Oliver Jude- 2 Months

Sleep:

• It has definitely gotten better!  He is sleeping most nights from 9:30 to about 6:30.  Occasionally he wakes up around 4:30 or 5, but he will go back to sleep with a little help.  He is still sleeping in his swing a lot, and he will also sleep in his rock and play sleeper.  We told the dr. and she isn't concerned.  She said love the fact that he is sleeping and not eating at night anymore, and the rest will come with time!
• He sleeps pretty good during the day, and now he is starting to stay awake longer to play!  He is finally starting to stay awake for longer and longer stretches during the day.

Feeding:

• During the day he is eating every 3 to 4 hours.  He typically has 5 5oz. bottles a day
• At night there are times when he likes to stick to every three and a half hours and times that he will go a little longer.  As he gets older he goes longer at night.  
• He loves to eat and is not spitting near as much as big brother did!

Diapers and Clothes:

• About halfway through the month he moved to size 1 diapers.  We were given a ton in this size, and I actually don't know if we will even be able to use them all before he gets too big.
• 0-3 fit the best.  He is too long for most newborn, and a lot of 3 month clothes are too big.  He has clothes that are everywhere from newborn to 3 months that he can wear though.

Weight and Length:

• He weighed 12lb. 2oz. and was 23 1/4in. at his 2 month appt.

Personality/likes:

• He is such a happy baby!  He smiles and coos constantly when he is awake.  It is so easy to make him smile, and we are loving every minute of it!
• Loves to be on his playmat.  It has a piano for him to kick, and he will just kick like crazy to make the music play. 
• He is more alert and aware of his surroundings, and he loves to look around and take it all in.
• In LOVE with his big brother!  Oliver will just watch him and smile.  It is the best!

Oliver- Month One

Sleep:

• This kid is not a great sleeper!  If he is being held or in his swing, he will sleep wonderfully for hours.  However, if you lay him down, he will instantly be awake and crying.
• We are working on it, but he does not like to sleep alone!  Thank God for the swing!
• He sleeps pretty good during the day, and now he is starting to stay awake longer to play!

Feeding:

• During the day he is very consistent about eating every 3 1/2 hours.
• At night there are times when he likes to stick to every three and a half hours and times that he will go a little longer.  As he gets older he goes longer at night.  
• Breastfeeding isn't quite as successful as I had hoped.  I mostly just pump and my supply isn't enough for Oliver; therefore, he gets formula.  He typically always feeds from a bottle.  He is a champ though when it comes to eating!
• He is now at about 4oz. every feeding.

Diapers and Clothes:

• He is still wearing newborn sized diapers and probably will for a few more weeks.
• Clothes are newborn as well.  I love that he is still small enough for newborn sizes! 

Personality/likes:

• Loves to be held, be in his swing, and cuddled.  Doesn't care to be laid down anywhere when he is sleepy.  He wants company when he sleeps I guess.
• He is starting to watch people a lot more, and he has even smiled at us a few times.
• Not a huge fan of tummy time. However, he is actually pretty good at holding his head up and looking around when he wants too.
• Generally he is a very happy and content baby!  Doesn't take much to please him, and he doesn't really cry or get fussy very often!

We are in love all over again with this sweet little boy!

Oliver's Birth Story

I can't believe Oliver is already 3 weeks old!  I want to have some of the details of his birth written down before I forget everything.

Similar to Mason, we scheduled an induction for Oliver's birth.  It made sense for us because it meant I could give my school an exact date for my sub to start, I had Mason all taken care of with grandparents, and my Dr. was going to be out of town for a couple of days leading up to my due date.  The induction meant everything and everyone was taken care of, and that really put my mind at ease.

On October 7th we had to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM.  We delivered Oliver at a different hospital than we did Mason because my Dr. had moved her practice since Mason was born.  It didn't take long to get all signed in, in a room, and hooked up to monitors.  We started with one nurse, but she left at 7.  The labor and delivery nurse we had the rest of Oliver's birth was amazing.  All of the nurses we had were really beyond wonderful!

