Home Pooper

My little mann has been going to day care for 2 days, and it's already apparent that he's a home pooper. While I was staying home with him during my maternity leave, I would place him in his vibrating bouncy seat first thing in the morning as soon as he woke up before I changed his diaper. Why before I changed his diaper? As soon as his butt felt the rumble of the bouncy seat, he made some rumbles of his own down below. He doesn't go #2 at night, so his first order of business in the morning is to clear himself out in a flood of feces.
The first day we picked Jim-Jim up from day care, we read the daily report and saw that he had not pooped at all that day! That was unusual, but even more intriguing was that he pooped as soon as I picked him up out of the car seat and sat on the couch. Fluke? I think not! The same exact thing happened today when I got home. No poop at day care, an eruption when I picked him up out of the car seat. I foresee many uncomfortable rides home ending in a race to the bathroom in our future!

Kara

I miss me, too.

Jim and I were laying in bed one night, and he said, "I miss you so much." I was a bit confused by his statement. Other than when he goes to work, we spend every waking and sleeping moment together. He has even been able to work from home on many occasions, so he could spend more time with Jim-Jim and me. In trying to figure out what he meant, I thought about our life before Jim-Jim. We carpooled to work together every morning and spent the last few minutes before he dropped me off praying for our day. We enjoyed the 30 minute commute because it gave us time to connect before we went our separate ways for work. We even made the decision to place Jim-Jim in a daycare in Lewisville, so we could still have our time alone together on the way to Dallas in the mornings. All of that has stopped since we've had the baby. Before Jim-Jim, we began our Saturday and Sunday mornings sleeping late and groggily waking up next to one another. We would roll out of bed around 9:30 am or 10:00 am, and Jim would make breakfast. Jim-Jim has completely altered our weekend routine. We no longer wake up next to one another on the weekend. Jim-Jim's natural rhythm has him waking up around 6:30 am. The one who took the late feeding sleeps late while the other takes care of the boy when he wakes up. It's an unsettling feeling because waking up alone is what happens when you're single, not married. After thinking about all of this, I realize I miss him just as strongly!

Not only do I miss Jim, but I miss myself! I would describe myself as someone who loves playing sports, loves the outdoors, and thrives on being around other people. The pregnancy and post-operative care has turned me into someone I don't recognize. My doctor cut me off from all physical activity during my pregnancy (except for walking but I walk all day at work and that's the LAST thing I'm going to do when I get home...especially since my ankles are non-existant by the end of the day!) and after the c-section. The active person that I once was has become sedentary. I have also been socially deprived. The contact with my patients and coworkers was taken away when I went on maternity leave, so I talk to a little baby all day who has yet to talk back. Who is this woman?

I'm sitting here typing at 6:30 am on Saturday morning while Jim sleeps in the bedroom and Jim-Jim sits in his bouncy seat on the floor next to my lap top. I look over at Jim-Jim, he makes eye contact, and gives me the widest toothless grin. It's in this moment that I realize whomever it is that I'm sacrificing for this little guy is totally worth it! There will come a time when I get to play sports and coach Jim-Jim, and Jim and I will continue to be creative regarding how we incorporate our quality time. But for now, Jim-Jim needs me to be someone I don't recognize so he can become whomever it is that he's going to be. It is only temporary, after all!

Kara

Sit. Stay. Good Dog!

We admit, you've been treated like a dog since we brought Jim-Jim home. You don't get to lay on my lap as much as you were accustomed to, and you may not get fed at the exact same time every day, but cut us some slack. Your baby brother has turned our world upside down! We're so proud of how patient you have been with Jim-Jim and how concerned you are about him when he cries. Bailey, if you stick around we'll let you sniff as many butts as you like.

Kara and Jim

That was MY belly!

I worked so hard! I cuddled that baby and kept him warm for nine months. Every time my mom sat on the couch or on the bed, I lied across her belly. I protected her when the UPS man came by (I think he started knocking and leaving packages by the door to avoid me). Shoot, I was the one who told her she was pregnant! My constant need to be by her side (even in the bathroom where I normally REFUSE to go because that's where I get baths) prompted her to Google "dogs predicting pregnancy" before she had any indication that she may be pregnant. She found out that we canines are pretty talented and can smell the hormone change in a woman when she gets pregnant. And how do they thank me? By replacing me! Do I get to lay on my mom's belly anymore? No, it's now occupied by this squirmy little baby that smells funny if you ask me! Do I get to sleep by mommy? No, the bed is now raised so high to create storage space that I can't even jump up! I just have one thing to say: Dog for sale! I like long walks, lots of treats, cuddling, and smelling other dog's butts.

Bailey

Again?!

