Teddy’s Birth Day

Dear Teddy,

Today is the day you turn one!  Happy Birthday, little guy.  I’d like to tell you a little story about the day that you were born…

My pregnancy with you was much more difficult than with Jack.  It was relatively problem-free, only much more painful and uncomfortable.  Which probably had something to do with the fact that we not only put the house on the market in my first trimester, had an average of three showings a week through the second trimester, and moved when I was about 29 weeks pregnant, but we then we proceeded to have almost the entire interior of the house painted, we renovated the kitchen, and had several additional repairs completed throughout the inside and outside of the house.  So, it was a busy time, not to mention the fact that I had Jack to look after.  So, needless to say, I did not love being pregnant the second time around.  But I did love food… I craved all kinds of foods this time around… Texas Pete’s hot sauce, Squirt, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, cool whip, pretzel fish, cupcakes (lord have mercy the cupcakes), popsicle, humus and pita chips, rotisserie chicken, and chocolate milk.

I had been having contractions the entire month of October and by the last week of my pregnancy I went to bed nearly every single night almost positive that I was having the baby that night, with contractions close to ten minutes apart.  On October 29 (my due date) I dropped Jack off at preschool and went to my OB appointment.  After arriving I told the nurse that I was absolutely miserable and was planning on begging to be induced as soon as possible.  The doctor gave me my exam and told me I was still about 2 cm dilated (I had been for two weeks).  So she “lightly” stripped my membranes… which was horribly uncomfortable.  And asked me if I wanted to schedule an induction.  Yes, please!  So the nurse did everything she could to schedule me in for the following day, because my doctor was on call.  I then went home packed my bag and proceeded to have lots of contractions all night long, but nothing very regular or very painful at all.

I woke up at about 4:30am on October 30, ready and waiting for the call that was supposed to come in at 5:30am, about whether or not the hospital was ready for us to come in or if they would have us come later.  So I waited.  And waited.  And finally called them at 6am.  “Oh, yeah, didn’t they tell you… if they have a bed for you then they’ll call.  Otherwise just wait for the call.”  Ug.  So we waited.  And waited.  And at about 11:00am I laid down for a nap and E took Jack outside to play.  And the phone rang.  “Um, where have you been!  We’ve been calling and calling.”  The wrong number.  Our old number from our old house.  Why they had that number, I still don’t know.  I checked and double checked when I scheduled the induction the day before.  Anyway, so we freaked out and high-tailed it to the hospital to have the baby!

We arrived right before noon, checked in, and my doctor checked me and broke my water.  I was 4 cm dilated and pretty much in labor.  They monitored my contractions for about an hour and after an hour my contractions weren’t as regular as they would have liked them to be.  So they decided to give me a little pitocin to nudge things along.  At this point I was so hungry I could pass out, not having eaten at all that day.  So the nurse brought me some jello and an orange popsicle.  And for the record, that was the best damn popsicle I’ve ever had.  Anyway, where was I… the pitocin.  Prior to giving me the pitocin, my nurse asked me if I wanted my epidural before the pitocin or after the contractions got going.  I said after, since I was in no pain at all at the time… and why would I want an epidural if I wasn’t in any pain?  Big mistake.  BIG mistake.  I had enough time to eat a jello cup and a popsicle and by the time I started the second jello cup the contractions come on at full force, leaving the nurse scrambling to get me pumped with fluid and to get the anesthesiologist.  I was in a ridiculous amount of pain for what seemed like forever.  After the epidural was working and I was comfortable, they checked me and low and behold, I was 10 cm dilated.

But let’s back up a bit.  The contractions.  I just have to write a bit about them.  Because they were horrible.  Terrible.  Awful.  And I absolutely must get this in writing, so that when I start thinking about #3 (which I have already), I can just remind myself… and remember that epidural.  Anyway, so I’m clutching onto the side rail of the bed, and the contraction rips through me like a white light, so intense that I feel like I’m going to tear in half, I look up at E, and he’s on his crackberry (I mean Blackberry), messaging away.  He claims that he was sending an email to my mom… but he will forever be in the doghouse for that one.  I swear.  I seriously would not have survived (well, I’m sure I would have but at the time I did not feel like I would have) without my nurse.  When she was not frantically searching out the anesthesiologist, screaming down the hall, “I NEED YOU NOW!”, she was at my side.  Talking me through my breathing.  At one point I was leaning forward rolled up in a ball (probably right before the needle for the epidural was inserted) tucked into her chest.  And I seriously felt like I was all tucked up in her.  Like she enveloped me and was taking on some of this pain for me.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but it’s almost a little spiritual.   Or something like that.  It’s truly amazing, the places you go when you are in that kind of pain.  And this woman was amazing.  She had her shit together and knew exactly what she is doing.  If I have another baby, I want her there.

