Out and about

When Caleb was born, Dave and I were homebodies for a while. Not quite sure how to do the whole breastfeeding in public thing, I can recall planning outings around when Caleb would need to nurse and retreating to the car to feed him any time he needed it. In particular, I remember the day we first dared to venture to the mall and how exhilarating it felt to be outside of the house, like we were normal people once again. I get kind of tickled when I think back to how we headed to the car when it was time to nurse and I hunched in the backseat with Caleb covered up, hoping no one would walk by and see us through the tinted windows. I was doing it though - feeding him in public (well, kind of), and felt liberated to be able to take him out to see a little more than just the inside of our abode.

With Hadley, things were much different. I worried her arrival would restrict us to the house once again, but things went much smoother than before. She was easy to nurse, and I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable feeding her in public as I used to be. And, although it took more time to get ready, I just did double what I was doing before (getting them dressed, snapping them in their carseats, etc.), and we mastered a new routine pretty quickly. 

But three! Three was going to be a whole new ball game - or so I thought. As D day approached, I was absolutely positive that adding a fifth member to our family was going to slow us down significantly. Surprisingly though, my estimate was somewhat off. While to some degree having a third little person has made us apply the brakes at times, we've also had quite a few opportunities to get out of the house since Reid's arrival. 

As I mentioned before, our first outing was to get newborn pictures done and ended up including a quick stop at NaNa's on the way home. Our second adventure was somewhat bigger than just a small picture studio in someone's house though. This time we tried out a local fall festival. 

All year long I wait in anticipation of the annual Heritage Festival held in Luray each October. I am in love with the primitive crafts and good old-fashioned fun this event always includes. From clogging to tractors to pork rinds, it just has a special country charm. All that allure coupled with the nostalgia from years of attending this event as a child draws me back each year. However, this time around, with Reid's due date towards the end of October, I wondered if I'd be walking the fairgrounds eight months pregnant or with a newborn in tote. I went back and forth, on one hand thinking it would be easier to carry him around and keep him warm in the fall air tucked snugly in my tummy, and on the other, hoping he'd show up early because all that extra weight on my feet wouldn't allow me to hike around too long (not to mention that I didn't want to have to worry about the swelling in my feet that might result if ate one of those irresistible fried country ham sandwiches). Laughingly, I even told family members that I planned to go to into labor the night after the festival from so much walking. 

To my surprise though, Reid wanted out a little more quickly than I expected and showed up the day before the festival. I hated to miss the festivities as you might imagine, but getting that baby in my arms was so worth it that of course it didn't matter. As the forecast predicted, it rained the whole weekend anyway, so truth be told, I didn't miss out on too much after all! (Oh, and I didn't miss out on that sandwich either! My 83 year old grandfather, knowing how much I was looking forward to that country ham, went to the festival with the sole purpose of collecting me one in mind. Picturing him tramping through the rain and the mud just to buy my salty treat and bring it to me is love if I ever saw it!)

I still grieved missing out on the usual fall fun to some degree, but while we were in Stanley getting the newborn photos done, I stopped by the flower shop where my cousin Angie works and she recommended we check out a festival that was in Elkton the upcoming weekend. She had a catalog that I wanted to get from her anyway and suggested I meet her there where she was set up selling some of the crafts she, her husband, and a few other people make. Since I was longing for a fall fest anyway, I was definitely hoping to go, and, after talking to Dave and concurring that is was doable as long as we didn't stay long, we made the trip and got to have an October family outing after all. The weather was pleasant and cool enough that we could tuck Reid's carseat carrier right into the stroller and pull the visors over him without making him feel to hot inside. This gave him a snug place to sleep away and protected him not only from the cool breeze but also from germs. He slept contently the whole time and our other two kid had a good time too. My grandparents and mom went to the festival as well, so we met up with them to walk around and have some lunch together.

Two babies in the stroller and one clinging to his pants pocket - this guy is Superdad!

Ring-around-the-Rosie

"...all fall down!"

Caleb found a small John Deere that he talked NaNa into buying.

We spent a lot of time at the book tent. A boy after his mother's heart!