I'm pregnant. Okay, pull your jaw off of the floor. I'm not really pregnant, but I do have a 1 in 200 chance of becoming pregnant. Since I am breastfeeding, the doctor prescribed a special type of birth control (yes folks, we learned our lesson;) that won't affect my ability to breast feed. Being the nerd that I am, I read the prescription insert from beginning to end prior to beginning the prescription. It stated that 1 out of 200 people get pregnant while taking the pill perfectly. Perfectly means that the pill is taken at the EXACT same time every day without missing a day. Those who don't take the pill perfectly have a 1 out of 20 chance of getting pregnant! Let's put that in perspective. I go to an amazing church that has a congregation size of 20,000 on a given weekend (http://www.fellowshipchurch.com/). We'll assume half of those are women of reproductive potential. That means that 50 of those women would get pregnant while taking the pill perfectly while 500 of those women would get pregnant while taking the pill imperfectly (they don't even have to miss a day!!!). That many babies would overwhelm the children's ministry! So I set my alarm on my cell phone as a reminder and hope for the best. What it boils down to, though, is that if God wants us to have another baby we will, and we will feel so blessed that God has trusted us to raise another one of His children. But feel free to call me at 1:00 pm to remind me to take my pill!

Note: The ultrasounds are of Jim-Jim when I was 8 weeks, 10 weeks, and 12 weeks along. How Jim-Jim got from there to in my arms is truly a miracle and God's handiwork!

Kara

Bodily Functions

"Use a tissue", "Cover your mouth when you cough", "Say excuse me", "Spray or light a match". Moms have been repeating these phrases for centuries, nagging their offspring (and husbands at times) to hide/excuse their bodily functions. Pregnancy changes many things, and how we respond to our bodily functions is one of them.

The paradigm shift began immediately when I got pregnant. The gastrointestinal system of the pregnant body moves at a snail's pace, and constipation results which is incredibly uncomfortable! Luckily, I only struggled with this for a few weeks at the beginning of my pregnancy, but as a result every bowel movement was something to be celebrated. I would come out of the restroom and say, "I pooed good, baby!", and Jim would respond, "Yay! I'm so happy for you!". I'd like to say this stopped after my issues resolved but we still celebrate a good BM:)

Fast forward to post-delivery. I had a c-section which required me to fast prior to having the operation. After delivery, they kept me on a clear liquid diet (juice, ice chips, popsicles) until I passed gas. I think their expectations were a bit high. You deprive me of food before I come in and you deprive me of food after the operation is completed, but somehow my bowels are supposed to be functioning? Every nurse/doctor/family member upon entering the room would ask me if I'd passed gas. I'd never talked about my toots (or lack thereof) so much in my life! I went in on Thursday evening and wasn't able to order real food until Saturday morning! I reached a point where I was ready to start claiming other people's farts so I could eat! Needless to say, when I did finally pass gas I let everyone know! The conversation went something like this: "Baby, I tooted!" to which Jim replied, "Yay! You can eat!". I'd like to say our exuberance at farting ceased after my first meal, but to this day we get excited about a toot. If Jim toots, I say, "Yay! You can eat!" and vice versa. So, if you're in our vicinity and we randomly start talking about eating, walk away:)

As excited as we get about our own bodily function, Jim-Jim's take the cake! Why is that? We know that every toot or burp he releases is one less thing he has to cry about! Jim-Jim will be lying on one of our tummies when we're sitting on the couch together, and we'll hear him pass gas (either avenue is acceptable). We lock eyes, smile, and then high five all while congratulating the boy. Notice I said we have to lock eyes before celebrating. It takes that split second for us to look into each other's eyes and decide whether it was the boy or our significant other. We either point at the kid or smirk as if to say, "Oh yeah, that was me". In either case, a high five results:)

Jim-Jim, enjoy this time of freedom with your bodily functions because before long I will be saying, "Use a tissue", "Cover your mouth when you cough", "Say excuse me", "Spray or light a match". You will have to wait until your wife gets pregnant before you can start publicly celebrating your bodily functions again!

Kara

Rubber Ducky

The idea for this post began as a way to show how much Jim-Jim has grown. In fact, Version 3.0 and Version 4.0 enjoy their bath time so much we don't even use the bath support anymore. I just pulled it out as a frame of reference for his growth. The first picture is of his first real bath when he was 2 weeks old. The second picture is of his bath tonight at 5 weeks old. Look how much he's grown in 3 weeks!

This post also serves to show how much of a pro Jim-Jim has become at taking baths. I think it's imminent that we're going to have a pool in our backyard, or we will be visiting our city pool often. He's quite the water rat! He and daddy have such a good time taking baths! Does anyone know any good pool contractors? Also, can you tell where Jim-Jim got his toes? I'll give you one guess...
Side Note: Jim-Jim, you're welcome for preserving your dignity by not posting your man-parts for all of the world to see. You can thank me by putting me in a nice home one day!

Kara

FREEDOM!

