathroom: the whole room is off about an inch...the room is not a perfect square. So if you look carefully, some of the tiles are curious looking trapezoids (is this the correct geometric term?)

Anyway...I think this bathroom has really accidentally come together well!

We also had our electrician come over about a week after M was born to finish up the lights in the basement. I think it turned out pretty great!

He put in these very cool pendants over our island and also added some mini cans to add some more lights in the kitchenette area. I heart mini cans...I wish I had discovered them sooner! We also got all the vanity lights in the bathrooms, although they are hard to take a picture of!

The Joke's on Me!

Yes, this is another sleep post. Can you tell what my biggest concerns and interests are these days?

I always thought moms were a little crazy when they analyzed and worried over their baby's sleep patterns and now...it's happened to me!



So, yesterday we had a great sleep day and also a very good sleep night. If I dare say it, probably the best sleep night yet. (watch me just jinx myself!). The funny part....I didn't sleep hardly at all!

Yesterday Scott came home early from work and I had a chance to run to the post office to mail a package and some thank you notes. I was so giddy with excitement that I was actually out of the house (and wearing capris and flip flops on a 40 degree day...I had no idea!) that I decided to take a detour to Casey's before I went home to get a big fountain pop....one of my major vices that I have given up for the past nine months.

Well, lets just say my tolerance to caffeine is not what it once was back in the old days and I was up until 2 a.m. watching reruns of the Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Doors movie on HBO while my baby sleep peacefully in his bed.

What a cruel, cruel world it is!

Honey...where's the baby?

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Too cute! :o)

Sleep!

Michael has been falling into a funny pattern lately when it comes to sleeping...he only wants to sleep when he is being held! I slept the past two nights in the chair holding him and nursing him back to sleep when he woke up.

Today we are having a better go of things; I've been trying to hold him on his back and then I gradually transition him to his bed and if he fusses I will hold my hands on him or pat him gently. So far, he has slept for two two hour stretches today in his bed!

I was so excited I did two loads of laundry and emptied the dishwasher! :o) We are on a roll!

YES!

Finally, I have finished all my thank you notes for gifts Michael has received in just his first two weeks of life. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many thoughtful people that are excited about Michael being here. So...thank you! (now stop sending gifts...I mean it!)

My Aunts Gwen and Mary stopped out today to visit Michael. It was nice to see them and have some contact with the outside world!

Two Week Check up

Yesterday Michael and I went out for his second outing ever for his two week check up. We stopped by Scott's office first and Michael met everyone there for the first time. Glen said it made him want to have another baby, and Joe and Larry said it felt like a hundred years since their kids were that little. It was pretty sweet! Joe and Glo also gave us two Aden and Anais muslin swaddling blankets which is a nice gift because it seems like that is the only thing that calms the little guy down right now. I think he is going through a little growth spurt because he will eat, then he will be hungry again, then he will get really fussy, and the only way I can calm him down is if I put him in his "baby straight jacket"-aka, a really tight swaddle. Then he calms down and sleeps until it starts all over again. I have no idea!!



Here we are all ready to go!



At the doctor's office. We had to dress and undress him two times, which is usually Michael's least favorite activity. Luckily, he was a very good baby and didn't fuss at all!

Here are the two week stats:

Weight: 9 lbs 8 oz
Length: 21.8 "
Head: 14.5"

I am so happy he has gained back his birth weight plus some. He seems to be breastfeeding well and always has lots of dirty and wet diapers.

We also had a nice chat with Dr. Ruisch about vaccinations and the flu. She encouraged me to get the H1N1 shot as soon as I can, so I have been stalking the public health website to see when they get more in. I also am looking for the seasonal flu shot too, and I think I can get it at HyVee. Mom and Denise are coming next week for two days so I hope I can slip out of the house then and get that taken care of while they watch Michael. Dr. Ruisch also assured us that she does not think vaccinations cause autism and encouraged us to watch for all the developmental milestones Michael has-as this is the best indicator of an underlying problem.

I was so excited to be out of the house, we took a little detour to Jester Park to check out the fall foliage. I had no idea the trees had already started to turn! (I guess this what happens when you are under house arrest for 2 weeks)

The trees were beautiful!

Weekend Recap

We had a great weekend!

Saturday was ISU's homecoming game vs. Baylor and we won!! Yeah! We are now 4-3 and every week shows improvement. It is so nice to watch a team you love get better and succeed instead of just struggling each week and getting worse! Go Cyclones!

On a sad note, I am pretty sure this is the first game I have missed since I started college in 2001. And to top it all off, my husband told me that this week's halftime show was the best he has ever seen....and I missed it!!

