When I was a little girl...

I've always had the desire in my heart to be a mommy. Just take a look at ths picture of me when I was 5...

That's me holding my adorable little bro, Matthew.  I took care of him like a second mom. My mom said that she was afraid he wouldn't walk because I always carried him. I didn't have to play with baby dolls because I had a real one :) Isn't Matthew cute, I really think Finn looks a lot like him.

My point is-I'm so thankful this year to have a sweet baby boy. He is perfect in every way. And I am blessed to be able to take care of him. All my 27 years all I wanted was to be a mommy and now I am one. I have so much to look forward to but for now i'm living in the moment and taking this all in.

I'm also very thankful for a husband who is an awesome daddy. I love seeing him with Finn.  I'm truly blessed beyond belief and for that I am so thankful.

Thank you God for making all my little girl dreams come true. A supportive loving husband and an angel baby boy.  Now, I pray I can honor you with what I have.

Do you know when your dreams come true? I love that my dream and God's dream were one :)

Two month update

Feeding

Finn is eating 4 oz every 3 hours and 15-30 minutes. 

Weight

At his last appointment 2 weeks ago he was 11 lbs and 10 oz. I think he is closer to 12 or 13 pounds now. He is getting heavy :)

Sleep

Finn is sleeping much better now. He takes two or three 2 hour naps during the day. And as of 3 days ago he has been sleeping 6 hours at night! He goes down between 10:30-11:00 (depending on his last feeding) and he is sleeping til 4:30-5:00. I'm gonna start trying to get him sleeping to 7:00 over the next few weeks. 

Wake Time

His wake time has been so much fun over the last few weeks. He is awake anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.  He can see and follow objects now. So we play with the rattle, light up toys, and stuffed animals. He smiles a lot its very cute!

Clothes

He is starting to fit in the 0-3 month size now. They are still a little big but the newborn clothes definitely do not fit anymore. I can't get them over his head, haha!

Fun fact

Finn started smiling at me this past month. He smiles when I talk to him. He also knows my voice. Last week, Greg was holding him and I started talking he whipped his head around to look at me. It was so adorable! And made me tear up for sure!

Mommy

Mentally, I'm a little nervous about my new role as a working mom and wife. I know its a big role and I'm just praying my way through it. I am also doing much better as a mom now. I feel like I have found my groove with Finn. I know him sleeping has made a HUGE difference. Physically, I'm feeling ok. I am starting to wean off the pump. We never could nurse successfully and I am really over producing. So hopefully, this time next month I will be done. I have enough milk stored up for 1 1/2 months right now. If you have any tips for weaning, please email me. 

Raising money for Cambodia!

Finn's hunger cry...

Hey friends,
Here is a fun video of Finn. It's easy to see when he's hungry because he grunts :) Enjoy the video!

One month update

October 27th, 2009

Finn is a month old today! I can hardly believe its already been a month since his arrival into the world.  Here's a recap of where he is this month.

Feeding

We had to supplement with formula for the first 2 1/2 weeks because my milk was delayed in coming in. Then as my milk started coming in we started weaning him from formula to complete "mommy milk".  He was on total breast milk by week 3. So I was going to start nursing but he got thrush and so did i.  Starting week 4, we tried to nurse but couldn't get him latched. So, we will be seeing a lactation consultant to get some professional help. He is eating 3.5 oz every 3 hours.

Weight

I'm not 100% sure but I think he is around 8 lbs. We go for his one month check up on Friday October 30th. So I will update this after that appointment.

Sleep

Finn is sleeping for 1-1 1/2 hours at a time. He is on a 3 hour rotation. He eats at 5, 8, 11, 2, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30. At 8:30 we put him down for the night and he wakes up somewhere between 12 and 2 am to eat again. Those times aren't exact sometimes they fluctuate by an hour or so. The only time that's the same everyday is the 8:30 last feeding then bedtime. He still gets swaddled but he also loves sleeping on his tummy or side.

