Sawyer is Three Weeks Old!

Happy Birthday to Sawyer! We got really good news today when we went to A Mother's Gift. He weighs 7 lbs!!! We are so excited! The constant feeding appears to be working! I'm scheduled to go back on Wednesday for another consultation, though, because when I nursed today and they weighed him it appeared that he was only eating an ounce from me. We are supplementing with the expressed breastmilk, but he's eating way more from the bottle than he should at this point. The best-case scenario would be for him to get strong enough to eat all 19 ounces from me each day. That's how much milk babies should get in order to gain weight. That way we would faze out the bottle except for every now and then and I would only pump to have some milk in the freezer. I would only pump four times a day instead of seven like I'm doing now.

I'm kind of frustrated with Loyette the lactation nurse at the pediatrician's office. I called when I got home today to tell her that he's at his birth weight and to ask them what I should do next. Candy at A Mother's Gift said that we could move to feeding him every three hours, but that I needed to continue to pump each time. Loyette's nurse called me back and said to keep doing what we're doing and have him weighed in a week and to call if anything changes but otherwise they'll see him at his two month appointment. I feel like five weeks is a long time for us to pretty much be on our own with Sawyer given how slow-going the breastfeeding has gone. I can't decide if maybe Loyette is taking this approach because she knows I'm going to A Mother's Gift or what. Oh well, we'll just do what Candy says and check back in with her on Wednesday.

I definitely missed Lorne today on his first day back at work. I found that I needed another set of hands and he's always such good moral support too. Our routine is for me to feed Sawyer, then I pump, and while I'm pumping Lorne feeds him his bottle. Without Lorne I had to feed Sawyer, feed him his bottle, put him to sleep, and then pump. I missed one pumping today so I have to be more careful about that in the days to come because I don't want my milk supply to suffer. I have to constantly remind myself to focus on him and leave the housework and other mundane things until Lorne gets home. He gets the short end of the stick, though, because he has to work all day and then come home and help me. I think he's a really good sport about it all though.

Our nighttime schedule changed a little bit too. Lorne stayed up and did the 11:45 feeding and I went to bed a little earlier so that I could wake up at 2:45 to feed him. We have been REALLY lucky so far in that he sleeps between feedings. He only wakes up when he's wet. He cries like crazy when that happens, but for some reason he doesn't cry when he's dirty. I think I would do the opposite if I were him, but who knows?

We had some visitors today. Aunt Net, Uncle Greg, and Tracy stopped by. Aunt Net is on vacation this week and they were on their way to Canton. Tracy held him the most. She had the swinging and rocking down. Those are Sawyer's favorite things to do that's for sure. Aunt Net fed him his bottle. She thinks that he looks like Mark. I'd have to agree. However, he reminds me of Lorne sometimes, but I don't think I've ever looked at him and seen myself.


It was love at first sight for Aunt Net!


Sawyer was very alert for Tracy. He looked at her for a long time!

We haven't gotten to take the three week bear picture yet because he's sleeping on his Daddy, but I will post it as soon as I can!

Pics of Our Little Man

Lorne went a little crazy with the camera today so I thought I'd post some of the pictures:


This was the closest Lorne could get to snapping a pic of Sawyer's "smile."


He's showing Daddy what he thinks about having his picture taken!


Sawyer likes to frown. Maybe he thinks we're funny looking.


He reminds me of my dad when he sleeps like this.


He looks content here, but about five minutes later he peed on the pillow! I think he's trying to make his mark on the entire house! I think he thought I needed to do more laundry.

Sophia Brianna is Here!

Our good friends Jeremy and Denise welcomed their daughter Sophia Brianna today at 12:33 P.M. She weighed 7 lbs 12 ozs and was 21 inches long. We were there at the hospital when she was born, but we were in the Tahoe feeding Sawyer. I actually nursed him, Lorne fed him his bottle, and then I pumped, all in Tahoe comfort. It was amazing how much stuff we had to pack for our four-hour adventure. Lorne said imagine what it's going to be like when we're gone to Van Vleck for four DAYS! Everyday is a learning experience and today was no exception. We were able to see what we needed to pack and what we could live without.

Here are some pictures of Sawyer's first friend:


What a cutie!


The proud Daddy


The happy new family


The little green bow cracks me up!

While we were there I stopped into A Mother's Gift and had him weighed and he's gained another ounce. He's up to 6 lbs 13 ozs!! We are so excited!! Only two more ounces and he'll be back to birth weight.

Sorry that we don't have any more pictures of the little man. I'll post this one of the two of us napping. We're getting better and better at those naps around here!


His little cheeks are really starting to fill out.

Sawyer Gained Seven Ounces!

PLEASE NOTE: I went back and blogged for the 20th and 21st if anyone is interested in going back and reading.

