Transitional Time

I'm sorry I haven't posted much since we've been home. Quite honestly, having a newborn and a busy toddler keeps me pretty busy. I'm always changing someone and they never sleep at the same time. Plus a very little guy has his days and nights mixed up so I've been crazy tired!  I don't mind too much though because this little guy?

He's wicked cute.  I think he might be a little sweeter than Jackson was at this stage. It's hard to remember though since I tend to block those early days out I was SO tired!

Yep, he's pretty sweet and looks a lot like his brother did.  So much so that I sometimes mistakenly call him Jackson.

Everyone in the house seems to like him.  Jack loves to go over to him and say "Bebe" and play with his feet or pat his head.  He also pulls out his pacifier and tries to "share" food with him.  Fruit snacks, chicken nuggets, marshmallows.  I have to watch him like a hawk! At least he's sharing....

What's harder this time around is that both of our kids are needy and we divide and concur.  Spiderman tends to lean towards helping Jack out and then I take Ben.  The problems with this?  Jack can be taken care of much quicker and then Spiderman is back to sleep or whatever else he was doing.  Ben on the other hand?  He takes a little more time so I spend less time sleeping or doing anything else.  I would like to switch on occasion but for some reason Spiderman just doesn't hear Ben in the night.  Conveniently.

We did finally finish Ben's room.  Well mostly finish. I still have some decorative shelves and things to hang, but here's a picture.

It's actually much cuter in person.
That's all the time I have for this post before someone else needs to have a diaper change...

Meet Our Newest Family Member!

Benjamin James Connelly
8 lbs 8 oz 20 inches long

Everyone (including big brother Jack) is happy!

Has it been that long?

So why haven't I been posting too much lately? Several reasons. The first and most obvious is that I'm 6 months pregnant and tired. Then there was the business of the holidays. Then both my boys came down with the flu and had temps over 101 for a week. And finally my laptop completely melted down leaving me with very limited access to the internet since the other computers in my house were also down.
Since then Spiderman has set up our iMac so that I can use it, and we are looking around to replace our laptop so I will have more opportunities to be online.

That only leaves laziness and lack of anything remotely interesting to post about. I do have a few things roaming around my head that I hope to be able to put down in the next few weeks so bear with me.

In the past I've posted about the scary state of my office/junk room. Now that we have a new addition to the family it is going to be Baby X's (still can't decide on a name) room. That means we not only have to clean out the room, but also figure out where the piles of other shit in there have to go. I have already started to make piles of things to throw away, donate, and sell in my neighborhood's garage sale this summer. I've had to make some hard decisions about what do to with some of my books. It's so hard to part with many of them, but I just don't have the room!
We also put new shelves in our storage areas so that we have more room to relocate some of the things we do want to keep. All this work and I still have SO much I have to do. But in the end it will be worth it because I have kind of a theme decided on.

I'm not buying the whole bedding set because I did that with Jack and didn't use all the pieces. It just feels wasteful plus this room seems kind of busy. I am going to buy some key pieces like the lamp, wall hangings and curtains and use the color scheme. I might also buy the quilt set but for the toddler bed for use later.

What do you think?

I'll Need Frequent Infusions of Estrogen at My House

Thanks to those of you who had suggestions and words of encouragement on my last post. I'm sure inspiration will just hit me someday or I'll just kind of fall into a new job. That's how I ended up in Respiratory to begin with. I don't anticipate it happening soon and even if it does I just might be too tired to notice because....I just found out I'm now going to be the mother of TWO boys.

Yes, I'm having another boy. Like my girlfriend says I'm going to be elbow deep in dick.

It does make things easier since I have all the boy stuff already and I know how boys work. I do have visions of Jack and his little nameless brother bringing home snakes from the woods for their mommy. Have I mentioned before how terrified of snakes I am?

Also there is something appealing about being the only girl in a house full of boys....kinda like the Queen Mum.

