What Big Sisters Do

After a couple of rough weeks in which Netty didn't want to have anything to do with me, I finally have my best friend back.... And boy, have I missed her! She is not a baby anymore. It seems as though she became a little girl over night. She is growing up into a wonderful big sister and my helper.

Big sisters eat "yucky cream" (sour cream), and they like it.

Big sisters find creative ways to entertain themselves while Mom feeds the baby.

Big sisters watch Disney movies, not just Baby Einstein.

Big sisters sit up to the table to eat.

Big sisters use their fingers to quiet the baby when a pacifier is out of Mom's reach.

Big sisters face the front in the car.

Big sisters stay hydrated.

Big sisters watch movies and eat snacks with Mom and Dad while the baby naps.

Big sisters are gentle with their baby brothers.

Big sisters can sleep anywhere.

Or not.

 Big sisters get the mail with Dad.

Even in thunderstorms.

Big sisters love their babies no matter what.

Getting Ready

Before Atticus was born I had a trusty clipboard that I carried with me all over the house. On it I kept all kinds of reminders, "to do" lists, shopping lists, and calendars. It was the only way for me to keep my anxiety at bay without Xanax. I am grateful especially for my "to do" list and for a persistent husband who wouldn't let me go to bed until we could cross at least one thing off the list. With Atticus arriving three weeks early, there's no way we would have been ready.

We cleaned the carpets with my parents' shampooer just a few days before he arrived. Unfortunately, I used too much soap and it didn't get rinsed well enough, and now the carpet looks dirtier than they did before we "cleaned" them.

Netty had been sleeping in a pack-'n-play from birth. Once we found out we were expecting another baby, we began saving for a crib. Of course, when you're already living on very little, you can't afford much. And so we bought the cheapest crib we could find that was low enough to the ground so that I could reach to put my babies in it. The first several naps and nights were rough on Netty. She got a leg stuck every time. Thankfully, she has now learned to "keep her arms and legs inside the ride."

Life With Two

Life with two children hasn't been easy. Not that I thought it would be, but I had at least imagined that Netty would be a little interested in the baby. For the first several nights every time Atticus cried, Netty would wake up and cry. She doesn't wake up to the blender or the vacuum cleaner, but even the tiniest sound out of Atticus would make her wail. Thankfully, we still had my mom staying with us. But after a week she had to get back to her life, and we needed to get on with ours. We had only a few days together before we came to Utah, so once we get back to Idaho there will be another adjusting period.

 Greeting Atticus when he came home from the hospital (the first time). It took a lot of coaxing to get her this close. And notice her hand is on my brother's hand, not on the baby....

Not so sure about this whole thing.

 Last-minute snuggle time with HoneyGram before she went home.

And after HoneyGram left and we got even less sleep

Teeth brushing in the bath. She's up to 14 teeth now.

So tired.

Up with Mom

Exactly one week old, down to the minute.

Old man pants

Yummy cookies

Opening presents from "Auntie Beanie," my old roommate NaDene.

 Cute headbands from Auntie Beanie

Checking out the baby

Comforting Baby Atticus

Veggies and Ranch

Netty unrolled almost an entire roll of toilet paper.

Atticus sleeping in his own bed

Going to Utah

Glow Worm

When we took Atticus home from the hospital on Saturday the 6th, the nurse said that Atticus was a little jaundice. By Monday when we went to his first doctor appointment, his bilirubin level had gone from 11 to 20.3. We had to take him to the hospital for overnight triple therapy. Then, for the rest of the week, we had to keep him on a bili blanket at home. Not fun. We determined that he most likely has what is called breast milk jaundice, a fairly rare kind of jaundice in which the bilirubin doesn't break up as quickly or as easily as normal jaundice because of something in the breast milk. What this means for us is that Atticus will probably be tan the rest of the summer. But then, so is his dad.

While I was in the hospital over night with Atticus, Jon's grandma died. He really wanted to go to the funeral, but we couldn't travel with Atticus on the bili blanket. I supplemented his feedings with formula to get his bilirubin down faster. We finished with the bili blanket the day before we had to leave. We are so grateful that Atticus was so cooperative.

Sunbathing on the couch after coming home from the hospital

Triple photo-therapy: lying on a bili bed with a bili blanket on his stomach and a bluBbe light over head.

Baby's first shades

On the bili blanket

Our Little Glow Worm

 Leaving the hospital after a long night of photo-therapy

Celebrating the end of the bili blanket by sunbathing

Firework

After my last post in which I lamented not being able to go to Utah for Fourth of July festivities, my mom arranged to come to Idaho with my brother Justin and his family on July 3rd just for the day to spend the afternoon at Rigby Lake. So after staying up until 4:00 a.m. over-preparing for a Primary Activity Days activity that I was in charge of, I ran errands, prepared a picnic lunch for Justin's and my families, played at the lake for a few hours in blazing heat, led my Activity Days activity, and returned home so exhausted that I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a couple minutes at a time. I dozed off and on for several hours but didn't feel well enough to eat dinner or really to do anything. I felt off, but I figured it was exhaustion from little sleep and a busy day. Little did I know, a firework was igniting inside me.

July 4th
1:00 a.m. -- Listening to music and playing Solitaire on my iPod, feeling regular contractions.

2:00 a.m. -- Starting to time contractions because I've never felt them this regular or strong for so long before.

3:00 a.m. -- Waking Jon. "I don't want to alarm you, but...." Calling Mom. "I might be in labor."

