All Better

Logan and I spent some quality time in various doctor's offices this past week. He started with a cough a few day's before Mother's Day. Sure enough, I also felt the sinus infection coming on! By Mother's Day he was definitely sick and I was not the greatest either. We spent the day with both sides of the family and the little guy was such a trooper.

By Monday morning he had quite a cough and his eyes were all goopy. After a long wait at the pediatrician, she gave us two prescriptions for his cough, ear infection, and double pink eye. What a whopper for my little guy's first illness. After we left the pediatrician, we went right on to my doctor. Not that anyone is surprised, but I had a sinus infection! I believe that is number 8, 417 for me. I hope Logan did not inherit my sinus'... though I have a distinct feeling he did.

We stayed home for a few days. I learned something pretty quick... when you are a mom, you don't have time to be sick! All that matters is getting your little one healthy again. Owen was more than wonderful nursing us back to health! We are all better now!

Time Goes By

Getting ready for the summer sun!!

Two of my favorite guys!

The Bumbo Seat!

Wow... I have been really sluggish on posting anything! My days go by so fast anymore, that I don't realize it! Here are some pictures to catch you up on! Logan is doing so well. He is still sleeping through the night. He started that back in March and we are so THANKFUL! I was fearing that he would change his sleeping schedule when I went back to work, but that has not been the case! He enjoys his days with his sitter, Danielle. She takes him to story hour at the library once a week, which he loves! She also takes him to the playground and for walks! He is getting along well with his little playmate, Alania! She is 19 months old and affectionately calls Logan, "Baby Lo."

Logan is quite the "talker." He babbles and is starting to develop a real giggle! It is by far the best sound in the entire world! The best part of our day is getting him out of his crib in the mornings! His face lights up into a brilliant smile. I really don't think there is anything greater in this world that having your son smile at you!

Back To Work

I survived my first week back to work. I cried the first day when I dropped Logan off! I knew it was going to be hard to leave him, but it still broke my heart. Once the kids got into the classroom I got busy and before I knew it, it was time to go pick Logan up! That is the beauty of my job... the days go so fast! The rest of the week went well - no tears from mom!

Logan's sitter is wonderful! She made the transition easier on me, which I couldn't be more thankful for. She took Logan to story time at the library this week and she also took him for his first trip to the playground. He's in a great mood when I pick him up and we certainly enjoy the afternoon and evening together! (The other beautiful aspect of my job is that I pick Logan up by 4:00!)

Owen and I took Logan and Stanley to the park today to play. Stan loved every minute of it. Logan on the other hand did not even know we were there! The little tyke fell asleep on the ride there and snoozed the whole time!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone!

Logan didn't really like coloring eggs! I think the real problem was... one tired baby! Notice he has his Easter egg pj's on! Oh well, we tried! There's always next year!

Logan's first Easter was a very busy day! He visited both sets of Grandparent's houses and checked out the dogs at each house. Then he was busy wishing both his Aunt Emily & Uncle Steve a happy birthday! Great-Grandma Bell met Logan for the first time. He gave her a few dazzling smiles just to make a good impression! After a busy day, he slept the whole way home.

Buddies?

Buddies? Well, not yet! Stanley is still feeling out the Logan situation. He is definitely getting more used to Logan and his cries! When Owen and I first brought Logan home, Stanley was more than a bit unsure. Logan would cry and Stanley would run for the back door. He actually dug a hole in the backyard. Owen appropriately named the hole the "Baby Bunker!"

Stan is pretty used to the crying! Now we are on to the next step... getting used to Logan close up. (For those of you who don't know Stanley... he's the cowardly lion!) I make a point everyday to sit on the floor with Logan and Stanley. When I first started sitting on the floor with Logan, Stanley would jump up and get as far away from Logan as possible. Little by little he's gotten used to it and is now to the point where he will lay with us. He's still untrusting of Logan when the little guy bats at him. (That's Logan's new trick! He is batting at things that are in front of him).

My hope is that soon Stanley will accept Logan as part of the pack! I can just envision those two chasing each other in the back yard in the years to come! I have a feeling they will be inseparable!

