And lest you think, he is really a stable little guy- here are the pictures that followed:
Friday, December 03, 2010
One Month Old
So my goal is to take a picture of Emmitt at his month birthdays in the same spot, wearing a white onesie, and next to the same teddy bear(for scale of course) so I can see him grow. Well I was a couple days late for the one month photo shoot but trust me he looked the same a few days earlier :)
And lest you think, he is really a stable little guy- here are the pictures that followed:
And lest you think, he is really a stable little guy- here are the pictures that followed:
My Life Saver Awards
Life with a new baby and three other kids can be a bit crazy. Lucky for me, I have found a few things that are really helping me through...
So in first place, my most miraculous life saver- da da da da...
My Chiropractor- yet again working miracles in my life. Emmitt has now seen her two times and after the second visit he slept that night a huge record breaking 5 HOURS! This is a pretty significant leap from doing 1-3 hours (with 3 being the exception and 1 being common) that he usually does with fussy periods in between. Last night I didn't get a 5 hour stretch but I got two three hour stretches with a completely calm relaxed baby eating and going right back to sleep. It's a definite noticeable difference. He even slept after 4am without being held which he usually never does. For some reason his digestive system goes crazy between the hours of 4 and 7 am and usually he is so gassy that he can't settle at all.
So thank goodness my sleep life is gradually improving because sleep deprivation has some undesirable consequences... exhibit A:
I thought it was only boys living on their own for the first time that make this mistake but its also apparently sleep deprived mothers that do it as well. Yes I put dish soap in the dishwasher...ooops!
Okay back to my Life Saver Awards.
The Silver Medal goes to:
We just signed up this month and the timing couldn't have been better. We get movies through our Wii so Brielle is totally occupied whenever I need her to be... it's a life saver! Its also been nice for Kevin to have something to distract him while he stays up late with little Emmitt. I'm looking forward to the days when I can stay up past 8pm so I can enjoy some movies too... maybe some day!
And in third place, my latest baby discovery: the sling!
I started using the "Sevens sling" but felt like it wasnt big enough for me or baby:
Then I bought the balboa baby sling and the moby wrap. I think I will take the wrap back- it's cool but the two times I tried it out, Emmitt wasnt a fan and its pretty bulky to tote around.
(In case its been a while since you have seen me, that is only me in the first picture- I haven't undergone any makeovers or plastic surgery ...heeheehee)
Typically my babies have gotten big so fast that baby carriers haven't worked for me and my aching back but since Emmitt needs to be held or rocked to stay asleep during the day- the sling is super handy- especially around dinner making time. Its also been fabulous for trips to the store since he cries in his car seat but sleeps almost instantly in the sling.
And that is it... my coping secrets in a nutshell...
So in first place, my most miraculous life saver- da da da da...
My Chiropractor- yet again working miracles in my life. Emmitt has now seen her two times and after the second visit he slept that night a huge record breaking 5 HOURS! This is a pretty significant leap from doing 1-3 hours (with 3 being the exception and 1 being common) that he usually does with fussy periods in between. Last night I didn't get a 5 hour stretch but I got two three hour stretches with a completely calm relaxed baby eating and going right back to sleep. It's a definite noticeable difference. He even slept after 4am without being held which he usually never does. For some reason his digestive system goes crazy between the hours of 4 and 7 am and usually he is so gassy that he can't settle at all.
So thank goodness my sleep life is gradually improving because sleep deprivation has some undesirable consequences... exhibit A:
I thought it was only boys living on their own for the first time that make this mistake but its also apparently sleep deprived mothers that do it as well. Yes I put dish soap in the dishwasher...ooops!Okay back to my Life Saver Awards.
The Silver Medal goes to:
We just signed up this month and the timing couldn't have been better. We get movies through our Wii so Brielle is totally occupied whenever I need her to be... it's a life saver! Its also been nice for Kevin to have something to distract him while he stays up late with little Emmitt. I'm looking forward to the days when I can stay up past 8pm so I can enjoy some movies too... maybe some day!And in third place, my latest baby discovery: the sling!
I started using the "Sevens sling" but felt like it wasnt big enough for me or baby:
Then I bought the balboa baby sling and the moby wrap. I think I will take the wrap back- it's cool but the two times I tried it out, Emmitt wasnt a fan and its pretty bulky to tote around.
