Sunday, August 22, 2004

Pictures from Pregnancy

I have been wanting to get some photos of the last day of my pregnancy on the web. When I was in labor my friend Karma was here visiting us and she took some photos. I am still shocked as to how big I was then! Boy, do I look tired! I had been having contractions every hour for over a day at this point - both Jamie and I had no sleep because the contractions would wake me right out of sleep and he would help me as I labored through them. Here are those photos :) (Thanks Karma for emailing them to us :) The last one is of me and Karma - how special that she was here right before we left for the hospital :)











Friday, August 20, 2004

Kian Rolled Over!

Kian was having tummy time today on his tummy time mat. He was staring at the bright colors on the mat and was kinda wobbling to one side. I thought that he might be on his way to turning over on his back. After few more wobbles he was on his back! I couldn't believe it! I immediately called Jamie to tell him the news :) I am so glad that he rolled over - he actually hates tummy time so I was thinking it would roll over later than others. But he did it! Hopefully I will be able to catch him on camera sometime.

Kian's Eye Color

Kian's eye color seems to be changing. His eyes are now a grayish- blue. I am wondering if he's going to get the Kesler brown eyes. Guess we might find out soon!

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Move to Crib, Mom's Class, Personality Update

Kian's Move to His Crib

Kian is moved into his room and slept in his crib for the first time last night. (Thanks to a little encouragement from Daddy, Mommy decided to give it a try.) I was worried he would get scared when he woke up in there - as he has once before - but he did great last night. Now if I can only get him back to sleeping straight through 6 hours again then I will be happy :) Right now he's sleeping for four hours then up again two hours later and then again two hours later. The two hour intervals is that he can't get himself back to sleep. I just go in there, reswaddle him and give him a pacifier and he's out. I have been thinking of finding a lovey for him (something that he will find comfort in the middle of the night and not need me to help him get back to sleep). I haven't chosen one yet, but I am definitely working on that one. I am also reading a book called the No-Cry Sleep Solution and once I feel like I have a handle on what Kian needs me to do to help him learn to sleep longer then I will be working with him more on it.

Cold Again?!?! Teething?!?!

Kian's voice turned horse again last night. I don't really know if he has a cold or if he's teething. I can't see anything white on his gums...but I guess it could be the start of the teeth moving. He seems to be pretty content for the most part. I guess we will have to wait and see what will happen :)

New Mommies Group

Kian and I are attending a new Mommies group on Monday afternoons. The one that we were taking with Kathy ended and some moms decided to continue on our own. I sure am glad that we did because it's so good to connect with other moms who have babies the same age.

At my last Mom's group with Kathy (who was our doula, child birth instructor and facilitator of my Mom's group) I got a photo of Kian and Kian since we didn't have one we would be able to show him (the only other photo we have of her is of me pushing - not something I will share with anyone but Jamie lol), but I wanted Kian to know what she looked like she she said so many wonderful things to him in the letter that she wrote for him after he was born.


Also, at the last group Kian and I had our hand prints made. Kathy has a lady who does the prints locally come in and do them for a group of moms who are interested. You could choose from his hand, foot, both hands and feet, one hand, one foot, or you could choose to have your hand print with his inside. We chose to have our prints done together (Jamie thought it was really neat too). I figured that it will be a time that I will remember for the rest of my life and I will be in awe when Kian is about 16 and his hand will completely swallow mine :) We will have the handprints back to us the last week of September and I will take a photo of it when we get it back.

The new class was held for the first time on Monday. The class is pretty much made up of moms that were in lamaze classes together. We lined up our babies on the couch and here's the outcome:


From left to right: Tiffany, Liliana, Kian, Alex, and Danielle

Notice whose the only one crying in the picture - I told the Mom's that it would only capture what he's like a lot of the time anyway hehe I think that being swished with all those other babies was something foreign to him and he didn't like it very much. My friend Gina (Danielle's Mom) is a pro at doing thing with photos and such on the computer and I jokingly replied to her email of this photo by saying she should Photoshop a happy smile onto Kian's face - she said she was up for the challenge and replied with this photo:

Pretty good for a fake smile, huh!?!?! hehe


Personality Update

Kian is getting better and better as the weeks go by. His personality is definitely a challenge - it's especially hard when we are in public and people have to poke their noses and say "oh, he's hungry" when he just ate before we left the house or "he's colicky" no he's not...he's been in this car seat for a half hour now and he's tired wouldn't you cry too - especially when you are tired... I can tell you from having a challenging child I will NEVER say anything to some strange mother about what is wrong with her child - although I might pat her on the back and tell her that it does get better and I am living proof lol

I have also been encouraged by some moms in my group this week. They told me about how much Kian has progressed into being more content and happy. The first time we were at Mom's group he cried the entire time - one mom even confessed today that she secretly hoped we wouldn't be at group because Kian cried so much (this is coming from a mom with what seems to be the easiest baby in the world - next to Danielle that is!). This mom also told me that she can see every week how Kian is getting better and better with things. It also helps that Kian has lots of big smiles for everyone when he is having a content period. But when he has his meltdowns - there's not return from the edge sometimes.

