Jake's One Month Post

On Thanksgiving, November 26th, our sweet Jake turned 1 month old. Today, the 30th, I took him for his one month check-up with Dr. D.

Weight: 11 pounds, 15 ounces (90% percentile)
Length: 22 3/4 inches (80% percentile)
Reflux: Still an issue so we're keeping him on Zantac for now, just upping the dosage because of his weight gain
*Everything looks great. He is a healthy baby. Thank you, Lord!

Jake is beginning to smile more and more everyday but it's quick so I have yet to capture a really good one on camera. I'll work on it. :-) Brooklyn is doing great with him and is an awesome big sister. She deserves her own post soon on everything she has been up to.

Keep scrolling...several posts today!

Christmas Tree Shopping

Instead of driving up to the mountains this year, we opted to have the tree driven down to us in Greensboro. :-) It was still great fun, and Brooklyn had a BLAST running through all the trees and finding the "perfect" one.

Believe it or not, this is our first "family picture."

First Bath

Jake loved his first "real" bath on Thanksgiving, his one month birthday. Brooklyn was a huge help. :-)

4 Weeks Old!

Are the weeks flying by for you guys out there in "Blogger-land," too? 4 Weeks ago, I gave birth to this precious baby.

Jake is a snuggler and loves to be held. If not held, this is what we hear and see. He also hates having a wet or dirty diaper. He is in size 1 diapers now and size 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes.

He's very curious about the world around him. We are working on having him stay awake longer after eating. He is eating about every three hours. Per Babywise, we are striving for meals at 6am, 9am, 12noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am and 3am for now. We were very successful doing this with Brooklyn so I am hoping Jake will follow suit.

Working on tummy time every day...

Jake's "big sister," Zoe, gave all her pacis to him when she turned three. What a sweet gift!

We are working on getting a good smile on camera. Jake is getting more animated everyday and really listening when you talk to him.

This past weekend, we introduced a bottle to Jake. Brooklyn has fed them both to him. She was so proud. He took the bottle like the champ we knew he was! So far, he has been strictly breastfed (no formula), so I am pretty proud of that.

Happy 4 week birthday, Jake! We love your sweet face so much!

Random Thoughts...

*We are having a bit of a problem with Brooklyn these days and her attitude. I think its a combination of being almost 5, watching and mimicing behavior from Jon and Kate Plus 8 (thank God that show is being cancelled), having a weird bedtime routine (we are all just going to bed whenever Jake has his last evening feeding (anytime between 8-9pm)), waking up super early to get to school, and having a baby in the house. Regardless of the reason, my sweet girl has been taken over by a sassy spoiled brat (but I mean that in the nicest way possible). I struggle with being a "tough parent," but I understand where it is all coming from, so it makes it hard for me to be upset with her. Chad's trying to keep us all grounded the best he can, but I know his patience is being tried so much and it's a struggle for him to stay calm.



*Jake is such a sweet baby, and he is definitely a snuggler. Unfortunately, I have not been able to put him down for extended periods of time during the day. So, as my fulltime maternity leave comes to an end next week after Thanksgiving, I have realized that I did not get to do anything that I wanted to accomplish while I was off work (scrapbooking, closet cleaning, etc).



*I started pumping today a little bit so I can introduce a bottle sometime this weekend. Right now I am just pumping the "leftover" and just making little bottles so Jake can test it out. It will be nice when I can have a little more freedom when he is taking a bottle more regularly.



*Our dear friends, Jeff and Caroline Kinlaw, found out today they are having a baby boy. We are soooo excited because after having 5 girls born to our "shout family," Jake was the first boy. We were just keeping our fingers crossed that another boy would come soon, so Jake would have a guy close to his age. Thanks, Jeff and Caroline, for making that happen! :-)

Jake Says Hello

Finally got a video to post....this was filmed last week.

Three Weeks Old!

Happy three week birthday, Jake. It's flying by fast, believe it or not. Chad and I think it's because we have Brooklyn around to keep us grounded and keep us in a normal routine everyday. Otherwise, we probably would be just laying around staring at our baby all day long living in that three hour eat-wake-sleep cycle (which I am sure we did with Brooklyn and the first few weeks seemed to take FOREVER).

What's Going On With Jake This Week:
-Becoming more alert everyday (which unfortunately makes it a bit harder to get him to go back to sleep at night because he wants to sit there and stare at me)
-Has baby acne
-Suffers from frequent hiccups
-Suffers from reflux and is taking Zantac twice a day (we're hoping this will stay a minor case)
-Lost his umbilical stump this past weekend
-LOVES the sounds of mommy, daddy, and Brooklyn
-Suffers from MANY MANY kisses from his big sister :-)
-Pees through clothes CONSTANTLY (am I putting his diaper on wrong for a boy???)
-Loves to be held all the time
-Is working on using the pacifier
-Has not tried a bottle yet, but we're probably gonna introduce that this week

This week in pictures...