Ok, so where was I… oh, right 10 cm dilated!  And my doctor is nowhere to be found.  I’m not sure how long we were waiting, but it was awhile and the nurses (my favorite had to leave… shift change… and two others took over) were getting very concerned about whether she was going to make it.  And of course she did.  I started pushing and she waltzed in, all easy breezy, as usual, happy to see me and all, “let’s have a baby!”  So I pushed for about thirty minutes and at 4:17pm we  had a beautiful baby boy.  With lots of black hair.  You weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces, (a whole pound heavier than your brother) and 20.5 inches long.

We named you Theodore Evan George.  Theodore, even though it’s one of  your brother’s middle names because I always loved the name Teddy, Evan is for my mother’s mother Evelyn and George is for your Daddy’s grandpa George, who just passed away a few weeks ago.  And I’m so glad we named you for him because as much as everyone else loved him, I did too.  From the first time I met him, he was so sweet and kind to me, he called me “kiddo” and I loved him like he was my own Grandpa.  I can’t imagine two better people to be named for.  Two people that stand out in my mind in such a positive way.

Teddy, what a crazy ride it’s been.  It was a little rocky of a start for us (well for me it was)… a spinal headache from the epidural in the hospital, a third degree tear, and some pretty ridiculous post partum depression.  But I can honestly tell you that God only gives you what you can handle.  And although it was a difficult start, my love and connection to you only strengthened through it all.  You made me stronger.  You made me calm (except for that time you had RSV) and you were exactly what I needed.  You made me want to be a better mother and a better wife and a better person.  Your differences from Jack (which are insanely different) help to balance our house perfectly.  And until you were born things just didn’t quite feel right.  What an amazing addition to our family you have been!  You are calm and sweet and only speak up when you are hungry, tired or if you have had your fill of Jack’s harassment.  You love for your brother is like nothing I’ve ever seen.  And while he gives you some serious trouble, you just keep coming back for more.  It’s so exciting to see you getting bigger (catching up with your brother) and learning to crawl then walk and interact with Jack.  It makes me so excited to see your relationship grow.  You will always have your brother and he will always have you.  I feel blessed knowing that you two have each other, a friend for life.  Never forget that.

Thank you for being born to me, my sweet boy.  You and your brother fill me up, in a way that I cannot describe.  I can’t imagine my world without you in it.  I love you so so much.  Happy Birthday Teddy!

Love,

Mom

Hi, It’s Me

I’m sure you may have noticed the lack of posts lately.  And I want to apologize.  I’m not sure if it’s the fact that when Teddy sleeps Jack hollers from his room that he “NEEDS TO GO POTTY,” “NEEDS MILK,” or water, or a snack, or a specific toy or Halloween magazine that I threw away last week, or when Jack sleeps Teddy parties like a rock star in his crib, jumping up and down at an alarming height, while chucking his suckies all around the room and screaming like a crazy man.  I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I’m tired most days, so tired I take a nap and still go to bed at 10 (and read til 12), or if it’s the fact that I have other pressing things to do on the internet besides blog… like uh,  read other blogs, update my facebook status multiple times a day, and shop for upcoming events that do not exist.  Or if it has something to do with that comment I found in my spam box that just plain scared me.  That made me think that this just isn’t a very good idea anymore.  But wait, I like blogging… sometimes.  Well, I did.  But somewhere and somehow along the way, I’ve lost that loving feeling.  And well, I don’t feel so bad about it, really.  So, this might be it from me.  Well, actually, I will get to that birth story before I’m done.

9 Months, 11 days…

Ok, so I’m a little behind these days.  All I have to say is did you see this??  Yeah, I wasn’t joking.  Life is totally nuts around here.  Nuts, but good.  And poor little Teddy is getting neglected in the blog updates these days… so I thought I’d give you the low down on what the little man is up to these days.  In list form because, well, just because.

