Britt James, Week 2 and 3

At 11 days old, I was going to have my first day at home by myself with Britt when Travis called me after he had left to take Ava to school to tell me that her school was closed for the day because of President's Day.  I guess we missed the memo or was too tired to remember so I earned my Mommy of Two Badge for the Day and kept both kids all by myself.  I am  happy to report that it went  really well and while I am happy that Ava does go to school during the day so I am able to work towards getting Britt in a routine, it was nice spending  the day by myself with both children.

I ended up being home on Tuesday with just Britt but the rest of the week we had more family come in town and  by Sunday, Britt met all of his aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great grandmother, and great aunts, great uncles, and a second cousin.  I am so thankful that we have such a close family that loves us and our children so much.  Family is so important to me and while we live far away from most of our family members, it is nice to know that  the distance does not keep us apart.

After all of the family left, we took Britt back to the pediatrician when he was 18 days old and was happy to find out that he had gained weight and had exceeded  his birth weight at 9 pounds and 1 ounce and had grown a quarter of an inch and  is now 20.75 inches. Our pediatrician was more than pleased with this progress and now we do not have to go back until he is two months old.  

Britt's First Week

We arrived home from the Hospital on Saturday, February 7th, when Britt was two days old and my Mother, or Britt's Mimi, was waiting on us at our home.  Mimi stayed with us until the following  Saturday and this pretty much  sums up the week that she spent with us.

While there was a lot of spoiling by Mimi, I do not know what I would have done without her during this week.  She got Ava up each morning and got her ready for school, she took Britt during the day so that I could sleep, she folded laundry and cooked dinner each day, and then she played with Ava and  bathed her each night.  She really was our lifesaver this week and really helped us to transition as a family of four at home.  

While Mimi let me sleep during the day, we were getting little sleep at night for the first week.  The two nights  at the Hospital I basically held Britt all night as I was so excited that he was here and wanted to just snuggle him.  The first two nights at home he slept fine in our arms but as soon as I would put him in his bassinet, he would wake up crying.  On night three of this I started to research new bassinets and first  thing Tuesday morning, I took a trip to Target and purchased our third bassinet to try him in.  This one has a built in vibrator and thankfully this seemed to do the trick.  We also received a good tip from our friends to warm the bassinet up with a heating pad before we put him in it.  Between the soft vibrations and the warm bed this seems to please him and help him sleep.  

When he was four days old we went to our pediatrician and was pleased with his appointment and that no issues were  found.  His birth weight was 8 pounds 12 ounces and he weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces at his appointment.  He lost 7% of his birth weight and they are fine with babies loosing up to 10% of their weight so there was no concern with this.

Ava adjusted well her first week at home with Baby Britt and loved running in our room each morning to see Baby Brother.  There was only one meltdown and that was over Britt's gender.  While Ava calls him Baby Brother, Ava will also refer to Britt as a girl.  We correct her and say that he is a boy and she says, "No, she is not a boy, she is a girl" and then she will change the subject.  Well Travis kept on one morning that  Baby Britt  was a boy and  this lead to Ava bursting out in tears.  We are continuing to work on this as it is still as sore subject with Ava.

Here are some more pictures of Britt's first week at home.

First bath at home.

Ava helped Mimi make three batches of cookies during the week.

Ava loves helping when Britt needs his diaper changed.

My sweet babies...

 

 

Ava names Baby Brother

Today Baby Britt is 19 days old and I am so pleased that Ava has adjusted well and loves her Baby Brother. She is always giving him kisses and whenever I change his diaper she pulls up her stool so she can help. If he is fussy she will try and put his paci in his mouth and the other day she was playing Legos and she put some on his lap so he could play as well.

Ava loves him so much, she decided to rename him to Robert. Why, Robert?, I have no clue. We had not been home a week and Ava started telling people that his name is Robert. Where she came up with this name I do not know. Since this time she will now tell people when asked his name "It is not Robert, he is Baby Britt."

Love my precious children.

Introducing Master Britt James Swearingen

On Thursday, February 6th, two days before my due date, my husband and I welcomed our second child and first son, Britt James, into the world.  There are so many wonderful moments that we experience in life but none more wonderful than welcoming a child into the world.  I have such special memories of my delivery with Ava and the same is true for Britt.

I had gone into work every day the week of my due date, but on Thursday morning I decided to work from home after having a horrible night of sleep.  I guess it was truly my women's intuition because I do not know how I would have managed myself driving from work when my contractions started.  I had just wrapped up finishing my emails and was going to sit down on the couch for a second when I started feeling a slight pain.  With Ava my contractions started while I was sleeping so I was not sure how they would feel when they started with Britt.  I called Travis and told him that I thought that my contractions were starting and that he should probably start wrapping it up at work but to call me in 30 minutes to confirm before he came home.  I started tracking my contractions on an app on my phone and 15 minutes later I was calling Travis to tell him to come home that it was time.  By the time he came home my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds each time so I knew it was time to go to the Hospital.

