A Tribute to My Babies' Daddy

I'm not one to plaster my love for Jordan all over my blog or Facebook. In fact, I think it's a little awkward and immature when grown adults post love quotes or 'electronic PDA' all over each other's Facebook walls. What are we in, middle school? However, I will take this one opportunity to thank Jordan and express some gratitude. :)

I know that I am truly blessed to have Jordan in my life. We have a great time together, whether we're finishing off a $7 bottle of wine at 2am on the couch, enjoying a concert at local bar, or just reminiscing through old pictures. And I am most thankful for the father that he is to our kids. Since having Austin, our relationship was taken to a new level, and with the recent addition of Chase, it's just gotten even stronger. I know that not all 'baby daddies' are like this and there is a wide spectrum of 'fatherhood'. There are those that abandon there children and pretty much have no part in their lives, which I am all too familiar with. Then there are those that are still in their lives, living as a family, but have a more hands-off approach and let the mother do most of the care taking. Then there are guys like Jordan.

He is so helpful with the boys. For instance, yesterday I went to a friend's baby shower, took Chase with me, and left him with Austin. When I returned home a few hours later, he had finished up the laundry, washed all the baby bottles, and taken Austin for a haircut. Score! He's pretty self-sufficient when it comes to taking care of them, even a newborn. I don't have to worry at all about leaving the kids with him; he can handle it. :) And he's been incredible during the recovery from the c-section as well, making sure that I take it easy and not do too much.

I'm just honestly thankful for having such an amazing husband and father to my children. I really have nothing to compare him to. My own father was pretty useless and wrote me and my sister off pretty early on. Then I've had three step-fathers. It kind of amazes me that I don't have 'daddy issues' with the lack of a father figure in my life. (Well, I like to think that I don't have any issues anyways.)

Well, that's all I've got for now. Jordan, enjoy this post; you won't get another one. Love, Love!

Chase's Due Date!

Well, today was Chase's due date. I can't believe that he has already been in our lives for over 3 weeks now. January 7th seems so far back when we had him. This morning, I weighed him in, and he was 8lbs. 3 oz. I wonder if he would have been this size, or bigger, if we had actually made it to my due date. As today approached, I felt a little bit of guilt, wondering if there was anything I could have done differently from him having to make his entrance at 36w5d. Since my blood pressure was high, I knew that I needed to stay off my feet as much as possible and rest. I wasn't exactly the best at following that advice, but even when I did, my blood pressure was still high. So, I guess it was just inevitable that he was going to have to come early like his big brother did. I'm just so thankful that even at over 3 weeks early, he was still a healthy weight and didn't have any medical problems and his lungs were strong.

We've definitely had to get used to having a smaller baby. A co-worker said that I actually get to experience having a 'newborn' since Chase wasn't quite the chunk that Austin was. When we first brought Chase home, most of his newborn clothes swallowed him up and he frequently leaked out of his diapers because they were a little big. But here we are, 3 weeks later, and he is gaining weight like a mad man! He has still been a great baby, sleeping 3-4 hours and taking in more and more formula each day. And I think that with the second child, you are more relaxed and don't get worked up too much over things. I remember when we had Austin, I constantly stared at the video monitor checking on him and would jump at every cry and whimper. Now, if I hear Chase crying, I still go in there almost immediately, but it's because I don't want him to wake up Austin. :)

Bottom line............I'm in love, with all 3 of my boys and I wouldn't have my life any other way! :)

First Field Trip!

Today, Chase and I took our first field trip out of the house by ourselves. And boy, was I excited. It was pretty much the first time I was behind the wheel in three weeks! I had a short list of errands we needed to run. After packing the diaper bag, loading the stroller, and getting him ready, I quickly remembered how much work it was to get out of the house with a newborn. :) But off we went! We stopped at Stride Rite, Express, Babies R' Us, Blockbuster, and then finally Target. Conveniently, it was time for him to eat when we were at Babies R' Us, so we made ourselves comfy on one of their display gliders for 15 minutes and it worked out perfectly. After all, I did spend a nice amount while there, so it's the least they could do. :) He behaved quite well all day while we were out and slept the majority of the time. It's hard to believe that today was the day we had originally scheduled our c-section for today, and he's actually already been with us for 2 1/2 weeks. Time has already been going by so fast!

We've got lunch with Daddy tomorrow and then lunch with some of Mommy's work friends later this week. While I'm excited to get out of the house, I'm trying to be cognizant of the fact the RSV and the flu seem to going around with several people we know. I don't want my little peanut getting sick on me already.

And I'm happy to report that Austin's seems to have made a full recovery from his ear infection and cold. As part of the recovery process, he has become slightly addicted the grape-scented Boogie Wipes. :)

Two-Week Check-up

Jordan and I took Chase to his 2-week check-up this morning. He weighed in at 6lbs. 12oz. (gaining almost a pound since a week ago) and measured 19 1/2" long. We were so glad to hear that he is growing so fast! He truly has been a great baby. He eats every 3-4 hours and pretty much sleeps the rest of the time. We've kinda gotten into a routine this week since Jordan went back to work.

