7/26/2012

Happy at Home

Rhodes is one week old today, and life at home with him has been absolute bliss.  


I was unsure how I could love someone as much as I loved Ryder, but I have been proved wrong.  I love these two children so much, I love that Ryder is Rhodes' big brother and I love that Rhodes' is Ryder's little brother.  Ryder is totally smitten with him and loves to kiss him on the lips, cheek and head.  When I take Rhodes into his room to change his diaper, Ryder runs to get his stool so he can stand up and watch.  I love when Ryder leans over Rhodes' bassinet and grins real big and says, "Hey Rhodesy Rhodes."  When visitors come over he runs to the door and says, "Come look at my baby brother, he's so cute!"


Don't get me wrong about what I'm about to say.  I loved Ryder to pieces when he was born, but I have to admit it's different this time.  It's different because I know what I have to look forward to.  With Ryder, it was just a whirlwind of emotions, sleepless nights, not knowing what the heck I was doing, and I looked forward to his naps so I could just get a break.  Now, I realize how fast Ryder grew up and now all I want to do is soak up my time with Rhodes and enjoy each and every minute.  I can remember last time around I would beg JM to get up in the middle of the night to bring Ryder in to let me feed him and then I begged him to change him and put him back to sleep so I could sleep, I remember being unbearably tired.  This time I have gotten up with Rhodes every single time and put him back to sleep because I want to.  JM has offered to help me where he could, but I just tell him to sleep so I can hog my little baby.  I know the time will come when I am ready for some relief, but for now I'm just enjoying every bit of him.

And nothing brings me more joy than sitting on the couch with Rhodes over my shoulder and Ryder cuddled up to me.  Some times I sit there and look at them both with tears in my eyes, feeling so lucky and even more blessed. 


I kept Ryder home from school Tuesday and Wednesday to keep us company, it's hard sending him to school while I'm home, especially since Rhodes has basically done nothing but sleep since we came home from the hospital on Saturday.  My mom stayed with us Sunday and Monday nights, my sister stayed Tuesday night and JM's mom spent the day Wednesday, so I don't think I would've had the energy to keep him home if it hadn't been for them.

Grandaddy is so proud of his Wilson boys

Day we came home from the hospital, seems like a month ago.  How has it only been a week?


Day 2 at home, CC helping me give Rhodes his first bath.



CC filing Rhodes fingernails, that takes major patience!

Doing what he does best... ZZzzzzzz
(believe me, I know this will change soon)

Kayla came to help me and not just with the kids.  She helped me do some major organizing.
Funny story.  Before Kayla got started organizing she said if she had an energy drink she could do some major damage so I called JM to pick up an energy drink and a couple other "new mother" items from the store.  He said he had "Newborn At Home" plastered all over his forehead when he set his items down on the store counter: Nursing Pads, Lanolin Cream, and a Monster Energy Drink.

Rhodes in the bouncy

Ryder at the same age in the same bouncy - do they look alike?

Little tummy time, look at big brother already being the encourager!

Anna Terrell got the boys these matching shirts, RJW 1 and RJW 2


Ryder adores him!

 We were so happy when Nanni came to help.

A couple funny things Ryder has said related to life with a new baby.
  • As soon as he came in to see me right after Rhodes was born he pointed at me and said, "but mama, is your big belly still there?
  • While the lady was cleaning Rhodes he yelled out "HEY, what's she doing to him?  HEY look at his weenie!!"
  • Ryder has been oblivious to the whole nursing situation, he hasn't even noticed.  But the other day he walked in and I was feeding and Ryder said, "Mama what are you doing to him?"  I told him Rhodes was eating.  He said, "But he's eating YOU!!!"
  • Since we got home from the hospital JM has been sleeping in Ryder's room with him so I wouldn't wake him.  Last night JM slept in our bed and sometime during the night we heard Ryder calling out, Daaaady, Daaaady.  JM went in his room and he was sitting up crying and JM asked what was wrong.  He replied in the saddest little voice, "But there's not a daddy in my bed."

7/22/2012

Rhodes' Birth Day - July 19, 2012

He's here, he's here, he's here!  I'm doing the happy dance right here in my hospital bed.

As I said in the last blog, I left my 38 week checkup at 3 cm and was hoping I would be 4 or 5 when I got to my 39 week checkup.  I didn't want to schedule an induction because my doctor said if I was at least 4 cm at my 39 week appointment, we would be sent on to labor and delivery.  Well we packed our bags, gave instructions to grandparents for when to pick up Ryder from school, etc., and I was totally bummed when she said I was still at 3.  This was on a Thursday and they don't schedule inductions on Fridays or Mondays, so it would be next Tuesday before I could schedule anything.  No thanks.

When you schedule to get induced they like you to get to the hospital at 5:00 a.m. to get the ball rolling.  By this point it was 8:30, but I still asked her if I could please get induced, she thought about it, called downstairs to ask the nurses, and they said ok, so down we went.

After hooking me up to everything, breaking my water, starting the pytocin and getting my epidural it was about 10:30 a.m. and I was at 5 cm.  I thought, okay this is good, we're moving right along.  Well, the nurse checked me again at 12:30, still 5 cm.  I thought this couldn't be good.  I was already worried enough all the nurses and my dr. would be mad at me for starting so late, and now this.