But now the hard part starts: Spiderman and I have to agree on a name for this kid. This is going to be no easy feat as Spiderman wants to call him Jack's brother or Not Jack.

What boy names do you like?

Babies Are Like Terrorists

I live in a constant state of fear.

Those of you who have or have ever had babies know what I'm talking about. Every morning I start my day terrified to go in and check on Jack. Afraid that something happened to him while I was asleep. That's how I wake up every day.

Terrified.

And I'd like to say it gets better, but no. I go to work and I'm afraid of everything that could happen to him while he's out of my sight. Or I'm afraid he'll like the sitter more than me (cuz my new sitter is the bomb). Then I pick him up and I'm afraid that I could trip and drop him or fall down the stairs holding him. When I walk across the room while he is laying on the floor I have a moment of panic that "what if I tripped and fell on him and crushed him".

Then there's the fear that he won't sleep that night. And then he does and I scurry around to do all the things that I have to do because I'm afraid he'll wake up. When he doesn't I fall into a coma and start the whole thing over again.

My baby is a terrorist.

He uses piercing screams and cries as weapons to strike fear into my heart. I am always at def con 1. High Alert!!! But like many captives of tiny dictators I have developed Stockholm syndrome. I love my little captor.

And every day the fear gets a little less. More manageable. I should have it under control just in time to have another one.

And start again.

Baby Crack

Since I am raising a little boy who eats like he's a teenager I have had to start giving Jack supplemental bottles of formula. My milk just cannot keep up. Plus, he's a much happier little guy when he sucks down the formula. We had several bottles of Enfamil that the hospital gave us of the premixed formula. Apparently this is baby crack. He would inhale that stuff and we went through it pretty quickly. Now we've moved on to the powder form which he digs, but not as much.

So what does this mean for me? I get slightly more sleep because Spiderman can give him a bottle. Also? I don't have to always whip my boob out in public. As much as I loved doing that, we had some logistical problems. The really cool nursing cover that a girlfriend gave me had polka dots on it and the bright print completely distracts Jack. He spends the whole time looking at it and can't focus on the goal. It takes twice as long to feed him with it. Another benefit of a breast milk/formula combo diet is when I go back to work. It will make things much easier for everyone involved if he can be fed by a sitter.

As for the sitter situation: it's still up in the air. I'm stressing about it because I go back to work in a little over 6 weeks and have NO idea where he's going. Part of me would like to put him in a sling and take him with me. I know exactly where in our department I could set up the pack and play and everything. Realistically that's just not possible. Plus I think it would be good for both Jack and I if I get some time away to be with big people. I need to work. Not just for the money, but for my sanity.

I joined a cool website called Care.com. It lets you post a job listing and sends you responses from people in your area. I've sent emails to a few to set up interviews so keep your fingers crossed. Also? If you happen to live in NWI and know of someone who watches infants can you let me know?

All you working mom's out there: What did you do about child care?

One Month

I can't believe that Jackson is a month old today! Does that mean his warranty is up? He is getting so big. He's already outgrowing his newborn clothes and jammies. It makes me a little sad to pack them away.

We've done a lot this past week. We went with Daddy to watch his first Football Sunday. Notice the matching jersey's? I got his at Babyland for $4. How awesome is that?

My two bad ass dudes.

Yesterday he just discovered that there are things hanging above his swing. He has been swinging in that thing all month and yesterday he was all when did that get there? It's amazing to see him learn new things every day. I'm kind of jealous of that. I mean when was the last time you stared at your hand for an hour and thought. How cool is that?

I haven't really posted much this week because we have also been dealing with a new problem. I call is Dr. Jackson and Mr. Hyde. During the day he's all sweet and cute and smiley.

And then suddenly around 7 or 8pm he becomes all screamy and inconsolable.
This usually lasts till around 2 or 4am when everyone passes out. Every night. Needless to say no one is getting much sleep around here and we're all a little edgy. I also have a permanent set of dark circles and a head cold. I don't know what to do for the little guy. We've tried Mylecon drops, pumping his little legs, massages, warm compresses, driving, singing, reading, swinging, tummy time, giving up dairy, giving up pop (not helpful with all the tired), giving up practically all foods in general. I have thought about leaving him in a basket on some one's doorstep, but I would miss the little booger.