On the way we called my OB's office which was a mistake that we made last time by not calling.  The nurse confirmed that I should be on the way to the Hospital and that she would call ahead and let them know that we were on our way.  Once we arrived at Centennial I was taken to the OB ER triage and they confirmed that I was 100% effaced and 4-5cm dilated so they had the orders put in so I could be admitted.  With Ava I was lucky that my OB was on call for her delivery and I had found out that my OB was not on call this evening.  After 30 minutes in Triage I was wheeled up to the Delivery Room and was surprised to see my OB sitting at the Nurses Desk.  When she came in my room she said that she knew my labor would not last long and that she wanted to be here for my delivery.

I was so elated that I would have the same OB deliver both of my child and an  hour later and pushing through three contractions, my OB had me reach down and pull my son out and I placed him on my chest and both my husband and I welcomed him with tears.

Britt James weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces, was 20.5 inches long with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.

Travis and I spent the next two days in the Hospital loving on our new little boy.  As strange as it sounds I loved our two days in the Hospital.  It was just us with no distractions, nothing to do other than to just be together with our son.  It  was so special and we are so blessed to have another healthy child.  

"For with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:37

Our first photo with our son

Meeting Aunt Alissa

First photo as a family of four, as you can see Travis and I did not get much sleep after our first night in the Hospital.

Ava meeting Baby Britt

Papa and Nana with their grandchildren.

All snuggled up and ready to go home.

39 weeks and 3 days plus some potty training

Now that I have made it to February, I want Britt to come out!  I do pretty well during the day but in the evening my legs feel as if they are 1,000 pounds and my lower back starts to hurt.  I went to my OB appointment today hoping for some good news, like my water breaking in the office, and I was sad to find out that I am still only 4 centimeters dilated but I am now 90% effaced.  I think in the back of my head I was hoping to be 6 centimeters dilated without any labor contractions, which is unheard of, and that I had Wonder Women's body and would  have this baby without contractions.  

With my labor with Ava I started my contractions late in the evening with four days to go and had her three days early and my last meal was taco's after seeing my OB earlier in the day.  Not that I am trying to recreate this but tonight I also have four days to go, I saw my OB this morning, and I had chicken taco soup for dinner.  Just some wishful thinking on my behalf.

In Ava news, she has decided to potty train herself!  Travis and I started potty training back in the Summer but never forced the issue and we would have some successful weeks where she would go once a day a couple of days in a row, and then she would go weeks without trying again.  We have had some much going on with Britt on the way that we really have not forced the issue and I had been planning on some potty training boot camp in March when her school is closed for a week.

Well Miss Ava decided to become a big girl on her own and about 10 days ago started going several times in a day at school.  When this happened three days in a row I decided to buy some pull up diapers as well as some panties.  She found her panties and insisted on wearing them to school and did well all day on the first day until she got home and it was right before bedtime and then she pooped in them.  The next day she insisted on wearing panties or as she calls them "canties" to school.  I had high hopes that day two would be better and within twenty minutes of being at school, she pooped again in them.

We decided it was too soon for her to be wearing her canties so instead we introduced her to pull ups with Minnie Mouse and Ariel on them and that was all that it took.  For a week now Ava has not peed at all in her pull ups and lets us know when she needs to use the restroom without being prompted.  This evening she told me she had to go potty and for me to wait outside and then she shut the door, pulled down her pants while saying "I go pee pee in the potty" over and over.  After she is done she knows to wipe and then she likes to take the bowl out of her training potty and flush the contents down the toilet.  She then washes her hands and then comes to get her treat which we are using chocolate covered raisins, I like to think this is somewhat healthy with the raisins.

While the peeing in the is successful, the pooping is not.  Saturday night she did her usual where all of a sound she told us to get away and that she was not pooping which means that she was about to.  Travis and I told her to go on her potty but being a lady, she said she could do it herself and she shut the door to the bathroom.  A couple of minutes later we checked on her and when she stood up she had gone in the potty but the sight of it scared her to death and she started crying.  I have heard of this happening and we reassured Ava that this is okay and praised her but after that she has gotten stage fright and does not want go try going poopy in the potty again.

Despite this we have taken her peeing in the potty as a big success and are focusing on this right now and know that the rest will come in time. 

Hello February!

Well I made it, today I hit 39 weeks and it is February 1st.  I really do not know why but I am so excited to be having a February Baby but I am elated that I made it to 39 weeks with my second pregnancy.  I have done as much "nesting" as I can possibly do and have organized every closet in our house twice, our hospital bags are packed, and had my car washed last night so I would not be bringing our sweet little boy home in a dirty car.  So yes, he can come anytime now and I hope it is soon.  We have a fun day planned with Ava and during her nap time I am going to spend some fun Mommy time at Sephora purchasing some makeup.  

While I am ready for Baby Britt to arrive, my loving husband told me yesterday that since we have made it this long, he would like for Britt to wait until at least Monday to arrive so that he can watch the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Praying for a fast delivery and a healthy Baby Boy!