Family Bonding Time

Matt has been saving his vacation days since last Christmas in anticipation of the arrival of a baby. He found out about a month before Logan was born that he could take 5 sick days when Logan was born instead of having to take his vacation days. So, Matt took the week off that Logan was born and with his extra saved up vacation days, decided to take this week off. It has been great having him home. Now that Logan is almost 3 weeks old, we know a little better what we are doing with a newborn which makes our time together more proactive than reactive. Here is what Logan has been up to this week.

Sunday morning I got up to change Logan's diaper before his morning feeding and found that his umbilical cord had fallen off overnight. I was so excited. Now I did not have to be so worried about pulling it off.

On Tuesday, Logan had his first professional photo shoot. I tried to plan his feedings so that he would have a full belly when the photographer arrived and would not have to eat again until after she left. He was really good for the first ½ hour, especially considering he kept being moved between mine and Matt's arms and moved into all kinds of different position. But after 45 minutes, he was done. He was hungry and did not want to take another photo until he had a full belly. So, Logan and I took a time out and after another diaper change, he was at it again. But this time, he passed out. It was after a feeding after all. He stayed asleep for the rest of the pictures and for another 1 ½ hours after the photographer left. It took a lot out of him to be so cute. We should get the pictures back in a week or so and plan on using them for both a birth announcement and our family Christmas card. We can't wait to see them!

Logan had his first Thanksgiving. Knowing that I would not have the time to cook a full Thanksgiving meal for just Matt and I, I ordered a Thanksgiving Meal for Two from a local grocery store. The store bought meal consisted of a turkey breast, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, stuffing, gravy and an apple pie. In an effort to make the meal feel a little more homemade, I made two easy sides to go along with the rest of the meal. We spent the day talking to family, watching some football, napping (on Logan's part) and enjoying our first holiday as the three of us.

Logan's First Thanksgiving

Yeah - Thanksgiving!!!

Logan turns three weeks old on Saturday. We cannot believe that he has been with us for three weeks already. Here is what is new with Logan as he continues to grow and change before our eyes. He can no longer fit into newborn clothes. He can't fully stretch his legs out in them. So, they are now retired and he is wearing 0-3 month clothes. He can't fit into the pant-set outfits yet, but I know it is just a matter of time. Logan is spending more and more time awake each day. He is starting to seem a lot more curious about the world around him. Matt and I are both convinced that he is very close to his first smile. You look at his face and it seems like he so badly wants to make an expression. He is smiling in his sleep, so we are hoping to see one from him soon. He is gaining more and more head control, holding his head up from my chest for a few seconds and turning his head from side to side when on his tummy. He is starting to follow our faces some with his eyes. Logan also got his birth certificate this week. He is almost legal. All we need is the Social Security card. 

Logan's awake time - he likes to stare at the wall.  We think he is criticizing our paint job.

Funny pose while sleeping

Bath Time

Daddy and Logan

My Favorite Thing

In honor of Oprah's “My Favorite Things” episodes (yes – I watch Oprah – after all, I am a stay-at-home mom. I think there is something in the manual about watching it), here is my current favorite thing.

Logan used to spit up a decent bit. I would get him asleep in his bassinet in the middle of the night only to have the entire process ruined by him spitting up in his bassinet. Now, the volume was something that could not be ignored or just wiped up. His sheet would have to be changed. All of which I did by night light to make sure I did not wake a sleeping daddy and hopefully a sleeping baby. After a few nights in a row of this last week, I started to look for a solution. I read that keeping him upright for 20-30 minutes after feeding him would help with spitting up. So, that is now part of our routine. After I finish feeding him, I put him up on my shoulder to burp this very gassy baby and continue to keep him in that position so that he is upright for 20 minutes. Just about every single time, he falls asleep (again, my breast milk is like turkey to him). He wraps his little arm around the top of mine, draws his legs up like a frog and snuggles his head against my chest. It has become my favorite thing. Sometimes, I go a lot longer than the 20 minutes because I love the cuddle time. I even don't mind having to stay awake for another 20 minutes in the middle of the night. 

Time with my sweet baby boy

Close Up

And Away He Grows!

I am a punctual person. I start to get a lot of anxiety when I think I am going to be late for anything. Newborns make that a lot harder. However, despite today being the first time I had to get Logan and I together and out the door by myself, we were on time for Logan's second doctor's appointment. Matt was able to meet us at the doctor's office. At Logan's last doctor's appointment, he weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz. Today's goal line was for Logan to be back to his birth weight, 7 lbs, 5 oz. So, how much did our little boy weigh? 8 lbs even! The boy likes to eat. His newborn outfits are start to get a little snug so I think we might be able to graduate to the 0-3 month outfits. Yeah! We have a lot more of those. Maybe I won't have to do a load of laundry for Logan every day now, maybe every other day. He grew another ¼ of an inch. The doctor said that he looked great. She was impressed by how much head control he had. Matt and I were concerned he was not getting enough “tummy time.” He has only been getting about 10 minutes a day. We asked how long he each day he should be spending on his stomach and she said 30 seconds to a minute at least. We got that without a problem! Another great doctor's appointment. Now, if only that umbilical cord stump would fall off.