Nick went a little overboard with the pictures, in case you can't tell.  I told him people would never guess this was our second baby with the way he was snapping away!

My Dr. came in at 8:22 (Nick was taking notes, haha) to check on me, check on the pitocin, and break my water.  She said she would be back at noon to check on me again, and she predicted we would have our baby boy by 2!  I had told my nurse that I would probably get an epidural since I had gotten one with Mason.  She said that as soon as my Dr. broke my water she was going to go ahead and call it in because my contractions would extremely more painful after my water was broken and with how the pitocin was.  I am so glad she did!!  Once my water was broken, my contractions were so intense and so close together.  I only had to wait about 10 mins for the epidural and it kicked in within 10 mins.   I have been pretty fortunate that with epidurals I still have a lot of sensation and can feel quite a bit, but I am not in pain. The nurse checked me at 9:25 and I was 5 cm.

Around 10:45 I told my nurse that I felt a lot of pressure, and I actually felt like I needed to push.  I knew it was early, but I also knew something didn't feel quite right.  She went ahead and checked me at 10:52, and we were shocked when she said I was at 10 cm and ready to push.  She called my Dr. right away, and then she got me all set-up to start pushing Oliver out.

I could still slightly feel my contractions, so I  knew when I was supposed to be pushing.  I pushed through like two contractions, and then I made eye contact with my Dr. and told her I wasn't having a contraction but I had to push anyway.  I felt so much pressure that I couldn't wait for a contraction to push again.  She said she was ready and to just push as I needed to.  I felt so much more for Oliver's birth than Mason's.  It wasn't so much pain as it was discomfort, but I could tell what was going on.  A couple of pushes later and Oliver Jude Santowski was born at 11:15 AM.  Much before any of us thought he would be!

Our healthy baby boy was born at 11:15 weighing 7lbs. 1.5oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches.  We were in love the minute he was born!

Once he was cleaned up, Nick went to the waiting room to go get Mason.  He was incredibly sweet, and the first thing he said when he walked in was, "Where's my baby brother?".

The entire day was just perfect.  We feel so blessed to have two wonderful, healthy boys.  Welcome to the world Oliver Jude!

38 Weeks with Oliver Jude

How Far Along: 38 Weeks…the countdown really has begun!

Baby Size: Watermelon…around 6.5lbs. and close to 19-22 inches

Gender: BOY!…Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes: Whatever is comfortable at this point. I put on comfy clothes as soon as I get home from work everyday!

Sleep: It has been surprisingly good this week!  I have actually been able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep.

Best moment this week: We took Mason to Build A Bear and made dogs for him and Oliver.  He loved every minute of it!  He can't wait to bring Oliver his puppy to the hospital.  He even picked a happy birthday shirt for him to wear.  Plus, he named each of them the other's middle name.  So his dog is Jude (Oliver's middle name) and Oliver's dog is named Rhys (Mason's middle name).  How sweet is this kid?!

Movement: Still moving a lot considering how little room he has.   He moves pretty much all day and has hiccups at least once a day.

Food Cravings: Nothing in particular, I just tend to get really, really thirsty.

What I miss: I am so over people telling me I look huge/I'm about to pop/They can't believe the baby isn't here yet/There is no way I will make it to my due date/etc.   They aren't compliments; they are actually pretty mean!  I really don't need everyone telling me how big I look every day...I'm fully aware!

What I am looking forward to: Oliver's birthday, of course!  Also, getting my body somewhat back to normal...I'm over the swelling!

Milestones: Lungs are ready to breathe real air, and he is considered full-term!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Period-like cramps, contractions but they are by no means consistent, and the insane pressure in my pelvis because he has dropped. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancy and can’t complain a bit; I truly feel blessed with how well this pregnancy has gone!