3:15 a.m. -- Walking up and down the sidewalk outside our apartment and timing contractions, which are getting stronger.

4:00 a.m. -- Calling Mom again. "I know you just got home from Idaho, but I'm probably having a baby today."

4:15 a.m. -- Trying to relax in the shower. Two nights in a row not sleeping well is going to bite me in the butt.

4:30 a.m. -- Walking the sidewalk again.

5:00 a.m. -- Calling the hospital. "Sounds like you're in early labor. Come in whenever you'd like."

5:10 a.m. -- Calling Mom again. "I'll wait a little longer to call a sitter."

6:30 a.m. -- Calling Casey. "I'm in labor. Can you come over?"

7:20 a.m. -- Sitting carefully in the car, breathing through contractions. "Slower around the corners, Jonny."

8:30 a.m. -- Having a mini ultrasound to see if baby is still breach. Inconclusive. Getting "checked." 3 cm.

9:30 a.m. -- Getting checked by the doctor after walking the halls for 45 minutes. 4 cm. "You're in labor. Let's break your water. Baby will probably be here by noon."

10:00 a.m. -- Getting an IV and antibiotic for Group B. Then waiting and breathing.

2:00 p.m. -- Greeting Mom and Jessica, grateful that they have made it in time.

2:10 p.m. -- Breaking water. "Things will really pick up now."

3:00 p.m. -- Nothing.

4:00 p.m. -- Nothing.

5:00 p.m. -- Nothing.

6:00 p.m. -- Starting pitocin to get my contractions started again.

7:00 p.m. -- Breathing and crying.

8:00 p.m. -- Breathing and crying.

9:00 p.m. -- Getting checked. 6 cm. "I'm too tired. I'm not going to make it."

9:30 p.m. -- Epidural. Ahhhhh......

11:15 p.m. -- Getting checked. 10 cm. "Doctor is on his way."

11:37 p.m. -- "Let's do this. Push when you feel a contraction."

11:39 p.m. -- Seeing my son for the first time.

 

Atticus Dean Phelps

 6 lbs 9 oz

19 inches

Keeping Cool

While cat-sitting again for one of our friends, Jon and I were given the task of organizing said friend's back patio. Being nearly nine months pregnant, I was unable to do much more than tell Jon where to move things. And we took turns spraying the pavement with the hose when the job was done to "clean it off," but I'll be honest. I was more interested in cooling down from the mist. Meanwhile, Netty sat under the willow tree a few feet off and kept cool in her own way.

Some Days I Feel Like This....

Fortunately, Unfortunately

Fortunately, our A/C window unit works marvelously.

Unfortunately, it's only in one room. And next month's electric bill might not take too kindly to my need to be cool.

Fortunately, Netty loves to snuggle with me.

Unfortunately, it's BEASTLY hot (as my nephew once said), and the last thing I feel like doing is curling up with Netty under her fuzzy "blankie."

Fortunately, Netty has taken a liking to my belly. She pats it, lies across it, and curls up around it.

Unfortunately, she also likes to pull up my shirt and "tickle" my bellybutton, even in public.

Today's Doctor's Appointment: 36 Weeks, 4 Days

Fortunately, the baby is growing nicely.

Unfortunately, he's a whale. And he's breech.

Fortunately, the baby remains very active and he might turn on his own.

Unfortunately, if he doesn't, the doctor has to try to turn him next week, and I've heard that can be painful.

Fortunately, we were able to see our baby boy today because our doctor wanted to get a better idea of his size via ultrasound.

Unfortunately, this kiddo is measuring 7 pounds 9 ounces right now, still four weeks ahead of his due date. 

Fortunately, the doctor also felt my belly to be sure.

Unfortunately, it is quite uncomfortable to be squeezed from the outside and simultaneously kicked from the inside.

Fortunately, measuring a baby still in the womb is an imprecise practice, and the number could be totally off.

Unfortunately, it's not that off. Baby is already larger than Netty was at birth.

Fortunately, between the size of the baby and how many contractions I've been having, I may not make it to my due date.

Unfortunately the trip that we were planning to Utah for July 4th is off since I'm in the last month and the chance of going into labor is too great. I was so looking forward to seeing my brother and his family who are visiting my parents from Washington. And I'm not going to lie--I was especially looking forward to taking several dips in my parents' swimming pool and sitting in their air conditioned house.

And for those who can decipher ultrasound photos, here's a few pics of the little (or rather big) guy....

Sideways view of his face--His nose is right in the center of the picture, and his mouth is to the right of that. His lips look a little distorted because his right arm is pressed against his right cheek. The really dark kind of round shadow above and just left of his nose is his left eye.

And here is his right ear in the center of this picture. His right eyebrow is the light line way to the right of the frame, and part of his eye can be seen underneath the eyebrow.

Walking

Every day Netty is getting better at walking. I keep telling my family I will post a good video of it, but every time I get the camera going, she falls. This video is no exception. I promise that today she walked from the sink in the bathroom, down the hall, and to the coffee table without falling. I just didn't get it recorded....

Quirks and All

One of my favorite things about stay home with Netty is that I see every new thing she does. Sometimes she is downright hilarious.

Like most kids her age, Netty loves music, and she dances when she hears it. Jon was helping with youth baptisms at the temple the other night, and while he was gone, Netty and I watched her Baby Neptune movie. She started doing this weird shoulder dance.

After Netty finished this morning's bottle, she grabbed the nipple and started shaking her arms. The bottle hit her head, and she almost started to cry. I said, "Bonk!" and immediately it became a game.