Jake met his new BFF, Ansley, this week. He managed to keep his eyes open for a little while...probably because she is sooooo pretty.


Jake does a great job chilling in the Boppy while I take a shower.

My nightstand has an assortment of "goodies." We've got a water bottle, house phone, cell phone, "Itzbeen", nasal drops, aspirator, two pacis, Babywise book...and since the picture was taken, reflux meds.

Mommy's Little Slugger...staying more awake and alert every day.

New Challenges...

Just when Chad and I were getting cocky about this whole "second babies are so much easier" thing, we have been thrown a curve ball. Jake has been having reflux issues this week, so Wednesday (thank you, Veterans Day holiday), Chad and I took him to the doctor (weight update: 9 pounds, 8 ounces). We have started him on Zantac (hmmm....fitting since I took Zantac twice a day for 30 weeks while pregnant) and hope that we will see a difference in a few days. So.....I haven't had a chance to blog a lot (or do much of anything really) because we have to keep him upright most of the time, and he is not yet a fan of the stroller/car seat or swing for extended amounts of time. Translation: Momma's holding him over the shoulder most of the day. I hope that in a few days, he will adjust to the meds and be a new boy, but for now, we are just trying to make him as comfortable as we can. He's so pitiful when he's in pain, and I just can't stand it for him. I really hope that between a bland breastfeeding diet for me, gas drops, and Zantac, we can quickly nip this thing in the bud.

In happier news, this past weekend we saw my brother, Eric, for a few days, as he was in transit after filming a movie in Nags Head and heading back to LA. It was sooooo great to see him, and I am so glad he got to meet Jake before Christmas. They got along great, as I knew they would. :-)

What a difference a week makes...

As my baby boy turns two weeks old today, I am reflecting back on the past 7 days. It's amazing to see just how much more of a "family" we are becoming this week. The biggest accomplishment? Brooklyn finally held her baby brother! I have not forced this issue at all, knowing that when she was comfortable, she would do so in her own time. It started with her telling me that she held him "in her sleep," which I am guessing meant she had a dream about it. Then, on Saturday morning, when it was just the three of us sitting on my bed, she asked me if she could hold him. Oh, how happy that made me!!!! From that moment on, she now can't get enough of him....wanting to hold him whenever he's awake, and kissing his head, nose, hands, neck, etc. when he's asleep. And I have a feeling that when he starts to interact with her more, she will love him more and more!

The Smart Start nurse made her first housecall on Friday. My little man had quite a successful week nursing....he gained 13 ounces in 7 days and is now up to 9 pounds 1 ounce. To have exceeded the birthweight is great news, and I am so happy that he is getting well-fed. Everything else is looking great on him, too. I just can't wait for the umbilical stump to fall off so we can get a good bath in now. :-) Jake is just about out of the NB (newborn) clothes now as his feet are at the end of onesies, and we're teetering somewhere between NB and size 1 diapers. I had forgotten just how fast they really grow at this stage.

Chad and I laugh each time someone says with such conviction, "Oh my gosh, he looks just like Jaclyn/Chad/fill in the blank here." Everyone thinks he looks like someone, but we haven't really seen him go in one direction or the other. However last night, as I held him on my chest, I looked down at him and had a crazy dejavu moment. This kid looks JUST like Brooklyn did as an infant, just with more/darker hair. Had I had a better camera when Brooklyn was born, I could post some comparison pics, but alas, I cannot. You'll just have to trust me on this. :-)

One week down...

I can't believe its been a little over a week since our precious son was born. Part of me thinks this has been so much easier than the first time and part of me feels its quite a bit harder.

Let me explain...

It's easier:
1. We knew right away what we needed to have onhand to have a happy newborn- Mylicon (gas drops) and a swaddle. Jake has been swaddled since day one and so far, in the nights, he is soooo easy to feed, change, and put right back down to bed. With Brooklyn it was a lot of holding in the middle of the night and sleeping on the couch with her beside me in a car seat, swing, etc.

2. Breastfeeding has been somewhat easier this time around because I can pick up the cues and tell the difference between wanting to eat and just wanting to suck (on a paci). I also knew what went wrong with Brooklyn's "latch" and how it was soooo painful, so I knew right away what his little mouth needed to look like. So, besides the normal soreness that comes from starting to nurse, things have been so much easier this time around, and I have not had to pump or use a bottle yet.

3. I am well aware that this time is so short and I am trying to enjoy every second of being at home with a newborn who just wants to snuggle and eat. I am not wishing away these first few weeks as I did with Brooklyn (just wanting her to "do something") and just enjoying the NOW.

