My Boy

It's hard to believe my boy is almost 2 weeks old already. He's such a good baby! He's a GREAT sleeper, only gets up once during the middle of the night to eat and is generally really content. I can lay him down on his back or tummy while he's awake, and he'll stay that way and just look around for quite awhile. Needless to say, mommy's in love! His big sisters are great helpers. Getting things when I need them and talking/singing to him if he's crying. They always want to hold him. This little guy is so loved. He spends time with daddy especially when we're trying to keep him awake. Marc is really good at keeping him awake. Probably because he can't get anything out of daddy and as soon as he starts nursing off me, he falls asleep. So, we're very thankful for daddy's help! Our lives haven't really changed much since Cole arrived other than the obvious - diapers and nursing. Other than that, it's still the same old thing every day.

Well, here are a few pictures. The first one was taken in the hospital. The second was taken on Father's Day. That was Cole's first day going to church. He was ooh'd and aah'd over and held for most of the service by friends. I didn't mind. I love that other people love him, too. We didn't get a picture of Marc and Cole that day. The morning was so rushed trying to get everyone ready and out the door on time. Oh well. We'll get the morning's down in no time.

Mommy and Cole - so in love!

Cole on Father's Day

Birth Story

I figured since the girls weren't here right now and Cole was having his hearing test done, that I would get some pictures posted and try to go into his birth story. So, as I stated in the previous post, we had to come in Monday night to have Cole delivered. The ultrasound showed that he was doing fine, but since he hadn't been moving much, he needed to come out sooner rather than later. So, after the ultrasound, we came up to the labor and delivery floor and were put in a triage-type room. Not a room to labor in, but it had a fetal monitor and one chair. We had been told that there were a ton of women that had been admitted that night due to the same thing - no fetal movement. Marc and I sat in the triage room for 3 hours before I was finally able to get into a labor and delivery room. During that time, Marc went home to pack our bags and to also pick up Emma. When he was gone, they came in to start my IV (I tested positive for group B strep - a pretty common thing among pregnant women). Now let me just go on record to say that I HATE NEEDLES - and even more so...I HATE IV'S!!! They put the IV in my left hand and everything was going fine, for a few minutes. Then the vein blew out! I didn't feel it. Just got this big puffy area on my hand where the antibiotics was collecting. So, they had to pull that line out and insert one in my right hand. O.K. Could that part get any worse? But, this one worked and everything was just fine.

Marc and Emma showed up and we had "Chatty Kathy" in our room for the longest time. All Emma did was talk. And talk non-stop! But she was so excited and we loved having her there with us to share in Cole's birth. We were admitted to our room at 11:00 pm and we still had more things to do. I had to answer a ton of questions - not a problem - I didn't mind. But it was the second time I had answered these exact questions. Hmmmm.....anyway, they gave me some meds to sleep. Ambien pills and Benadryl by IV. Now, let me tell you, Benadryl by IV is great!!!!! I was feeling so good. But it still took me a little while to fall asleep. Emma fell asleep at midnight and I feel asleep sometime between 12:30 and 1:00 am. At 3:00, they came in to start the pitocin. I didn't mind. I was contracting, but didn't feel anything. I fell back asleep and at 5:00 they came in to break my water. Again, not a problem. I still wasn't feeling anything. But at about 6:45 I woke up to some very uncomfortable back labor. The doctor came in to check me and I was 4 cm. I was able to breathe through them for awhile, but then they became really intense. I've had back labor before, but never like this! The contractions never went around to the front. They stayed completely in the back. And usually there's a little while in between contractions. But I had just a few seconds before the next contraction started. I couldn't relax or concentrate. And I definitely couldn't get on top of the contractions. So, I did something I've never done. I requested an epidural. Yes, for those of you who know me well, I've never asked for an epidural. But I needed one this time. The anesthesiologist came in at 9:00. Just before he did his thing, they checked me again and I was 6 cm. At 9:20 I told my nurse that I felt quite a bit of pressure and needed to push. She checked me and I was ready to go. I did two practice pushes with the nurse and she told me to stop. She had to get the doctor. Cole was coming. The doctor immediately came in and two contractions later, he was in my arms.

If I had to do this all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Everything went perfectly. My son is here and I love it! He's fantastic and so cute. He's a great nurser and hasn't really vocalized much. I know that will change as soon as we get home. But that's o.k. He is so loved by Marc and me and his sisters can't get enough of him.

So, now that that part is done, here are some pictures of our newest addition.

Just shortly after he was born. He's a little guy!

Emma spent most of the time holding him. She watched the whole birth and was just fascinated by the whole thing. She was fantastic! So obedient and never questioned us about anything. The only thing is, she didn't want to give him up! Hmmmm....I don't like to either!

Checking out dad.

Soooo cute!!!

Still not wanting to give him up.

Could Lily's grin get any bigger?! =)

My little mommy-in-training. She adores Cole. She's even talked to him twice on the phone already. It's so sweet to hear her talk to him.