I'm excited about being cleared to drive again next week, so I can get out of the house a little. And I'm finally starting to feel alot better as far as the physical recovery goes from the surgery. Big thanks to my hubby for picking up the slack while I've been recovering these past two weeks.

On a side note, Austin has an ear infection and a cold, so we've been trying to keep him away from Chase as much as possible. And I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a little bit of an earache, so I'm sure it's just a matter of days before I start feeling lousy. :(

It's Been 9 Years and I Didn't Expect This!

9 years ago today, Jordan and I had our first date. Needless to say, as a sophomore in college, having just joined a sorority, and working and going to school full-time, I was not looking for anything serious. We met through a mutual friend (who I initially had a crush on, nonetheless) and it was lust at first sight. Yep, I said it. I thought that guy with the goatee, sporting the Boston Red Socks cap was a hottie. And he drove a big white Chevrolet truck with mud tires. What more could a girl want?! Nevermind the fact that he was currently on a 'sabbatical' from his job, rarely attended his college classes, and was a little 'damaged' from his recent bad break-up. That didn't matter to me; I was just looking to hang out and have a good time.

We had hung out a time or two at the local bar in town. Yes, we were underage; but that didn't matter one bit in Commerce. I think maybe he was impressed by my drinking beer straight from the pitcher back then. Oh, how times have changed! :) For our first date, Jordan made me chocolate chip cookies and had them delivered to the sorority house waiting for me with a stuffed animal when I got home from work. (I was currently working in a bakery and was always bringing others treats, but nobody ever made me sweets.) It was a great gesture. Then he took me to Olive Garden and to a movie. I know; big spender. :) We had a great time, and the next day I went to work and told my co-workers that I was going to marry this guy. Of course, they all looked at me like I was crazy. Granted, we had our ups and downs over the next few months dealing with his ex, but we weathered through and he put a ring on my finger 8 months later on a beach before the spring semester started back. We were married the following summer.

Now here we are in 2011, and just welcomed our second son. Who would have thought this is where we would be?! Happy dating anniversary, Satchmo! Love Love!

Recap: Week One at Home

Chase is 1 week old today! Really?! I guess it just doesn't seem possible, since he's technically still supposed to be in utero for another two weeks. After being discharged from the hospital on Monday, we headed home to get settled into some sort of routine. Nevermind the fact that a snow storm hit the Dallas area on Monday, causing terrible roads and school/work closures, including Austin's daycare. But big thanks to Uncle LoLo for watching him on Monday for us and taking him to Chuck E. Cheese for some fun. :) But the three of us manged to navigate our way home for the 10-minute ride and got the car unloaded.I had high hopes for our first night at home, just judging by how Chase behaved while we were still in the hospital. And he didn't disappoint. :) Jordan and I took turns on the night shifts, and pretty much had to wake him up for each feeding. He would just eat and then go back to sleep. Ahhhh, a little too easy. Every time I watch an episode of 'Bringing Home Baby' on TLC, it seems like the parents are up every hour or so with a screaming newborn. Is that for real? I'm sure some of you mothers out there are cussing me and my sleep-loving children. :)Chase is definitely a cuddler and likes to be swaddled, unlike Austin. And we spend lots of time in the recliner with him sleeping on my chest; it's his favorite sleep position. :) But we also make sure he sleeps in his own bed at night, so he gets used to it. Thank goodness for video monitors; you gotta love technology! :) We've given him a sponge bath a couple of times, since he's still got his umbilical cord stump and circumcision ring. He's not a fan of the bath yet, but we'll work on it. We also took him to his first pediatrician appointment for a bilirubin check (for jaundice) and a weight check since being discharged from the hospital. His jaundice levels were better, and he's lost a little bit of weight since birth, weighing in at 5lbs. 15oz. The doc expects that he'll be at, or past, his initial birth weight by his two-week checkup this next week. So, we're taking every opportunity to fatten this boy up. :) Austin is slowly warming up to Chase being around. He likes to bring him his paci and try to shove it (not always so gently) in his mouth. Then if Chase fusses, he tells me that I need to change Chase's diaper. He also likes to tap Chase on the forehead and tell me that he needs kisses. He's not ready to be the one to give him kisses, but he makes sure that Mommy or Daddy do it. Finally last night, he asked to hold Chase for the first time. It melted my heart!

Jordan returns back to work on Monday, and I'm actually going to miss having him home with me. He has been a tremendous help this week, and I couldn't have done it without him. What can I say; I found a good baby daddy! :) I'm slowly recovering from the surgery. Yesterday was the first day that it didn't hurt like hell when I would stand up. And I'm down to only taking two doses of the Vicodin a day for the pain. They work well, but make Mommy sleepy. I had my post-op appointment at the OB's office yesterday, and he said my incision was healing quite nicely. He also confirmed that he did indeed remember to tie my tubes while we were in the operating room (I had a dream the other night that he didn't!). My blood pressure was still high at the appointment. He wants me to take it easy at home, but understands that is difficult with a newborn and toddler at home.

Well, that's all for week one!

They're Definitely Related!