A Night Out!

Owen and I went to dinner and a movie last night for the first time since Logan was born. It was fabulous! Bob and Carla offered to come up and watch Logan. Okay, twist our arm... The grandparents were more than happy to spend time with the little guy and away we went. A delicious dinner, some wine, and a movie really recharged us!

A few of his favorite things...

When I read to him. He smiles and reacts to my voice at different parts of the story. He responds the most when I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar!!

There must be something about Grandpa's and naps!!

smiling and "laughing"

His swing - he loves to look at the animals and eventually falls asleep!

Too Precious

Logan and Grandpa Spaite got some quality snooze time Sunday afternoon. Logan had his first visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house and met a lot of the family too. JP was home from Iraq for a short visit, so Carla took the opportunity to get everyone together. After a long day of socializing Logan and Grandpa were a little tuckered out and needed a quick nap! Too precious for words!

Owen and I didn't have to hold, feed, or change Logan the entire time we were there - more than enough hands to cuddle the little man. I have to say, it was nice to eat a meal with two hands from start to finish. I enjoyed my "time off," but I missed the tyke by the end of the afternoon!

Happy St. Pat's

Check out the little leprechaun feet! :)

Bath Time

Logan got his first bath in the tub (sink) last week. He had a massive diaper blowout and was in need of a scrub down! (By the end of it, I did too!) I got a lovely "baby boy shower" when I originally took the diaper off to discover the surprise inside and one more when I was drying him off after the bath! Oh the joys of a little boy!

He didn't seem to mind the bath, until.... I washed his hair. He definitely does NOT like that at all! The little red ringlets that cover his wet head are adorable! After his bath I put him in a warm sleeper and a blanket and he was out cold for a 2 hour nap! And I headed off for the shower!

Today we went to the doctor for his 1 month checkup. He now weighs 10 pounds, 10 ounces and is almost 24 inches long. He is in the 95% for length - we may have a basketball player on our hands! All else was good at the checkup. He only had one shot today, and he was not happy about that at all. He was wailing on the way out and I had to stop at the window to checkout, make his next appointment, etc... Why don't they do that BEFORE the shot? I could barely hear the receptionist and the waiting room was treated to the Logan Symphony of Screams! I hope everyone there enjoyed the show!

One Month Old

Hard to believe, but the little man was one month old yesterday. I took him to get his pictures taken and he was a little angel the entire time. He was awake for most of the pictures and even smiled in one of them! They were unbelievably good... so good that I spent way too much money purchasing various poses. Gerber baby, move aside! You've got nothing on Logan. That is obviously the "mom" coming out in me! I will be receiving the pictures via e-mail as well, so I will see if I can get some of them posted on here.

I am planning on taking him each month so I can put all the pictures in one of those frames that shows the entire 1st year. Next month I will not spend crazy amounts of money on pictures... I repeat - Next month I will not spend.... :) Someone please remind me that the $3.99 sheet of pictures is adequate!

I got out and about for the entire day on Tuesday without Logan. I went to a Guided Reading conference with my grade level team and Owen was on "Dad Duty!" It was so nice to be out and have conversations with adults. Though I did miss my little "nugget." I am proud to say that I only called Owen twice! He did fabulous for his first day alone with Logan, which I knew he would. It amazes me how unbelievably wonderful Owen is with Logan. This is the same man who never held a baby until Logan arrived on the scene. You would think he had been doing this for years. I love to watch the two of them interact. I look forward to the time when I can watch them playing ball in the backyard!

Work?

How could I possibly even think about going back to work?? The little man and I love to snuggle in the morning after Owen leaves for work. I can't even begin to think about being "teacher" again. I'm perfectly content being "Mommy" at the moment! At least there are only 8 weeks of school left once I go back.

