October Update

I haven't had updates in months :( I just don't have the time to write since the little man was born and now I am looking for a practicum for school and even that small amount of spare time will likely evaporate. So no more writing for now. Just spending time with my amazing son and hopefully finding a counseling practicum at a mental hospital. Wish me luck! Here are a few pics of my little guy

3 months

First Braves game

2 months!

1 month

Tomorrow Remi will be 1 month old. That just blows my mind. I feel like he's been a part of our life forever. He is resting right next to me right now and I could just burst into tears half the time I look at him because I love him so much (hormones could be slightly responsible). He is already about a pound heavier and almost 2 inches longer. His hair has grown in and he has developed a little personality. He hates to be cold (who doesn't), he gets super frustrated when you don't feed him quickly enough, he loves to be held and bounced and to sleep snuggled next to either me or hubs at night. As far as developmental milestones, he is more awake and alert, sleeps typically 3-5 hours a night and can already roll over from his stomach to his back. I was pretty impressed with that last one but have yet to catch it on video. Every time I try he does it as I am getting my camera and then refuses to do it again. Here are some pics! Hope everyone is having a nice end to their summer.

Pictures from our weekend trip to the lake

Hanging out with his buddy Jake

Slept the whole time I was down at the lake chilling out and drinking beer!

Dads and their little men

Picture from his 1 month checkup

Remi's Birth

So here is Remi's birth story in a little more detail. Last Friday we went to another ultrasound appointment (weekly after 40 weeks) and saw that little man was still quite happy in his breech position. He went from Frank Breech, which would still allow me to have the natural birth I had planned (minus the water birth portion), to a Footling Breech, which gets a lot trickier to deliver naturally, to a Complete Breech that the midwives told me would be an AMA natural birth. So, as much as I was excited about my birth plan, it became obvious that unless he moved, I was gearing up for a c-section. Not my first choice obviously but a healthy baby is all that matters in the end. So, baby was still breech at 41 weeks and 1 day. We discussed waiting until labor started naturally and then going to the hospital, but that could be weeks still as I had no signs of impending labor. Added to that my parents were leaving town that next Monday for my mom's hip replacement in Florida and they wouldn't be back for two weeks. I just knew it would kill them to not see him when he was brand new. So with that in mind we scheduled the c-section for the next day, Saturday the 6th. That was to be Remi's birthday. We went grocery shopping, got some movies, came home and started watching The Matrix. Just as the movie was heating up I felt like I was sitting in a puddle so I waddled to the bathroom and low and behold my water had broken. NOT like it happens in the movies either. This was a slow leak that lasted for HOURS. Anyway, I went upstairs, took a shower, took 5 minutes to meditate a little and then climbed in the packed car. Despite my water breaking I never had a single contraction.

July 5th about an hour before my water broke

Once we got to the hospital, I was checked into Triage where I hung out from around 7pm until I was wheeled back to the OR at a little past 11pm. We had a great anesthesiologist who stayed on past his shift to give me the epidural (because apparently the guy coming on next he didn't find super competent...he didn't say this but my friend who was also pregnant and checked in that night had the guy and he messed up her epidural). Hubs, me and our doula Paige hung out waiting to go back and then it was finally time. At this point I was numb from below my chest down and I was freezing from my chest up and shivering like crazy.

Sleepy baby loves his minky

One thing I love about this midwife practice and Dr. Bootstaylor, the perinatologist they work with, is that they do Family Centered C-Sections. That means hubs and doula were both with me the whole time after I was prepped and I actually got to watch Remi be born after they had his little feet out. After he was born was the scary part. His head was really wedged in there and when they finally got him out he wasn't breathing or moving. They had 40 seconds to get a reaction or NICU nurses take him away. When it was clear he wasn't moving, hubs called out Remi's name and told him to wake up. He moved right away and it was enough to keep him in the room to be worked on. He had to have his lungs pumped several times to get out all the extra fluid but 15 minutes later he was given to me for skin to skin while I was stitched up. He snuggled up to me and even nursed a little.

Size 3 month + swimmy hat was all we had for some outside time in the sun

We spent that night and Saturday night in the hospital but were able to go home by Sunday afternoon after his circumcision. He has a little jaundice, which is lingering because he is still only getting colostrum (almost day 7 and my milk still hasn't come in...awesome c-section side effect) but since we started supplementing an ounce here and there with the supplemental feeding system (no bottle feeding formula which is good because I don't want to have to deal with nipple confusion) he is doing great. Now we are all just settling in to our new routine and spending time together as a new family :)

Hanging out with daddy

Trying out the Moby Wrap yesterday. He loved it!

Remington Lee Kilpatrick

Remi was born July 5th at 11:52pm weighing 7 pounds and 7 ounces and measuring 19.75 inches long. I will have a longer post later on about the whole experience but for now, here is my little man.