Last night, at around 8 I have him a 2 oz bottle of formula that we had left over from the hospital with a boob milk chaser. He ate again at midnight fussed for 30 minutes and fell asleep.

Until 7 am.

I thought he was dead.

Both Spiderman and I got up every hour to check on him, but he was just sleeping. Like a baby. He woke up this morning all content and smiley with a diaper that weighed at least 10 lbs in pee. Go figure. I guess we'll try the formula thing again tonight and I'm also going to start him on a pro biotic my pediatrician recommended. Hopefully, he'll have another good night.
We don't want the return of Mr. Hyde.

Did I SAY you could take a picture of me?

If it doesn't work, does anyone have a nice basket I could borrow?

Already a Week Old

I'm going to start this post by admitting something: I have never really liked babies.

*gasp*

When I tell people this they probably think I'm a horrible person. I mean babies are cute and all, but I usually prefer them when they're several months old and actually start doing things. When ever one of my friends would have a new baby I would hold them and coo over them, and then get bored pretty quickly and hand them back. I realized all this when I first got pregnant and was prepared to totally wait out the next few months until he was older and "more fun".
What I wasn't prepared for is to be totally and completely smitten. I could hold him and watch him all day long. It really is different when it's your own child. I think he's pretty cool. When he sleeps he's a cuddler and I love to smell his head and smooch his cheeks. When he's awake he's looking all around and loves to stare at my face and listen to me talk to him. He already has a little personality. The picture in the previous post where he's giving mommy the finger? He does that all on his own. A lot of the time. He is very into using his hands.

He's already my happy little monkey.
I mean who wouldn't love this sweet little face?

Our First Day Home

Can I just start by saying that I don't know why anyone would have a baby without an epidural?
It was fabulous and wonderful. I went into the hospital early Monday morning after having contractions 3 minutes apart. The Dr came in and broke my water (which was strange) and started me on Pitosin (which was horrible). The contractions were 30 seconds apart and were so awful that I thought I was going to die! Then they gave me the epidural. *sigh* I didn't feel a thing after that and even took a nap.
When I was finally dilated to 10 and ready to push it was about 4pm. I pushed for an hour and a half and little Jack's heart rate dropped with every push. They suspected the cord was wrapped around his neck and decided to do an emergency c-section. It all happened pretty fast and felt like and out of body experience. Even though the c-section was unplanned I'm glad that we had it. Turns out the cord was wrapped pretty tightly around his neck 3 times! I think it was all that movin' and shakin' he did.
We came home today and I'm still extremely sore but I have good pain meds.
Jack and I on the other hand are having eating issues. I want him to eat and he wants to sleep 14 hours a day. Part of me is like "that's my boy" but he needs to eat!!! He latches on, takes a few really good pulls and falls asleep. Other than the not eating, he's pretty cute. We like him. When he's awake he's very awake and a bit of a busybody. He looks at people when they talk like he's trying to focus on them. He also has a bit of a sassy attitude.
I wouldn't be a good mom or blogger if I didn't post some pics so here they are:

Here he is smiling at his Auntie Abbie.
Here he's chillaxin' on his boppy.

I was trying to get a picture of the alligator on his t-shirt and he decided to show me some of his attitude.

Spiderman loves him and pretty much wants to hold him All. The. Time.

So that's all I have the energy for today. I'm off to put my swollen feet up and take a percoset!

He's Arrived!

After over 12 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing and an emergency c-section he has arrived!

Jackson Daniel Connelly 8/16/10 5:24pm

8 lbs 11 oz, 21 inches long

We are all pretty exhausted here, but I'm sure I'll have more to post later! (especially my opinion of the epidural)

What Every Baby Needs

Ninja Baby now has his very own nun chucks courtesy of my friend Angela. They're pretty awesome! Spiderman says that now his Ninja training can officially begin....if he ever comes out.