We took Sawyer back to A Mother's Gift to weigh him today. He weighed 6 lbs 12 oz.!! He's gained seven ounces since Thursday! To recap, he weighed 6 lbs 15 oz at birth. He weighed 6 lbs 3 oz when we left the hospital. He lost 7% of his birth weight but they said anything under 10% is normal. He weighed 6 lbs 3.5 oz at his first pediatrician appointment and we thought everything was going well. When I took him back a few days later he was down to 6 lbs. I couldn't believe it!

We're going to keep doing what we're doing until he gets back to his birth weight. I'm supposed to have him weighed again either Thursday or Friday. Basically I feed him every 2.5-3 hours, then I pump. I generally get an ounce each time I pump. Lorne feeds him that ounce in a bottle. Then Lorne also feeds him anywhere from 1.5-3 ounces in the bottle at his 1:00 A.M. feeding. I'm averaging about 6 ounces each day when I pump. That way Lorne's feeding him what I pumped the last time. Lorne goes back to work Thursday so I will have to start feeding him the bottle too, but we're having Lorne do it until that point. The one thing they said that I need to add is an additional pumping when I feed him first thing in the morning, usually around 4:00 A.M.

I asked them what they charged for a nursing pillow called My Brest Friend. I used one of these pillows at the consultation we had last time and I really liked it. The Boppy that I have is kind of flat. She said that I could borrow one of theirs until I come back later in the week. She didn't even ask us to leave our name or a deposit so we thought that was really sweet. I really do feel like the ladies there have done everything they can to help us.

Kristy and Caroline came for a visit today. I taught with Kristy at Rowlett and luckily we've kept in touch. They wanted to come last week, but two of Caroline's cousins got chicken pox while they were all on vacation in Florida. Caroline had the chicken pox shot, but our pediatricians thought it best if we wait on the visit. We had a really good time and Caroline had lots of fun with Lorne, Rosie, Maggie, and our fish. Here are some pictures:


Kristy instructed Caroline that she could only touch Sawyer's feet and she did such a good job!


Caroline is going to be a Big Sister in October so she was practicing with Sawyer.


Caroline quickly warmed up to Lorne and used him as a jungle gym!

Lorne Can't Go Back to Work; I Won't Let Him!

I can't believe that Lorne is already going back to work this Thursday. I'm starting to panic just a little bit. I'm already thinking about what it's going to be like when he's not here to hold Sawyer while I'm working around the house. I also feel like he's so much better at getting him calmed down than I am. I'm hoping that I will get as good at it when it's just Sawyer and I here at the house all day. He works Thursday and Friday and then he's off again Monday so at least he gets to ease back into working again.

I think that I'll plan on cleaning the house Wednesday to get ready for our visitors since Lorne will still be home. Aunt Net, Uncle Greg, and Tracy are coming Thursday or Friday, Karen and Ed are coming by Friday, and Ty, Jamie, and the kids will be here for the 4th of July weekend. It's going to be a fun couple of days!

My friend Julie gave us a Snugli carrier and I took it out of the box this evening, but it looks pretty complicated. Lorne said he doesn't want me to use it until after my postpartum appointment, but I think I'll be fine before then. My discharge instructions only mention not lifting over ten pounds for the first two weeks. The carrier is made for babies starting at 6 lbs., but I have a feeling he'll be too small for it just like he has been with everything else. I want to eventually take him in it when we go for our walks. I think it will be more of a workout than just pushing the stroller.

I organized Sawyer's notebook today. I put everything in sheet protectors and labeled dividers. The subjects include Pediatric Place, breastfeeding, manuals, baby care, baptism, and a few others. I like the idea of having it available for quick reference when I need it. Plus it looks a lot better than having stacks of paper everywhere. My other projects are writing in his baby book and finishing my Pregnancy Journal. I wrote in it everyday and there's a place at the end where it has questions to answer about labor and delivery. I've even caught myself thinking that I need to write in it as I'm going to bed. It had become such a habit to read the daily entry and write down my thoughts.

It seemed like Sawyer didn't want to latch on today, but I think maybe it's just my imagination. I'm still so worried that he won't want me anymore and he'll just want the bottle. Lorne fed him an extra ounce a couple of times because he was still rooting around after the first ounce. My nursing book mentions that if that happens moms can always do "comfort feeding" whereby the nursing isn't the main source of nourishment, but it's still possible to bond with the baby. That sounds like a good idea but my hope is that it won't come to that. We'll have to see what Candy says on Monday and if he's gained any more weight.

