INTRODUCING CALEB BENJAMIN

INTRODUCING CALEB BENJAMIN

JULY 2, 2008

6:23 A.M.

8 lbs 3 oz.

21 inches long

He's finally here and we are now a happy family of 4!

The Birth Story!

At about 10:00 pm on July 1st I started having some stronger contractions but nothing consistent. The contractions were anywhere from 6-15 minutes apart lasting anywhere from 45-60 seconds. At about 10:45 I went to bed. I woke from a deep sleep with some painful contractions at 12:15 am. I then stood up and it felt like my water could have broken, but I wasn’t sure. The contractions kept coming about every 6-7 minutes lasting about 30-45 seconds. I finally called the hospital around 12:30 and told the nurse I wasn’t sure if I was in labor or not. The nurse said she would have the doctor call me and we could then decide if I should come in or not. Dr. Springer called me within 5 minutes and I told him I wasn’t sure if my water broke and about the contractions. He felt I should come in and be checked and that it was very possible I was in active labor.

Ross called his parents to come over so they could stay with Isaac while we went to the hospital. While I waited for them Ross loaded the car. By the time Ross’ parents got to our house the contractions were very strong and exactly 3 minutes apart. We then drove to the hospital which took about 15 minutes. I was pretty sure this was the real thing by the time we got to the hospital. We got there around 1:15 and the nurses hooked me up to the monitors so they could monitor contractions and the baby’s heart rate. Dr. Springer came in about 1:30 and checked me. I had only dilated to 4 which was only 1 centimeter more than 2 days ago, but the Dr. said I was not leaving the hospital without a baby. The doctor estimated that the baby would be ready around 7:30 or 8:00 am. The doctor left me in the room and went and slept in the next room. He asked the nurses to wake him around 4:30 so he could check me again.

At about 3:00 or so they started administering iv and then shortly after the epidural. It took a very long time to get the epidural in and they aren’t sure why it wouldn’t stay in. But once it was in I felt immediate relief from the contractions. Doctor came back in and checked me and I was soon dilated to 9. He then broke my water and kept checking me. It wasn’t long and the doctor told us it was time to have a baby. I pushed for approximately 1 ½ hours. It was a long tiring process but oh so worth it. They got the vacuum out because I was having trouble getting Caleb’s head out but I pushed one more time and his head came through all by itself so the vacuum wasn’t needed. Doctor Springer told me he had lots of hair. I then pushed a few more times and the doctor announced “they were right it’s a boy”. Caleb Benjamin was born at 6:23 am. Ross got to cut the cord and they cleaned the baby up and brought him to me. It was amazing. The doctor told me he for sure was not a 10 lb baby like Ross which I was grateful for. After both Ross and I had time to spend with Caleb, they took him to the nursery to weigh and measure him. Caleb was 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 inches long. He did not look that big, he’s skinny and long like Ross and beautiful.

All in all the labor and delivery went good. It was not as bad as I had expected and went fairly quickly. I even had my own doctor deliver the baby which I was even more grateful for. The doctor and staff were all wonderful in helping manage the pain and pushing. Ross was great and by my side the whole time. I did tear quite a bit so had to be stitched up but it was all worth it!!!!

39 week update

First off I didn't think I'd actually still be pregnant at 39 weeks but here I am. I had a check up today and I've made a little bit of progress. I am now 3 cm dilated and the baby's head has dropped even more so it's all looking great. My due date is Monday July 7th and if the baby has not made his arrival by then we will be looking at inducing on July 8th. My doctor is very confident that I am a good candidate for being induced so I am happy about that. My doctor really thinks the induction process won't be too bad at all. Of course I would rather the baby come on his own, which still could happen but if it doesn't I am ready to be induced and to have this little one.
So at the most I should only have 8 more days of being pregnant!!!!! Baby boy will soon make his arrival!!!!

35 week update

According to my ultrasound, I am 35 weeks today, but I'm still saying 37 weeks. I saw a different doctor today because mine was out. I am measuring at 37 weeks. Hmmm, ironic??? The doctor checked for dilation and I am not dilated at all. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. The only thing I wasn't real happy about is that if I go into labor soon, they would try and stop labor because 35 weeks is too early, but if I was 37 weeks it would be okay to have the baby. I guess it doesn't matter if I think I really am 37 weeks and am measuring at 37 weeks. I'm just hoping I don't even have to worry about that. With my luck baby will be late and will even surpass the July 7th due date. Other than that things are good with baby. Head is down and where it should be and the doctor doesn't think he'll change position now.

