Monday, May 31, 2010

Jayden' 1st Road Trip!

We finally went to Mountain View to visit the Willings!
BBQ FUN, drinks & Mom and Dad got to relax! Jayden LOVED it!! Had so much fun as you can see....




Passed out!


Big Cousin Loren feeding her Lil Cuz Jayden =)


AH HA! Caught Ian! (He never lets me take his picture!)


Noah showing me all his tricks


We had a GREAT time hanging out with the Willings! Thank you guys! XOXO

Jayden was OUT on the drive home! =)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

OH MY SLEEEEP

We fed Jayden a 6oz bottle for the 1st time last night and HE SLEPT EIGHT HOURS!!! WHAT?! OH MY GOSH I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! 7:15-3:15! YAY! Then he slept another 3hrs almost. Incredible. I'm so proud.
I woke up at 6:30 and Dj was here with his mom (I went back to bed for 2 more hrs). His Dad is having surgery this morning on this back/neck to correct a nerve that's inflamed? His hands go numb and is loosing his strength on his grip. Praying for him that everything goes well. His brother Daniel is on his way here.
I'm sitting here in my living room with Dj & his mom and Jayden is sleeping (they put him down as I got up). =)
I think today is going to be a GREAT day, praying all goes well!

Friday, May 21, 2010

2 month Stats

Jayden had his 2 month appt yesterday & he did great (even through the shots)!

He is 14lb 11oz AND (get this) 24in long!! That's 2 whole feet at only 2 months old! Isn't that unbelievable? I can't get over it. He's outgrowing 3 mo clothes because he's so long.

Speaking of "long", when is it considered "tall" vs "long"?? LOL I guess when they can stand on their own two feet? Then it's vertical vs horizonal. haha.

He is in the 90th & 95th percentile for height and weight. Geez he's growing fast! That's probably why he sleeps so much? A growth spurt?!

He's definitely a happy & healthy bouncing baby boy for sure!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sweet Second Month

Things are definitely getting better! He is feeling better which makes me so HAPPY!

A few little milestones~
Day 2- he's holding his own pacifier
Day 4- He smiled at Daddy the day we came home from the hospital (ya it was probably gas but nonetheless) & he's holding his head up (and getting stronger and stronger)
Week 4- He laughed out loud!
1 month- He rolled over!! I couldn't believe it! And it wasn't a fluke he did it 3x in a row!


Things are becoming real FUN. I'm not walking like a zombie anymore LOL. By the 6th week Dj and I developed a routine with the night shift. He goes to sleep around 9pm and takes over at 4am so I can get some solid sleep until he goes to work. Oh how I looooove when 4am comes around! I turn off the closet light (that I use for a night light) and cuddle up in a dark room and no baby. Real SLEEP! He slept in our bed for a week while his prevacid kicked in (Dj slept in Jayden's room)....and then it was back to his crib!

At 6 or 7 weeks I started putting him down in his crib when he needed a nap & he started falling asleep on his own (with a paci)!! I kept thinking, I love this kid! 2 weeks later he still is going to sleep on his own. Mind you that the key is to put him down in a drowsy state so I make sure I look for the signs and keep an eye on the clock.

He spent the night at my mom's for the 1st time at 7 wks. I had a mini meltdown from being tired, it was a long week and on that Friday he was up all day! Wouldn't go down. We took him over to my mom's just so we could go get a bite to eat and my mom told me she would bring him over later we were to go home and crash. Turns out he slept really well on his tummy while my mom watched over him like a hawk. He only woke up 2x! It was at that point where we started putting him on his tummy (helps with acid reflux) and he is doing AMAZING. I check on him quite frequently, I know the whole debate with SIDS....yet it's really helping him....you don't need to lecture me that this is wrong...I know... I know...

At 8 weeks he is doing GREAT! He is finally sleeping 2-5hrs at a time! Eating well, sleeping well it's amazing how far we've come and what we have been through already! Where does the time go?! He's two months old already?! Well, here's the thing...do you count by weeks? Or by the date of each month? I counted the weeks this time but it's not the 19th yet. Eventually I know I will just go by the date, it will be easier of course.

But for now... he's officially two months old!