The Post Where I Talk about Poop.

Pregnancy is not for the faint of heart or shy of bladder that's for sure. I have peed in just about every single bathroom within a 20 mile radius of my house. There have even been times when I go to the store where that I use the bathroom upon first entering the store, do my shopping, and have to pee again before I leave. It's impressive. I could probably write reviews of all the bathrooms.

Pregnancy also does a number on your bowels. I have known many people over the years who tell me they can never poop in public. Actually, never poop anywhere other than their house. I have always found this amazing. Somewhere around the time of my parent's divorce (I was about 13) I developed a nervous stomach. Actually, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Certain foods and undue stress have me either constipated or running to the bathroom. I don't have the luxury of having poop hang-ups. When I gotta go, I gotta go. I don't care where I am. I even have a certain "private" bathroom off the ICU that I use at work. Strategic pooping. That's what I call it. The last few weeks of this pregnancy have definitely done a number on my stomach. I think it's because it's like Dance Party USA in there with Ninja Baby acting like a Solid Gold dancer and pushing on my stomach and intestines.

Another interesting pregnancy development? Weird ass dreams. Some of my favorites include dead friends and relatives, breaking into a pet store and stealing kittens, and pregnant pole dancing complete with black maternity thong panties. Cuz that's what people want to see, right? A hugely pregnant stripper.

Anyway.

I'm also including probably the last belly shot I'll ever take. Thank GOD!

38 Million weeks pregnant

If one more person asks me if I'm having twins I'm going to poke them in the eye.

I Hope He's Punctual

Do you all notice the baby ticker on my sidebar? Well today it is at 34 days. 34 DAYS!!! It's coming up quickly. You know what that means......

Time for baby predictions!

My Official Due Date is Aug 15th. I'm kinda hoping he'll be a little earlier than that. My grandfather who passed away when I was little's birthday was Aug 7th. I think it would be cool for them to have the same Birthday. Also I have a friend born on Aug 9th. She's pulling for that day. I was 10 days early and Spiderman was way premature at 29 weeks so we do have a family history of earliness. (of course that was the first and last time Spiderman was early for ANYTHING)

So tell me, when do you think this kid's gonna be born?

A Little Guy's Room

So for the most part Ninja Baby's room is done. We're still waiting for his glider to come in but other than that, it's looking like somebody's bedroom. So I decided to take some pictures for you all.
Here's a picture from the doorway. The ceiling is painted blue with clouds.
Here's his closet. This kid already has a shit ton of clothes.....thanks in large part to Grandma. His dresser is also full. And you can also see I've been stockpiling diapers in various sizes.

The pictures over his changing table were drawn and painted by my mother for my playroom when I was little. I reframed them.

The toybox was also mine when I was little. My Grandfather made it for me and it's extra special to me as he died when I was 3.

Here's his little crib and bookshelf. Notice how full his bookshelf is? Hopefully he'll have his momma's love of reading. I don't think he'll have much of a choice.

And the turtle? It's actually a nightlight. On the top of the shell is tiny little stars that project themselves onto the ceiling when you turn it on. It's wicked awesome.

So that's it. His room. Just waiting for him.

What do you all think?

He's So Supportive

Spiderman: You peed the bed last night, but don't worry I put down a towel.

Me: Did you ever think that maybe my water broke and you just put down a towel and went back to sleep?

Spiderman: Oh.

Yep. He's ready to be a father.


I'm still not sure where the water came from because neither I nor the pillow between my knees was wet this morning.....

It Might Be Easier to Just Move

My house is a total disaster. I'm still sorting though all the piles of baby junk we got at the shower this past weekend. I would have had this all done, but Sunday was also TRUE BLOOD DAY!!! I really enjoyed the premiere (especially the totally gratuitous nakedness of Eric *sigh*) I think this season is going to be an awesome one!