Isaac's adoption finalization hearing is set for Monday and we will be very happy to get that taken care of. We're getting a special cake for him and had a special t shirt made just for the special day.

Do large babies run in your family?

Yep that's what the chiropractor asked me yesterday. She was quite shocked that I am only 31 weeks. She says I look more like 33 or 34 weeks. She's not the first person to think that either. So far the doctor is keeping my due date at July 7th because that's what the first ultrasound said. I'm just really hoping the baby comes before July 7th. So I'm either further along then the doctor thinks or I'm carrying a large baby, or both!! Either way I'm getting closer to delivery. I'm getting very anxious to meet this little one. We have everything ready for baby. Basically the only thing we need is an infant car seat.
Isaac has no idea what is happening, boy will he be surprised to have to share everything! Isaac is doing great though! He's 6 1/2 months and growing like crazy. He's been sleeping through the night for over a month. He sleeps from about 9 pm to 7 am. This past week he started giving up some of his naps during the day and he's not taking his formula very well at daycare. I'm really beginning to wonder if there is a tooth ready to come through.

Isaac's adoption finalization is underway. If all goes as planned we will have our court hearing on June 9th and he'll officially become Isaac Avery. We're hoping to have a small gathering to celebrate his adoption within a week or so after the hearing. Don't want to wait too long because baby #2 will be here soon.

23 week/24 week update

It will be interesting to see when baby decides to make HIS arrival. When we first found out we were expecting they put my due date at June 24th. Then at what I thought was 12 weeks they couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler, so they sent me down for an ultrasound which then determined I was only 10.5 weeks along so my due date was reset to July 7th or 9th (I can't remember). Last week at my ultrasound we figured I was 22 weeks 1 day and the ultrasound showed me to be further along with a due date of June 29th.
Today I had a check up and the doctor wants to keep my original due date of July 7th (maybe we'll have a firecracker baby). He said the earlier you have an ultrasound the more accurate the due date is. He measured me and I am measuring a little over 23 weeks. Everything is looking great and baby is really active. Doctor had to chase the baby around to get a heartbeat because he kept moving. The heartbeat today was a little slower at 153 but still great!!! Next check up is April 7th and I have the gestational diabetes test with the yummy sugary drink (yeah right it's lemon lime).

Ultrasound photos (Baby boy #2)

I am not sure if you will be able to see these well or not. I think the one of his face is the best. We've started thinking of names so hopefully we'll have a name this month, but of course we're keeping that a secret until he makes his arrival.

The verdict is in....

What a great ultra sound. Baby was moving around like crazy. Baby is doing wonderful. The tech took many measurements and according to ultrasound my predicted due date is June 29th instead of July 7th. I won't know if they are going to change my due date until I see the doctor in 2 weeks. I just loved looking at the baby. The tech said she hopes the baby slows down soon or I will be a punching bag soon!!!! Heart rate was 155 and everything looks great!!!!
So now onto the even better news.............

We are having........................

A..........................



BABY BOY!!!!!!

4 months old

Isaac turned 4 months on Wednesday. Where has the time gone? I took a few pictures today. Isaac still has a fever from getting shots on Friday, but he still did well. Isaac is eating quite a bit now. He takes a bottle every 3 hours during the day and sometimes he'll sleep through the night but lately he's been waking up at 4:30 to eat again. I think he's going through a growth spurt. He drinks about 35-36 ounces a day. Growing boy!!!! He's such a good baby though and he loves loves loves his bath!!!! He kicks and splashes all the time. It's so funny, he could be fussy as ever and we put him in the but and he's happy as a clam. What a goober!!!

OB Check up

Tonight we had another OB check up. Based on my last cycle we figured I was 12 weeks or so. Dr. Springer could not find the heartbeat with the Doppler. I won't lie, I was getting pretty nervous. He assured me sometimes it's hard to find at just 12 weeks. He decided to send me down for an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok. I was so happy we got to have an ultrasound. The tech found the baby right away and he/she was jumping around like crazy. It was the neatest thing I have ever seen. We could see the heartbeat moving but we didn't get to hear it. According to the measurements of baby, I am only 10 weeks 4 days, so basically I am 2 weeks less than we thought. That's ok though, this way Isaac will be closer to 9 months when baby gets here. My new due date has been set for July 9th.

