Happy Friday!

This picture made my day! I was just watching Konnor and he stuck out his tongue!

Just Konnor and Mommy

It's been so long since I've gone anywhere by myself, meaning without Kevin. Now going anywhere is much more of a job than before. Since Kevin has gone back to work, I had to learn to do things with just Konnor. In the last week I've been wanting to go out and do some shopping but have been hesitant on leaving the house, dealing with taking Konnor out w/o help. But today I attempted to do so. I had planned on going to Babies r Us, Target and Kohl's. Unfortunately we only made it to Babies r Us. It wasn't Konnor that was the problem...it was ME! I was tired after one store! LOL Konnor was so well behaved when we were in the store. He slept most of the time but woke up for a bit and just looked around. I bought Konnor his "My First Easter" outfit....and then some! After buying much more than we had planned...we went home and took a nap! This Mommy thing is definitely taking a toll on me. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world...

1st time grocery shopping

FINALLY we have groceries! It's almost been a month since we last went grocery shopping. With all the visitors we've had, they've always helped us with groceries. This time it was just Mommy, Daddy and Konnor. Konnor was fine during the whole ordeal. He slept soundly in his carseat while we cruised around Safeway.

Ahh..the JOYS and PAINS of Parenthood

It's been 4 weeks since Kevin and I have entered the world of "parenthood". It has been a joy to have created such a sweet baby. Konnor has been a blessing to us. When we found out we were expecting a lil' one we knew it would change our lives. We had mixed emotions, mostly excitement and nervousness. Being first time parents we weren't sure if we'd be able to make our baby happy. Of course as everyone said, "It call comes naturally." Sure enough things have come naturally for both Kevin and I. Konnor was born looking a lot like Daddy. His eyes, hair color, lips, chin and some of his facial expressions are all Daddy. His nose and skin color are the only things that aren't Daddy. He's even got curly hair like Mommy and Daddy!!

I've been very impressed with Kevin's attitude towards Konnor. As worried and nervous as he was before Konnor was born..he's done great! Sure sometimes he doesn't wipe Konnor's face after a feeding, or doesn't button all his buttons on his onesies or is already starting to teach him some bad habits...but he's been a great Daddy. He's even been able to take Konnor a bath without my help.

There are many JOYS and PAINS of having Konnor in our lives. Even with the things I've listed as pains, having Konnor is a blessing and is all worth it. Here are a few of the pros and cons of making the transition from pregnancy to parenthood....

JOYS:
-Watching Konnor's facial expressions while he's sleeping
-Giving Konnor kisses
-When he looks at Mommy and Daddy
-The way he follows us w/his eyes just by our voices
-How well Konnor is during car rides
-Seeing Konnor grow in the last 4 weeks
-Goodbye maternity clothes...hello (again) pre-pregnancy clothes!
-Being able to walk again
-Taking pictures and videos of Konnor
-Watching Kevin be a Daddy
-Bonding with Konnor
-Being a FAMILY
-Learning what makes Konnor happy
-Sitting in Konnor's room while holding him
-Crying tears of joy realizing "I'm a MOMMY", "We're PARENTS", "He is MINE/OURS"
-The realization that our lives will never be the same...it'll only get better
-Listening to all his moans and groans while he's asleep

Pains:
-Sleeepless nights
-Breatsfeeding/Feeding 24/7
-Forgetting to take care of myself
-Washing Konnor's laundry more often than washing our own laundry
-Fussiness during diaper changing
-Diaper changing 12 times or more a day
-Not being able to understand what is wrong when he cries (although most of the time he's just hungry or wet)
-Missing Konnor in my belly
- -SPIT UP
-Labor and Delivery recovery
-Poopie diapers
-Learning how to "go out" w/Konnor. Can't just get up and leave anymore.

Happy 1 Month Birthday Konnor

Can you believe it's one month already? Time is going by fast just as all my other Mommy friends have been telling me. In the past month we've been able to learn alot about Konnor, what he likes and dislikes. There are still somethings we haven't quite figured out...like his cries. But for sure we know he's like his Daddy. He loves to eat! He eats every hour pretty much.

As the past 4 weeks have gone by we've seen Konnor grow and develop a personality of his own. Aside from being a fussy baby during the day and a 2 hour sleeper at night, he's determined to hold his own head up by himself at an early age. He is starting to hold his pacifier himself. Next we need to work on holding the bottle! ha ha I enjoy just watching is facial expressions when he's asleep or awake just looking around the room. He smiles most during his sleep. It's just so cute when he does it. He's also discovered his tongue. He likes to stick his tongue out a lot. Daddy is already teaching him his ABC's, although Konnor can't quite repeat them yet. The bad habit Daddy is trying to teach him is to put his finger in his nose! TERRIBLE!

