My sister-in-law Lacey with Lacey Lii Photography offered to take some shots of our family when Baby Finn was just a couple days old. She is such a talented photographer, we are so grateful she is always willing to photograph us! Here are some of my favorites:
Can you believe how much bigger Finn has gotten since these were taken just weeks ago? It goes so quickly.
The Monday before Finn’s due date, I rescheduled my doctor appointment for that day so I could see if there was anything happening. I tried not to get my hopes up, but the weekend before I had bad back cramps and felt nauseous. When the doctor told me I was progressing enough that he’d induce me that week if I wanted, I decided to go for it. So, on the 18th (the day after his due date), we got up bright and early and headed to the hospital. We dropped Eva off at my in-laws on our way then checked into the Orem Community Hospital around 7 am.
By 8 am, they had started me on petocin, and then at 9 I got my epidural. I felt a little weird getting it that early because I literally was in zero pain, but it made the experience so amazing since I never felt really sick. The nurse would keep asking me what my pain level was and for the most part I just said a 1?
While we waited for things to start happening, we napped and went through the baby name book because we still hadn’t decided on a name. Finn and Tanner were the two frontrunners but we hadn’t decided on any middle names and still weren’t in LOVE with anything at that point.
Around 10, they broke my water which felt like an ocean… very strange. I still wasn’t experiencing pain, then at 11, I was dilated to a 5 which was smaller than I had hoped, but I was still comfortable. Around noon, I definitely was feeling more crampy so I had them give me a little more epidural. The more the merrier, right? And I kept clicking on that epidural button every 20 minutes. But within an hour I was to an 8, and then at 12:30 almost there! The extra drugs kicked in so I was feeling great and they told me around 1 that I could start pushing as soon as the doctor came, so like in 15 minutes.
At that point, I texted the parents and in-laws that it was almost time. But then the nurse informed me the doctor had left to go to a C-Section and so we just had to wait for him to get back. I was fine with it, although I was a little eager to get my baby out. But because I felt good, I just chewed on ice and took lots of naps. I forgot to update my mom though and so after a couple hours going by without any news she was getting so worried! I was just napping, sorry!
The doctor got in around 3:15 and had me do about three pushes but he was making me laugh so much, that I actually got to stop pushing and just laugh (yep, you read that right) and within a couple minutes of laughing (all the nurses were laughing too which made me laugh harder… I mean, who laughs during labor?!?), I had literally LAUGHED my baby out of me. It was easy and amazing and perfect. Just perfect. I was instantly in love when I saw that sweet baby of mine. He had a head full of hair and weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces! Wow! It was a good thing I didn’t wait any longer to be induced!
It was such an easier labor that with Eva’s, which I am so grateful for. I also got a blessing from TJ and his dad the night before which really helped to give me the peace and strength I needed to deliver Mr. Finn. I’m so grateful it was such a positive and healthy experience… maybe I’ll do it again one day!
More pictures to come!
Finn officially is smiling at us and it melts our hearts. It’s seriously the best. But here’s what’s not the best… his whining time from about 7:30-10 every night. We can distract him some, get him to take the binky on and off but man… those are some exhausting couple of hours recently.
I just wrote about Finn last week, but I did find out he’s now 12 pounds! I had to take him to the doctor (he just had a little congestion, he’s fine) and they weighed him. I couldn’t believe how big he’s gotten, but it makes sense why he can fit in three month clothes now! Jeez louise! But hey, that means nursing is working and the more he nurses, the more I lose weight, so keep at it kid!
Here are a couple more photos from my parents’ visit! We had a fabulous time with them and miss them dearly! My mom helped out so much by cooking meals, cleaning, letting me nap, and playing with Eva nonstop… Eva loved doing crafts, playdoh, playing toys, going to the park a million times, and baking with my mom! Come back, parents!
How is it possible? How? Finny Babe turned one month old on October 18th and even though the month flew by, it feels like he’s been ours forever.
Finn has given us a couple of smiles which really melts my heart. It even made me cry once because it wasn’t just a sleepy/gassy smile. He was really looking at me and smiled back!
Sleeping was very inconsistent for this little guy at night… He didn’t sleep well for about weeks 2-4 but for the past two nights, I consistently put him in the velcro swaddler blanket and he slept for much longer stretches… even a 6 hour stretch one night!
Finn is quite a noisy little guy. When he’s eating, it sounds like he’s famished. When he’s gassy, which is often, he really grunts loudly. We have to shut our door to make sure it doesn’t wake up Eva!