Before the game we had some friends stop by to meet Michael for the first time. It was nice of them to stop by!



Jeynae and Steve came from Madison (and ironically, we were watching Iowa vs Wisconsin in Madison). They are expecting in March and I bet it will be here before they (and I) know it!

Craig came by also-isn't this a great picture of him? Maybe I should crop the screaming baby out of it? (just kidding)

Kelly came with Craig to meet Michael for the first time. She's a natural!

After everyone left, Michael and I listened to the game on the radio. Michael was excited to wear his first ever Cyclone outfit! I picked these up when I first found out I was pregnant and I am lucky they fit him!

Yesterday we had a lazy day at home, but Scott convinced me to get out of the house for a bit and head to Target and Quiznos. I was pretty nervous, but the trip went without a hitch. Michael slept the whole time, I used a ton of hand sanitizer, and we didn't see any gross sick people. Also, thanks to Jeynae for the great blanket that matches his carseat! I never thought about it before, but all my other blankets look pretty gross with the carseat!

Sleeping baby

There is nothing better than a sleeping baby...you can never get tired of watching them dream and make little noises in their sleep!

Everyone always says "Sleep when the baby sleeps" and it is so hard because they are SO precious when they are sleep!

Here is Michael in his newborn napper part of his pack and play-he really likes it and looks so cute snuggled in there!

(Michael is 6 days old in this picture)

We've been swaddling Michael up when he sleeps at night or when he needs calmed down. I got some great stretchy knit blankets from target, but now they are almost too small to use on him!

He looks so cute all wrapped up like a little peanut!

(Michael is 6 days old in this picture)

My mom brought over some great blankets she got online that I have been using now that he is getting a little bigger. She got them from swaddledesigns.com. They are great!


And if you forget how to do a swaddle...the instructions are printed right on the tag of the blanket! Great idea!

Now...off to a nap! Sleep when the baby sleeps, remember?

Happy Birthday Scott!

Today is Scott's 30th birthday!

Wow...time has flown!

I thought I would have plenty of time to get ready for his birthday, get him a gift maybe do a party, etc, but our life has been turned upside down ever since Oct. 2nd! I have never had two weeks go by so fast in my life.

So, no present or even card for Scott. I did call and have some cupcakes and balloons delivered to his office from HyVee which I think he liked. Mom picked up a cake and some steaks and we had a nice evening at home enjoying dinner and wine while Michael slept. It was our first night home alone since Mom left earlier that day, so that was nice! We'll have to save the real partying for a later date, but for now this will have to do! :o)

Brothers

I couldn't resist posting these pictures of Michael and Scampy-they are too cute!



Scampy has been very good about Michael since we've brought him home. He actually seems more relaxed and calm now! He occasionally will want to hop on my lap while Michael is on it, but that is about it.

I hope Scampy isn't feeling too left out, because I am sure someday they will become great friends. :o)

Birth Story

Gosh, time sure flies when you have a newborn!

Props to all the mom bloggers out there-I am not quite sure how you do it!!

On Monday, October 5th I went in to the OB for a followup after the exciting visit to Triage the previous Friday. My blood pressure wasn't better and baby was looking big, so they scheduled me for an induction at 8pm that evening. Wow-that is certainly a weird feeling, knowing that you only have a potential 6 hours or so left of going to the hospital to meet your new baby! It was very weird and exciting at the same time. I was excited to meet our new baby, yet scared what was to come!

So I went to HyVee and bought food for our last meal, since I knew it was going to be a while since I got to eat again!

At 8pm we headed to the hospital and they started me on a medication to help ripen my cervix. They started it at 10 pm after being admitted, monitored and all that jazz and then they would do it again at 2 am. Scott and I watched the big Vikings vs Packers game while we waited at the hospital-Vikings win! :o)

The nurse gave me some ambien to sleep and I had a great night until they woke me up at 4 am to start the Pitocin drip to get the contractions going. It started out fine, I could handle the contractions until about 10 a.m. The nurse asked me if I wanted anything for pain and I kept saying I wanted to wait, but eventually she gave me an analgesic in my IV which was totally weird. It made me feel all loopy and sleepy, but I wasn't really sleeping and I was still feeling the pain. About an hour later we called for the epidural and it went in without a problem. It was nice to have the pain relief, but it was not nice to feel like you are paralyzed from the chest down! My legs felt so heavy and I could barely move. So I labored for about 6 more hours, and every time the nurse or OB checked me I still hadn't made any progress. I think the whole time I was in labor I never made it past 2 cm dilated. At the end the contractions got really bad and I was very uncomfortable even with the epidural. The pitocin was cranked up as high as it could go and they were just coming one after another and there wasn't really anything I could do about it!