Here is a laugh/smile! Logan is really tuned into our faces and imitates them from time to time. Our favorite is when we stick our tongue out at him and he does it back to us! Too funny! We went for our first walk in the stroller on Friday. I thought Stanley would freak out about walking next to the stroller, but he was so happy to be out and about that he didn't even bat an eyelash at the rolling addition to our walk. Logan slept the entire way around the block, but I certainly enjoyed the 60 degree weather and the warm sunshine... does wonders for my cabin fever! I am REALLY looking forward to spring weather and being outside. But, when one lives in Northeast Ohio, one must wait until at least May for that! :)

Getting Acclimated

We have been home for two weeks now and we are still getting acclimated! Whatever commercial it is that boasts the line, "Having a baby changes everything" could not be more spot on! Our whole world is turned upside down. Stanley is finally starting to come around again. He plain ignored me for almost two weeks! He'd turn his back on me any time I tried to pay attention to him and was definitely favoring Owen. He seems to be warming up to me lately, which is a good thing.

Getting those little footprints into the baby book! This process was definitely a two person job! I'm proud to say his prints are in the book and not on the wall! We will attempt the hand prints when Logan is fast asleep - he was clenching his fists for dear life when we tried to ink them! He is one strong little man!

Logan is alert and smiling at various times during the day, those he is more interested in the camera than me every time I hold it up to capture the smile! Oh well, I will get it one of these days!

Logan Robert Spaite has Arrived!

Logan Robert Spaite has arrived! It was a bit of a struggle for him to make it out into the world, but after an emergency C-Section he was much more content. He came in weighing 9 pounds 4 ounces - one big baby! While holding Logan shortly after he was born, Owen made the comment that he couldn't believe that he was all tucked inside of me only earlier that day! I just laughed and said, "Now do you see why I wanted that baby out so bad!"

As I mentioned, I needed a C-Section due to a condition called Bandels's Ring. It is a band of tissue around my uterus that does not dilate. Therefore, after being in labor for 10 hours and having intense contractions I was still not dilating at all. This little guy had no way to get out! It was causing too much stress on him and he was squeezing the cord. There was no way to know I had this ring, and from what I understand, it is pretty rare. I had some additional complications / infections during our 5 day stay at the hospital, but I won't get into those! All that matters is that he is happy and healthy! (If you would like the entire saga, let me know - I'd be glad to share and am at the point where I can laugh about the crazy ordeals that ensued after he was born).

Owen and I have been enjoying being parents and are figuring it all out together! We have had some good laughs over the last week and often tag-team things like smelly diapers and baths. I plan on keeping up with the blog as Logan grows and changes. Check in often if you want! I'm sure there will be some good stories!

Tomorrow??

Well, I am again in the holding pattern. I am supposed to be induced tomorrow morning. However, I got a call from the hospital today advising me to call in the morning to see if they do indeed have a bed for me. I thought the nurse was joking with me - has this inducement not been scheduled for a week?? Apparently they are at capacity and have been really busy the last few days. There is a possibility that I will be pushed back to later in the day or to another day completely.

All I'd really like to do is have this baby... I am getting tired of him-hawing around! Hopefully I make it in at 7 tomorrow morning. From there it should be a long process. The are giving me the Potocin (sp?) in the morning and then we wait and hope it kick starts my labor. Hopefully by tomorrow evening/night Owen and I will be holding Baby Spaite. Keep your fingers crossed... I know mine are, as well as my toes!

Water, Water, Everywhere

I knew I couldn't trick you into thinking it was MY water, because apparently I am constructed like the Hoover Dam! Nope... just more water in the basement. This time we were treated to a flood on the finished side of our basement. When you have almost 2 feet of snow that rapidly melts with the fantastic thaw over the weekend, you end up with soaking wet carpet and walls.

It started seeping in on Saturday night and by 1 AM we were tearing up carpet, padding, and some lovely 1950s tile that was original with the house. Luckily Ryan and Lori were here to help move furniture and Owen's first baby, (The flat screen TV) out of harm's ways. Ryan returned with his snazzy tool belt the following morning and the three of us dove into the mess. When the dust cleared, all that was left was foundation, a missing wall, and some lovely mold. I hightailed it out of there when the boys were taking swings at the wall and the dust started flying - though I did get a couple of good whacks in with the hammer before I went upstairs. Demolishing a wall is a lot of fun! I wish I could have stuck around for more!