The following day, we ventured out once again, but this time we didn't go too far from home. Since it was Sunday, we got to take our new baby to church for the first time to introduce him to our faith family there. He, of course, drew quite a crowd, especially at the greeting part of the service. One person after another came by to gaze at this new little soul that was a part of our fellowship. Meanwhile, Reid just slept away as all this admiring was taking place. 

The next day didn't slow us down much either because off to Granny's house we went. This weekly Monday visit to her house has been a regular routine for us for about three years now, and normally she watches the kids while I swim at a therapy pool in Winchester. Since I'm still healing from the delivery and adjusting to having three kids, I haven't gone back to swimming yet since Reid's birth, but we are keeping up with the habit of visiting Granny weekly anyhow. That day in particular our visit worked out wonderfully for me too since it was Dave's first day back to work. It was very nice to have the extra set of hands to love on and tend the kids, not to mention how much I really enjoy watching Granny's face as she dotes on my babies.

Caleb and Hadley were especially excited about the new tent she'd bought for them to play with at her house.

Sleeping away like normal

Tickling his feet to get him to wake up, which he never did

Towards the end of that week, after a few days at home, we took yet again another adventure. JCPenney's had run a special a few weeks prior for a prepaid portrait plan that included a CD with three high resolution images for like $20. With Hadley coming up on her 18 month milestone, I wanted to get a few shots of her done professionally as I had with Caleb so I jumped on it, assuming I'd have time to get the pictures taken before Reid was born. Since I didn't though, here we went to the mall to get the task accomplished with three little ones. But, don't worry; I'm not completely nuts! As you might have guessed, I called my mother to tag along to help me manage the crew.

To my dismay, this outing did not go as smoothly as our others had. Hadley, who is normally super smiley, was a cranky mess due to what we think was teething and possibly that she was starting to get a cold. (This did not make taking her picture easy as you might imagine.) Meanwhile, as we worked with her to get some good photos, Mom had given Caleb her iPad to play with and he became so engrossed in the game that he had the first accident I can ever remember him having in public. In addition to that mishap, he must not have been feeling well either because had several meltdowns throughout the rest of day. Our youngest, Reid didn't want to miss out on the chaos either I guess because when we went to the family bathroom to change him, he too made a mess, covering both his outfit and the changing table. While I was trying to get him cleaned up and clothed, Hadley was attempting to lay on the bathroom floor and Caleb, who'd found out that there was a sink his size with an automatic soap dispenser, had soaked (and I mean soaked!) his shirt. That was the end of it! To the car we went, deciding to wait a good long time before trying something like that again!

Stay home we didn't though! As I've already blogged about, to the pumpkin patch we went soon after, followed by trick-or-treating a few days later. 

Shockingly, Reid even got to have his first sleepover recently - and, at where else but NaNa and Pop's! Actually, it was a whole family sleepover that happened this past Monday night due to our electricity going out. (You can't have three babies, especially a newborn, in a house with out heat, right? ) I think this was the first time we'd all stayed the night there together since right after Hadley was born when Dave caught the kitchen on fire cooking okra. Anyway, I digress...

This impromptu sleepover was quite a trip. First, Pop broke out the popcorn (a special treat he's notorious for giving any kids - grandchild or nieces/nephews - who spend the night). Then, he helped Caleb build a tent. Hadley, who hasn't been allowed to eat whole pieces of hulled popcorn in the past, even got to try out some of Pop's snack that evening before bed. Little Reid had to stick to milk, but he was content just to be snuggling with Mommy and NaNa. 

A boy and his tent

I tried to put Hadley's hair in a ponytail...too funny!

Yummy!

Shew! We are just on the go folks I guess (or gluttons for punishment - however you want to put it).

I am not sure if we'll be able to keep up this pace, but I'm glad we've been able to get out some, especially before the cold and snowy winter weather hits in the next couple months. For now we'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy it along the way.

The First Month

Weighing in at 10 lbs 11 oz and measuring 22.6 inches long at his one-month checkup on Monday, Reid has officially been declared a chunk! He landed right around the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th for length. I've actually had to pack away almost all of his newborn clothes already and even some of the 0-3 sleepers are getting too short if he tries to straighten out those long legs of his. That's right, our baby's not a newborn any more! 