Just the Two of Us

Before I was even pregnant with Logan, I told my mom that I would need her for a week after I brought a baby home from the hospital. My mom was more than happy to do so. She has been saving her vacation days for almost a year now so that she could come help. So, for the first week home from the hospital, my mom (aka Mackie) moved in. This gave Matt and I, who took the first week off of work, time to just focus on and adjust to being parents. Mom cooked, cleaned and did tons of laundry while Matt and I fed, diapered, and cared for Logan. Mom was a great support system, offering advice only when we asked (which was frequent). She knew that we had to figure this parenting thing out for ourselves. We cannot thank her enough. Thanks, Mom!

Mom left Sunday morning and Matt returned to work Monday. It was now time for me to take up the position of full-time mom. After all, that is why I left teaching at the end of the last school year. Although, Matt joked that I was trying to audition for the Real Housewives of NH. The week has been a learning process for Logan and me, but mostly me. 

Logan has learned how to sleep like a champ during the night. On average, he is going about 6 hours between the last feeding of the night and the first early morning feeding (the doctor said not to let him go longer than that). What does that mean for Mama? In theory, it is about 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. However, I stir about every hour or so just to make sure Logan is okay. Logan is starting to learn how to work through falling asleep during feedings. I am convinced that there is tryptophan (the amino acid that is in turkey that makes you sleepy) in my breastmilk. He has learned how to take a bath like a man, with no tears. Or maybe we have learned how to bathe him better. He has learned that tummy time is not that bad. His neck muscles seem to be getting stronger every day.

Made it through another bath without tears!!!

Tummy Time!

I have learned that Mom and Billy Mays were right, “it's not clean, unless it's OxiClean.” It will even get out the stains left from a leaky diaper on a white footed-sleeper. I know I am late to the OxiClean ban wagon, but it is a must for a parent. I have learned how to do things one-handed that I did not think were possible. Example - I can peel a banana with one hand! I have learned how to cut and file newborn nails. Harder than doing my own, but easier than doing Rocky's. I have learned that my son makes the most precious noises when he is sleeping. He also has the cutest yawn. It starts like a normal yawn, but he does this throaty-flemmy thing at the end. It's to die for. When burping him on my shoulder, he tightly wraps his little arm around my arm. I have learned that even through his crying, I find him to be perfection. My heart breaks in a good way every time I cuddle with him. I fall more and and more in love with him everyday.

Helping Mama in the kitchen.  Yes, that is a thumb in Logan's mouth.

Logan received his first two packages in the past two weeks. The day we got home from the hospital, Logan received a fruit arrangement by Edible Arrangements from his Aunt Kristin. It was great to have the fresh fruit in the house after two days of hospital food and take-out. Thanks, Kristin! Logan's second package arrived this past Tuesday from Aunt Jenny and Uncle Adam. He got a cozy blanket with his name and birth date on it. It was so fun to get something with Logan's name on it. Thanks, Aunt Jenny and Uncle Adam!

T-shirt and teddy bear - A gift from Nana and Papa while in the hospital

Logan's 1st personalized item!

One of the nurses in the hospital suggested taking pictures each month of Logan with an object so that we can look back and see how he grew over time. I meant to take the first one on Saturday, when he was a week old, but forgot. So, it was taken on Tuesday, when he was 10 days old.

Logan is not amused by the photo session.

Nap time at the Perry House

Logan's First Week

Logan's Speedy Arrival

One of the many fears this expectant mama had was not knowing when I was in labor. On Friday, November 5^th, I had just finished meeting with a friend and on the drive home started to feel something similar to cramps. I did not think too much of it besides maybe false labor pains. I was convinced that this was going to be a very late baby. After about two hours of that same feeling, I started to wonder if they were contractions. So, I did what every normal person who thinks they are in labor would do, I googled "what do contractions feel like?" At about this time, Matt arrived home from work, and I filled him in on what was going on. I was still sure that they were false labor pains. We ate dinner and while still sitting at the table, I decided that we should start to time what I was feeling. The contractions came out to about 8-9 minutes apart and lasted for 30 seconds. We sat down in front of the TV and the contractions kept on coming. Still convinced that they were false, I decided to try out something recommended by the doctor. She said if I am not sure if it is real labor or not, to take a bath. She said false labor would stop and real labor would continue to progress. The contractions progressed. While I packed hospital bags over a month ago (no surprise to anyone I am sure), there were some last minute things to go in. So, Matt and I finished packing the bags. We continued to time the contractions, and at about midnight they were 6 minutes apart lasting for a minute each. I decided it was time to call the doctor. She said that as long as I was comfortable laboring at home to stay home for a few hours and then come to the hospital. I was comfortable. That was part of the reason I had a hard time believing I was in labor. I thought I would be in more pain. So, since it was so late and I was feeling ok, Matt and I decided to try to get some sleep because we knew it would be a long day. He slept for about two hours, and I laid in bed, attempting to rest between contractions. I woke Matt up at 2am and told him we needed to time the contractions again. They were coming 3-4 minutes apart. So, we loaded up the car and headed to the hospital.