Daddy took Konnor a bath today (by himself). Konnor spent half the morning wide awake. He finally napped around 2pm. Once he woke up he threw a fit like usual. After eating and being changed we tried different things to calm his crying. We learned that not only does he loves his papasan swing, but he loves the vibration of his papasan bouncer too. With both he needs to have the music on with it. If the music is not on he will cry his head off. Since the music is on a timer, he will let us know when the time is up!!

Konnor sleeps 5 hours!

OH MY GOODNESS! Is it too good to be TRUE? Konnor finally slept 5 hours straight through the night. Unfortunately it didn't last any longer than that. Once he woke up to eat and be changed...it was back to the every 2 hour schedule. Darn!

He decided to wake up at 7am on this Sunday morning. Daddy was still asleep since he worked late lastnight. So Mommy decided to start her morning. Konnor and I sat in bed and did some singing and stretching, then went downstairs to sit in the swing while Mommy ate breakfast and did the dishes.

I was able to take a 4 hour nap with Konnor today. It was great. There are days when I just can't nap..but there are days when I start feeling delirious and my body tells me take a nap. After the nap, Konnor was up the rest of the night.
Daddy's second day back to work. It's been lonely without him home w/Mommy and me.
I found some other tricks that soothe Konnor. Today we did the following:
Sat in front of the computer while playing music, singing to him.
Tickled his feet when he cried. (He didn't completely stop right away, but it worked after awhile)

He liked the feel when I opened and closed the refridgerator while holding him.
We'll work on discovering more everyday! =)

Daddy Returns to work

Daddy's first day back to work after 5 weeks of vacation! It'll be an adjustment not to have him around as often as it has been in the past few weeks....but we'll have to manage!
Grandpa and Grandma McMaster, Uncle Jim and Aunt Harriet left this morning to head back to California. Today was the first time Grandpa held Konnor. =) We had to get a picture of it!
Being home without Daddy the rest of the night was challenging. Konnor was up from 4pm til 10pm, cranky and fussy off and on. Feeding, changing, rocking and talking to him doesn't always work. Sometimes tricking him and putting him into his carseat and stroller does the trick. Finally at 10pm he went to sleep...so did I!

Desperate measures

With the lack of sleep Konnor has been doing through the night and all the crying and fussing he does when he's awake, I decided to try everything I could to make things better. I've become desperate to find something that works. I read different things to try to do to comfort babies. I went out and bought the bear that makes the sound of the womb, a sling to hold him close by still letting my hands be free and special bottle nipples and pacifiers to reduce colic. So far, he hates the bear and the loves the sling. Don't quite know if the bottle nipples and pacifiers are working.

Lastnight at 3am we woke up. I fed him, then changed him. He then cried so much it was so sad to listen to him cry. I bounced him around, sang to him, walked around, cuddled him..nothing seemed to work. I carried him in my arms into the bathroom to get something and turned on the fan instead of the light by accident. Suddenly Konnor stopped crying. I found it odd so I turned off the fan and turned the light on and he started crying again. After testing him for a few minutes, I realized that he liked the fan in the bathroom! What the heck? Of all things? I laughed for a bit and then sat on the chair in our bathroom while he fell asleep. Luckily we have a large and roomy bathroom. I joked and told Kevin that we'll need to move Konnor's nursery into our bathroom.

So far, I think we've found one trick!
Today Grandpa and Grandma McMaster came into town along with Daddy's Godparents Aunt Harriet and Uncle Jim. The just came for a short visit to see Konnor. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and then hung out in our backyard til the sun went down.

What it's like to be a single Mom

No, No..don't worry, Kevin and I aren't getting divorced. No way! Kevin left for California today to check on the new house and for business. It was my first time being home alone with Konnor. I have to admit...it wasn't easy. He's already a handful. For 2 days I was able to get a taste of what it is to have a newborn and being a single mother. It made me appreciate being happily married and having a great Husband more so now than ever! I give all single mothers (and fathers too) all the props in the world on raising a baby by yourself. Parenthood is hard work with two....can't imagine being solo.

1st trip to the mall

We went to the mall today for the first time with Konnor. It was a bit odd walking around a mall now pushing a baby stroller along with all the other Mom's in the mall. Still getting used to all this! =)

We also had visitors Jason, Amanda and Evan. We thought it would be nice to walk around the mall since it was a bit rainy outside. The LaRoche's arrived lastnight. We all spent the day just catching up and enjoying "our kids". WOW..that sounded weird to say.