While I love all that baby chub he's getting, it's sad to be once again folding up and storing away those tiny clothes, wondering if I'll ever need them for another sweet baby or if this is the last time one of my offspring will don them. Thanks to family, friends, and some good sales at Gymboree though, I am looking forward to the fun outfits hanging in the closet that I've been waiting for him to grow in to. 

To celebrate the end of Reid's first month outside the womb and the many many exciting ones that lie ahead, here are some anecdotes and photos looking back at the past four weeks, starting with our first night home:

Aunt Courtney came to visit the night we came home and met Reid for the first time. 

She and NaNa brought Caleb and Hadley home when they came to visit too. Caleb was much more interested in Reid this time than he'd been at the hospital the day before.

Proud big brother!

Checking him out

Sweetness!

My heart is full!

Hadley was happy to see Reid again too, of course. 

While they ignored me at the hospital for the most part, both of the kids were happy to see Mommy again when we all got home.

When I left the hospital, I was feeling pretty terrible though, struggling in particular with a horrible headache and some nausea. I'd had the headache for a couple days but was unsure of the reason until I mentioned it to a nurse right before we headed out. She revealed some new information that we'd unaware of before, suggesting that possibly I was suffering from an epidural headache, which meant that the spot where they gave me the epidural didn't seal up properly and the spinal fluid was leaking. This made sense when she explained that often you feel fine when lying down but the fluid drains from the brain when you stand up, causing the headache. She told me if didn't improve by the next day to head back up there to see if they could help me.

On the drive home, I was so miserable that I actually believed I was going to have to tell Dave to turn around and take me back. That night and the next day, every time I laid down the pain improved, but the longer I sat upright or stood the more intense it became. I am so thankful the nurse told us what to look for because otherwise I would have had no clue what the problem was and would have continued to suffer, thinking it was just lack of sleep or some other hiccup caused by all my body had been through with the delivery a few days prior. With the knowledge she imparted though, I knew to call my doctor to get some help, and his office told me to go straight to the hospital to have a blood patch done to fix the complication. Thankfully, Mom was able to take the older kids and back to the hospital we went.

After being given the run around and sent a few different places, we finally arrived in the ER room and I found out what was really involved in correcting the leak. The anesthesiologist had to do another epidural using blood from my arm to inject in my back to seal the hole rather than the numbing medicine used during labor. You can imagine my dread as I heard the news and they began the process, but I remembered that same Scripture that carried me through the delivery - HE had gone before me.

Finally, it was fixed but the pain was incredible in my back. I lay in the hospital bed for a long time before I felt like I could even get up to walk, much less go home. Once I was released, we headed to our house but I was stuck laying around for a couple days, barely able to get out of the bed to go to the bathroom. Even sitting up to try to nurse Reid seemed unbearable at times, but it had to be done.

The good part though was that Dave was off from work that week to help me, plus the kids stayed with Mom that night and the following day so he could focus on helping me and taking care of the baby. In addition, I got a little more time to finish off an Amish romance novel I'd started before Reid's arrival, and it gave me the opportunity to snap these pictures of our new little wonder:

We thought we might be getting a thumb sucker - like his Momma used to be! 

Sometimes he'd find his own thumb and other times, NaNa or I would help him. He'd be so content once he got a hold of it and slurp away. Lately though, he seems more satisfied with a pacifier. (I guess it all depends on what we help him latch on to.)

The days following our arrival home we received some special arrangements that helped brighten things up around the house and make it a little more cheery too. Mom sent me an arrangement in a cute giraffe vase, Grandma brought a small boutique and placed them in a vase I already had, and Dave's work sent some fruit from Edible Arrangements for us to enjoy. Caleb was a fan of all the flowers, but he and Hadley enjoyed the food one the most!

It was so nice the rest of the week to have the whole family back in the house and start forming our new daily schedule. Some things were a bit hard since I wasn't allowed to lift the kids and my back was still sore, but Dave was around to help, making it much easier. After the first week though, back to work he went. 

I wasn't sure how things would pan out at first and how I would juggle all three kids solo, especially since I still wasn't supposed to do much lifting, but in the end it all worked out. Mom came over to visit often during the day around lunch/nap time, helping to keep me much more sane and preventing me from having to lug my big girl toddler around too much. 