Arrival & The 1st month

The Arrival
Having Jayden wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be, because of the c-section and I was given pain meds after 5 hrs of contracting it wasn't as extreme as I had imagined. Although if I had to continue laboring at that point with no pain meds I would have definitely been in a great deal of pain (only being at 1.5cm & 80%). The contractions were becoming fierce and I was thankful to be going the c-section route. I was ok with that, knowing I didn't want to push an approx 10lb + baby out! Now he's here, laying on my chest with my mom and Dj standing next to me, I'm speechless. I'm permanently smiling from ear to ear. He's actually here!! He looks Asian, lol. Almond eyes, and his facial features were squished, we knew he had not a lot of room in my belly (through ultrasound monitoring). I spend the next 4 days in the hospital with this little guy and I am on cloud nine. Nothing seems real yet, it hasn't clicked that I'm a mommy!! Since we live a block from the hospital Dj came home at night to get some sleep and Jayden and I spent every moment side by side. He stayed in his little bassinet right next to my bed almost the whole time. I loved snuggling with him & bonding with skin to skin contact was the best feeling ever. The night before I was going to go home, it hit me how tired I was. With tears of agreement the nurses took him to the nursery just for a little while so I could get some rest. I never thought to have done this before, it never crossed my mind. So off he went, tears rolling down my cheeks not wanting him to go yet needing some shut eye for more than an hr or two. I wake up 5 hrs later, get out of bed as quickly as I could and walk down to the nursery to find my lil man. He's fast asleep, seeing him through the window I begin to cry. I want my baby! LOL. I couldn't stand being away from him. They brought him in my room 5 min later and we were together again. Waiting for daddy to wake up to come pick us up from the hospital. =) We were going home in Uncle Jerry's special Suburban. (My Uncle that passed away in 2006, I was given his Suburban & hold it dearly to me heart). We drove home in his warm embrace.

First Week
I think the 1st week I was on an adrenaline high. Nothing seemed to phase me. I was still in shock that he was actually here! When you think about it being pregnant is completely different than actually having a baby. You take a test and find out your pregnant! Oh so exciting right? Then you wait.....and wait.....9 whole months before he/she arrives. I remember thinking at about 7 months I can't wait to have him, yet dang he's gotta come out some how! HAHA. That was the part I was semi nervous about. Of course never having gone through labor before you can only imagine what it might feel like. Once I finally conquered getting through "labor" (only having to wait 7hrs for him to arrive c-sec) my 1st job as a new mommy was being paparazzi! Taking tons of pictures (as you can see on my face book page) I was completely obsessed with catching every moment, every outfit, and every one that met him with photo ops. I am breastfeeding through bottle at this point (with difficulties latching) & supplementing with formula. He wakes every 1-2hrs and is sleeping in our bed for the most part, we couldn't help but stare at him!





Second Week
My little "sister" Tess is here for a visit! We juggle who is sleeping where in what room. Dj & I are still taking turns with the night shifts at this point. We have a twin bed in Jayden's room so who ever is on duty can sleep in his room, and the other can sleep in our bed. Played musical beds that week. Jayden developed a clogged tear duct and is really congested in his nose. We make sure he is sleeping elevated with a pillow on his back, and am now doing saline drops in his nose and we got eye drops (had to take him to urgent care when he was 8 days old). I warned Tess that this visit is going to be really different with Jayden. She's used to it being just her and I having fun girl time, going to the mall, the movies, shopping, etc. It was definitely an interesting week with her being here. I had to "pull teeth" to get her to tell me how she was doing/feeling because she was so quiet. She's 14 and I have been her "older sister" since she was born (she now lives in WA since she was 4). We are very close and it was definitely a hard week for the both of us. I start feeling sick by the end of the week. =(
Visit with Great Great Aunt Helen

Auntie Tess and Jayden



Third Week
By now Jayden & I are both sick. My stomach hurts, I'm not eating and am absolutely exhausted. Last week was a little stressful. Jayden has 2 clogged dear ducts and is still really stuffy. It's hard for him to breathe and it's making me worried and sad seeing him like that. My mom, aunt and cousin are coming over in the afternoons through out the week to watch Jayden so I can take a nap. He's starting to become more and more gassy and you can just tell he is in pain with it all. I try bicycle legs, squeezing his legs to his chest (which worked a couple times....blphh blphhh). He is clearly uncomfortable and I'm a wreck. I'm loosing weight like crazy and the night shifts are getting harder and harder to cope with. I called his Dr and we switch his formula from Enfamil Gentlease (for fussiness & gas) to Similac Alimentum (hypoallergenic for colic babies). I'm so nervous switching (this will be the 4th type we've tried) in addition to giving him gripe water and mylicon drops and finding the right bottles. It takes 2 weeks to see if it's making a difference or not. I've lost 36lbs since his birth.