1. We are officially finished with the helmet!  Woo Hoo!  Last Tuesday was our last visit with the specialist.  She suggested that we go ahead and keep him in it for one more week, since it still fit (even though his measurements were perfectly symmetrical blah blah blah) and I just sort of nodded, “mmm hmm, right, yeah…” but was really thinking, “ooooor not.”  The end.  So we’re done!  Let me tell you that was the longest, hottest (not really, but with all the sweating that poor kid was doing it seemed like it couldn’t possibly get any more uncomfortable), sweatiest, stinkiest (let me tell you that thing made my sweet, precious, bundle of chubby love smell like a sweaty sock), longest three months of my life.  Whew!  Thank goodness we’re done, just in time for our annual Michigan beach vacation.
2. Well, our little champ continues to measure in at enormous lengths.  He was in the 97th percentile for height at 30.5 inches at his nine month check up.  He was only in the 50th percentile for weight at 20.5 lbs. (he continues to weigh in exactly one pound heavier than Jack was at this age) and his head was in the, I want to say 75th percentile.  Not the orange on a toothpick his brother was at this age.
3. So, let’s see, the little turkey is army crawling at the speed of light.  He occasionally will crawl on all fours, but it takes so much more concentration and skill, both of which he has no time for.  He pulls up to his knees and investigates random things while sort of sitting/kneeling there.  He just started to pull up to standing in his crib and other random places and he absolutely loves to pull up in the pack ‘n play, so that he is at the same height as Jack.  They could not be any cuter, poking at each other and nuzzling into each others necks.  Teddy pulls Jack’s hair and “pats” his head and face, all the while Jack is particularly patient and sweet about it.  Jack loves to roll around on the floor with him and Jack is not what I would call gentle with him in the least, but I’ve discovered, after much yelling and intervening, that Teddy enjoys any attention Jack will give him and he’ll let me know if Jack has crossed a boundary.  Oh, yes he will.
4. Teddy certainly did not waste any time finding is voice in this household.  And he certainly does not have any problem holding his own.  Which is quite a feat considering the mouths on Jack and myself.  He is a screamer.  And it is unfortunate, but I am quite sure that we have become one of those families referred to as a loud family.  He’s may possibly have perfected the art of fit throwing.  Which is incredible to believe possible at such a young age.  Oh, but he can throw them, like a champ, arching his back and using that one specific variety of scream saved for special occasions, like torture, all the while turning a shocking shade of magenta.  But for the most part he is very laid back.  Only fussing or throwing fits when he is tired or hungry.
5. Speaking of food… this kid can put down some food.  He’s like a Labrador, he’ll eat and eat and eat until he throws up.  It is totally ridiculous.  It’s so strange to me, since Jack is the exact opposite, rarely eating everything on his plate.  Anywho, with as much as he eats in a day he still manages to wake up at 5:30 – 6am absolutely starving.  If I could only get him to sleep until 7am.
6. Teddy loves women.  Especially his Grandma Z and mommy.  When we are standing next to each other it’s totally ridiculous to see him go back and forth between the two of us.  I happen to enjoy the fact that he is a mama’s boy.  I love it.  I love that he can be completely fine with E, only to completely lose his shit once he gets a glimpse of me.  I can’t help it, it makes me feel important.
7. Let’s see, what else… he climbs stairs, he waves “hi” and “bye bye,” he mimics the word hi, he babbles dada, mama, baba, and I am fairly certain that he has tried to say “Jack.”  He is quite the little man.  He is such a sweet, happy, cuddley, goofy, little addition to our family.  And we’re having so much fun watching him grow up along side his big brother.

Crappity Crap Crap

YIKES! What are you dooooing... ooooh let me get the camera to document this for the internet!!!!

Interesting location, Teddy...

My Very Belated 4th of July Post

I apologize for being so behind with the posting lately.  I’ve been relying on facebook a little too much to keep everyone up with what’s going on… so here is a little July 4th update for those of you all who aren’t on facebook.

brothers

We took the kids to our neighborhood bike parade.  I think I spent an hour perfecting the ridiculous bike stroller and push car thingie decorations, only to walk in a parade that lasted about five minutes.  Jack wore his grumpiest pair of grumpy pants and acted pretty ridiculous, yelling at fellow parade participants to, “Get outta here!” “That’s MY Mommy!” and “It’s MY turn.”  We finished the parade and lined up for our free popsicles and Jack declared, “I don’t wanna popsicle!”   Okaaaay then.

Teddy is just about fed up with the whole picture-taking thing.

