A Completed Family

So knowing we have had our last baby and that we are a completed family has such a nice free feeling to it...I had NO idea I'd feel this way knowing Pierce is our last baby. When I was pregnant with him I thought (and semi feared) that I'd miss being pregnant and be so sad I'd never experience pregnancy ever again. Honestly, I'd totally sign up to be a surrogate, but since I have to have surgery to fix what my babies did to my body and to be a surrogate means there's a chance we could end up with a surprise pregnancy of our own and I REALLY don't want that I'll have to pass. The sickness and pains are hard, but providing a baby for someone else would be such a magical thing!

However, I love being able to shave my legs without maneuvering around a big belly. I love having energy to play with my kids and finding ways to divide my attention to all of them each day (I know most people struggle with this when it comes to multiple kids, but I actually love finding ways to connect with each kid each day). I love being able to bend into my washer to get the clothes that are at the bottom...this was SO hard when pregnant, but not anymore. I love not throwing up anymore (I mean, the only reason I threw up in the last 6 years was pregnancy related). I love knowing the workout routine I'm working on now won't be interrupted in a few months because I'll be pregnant again and now I just get to work on toning and fixing my abs as much as I can on my own (and I hope to build up to being able to run again...I haven't done that in SO long). There's just so much I'm excited for now that we are done.

To be honest, adjusting to 4 kids is harder than I thought it would be. I figured once you had 2 anything after that is just adding to the chaos and you should be used to it after that. I'm not sure if it's because Pierce is a boy or because our nursing journey was a bit more exclusive, maybe it's because my other kids are older and getting into more of a schedule of their own, or maybe it's because I've been reading so much about newborns and their sleep that I'm just overthinking everything. Either way, it's been a bit more stressful for me (for reasons even I can admit are ridiculous sometimes). It's enough to know I'm confident that I don't want or need any more children.

My plans, for now, is to get an arm implant for our birth control when he's about 6 months old, and when he's a year old I would like to talk to my doctors about getting a salpingectomy (tube removal) since it's basically a vasectomy for women - as outpatient as it gets. They can do it quickly, and without any scars, from what I've read. Plus it's basically a guaranteed permanent birth control (and MUCH easier recovery than a hysterectomy, which is what I was going to go for, originally). Then I get to get my tummy tuck surgery to fix my hernia and split abs and I'm SO excited to get that done.

Yup...we're complete and happy

So, with any luck, this time next year I'll be done with all that and we really be a complete family. I look forward to having game nights together, a movie night or taking them to a movie, everyone in their own rooms and beds. I am excited to plan family vacations again and having date nights with Larry (we've hardly had any 1:1 dates since we started having babies because I get too nervous leaving young ones with anyone else, but once Pierce is a year old I won't worry so much about it...I don't think). I can't help but do a happy dance at all these thoughts!

 

Larry's Birthday

Yesterday was Larry's birthday. Unfortunately, just like Father's Day we knew it wasn't going to be the most exciting day, but I tried my best to help him feel special.

Luckily, Pierce let him sleep in (I say that since he's on nights right now). I was able to get some good gifts ordered and wrapped up in time. I also realized we should go out to dinner as well. I asked him if he'd be okay with that since it might mess with Pierce's schedule. He liked the idea of going to Leatherby's so we made those plans.

Luckily, he liked his gifts and sleeping in. He also got to drop Pierce off with me so that he could get a peaceful shower (since he's in the middle of nap training Pierce this is a bit of a luxury haha).

After I got off work we ran to Leatherby's for dinner. He loves their bubble gum ice cream and I figured the least I could do was buy him dinner. We had to stop at a grocery store on the way since we forgot bottle makings for Pierce (we got too used do breastfeeding, apparently), but luckily Leatherby's wasn't too busy so we were able to get a table right away. We got some yummy food and we ordered 3 scoops of ice cream (bubble gum for the birthday guy, play doh for the kids, and I got brownie fudge). Poor Pierce got sleepy and I had to rock him to sleep, but luckily he took a good nap in the car seat and then on the way home.