Belly Button: It is a slight outie…I can’t wait to have my normal belly button back!

Dr. Update: Everything still looks awesome!  I am dilated 3cm and about 70% effaced...she said  if there is much more of a change it will most likely mean that I am in labor!! We are scheduled to induce on October 7th.  My dr. feels like I am already progressing and won't make it to my due date, and this way I can everything arranged at my school and have a place for Mason.  He will be 6 days "early", and I'm just hoping he will wait until then so everything will be taken care of and prepared!

Full Term!

So a 36 week post just isn't going to happen because life is happening...

With Mason on the left and Oliver on the right...

I'm 9 months pregnant! In between teaching moody 7th graders, chasing a 3 year old, and trying to give my husband at least some attention, I often forget how far along I am and that this baby is about to be here.

How Far Along: 37 Weeks…less than a month to go, only 3 more weeks!

Baby Size: Watermelon, I can’t believe I am carrying around a watermelon …around 6lbs. and close to 19-21 inches

Gender: Baby boy...Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes: Whatever is comfortable at this point. Some of my maternity tops have gotten too short to really wear in public.

Sleep: There are both good and bad nights.  Lately, I have to switch sides a lot because my hip and/or shoulder will start to hurt.  Some nights I fall asleep just fine and can stay asleep while others I am constantly thinking about all the things I need to do and can't seem to turn my brain off.

Best moment this week: Finishing up getting everything we needed.  We had a moment of panic when we realized we hadn't actually gotten things pulled out, hadn't bought any diapers, etc.  So now that is all done!

 Movement: Still moving like crazy even though there is no room. Sometimes it gets a little painful since there isn’t much ‘extra’ space for all the moving he does.

Food Cravings:  Random, but I had to have Nilla Wafers!

 What I miss: Having ankles, haha. My feet have been swelling, and it really isn’t attractive.  I'm ready to lose weight and feel like myself again.

What I am looking forward to: Obviously, meeting my little man! Plus, we now go to the Dr. every week. I just can’t wait to hold him!!

Milestones: He is full-term!!! He could be born anytime now and it would be ok!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Nothing horrible…backache, pressure type pain since he has dropped, and some swelling. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancy and can’t complain a bit; I truly feel blessed with how well this pregnancy has gone!

Belly Button: It is a slight outie…I can’t wait to have my normal belly button back!

Dr. Update: Everything looks awesome!  I am dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced...less than with Mason, but still some progress!!  She said he probably weighs in the low 6lb range and will most likely only be slightly over 7lbs when he is born.  Thank goodness for no 10lb baby! We have already scheduled my induction, so unless he decided to come early he will be forced out on Oct. 7th.  We are so ready for this wonderful blessing to be here and more than anything I just can't wait to hold him!

35 Weeks...35 Days with Oliver Jude

How Far Along: 35 Weeks…and only 35 days left!

Baby Size: Large Cantaloupe …we had an ultrasound and they said he was about 5lbs and 2 oz.  Even better news: he will definitely be less than 8 lbs. when he is born, somewhere between 7-7.5.  Yay for no giant baby!

 Gender: Handsome little man! Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much maternity, but today I am in a regular top.

Sleep: Generally pretty good until I try to re-position, it is quite painful to roll and turn now so it takes longer to fall back asleep.

Best moment this week: Oliver is already head down, yay for no breech baby! All of the following is from Mason's update, but it is exactly the same for Oliver!  Crazy! She told us his positioning…all on the right side with his head down, his back along my right side, and his butt under my ribs. This explained a lot about what Nick and I see and feel on my belly!

 Movement: No slowing down yet, even in his tight living quarters he is all over the place!

Food Cravings: Ice water for sure.  I am very thirsty in the evenings.

What I miss: I guess doing anything with ease, but I am really enjoying my pregnancy.

What I am looking forward to: My baby boy’s birthday! I can’t believe how close it is getting!