That night Grandpa and Grandma Z came over for s’mores (and would you believe neither of them had ever had them) and the festivities.  We lit a fire in the chiminea, roasted our marshmallows, caught fireflies, played with glow stick/necklace thingies (my $1 find at Michael’s… biggest hit ever), played with sparklers (aka sprinklers in Jack-speak), watched E set off some puny and rather stinky fireworks and later on after Teddy went to bed, Grandma Z, E, Jack and I walked down the street to watch a neighbor set off some pretty amazing fireworks.

master marshmallow roaster

sprinklers

It was probably one of the best 4th of July celebrations I’ve ever had.

Knock on Some Wood Before You Read This

So, I don’t think I went into our whole potty training ordeal over here.  I think all that happened in the middle of the 30 day project, so you all probably got the idea we were potty training because of this.  Anyway, so I decided to get started with it about mid-way through the week before Jack’s preschool spring break.  And it didn’t go so well.  He pretty much only went on the potty when he was sitting on it in front of the TV… for like an hour at a time.  Randomly he’d pee without realizing it and I’d make a big deal about it.  Anyway,  we made it almost all the way through spring break week without much progress… let me rephrase that.  With zero progress.  He had zero interest in learning or listening to how it worked.  He didn’t give a rip about any of the thousands of bribes I came up with.  As a matter of fact, somehow he usually managed to manipulate me into giving him what he wanted without doing much of anything at all.  And after watching him purposely pee his pants (to the point of straining so hard that I could see the veins in his neck) while I was on the phone (clearly an attempt to get some attention), I finally threw in the towel.  And decided to revisit it once he was out for the summer.

So last Monday, Jack woke up and I told him I needed to change his diaper.  I asked him if he wanted to wear a pull-up and he said no.  So when I tried to put on his diaper he told me he wanted to wear big boy pants.  Uh, ok.  So I put on the big boy pants and was quickly distracted by something or other.  And after a while he told me he needed to go poop on the potty.  So we ran over and put him on the potty.  And he peed.  He did this all day.  No accidents.  And the next day he started pooping on the potty as well.  Just like that.   And (knock on wood) as of last Monday, he has only had four accidents.  He’s been wearing pull-ups at night and big boy pants for naps.  And we’ve been keeping our regular everyday schedule… the pool, Target, playing outside, going for donuts or ice cream or whatever treat on the weekends.  The accidents have all happened while he’s been either disoriented after just waking from a nap or while totally distracted while playing.

Let me tell you how totally and completely stunned I am.  This kid is nothing but a challenge these days.  And while I’m sure it sounds like I’m tooting my horn over here all proud and annoying, but really, I just can’t help but tell everyone – how proud of him and excited I am for him.  That he has some sort of control in his life (and it is already starting to show that it makes him feel more at ease with life in general… if that makes sense).   This kid.  He constantly amazes me.  Like the other day… while he was playing with a fake phone.  Pushing the buttons and muttering under his breath and he says “goddammit”.  No idea where he learned that one.  And just now.  He’s walking around in his Elmo underpants.  With Teddy’s crocheted blanket draped over his shoulders.  He looks at me and says, “I’m a princess.”

Happy Birthday to Me… and a Little Something for You

I don't really mind when Jack climbs in bed with Teddy. Cause it's so damn cute.

Happiest boy in the world!

This is for my dad. I told him all about how Jack and I were going to go get cupcakes today. Oh, and yes, they're both for me... two because I'm 32.

Um, I Was Trapped Under a Very Large Pile of Tissues… or Something Like That

Ok, so I took a month off.  Yeah, I wasn’t really planning on it, but I was so tired of the blog after the 30 day thing and I kept saying I’d write something tomorrow until it was like today and it’s been over a month.  So, yeah, sorry about the ridiculous hiatus and all, hope I didn’t worry anyone.  So here’s an update on us, list style.  Because I’m feeling listy.

