Looking back...

Every New Year my hubby and I each come up with a top 10 list of things that happened in our lives that year.  We read them off to one another, then look back over the last few years lists.  Every year it is so amazing to look back over previous years and see how God has blessed us or changed our lives in such an amazing way! 

As I was looking through my previous posts, starting with January of 2011, trying to remember all that happened this year I found this post http://www.ourgreatanticipation.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-of-packer.html

I read through it and had to laugh!  Here's a few funnies that came to mind when reading this post:

• First off, notice the date...January 25th 2011.  A little too much info...but that was the date AF arrived (little did I know the last time she'd show up for 9 months!)
• I met Dave in 1998 like the post said (last time they went to superbowl)
• Our baby was conceived the night the Packers won the superbowl :) February 2011
• Jadon James was born the day the Packers played the Vikings (big rivalry!!) and won (of coarse!) October 23, 2011. 

Little did I know that this was the year we'd meet our biological baby!  Wow...I just had faith that God would bless us with a baby this year, and he sure did!!

So, it's funny to look back and see that even on January 25, 2011 I felt it was the year of the Packer when little did I know how much that was true.  God does have a sense of humor, and sometimes he ties it in with some major blessings in my life!  It helped me become a Packer fan, that's for sure!!!  Here's some proof (a gift from my Packer Son!)

Pulling out the Cloth!

Jadon's hip appt went great!  He is able to have the brace off during awake times for 6 weeks, then we see if we can be done with it!  While we were there I asked if he could be weighed.  He hadn't been weighed since he was 1 week old!  I was guessing he was 8 lbs.  We figured I could finally use my moby since he weighed that much.  Well, we were off...by 3 lbs!!  My little chunker munker weighs 11 lbs at 8 weeks!  He is healthy!!  So once I found this out and saw his cute chunky thighs, I figured it was time to see how the cloth would work!  CUTE!  The snaps are a little harder with a hungry baby, but honestly I'd say it takes just as long as a disposable that we were making sure were tight enough!  So, during the day we are using cloth.  When I go out, I will use disposables.  I figured it's best to start saving some money now since we are giving him formula.  I'm very happy with them so far and look forward to being able to use them long term (and hanging them outside on the clothsline...how cute!)

Christmas 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas this year!  Jadon brought so much joy to everyone...he was such a good boy!  Everyone kept saying what a good baby he is...yes I am so blessed! 

It's so funny cause you always have this mental picture of what your first Christmas will look like with a baby.  You invision all the cute pics, the gifts wrapped for them, and just the time together.  Now, our Christmas was very memorable, but also I also realized that their is a reality check when having kids.  Pictures don't always get taken cause of nap time or you just plain forget cause you are so busy feeding, changing, etc.  Presents...well he did get a few (thanks to a couple surprises from Daddy) but he's so little it didn't really matter!  Time just flies by with a newborn.  You are tired!  I'm not at all disappointed in how it turned out, but it just helped me come back to reality that what my "perfect" invision of holidays pre-baby are not realistic.  The perfect holiday is the fact that God allowed us to spend it together, with a miracle addition this time! 

Milestones

Jadon is 8 weeks old!  I always was excited to get to this point.  I remember reading in books that between 7 and 9 weeks they can sleep 7-9 hours straight!  I was alllll about getting more sleep if possible!  Here's some things that have been going on!

• 7 weeks Jadon started to smile!!  I LOVE seeing him smile.  His whole face just lights up with his huge open mouth grin!
• He has started to follow you with his eyes which is especially huge with his tortocollis.  Physical therapy has been helping a lot, it's so nice to see results so fast!
• He started to coo and find his voice!  LOVE it! 
• He is drinking anywhere from 4-8 oz from a bottle at a time.  He's getting about 70% of that from me, and the rest formula. 
• We went Christmas light looking with him this last weekend.  It was such a blessing to have our baby in the backseat this year.  Many many years we have gone on these outings and been sad at another year going by without a baby...feeling dreams dashed.  Two yrs ago we talked on and on during our drive about IVF that we just started...last year we talked about adoption...and this year our little miracle slept in the backseat.  God is so good...his timing is perfect.
• 8 weeks Jadon completely surprised us and slept 9.5 hours straight through the night!  Wow!  The most he has ever done has been 6! I was really nervous when I woke up and he was still sleeping.  The fear of SIDS kicked in...but I soon relaxed knowing that God's hand is upon my child. 

We are excited he is almost 2 months old and hasn't gotten the cold/flu that is going around!  This Sunday will be our first bringing him to church.  I really think I'm going to inforce the "look but don't touch" rule.  I really don't need him getting sick.  I know, first time mom...but I want to protect my little guy that I've waited and waited so long for! 

All decked out in Packer Gear

What happened when he heard Green Bay lost!