My concern, because I was not in a whole lot of pain, was that we would get to the hospital and they would tell me that I was only 2 centimeters dilated. We got to the hospital at about 3:45 am. After being checked, I was 6 ½ centimeters!!! Neither of us could believe it. So, I was quickly admitted to the hospital and taken to what would be our home for the next two days. Once in the room, I was given an IV bag because I wanted an epidural. While the pain was not that bad, I figured that it would be before all was said and done. A nurse from the lab drew blood to start the process of getting me an epidural. During all of this, Matt went to get our bags from the car. Once he got back, everyone seemed to be done getting me set up and moved out of the room. Then the contractions started to get a lot worse. Within about 10 minutes, I felt the urge to push. If Matt and I remembered nothing from our Childbirth Education Classes, it was "when you feel the urge to push, don't! Just push the button" to get someone into the room. So, Matt pushed every button he could to no avail. So, he ran out into the hallway to get someone's attention. In the meantime, my water broke. This is where the whole process starts to become a little bit more of a blur to both Matt and me. Many people rushed into the room, and I heard "go get the doctor." Logan was ready to come out; he did not want to wait anymore. What did that mean for me? No epidural. I was doing this thing 100% natural. It only took minutes for the doctor to get there while the rest of the room buzzed with people readying the room for delivery. And then the pushing process started. While I cannot tell you exactly how many contractions I pushed through or how many minutes it lasted, I can tell you that it did hurt. However, after about 15-20 minutes of pushing, Logan made his entrance into the world. He let out a few cries and was laid on my chest. He quickly calmed down as Matt and I were overcome by the sight and first contact with our son. He was able to stay on my chest for about a half hour before they took him to the warmer in the room, which is where Logan had his first photo/video shoot by Daddy while he was weighed and cleaned up some more. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 5 oz and measured 20 inches long.

We entered the doors of the hospital at 3:45 am and Logan Dennis Perry was born at 5:18 am. He made a very speedy entrance. While it was not the labor process either one of us expected, the outcome has far exceeded our expectations. Our baby boy is beyond perfect. Sure, every new parent says that, but he is. Just see for yourself. 

Logan's First Doctor Appointment

Two days after coming home from the hospital, Logan had his first doctor's appointment. Getting ready for our first outing with a newborn took some time and made us realize that while we thoroughly prepared for Logan's arrival home, there were a few things we overlooked when we decided to venture out of the house. For example, we did not have travel wipes. So Matt prepared a ziplock bag of wipes. Once we got in the car and on the road, I realized what a bad Mama I was. I forgot a hat!!! Luckily, I had about a million blankets to wrap around Logan and the car seat itself once it was exposed to the air. 

All newborns are expected to loose 8-10% of their body weight within the first few days of life. They are expected to be back to their birth weight at 2 weeks of age. After being 7 lbs, 5 oz at birth, Logan was 6 lbs, 14 oz the morning we were discharged from the hospital. Just two days later, he weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz!!! He is having no problem eating as he is well on his way to being back to his birth weight before the two week mark. Again, one of my fears as a new mom is if he has been getting enough to eat. This is a hard thing to judge with breast milk. He also tested out his lungs as the doctor checked him out. No problems there! In fact, we skipped the desk to make our next appointment in an effort to get back to the car to try and sooth the little man's cries.

All in all, a good first outing.

Splish, Splash

Another first for Logan. While he received his first bath in the hospital, it was at the hands of the nurse (with a team of 4 student nurses watching – what a show!). So, Tuesday night, Matt and I gave bathing our son a go. Of course, it took us forever to set up the tub and everything else needed. All three grandparents were happy to babysit as we got ready. They were also happy to play the part of videographer and photographers to document the big moment. If Logan only knew what was going on. He did not like his first spa experience. Who would at the hand of two novices? But at the end we had a clean boy who was happy to stop crying the minute he was back in Mama's arms (who was crying herself because no new Mama can hear her baby cry that much and not join him). Luckily, the next bath experience two nights later went much better. Not a tear was shed either by Logan or Mama. For Logan's part, the tears might have stopped because it was the first bathing experience without a team watching. How embarrassing! But a necessary rite of passage.

Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures

I know that some of you have been waiting for pictures.  Below are some of our favorites from Logan's first week of life.

Papa, Nana and Logan

Mama, Mackie, and Logan

Big Bro Rocky checking on Logan

All the Grandparents!!!

Hello Blue Eyes

Just Chillin'

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to Our New Blog

If you are viewing this, our baby boy has arrived!  Shortly, this will be where you can keep up with our newly expanded family.  I plan on posting pictures and updates of our little boy on a very regular basis.  Well, as much of a regular basis as a new Mama can.