My Cuties

Caleb with his BFF

Joseph really getting into his book

Savanna sporting her new high heels

Isaac +50% birth weight
+ double chin

Second Bath

Isaac's umbilical cord finally fell off today. So I gave him a bath.
Doesn't he look like he's ready for a boxing match?

Love his hair! That's not a request!
His sleeping bag. It doesn't make sense to me: lions, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, dogs, and dinosaurs...?

Smile

Isaac's Theme Song for the Week

I-I-I-I-I-I
I came to dance-dance-dance-dance
I hit the floor cause that's my plans plans plans plans
I'm wearing all my favorite brands brands brands brands
Give me some space for both my hands hands hands hands.
Yeah, yeah.

Cause it goes on and on and on.
And it goes on and on and on.
Yeah.

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes
Saying ay-oh, gotta let go.
I wanna celebrate and live my life
Saying ay-oh, baby let's go.
Cause we gon rock this club
We gon' go all night
We gon' light it up
Like it's dynamite.
Cause I told you once
Now I told you twice
We gon light it up
Like it's dynamite

I came to move move move move
Get out the way of me and my crew crew crew crew
I'm in the club so I'm gonna do do do do
Just what the came here to do do do do
Yeah, yeah....

I'm gonna take it all like
I'm gonna be the last one standing
I'm alone and all I
I'm gonna be the last one landing.
Cause I-I-I believe it
And I-I-I, I just want it all, I just want it all.
I'm gonna put my hands in the air
Ha-hands hands in the air
Put your hands in the air-air-air-air-air-air-air-air....

Still New

Bryan and I got a little sleep today, between the two of us. Yay! Here are my thoughts today:

1. Today's class in heaven is Smiling 101. We've gotten some glimpses of this sweet baby's smiles.

2. This boy likes to suck. He is good at nursing, pacifiers, and bottles. I'm sure he would be good at his fingers too, if I let him have them--I haven't clipped those fingernails yet.

3. I think he likes to be swaddled, but he always tries to get his hands free. Maybe because he thinks it's time to eat all the time.

4. And I think pictures of newborns, without the context of other humans, always make them look much bigger than they are. Oh, well. Here is a skewed view of what Isaac looks like:

We love his hair. I have a feeling, though, that it will all fall out and grow in blonde.

Isaac

8 lb. 3 oz., 19 in.
My visiting teacher came to the house at 5:30 in the morning to watch the kids. Bryan and I went to the hospital at 6:00. We started pitocin at 7:00 to get the baby to engage. The doctor broke my water just before noon. Isaac was born just before 2:00 in the afternoon.

Only three things were remarkable about this delivery. One, I did not get an epidural. Two, his arm came out with his head (like Superman). And three, the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck was not an issue. Maybe because his arm was in the way?

Isaac and I are doing great, so they let us come home today (right about 24 hours after delivery). Bryan gets to stay with us for the rest of the week, and my mom arrives this weekend. The kids are loving the new baby, each in their own way. Caleb wants to have plenty of turns to hold the baby. Savanna just wants to touch his hair and tell me how cute he is. Joseph wants to point out all of the baby's features by grabbing them as gently as he knows how....

Thank you for all your prayers and offers of help. :)

Pregnancy Progress Report

Sometimes I avoid writing all of the little details of my daily life because I am afraid of boring you. But then I find that I rarely tell you what's going on at all. In fact, I have purposefully decided not to reveal my due date because I can't stand the idea of all of you biting your fingernails in anticipation. Or maybe just that I actually can't stand the constant comments and questions toward the end, when I know exactly how much more time until my due date-thank-you-very-much. And yes, I know I look like I could deliver any day-thank-you-very-much (yes, people have said quite tactless things this time around--and yet all I can do is laugh or else I'd cry). So here is the DL, sans due date.

Let's just say that I'm going to weekly visits now.

And for those of you who can stomach my personal numbers (because I, for one, am fascinated with the anatomy of pregnancy):
50% effaced
2.5 dilation

Now, don't go telling me your predictions on when I'm going to deliver. The doctors are never accurate, so you won't be either. I'm just satisfied with the fact that I'm making progress. Because (and here I'm going to take a tangent):

With all of my previous deliveries, I believe I went to the hospital too soon. But far along enough that they admitted me. And then force-fed me IVs and pitocin, and strapped me to a bed with monitors. And then the contractions would slow, they'd up the pitocin, and I'd be in labor forever. So then I began to wonder, would my body ever actually go into labor on it's own? Because this time around, we will be paying a hefty sum to bring this baby into the world. And because of that, I am completely aware that an epidural would cost me over $1000. Since I have had two faulty epidurals, and therefore am acquainted with the pain of labor, I'm going to forego the epidural this time. Which means, I really don't want to be strapped to a bed, and IV, and pitocin (which supposedly makes the contractions harder and more painful). So all of that to tell you that I'm just really glad that my body is naturally progressing on it's own.

Now, don't go biting your fingernails. I'm planning on making it all the way to my due date, which is still far enough away. Because if I don't think that way, I will only cause myself frustration.

Ciao.

P.S. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Commiseration is welcome. Questions may or may not be answered.