Wake Time

He is usually up for 45 minutes to an hour and a half at a time. He just looks all around and seems to be very curious :) its very cute! During wake time, we either have tummy time, take a bath, snuggle with mommy, lay on daddy's chest, chill out in the swing, or vibrate in the bouncer.

Clothes

He is wearing newborn size clothes. They are starting to get tight so they will probably last another week or two.

Fun fact

Finn is a grunter. That's how we know when he is hungry he just grunts around. Haha! He also smiles. Mostly as he is falling asleep. Its very sweet.

Mommy

Physically, I have recovered completely. Mentally, i'm starting to get the hang of being a mommy.  It definately took the full 4 weeks to get to where I am. Now, I'm just exhausted and hoping he will sleep longer at night! I'm halfway through my maternity leave. I only have 4 weeks left. We are praying that in those 4 weeks we can get a more predictable schedule going.

Where does the time go...

I can hardly believe my baby boy is 13 days old.  The days go by so fast. He is growing and changing so much everyday. And I am really enjoying my time with him. This past week my mom was here everyday helping and we had so much fun! This weekend we will have Greg's mom with me Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I'm really looking forward to our time together as well.  I have really enjoyed all the help from family and friends. The meals, phone calls, and prayers have been amazing. I feel loved in a way that is seriously overwhelming! So praise God for that. 

I also can't wait for the last few weeks of my maternity leave. It will be just me, Finn, and Savannah. And I know we will have tons of fun and quality time! It's hard to believe how much I already love this guy. And it's amazing how much I have learned about him in our 13 days. I can tell when his cry is a "I need comfort" cry or a "I need food" cry or a "I need a new position" cry.  He is such a precious angel and I am so grateful to my great God for creating such a sweet boy. I know he was "wonderfully made" by the almighty creator. Each day, I thank God for this gift and pray I will raise him to be a strong Christian man. and soldier for Christ.

Anyway, I better go-I have only 30 minutes before he wakes up and I need to do a few more errands in the house.

Until next time-
Rachael

Me and my lil boy

 

 So relaxed!

 

Chilling on daddy's lap

Finn Walkup's birthday story...

Well, I wanted to make sure I had this documented somewhere. That way I would never forget his special day. Below are the sequences of event by time. And I'm warning you if you don't want to see how many centimeters I'm dilated then stop reading here :)

Saturday, 9/26/09

4:15 pm Checked into Northside Forsyth hospital
6:00 pm hospital food dinner and it wasn't too bad :)
6:55 pm was checked for dilation-around 1 cm and Cervadil was inserted.
9:00 pm contractions 5-7 minutes apart and getting stronger
10:00 pm considered active labor, contractions consistently 5 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute
11:00 pm Got a pain reliever the nurse called a "margarita" it only lasts 30 minutes buts its awesome!

Sunday, 9/27/09

3:00 am Had another margarita (still not sleeping)
6:00 am Cervidal taken out, checked for dilation, now at 2 cm with a soft cervix
7:00 am Contractions are now 3-4 minutes apart and lasting over a minute each, asked for epidural and not to get the piticion
8:30 am Finally got epidural and feeling much better!
10:00 am checked again, still at 2 cm-midwife broke my water
12:00 pm checked again, now at 3 cm
1:30 pm doctor visited us because of Finn's heart rate they were talking c-section
2:00 pm Finn's heart rate got better and now when I was checked I was 5 cm, they said it should be an hour a cm for now on out
3:30 pm Started feeling a lot of pressure and asked to be checked, I was at 9 cm!!
3:30 pm-4:40 pm epidural boosts because I lost the epidural on my left side and could feel everything-OUCH!
5:20 pm Started pushing....
5:44 pm Happy Birthday Finn!

Here are a few pictures :)

Ready for labor! :)

 

 His first picture

 

 The family of 3

 

 Me with the midwife, Betsy who delivered me

 

Finn sleeping day 4