(In case its been a while since you have seen me, that is only me in the first picture- I haven't undergone any makeovers or plastic surgery ...heeheehee)Typically my babies have gotten big so fast that baby carriers haven't worked for me and my aching back but since Emmitt needs to be held or rocked to stay asleep during the day- the sling is super handy- especially around dinner making time. Its also been fabulous for trips to the store since he cries in his car seat but sleeps almost instantly in the sling.
And that is it... my coping secrets in a nutshell...
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Thanksgiving Education
Makenna has been learning about the origins of the Thanksgiving Holiday at school. She is receiving the classic lessons about the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and the American Indians.
Her most recent lesson was on the Indians. She was told to write down two things she learned about them from the lesson -- her responses are below:
(For those that can't read her writing this is what she wrote: "One thing I know about Native Americans is that they died." and "...that they catch fish.")
She was also learning Cause and Effect. I found her 4th "Cause and Effect" quite humorous:
(CAUSE
: They didn't have a bathroom. EFFECT: They had to go outside behind a tree.)
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Her most recent lesson was on the Indians. She was told to write down two things she learned about them from the lesson -- her responses are below:
(For those that can't read her writing this is what she wrote: "One thing I know about Native Americans is that they died." and "...that they catch fish.")
She was also learning Cause and Effect. I found her 4th "Cause and Effect" quite humorous:
(CAUSE
: They didn't have a bathroom. EFFECT: They had to go outside behind a tree.)Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Changing Every Day
Emmitt is growing up so fast. I feel like he looks different every day. Heres a photo recap of his first few weeks.
A few Hours Old.
1 Day old and still chillin in the hospital
2 Days old and coming home from the hospital.
3 days old Happy Halloween!
4 days old.
5 days old and our little monkey is already chubbin out!
7 days old and such a serious face. Happy one week birthday!
9 days old and looking so grown up! He's more "awake" with every passing day.
11 days old and tolerating the "new outfit" photo shoot.Emmitt's Two Week Old Stats:
Weight: 9 lbs 8 ounces - 72nd percentile
Height: 21 inches - 68th percentile
Head Circumference: 14.5 inches - 44th percentile
16 Days old and what a Handsome boy!
17 days old and a little fussy for his photo shoot...
19 Days old and oh so cute.
And finally ...21 days or 3 WEEKS OLD TODAY!So here's how he's doing:
Eating- like a champ- every 1-3 hours - still not predictably
Sleeping- like a newborn baby- terrible at night. His second week of life he was doing maybe 2, 2 hour stretches and then up every hour after that but mostly not up for long. This last week he has been way more fussy day and night. He does some three hour stretches now but he sometimes has wakeful fussy periods in between that can last up to two hours. That can be a bit rough. He has been taking the bottle for a feeding or two at night so I get some longer stretches. We are managing but anxious for better sleep in days to come.
Temperament- Fussiness has increased recently. Over the past two days he has cried inconsolably for significant periods of time. Kevin thinks he is colicky but I am holding out hope that it is just a bad couple of days... wish us luck :)
As for the rest of the family. All siblings still adore him. Brayden and Makenna are both so helpful and adjusting wonderfully. Brielle is doing well too - she loves the baby but is definitely noticing some changes that shes not too sure about. As for me, I feel recovered mostly from delivery so now I'm just struggling to get through the long nights. I have been blessed to have my mom here helping for Emmitt's first two weeks of life and for the next two Kevin is home on paternity leave. It is and has been wonderful to have so much help and love and support. Kevin helps tremendously day and night. I am a lucky wife and blessed mother.
Halloween 2010
This year for Halloween...
Brayden was a slice of pizza...
Brayden was a slice of pizza...
Makenna was a BYU cheerleader...(who didn't mean to point to the word poo- its just the only part of the word "spooky" that showed in the picture...oops)
And Brielle was a fairy princess combination creation
And because of the little brother in this picture and the fact that Halloween was on a Sunday, we had a more subdued Halloween experience.
Saturday night dad and grandpa took the kids to the ward Trunk or Treat at the church.
And Sunday night the kids decorated Halloween cookies and passed out candy.
And the only other Halloween event this year was a story time Halloween party at the library which Brielle attended dressed as Cinderella- a very pretty Cinderella, dont you think?
