A Whole New World

I figured it was about time that I updated the blog. Considering it has been over a month, I think. So, basically, nothing has changed except the completion of our little family. Crae James was born on the 24th of March at 7:22 AM. I will go into that story later as it is kinda funny. Other than that, we are just trying to get through each sleep deprived day, looking forward to the time that we get to go home for a visit.


Jared was able to take off 10 days for paternity leave. He went back to work last Thursday and has been enjoying every minute of it of course! Especially last Friday when he was only able to get 3 hours of sleep. Poor guy was not used to that because with Madison, I was the only one to get up since Jared was usually at work for her first feeding. Jared did get our orders for the next year finally. We are officially El Paso bound for one last year. Which means that we will be home by this time next year (likely anyways) due to terminal leave. It's hard to believe that we are finally at the end of this long tour. This will be 4 years, the longest we have been anywhere, and definitely the longest we have lived in one house.


As for me, I am just muddling (yes, muddling) through my days. Not really sleeping, not really functioning, just trying my best to not forget anyone or anything. As for the labor, it went smoothly. The day after my mom got into town I had not been feeling my best, but that was a given considering my advanced state of pregnancy. My mom had offered to take the kids that night so Jared and I could have a date before my delivery the next Tuesday. I started having contractions that morning but I ignored them because I had been having braxton hicks since the beginning of the pregnancy, which is why I had been on bed rest. We went to a local Japanese restaurant and enjoyed the heck out of our alone time. It was a tepanyaki place, and even though they charged $2 for water (tap water!!!) it was awesome. I was counting the contractions but still had not told Jared yet. They were about 7 minutes apart at this point. We then went to see the Hunger Games and got a big bag of popcorn. I had eaten some of it then suddenly I could not get down another bite. At that point I got worried, I knew my body was going into labor but I was still trying to convince myself otherwise. I made it through half the movie and that was it. I had to tell Jared. The contractions were about 3 minutes apart. I made it through the movie and told Jared to stop so I could get some water and go to the bathroom. It didnt help. We got home and packed up the car. We headed off to the hospital when the contractions were 2 minutes apart. We kept joking that we were going to be sent home. Well, we got to the hospital at 11 PM and by midnight, I had my epidural. I stalled a few hours later and they started pumping pitocin into me and I told them to call the doc or he would never make it. They didnt of course, and I progressed quickly. The doc barely made it and even he didnt believe me when I told him he had 5 minutes. The nurses had to search the hospital for him as he had gone to get some coffee. (it was 7 AM, come on! It wasnt that early!) CJ was born after 3 pushes and promptly peed all over me. Welcome to the family Monkey! I am doing well three weeks post partum. Back in school and trying to get my brain to remember how to do math. 


Kayla is still doing well in school. She has reverted a little bit since CJ was born. She has become very crabby and melodramatic if she doesnt get her way. She is a really good helper to me though. Anything I need for the baby she is very quick to get it for me. that makes her think that she deserves an extra treat or special treatment. We are working on it.  She adores her little brother though and cannot wait until she can hold him all the time instead of when he is rarely awake.


Madison has not reverted. She has just gotten more stubborn. She has learned that when I am holding the baby I am less likely to follow through on a punishment. I have had to become a little more heavy handed with her punishment because she is pushing for a little too much freedom. Luckily though, she also adores her baby brother and holds him whenever she can. She also feeds him and helps me keep him covered in blankets whether I want her to or not. 


This is CJ's first update! CJ was born on Mar 24th at 7:22 AM at 20.5 inches and 7 lbs 3 oz. He came out peacefully and was forced to wake up and scream because he was too cozy sitting on mommy's chest. A few hours after birth they heard a little wheezing and he was placed under an oxygen hood while they waited for the fluid to clear his lungs. That was hard for us because they took him to the nursery at about 8:30 AM and we did not get him back until 5 PM. I was able to pump and feed him quite a bit though which may have helped in his speedy recovery. They said his quick delivery might have prevented him from getting all the fluid out of his lungs. His two week appointment showed a weight gain of 1 lb since birth, but they never gave me his height. The doc kept commenting on how fat he was. The kid was born with rolls, I make my babies big! He is not sleeping any better than any other newborn, about every 2 hours he is up chowing down, but he is so sweet. He only cries when we refuse to get up to his squeaking (which is pretty much every time) and then it is more of just a warning cry. At this point I do not see any signs of colic but I am constantly praying not to, I do not want a repeat of Madison's first 3 months. He has quickly grown out of newborn clothes and is making his way out of 0-3 month as well. I have already packed a box to be sent out to his cousin that will be here in a few months.


So that is about it. Wandering around in a sleepless state, and getting by ok. We are happy and content to finally have our family completed. It feels like this chapter of our lives is finally over and now we can move on to raising our kids instead of making them. We both feel very at peace with this. So until next time, here are some pics of us, and good luck and love to my 3 sister in laws, 1 bestie, and one cousin who are currently prego. See you all in a few weeks!

Father and son finally getting to bond

My dear friend Stella took some newborn shots of CJ for her portfolio.