My sweet baby

Baby and daddy relaxing

On the way home :)

Cloth Diapering

I am so excited! I got my Newborn Cloth Diaper Rental from Earthy Crunchy Mama over the weekend and the diapers are adorable. I got 4 bumGenius All-in-Ones, 4 Fuzzy Buns Pocket Diapers, 4 Little Joey All-in-One, 3 MiniMaestro Pocket Diapers, 3 Kissaluvs All-in-Ones and 3 Kissaluvs Fitteds plus a few prefolds to try and a bunch of free stuff I can keep (cloth wipes, doublers for nap/bedtime, cloth diaper detergent etc) all for a $150 deposit.  

They are so cute :) The pictures sucks but that's what you get at 1am 

I cannot wait to start using these and see which ones I like. I originally got the Premium Rental which is Pockets, All-in-Ones and Fitteds but I wanted to try Prefolds as well (just in case I like them) and Jenn worked with me and made that happen. Prefolds are definitely the cheapest option and I wanted to try them for two reasons. A) They are cheap and if I love them that's awesome for the wallet. B) You can use a diaper service with Prefolds so if I decide prefolds is how I want to go, I can sign up for a service meaning they provide the diapers, they pick them up dirty and leave the clean ones. The money saving aspect of cloth diapering goes out the window (around $100 a month) but the convenience goes way up. I work from home though so I don't think I can justify the extra cost just to avoid laundry. Either way, excited to get started.

Here is an overview of the program:

• Choose a Program (Prefolds or Premium Rental)
• Choose Diapers (Choices vary by rental program) 
• Pay $25 Program Fee & Rental Deposit
• We mail your diapers to you for the date of your choosing.
• Keep the diapers as long as you want.
• Don't like a diaper?  Want to exchange it?  Just email us and we will send you new diapers.  You just need to cover the shipping.
• Contact us for a return shipping label when you are finished with the diapers.
• USPS will pick up your diapers at your home for the day of your choosing.
• Choose Cash Back or Store Credit and receive your refund.
• If you choose to keep any of the diapers or accessories you will be billed for them at a discounted rate.

38 Weeks

I can't believe that I am 38 weeks pregnant. So many changes since we found out I was pregnant. We moved from Beijing to Atlanta to live with my parents short term until we moved to Charleston. Then we decided to postpone Charleston and moved into our own (rented) place in Atlanta. Now we are settling into the new house, setting up the nursery and awaiting Remi's arrival. Doctor's appointments are every week now and we are wondering when he will make his grand entrance. Birthing classes, Hypnobabies, are over, showers are behind me and we have almost everything we need for his room. 

I have been told I am super healthy which is great and today I was told he is measuring at 6 pounds 12 ounces...which means the earlier guess of 9 pounds was a smidge off. Can't say I'm too bummed about that. Our one surprise is that after the 35 week appointment, little man decided he had had enough of standing on his head so he flipped head up (apparently very rare...awesome). He is now frank breech. Thankfully there is still plenty of fluid around him for him to turn back and if not, the midwives do deliver frank breech babies...but either way, keep your fingers crossed that he somersaults back to the more normal head down position :)

I haven't done one of these before but here is my bumpdate:

How far along? 37 weeks and 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: 32 pounds...so much for keeping it under 30 ;)

Maternity clothes? Ha...yeah, real clothes bit the dust months ago 

Stretch marks? Some additions to the bust area but none on my stomach...yay!

Belly Button? Half in and half out, pretty weird looking

Sleep: Since turning over feels like a marathon it is a little hit or miss

Best moment of the week: Seeing him on the ultrasound again today and seeing his little heart beating and his lungs working 

Miss Anything? Beer, Tequila, sleeping on my stomach, being able to turn over and stand up with ease

Movement: Like he is trying to escape by kicking a whole in me

Food cravings: Not really, just enjoying eating as much fruit as I can get my hands on

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chick Fil'A ...ate it again today even though I had a pretty good idea that I am sensitive to whatever they fry the chicken in. Cramps all afternoon after that

Have you started to show yet: Since about 11 weeks so yeah

Gender: A boy :)

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks every once in a while but nothing yet

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring on, engagement ring off

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy 100% of the time, Tired about 90%

Looking forward to: His arrival

Nursery

Work in Progress but I am making head way! I decided not to paint, and instead I am going to use this cute decal above the crib to give at least some color to the walls. 



I almost have all the furniture in the room and when I do, the changing table and dresser will be painted this cute color.


Here are some of the pictures of the aforementioned work in progress...

More burp clothes than I know what to do with! That being said, they are so cute. Too bad for their use!

My new love: the new chair for the nursery. Minky fabric and so soft. Plus toys galore for the little man

His clothes stash so far

Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mothers Day!!!