Konnor is 3 weeks old

WOW! 3 weeks old already! With his changing attitude and facial expressions, Konnor is definitely growing fast. Still eating A LOT and crying a lot. I have to admit it's sometimes tough dealing with a newborn. As much excitement and amazing it feels having a lil' one, it's tough. His cries make me feel so bad, but at the same time, I can't always give into him. Babies are smart and they know what to do in order to get parents to fall for their tricks! But I have to admit...through the sleepless nights and loud cries, Konnor has Kevin and I wrapped around his little fingers!

We went to Daddy's work today to meet all his co-workers and do some shopping. Of course by the time we got there, Konnor was sound asleep in his carseat. Through the whole time we were in the store he was sleeping. Everyone enjoyed meeting Konnor and were glad we brought him in. Daddy goes back to work this Saturday so everyone was glad to hear that too. Unfortunately Konnor and I will be missing him being at home with us all the time!

It's been 4 days now...Konnor has been sleeping in his crib by himself through half of the night. The rest of the night he sleeps in our room. He's a smart cookie! He knows when I leave his crib side. By the time I walk down the hall and back into my room, the baby monitor is sounding off.

A visit from The Fischer's and The Kotsyun's

Another rough night...Konnor was awake every 2 hours again.
Today we took a drive to Buckeye to check on the rental house. Konnor loves the car so it was a nice ride. Later in the evening Daddy's co-workers came to visit Konnor. Eric, Kimberly and the kids along with Peter and Jenny came over and met Konnor for the first time. Konnor was asleep most of the time they were here, but eventually woke up to eat and showed his smiley face and twinkling eyes to everyone. Daddy enjoyed the time w/Eric and Peter as well as they smoke cigars and had a few beers outside by the firepit and caught up on work stories.

Konnor's 1st St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! With the name Konnor McMaster...you'd think I was IRISH!

"Sleep when Baby Sleeps"

Easier said than done!! Everyone gives the advice of sleeping when the baby sleeps....then why can't I do it? Konnor has his nights and days mixed up. He is up every two hours during the night, but sleeps at least 4 or 5 hours straight during the day. When Konnor finally sleeps I take the time to do the things I need to do or that I am used to doing before Konnor was born.
Luckily I'm not feeling sleep deprived. During my pregnancy I was able to go through a day without napping much. So thankful that I can make it through the day without napping. Losing the 4-6 hours through the night doesn't make me as grumpy as you would think.

1st night out to dinner

Konnor had a follow up appointment today. We went to his Dr's appointment, then went to register for Baby Yoga at the Surprise Recreation Center.
Since it was Mama & Papa's last night in town, we all went to dinner together. Konnor's first night out! We didn't go far...just a Chinese place close to home. He was so good. Just stared at the chandalier for awhile, then fell asleep. (Wish it was always like that.)

Konnor & Kiana

A relaxing Sunday spent with Mommy, Daddy, Mama, Papa, Cousin Julian, Uncle Ed and Auntie Samana.

Konnor stayed home with Daddy while Mommy went to the store with Mama and Papa. When I came home I noticed Konnor was messy with crusty milk all around his mouth. Poor Baby! Daddy didn't even clean his face after his feeding! LOL

Later in the evening we visited Kiana, Uncle Sombo and Auntie Jen at their house. Of course both Konnor and Kiana slept the whole time we were there.

Our first time out w/Konnor other than the Drs. office and already we're showing signs of "forgetful" parents. As we left The Calaustro's house we headed back home and as soon as we walked into our house I got a call from Jen. Right away I knew.."Oh man, we left the diaper bag at their house!" Thank goodness we didn't leave Konnor! We're definitely NEW at thsi! ha ha Luckily they only live 5 minutes or so away. Thanks Jen!

Konnor is 2 weeks old

Happy 2 week Birthday Konnor!

It's the first time I've driven a car in what almost feels like MONTHS!

Today was also Konnor's 2 week appointment AND circumcision day. =( We had the first appointment of the morning at the Pediatrician's office. Our morning started at 5:30am. Konnor was great in the car, as always. I was nervous for him to get circumcised. His 2 week check up went well. Dr. Cabalona said he had gained his weight back and is looking healthy. We had to go to the lab to get another jaundice test as well. When it came for the circumcision, I left the room and Mama stayed in the room to watch Konnor. I just couldn't bare to watch and see him go through such a horrifying procedure. After the procedure, the Dr came out to get me. She had said he was the best baby. He didn't cry, flinch, wiggle or anything during the whole procedure. I found that surprising since he's such a wiggle worm when changing his diaper. We had to wait around so they can check to make sure he wasn't bleeding and that everything went well. When the Nurse checked...I had to see it. They warned me that it would be "swollen" and explained to me how to care for the circumcision. When I saw how swollen he was I felt so bad. But again, he did so well and the worse part was over.