1. Teddy.  My little tank.  Ted weighed in at his 6 month check up at about 18 and a half pounds.  I took him in last week, along with Jack (because Jack was sick) to have him checked out to see if he had an ear infection and at that point he was 19.5 pounds.  Then I took him in Wednesday (he was sick) and he was 20 lbs 2 oz.  Monster baby gained a pound in a week.  This kid amazes me.  Jack weighed in today (well visit… yeah, they’re getting really sick of seeing me) at 28 lbs.  hehe… Jack sprat…
2. So the other day when we were at the doctor’s office… which time is not really relevant.  Anywho, I held my hand out to catch the elevator door and it CLOSED ON MY HAND.  Not kidding.  I managed to grab the door with my other hand to sort of hold it open, meanwhile screaming in my ridiculous scratchy voice, from being sick, “HELP ME HELP ME!!”  Not kidding.  Then finally I realized I could open the door by hitting the elevator call button.  So I did.  Nothing is broken.  I just have a ridiculous bruise and a sore hand and a big time bruised ego.  Yeah, I had to go back there today.  For another checkup.  Geez.  I think they all thought I was nuts.  They were all really sweet about it and took good care of me and all.  But seriously, I can’t believe I did that.
3. Jack handled the whole elevator situation quite well.  Well, not at first he didn’t.  I thought he’d be traumatized for life.  But when we were leaving and the nurse and doctor were helping me out to the car (yeah, so I could feel stupid all the way to the car and they could see my complete wreck of a car and dig in my wreck of a purse full of dirty tissues to get my nasty keys out… geez) anywho, as we were all getting into the elevator on our way out, Jack says, “don’t do that again mommy… you got to be careful or you get your fingers pinched in the door.”  He reminded me again today as we arrived at the office.  Yeah, thanks.
4. So.  E, my wonderful husband got me a fantastic mother’s day gift.  A plane ticket to Chicago to visit Andrea (my BFF) for a long weekend, by myself.  No children!  Woo Hoo!  So last week Jack got sick – bad cold with some wheezing we had to treat with a nebulizer (at urgent care) and an inhaler (at home).  He was finally better by Thursday and I was to leave on Friday morning.  But by Thursday evening I was coming down with it.  And by Friday I was sporting a sore throat and a cough.  Long story short I had a terrible sore throat, cough, hardly a voice at all and my head and ears were plugged up so I could barely hear anything at all pretty much all weekend.  Yeah, it was a major bummer.  We still had a good time shopping and hanging out but I was feeling pretty bad and wasn’t sleeping much at all at night.  So, I’m still pining away for a weekend away… just hoping that maybe I’ll get another trip away from home for my birthday.  Or something like that.  A girl can dream, right?
5. Teddy is a rolling, scooting, tootin’ fool.  The tootin’ part was for fun.  Although he does poop like a champ.  Let me rephrase that.  He poops way too much.  I am changing, on average, six poopies a day… yes, I’m still changing Jack’s poopies too (I will revisit the potty training again soon… hopefully, but seriously if I wait long enough he’ll just do it himself, right?)… where was I?  Oh poopies.  Yeah, six a day, and one day I counted seven and then said “THAT’S ENOUGH!  I’VE OFFICIALLY HAD IT, YOU’VE HIT YOUR QUOTA FOR THE DAY AND YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME TO GET THAT ONE CHANGED.”  For real.  So, where was I… rolling.  So yeah, he’s been rolling around like it’s his job for about a month now.  He rolled over at about five months then didn’t do it again for a few weeks then a few weeks later he started rolling around the room – just like Jack used to.  He’s a little chunky (uh, ya think, maybe 20 lbs????) so he has a hard time getting his fat legs under him to push up to crawl, so I get the sense he won’t crawl much or if so it’ll be late.  He sits up without help – which is awesome.  I’ve been working on that for a few weeks.  Starting with the bumbo, then the boppy (for a little less support), then a crash pillow, and now he’s pretty solid.  With an occasional fall, usually due to a larger force (aka Action Jackson knocking him over for fun because it’s fun to make him cry).
6. Jack is making me crazy.  I love him.  And he is so funny and fun.  But seriously.  He is making me crazy.  He has the devil in him.  The constant testing me and telling me no and the not listening and the freaking out I do on a regular basis to let him know that I’m almost crazy so you better get it together and listen to me mister or else you’ll see what crazy is all about, it’s all really making me crazy.  I do not enjoy the age of three.  The end.  I’m telling you.  The buttons have been pushed.  Oh have they been pushed my friends.  He says to me earlier today, “I’m sorry Mommy, I’m just acting like a lunatic.”  Don’t you know it.
7. So that’s about it for now.  I’ve been busy.  Sick and busy.  So I apologize for the ridiculous hiatus without explanation, until now.  Hopefully I will be back on a more regular basis.  Hope you’re all doing well!!!

Day 30

Six months old today. My sweet little man. May you always love me like you love me now. You fill me up. That's the only way I can describe it. I feel so full of love and life because of you and your brother. Happy six months peanut!!

Day 29

Loving his popsicle. In his pajamas. Because it was pajama day at school.