6 week baby well check

Isaac went to the doctor last week. I was very impressed. He is now up to 9 lbs 10 ounces and is 21 inches long. He sure has grown considering he started out at 6 lbs 2 ounces and 18 3/4 inches long. He did real good at the doctor and didn't fuss much at all which was a big help for me. Isaac doesn't need to go back until he is 4 months. Unfortunately he needs to get his shots in 2 weeks. I am not looking forward to that at all. Isaac is sleeping much better, he goes about 4 1/2 hours each time so I am getting sleep. I started back to work full time yesterday so Isaac had his first day at Kids Club. He did really well. I think it was harder on me then him.

Isaac had his one and only baby shower last Saturday. Of all weekends for a snow storm it had to be his shower weekend. Isaac and I drove to Milford the night before so we were glad about that. Even with the terrible weather we still had about 15-20 people show up and Isaac got a lot of nice gifts. We really had a nice day. I'll try and post some pictures from the shower soon.

June (or July) will be a good month

I am telling myself everyday that June or maybe July will be a good month. Isaac will be about 8 months old and will become a BIG BROTHER! Yes you read that right, I AM PREGNANT!! Isaac was just 6 days old the day we found out. I remember when the second line immediately came up. I couldn't believe my eyes. I've taken hundreds of tests over the past 3 years so I was just waiting for the one line. I freaked out when they both came up, I ran out to Ross and kept saying "oh no, oh no, oh no"! I know things are going to be very busy but I also know things happen for a reason. There's a reason we didn't find out about the pregnancy until after we brought Isaac home. God has truly blessed us more than we could imagine!!!

Right now I'm feeling "ok". I do have nausea in the morning and my hip is out of place (not sure if that is pregnancy related). I can't eat pork, found that out at my family Thanksgiving. I'm craving popsicles for some reason, but that's about it. I have a feeling I'll be one to show fairly early so I guess I should be looking for maternity clothes soon.

Happiest Baby on the Block

Isaac turned 1 month old today. Here are some fun shots.



We have a nurse from Healthy Families (free county program) come out once a week and she loaned us this video and book and I do believe it is a life saver. They really show how to swaddle a baby nice and tight so the arms are tucked in. We tried it with Isaac and he never fussed last night at all. He usually fusses for about 1-2 hours at 10:00 or 11:00 but he didn't last night and he slept in his own bed the entire night. He is now going between 3 1/2 and 4 hour stretches so we are finally getting much needed sleep. This will be really nice when I go back to work December 3rd. We celebrated our family Thanksgiving last weekend. I didn't get a lot of pictures but I did get a few. Norah absolutely loves her baby cousin. She is so fun to watch!

A little better every day!

Last night was a much better night. Isaac only had to come to bed with us one time. The rest of the time he slept soundly in his safe and secure sleeper. He wakes about every 3 hours so I would say he's doing good. I hope it continues. I am just realizing I go back to work in less than 3 weeks. Today I'm going into work for a couple hours to catch up so I'll get used to being away from Isaac for a while. Here are a few pictures. Having a baby sure makes it difficult to keep updated!!!!

Sleep...What's that?

Isaac is now 16 days old. He is the light of our lives. Overall he is a good baby and doesn't fuss a lot. He does have his nights and days mixed up though which is pretty hard for Mom and Dad (especially Mom). He tends to sleep in the early evening and by 10 or 11 pm at night he's wide awake and does not want to go to sleep at all. In fact he totally fights it. Last night we were desperate and Ross took him for a car ride which was good because he fell asleep but by the time we got back to the bedroom he was awake again. Once he does fall asleep the rest of the night is okay as he goes 3 hours at at a time. It's just that first time trying to get him to sleep. We try bathing him prior to bed to calm him down but that just seems to make him more alert. It's times like these I really wish we had a bouncer or swing. He constantly wants to be held, but I really don't like going to bed with him as I don't feel like it's very safe for him. Once Ross is done with fieldwork he will be able to help at night. I really need the help because I am very sleep deprived and it's a little frustrating. I am so thankful for Isaac. He is a true blessing to our family and I wouldn't want it any other way, but right now Mom is a little irritable and exhausted.

I'll try posting some new pictures soon.

He's growing...

I took Isaac to the doctor this afternoon. Our doctor was so happy to see me carrying in an infant. Just 3 weeks ago I went in for my wrist and told him we were STILL WAITING, and now we have our baby boy. Isaac's birth weight was 6 lbs 2 ounces and he was 18 3/4 inches long with a head circumference of 12 1/2. Today he weighs 6 lbs 8.8 ounces. He's 19 3/4 inches long and has a head circumference of 13 3/4. I'm so happy that he's steadily gaining. I need to get him out of those preemie clothes!!!!!! Most stores don't carry much for preemie clothing. I had to make a trip to Dollar General to pick up some diapers to get us by for a few more days before we get to Sioux Falls. Would you believe the smallest size they have is for a 8 pound baby. So I had to go to the grocery store and buy some there.