Once we got home, Konnor slept most of the day. Changing his diaper was a challenge, but Daddy and I got through it.

It's been 2 weeks today since we've had Konnor and it's definitely been life changing. We've had some rough, long nights but they're all always worth it when we look at the life we've created together. Konnor tends to sleep very well through the day and when he's awake he just likes to look around and listen. After 10pm...it's a whole different story! He wakes up every 2 hours on the dot. I'll change and feed him, then he'll stay up for another 2 hours staring around the room. By the time he's about to fall asleep..it's time to change and feed him again! Kevin and I have shared the responsibilities at night and it works out even though the nights are long. That's the joy of having a Baby right??

Our First Date

Today Mama and Papa babysat Konnor so that Kevin and I could run errands or go out and have a break. It was sweet. We didn't want to be away from Konnor for too long so we decided to have lunch and get manicures and pedicures. (Yes, Kevin enjoys getting pampered too!) We were gone for about 3 hours or so. As soon as we got home I carried Konnor and hugged him. Mama and Papa said that he was fussy and acting up. It seems he had been acting up lately knowing that there were so many people who would carry him and tend to him when he wanted it. So clearly Konnor is smart and taking advantage of everyone loving him so much and attending to him. Little booger!

Postpartum

"Postpartum", "After Birth", "Post pregnancy"...whatever you want to call it! People have always talked about how pregnancy is, how labor and delivery is, but no one ever tells you about postpartum and all that comes with RECOVERY! Warning: This may be TMI (too much information) for some people.

So far, recovery to me has been worse than actual active labor itself. Maybe it's because the epidural worked so well with me, I didn't feel anything and I only pushed for 30 minutes. But the worse part of it all has been the recovery from the labor, sutures and perineum healing. I can't imagine what a woman feels when they are recovering from a c-section, but to me...my experience with a vaginal delivery has been pretty rough. No pain killers or remedies have helped me thus far. Temporary relief or comfort is available...but I needed relief immediately!
Other postpartum issues....Can you say engorged breasts? OUCH! Breastfeeding was a challenge at first and now that things are going fairly smooth, the engorged breasts are painful! There are times when my body tells me to empty out the milk in my breasts. It feels like books or bricks on top of my chest. I always wondered what it was like to have huge boobs...and now I know! It's not so fun afterall. Breastfeeding has made me feel like a cow! Milking all the time...supply and demand for Konnor.

Weight loss has been fantastic so far. Right after delivery I noticed how much of my stomach was all BABY. And since leaving the hospital I've been able to drop a few more pounds. I've pretty much gone back to pre-pregnancy weight and then some! WHEW! Hopefully I can keep it off and tone it all up.

No depression here. You always here about postpartum depression. I have none of that here! I have all cheers, smiles and love for what I've been experiencing. The birth of our child has been all tears of joy for Kevin and I. It's the most amazing thing in the world. Konnor has more love from us than he will ever imagine. It's an everyday challeng being new parents, but a great blessing that nothing can replace or take away.

Mama & Papa Visit

Today Mama and Papa De Soto came into town around noon and are going to stay with us for a week. It was exciting for them to visit because we haven't seen them since November. I know how excited they've been about meeting Konnor for the first time as well. Their first reaction when they came in the door was..."Where is he?" At the time he was sound asleep in his swing. The first thing Mama and Papa said was, "Oh my gosh...he's so small." Small? Is he really? I guess he's not as chunky as most of the other grandkids and neices and nephews we have in the family are.

We spent the rest of the day gawking at Konnor, taking pictures, eating and just talking. Mama brought so much food and goodies for all of us. Later that night, Uncle Ed, Auntie Samana and Cousin Julian came to visit as well. It was nice to have everyone together. Being a new Mom has made me appreciate good, quality family time.

Mommy and Daddy's first outing. Although it was only to go to Target...it was still the first time Mommy has been OUT in whats almost 3 weeks. Since I was on bedrest for the later part of my pregnancy I didn't do much except go to my Dr. appointments and to the hospital. Going to the store for some shopping felt like a relief. Though Kevin and I missed Konnor while we were out for an hour and a half....Mama and Papa took good care of him. It's great having them here for awhile.....