My dr. comes in at 2:30 and says, "I heard you really like 5 cm, let's check again."  Still 5 cm.  I started to get a little disappointed because things progressed so much faster with Ryder and I just knew I was going to end up in a csection.  I wouldn't have minded that if I would've come in for a scheduled csection, but it's no fun after you spend all day in labor and then have a section at 5:30 or 6.  The nurses made me feel better and said they didn't think a csection was going to happen.

So I just started praying that things would speed up.  They checked again at 3:15 or so and I was between 7-8 cm, answered prayer!  Then at 3:45 I was at 9.5 cm.  My nurse text my dr. and said to get ready because I was at 9.5 and her response was WOW, WOW, WOW!  I think they were all kind of shocked it jumped up that quick.

At 4:17 it was time to push.  And by gosh the contractions were rearing their ugly head and I could feel the heck out of them.

OUCH


But, it was time to push, no turning back.  TMI here, but they do say after your first baby, it doesn't take too much to get them out.  I pushed through 3 contractions, for exactly 10 minutes and at 4:27 Rhodes was born!  I had to push for 1 1/2 hours with Ryder, so I was ecstatic!

I was so excited to see him and hear his voice.  I was shaking with excitement and crying at the same time.  He looked so precious!  A few minutes after he was born I heard the nurse say, "He's nine ten."  I whipped my head around and yelled, "He's NINE TEN???"  She was like yeah, that's as good as it can get.  I said dang he didn't look that big.  She said no, that's his apgar score.  I was like sheeeesh.  So they put him on the scale and he was 7 lb. 1 oz and 19.5 inches.  I knew he looked smaller than Ryder (he was 8 lb.) but I think a lot of it was he didn't have a huge honkin' head like Ryder did at birth!

I'm going to post some pictures from the hospital stay, I know I will have tons more, but I want to go ahead and document the actual day of his birth and visitors those couple of days.

Introducing sweet little brother, Rhodes Joseph Wilson


Less than five minutes after birth, still swollen

Can't explain this feeling.

Just a few hours after birth.  We had to wait a few hours for them to bring him to our room, I was so happy it was before Ryder had to go home.  We are so blessed!

Day 2

My aunt Beth and Rhodes

 My two little angels

Posing with CC and Poppy

Grandaddy, T and Rhodes

Ryder loving his present from Melanie, Steve and Gaines

Jessica and Rob with the boys

Nanni and Rhodes

Kristen and Tate came to meet Rhodes, they're 9 weeks apart!

Tate and Rhodes

Papa with his 2 daughters and 2 grandsons

CC getting some love





And now let the fun begin!!!

7/18/2012

A good laugh

These e-cards always crack me up when I see them on facebook.  Most give me a good chuckle, some, I can't believe people actually post.  But here are a few that I can totally relate to:


JM knows not to talk to me when I am hungry.



You better believe it!  I definitely need notice if somebody is dropping by after 5:30 p.m.


This is soooo true.



And so is this!


This is cruel, but still gave me a laugh. 


And I will leave you with an e-card that sounds a little familiar at my house:
Brittany:

John Michael:


Wait, one more... couldn't help myself.

Can I get an amen on this one ladies? 

Ok.  I'm done.

7/16/2012

Dinosaurs... ROAR

Saturday morning we went to the Museum of Natural Science to see the dinosaur exhibit.  These big dinos roared and moved around and bared their sharp teeth, and they were kind of scary.

Ryder much preferred the ones that didn't move.


Then we walked down to the live animal show, Ryder got to pet a real baby alligator.

Then Walker and Ryder held a real live snake!

Tucker wasn't scared either!

CC and Poppy with the grandboys

Ryder was so excited when his cousins got there.
Sellers, Walker, Ryder, Tucker

There was a TV on along the way playing some movie.  These two can't ever pass by a TV without being mesmerized by it.

The boys and Anna Love.  Look how big brother Sellers is protecting her from up there!


Boys will be boys.


Sunday night Clair was in town from Nashville, so good to catch up!
I know. I'm gigantic.

Pregnancy:

At my 38 week appointment last week I was 3 cm.  I decided not to get induced so my doctor told me to come in at 8:00 a.m. for my 39 week appointment which is in 3 days (Thursday).  I am hoping I'll be ready and she'll just send me on downstairs to the delivery room.  However, if I don't get to have the baby on Thursday, I'll set a date to get induced next week.  But what the heck, I'll be 40 weeks by then, I mean surely I'll go into labor by that point?

Last night JM and I both woke up at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep.  At 4:30 he got up to start getting ready for work.  I begged him not to go into the bank that early, I mean I was scared somebody would think he was robbing it!  He held off til 6.

This morning after Ryder woke up we walked into the living room and he saw the new baby monitor sitting out.  He looked at it, looked at me, and said, "Mama... did Rhodes come out already?"  I said no, why?  He said, "I see his baby monitor, I thought you didn't tell me!"  Then he said, "Mama, I'm gonna help you change his diaper and I'm gonna help you cook.  And when I get REAL big, I'm gonna drive me and Rhodes to school."