I Need More Days Like Today

Today was a somewhat relaxing day. I think it's because we didn't have to go anywhere. I think that I'm feeling better because I mailed off the birth announcements and thank you notes. I hated having that hanging over my head. I've been collecting all the flyers and pamphlets I've gotten from the hospital, pediatrician, the mail, everywhere, pertaining to parenting, breastfeeding, and everything else under the sun. I want to put them along with the manuals for all Sawyer's baby gear into a notebook for easy reference. I'm also wanting to work on his baby book. I decided that having those things sitting around was stressing me out because I can't find time to get to them so I took them to the study so that they'd be out of my sight. I took two naps today so I think that the plan worked. It took me two weeks, but I think that today I finally got to the point where I HAD to take a nap.

Most of you have probably seen Sawyer's Aggie birth announcement on Aggie Baby Central. Part of that service used to include receiving what they called a Howdy Bib. I would be lying if I said that I haven't been looking forward to getting that stupid bib when we had our first baby for as long as I can remember. Needless to say I was very disappointed to learn that only Century Club members get the Howdy Bibs now. Century Club means that $100 is donated to the Association of Former Students each year. I give $50 which keeps me on the Active level. I decided to do something I wouldn't normally do and send an e-mail expressing my disappointment and include some subtle begging. I have no shame now apparently. I wrote that I may not be in the Century Club, but I've (Lorne's) given $350 to the Association since I graduated in 1999 and that should be worth some silly little bib anyday. I finally heard back and they sent us a bib! I'm so excited! The e-mail read that they used to give them away for free but that there are so many babies being born that they had to make that stipulation. I say you spend $25,000+ to go to their school the least they can do is send you a bib! Here's a picture. It doesn't show up really well but it reads "Texas A&M Future Former Student."


I think it will be a while before he can actually use it! What do you think? We could cinch it with a belt and he could wear it as a dress but Daddy probably wouldn't go for that!


I called A Mother's Gift again today to check with Candy the lactation consultant. I've noticed that the amount that I'm pumping is gradually decreasing. It's gone down from one ounce to about 1/2 ounce. Candy said that it is probably because Sawyer is latching on better in this new hold. She said that I could lay off the pumping but to be sure to do it three or four times a day. I decided that I would just take a break during the next feeding and get back to pumping ASAP. It worked because I was back to one ounce this last time. Candy said that she wanted us to come back Monday for a weight check instead of waiting until Thursday like Loyette at Pediatric Place suggested. I like the idea of that so that we can get a head start if his weight has gone down again God forbid. Lorne is giving Sawyer a bottle after each feeding during the day and then taking a break at night.



Daddy is doing a great job of supplementing for our little guy!

Lorne went back to the doctor today because he had been feeling dizzy. I'm not sure that the doctor told him one way or the other about the dizzinnness, but she did give him some Allegra and nose drops that I'm sure he will never use. He's also lost five pounds in the last week so I hate him! :) Guys always seem to lose faster and Lorne is no exception. I still love him though.

Sawyer rode in his swing for the first time today. His head turns to one side no matter what we put him in. He's just so small. I know that he will fit better as he grows more. We ran it empty some so that Rosie would get used to the noise. She's been doing so well with all the adjustments around here.


He seemed to be able to see the little blue seal in front of him. He also seemed to like the sound it made. Rosie likes it too!

We had another first today. We took Sawyer for a walk in his stroller. I'm walking a little bit faster than I was when I was pregnant, but it's still pretty slow going I would say. We'll be back in the fast lane in no time.


I was so excited to take Sawyer for a walk. I've missed our daily walks!

Ten Things Mommy Loves About Sawyer Blake

10. The way he has learned to stretch his little body from head to toe.

9. The way he cuddles and snuggles when I'm holding him close to my heart.

8. The way his mouth falls slightly open as he drifts off to sleep.

7. The way he grasps my pinky with his tiny fingers.

6. The way his fists frame his face as he sleeps.

5. The way he kicks his arms and legs as he discovers his own abilities and strengths.

4. The way his entire forehead wrinkles when he frowns, looking like the weight of the entire world is on his tiny shoulders.

3. The way he crosses his legs at the ankles as if to mimic his time in the womb.

2. The way his lip twitches to one side or the other in true Elvis style.

1. The way he has completely and totally changed our lives.

Sawyer is Two Weeks Old!

It's hard to believe that he's already been in our lives for two weeks. We went to the pediatrician today and he weighs 6 lbs 4.8 ozs! He gained almost 5 ozs since Tuesday afternoon! That means that all of our hard work and everyone's prayers are paying off.