Isn't that tile lovely? There were even some red racing stripes that accented it! FANCY!

Anyhow, we are at a standstill until after a certain little someone makes their appearance! So much for having a finished basement - goodbye Ohio State paint job! Stay tuned in the next few months for the "renovation" blog!

Stubborn Spaite

Baby Spaite is sure a stubborn one. Another appointment has come and gone. Still no change or indication that Baby Spaite will be joining us anytime soon. (If you want more details, call! I'll spare the rest of you the ins and outs of every specific detail!)

I had a non-stress test today, which is normal for those that are past their due date. Apparently I am a member of the "post-due" crew. Hmmmm...... I think I will get a T-shirt made. Better yet, maybe I will design and sew one myself. I certainly have enough time on my hands.

The test was was a half hour long and showed the baby's heart rate and my contraction rate. The baby's heart rate was nice and steady and my contractions were every 2 minutes, though not the kind of contractions that are necessary to get anything moving. So Owen and I sat for a half hour and stared at the yellow lines on the screen. We'd much rather stare at a chubby little face!

While we were in there, I could hear another girl trying to convince her Dr. to deliver her today. She was only 36 weeks and basically was tired of being pregnant. I have almost 5 more weeks on that lady and if I wasn't tied to a machine, I may have just "strolled" over to her little curtain and let her know that!

Anyhow, the outcome of today is.... wait until next Wednesday. Apparently my Doctor likes Wednesdays! I am set to be induced on the 11th. So there it is -grab your phones that day and cross your fingers (and toes). They said that it will take at least 12 hours, but I'd keep your phone handy on the 12th too. This slow-poke may just take that long. For as active as this thing is, I thought it would be out and running around by now.

So, what to do for an entire week until then.... anyone have anything they need me to do? Like organize, clean, etc... I am accepting all projects / offers. Just call and I will come, or you can drop off your things.

Due Date Come... And Due Date Go....

Well - my mother's intuition is NOT starting off well at all. I was sure this bugger would be born during the month of January. Now I am getting ready to flip the calendar to February.

No sign of Baby Spaite AT ALL. I went to the doctor on Friday and there is nothing happening that would remotely suggest I would be in labor anytime soon. I fielded a ton of phone calls and text messages today - thanks to all those who checked in! :) I appreciate it!

For those of you who have not been separated from your phones for the last few days, you may as well give it a break for a while. The doctor said he wanted to see me on Wednesday for a non-stress test to check on the baby and my status as well. As I walked to the reception desk to schedule yet another appointment he gave me a sympathetic smile and said, "See you Wednesday."

So another day goes by, yet it will no longer be marked by the fancy little pea pod ticker at the top of the Blog screen. I need to find something else to put up there - Rachel, you'll have to help me out on that one! :) Thanks again for all the well wishes and thoughts today.

Another Snowstorm Bullet Dodged!

If you look closely behind Stanley's head you can see the yardstick. Not much "stick" left sticking above the snow!

Good thing we didn't need to car! This picture was taken late morning. By the time Owen got home from work, you couldn't see the tires anymore!

We made it through another snowstorm without any urgent need to get to the hospital! This storm dumped about 11-12 inches - add that to the 8 or 9 we already had and you can say there is a significant amount of snow at our house. Owen was stuck, but shoveled himself out!

Another doctor appointment tomorrow - Baby Spaite seems to be nestled in for a long winter's nap! Hopefully I'll have some news tomorrow? Today is my first day at home. I finished up with my class and my maternity sub is in full control - to be a fly on the wall in that classroom!

All is Quiet

Nothing new to report, though many of you wish there was! My doctor appointment went well. Baby Spaite is still head down, which is good. No need to be all turned around crazy in there! I am barely dilated, though I think the doctor only told me that to make me feel better! Baby Spaite is roughly estimated to be somewhere in the 8 pound range already, though that is definitely NOT scientific. We'll just have to wait for the official measurement. I don't seem to be dropping at all, just protruding outwards more - which at times does not even seem possible! I've been keeping busy at home with books and school projects.