Milestones: Getting fatter!

Pregnancy Symptoms: My feet and hands have been swelling some.  I don't think I've mentioned it, but it has been going on for a while.  It isn't extreme, and I don't those crazy gross swollen feet.  I did ask my dr. about it though, and she said it just because it's summer and I'm hot.  

The left is with Mason and the right is with Oliver.

34 Weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 34 Weeks…6 weeks left, it is getting so close!

Baby Size: Pineapple …close to 5 lbs. and anywhere from 18-20 inches

Gender: Handsome little man! Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes now.

Sleep: Not too terrible this week! It has been relatively good, but I am definitely more tired in general.

Best moment this week: Mason telling me he loves Oliver.  I love that he is excited, and he will talk about Oliver without being prompted!

Movement: I swear this boy is trying to push out the front of my stomach! He is pretty much pushing or shoving non-stop…poor guy has no room in my tiny torso.

Food Cravings: Definitely Blue Bell!! I am also really thirsty for ice water a lot.

What I miss: Being comfortable in general…you kind of take it for granted until no position seems to be totally comfortable.

What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound next week.

Milestones: Another week closer to being full-term!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Nothing new…backache, ligament pains, and pressure in general in and around my stomach.

33 Weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 33 Weeks…a mere 7 weeks until my due date!

Baby Size: Pineapple …around 4.5lbs. and close to 18-19 inches

Gender:  Handsome little man!  Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes: There are few things long enough to cover my belly now that aren’t maternity.

Sleep:  Just depends.  Some nights are better than others and some hours are better than others.  No huge complaints though.

Best moment this week: Mason has been really loving to talk to my belly, and he is the first one to tell people that he is having a baby brother.  I love how excited he is (at least for now)!

Movement:  Lots of rolls, pushing, jabs, turns…watching my stomach has become both fascinating and creepy!  I can definitely tell he is running out of room though!

Food Cravings:  I have been so unbelievably thirsty, and still love some ice cream!

What I miss:  I pretty much never drink, but I have been wanting a glass of wine lately.  Occasionally with certain dinners it would be nice to have.  My mother-in-law also makes a great sangria, and we are all going out of town this weekend and I know she will be making some.

What I am looking forward to:  In the next couple weeks we will have another ultrasound and maternity pics!

Milestones:  His skeleton is hardening and he is one week closer to being in our arms!

Pregnancy Symptoms: The usual…backache and ligament pains.  Nothing horrible though.

32 weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 32 Weeks…8 weeks and counting. Baby Size:  Head of lettuce…18in. and 3.5lbs. Gender: Beautiful baby boy! Maternity Clothes:  Maternity all the way. Sleep:  Not bad...I've been pretty exhausted from going back to work though. Best moment this week:  Dr. appt. to check on little man...he's doing great!   Movement:  Lots and lots…I can definitely tell when he is on my bladder.  He is still hanging out on the right side most of the time though. Food Cravings:  Nothing really lately. What I miss:  It is getting harder to do things, but I don’t really miss too much. What I am looking forward to:  At my next Dr. appt. I get to have another ultrasound to measure Oliver and see how he is doing. Milestones: Opening and closing his eyes! Pregnancy Symptoms: Getting out of breath super easily and backaches

31 Weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 31 Weeks…9 left to go, single digits!

Baby Size:  Head of lettuce…17in. and almost 3.3 lbs.

Gender:  My little man! Oliver Jude Santowski!

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly maternity, occasionally some things that are not.

Sleep:  Good and bad…I will sleep really hard and not move for a couple hours and then I wake up stiff and needing to switch sides.  The main problem is that when I go to roll over onto the other side I have a hard time falling back to sleep.  When I am asleep it is good though.

Best moment this week: Mason is talking more and more his baby brother!  I think he is at the perfect age to understand what is happening, and he seems to be excited about it for now!

Movement:  Definitely more of the stretching, pushing, rolling and not so much of the kicking.