We're feeding him every 2 1/2 to 3 hours right now. I have been pumping four times a day, but now I pump after each feeding and Lorne feeds him an ounce of that from the bottle. I had a VERY hard time watching him feed from the bottle the first time. I actually had to go upstairs. To say it was traumatic would be too dramatic, but it's just not what I wanted, not this soon anyway. Then again, we've had to do so much adjusting up to this point that I'm beginning to get used to it if that's possible. "Welcome to parenthood" I can hear all the parents saying. :)

Lorne and I did "shift work" so to speak last night and it worked really well. I fed him at 10:00 and then Lorne stayed up and fed him about 1 1/2 ounces from the bottle at 12:30. Lorne put him to bed and went to sleep and listened for the monitor until 4:00 when I got up and took over. I slept in the day bed so that Lorne could sleep soundly. He felt dizzy all day yesterday and even some today. He's going back to the doctor tomorrow morning. We have to get him well! It's so ironic that the man who never gets sick has now been feeling under the weather for over a week now. Not only is he having to adjust to being a father and having a son, he's on a new blood pressure medicine.

I went to sleep around midnight and got FOUR STRAIGHT HOURS of sleep! It was wonderful and it's amazing what some sleep can do for one's mental and emotional state. I have been a wreck this past couple of days because I felt like I was failing our son. We're going to keep up this schedule for the next week because he should be back up to his birth weight by next Thursday. It's almost like he's one week behind because he was supposed to be back to his birth weight by today.

I mailed off the birth announcements, some pictures, and thank you notes today. It's amazing how difficult it has been to do "normal" chores like paying bills, balancing the checkbook, or even checking the mail. Even now while I'm typing I keep glancing at the clock and counting down how much time remains until his next feeding. I KNOW that it won't always be this way, but I'm just ready for breastfeeding to be fun and not so much like a chore. I used to hear women say that they breastfed for a few weeks or a few months, and I didn't think I was judging them, but I thought, "Why didn't they try longer?" Now I know why! IT'S NOT EASY!! I'm not giving up, don't get me wrong, just doing a little venting!

I'm going to try and go back and blog for the past few days that I missed. Keep checking back and hopefully I will be able to get back on track.


Thanks for the onesie Uncle Ty and Aunt Jamie!


Evidently Mommy and Daddy are not the only ones who are sleep deprived.


Sawyer's close-up of the day.


I think his eyes are going to be brown. What do you think?

Newborn Screening and More Consulting

Sawyer had to go for his two week Newborn Screening today. He had one at birth which tests for five metabolic diseases. This test is required by the state of Texas. I called Baylor Medical Center in downtown Dallas and had them send the paperwork for the Advanced Newborn Screening which tests for thirty more diseases. This is an optional test and costs $55, but we decided it was worth it to have a more thorough round of testing. This test was also administered in the hospital. We had to go back to Presbyterian for this test since that's where he was born. The man who checked us in at registration said "Sawyer Blake Martin Smith, so many names for such a small little man." He had a Jamaican accent so it just sounded cool when he said it. I guess you had to be there. :)

While we were there we stopped by A Mother's Gift which is the gift shop on the Labor & Delivery floor. They also have lactation consultants and will give free measuring for nursing and maternity bras which is a great service. They have a scale and will weigh your baby for free too. His weight was 6 lbs 2 ounces so he had gained two ounces. We were excited, but it is a different scale from the one in our pediatrician's office. She also wanted to watch me nurse to see how he latches on and I said sure, why not, pretty much all of Collin county has seen my boobs so why stop now. She showed us yet ANOTHER way to position Sawyer. Who knew that there were so many ways? Take it from me, there are! She had me nurse him and then weighed him to see how much milk he was actually getting. It looked like he was getting about an ounce so she suggested that I pump after each feeding and have Lorne feed him an ounce in the bottle since he should be getting two ounces per feeding now.

We weren't sure what to do from this point since the consultant at the pediatrician's office said that all we needed to do was replace one feeding at the breast with a bottle. We talked about it with the consultant at Presby and she said that the main thing now is to get him back to his birth weight. We agreed so that's why we're doing both, at least for now. She said that he's caught in a vicious cycle right now because since he's small it takes all of his energy to latch on so he isn't getting the best feedings, since he isn't getting good feedings he has little energy, etc., etc.

After we left Presby we stopped by Laura's house and dropped off some of my maternity clothes. I was glad to loan them to her and get them out of the closet. It was kind of funny because she'd loaned me some of her clothes but then had to get them back when she found out she was pregnant again. She told her that she hopes we don't do the same thing to her. I assured her that we wouldn't. :)

We stopped at the Credit Union so that I could open Sawyer's CD. I opened a $2,000 CD at 4.3% for 60 months. I got what they call a Step-Up CD which means that I can change the interest rate twice during the life of the CD with no penalty. They have their rates online so I figure I can check periodically and see if it's increasing. I had to open a savings account for him to make him a member so that the CD could be in his name. I'm so excited and proud of us for already having that set up for him.