So at 6 pm the doctor came in and said we were going to do a C-section. She said I wasn't progressing and the baby was still doing fine and they didn't want to wait until everything was not fine to do one. So, that was that. I called my mom and cried and cried because this just wasn't how I wanted it to be. I was really disappointed.

They got me all ready for surgery and wheeled me into the operating room and it felt like just 2 minutes until Michael was born at 7:15 pm. He cried right away and I could see him getting checked out by the nurses on the warming table. They got him all bundled up and Scott brought him over for me to see and he was the cutest baby I had ever seen! I knew right then we would name him Michael and he was just perfect.

Scott went with them to take him up to the nursery to get checked out while they were finishing the surgery and then Scott met me in the C-section recovery room. When Michael was done in the nursery they brought him to me and I got to hold him for the first time. They kept telling me to try and sleep a little bit, but I just wanted to hold him!

All in all, the whole labor and delivery was about the exact opposite of what I wanted and expected. At first I was pretty sad about how it all turned out but now that I am home with Michael I am just so happy he is here and we are both safe and sound-and that is the most important thing.

Michael is Here!

Michael Scott Kundel was born on Tuesday, October 6th at 7:15 pm!

He weighed 9 lbs 3 oz and was 22 inches long!



We are so thankful he is here safe and sound and both him and I are doing great.

We love him so much! :o)

It's happening

I didn't think it would ever happen but....

I think I am getting sick of watching TV.

I know, I said it. I can only watch the same episode of Flipping Out where Jeff Lewis is sick in bed and yelling at his housekeeper so many times. I am counting the hours until Sunday night HBO tv is on.

sigh.

November 5th is the premiere of the new season of Real Housewives of Orange County and I just saw a clip of Gretchen hanging out with SLADE like from the 1st/2nd seasons. Remember him??



Here is some proof from bestweekever.tv

Also, I watched a tivo-ed episode of the Jay Leno show today (not a regular watcher-Scott recorded it because Julia Louis Dreyfus was on) and Jay did Battle of the Jaywalking All Stars with the Real Housewives of Orange County Tamra, Jeana, and Vicki. Wow...I am amazed at how ditzy these ladies are (except for Jeana, I think she is probably the smartest). I think their questions were:

What year did Columbus discover America?
What county was Columbus from?
Why was FDR famous?
Who are these people? (pictures of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden)

Anyway...it was a little entertainment for me this morning. And now-off to more wasting time online!

Saturday News

Happy Saturday, everyone!

This is where I wish I was right now:



ISU is playing K-State today at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. It should be a great game, and I also think it is a heck of a lot nicer weather in KC than it is in Iowa right now!

We had known this game was on the schedule for a while and we were pretty jazzed up about going until that fateful day when we found out we were pregnant! I swear that is the first thing Scott said- oh man, we are going to miss the K-State game! At the time, it seemed eons away...but here it is! Hopefully we can catch it on TV or at a restaurant this afternoon.

Well, it is probably a good thing we are not headed there today because we had quite the exciting day yesterday. I went in for my weekly OB appointment and my blood pressure was a little high again and I also told the doctor I hadn't been feeling very well. I've been having some slight headaches in the morning (but went away with Tylenol and a Coke) and I've just been feeling worn down. Well...she got pretty excited and told us to go straight to the hospital to be monitored at Maternity Triage. What??!!!

So then I was having a full blown anxiety attack and that is when they decided to take my blood pressure AGAIN and of course it was like the highest it had ever been! I was very nervous and scared so Scott and I headed downtown to the hospital. When we got there we headed up to the Triage unit (thankfully, we had just been there on our tour one week before!) and they got me hooked up to a monitor to watch baby and a cuff to take my blood pressure every 10 minutes and also drew some blood.

The hardest part was having to lay in that darn bed for 2 hours while we waited for the blood work tests to get back! Thankfully, the blood tests were fine and baby was doing great and my blood pressure went down to a more normal range almost as soon as we got there. So basically...everything is fine for now.

So now I'm at home trying to take it easy until Monday when I'll go back to the doctor. I think if the baby doesn't come either today or tomorrow (which I am not guessing it will) the doctor will want me to be induced. Which stinks because it will probably be a long induction since I haven't progressed at all which means lots of time at the hospital which is not exactly the most zen like atmosphere! So I am praying for a baby or more progress by Monday! At any rate, the most important goal is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mom, no matter how we get there. I was freaking out the whole way to the hospital yesterday just thinking this is not how I wanted it to be and not how I planned it. But then again...how many things are really in our control?