Me ad my cousin Julian. He says I look like an owl and or Yoda when I turn my head.

How time flies!

Today Konnor is already 1 week old! Boy how time flies! I woke up today remembering exactly what I was going through a week ago....CONTRACTIONS! At 12:29pm today I kissed Konnor and said, "Happy 1 Week Birthday Baby!"

In just a week Kevin and I have gone through a lot with eachother and with Konnor. Konnor has grown with his personality in just a week. We notice all the funny facial expressions he has and what he likes and dislikes. We've been able to get somewhat of a routine for feeding and sleeping down as well. Strangely enough..parenting has been as bad as we thought it would be for the first week. Considering that we didn't have any help since we got out of the hospital on Sunday it's been pretty good. Kevin and I have shared all the responsibilities. Kevin and Konnor get to spend their quality time together as well so that gives me a break and time to relax.

Thankfully Konnor sleeps well at night. He wakes up twice, or sometimes I have to wake him up. He's already become a little "piglet"...meaning he eats SO MUCH! And since he already has Daddy wrapped around his finger...he always gets more than he should be. Thank goodness for breastpumps!

It's amazing to see how much our lives have changed in just a week. Konnor has brighten our days even more with that extra ray of sunlight. He has brought our family closer to one another and made us all stronger.

HOMEBOUND!

WHEW! Konnor made the normal bilirubin level and was able to be discharged! We were so happy to go home...and hopefully be able to STAY home.

We got home and got some rest. Konnor adjusted well to being at home.

Jaundice Progress

We’re still in the hospital today. Konnor’s skin color looks great after being under phototherapy for the past 36 + hours. Unfortunately the Bilirubin levels are not dropping as we need them to fast enough, though they are dropping. Another blood test was taken in the afternoon around 2pm. We were hoping we’d get the results back and we could be ready to be discharged. The results came back around 3:30pm and it was good and bad news. =(

Good news was the level went down to 13….but bad news…it wasn’t 12 so we would have to stay in the hospital AGAIN for another night. By now, Konnor and I were getting used to the routine. Kevin on the other hand was more frustrated with the whole situation. As parents…all we wanted to do was to be at home with our new baby enjoying eachother as a family. It’s so hard not to be able to hold your baby when you want. Through the phototherapy, we only get to hold Konnor when we feed or change his diaper.

We made the best of the rest of the night. We went to visit Jen, Sombo and Kiana upstairs in Postpartum. Kiana was born on March 2nd. 7lbs 7 oz. She was such a cutie…full of hair and full, plumpy cheeks! =) I think she totally looks like Jen. Unfortunately Konnor couldn’t come with us to visit Kiana, but they will meet eachother soon. Jen and I plan on doing “Baby and Mommy Yoga” together starting in April, so it’ll give Kiana and Konnor to know eachother and play.

I weighed myself today! I'm down 10lbs already. So my weight gain was definitely all Konnor. I've got 3 1/2 more pounds to lose to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. YAY!

Back in the hospital

We had to go back to the hospital last night around 10pm. It wasn’t Mommy who got admitted this time, it was Konnor. =( At Konnor’s Dr’s appt yesterday, his bilirubin levels came back high.
Normal is 12, his was 20.6. YIKES! So the Dr. suggested to take him straight to Pediatrics at the hospital and start the process with phototherapy. We did exactly that. Poor lil’ one has had such a rough first few days. He’s been a tough boy though through all the Drs and Nurses constantly checking his stats, getting poked for blood, taking his temperature and now sitting under 3 phototherapy lights….he’s been great!!
I couldn’t help but to cry my eyes seeing my newborn with an IV and under all the lights. What mom wouldn’t feel what I was feeling? All we can do now is wait….

Welcome HOME Baby Konnor!

We finally got discharged from the hospital today. It was such a nice feeling knowing we were finally taking our new bundle of joy HOME…where he should be. We got discharged and I went home to catch up on some sleep. Konnor’s first day in the house wasn’t too bad. He too caught up on some sleep. We introduced him to Meka (our cat) and then to his new room. He took a nap in his crib and I went to my bed. Boy…I had never enjoyed my own bed so much! Such appreciation after having slept in a hospital bed for 3 days!

Konnor’s first night home was wonderful. It was a joyous feeling to have him in the house. For the first night as parents, we were fairly surprised. He only woke up for 3 hours. Amazing for a newborn! We felt fortunate to have a pretty easy first night home as “parents”. Let’s hope for many more nights to follow….

Konnor had his 1st Dr. Appointment today. He had to have blood drawn again to check the status on his jaundice. We'll get a call later on from the Dr.