We had an estimate for solar screens done today. It was at 11:00 and I actually totally forgot about it until the last minute when we were getting ready to go to the hospital. He probably could have done it without us there, but it worked out better that we were home. They gave us an estimate for the cost of doing just the back of the house or the entire house. We also have a choice of getting 80% or 90% coverage for the same price. They can also install them with or without gridwork. They have five or so different colors, but we like the black. I think we're going to go with screens on the entire house with gridwork. We'll do 80% in the front and 90% everywhere else. Lorne didn't want it to be too dark in the living room since we spend so much time there. We're thinking that they will pay for themselves over time because the light bill will go down.

I almost forgot to mention that Sawyer's umbilical cord stump fell off today. He has now officially cut the cord with me. It's like he's on his own now even though it will be a while before he makes it official I guess!

Sorry that there aren't any pictures today. I think Lorne and I were too busy watching the clock to take any!

How Can OUR Son Possibly Be Underweight?

I woke up at 3:00 this morning to feed Sawyer and couldn't go back to sleep. I used the time to do some of the "normal" things that I did with no problem before Sawyer was born. I wrote my thank you notes, paid bills, balanced the checkbook, and went to WalMart.com to choose some pictures to have printed for his baby book. I would have had a nap if I'd known what kind of report we'd get at the pediatrician that afternoon.

I called Starn air because it sounded like our air conditioner might be going out and it didn't seem to be cooling like it should. I called first thing at 8:00 and the receptionist said that they would be able to work us in.

In the meantime we worked on the birth announcements. I've had them addressed for weeks so that saved us some time. Lorne is such a perfectionist and it's really funny to watch him because everything has to be just so. Who else does that sound like? :) Lorne printed them all out and he even cut the tape and put the announcements together. I'll post one later if I think of it. I don't want to ruin the surprise of everyone seeing it when it comes in the mail.

As the day went on it became more and more obvious that the air conditioner man wouldn't be here before it was time to leave for the appointment. He actually got here when it was time to leave so I had to go by myself. I was kind of panicking a little bit because I hadn't left the house by myself with Sawyer yet. I drove extra carefully on the way there and we made it without incident. Our pediatrician is on vacation this week so we met with the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who helped us with nursing last week.

I was shocked to say the least when they weighed him and he was 6 lbs. We thought we were home free last week when he'd gained half an ounce in less than a day and was 6 lbs 3.5 ozs. I was really at a loss. We'd done our charting where we write down the time and amount of all Sawyer's bodily functions. As Loyette put it, his "output" looks great, but for some reason he's not gaining. She told me to nurse every 2 1/2 hours and to supplement one of the nighttime feedings with a bottle. I didn't take this very well at first, but then I started to realize that the most important thing is that he gain weight.

I went to Babies R Us and wandered around the bottle section trying to figure out what to buy. I noticed a strange sensation come over me as I was walking around the store. I felt like a mother bear who was looking out for her cub. I didn't want strangers to get close to him or try to touch him because he's in such a precarious place right now. I've just never felt that strongly about someone else before so it was pretty overwhelming.

I knew to buy a slow flow nipple and one that was most like the breast. I bought a couple of different kinds. We ended up going with the Playtex ones that Laura had recommended and that we got at one of my showers. They're called Drop-ins and are really easy to clean because the insert is thrown away. I felt like I was keeping it together until I got to the parking lot and noticed "BVM" on a license plate. In case you didn't know I'm really big on signs. Mom and Aunt Net refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the BVM and Mom has always told me to pray to her and she will take care of us. I felt like I needed her help and strength more than ever at that moment.

We made it through the night and were hopeful that he would gain weight with this new plan.


Sawyer loves to be swaddled!


I just happened to look over in time to capture this sweet moment between Daddy and son.

Sawyer Comes First

Hey everyone. I'm sorry that I haven't written in a couple of days. We had a pediatrician appointment and I just knew that the little man would be back at his birth weight as he should be, but he actually lost MORE weight and now weighs 6 lbs! We're going back to the doctor Thursday, but until then I'm to feed every 2 1/2 hours and pump four times a day. I'm already worn out just thinking about it. I feel like I had just gotten to a point where I could enjoy breastfeeding and now it's back to being like a chore. We're also to replace one of my feedings with a breastmilk bottle which I was so adamant about before. Now all I care about is Sawyer gaining some weight. I'm feeling really inadequate as a mom right now. I'm not looking for compliments, I'm just wishing that things would be better. She mentioned something about a protein deficiency, but that should have shown up in his newborn screen at birth and I don't think that it did. We're headed to Presbyterian tomorrow morning to have his two week screen done. Hopefully that won't show any kind of deficiency. Until then my world will revolve around Sawyer gaining some weight and being as healthy as he can possibly be. I'll write when I can!

AWY

Today was a very busy day. I met with State Farm first thing this morning and started Sawyer's life insurance policy. I also added $300,000 in term life insurance to my policy. I know that I will sleep better at night knowing that if something happens to me Lorne and Sawyer will be well taken care of. When I got home I told Lorne that if he killed me he'd get the money and he said "Sweet!"