Hope you all had a Happy Halloween too.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Emmitt Steven Brandvold
The Announcement:
We are thrilled to announce to the world that
Emmitt Steven Brandvold
was born
October 28th at 11:43am
weighing 8lbs 11 ounces.
The Story of His Birth
-way more than you ever wanted to know
Early on I had set up with my doctor to be induced on Friday October 29th. My mom was coming the day before, Kevin had work scheduled off and this date brought me a lot of peace- knowing the end and when it would be. However, in the final weeks of my pregnancy I got really anxious about giving birth and really wanted to go into labor on my own- having never experienced that with my previous babies. Toward the end of my pregnancy I found a chiropractor who helped me with my back, hip and sciatic pains of late pregnancy. She was my miracle worker. She also practiced acupuncture and at my request she electrically stimulated the pressure points that have been known to induce labor. She did this shortly before I was thirty eight weeks and not much came of it and then she did it again on Wednesday the 27th. Within a few hours I was having very mild/ hardly noticeable contractions. I had tried a lot of ways of inducing labor and many many times had contractions so I really didn't think this meant much of anything. I didn't even want to mention it to Kevin because I didn't want to get his hopes up. He always wanted the "rush to the hospital" experience so I didn't want to be playing with his emotions. That night we ate dinner and went to Brayden's cub scout pack meeting. The contractions were still coming but they didn't hurt. Kevin stayed for another church meeting and I took the kids home and put them to bed. When Kevin got home I gave him a hair cut and had to pause through contractions so I decided I had better start timing them. We sat down to watch some t.v. and I downloaded a contraction timer on my iphone. They were coming about every three minutes but were not very long and still not painful. I was getting tired by this point so I went upstairs to take a bath and discovered I was bleeding. I called the hospital and they told us to come on in. And so off we went at about 10pm... very anxious... very excited...
My whole labor and delivery experience was really positive even though it was long exhausting and in the end very painful. Kevin and I stayed up that whole night "laboring." It was really a time I will always treasure. I have the best most supportive husband anyone could ask for. He made our long night fun- it felt like an extended date night. We walked the halls, we chatted, we chose a name, we snacked, I sat in the jacuzzi. We had a great nurse. I wanted to hold off on getting the epidural because I hate losing my mobility and other reasons... My goal wasn't to go natural, I just didn't want to be a bed bound spectator to the experience.
My progress was slow. By early morning I was only about 6 centimeters and my labor seemed to be stalled- I think due to the iv fluids they started pumping into me. The nurse wanted me ready to get an epidural at any time but she didn't tell me that all the fluids tends to space out your contractions- oh well...
By the time the doctor came at around 9:30 I was 7cm and a bit weary from a long night and frustrated by my stalled labor so she broke my water and hooked me up to pitocin. Shortly thereafter the pain became too much and I was exhausted and since I thought it would be close to the end I got my epidural. The half hour of waiting for the epidural and then getting it through MISERABLE contractions was definitely the worst part of my labor... as to be expected I guess. The epidural was slow to kick in but when it did, I relaxed for just a short time- maybe 10 minutes or so- and then the nurse told me it was time for baby to come. Two gentle pushes later and Emmitt was born. It was a miraculous moment- one of those sacred special few moments in life that can't be put into words.
The First Few Days of Life
Special thanks goes to my wonderful brother Scott. Without a plan or a warning, he came over late at night on Wednesday night and stayed with the kids. He got them all ready for school, took care of Brielle and even missed his first class that day. He did it all without a complaint and having him there was such a blessing for us.
Our time in the hospital was great. My parents got in shortly after Emmitt was born so the kids were well cared for. Kevin and I were able to just focus on little Emmitt and not worry about our busy lives. The nurses were good to us and it was a pleasant stay.
We got home Saturday afternoon. Emmitt's first night of life contained a seven hour sleep stretch. The next night, he slept for a six hour stretch and then since we have been home it has deteriorated to last night when the longest stretch he did was one and a half hours- here we go again :). He is definitely "waking up." He hasn't been fussy though. There has been very little crying. He has a bit of jaundice but nothing requiring treatment- just something we have been watching. He is a sweet sweet little guy and everyone in our family has fallen in love with him. His siblings adore him and fight over holding him. He is just so loved!