I love her, perfectly proportioned features!

Being Silly!

At her class's easter party

Eyes open and ready to play

Stella's lovely work!

I think he looks like Kayla here.

I moustache you a question!

My friend Katie invited us over for an easter egg hunt!

She had bought confetti eggs that the kids smashed on eachothers heads.

This is what a sneeze looks like

The Sun will come out!

Well, I am bored. That is why I am blogging. I have gotten ahead of myself in schoolwork, and now I have done almost all of it. I dont feel like writing a 1700 word paper right now so I am going to blog. Get over it. As a family we dont have much of an update. We are all kind of in limbo mode until the end of March. I know it's only February, but the birth of a monkey is a big deal. We are counting down the days until my induction date and just hoping we actually make it that far.

Jared finished the last bit of his schooling up and ordered his diploma. He is bored out of his mind at nights now and spends a lot of time dreaming of all the baked goods he can make when this GD is done. Anyways. The first year we were married we made a pact. On our 5th wedding anniversary I would get a new wedding ring (my original ring was...well, as Jared says it was the budget ring.) and Jared would get a new truck. Well, add in two kids and me not working and that plan got thrown out the window. I did end up getting my ring, but the truck Jared wants is expensive! Over the years I have watched the prices of trucks and tried to find some way to afford one. Well, Jared mentioned recently that he really wanted something new and I have been concerned about the mechanical noises coming from his Mazda, it sounded like the transmission was about to drop. Grinding and nastiness. I had been working out a way to buy a new car when he mentioned the truck....again. This time I gave him a compromise. We may not be able to afford the truck he wanted, but I could get him a brand new truck if he would be willing to get a small one. He did not say no. So now Jared is the proud owner of a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. He is looking into a fancy alarm for it so it doesnt get stolen and taken to Messico. This is his 7th anniversary present, his birthday present, his fathers day present and so on. It will take me that long to recover the downpayment on it. But he is happy, and if we can afford it and he wants it, then I will do whatever I can to get it for him. I am really just a pushover. Unless you are a car salesman. I almost feel bad for the guy who had to deal with me, but we got the new truck for less than a used one would have cost. Go me. I may finally have this haggling thing down.

As for me, I am getting to that uncomfortable point. Instead of being gradual over the last few months, it has been a nightmare since the last week. Suddenly the contractions are non-stop, the nausea is as bad as during the first trimester, I have that horrible taste in my mouth, and I am waking up and staying awake for absolutely no reason. I cant forget having to hit the bathroom every 45 minutes. I am also having difficulties breathing and I am looking forward to him dropping. I cannot stand for too long because he has become so heavy that I start leaning forward, it hurts. People who see me almost daily have said that it looks like I gained 10 lbs out front in a week. I havent gained any weight in over 2 months, but I have definitely grown straight out. The good news is, that I have 4 weeks left. Just 4 more weeks. Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks and 6 days, which sounds so much less than 4 weeks. In that time, my mom will be flying out to spend a couple weeks, I will have an anniversary, and Kayla will turn 5. Everything is as ready as it can be for the baby to get here. I am nesting fiercely but I do not have the energy to do anything because the contractions are wearing me out so much. Even driving Kayla to school everyday makes me want to cry from the effort. Oh, good news, there has to be something good about this. Umm....Hrm. Ok, how about instead of trying to find the good in the last month I just admit I have nothing nice to say and so I wont say anything at all.

Kayla is just, well...Kayla. She is a unique and crazy little creature who can manage to drive us absolutely insane and have us cracking up at the same time. She can be mean, but she can be so sweet it makes your heart hurt. She is dying for attention and I have only so much to give her. She misses her mama. Its tough being the oldest. We are working on spending more one on one time together and she seems to be benefiting from it. She is not acting out as much. Right now she is locked in her bedroom due to a stupid stomache bug, but she is handling it fairly well. Normally, Jared will come home and set up the extra tv and XBox so she can watch movies all day, but he was unable to today. She has been patient, and staying there for the most part. She has two different video game consoles to play with and a bunch of books, but other than that, she is bored out of her mind. I am trying to decide if I should keep her home tomorrow or not. I probably will because bronchitis is being passed around class and I dont want her to catch it when she is in a weakened state. I definitely do not need that being passed around here.

Madison is potty training. She is doing really well. We have been starting and stopping since she was 18 months old, but I kept pushing it off because she acted terrified of being on the potty. I finally decided it was time to get it done. I do not want two kids in diapers, now that I have a truck payment to worry about. Anyways. She is still wetting her diapers in her sleep, but she has learned to hold it for her daytime nap-hour (cant call it an actual nap since she NEVER takes one anymore), so that is progress. I can handle one diaper a day for awhile. Much cheaper than the $45 every month or so on diapers. I expect her to revert when the monkey comes, but I will deal with that one when it happens.

So that is about it. I will include some pics of the most recent events in our lives and try to keep everyone updated as the fun stuff happens over the next few weeks. I cannot wait to be on the other side of this in the healing and adjusting stage.