William Wallace shouted, "Freedom!" on the battlefield when he was fighting Edward I of England for Scottish Independence in the movie Braveheart. I am not Mel Gibson, and I would not get paid millions of dollars to yell this phrase, but I almost shouted, "Freedom!" with the same fervor in the aisles of Walmart while shopping for snacks for Bible Study. You see, for the first time I was able to leave my apartment without Jim-Jim, and I didn't have to worry about what time I had to return home. On the only other occasion when I left Jim-Jim at home with his daddy, I had to return home within an hour and a half because I was carrying the only source of milk on my chest. This time limit shackled me to my apartment on numerous occasions. Thanks to Medela and their wonderful breast pump, I was able to stock up a hefty supply of breast milk in the freezer and effectively remove the shackles off my chest. This newfound freedom brought such a wave of emotion that I would have yelled in the condiment aisle of Walmart had I not been worried about getting thrown out and cutting my cherished excursion short. Thank you Medela for freeing me!

Kara

Baby Steps

Ah...I see Jim-Jim blogged a little. His post is reassuring. Why? It suggests he wants me for ME, not because I have a pair of milk jugs attached to my chest!

This blog isn't about Jim-Jim walking as the title suggests (c'mon...he's only a month old!). One of my favorite times is in the middle of the night after I've nursed Jim-Jim, I rock him and watch him fall asleep. Once he's entered a deep state of sleep, his face becomes very animated and he cracks the most precious smiles (see picture #1). In fact, I wait until I've seen two good smiles before I attempt to lay him in his crib. Now, he's giving these same precious smiles when he's awake (see picture #2). Why is this important? It's progress. It's a sign that we may not always be waking up 2 times a night for an hour each to nurse, and we won't always be changing the vilest of diapers. Keep taking those baby steps, Jim-Jim!

Kara

Little Boys Get Lonely, too

This morning, my mommy decided to take one of the few opportunities she gets to get a quick shower, so she put me in my vibrating bouncy chair to wait. The past couple of days I have been suffering through a growth spurt, so I am really not a happy camper right now. She stepped out of the shower to the sound of my screams. She's such a wonderful mommy that she quickly threw on a robe to come calm me down. As soon as she sat on the couch on front of my bouncy chair, I quieted and stared at her with my beautiful eyes. She thought it very interesting that she didn't even have to pick me up to calm my screams! Being a lover of the sciences, she decided to test this to see if it was merely coincidence (the scientific method says that results have to be reproducible). Leaving me in my bouncy chair, she went off to do whatever mommies do after a shower. As soon as she got to the bathroom, my wails pierced the air again. She came into the living room and once again my cries quieted as soon as she sat on the couch in front of my bouncy chair. You can see in the pictures how content I was when she came back in the room, BOTH times. Scientific method or not, my mommy now knows that little boys get lonely, too!

Jim-Jim

Yes, yes...I am very well-spoken for a 4-week old :)

This Little Piggy...

Disclaimer: No pigs were harmed in the making of this child.
From the moment Jim-Jim arrived in this world, our child has snorted like a pig. Besides being hilarious, it's a wonderful barometer for the intensity of his desires. Jim and I listen to the baby until the porcine-esque snorts erupt from his snout, and then we know he means business! This little piggy wants milk!!!
Kara

From the mouth of babes

We had a family reunion for Jim's side of the family over the 4th of July weekend. Several of the clan had congregated in the hotel room to wait for Jim's mom and Grandma to arrive. Great grandma hadn't yet met Jim-Jim, so I rushed to nurse the boy so great grandma could spend as much time doting on him as she wished. Anyone who has breast-fed knows that this is a process that can't be rushed, but I sure tried. While great grandma was cuddling Jim-Jim, he became very fussy due to my failed attempt at getting him to finish quickly. I told everyone that he wasn't done eating and Carter, his sweet little 4-year-old cousin, looked me in the eye in all her innocence and said, "Aunt Kara, do you not have any more milk in your nipples?" Her candidness at this biological function left me speechless! What will she come up with next???
Kara

Can I have some fries with that shake?

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death." Anais Nin

Such a simple concept but so difficult to embrace! It is tempting to reach the status quo and become content in remaining there. I'm no different! In the snow globe of my life, I would elect to have the snow neatly shoveled off of my driveway with an average-sized snowman adorning my yard. When living a Christian life, you don't have the luxury of electing the status quo. Change is inevitable! God is the master of my snow globe domain, and He's given it a powerful shake! I've been enjoying watching the snowflakes fall where they may, knowing that the snowflakes aren't haphazardly falling but are being placed by divine hands.

The adventure began when God led me to my soul mate, a man I would marry in September 2007. We decided that God would be in charge of our birth control, and we found out quickly that God is pro-life! For the first 9 months of our marriage, my body was responsible for nurturing a human life within itself. There is nothing like a new marriage and pregnancy hormones to make life interesting! Jim-Jim arrived June 2008 and has completely altered our world! Jim and I were standing over his crib one evening and discussed that Jim-Jim has only been in this world 3 weeks but we can't imagine a time when he wasn't here. That snowflake fell into his crib and took our hearts with it. I have never fallen in love with something so completely and so quickly! Especially something that only eats, sleeps, and poops!
Kara