After getting the kids down he did some more studying for his test he had this morning and called it an early night.

Sadly, the only shot I got the whole actual birthday day

Luckily, he passed the test (this was a HUGE relief as it was an expensive test and there was some high stakes with passing) so I feel like that's good birthday juju. He also thought it would be fun to go out as a family so we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point's Ashton Garden area for their Dinosaur Island display after nap time. The girls love dinosaurs and so we knew it would be a fun one. This time we packed a couple bottle makings, grabbed some water, snacks, and sunscreen for the rest of us and headed out. I figured since I didn't have Friday off we really couldn't do much for his day, but if this is what he wanted to do today it kind of makes up for it (a little bit, but we still do owe him a good birthday next year). 

The dinosaur exhibit was really fun. Lucy would run up to them, then they'd move and she'd get scared and come back to me to be held. Cara and Gwen just got excited to run up to them and watch them move. If they didn't move they'd say "I think that one is tired". They loved their snacks and we were able to actually enjoy being outside for a couple hours. It was VERY hot so we did some sweating so I let Larry get a nice shower in after dinner (I know showers aren't that exciting, but I feel like it's the little nice things I can do that maybe count a bit) and then we got the kids to bed and had our snacks and relaxed.

Anyways, I hope he knows how much we appreciate and love him. He's so good at handling new babies (I wish I was as calm as he is, he doesn't stress about anything it seems like). He's so silly and fun to play with and when he has time off of work I love that he likes to clean the house and make it look nice. I can't wait to celebrate all the rest of his birthdays and really make the last few up to him (a couple years ago his birthday was only okay because we had Lucy and he had just gotten lasik done so that one wasn't the greatest either). 

I hope he knows we love his silly shirts he wears and how he will drive so carefully, even though I give him crap for going slow like a grandpa haha. I love that I can tell him anything and everything. I love that when I'm stressed out he'll tell me to take a step away and he'll just handle all the chaos (he's REALLY good at that). I love that he knows how much I love having me time so he does what he can for me to get that. And I love how he's so driven to work higher and higher within his job to support the family more and he helps me stay on my financial goals (and encourages and motivates me to make professional goals so I can also work higher and higher).

Pierce is THREE Months

 I am THREE months old!

I like: Playing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" or "if you're happy and you know it..." songs with him, when we talk to him and ask him to say words, when we wag our tongue, when I do my breathing quickly and ending with "hi!" when we mention he has stinky diapers haha. He's actually really easy to make smile, he loves when anyone is interacting with him so much, and I love that!

One nap in the pack n play

But naps on mom are still preferred

I dislike: being hungry (even a tiny little bit), being put down and having us walk away, going to sleep on his own (but once he's asleep he's usually good).

He didn't hate the grass

I am now: Before I went back to work he was about 13 lbs according to our unofficial check (I was pretty proud of that). He is growing out of strictly 3 month clothes and so we mostly put him in 3-6 month ones. He's in size 2 diapers, but I'm almost wondering if he should be more in size 3. He's a growing boy!

A Typical Day looks like: We're still working out the kinks since my return but it typically looks like this:

Wake up between 7 and 8, get his first 6-6.5 oz bottle around 8 AM. 

He'll usually last until around 9:30/10 when he starts to get fussy. Dad walks around with him until he falls asleep and then puts him in the pack n play in the office with the fan on.

He'll nap for about an hour, on the long end right now (if we're lucky)

He'll get his next bottle around 11, another 6-6.5 oz. He almost always poops during the feeding or right after so we don't change him until he's done.

He usually takes his next nap around 12 ish. Same thing where dad walks around or just holds him until he falls asleep, then puts him down. Again, it's an hour if we're lucky (we try and extend it with the binky, sometimes that works, sometimes not so much).

Next 6-6.5 oz bottle at 2 and diaper change. He'll then nap around 3/3:30, this one is usually only about 45 minutes. 