Trying out the Moby with mom

Wednesday we have his hip appt where he will have an ultrasound to see how his hips are doing.  Excited that we may be able to take the brace off here and there throughout the day as long as things look good.  Ready to have some skin to skin time with my baby again and play with those cute little piggys!  Bath time in the tub will be fun too instead of the sponge baths!

Super Husband, Super Dad

This post is to brag and praise on my husband.  He is so amazing.  First off, he is an unbelievable daddy!  He is so relaxed and seems to just have things under control (unlike mommy who can stress and freak out over little things).  Dave is going to definitely be one of those hands on dads!  Jadon is so lucky to have a daddy who will always have his best interest in mind and will always take time to explain things to him (patience!)

I've been pretty tired lately, and my amazing husband "takes over" when he gets home.  Granted the last couple days Jadon's been napping/sleeping when Dave gets home, but at least I can feel "off the hook".  I find that I need time during the day where I don't feel responsible...weird I know...I'm sure it's just me adjusting.  Then, my hubby takes the next two feedings, one of which falls between midnight and two in the morning.  Bless his soul for trying to give this momma some rest and help out so much!  The last couple days I've felt almost "normal".  It's amazing!  Granted I still go to bed around 8:30, but it's just a season! 

Dave, I love you.  Thank you for serving me and your son in so many ways...you are a great example of husband and loving servant to our son!

Thankful

I am so thankful...sometimes a post doesn't need words...a picture can say it all.

To schedule or not to schedule...

Let me start off by saying I am a very schedule oriented person.  Not to the clock, but I like order...I like to know what is coming next.  So, when Jadon came along, I needed some order!  I read a couple books and I liked that they were flexible scheduling, not based on the clock, but what your baby needs and cues are. 

So, we are blessed to have a great baby who likes a schedule as well, but I find myself wanting to control or alter the schedule to get what I want out of it, if that makes sense.  I'm always looking to tweek it to make it that much better and I normally end up messing up or being wrong. 

For instance, he will normally do a 4-5 hour  and a 3-1/2 hour sleep time at night.  Not bad...but this momma would love to sleep more again (even though I need to wake up to pump) and I noticed that he seemed more awake after feedings at night and fell asleep after some feedings during the day.  SO, I decided to read up on it in a book I have, and they recommended to rob Peter to pay Paul...not allow him to sleep as long during the day so he'd sleep more at night.  Sounds like a great idea, right?!  Well, my poor little guy would be so tired he wouldn't eat his normal amount during the day (or at night) because he was so tired so of coarse at night he didn't sleep as long!  GRRRR.  Why do I do this? 

So, that's it...all the books are out the door.  I'm just going to go off of his cues.  Still keep the flexible schedule but not wake my tired baby to eat so he'll sleep at night.  Just so you know, he was sleeping 1 to 2 hours at a time during the day, so it's not that I wasn't allowing sleep. 

This parent thing helps me realize I know nothing...sometimes you need a little trial and error and sometimes you just need to take in and enjoy all the moments before they are gone (including the night feedings). 

So, little guy is 6 weeks old.  He doesn't sleep through the night yet, but he is a very happy, easy, and content baby.  And for that I am soooo blessed!!

5 weeks!

I can't believe Jadon is 5 weeks already!  He had his 2 week appt for the pavlik brace this week and his hips are looking good!  The brace is doing what it is suppose to, thank goodness!  I did happen to mention that he only sleeps with his head turned to the left and will not allow us to move his head to the right.  She felt his neck muscle and found it to be tight, so we had to have him get x-rays to make sure his neck vertebrae weren't fused together.  Thankfully, they weren't, but our doctor believes he has torticollis.  I guess 20% of babies who have hip displasia have torticollis.  So, little guy will be starting physical therapy for his neck....poor guy!  But, I guess it is common for their heads to mis-shape a bit because of it, and we've seen a little of that on him, so I guess that could knock down two birds with one stone.  One one hand, I'm thinking...man, just another thing added to the plate...but on the other, I'm sooo thankful that he is healthy and this is all he has (plus we caught everything very early, so that helps!)

We're getting a little more comfortable with each others schedule...he's honestly a very very good baby!  We did have to start giving him bottles at each feeding and I'm only nursing one to three times a day.  He's just sooo tired when he nurses, and if he doesn't get a full feeding, he won't sleep, which in turn won't help him eat the next time.  Plus, we had to introduce formula because I can't keep up with his demands for supply.  I cried the first time Dave gave it to him, but I got over it.  At least I know he will eat it and both Dave and I were formula fed and we're both ok.  Plus, I planned on feeding formula when we were looking to adopt and we wouln't have thought anything then!  I just want a happy healthy baby, and if that means some or all formula, then that's what I will do!

Speaking of which, I better go feed the little guy!  This is a pic of Grandma telling him she has to leave...his lower lip was sticking way out!  Too cute!