9 days old

Isaac is now 9 days old. I can't believe he's been home with us almost a week. Today we go to the doctor for a check up. I'm anxious to see how much he's grown since leaving the hospital. He's drinking about 2 1/2 ounces every 3-4 hours. He seems to have his days and nights mixed up right now but hopefully that will change soon. We are so in love with our little guy!!!! Here's some pictures for your enjoyment!

Day 3

Today was very emotional and stressful, but oh so worth it. We went to the hospital around 9:30 am. We spent time with Isaac and gave him his bath. He's such a wonderful baby. He had an iv in since birth. Isaac's birthmom didn't have prenatal care the entire 9 months so they gave Isaac antibiotics just as a precaution. His iv was removed this morning so that was nice not having to haul that thing around. Bonnie came in the afternoon and talked with us for a while. Kim (the director from Orange City) also came to see us. It was good to finally meet her. Around 5:00 Bonnie brought a bag of items that Isaac's birthmom had purchased for him. She is amazing and so sweet. She bought him a piggy bank filled with items, blanket, 2 outfits, and a teether. We will cherish it always. Ross and I then left the hospital and birthmom and birthdad would be there to sign papers at 5:35. I left my camera with Bonnie so she could get a picture of Isaac with his birthmom. We came back about 6:45 or so after both birthparents had left. They each spent more time with Isaac (which is a good thing for him). I know it has to be hard for them but I truly believe they are doing the best thing for him. We signed our papers and left the hospital around 8:00. The ride to my parents went well. Isaac slept the whole way.

My parents and Grandma J got to meet Isaac. They love him of course. How can you not love this little guy. We stayed a short time and headed back home. Sam came with us. He wasn't sure what to think but he's adjusting well too. The first night was a little rough. Isaac was up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. We didn't get much sleep and we had a little problem with a diaper change, but all is well. We love this little boy so much! We have been so blessed.

Day 2

Today was another wonderful day. We got to the hospital around 9:00 am and met with the social worker again. We spent an hour and a half with Isaac and fed him a little formula. He is so sweet. We then met with "N" again. We told her how much this means to us and how much we love her son. She was so happy to hear it and she still feels she is doing the best thing for her son. After meeting with "N" she went to hold her son before being released. Ross and I went shopping and went out to lunch with our social worker. We then headed back to the hospital. The social worker met with the birthdad. "M" then he met his son for the first time. He held his son and our social worker took pictures with our camera of him holding Isaac. We will treasure this forever. We were able to meet "M". He is such an awesome person. He gave us pictures of his family and is so thankful to us. He is very sad but very happy at the same time and I feel for both "N" and "M". Ross and I spent another 3 hours with Isaac bonding with him. I love this parenting role. Ross and I were able to go pick my nephew Josh up and meet with him for supper which was a lot of fun.
Tomorrow the birthparents come back to the hospital to sign the termination papers and hopefully we will be able to head home tomorrow night. We have to pick up our other baby "Sam" and all the Grandparents want to meet Isaac. Well I'm off to bed. I couldn't sleep last night but I sure hope I can tonight as I know the sleepless nights will be here starting tomorrow.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers this week. Once Isaac is ours I will be posting pictures.

What an amazing day!

Today I wasn't feeling the best so I stayed home from church and Ross went. At 11:15 am this morning, Bonnie from the Mason City office called to ask permission to show our profile to a birthmom. She indicated this person had given birth yesterday at 5:35 pm to a beautiful baby boy. I told Bonnie to go ahead and show our profile. She indicated 2 other families would be shown. At 2:45 pm Bonnie called us back and informed us that birthmom has chosen us and asked if we could come to Fort Dodge to meet our son. We met the birthmom around 8:30 tonight. "N" is a wonderful person. She is so sweet and we are so thankful to her for many reasons. Ross and I then spent a couple hours with our son. He is the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen. His Birthmom named him Avery Daniel. She told us it was totally up to us what we wanted to name him. We are going to name our little guy Isaac Avery. Birthmom and birthdad can sign termination papers anytime after Tuesday 5:35 pm. After they sign, the revocation period is 3 days. Keep us in your prayers!!!!