As the month went by, he became more and more aware and awake. He follows sounds really well and is fascinated by lights. He LOVES being dressed up for Halloween and insists on wearing his pumpkin hat as much as possible. Finn really likes his sister. Whenever she’s around or other little kids, he seems to follow them and be so interested. Eva is SO in love with Finn… sometimes a little too in love because she wants to hug and kiss him constantly. But fortunately she’s old enough to know she should be gentle and can’t really touch him if I’m not around.
Finn grew out of newborn diapers around 2 weeks (!) and at one month, no longer can fit into his newborn clothes. Well, he can still wear a couple of them but they’re awfully tight! He’s growing so tall and so chunky.
I’m only nursing him and still haven’t supplemented or tried a bottle with him at all. Since I struggled so much with nursing Eva, I decided to not introduce anything else to him until we really have breastfeeding down. It’s really going great… he’s a great eater (obviously, considering how big he is!) and because of my Covered Goods nursing cover, I never feel like I’m in a place where I can’t nurse. The whole thing still weirds me out a little bit though, I can’t really think about it too much haha! I know it’s so natural or whatever, and I’m grateful it’s going well because formula is expensive and a hassle, but isn’t it odd to think that our bodies can produce milk and then the baby drinks it out of our body?!? So weird to me!
Some more random things about Finn… He loves taking baths. It calms him down so we’ve been doing it during his fussy time in the evening. He sleeps in a portacrib next to me, so hopefully we won’t have the same problem we had with Eva where she would only sleep in her swing or carseat! He naps really well, but I haven’t really gotten into a sleep/eat schedule yet although I’ve looked into it and want to start implementing one soon. He really loves being carried in his wrap and pretty much falls asleep within minutes of me putting it on. He doesn’t love his pacifier but will take it if he’s desperate. He has the key to my heart and even though newborns are sometimes so tough, I can’t get over how cute he is and seriously want like fifty more of these little babies! Haha! Kidding… kinda!
Taken at 3 weeks (above)
At two weeks, Finn gained about a half a pound since birth (a pound since his 3 day check up) and grew an inch and a half, which sounds unbelievable to me but makes sense why he eats so much! He’s growing and changing everyday!
Finn had his first bath and his sister, as usual, wanted to help! So, she hopped right in with him! Sometimes I can’t believe he is here, a part of our family, our family of four! But I’m so grateful to have these two cute kiddos!
The first week after Finn was born, my brother and his wife were in town and got to visit with us a couple of times. It was so great to see some family since my parents didn’t get to come those first few days.
I’m not quite ready to write Finn’s birth story. I’m sure I’ll be emotional recounting it all so let me just fill you in about the last two weeks.
Simply put, it’s been great. One night last week I went to bed and thought how I was so excited to wake up and be a mommy to Finn and Eva all over again. Before I had Finn, I was so worried about having another baby in my life. Wondering if I could possibly love another kid as much as Eva. But I do. I am obsessed. He is such a sweetheart. My mom asked me on the phone one afternoon how we were doing with everything and I started crying-she probably thought I was going to vent about everything to her (which I’m sure I will one of these days) but I just told her how I love having Finn here so much and how it’s been so wonderful. There’s just something about having a newborn in your home that is very special.
But just because it’s been great, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its challenges. With Eva sleeping through the night for years now, we are not used to having to wake up in the night over and over again. So the no sleep thing is really killing me. He had some good nights in there, but the past few nights has had a lot of gas or something making it hard for him to fall asleep. I forgot about all of this newborn stuff, but we’re getting used to it.
I’m trying to create some sort of routine, which is still very loose since he’s so little and things change day to day. But I think the structure has been vital for Eva since so much has changed in such a quick time. Eva is almost four, so it’s not terribly hard with her and the newborn, she plays well by herself and does have school three times a week. I also have made sure she’s had lots of grandma and cousin time since those moments make her the happiest. But I have noticed she’s been more emotional-had a couple tantrums and such. Today I was so tired and did not find her three-ness as cute as usual but realized at the end of the day, I need to be extra sensitive to her because she’s learning with all of this just like I am.
That’s about it. Little Finn is changing every day which breaks my heart but also gets me so excited for all the fun adventures we will have together. Look at that sweetie…
Eva constantly wants to look/kiss/hug her brother.
One week old here
9 lbs 4 oz
20 in
9/18/15
3:35 PM
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