Next 6 oz bottle at 5. We sometimes run an errand or go for a walk around 6 to get him a last nap of the day, otherwise he'll fight it SO hard

Bedtime at 7:45: diaper change, lotion, owlet, pajamas, and a 6 oz bottle. Burp and put down. If he's not passed out we give him a binky to help him go to sleep

Check out the eyebrow action

Play usually just consists of mat time, reading, talking to him, singing to him, and maybe a little bit of tummy time. It's pretty sporadic right now as far as that stuff goes. 

This Month: We started getting him to nap independently (thanks to dad). The first day was REALLY rough. Both of us were still working (Larry started his two weeks off the Monday after I went back) and so he had a hard time with it and I had to listen to a LOT of crying that broke my heart (we joked I cried more that day than my whole leave). We know it's important for him to learn so we have to just power through, but it's not always easy. The weekend after the first day was good, and then Monday was bad. Tuesday was when he started to kind of get into a rhythm. He has to be held to go to sleep, but then once he's asleep we can transfer him and he'll get a nap by himself. It's always a short nap, or at least shorter than it was when he was napping with me, but I know that's pretty typical of this age. I'm hoping he'll learn to nap longer, if not he'll just be our baby that doesn't nap much.

Not sure the fascination with my neck haha

I will say ending nursing and switching to bottles was emotional and relieving at the same time. My last nursing session was his feeding at 4 in the morning on Friday, the 24th. He only got up twice that night to nurse and I made sure to snuggle him for a bit longer than normal after he was done because I knew it was our last. I was SO okay with it at the time, but by the afternoon that day I was getting very emotional over not nursing him or snuggling with him anymore. I mean I can still snuggle him, but not the same way. I thought I would be so happy to be done and never look back, but it's been a bit sad for me. I've made sure to hold him as much as I can during the day. Also, Pierce really didn't know what to do with bottles at first. I knew he'd figure it out eventually, but it was a bit stressful for me at first. Luckily, once he figured it out he took to it so well. It also helped him figure out taking a binky as well so that's been nice (I figured that would happen). I think he just didn't like the silicon/plastic taste in his mouth, but once he figured it was his new food source he didn't mind it. 

Future Packers Fan!!

Napping was a rough go at first, like I mentioned. I'm hoping he'll figure it out better as time goes on, but he's definitely our most finicky napper. Luckily, it hasn't impacted his night sleep in any negative way. So far he's been sleeping through the night since Monday, the 27th. Saturday to Sunday night he only got up once (at 2 AM) so it's been improving each night. Getting him down for bed has also gotten a bit easier. Dad was super brave and took away the swaddle, the snuggle me lounger, the gas drops, and the nose sucker (that I always did before bed to help keep him clear throughout the night). I was so nervous he changed the routine too much and that Pierce would be confused, but he figured it out quickly. Now it's just me who needs to figure out the new routine haha.

Our first day away from each other...Snuggles
Were needed

But he's still really happy

Update on last month's goals:

• Figure out how to get him to sleep on his own and lengthen the morning wake up: He's definitely sleeping on his own at night and does pretty well. Still usually has one wake up after we put him down, but usually by 9 PM he's down for good (so we just have to rock him a bit when he has that wake up). And with bottles he's better at sleeping until 7:30 at the very least. Sometimes he'll sleep from 8/9-7 AM and we'll just start his day early if he went the whole night without a feeding.
  
  
• Figure out a good gas solution to help him sleep at night: We stopped the gas drops and he seems to be doing okay. He poops a lot at night, because of the formula, so Larry mentioned he'll do hafl the feed, have to change him, then finish the feeding and get him back down.
  
  
• Read to him: I've done this more, but not a lot, so I'd like to do this a lot more this next month.
  
  
• Tummy Time: ugh, sad to say we've dropped the ball on this one. I'm putting this at the top of the list for next month because I know he needs it.
  

Goals for next month:

• Tummy Time/Rolling Over!!
  
  
• Napping better
  
  
• Finding ways to play with him and keep interacting with him