At my last Mom's group Kathy told me that her first born - her daughter was also a "high needs" baby and she was so bad that people thought her and her husband would never have another baby! (They had two more after her by the way.) Kathy told me she wished that the kinds of things that are out there now - techniques for calming and just knowing what to do with a child who have a difficult personality - were at her fingertips when she was dealing with her daughter. I feel blessed to have books and videos to consult in how to calm him and to know how to deal with them. Her daughter is now a wonderful woman who works with Focus on the Family and has a great relationship with her mom. But Kathy confessed that her daughter was high needs until she was about 5 years old - that was kind of discouraging but at least I know there is hope for Kian to be a wonderful person when he grows up.

The difficult thing about having a high needs child is that I really don't have anyone to connect with on that issue in our group. One mom even said that I am probably one of the few moms that actually get out with their babies when they are a high needs child. I honestly don't think I could handle just staying at home with a crying child all the time - and he needs to socialize as well. One thing that is difficult for me at moms group is that, some things that Mom's do with their babies I cannot do with Kian - like crying it out - I tried just letting him cry for 5 - 10 minutes and he was BALLISTIC. I have a VERY hard time calming him down. I have decided that I need to continue to follow what my heart is telling me to do - and I am so glad that Kathy has encouraged us to do that. She says that if your instincts as a mom are telling you that this is not right, then it probably isn't. Kian is such a different from the normal, run-of-the-mill babies that for me to do something that works for one mom might not work for us. I dream of the day that I can put Kian in a shopping cart without a meltdown - now I shop with him in the front carrier because he will fall asleep being close to me and from the movement.

Life with a high needs child is sure difficult...but God has given me the ability to view this as what is normal for Kian and I have to learn to help him cope and just deal with it. God made him who he is and he's a special guy who needs special attention. My friend Gina said that I should take Kian's temperament as a complement from God because He will never give us more than we can handle. That is so true that God doesn't give us more than we can handle and I guess I'm definitely blessed with a wonderful, beautiful baby boy who I love dearly. As for a compliment from God, I will have to have a talk with Him when and if we decide to do this again LOL



Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Kian's Personality and Update on His Cold

Kian's Supersensativity is Getting Better (Even Despite a Cold!)

I am loving being a Mommy and it gets better as time goes on :) As I have said in previous posts, Kian is what they call a high-needs baby. His personality or temperament is one that requires a lot more attention then other babies (believe me I have seen it in my mom's group how much more needy he is). After finding out he was a Supersenative baby who doesn't adjust well to new environments and scares easy (even just picking him up from the changing table without letting him know will scare him) has really helped me and Jamie learn how to help him out. One very encouraging thing that the leader of my mom's group told me was that her daughter was also a high-needs baby. She told me her daughter would scream so much that everyone thought that she would never have another baby! She also told me that she wishes she had the tools and knowledge that we have out there now to help babies cope with adjusting to life outside the womb along with their personality. She encouraged me also by telling me how wonderful her daughter is and how great of a relationship they have (her daughter is in her early 20's).

Kian's getting better and better everyday though. Yesterday was his first trip to the grocery without crying! And today we went out for a bit (had to pick up my rings from being resized) and I had him in the stroller for about a hour for shopping in the area and no crying again! He actually smiled the entire time we were out! I thought I had someone else's child with me! He usually gets upset in new situations but he was fine as long as he saw my face every once in a while and could play with the links-a-doos I attached to his car seat. The stroller part is amazing because he always cries on our walks and always has to be in the front carrier when I go grocery shopping or head to Walmart. I might just be able to keep him in his car seat when we go in the store (that would be very nice on Mommy's back).


Update on Kian's Cold

Kian does still have a cold :( The poor little guy didn't want me to put him down at all Saturday so Jamie and I decided that church wasn't a good idea. We spend most of the time in the cry room and I wouldn't have liked it if someone brought their sick child in the cry room so I thought it was best we stay home. I have brought him into the bathroom and sat him in his bouncer when I showered to help to clear out the congestion and that has really helped a lot. He sure does hate that bulb syringe! I think he might have nightmares about it when he's older! hehe

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Kian has his first cold :(

Last night, at about 5ish, I realized that Kian could be sick. His voice sounded like he had a frog in his throat. I thought it would go away as the day went on. He didn't do much cooing yesterday but when he did later on I noticed that he still sounded froggy. It was too late to call the Dr. by then. He seemed to be fine other than a little more fussy than normal at times and has a bit of a cough. I did take his temperature and it was normal. I figured he would be fine until today.

So I called the Dr. today and they said that there wasn’t anything that they could do. That I could just give him Tylenol, make sure his nose is clear and bring him into a steamy shower if he gets stuffed up. She also asked if Kian was breastfed and I told her he was…she said that breastfed babies have great immunities and he should get over this fairly quickly, so that gave me a little more comfort – hopefully he will get over it soon. (especially before Tuesday – our walking day!).