Food Cravings:  Ice cream!

What I miss:  Mason loving on my belly.  He likes to talk to Oliver and rub my belly.

What I am looking forward to:  Dr. appt. next week, and we get to do another ultrasound in a couple weeks to see how is measuring.

Milestones:  He is starting to fatten up!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Brackston Hicks contractions seem to be getting stronger.  Nothing horrible though!

30 weeks

The right was with Mason, and the left is with Oliver!

How Far Along: 30 Weeks…at times I feel like I have been pregnant forever and then sometimes is seems like this whole pregnancy is flying by!

Baby Size:  Butternut Squash…17in. and almost 3lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Very rarely am I not in them.

Sleep:  Not so great lately.  We just bought a tempurpedic mattres though, so maybe that will change!

Best moment this week:  Mason got to really feel Oliver kick and move around.  He was so excited! 

Movement:  Low and when I am trying to sleep.  It is still my favoirte part of pregnancy though!

Food Cravings: Ice cream.  This could also just be a Houston summer craving!

What I miss:  Being able to pick up Mason.  I love being able to scoop him up and love on him when he isn't expecting it, and I can't really do that anymore.  I can't hold for very long either.  It's a combination of being pregnant and the fact that he is a big 3 year old and not a baby anymore.

What I am looking forward to: The rain here has been ridiculous!  The one July that we are not in a drought is when we try to build a house.  However, the rain has let up enough that they are finally really starting our house...we should have a house pad by this weekend, and we are picking everything out for the inside this week!

Milestones:  His bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells, which means he is more likely to make it if he pops out early.  Plus, he has about a 95% chance of survival if born now.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I've getting pretty tired lately and have had some hip pain.  Nothing too terrible though.

Mason Turns Three - Dinosaur Party

This post is late, and I'm going to let the pictures do the talking/explaining.  However, I did want to document my sweet boy's third birthday.  He loved it all!

My little man turned three!  He has become such a loving, independent, caring, intelligent little boy.  I can't believe how much he has grown into his own person, and I can't imagine be the momma to any other child!  For months leading up to his birthday he had been requesting a dinosaur party.  Even though we were moving, had almost everything out of our house, and were stressed with moving out, this momma had to oblige!

Dinosaur bones and toenails. 

Dinosaur spikes and eggs.

Dino Nuggets

Cousins.

He loved every minute of the dinosaur piñata!

29 weeks with Oliver!

How Far Along: 29 Weeks, only 11 left to go!

Baby Size: butternut squash…16in. and 2.5lbs.

Gender: Beautiful baby boy, Oliver Jude!

Maternity Clothes: All the time...

Sleep: It's been better, but not horrible

Best moment this week:

Movement: Tons, especially at night when I am trying to sleep.  This boy is going to have his days and nights confused!

Food Cravings: Ice cream, but that may not be pregnancy related.

What I miss: Not feeling hot all the time.  The wonderful Houston heat and humidity has made me hate to be outside, and I feel like I am just hot all the time.

What I am looking forward to: Dr. appts. will now be every two weeks, and I LOVE my Dr.

Milestones: His brain is starting to wrinkle and grow!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Ridiculous acne; no beautiful pregnancy skin for me.  Also, my linea nigra has also started to show up.

Belly Button: Pretty much flat, but it still goes in just a little. Again, not very attractive…


We also decided to do a 3d/4d ultrasound.  With Mason my Dr. was at a different hospital and when they did the anatomy ultrasound they did 3d and gave us a ton of pics.  The hospital she is at now didn't give us much of anything, so we went ahead and did an elective ultrasound.

He was basically folded in half with his feet in front of his face, and when his feet weren't in his face the umbilical cord was.  Overall though, we got to see our sweet baby boy, and I can't believe we got a sneak peek at him.  We saw him open his eyes, suck his thumb, stretch, and roll over.  I am so excited to meet this precious little guy!