My next stop was Bank of America where I was planning to open a CD for Sawyer. When I called to schedule I told them that I was debating on whether to open one there or at Credit Union of Texas. I am still a member there from my teaching days. I asked them what their rates were and the lady said that I'd have to come in (of course). I told her that I could get the credit union's over the Internet and that's when she said they could match the rates. Needless to say, I get there, wait thirty-five minutes, and she tells me that they can't match that rate and that the guy working the lobby could have told me that. I was frustrated because that was thirty-five minutes away from Sawyer.

I went to pick up the Awy frame and it looks great this time. I'll share the Awy story for those of you who may not have heard it. I worked on one letter of my cross-stitch at a time (obviously), and would give myself two days to complete a letter. When Lorne got home he would always ask me about my progress and I would show him. I learned how to cross-stitch from Velma and she taught me to start in the center of the pattern and work my way out. I started on the "W" the moved to the "A" and then the "Y." Once I had finished those three letters and shown them to Lorne he noticed that it spelled "AWY" and that's what we've been calling little Sawyer ever since. Sounds like the little man already has a nickname!


I am very happy with the finished product!


You can't see it in the picture, but I'm wearing my Aggie ring again! WHOOP!!

Happy Father's Day Lorne!

Lorne celebrated his first Father's Day by hanging out with Sawyer on the couch and watching (sleeping through) the U.S. Open. He knows that I get cabin fever so he watched Sawyer while I ran a few errands. It was more than a few. I actually think that I crammed a week's worth of running around in a three hour period. I felt so guilty the entire time that I was gone. I kept envisioning Sawyer wailing at the top of his lungs for hours on end. Of course he was asleep when I got home and I had to wake him to feed him, but I felt the guilt nonetheless.


Lorne and his two Father's Day gifts! :)


I found this on Nordstrom.com. It was too cute to pass up! I had to order it early so I remember praying that he would indeed be a boy.



Mommy and her first Sawyer-induced nap. Daddy gets to take these all the time!

I went and picked up the Awy cross-stitch, but when I got home Lorne noticed that it wasn't level and that the letters gradually got higher and higher so I drove back to Michael's. It was closing time by the time I got there so I was told that it will be ready tomorrow. I sure hope so. I'll be sure to post a picture once it is ready.

I'll close tonight with a picture of the little man:


Sawyer's close-up of the day. Lorne was so proud that his eyes were open.

Just the Three of Us

This is our first official weekend as a family of three. Today went really well I think. Denise stopped by after Laura's shower and brought me some cake and chicken salad sandwiches. She is so sweet! I was invited but thought it best to stay home with the little man since he's eating every three hours or so and so young. We had to take a picture of her because for whatever reason we didn't get one of her holding Sawyer when she visited us in the hospital.


Denise will be holding her own little one soon!


Denise was telling Sawyer that his little friend is on her way!

Lorne's Aunt Mary, Uncle Les, cousin Ashley, and her fiance Erik came for a visit this afternoon. They live in Wichita Falls and were in Dallas doing some shopping. It was nice to see them. I hadn't seen Aunt Mary since my graduation in August. She had gastric bypass surgery and looks AWESOME!! She's like an entirely new person.

Ashley's wedding is July 16th. I'm looking forward to attending and seeing how well Sawyer does in the car for the three hour drive. It will also be the first time he is around more than a few people at a time.

I have lots of pictures to post tonight because I learned how to crop:


Aunt Mary and Sawyer


Uncle Lester said that he could still remember holding Lorne this same way.


Ashley is expecting her own little bundle on December 29th


Erik the Cousin-To-Be


Mommy and Daddy


Our precious little Awy


One of Sawyer's favorite sleeping positions.

I made a page for Sawyer at Aggie Baby Central today. There's no password so it should be easier for everyone to access. I was so excited because A&M used to give all new parents a Howdy bib. It's actually a bib with "Texas A&M University Future Former Student" printed on the front. I was disappointed to learn that you have to be in the Century Club to get the bib these days. I think that's pretty crummy since I give $50/year but apparently that's not good enough; they think their bibs are worth at least $100. Lorne told me he'd take me to the mall and get me an A&M bib, but it wouldn't be the same. Oh well, Sawyer won't know the difference!

GrowingFamily.com Can Kiss My Big Toe!

Okay everyone. Lorne stole the pictures from the Growing Family website since the morons couldn't make it so that we could see the pictures. I wanted the password to be removed but they said that our hospital required one. This isn't the only trouble we've had with them. His pictures were taken last Friday and they were just uploaded Wednesday. They quoted to us that they would be there Sunday. The worst part was that I kept checking the website and there were already pictures of babies who were born days after Sawyer. Part of that may have been due to him being in the short-stay nursery, but what are the odds? I'm just lucky that I'm married to someone who knows their way around computers (and doesn't mind a little petty theft).