Showing off being head strong



Fourth Week
Hard to tell so soon but I think the new formula is working. Although now he is screaming when spitting up! Something is wrong and I'm holding him with his scrunched red screaming face trying to console him. My mom mentions acid reflux and it makes sense. He only screams when spitting up and you can hear it come back up, it probably burns! My poor baby! We call the Dr yet again and she immediately refers us to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. We we're able to get an appt within 2 days. He tell him what is happening and he says it could be one of two things. An allergic reaction to protein (which is why we switched formula that has the protein strand broken down further) or it is acid reflux (which he is already on prevacid once a day). He checks to make sure there is no blood in the stool & increases his dose to 2x a day. We leave feeling hopeful that the increase will help. At least we know that he is thriving! He's 13lb 3oz and 21 1/2 in long! Gaining weight isn't a problem!




After 2 weeks on the new formula & prevacid 2x a day he is definitely improving! He's not squirming in discomfort and no longer screaming when spitting up (although it does happen a few times). He's becoming much happier! And so am I! It breaks your heart when there is something wrong with your child and you try to figure out what it is and how to help. By now I've lost 41lbs and am starting to feel better....

The first month was by far the toughest!! Trying to get him comfortable to sleep longer than an hr or two, and with being colicy and having acid reflux it was definitely HARDCORE to deal. But we are on the road to better days!! YAY

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Jayden David's Arrival

Thursday March 18th
Brieanna arrives in town to celebrate her twin's Sophia & Olivia's 2nd Bday party. She kisses my tummy and says, "Ok Jayden Auntie Brie's here you can come out now!" The next morning I went into labor (now sharing the birthday of her twins with Jayden)



Happy 2nd Birthday Sophia & Olivia AND Happy BIRTHday to Jayden!!


Friday March 19th, 2010 5:30am

I am sleeping in the middle of our bed, Dj is sleeping in Jayden's room so that I remain comfortable as possible to get as much rest as I can (he snores). =) My back is really uncomfortable and I am feeling really really achy. I figured shame on me for catching myself sleeping on my tummy (I have been able to do this almost the whole time I've been pregnant). I thought well I have been able to sleep through the night with out a bathroom trip so maybe I need to go? It may be pressure. I get up and go to the bathroom and realize that my pajama bottoms are wet, but not so much that I was thinking my water broke (urine possibly vs amniotic fluid). So I go back to bed, take a tylenol for the extreme discomfort and trying to go back to sleep. I don't realize that there is a pattern until an hour later. I'm thinking it's 5:30 am and I've been sleeping horribly so I still want to sleep! At 6:30 I'm still extremely uncomfortable and I am putting two and two together thinking, "look at a clock dummy, are these real contractions or are the Braxton Hicks?" I timed them for an hour (the 2nd hour) and they started off at 17min, then 15min (I'm thinking not consistent to be real?). 7:00am I hear Dj's alarm clock go off it's time for him to get ready for work. I haven't woken him up yet because I'm still trying to figure out if this is the real deal or not. Unfortunately he is hitting snooze and is not waking up! I don't even want to get up so I start to talk from our room and say, "Good Morning Baby, I think we're having a baby today......", "Honey.......", "Time to wake up....." He finally gets up 20min later and I'm propped up sitting in our bed with Good Day Sacramento on, hair is all frazzled and I tell him, "Morning.... I think I'm having contractions...." He looks at me with blood shot sleepy eyes, smiles and says, "Really?" Poor guy I might as well have woke him up by throwing ice water in his face. He couldn't believe it (neither could I). While waiting for him to wake up my timing in contractions were consistently 7 min apart 3x in a row. I'm thinking OMG this is it! When Dj came and sat down next to me we counted 2 more in exactly the 7 min expectancy. We both looked at each other, smiled and said, "Let's go!"