It's harder:
1. I am wanting to do more around the house despite recovering from the c-section. I probably pushed it a bit hard the first few days at home (should NOT have played Wii bowling Monday night), and now I am starting to have to take more pain meds again. I need patience to allow my body to heal, but I just cannot stand being right there on the couch and seeing the dishes in the sink or the laundry in the basket.

2. Having another child at home has been the most challenging thing so far. Brooklyn is an awesome child, but she obviously is not used to having to share Mommy and Daddy. She is adjusting well and is getting showered with attention by grandparents and whichever one of us does not have Jake, but it's still hard on her. It's probably the most emotional part of this journey for me...not being able to give her my full attention all the time. Being a fulltime working mom, 5-8pm has always been "Brooklyn time." But now, her time is having to be shared with a hungry little baby that hasn't really done too much for her yet. She has had a very hard time returning to school this week, and quite honestly, part of me just wants her home with me and Jake, but I know that wouldn't do any of us any good. So, we are both fighting tears every morning (poor Chad, I know!) and just trying to get used to this "new normal." She is doing great with Jake, though, and each and every day shows more interest in touching him and watching him. She loves to touch his hands and his hair ("it's fuzzy," she says) and has stated that she "does NOT want to see his poop again!" One of these days I am sure she will want to hold him, but for now, I am loving seeing things like this:

("Biggest sister" Allie comes to visit Sunday, November 1st)

Halloween 2009

Despite giving birth 5 days before, we still managed to have a mini-Halloween celebration on Saturday. Jake was so excited to have another opportunity to wear the pumpkin hat again from the hospital.

Me and my kiddos...they in their Halloween shirts and me in, well, pajamas.

I did have enough sense to know my daughter and know that she would probably pull a last minute costume change, so I had gone to a consignment store and bought her two costumes- a witch and a cheerleader. Sure enough, after telling everyone that she was going to be a witch, she decided AS SHE WAS GETTING DRESSED that she wanted to be a cheerleader. Not a problem....so, here is Brooklyn as a Barbie Cheerleader. I had bought a costume for Jake as well (A pea in a pod), but with the H1N1 constantly on the brain and the fact that this too came from consignment, I couldn't bear to put him in it, even just for a second to just take a picture. Neither he nor I really cared and he actually spent all day in the Halloween shirt without peeing on it.

Our wonderful friends, the Bumps, came over to bring us dinner and let the girls celebrate Halloween together. Brooklyn and Zoe (Sleeping Beauty) had a great time seeing all the kids at the door and also visiting a few houses with their daddies (a first for Brooklyn to go door to door).

It was a beautiful Monday morning...

Thanks to a Great Grandma who is spending the day with us, I have had some time today to do some of the important things- update Facebook and write out Jake's birth story on the blog. :-)

It's a weird feeling going to bed one night, knowing that when you wake up in the morning you are going to "get" your baby. I imagine it's how adoptive parents feel...knowing that they are headed to the hospital or the orphanage or somewhere similar...and then arriving to pick up the best present ever. Because of our scheduled c-section, I felt very similar to this. I had told people that if Jake decided to come early "on this own" I would attempt a vaginal delivery again, but knowing that because Brooklyn ended up in a c-section, this would not be a guarantee. BUT, as is customary, we went ahead and scheduled a repeat c-section at 39 weeks for 10/26/09 at 9:00am. He stayed put (as I suspected he would) and so, on Monday, October 26th, we headed to Women's Hospital at 7:30am.

Because with Brooklyn a c-section was a quick last resort after 24 hours of laboring in the hospital, I do not recall a whole lot about that experience. So, it is nice to still have all these memories of Jake's birth still fresh in my head. (*Hence why I am trying to get it all down now so that I won't forget it in my sleepiness.)

Women's Hospital has their act together...though I have not given birth anywhere else, I do have to say that Women's Hospital is the BEST place I have ever seen for mothers and babies. For a place where I am sure the unexpected is the expected, they run like clockwork. We arrived in the door at 7:32am, and I sat down and completed the check in process (pre-registering is a definite advantage to speeding up the process). Then, they took me back to get gowned and ready to go via an IV. After about an hour of receiving the IV's, giving answers to several questions, watching Chad get in his paper gown (so flattering!), using the bathroom on my own for the last time for 24 hours, etc...we were ready to go...it was about 8:55am at this point.