Mom and Dad gave Sawyer the hat and he has matching booties. I bought the onesie when we were in College Station in December for Mark's graduation.


I couldn't believe how big the onesie was on him!


His hands are constantly at his face.


His eyes are open! Hallelujah!


Closed again darnit!


Aunt CoCo bent his thumb so that he could Gig 'Em Aggies! Too precious!

Last night wasn't as scary. I don't know if I've written of my feelings, but for some reason at night I get more anxious and scared. I guess it's because the rest of the neighborhood seems at rest and peaceful. I know it's still early though so hopefully I will begin to feel more and more at ease. Lorne was feeling better so he was able to help more so that made a difference. Sawyer slept in 45-minutes increments give or take. The only problem with that is he'll sleep for two hours on his daddy's lap, but not the bassinet or Pack 'N Play. I'd like to give a shout out to Velma's aunts and thank them publicly for the Pack 'N Play. I am enjoying it so much. It's serving as a changing station and bassinet downstairs which is great. Not to mention how handy it will be when we go to Van Vleck in July.

Sawyer is averaging about 20 minutes per feeding so it's nice to see a pattern develop. I know everyone is surprised to learn that we have a chart to record feeding times and duration, time and types of diapers, and amount of milk pumped. It just helps with my sanity and for the pediatrician appointment because they will ask. It's all about the bodily functions when you're a newborn apparently.

Speaking of pumping I've had three attempts. It's kind of empowering to pump. I've expressed five, three, and 1/2 ounces and no I won't keep reporting on how many ounces I'm packing. I had propped up the bag with the three ounces and it fell over so I lost an ounce. I know they say don't cry over spilled milk, but that saying was coined by someone who has never breastfed! :)

Bryan, Julie, and Sabra came to visit the baby today. Lorne works with Bryan and they're Class of '95 at A&M. Sabra is such a cutie! Her sister Raina was in Houston with grandparents so we didn't get to see her. Julie had loaned me lots of maternity clothes. She also gave us their bassinet, a Snugli carrier, some blankets, burp cloths, a handy little wheeled cart, and some Medela pumping supplies. Needless to say we were very grateful. She's also given me some good advice and pointers which I really appreciate.


Julie, Sabra, and Bryan

I called State Farm this afternoon to start the paperwork on Sawyer's life insurance policy. I met with them before he was born to discuss our options and decided from there. My next step is to start a college CD for him once Lorne gets his bonus. I'm trying to plan ahead as much as possible because you just never know what the future may hold.

I took Rosie for a walk around the block this evening (nobody freak out; I took it easy I promise). It was the funniest thing. Lorne and Sawyer were napping on the couch and Rosie started whimpering around 8:00. By 8:30 she was nudging him and at 8:30 she actually nosed him in the palm of his hand. It's amazing how perceptive she is. We took her walking almost everyday at 8:00 when I was pregnant. Normalcy for her is very important to me and I needed the fresh air. Lorne was obviously out of it otherwise he probably wouldn't have let me go. Once Sawyer gets bigger I want to take him in his Snugli and Lorne can have Rosie.

I just realized that I inadvertently deleted three comments when I deleted the post about Growingfamily.com. Renee, thank you for your insight on breastfeeding. Velma and Brittany, looks like Lorne found a way to solve the problem!

Take care everyone!

Happy Birthday Sawyer!

Sawyer is one week old!

It's hard to believe that he's already one week old. I've decided to take Sawyer's picture next to an A&M teddy bear each week for four weeks until he's one month old. Then I'll take one each month to show everyone how much he's growing and the bear is shrinking.

I wanted to welcome any visitors to the website who may have heard from it from a friend of a friend or otherwise. We love for anyone and everyone to read about our precious little boy. I just hope that you can tolerate my rambling! :) Here I am writing about two days in one blog again after I said that I would catch up, but I thought that I had lots of time today and now the day is almost over. Let's see, what happened yesterday...

BREAST ALERT: The following two paragraphs are about our tumultuous yet amazingly rewarding journey through breastfeeding. If you're not interested it's probably best to skip them, but if you are then keep reading.

