Chuck and a Sleepy Pup

This year I went for the most uncreative costumes award.  Max’s large noggin’ lends itself well to Charlie Brown and the fact that he won’t keep any type of accessory on his head for 2 seconds, it was a logical choice.  Plus,  Snoopy is pretty much sleeping most of the time so it was only fitting for a newborn.

 

Awe…my little peanuts.

The First 30 Days

At the risk of sounding very ungrateful or melodramatic, I have to say that this past month has possibly been one of the hardest of my life.  My sweet baby Dempsey has had a hard time adjusting to life outside the womb.  We’ve gone through several different formulas and even so, she continues to have trouble with gas and digestion.  Every night we have a little baby “spinning” session to get her legs going and make sure everything keeps moving on through.

   She’s also had a tough time getting on a good sleeping routine.  She will not sleep more than two hours at a time at any point during the day or night, needless to say, Momma has not had more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep in the past month either.  The lack of rest paired with chasing 14-month old Max around all day has made for an extra slow recovery from this c-section.   Excuse the graphic description, but you don’t realize how much you need your abs on a daily basis until they are sliced at the base and then stapled shut for a second time.

Luckily, time heals all wounds and somehow like everyone says, it does get easier.  Now I do have a lot to be grateful for, in fact now that I have written it down it seems rather petty in comparison to what really matters like an a awesome husband that tag-teams with me at night for feeding and rocking the baby, lets me takes naps when there’s a minute,  and wrestles with Max until he is laughing and screaming with excitement. 

Also, I have had my brother Tori practically living with us for the past 2 months and I feel spoiled by all the help I have been given.  He takes out the trash, vacuums, picks up the toys, washes dishes, carries loads of laundry, takes Max outside to play, and has been lifting Max into bed, changing table, high chair, and car seat while I have been restricted during my recovery.

It’s good that there are really tough times being a parent, because it makes moments like this so much sweeter!

That hardest part about giving birth...

...is saying goodbye to your mom.

I have had the luxury of having my mom come and help me out for the week before the baby was born and the week following. This is no small thing. My mom works full time and is supervisor of transportation in the school district back in my hometown. For her to drop everything and come and stay with me for two weeks means a lot.

Anyone who knows my mom knows that she kept a very tight ship as we were growing up. She has relaxed a bit as we have all grown up and moved away, but still--her "relaxed" is pretty much equal to my house on a really good day. While she was here she cooked, washed and folded my laundry, followed Max around picking up after him wherever he went. There were windows that were cleaned for the first time in years. Even the vacuum was cleaned inside and outside with soap and water. I couldn't even use the same cup twice in one day, because it would always be immediately washed. She would take care of Max and Dempsey so we could get some extra rest in the day. I just wish I would have documented it better...I may not have a house that clean again until the next baby is born. :)

I just hope my mom realizes how much Adam and I appreciate all the unselfishness. We can only hope to pay it forward and teach our kids by example and service, because there is no way we can ever pay you back. Thanks Mom! We Love You!

This is how we all felt with Grandma Sheffer around...not a care in the world :)

Tweeks, as Adam calls "two week" old Dempsey, is a very good baby. She won't take a binky(only on occasion for a second or two) and won't be swaddled, which makes sense since she was still turning flips in the womb up until the day she was born. She is already wearing 3-month clothes no surprise. She is a very good eater, except for the fact that she falls asleep before she finishes the bottle so she has to eat every couple of hours. She has night and day a little bit mixed up, so she is wide awake and ready to go at 10pm at night and it is a challenge to get her to go back to sleep until around midnight. She is very alert and very stong, already holding her own head up pretty well and lifting her body up while I'm changing her diaper. She has a very sweet disposition, blue eyes, and light brown hair(that looks reddish in some lights). We are very much in love with our new little girl!

Max has good and bad moments with the whole transition. He is very loving toward Dempsey and gives her kisses and pats her on the head, however, there is a noticable increase in the amount of dramatic crying. He most definitely feels the need to make his presence known by throwing toys, screaming, and getting into everything he can. These are his battle wounds from thinking he could climb the stone steps on his own. It was a particularly rough day and he had even resorted to pulling all his clothes off.

Tomorrow will be better little buddy.

Dempsey Jill

I felt like I was having my first baby...the anticipation was killer.

She is finally here and rivals her brother in size. The resemblance to Max at birth is also uncanny and you can compare to his birth post HERE.

I'm pleased to introduce...

Dempsey Jill Madison

Her name was inspired by my paternal grandfather, Jack D Sheffer. His father was a huge fan of the world heavyweight champion boxer from the 1920s, Jack Dempsey. My father and brother also carry the same middle initial of "D". Also, the street where Madison Square Garden is located is called Jack Dempsey Corner. The "Jill" is for the opposite of "Jack" and also, it's my sisters middle name. Dempsey was already living up to her namesake in the womb--weaving, bobbbing, and using my bladder for a punching bag these last few months!

The day after she was due I went in for a regular OB appointment. I got the feeling that he was going to make me wait another week, because my cervix hadn't budged and I wasn't having any contractions. I did not want to wait any longer, because I knew that she was already really big and the chances of delivering her naturally were slim. So..I busted out the tears. Don't get me wrong. I don't make a habit of crying on cue, but I was emotionally and phisically exhausted so it didn't take much to get the water works going. He decided to schedule an induction for two days later.

Of course, the hospital had a flood of babies that day and so at the last minute they pushed me to the next morning. I was getting so impatient and thought it was never going to happen. They finally called us at 6am to come down. When they checked the position of the baby she was transverse(sideways). My cervix still wasn't ready and so the OB on call told me that he didn't want to induce, because he didn't want to risk rupturing my previous c-section scar. He said I had the option of going home and waiting it out, but I just laughed inside and said, c-section, please!

This time I had a spinal tap instead of an epidural. I'm not sure exactly what all the subtle differences are, but I was numb from the waist down in 30 seconds...awesome! By the time they performed the c-section she was breech and they pulled her out feet first, so within 24 hours she had turned all the way around(good thing I had that aversion...sheesh!)

Well, she was as big as we suspected...9lbs 5oz 21 inches long






Max has slightly outgrown the plastic bassinet...



Hospital fashion and passing the time...




We are so happy to have another beautiful spirit in our family. I feel so blessed that with all of the medication that I take and the potential for complications I still have big, healthy babies.







(Dempsey, already has her boxing hands up)

Max, being 13 months, didn't really have any reaction to the baby. He was too busy playing with everything else in the hospital room. I'm sure it will take him a few weeks to realize what's going on. However, it does make him look sooo grown up!