We grabbed our barely packed hospital bag, I threw on a sweatshirt and some slippers, Dj got dressed and out the door we went for our 1 min flat car ride (I live a block away from the hospital). Luckily we found parking right in front (we have a neighborhood permit so we didn't have to move the car, in fact we didn't move it for 2 days lol). Slowly we walked up to the 2nd floor to check in and actually see if this is real or not. We were brought back right away to a room where a triage nurse would check me out. Her name was Susan and she was awesome. I told her I know I'm only 1.5cm dilated and 60% effaced, but my contractions were 7 min apart and I clearly could not talk through them (a sign of real labor). I also told her that I had an ultrasound scheduled for Monday to determine approx fetal weight & that we've been monitoring him through sonograms and we think he's going to be a big boy (10lb). She later then informed me that I am still 1.5cm dilated and now 80% effaced, however, I have high blood pressure and that alone could be a reason to be admitted (my blood pressure has been perfect throughout pregnancy) but not to be alarmed it could just be nerves. The doctor on call was notified and told my nurse that she discussed ordering the ultrasound to determine the latest approx fetal weight and since we know we were headed towards a c-section there is no reason for me to continue laboring, I was being admitted and scheduled for a c-section right away!!

Dj and I arrived at the hospital at ten to 8am. I was admitted and scheduled for a c-section by 8:30. That's when I knew ok time initiate notification phone tree LOL. I was texting my mom of course at 630am so I confirmed what I think she already knew was real, so mom and dad were on their way. I text Brie when I arrived at the hospital, texted her that I was having contractions and left a voice mail telling her I'm not leaving I'm in labor call me! She had just came up for the twins birthday (which is also the 19th) on Wednesday night. We hung out all day Thur and she kissed my tummy basically telling Jayden it's ok to come now Auntie Brie is here....and what do you know? The very next morning!! He's kickin down the doors! On Sophia & Olivia's Birthday! So now she finally calls me back as I'm getting my IV done and I tell her so and she says, "Holy shit!" The nurse laughs because she could hear her as she's putting in my IV. So Brie is on her way! I got my wish! Meanwhile, Dj is sitting in the chair next to me making his calls, trying to get a hold of work and family. Him and I are in shock this is really happening and its happening right now!!





By 9 or 930 my parents & Brie arrive. I am having contractions every 4-6 min. They were fierce too! I'm thinking to myself if we didn't know that he was going to be a big baby or that my BP was high I would be going home right now (because I was dilating quickly enough)! Oh my I couldn't even imagine that. By 10am I received pain meds to help me until I go to the OR. We've decided that Dj and my mom would be going into the OR with me. They both have to put on scrubs, they gave Dj this paper shirt and he came out of the bathroom looking like superman, like it was going to tear off any minute it was so funny. I was really excited and wasn't nervous at all. I've been waiting all my life for this moment to have a baby and it was about to be a dream come true.





At 11:20 they take me to the OR. I am told to straddle the table that I will be laying on in order to give the spinal. I get up on the table and put my legs on a chair that was on each side of the table. They tell me what they are going to do, how and what I should feel. This is the only part I was nervous about. When they administer my antibiotic my IV collapses. I feel a sharp pain in my wrist and my blood starts to trickle down my hand. This is when I start to cry. They continue to redo my IV, and then give me the spinal. The OR staff and anesthesiologist was so nice I felt taken care of. My mom and Dj came in and definitely made everything better.


Less than 20 min later Jayden David Hayes arrived on March 19th, 2010 at 12:18pm weighing 9lb 7oz and 20.5 in long.



Friday, May 14, 2010

The Beginning of Happily Ever After

First time blogger, where do I begin?

Well let's see... a little history of the two CRAZY love birds?? DJ and I started dating in high school. I was 15 (10th grade) & he was 16 (11th grade). We have been through so much together, it's amazing. Anyone that knows us, knows that we have been through hell and back together and still we here we are side by side, stronger than ever. If we had a re-do, I wouldn't change a thing. Each hill & mountain that we have climbed, we conquered together. He is truly an amazing man and I wouldn't change one hair on his head. He is my other half, my best friend, my partner in crime, my one and only true love and we get to spend the rest of our lives enjoying each others company and relaxing in each others arms with love and laughter, and boy does he make me laugh!! After 11 years, we tied the knot on September 25th, 2009 and there wasn't one single doubt in my mind that the man I was standing next to was the one that I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.

So here we are, newlyweds & new parents to a bouncing baby boy!

Jayden David Hayes
Born March 19th, 2010 12:18pm
9lb 7oz 20 1/2 in

Family of three and happy as could be!