While we got out of the house on several occasions over the next few weeks, we spent a lot of time lounging at home, adjusting and watching Reid grow. When Dave would come home in the afternoons, he'd sometimes be surprised at how much he said our baby boy had grown while he was at work. They just don't stay little long enough!

As you can see from the pictures above, for the most part, Reid is a sleepy boy, which makes him pretty easy to tend. He wakes up for a few minutes to eat here and there, but he naps A LOT during the day. Reid is so easy going and quiet that I even forget he's in the house sometimes amidst the noise of his siblings. As he is getting bigger though, this sweet baby has been staying awake a little more to look around and let us play with him. Nonetheless, sleeping is definitely still his forte. There are a couple activities that are usually pretty sure to get him stirred up and wide eyed though - diaper changes and bath time in particular. While for both his benefit and yours I'm not going to share any photos of us diapering his little behind, here are a few shots from his first bath that he was not so happy about: 

Waiting for the cord to fall off, we had to "sponge bathe" him the first few weeks. 

It's chilly!

Hair washing is everyone's favorite it seems. Like my other kids did when they were newborns, Reid too calmed down at this point of the bathing experience.

Finally, the hooded towel.

This past Sunday, he graduated to baths in a regular baby bathtub, which turned into a family event. Caleb curiously was leaning over the tub watching as we got started on this new adventure, while Hadley charged right into tub getting in on what was happening. Seconds later, Reid had an "accident" in the water and we were trying to simultaneously juggle him, hold Hadley back, and get fresh water. It was quite a circus!

Look at that chub! A double chin and roll after roll on those chunky legs...Love it!

Caleb and Hadley tried to make sure Daddy was well groomed too. A great activity to keep little hands busy while Mommy bathed Reid!

Bring on the Johnsons & Johnsons

I liked that better, Mommy.

We have learned to do a lot of juggling and multitasking over the past few years, but it's gone to a new level these past several weeks. Not only are we outnumbered now, but the amount of lap space we have to go around is growing sparse. We've had to come up with ways to make sure that everyone feels included and snuggled, especially when they are getting sleepy or not feeling 100%. This has been especially challenging over the past few weeks as all three kids have passed a cold around - not to mention Hadley teething.

Visits from grandparents definitely help spread the love around, but we find other ways to get it done when we don't have the extra hands.  In particular, I love when two of the kids are napping and I can focus on the one that's awake, giving them a good dose of attention while the others snooze.  Hadley has recently gone from two naps to one, plus she is now napping before lunch while Caleb naps afterwards most days. As a result, this gives me some time with both of them individually throughout the day. I'm not getting done a lot of the things I'd normally do while they're napping, but the most important things are being taken care of. (Not to mention, it helps relieve some of the guilt factor that mommas face as they struggle to make sure everyone gets the quality time they deserve.)

Other times, all three of them need attention at the same time. Sometimes I get a headache and feel a bit nuts (especially around lunch time), but usually the storm is short lived and I get them all under control again soon. For the most part , just a little bit of adjusting to our normal routine remedies the problem easily, and occasionally the sweetest moments come out of these crazy times and we all end up cuddling together as Dave or I try to tend everyone at once.  For example, bedtime stories might look like the pictures below, with everyone plopped on the floor together instead of being snuggled in the chair so that everyone's involved and content:

We've made it through the first month! And, although sleep deprived at times, all of us have done pretty well so far. I'm trying to enjoy every minute of Reid's infancy, while at the same time am looking forward to the wonderful moments that will spring up as he grows and can do more and more. What a journey!

As for me health-wise, everything is going pretty well now. There have been a few mornings where the Lupus has flared in my hands and feet and times when my back and neck act up, but in general I feel blessed with how well things are going despite the lack of sleep which usually triggers all sorts of achiness. Thankfully, I also feel like I'm finally getting my body back to its normal self after all those months of housing our little one and can function much more efficiently. I've tried not go overboard while still healing up from the delivery, but it's great to feel like I can move again! This past Thursday, I went back to the OB/GYN and, while he charged me not to try to be Superwoman, he cleared me for normal activities once again. I loved feeling those sweet baby kicks from inside, but right now I'm really enjoying not being pregnant and feeling like me again.

Reid with Dr. Myers, who delivered him, at my five week postpartum check-up