My beautiful son - Cole Stephen Rader

My favorite picture so far! I love the bond that's between them already.

He's Here!

I so did not think that when I put up my post yesterday that I would be sitting here today telling you that my son has arrived! After my dr's appointment yesterday, they hooked me up to a fetal monitor because he hadn't moved in 24 hours. That was unusual for my little boy, but didn't really think much of it because I knew he was running out of space. I was on the monitor for about an hour and still no movement. So, they sent me over to the hospital to have an in-depth ultrasound done. Now, before I continue, let me just say that even though he wasn't moving, his heart rate was still really good. Anyway, still no movement during the ultrasound. The heart beat looked great. He was practicing his fetal breathing. Lungs, umbilical cord and all the other major organs looked great. Just no movement. So, they sent me up to the labor and delivery floor to be induced. I will go into his birth story on a later post (I'm really tired right now), but everything went so well. Emma was able to be a part of this story. And we were so glad she was there. But...before I sign off...here are his stats.

Cole Stephen Rader (middle name is after my dad's middle name)

Born: June 16, 2009

Weight: 7 lbs. 3 oz.

Length: 20 1/2 inches

Time: 9:28 AM

I will put up some pictures soon. But I just have to say, he's so cute!!!! And no, I'm not partial! =)

Almost Done

It's so hard to believe that I am almost done being pregnant with this little one. Where has the time gone?! I am just now over 38 weeks and it seems like just yesterday I said I still had 20 weeks left to go. I have enjoyed every minute of this pregnancy - well, almost every minute. But now I'm ready to meet him. I'm ready to see what and who he looks like. To hold him and love on him. I'm done. I've stretched to the point where I don't think I can stretch anymore. I feel like I'm sitting on him. I'm tired and worn out and he's not even here yet. But still, I will miss being pregnant with him. I thank God every day for this little one that He's created. And I thank God that He's entrusted this little one to Marc and I. Am I ready? Well, in some ways I am. I'm not ready for the long nights and the unknown reasons as to why he may be crying. But I am ready to add a little boy to our family. I'm ready for the girls to have a little brother. I'm just.....ready!

18 weeks pregnant!

27 weeks pregnant!

38 weeks pregnant!

Me and my family of girls (for now)!

Bike Ride Fun

Since it was so nice outside last night, we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.  We took the girls on a bike ride.  They love riding their bikes.  The hard part is that we live on a busy street, so we have to go down to grandpa and grandma's road to ride.  Not the easiest road to ride on, either.  I have noticed that most back roads in Indiana are not flat all the way across.  They slowly rise from the shoulders to form a hump in the middle of the road.  Our girls don't know how to ride without training wheels just yet.  They're getting close.  But it's hard when we don't have any flat surfaces to ride on.  Oh well.  It'll happen.  We gave them an incentive, though.  If they can learn to ride their bikes without training wheels before August, then they get to take their bikes to Mimi and Papa's house in NY and go on a bike ride with them.  Mimi and Papa love to bike and are looking forward to that trip.  Anyway, here's our motley little crew before we left (minus daddy, mommy and the dogs).

It's supposed to be even warmer here today (in the 80's).  Maybe we'll take the girls to the park tonight and bring the bikes with us.  I'm loving this weather!!!

Progress

We have been trying to get some things done before the baby arrives next month.  It's hard to believe that he'll be here that soon, but with the projects we have, it still seems like forever.  Since we found out we were having a boy, we decided that he's going to need his own room.  Right now, Emma and Lily share a room and Maggie has her own.  Well, that's going to change.  Maggie is going to move in with Lily and Emma will move to the basement.  Her room down there will be big enough to use as a guest room, too.  We'll put in a queen-sized bed, and when we have visitors, Emma will move back upstairs and sleep on the floor in the girls room.  She doesn't mind that.  She loves sleeping on the floor.  Anyway, we had a good friend come over and help Marc frame up the room.  It didn't take too long.  Just two evenings.  But then we decided to hire out the drywall work.  The men should be finished with that part today.  Then it's on to hanging up wainscoting (just on the bottom half), chair-rail, floor molding and then having the carpet laid.  Still a lot of work, but hopefully we'll be able to get it done quickly.  We're going to wait on getting the ceiling done for a little while.  I'm going to have to start on our boys room as soon as Emma's room is finished.  Anyway, here are some pictures of the progress so far.

It is a good-sized room (about 360 sq. ft.).  Plenty big for a 6 year old and will be fine when we have guests.  I'm so looking forward to this project getting done.  And so is Emma.  She's ready to be in her own room.  I'll post more pictures after some more work has been done.

Hair Cuts

A few weeks ago we took the girls in to get their hair cut.  I couldn't believe how a little cut (little for Lily and Maggie, 8 inches off for Emma) could make the girls look so grown up.  But it's funny, their cuts really fit their personality.  They love them.  I love them.  It takes a little longer to do their hair (now I have to blow dry), but it's worth it.  They really do look cute!

Maggie

Lily

Emma

My sweet girls!