The Pictures -
- it's kinda a big deal so there might be a lot...
We are thrilled to announce to the world thatEmmitt Steven Brandvold
was born
October 28th at 11:43am
weighing 8lbs 11 ounces.
The Story of His Birth
-way more than you ever wanted to know
Early on I had set up with my doctor to be induced on Friday October 29th. My mom was coming the day before, Kevin had work scheduled off and this date brought me a lot of peace- knowing the end and when it would be. However, in the final weeks of my pregnancy I got really anxious about giving birth and really wanted to go into labor on my own- having never experienced that with my previous babies. Toward the end of my pregnancy I found a chiropractor who helped me with my back, hip and sciatic pains of late pregnancy. She was my miracle worker. She also practiced acupuncture and at my request she electrically stimulated the pressure points that have been known to induce labor. She did this shortly before I was thirty eight weeks and not much came of it and then she did it again on Wednesday the 27th. Within a few hours I was having very mild/ hardly noticeable contractions. I had tried a lot of ways of inducing labor and many many times had contractions so I really didn't think this meant much of anything. I didn't even want to mention it to Kevin because I didn't want to get his hopes up. He always wanted the "rush to the hospital" experience so I didn't want to be playing with his emotions. That night we ate dinner and went to Brayden's cub scout pack meeting. The contractions were still coming but they didn't hurt. Kevin stayed for another church meeting and I took the kids home and put them to bed. When Kevin got home I gave him a hair cut and had to pause through contractions so I decided I had better start timing them. We sat down to watch some t.v. and I downloaded a contraction timer on my iphone. They were coming about every three minutes but were not very long and still not painful. I was getting tired by this point so I went upstairs to take a bath and discovered I was bleeding. I called the hospital and they told us to come on in. And so off we went at about 10pm... very anxious... very excited...
My whole labor and delivery experience was really positive even though it was long exhausting and in the end very painful. Kevin and I stayed up that whole night "laboring." It was really a time I will always treasure. I have the best most supportive husband anyone could ask for. He made our long night fun- it felt like an extended date night. We walked the halls, we chatted, we chose a name, we snacked, I sat in the jacuzzi. We had a great nurse. I wanted to hold off on getting the epidural because I hate losing my mobility and other reasons... My goal wasn't to go natural, I just didn't want to be a bed bound spectator to the experience.
My progress was slow. By early morning I was only about 6 centimeters and my labor seemed to be stalled- I think due to the iv fluids they started pumping into me. The nurse wanted me ready to get an epidural at any time but she didn't tell me that all the fluids tends to space out your contractions- oh well...
By the time the doctor came at around 9:30 I was 7cm and a bit weary from a long night and frustrated by my stalled labor so she broke my water and hooked me up to pitocin. Shortly thereafter the pain became too much and I was exhausted and since I thought it would be close to the end I got my epidural. The half hour of waiting for the epidural and then getting it through MISERABLE contractions was definitely the worst part of my labor... as to be expected I guess. The epidural was slow to kick in but when it did, I relaxed for just a short time- maybe 10 minutes or so- and then the nurse told me it was time for baby to come. Two gentle pushes later and Emmitt was born. It was a miraculous moment- one of those sacred special few moments in life that can't be put into words.
The First Few Days of Life
Special thanks goes to my wonderful brother Scott. Without a plan or a warning, he came over late at night on Wednesday night and stayed with the kids. He got them all ready for school, took care of Brielle and even missed his first class that day. He did it all without a complaint and having him there was such a blessing for us.
Our time in the hospital was great. My parents got in shortly after Emmitt was born so the kids were well cared for. Kevin and I were able to just focus on little Emmitt and not worry about our busy lives. The nurses were good to us and it was a pleasant stay.
We got home Saturday afternoon. Emmitt's first night of life contained a seven hour sleep stretch. The next night, he slept for a six hour stretch and then since we have been home it has deteriorated to last night when the longest stretch he did was one and a half hours- here we go again :). He is definitely "waking up." He hasn't been fussy though. There has been very little crying. He has a bit of jaundice but nothing requiring treatment- just something we have been watching. He is a sweet sweet little guy and everyone in our family has fallen in love with him. His siblings adore him and fight over holding him. He is just so loved!
The Pictures -
- it's kinda a big deal so there might be a lot...
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