We had a lactation consult at the pediatrician office and before you ask, no, I didn't take any pictures! :) She felt me up and then started me out in a rocking chair trying to get Sawyer to latch on and it was pretty obvious that nothing was going to happen. I was getting frustrated like when we first got home because all he would do is cry when Lorne suggested I demonstrate what works best for the two of us which is letting him be propped up on his back. I am sooo glad that we did because after that she thought we deserved a gold star and that we were doing a good job. I feel so much better about the whole process now. I brought my pump but we didn't use it there because it suggested that we boil all the parts. I'm doing that now and it looks funny having a pot full of plastic parts. She wants me to pump four times a day after a feeding. I'm excited to see the fruits of my labor. Breastmilk is good for up to three months in the freezer so I'm clearing off a shelf. My plan is to introduce the bottle the week of Lorne's cousin Ashley's wedding. It will be in Wichita Falls which is over three hours in the car. I'm considering it a trial run for the next weekend which is Sawyer's baptism in Bay City. The trip to Van Vleck will be at least 5 1/2 hours.

OK, back to the breast. I would like some clarification on my diet, though. I told her that both Lorne and I had horrible ear infections and tubes in our ears when we were kids. Lorne had them more than once. He actually has an ear infection now as a matter of fact, but I'll get to that in a minute. She said that since that was the case I should avoid peanuts and peanut products, shellfish, corn, and corn syrup. Have you ever tried to avoid corn syrup? It is in EVERYTHING it seems like! My question to any of you former or current breastfeeders out there is how did you change your diets? Did you limit or completely avoid caffeine? My plan is to avoid peanuts, caffeine, gassy veggies, chocolate (Lord give me strength), and alcohol. The rule of thumb seems to be that if it gives you gas it will give the baby gas ten times over and that doesn't sound at all fun to me! I understand that I can eat anything that I want given that I am prepared for a fussy and/or gassy baby as a result. If you have an opinion I would love to have you leave a comment pertaining to the subject or any subject for that matter!

After that we went to Babies R Us so that I could get a swing for Laura's baby shower on Saturday. I won't be able to go for obvious reasons even though it sounds like lots of fun. Laura, Ryan, and Christopher came over and brought Dickey's BBQ for dinner so I gave it to her then. It was so nice to not cook dinner! I'm posting a picture of Christopher because he is so cute. He looks so big next to Sawyer! Jeremy and Denise also came over last night and we had a good visit. Denise is being induced on the 28th and is having a girl. I am so excited for them!


Christopher with the baby's The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. I bought the baby one so that Christopher wouldn't have to share his.


Jeremy and Sawyer. I feel really bad that we don't have a picture of Denise yet, especially since she's held him twice now. I'm determined to get a picture before she has her baby.

After Babies R Us Lorne went by work to get Sawyer added to the insurance and had lunch with the guys. He had a follow-up blood pressure appointment in the afternoon. Dr. Babaian added another blood pressure medicine, said his LDL (bad cholesterol) level is high, and said for him to return in six weeks to see if the additional medicine is helping. She didn't give him anything for the cholesterol. He told her he'd been having a sore throat the past couple of days, but he figured it was from sleeping with his mouth open but it wasn't. He has an ear infection. I should have known something was wrong with him when he was sleeping more than me and I'm the one who had a baby!

She also wants him to work on his diet. I told him that six weeks was a critical time for me too because that's when I go back for my postpartum visit. I told him that we would work on eating more healthily together. My plan is to return to Weight Watchers and Curves the first week of August since I will be released by my doctor by then. In the meantime I plan to eat as well as I can since Sawyer is completely dependent on me. I don't want to have to use formula to supplement the breastmilk.

On another note Deacon Wally called yesterday and we secured July 24th as the baptism date. I am so excited about this not only for the spiritual aspect but because Lorne and I were married by Father Casey at Holy Cross on July 24, 1999. Deacon Wally normally performs the baptism, but we are having Father Casey and I couldn't be more excited. It will be a very special day. I think we're taking a four-day weekend too so that will be nice.

Today was our first full day alone and I think that it went well. I was alone with Sawyer during the night because Lorne needed his sleep. We got up at 5:30 this morning and came downstairs. I found a way to nurse him in the Boppy pillow in the recliner so I am very excited about that. My next task is to be able to do the same thing in the glider because it is even more comfortable.

I went by Curves and talked to the owner. I told her that I would bring Sawyer by next week after he gets his vaccinations. She said to give her a few days notice so that people who want to be there can plan accordingly. Then I went to Wal-Mart to shop for groceries and read label after label trying to avoid corn syrup and I've already mentioned how impossible that is!

I enjoyed talking with my cousin Lorie today when she called. She was a huge help to me the entire time I was pregnant. She answered all my silly questions and calmed my irrational fears along the way. She also prepared me for things that aren't in the books. It's comforting to know that she's still here for me now. Growing up I always saw her as someone so much older than me, so why would she want to hang out with me, but time has a way of bringing people closer together and I feel that has definitely happened with Lorie and I.

I guess that's enough rambling for one night. Take care everyone! :) I'll leave you with some close-ups of our precious Awy.


A close-up for the grandparents.


Another close-up. Tell me who YOU think he looks like. We've gotten all sorts of combinations. I'd love to hear from you!