The nurse also said that he could be TEETHING! Yep! She said that they can start teething between 2-4 months. I looked and felt for signs of teeth poking through and didn’t see any...he loves to suck and gnaw on his hand or grab mine and stick it in his mouth and bite and suck….but that’s kind of his normal behavior. I did give him some Tylenol and have been trying to keep up my patience with him and when he cries suddenly. I guess it doesn't help that he does have some gas today too (contributing to sudden cries that stop once he toots).

Kian is REALLY Growing!

It seems that Kian is just fitting into his 3-6 month clothing - well most of it. Some of it is still a little big on him. He's not a chunky baby and sometimes I think some of the clothes he has are made for chunks hehe I just started dressing him in all 3-6 month clothing this week! I was going to buy some more things for him but I think I might hold off. The only thing he needs is light fabric sleepers - it gets cold here at night and he kicks his covers off during the night a lot of times, but I also want to make sure he doesn't get too hot.

Also, I weighed him at the last Mommies Group that I was at (it's held in an area in my OB's office) so there is a scale there. I weighed myself with him and then without him. He weighs 11 lbs. 1 oz. as of Wednesday (I won't say how much Mommy weighed though although it was a pound less than last week :).

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

He's Growing So Much!

Kian's Moving - Well, to His Crib hehe
Jamie and I are starting to transition Kian to his crib. I put him down for naps in there so he gets used to waking up in a new place. We used to always put him down in the Pack 'N Play in the living room or in his bassinet next to our bed. He loves to look at the Noah's Ark bumper pad on his crib after he wakes up - so at least I know he will be entertained for a bit before he cries for me to come and get him :)

Anyway, earlier today I was looking at Kian's bassinet and it says that babies should only be in there until they are 15lbs or 3 months old - whichever comes first. Kian will be 3 months on Sunday. I have to admit that I kind of have been dragging my feet a bit in moving Kian into his room. I want him close to me so I can check in on him and make sure he's still breathing and it's also really easy to feed him at 4AM and then again at 6AM when he's hungry (I usually feed him laying down in bed a the 6AM feeding so he will go back to sleep with little effort.)

Just now I was feeding Kian before he goes down for what is hopefully his 6 hour sleep stretch (crosses fingers) and I was thinking about having to move him away from me. I was thinking about the day that Jamie put the bassinet together and how it sat waiting for him to come home from the hospital for several weeks before he was even born. I thought about him often while that bassinet laid empty - I couldn't wait until he would come home to fill it. As time has gone one he's been able to put both of his hands on the sides of the bassinet and he's almost the entire length of it now. He was so sleepy when we brought him home...Now he's so awake and alert. It's amazing how many changes have occurred in just the short 3 months that he has been here. He's already stole my heart!

Here are some comparative photos of Kian from when he was first born to now:




Last Mommies Group with Kathy
Tomorrow is our last Mommies Group with Kathy as the leader. We will then be graduating and moving to a group with other Mommies who have graduated. Our time with Kathy has been amazing, I have really looked forward to her insight every group and I know I am going to miss her. Kathy was also our doula. She will hold a special place in both mine and Jamie's hearts because of all the love and support she gave us throughout the labor and even before in our childbirth classes that she lead. She is truly an amazing woman!

What is kind of strange is that all the moms and babies that are coming in are brand new - one a few weeks ago was only 1o days old! Heck, I was pretty much just getting settled at home from my ordeal a the hospital at that point! Kian is the oldest one in class now so I am now the veteran Mommy - it's kinda strange but neat to hear concerns and questions that I too had when Kian was a little man. Now that I have been there, done that I can pass on some of my advice to these ladies :)

Little Ones Everywhere!!!!
It is unbelievable the amount of friends who are now expecting!

Two of my old EDGE Corps partners are having little ones in the next few months! Lindsay and her husband Greg are expecting their second baby, a girl, this month. Her name is Abigail Grace. Her brother is about 18 months so Lindsay will have her hands full! hehe Chris and his wife Leigh Anne are expecting a little boy in September. They haven't settled on a name yet but it doesn't really matter because he'll be called little Ruf anyway ;) (Chris' last name is Rufener.)

One of the girl that I met with at Cal Poly is expecting! She announced it last month! I was so excited for her. Ann and Wes Cooley will have little BC (Baby Cooley) sometime in December or January (I think).

There also will be a new little Inhabitant at Oddworld too! One of Jamie's co-workers is expecting in October. Kian and I had lunch with her the other day - she has also hired Kathy as her doula so of course we had to talk about that ;) Talk about a flood of memories coming back from being pregnant! She looked very cute with her little belly :)

Growth Spurt
Kian has hit another growth spurt. He seems to be right on time with them - he should have one around 12 weeks and he was 12 weeks on Saturday. Basically what a growth spurt means is that he eats more frequently - today he ate almost every hour! He was also really tired. He is actually sleeping right now (thank God! He's been so needy lately that I have barely had time to do anything but the basics around the house and for myself). I am hoping that the growth spurt doesn't last too long - thankfully I did all my shopping on Monday! Growth spurts can last for up to a week! Thank God it's only that long because he was up again every 3 hours last night (talk about a sleepy Mommy).