I was wheeled into the OR at 9:02am (it's nice that the nurses have to announce the times for everything...helps for journaling purposes). Dr. Jackson (the same epidural guy as with Brooklyn- I actually recognized him from her scrapbook!) and another anesthesiologist, Dr. O- something, started with the spinal anesthesia and got me laid out on the table. Once that was working and I could feel "pressure, not pain", Chad was brought in and sat at my head. The nurse monitoring the anesthesia asked me if I wanted a mirror to see the birth and I thought "where else would I get the chance to see this? heck yes!" Dr. Cousins and Tanya (the office's midwife) started the surgery, and Jake came into the world with the sweetest cry ever (nurses' words, not mine, but I agree!) at 9:25am. That headful of hair was definitely the culprit of months of nausea and heartburn!


Jake was brought over to be checked out by the team of nurses and Chad snapped a few pics. He was cleaned up, swaddled up, and brought back over to me.

I am glad that I enjoyed those few moments because the next hour and a half were not so pleasant. My wonderful nurse had the unfortunate task of dealing with my nausea, dry heaving, and throw up, while also trying to keep me still and calm as they sewed me back up. It seemed to be somewhat of a "motion sickness" issue that made me so sick. Everytime someone messed with my belly, I got so sick...so, I just had to woman-up and let them do their job, using the sick spit dish, as needed.

Chad, on the other hand, accompanied our little peanut to the nursery where he was cleaned up and checked out.

The (again, so wonderful!) nurses called to the nursery to get an update on Jake for me and a weight check. They were so impressed with 8 pounds 12 ounces, but I thought, "man, that's nothing compared to some of the other Johnson men!" I was told that Chad and Jake could join me in the Recovery Room, but I was still so sick, I opted to let them stay in the nursery and finish cleaning him and checking him out. It was nice to have the option this time (with Brooklyn I felt so alone and far away...thank goodness they let my mom back then!) but I knew that Jake was in good hands with Chad and I needed to work on getting coherent again.

At approximately 11:45am I was taken to my "home" for the next two days- Room 127. Jake and Chad were there immediately, and I got to nurse him at 12:00pm. He was a great latcher, and did a great job nursing for the first time. I felt so much more comfortable this time around, and so much more "at ease" with everything.

Recovery went well at the hospital...sure it was a constant open door of nurses for both me and him, but things went very well overall. I asked to be discharged a day early if we both checked out OK because I missed Brooklyn so much! (side note: Because of the H1N1 virus, visitors must be over age 18 at any Moses Cone hospital. So, besides a few Skype conversations and some phone calls, I had not seen or talked to Brooklyn since Sunday night.) Jake and I both passed all our "tests", and on Wednesday, October 28th, we were sent home to be a family.

I am so thankful to all the wonderful doctors and nurses who helped both me and Jake have a great first few days together. But, more than anything, I am so thankful to a wonderful husband who has taken great care of me and our beautiful children. Chad has been wonderful, and God has blessed me so richly with this family. I thank Him so much for all he has given to me...and I promise to be the best wife and mom they could ever ask for.

Sleep when the baby sleeps?

But then when would I have time to blog?

I really need to keep up with this blog because I am hoping this will continue to serve as a journal for myself as well as a way to let others know what's going on in the Johnson house. I am hoping that in the days ahead I can find sometime to sit down and collect my thoughts about this whole "second baby thing." It's a new world entirely having a second baby. The mystery of having a baby in general is not there (thank goodness) but the whole dynamic of having another little person in the house that needs your attention in a different way just adds to the "stress." GREAT stress may I say, but stress nonetheless. Jake has been a great baby and I will blog more about him later, but today there is something pretty specific that's been on my mind.

I have found myself very emotional this weekend as I think about Brooklyn going to school on Monday. Chad will bring her and pick her up at least for the month of November. December we will play by ear based on my work schedule and what I end up doing. Now, I have taken Brooklyn to school everyday for the past 4 1/2 years. We have had some great mommy-daughter time in the car (except for the few weeks after we got the mini van and DVD player and she stopped talking in the car for a while since she was watching Jon and Kate). I have a great relationship with the school director and her teacher and always feel well-informed on what's going on in her class. Now, I have to rely on Chad to message information back and forth, have him remember to pack a coat and hat, have him help her find and remember to bring in a "show and share", and most importantly, I will miss my sweet girl from 7am to 5pm everyday.

I know I have to let go for a while and allow (1) my body to heal like it needs to after pretty major surgery and (2) time for me and my little man to bond by ourselves, just like I had time with Brooklyn. I have to remember that his time with me by myself is going to be very minimal (and Brooklyn had me for 4 1/2 years by herself), so I must make the most of the next few weeks and know that in a blink of an eye, this time will be gone, and we will be on to the next stage on our lives.

So, as I go to sleep for a few hours (until the next feeding) I pray to God to please let Brooklyn have a great first day back with her friends, please allow Chad a stress-free morning dropping her off and a great day back at work with his kids, and for me and Jake to have a wonderful day snuggling, cuddling and catching up on some Days of Our Lives. :-)