The shower itself was fun if a little overwhelming. I always make an attempt to talk to everyone who was there and I'm not always comfortable being the sole center of attention. There were so many wonderful gifts and my friends were very helpful with the speedy opening of them. Almost to the point that I really didn't get to see everything that I got until I was home later. At some point this week I'll show you some of my favorite things.

I've had to work the past few days and that has taken up most of my time. So that brings me to today. And the mess that is my house. My sister and friend Angela are coming over to help me organize.

It may even require a trip to Target.

New Addiction

Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm an addict.

I'm addicted to checking my baby registry online.

I check it at least every day. I can't help myself! I love to see what everyone is getting. My shower is Sunday and I can't wait to start putting all Ninja Baby's stuff in his room. After everything is all put together and set up, I'll post pics of his room. It's almost ready, but not quite.

This weekend is going to be awesome and I can't wait! My girlfriend Angela is coming up for the shower on Saturday with her little girl Tori and staying with me. Sunday is both the shower and the premiere of True Blood!!! My mother is ordering extra cupcakes for the shower so that I can take one home to eat while I'm watching. I don't know what I'm more excited about: the shower, the premiere, or the cupcakes! Did I mention that the cupcakes have buttercream frosting? Mmmmmmm....buttercream frosting.........

In other addiction news, I went to Borders yesterday after I got off work. I had a gift card left over from Christmas and wanted to look around. I spent $81!!! OMG!! I really need help. Although, two of the books were for a little guy. I hope that one thing I can pass on to Ninja Baby is my love for reading.

I'm sure gonna try.

Say Yes to Drugs!

For the past two weeks Spiderman and I have been going to our birthing classes. Up until this point, I've been very good at NOT thinking that this kid has to come out. I mean, it's not like I can DO anything about it right? So why worry right?

Well in birthing classes they focus on....that's right.....birthing. I was looking through the book that they gave us and let me just say? Nothing about the process appeals to me. Also? 10 cm is a LOT bigger than you might think. Especially when you consider what has to get that big. The first class I spent a large portion having panic attacks. This week's class was better as we went over pain management options. I'm pretty open to whatever they can do to take the edge off. Just get the baby out quickly, safely, and relatively pain free. It's not like I'm a pioneer woman giving birth on the prairie.

I'm no stranger to pain. I've suffered from migraines my entire life. If I can manage to avoid any unnecessary pain I will do it. I'm not one of those women who wants to experience "natural" anything so that I feel like more of a woman. I want drugs thankyouverymuch!

That's pretty much all I have to say for now since Somebody is kicking the crap out of me and I'm going to go lie down.

Oh, and if you get a chance go to my mom's blog and look at the new header I designed. It's simple, but cute I think.

August or Bust

Every day I intend to post. And every day after work, I am just exhausted. It seems as though we're extra busy, but I could be biased because everything seems like it takes more effort for me now. My feet are swelling more and more after work...especially after my 12 hour shifts. At my last baby dr's appt I mentioned how I'm getting closer to the end and can see the finish line. He just looked at me like I was crazy. I still have a little over 3 months to go he pointed out. I told him that I have a lot going on in those three months and and they should go quickly.

I hope.

I mean, the summer always goes fast. I have things to prep for both at work, and getting ready for Ninja Baby. I have my shower in June. I have books to read and summer movies to watch. We have weddings, and baptisms and birthdays. Holidays and cookouts.

I'm a planner. I have always had a tendency to plan for and anticipate the future. Sometimes I'm so into thinking ahead that I forget to stop and enjoy the Now. Since being pregnant, I've tried to slow down and just enjoy the moment. I won't always be pregnant. I may not even be able to again. My house won't always be this quiet or this calm. I won't always have this much free time. I need to just Enjoy it now. Because my life as I know it is going to Change. In a big way. August will be here before I know it.

I hope.

23 weeks

I figured I haven't posted any pics in a while so here's a new belly shot....

23 weeks and some odd days....