28 Weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 28 Weeks, I can't believe I am already in my third trimester!

Baby Size:  Head of cauliflower or eggplant…16in. and 2.5lbs.

Gender: Beautiful baby boy, Oliver Jude!

Maternity Clothes:  Pretty much all I wear

Sleep:  Nick was out of town all last week, so I didn't sleep well at all.

Best moment this week:  Nick coming back home! He's never really gone out of town, so a whole week without him was rough!

Movement:  He has finally moved to left side.  I had a lopsided belly for a long time while he was on the right all the time.

Food Cravings:  Nothing really. I get really thirsty though.

What I miss:  No back pain, but I really can’t complain!

What I am looking forward to:  Friday we are doing a 3D and 4D ultrasound!

Milestones:  His lungs are developed enough now that he could breathe with only a little help if he was born.  He is starting to blink and has eyelashes.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Some Braxton hicks still I am starting to feel huge.

Belly Button:  Pretty much flat, but it still goes in just a little.  Again, not very attractive…

27 weeks with Oliver

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Baby Size:  He's the size of a cucumber…14in. and 2.2lbs.

Gender: Boy! Oliver Jude!

Maternity Clothes:  Other than PJs or lounging, it is all maternity

Sleep: I have to switch sides a lot, and I am getting up to pee every night.  Not too bad though

Best moment this week:  Having both my boys lay on my belly and talk to Oliver.  Mason also learned to spell his name and will sing it to him!

Movement:  Yes, and he is so low! I feel him the most under my bump.  I actually can't see it because the bump is in the way.

Food Cravings:  I have had hardly any cravings this pregnancy.

What I miss:  Being able to pick up and hold Mason.

What I am looking forward to:  Baby shower for my friend Katy.  Her little girl is due one month before Oliver.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Pretty hormonal still, some leg cramps, and back ache.  All normal and not terrible.

Belly Button:  Pretty much flat across now...it is so not cute!

26 Weeks with Oliver

Baby Size:  1lb. 6oz. 14in. The size of a green onion

Gender: Boy!  Oliver Jude

Maternity Clothes:  Maternity mostly

Sleep: Ok I guess

Best moment this week:  Mason telling me that Oliver could sleep in his bed with him!  So sweet!

Movement:  Yes, and I love sitting him and watching his movements from the outside. 

Food Cravings:  Surprisingly, nothing really

What I miss:  Abs...my stomach is getting bigger and bigger, and since I have no torso whatsoever it is only going to grow even more!

What I am looking forward to:  Taking Mason to his first Circus

Milestones:  He is opening his eyes now and can respond to our voices via movements!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Very moody and emotional.  Like crying for no reason...God Bless my husband

Belly Button:  Still an innie, but it is starting to get more flat all the way across.  It doesn’t go in very much anymore.

6 Months with Oliver

How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Baby Size:  Eggplant…13.5in. and 1.7lbs.

Maternity Clothes:  Primarily maternity. 

Gender: Sweet baby boy!

Sleep:  Pretty Good, I am loving my pregnancy body pillow!

Best moment this week:  Finding out I don't have gestational diabetes.  After my initial blood work, my glucose was elevated, so I had to do the three hour glucose test.  It was not fun, but thankfully all my results came back normal!

Movement:  Oliver is almost always on the right and pretty low.  He moves the most at night.

Food Cravings: I have been a lot thirstier lately and am drinking quite a bit more water. 

What I miss:  Not peeing constantly.  It seems worse this time than it did with Mason.

What I am looking forward to: A three day weekend.  Mason loves having his daddy home, and this weekend we get him an extra day!

Milestones:  His nostrils are starting to open up, and he is taking breaths.  He is getting fatter and filling in his wrinkly skin.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Brackston Hicks and some leg cramps.

Belly Button:  Still an innie, but it is starting to get more flat all the way across.  It doesn’t go in very much anymore.