My last day of work is Wednesday and then the thumb twiddling begins! I need to exercise my Grandmother's amazing ability to be patient. I can just hear her now... that baby will come when it's good and ready!

You Are Spared...

So last night I sat down and wrote this beautiful, yet oh so sappy Blog entry about how ready I was to be a Mom. I reflected on the fact that I only have a few days left and I was savoring my time with Owen - so on and so forth. As I dried some tears and hit the "Publish My Post" button a message came up on the screen that said, "We're sorry Blogger is currently down. Please try again later."

Therefore, you are all spared my hormonal sappiness. I can't duplicate what I wrote yesterday either. I poured it all out of my heart and soul. You just can't do that the same way twice. So instead you get this lame post. Nothing is new - still not dilated. I have yet to drop, much to the dismay of people at work. I swear someone stops in every 15 minutes just to see how I am and if anything is happening! One of the teachers sits her fist on my "shelf" every morning to "measure" if I have dropped. Pretty amusing! Being at work keeps me sane these days. (Though a few months ago, it was driving me INsane to be at work!) Oh how the tide has turned. I am planning on working through next Wednesday. A few days at home with my feet up won't hurt anyone! My maternity sub is ready to go, report cards are done and ready to go home tomorrow...all things are in order for the change of the guards.

I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions this evening - in fact, some right now while I am typing this! I go back to the doctor tomorrow, so I will update everyone this weekend! Stay tuned....

The Water Breaks

Thought it was mine, didn't you?! Nope... just a pipe in the basement! That sucker snapped clean and water was EVERYWHERE yesterday! What made it even more enjoyable was that we were not home at the time. Owen and I got home from a few hours of errands to the sound of rushing water. It is a lovely sight when you open the basement door and water is flowing freely like Niagara Falls down the wall and across the floor!

It was quite an interesting evening and night. Even thought the main water supply to our house is shut off there is still water coming out of the pipe... how is that possible? Owen was up every few hours to go empty the bucket. So this is how mother nature gets new Father's ready for getting up multiple times in the night! I have been wondering about that! (See previous blogs!)

We currently have no water, but help is on the way. My father-in-law is bringing reinforcements and should be here by 8 this morning. I'd say they are the definitely on my list of favorite people today!

No change from the Doctor this week either... still not dilated, but Baby is head down. Dr. McComsey said I still have a while to go. Sounds good to me... I've got other things to take care of right now and they include a bucket and a mop!

Snow, Baby, Snow

This baby better not decide to make an appearance this weekend! We already have 7-8 inches and it is still coming down steady. Snow plows in our neighborhood are a joke... in fact I have yet to see ONE and we have lived here for almost 3 years. We aren't even considered a "secondary" street. Our street snowplower is mother nature. When she decides to warm up, she melts the street for us!

ALL of the shoveling was left to Owen... I don't blame him for taking a rest! At least I cleaned off the cars....

and played with Stanley.... OH NO! I've fallen and I can't get up! Stanley thought it was hilarious!

My Shelf

Oh how I love my new found shelf... It is very useful, especially when I am eating! My shelf has gotten considerably larger over the last two weeks, so I figured I would put it to good use! I may actually miss that little novelty when it goes away.

Though I will NOT miss the harsh kicking of my ribs, I really will miss the baby movements. They are certainly one of the most amazing things. I am so used to it, that I wonder if I will feel empty after the baby makes it's appearance? For example, I can absolutely count on a little dance and somersaults action every morning when I take a shower. I can also count on the back and forth swim after a glass of orange juice. Baby Spaite even has a certain sleep position. Every morning when I wake up it's little rump is sticking up and out of the left side of my belly. (Imagine a conehead sticking out of your stomach!) Though that may seem a bit weird to you, it's become something I am so used to. I smile every morning as I pat it's little butt.

So as uncomfortable as I get these last few weeks, I relish the fact that I will never again have these moments. Instead I will have new moments of a little face that I am eager to meet!

The Nursery

Here is the teddy bear that Owen got our little one for Christmas. I think Baby Spaite is wrapped around his little finger already! :)

The nursery is DONE! All it needs is a baby.... we're waiting little one... (some of us not so patiently!)