I liked it when he didn't puke all over

The home health nurse came yesterday and little Finnegan weighs 8 pounds 9.5 ounces. Of course, just shy of what I was hoping for, but still a good weight gain. We'll have a better idea next week at his doctor's appointment (because when you use different scales, they could be slightly off). In actuality, I was hoping for 8 lbs 11 oz or higher, but I'll take what I can get.

On that note, this is what happens when Finn pukes an entire bottle:The cover had to go in the washing machine. I swear there were at least 15 hooks, straps and snaps to get it off the frame! He has been profusely puking the last couple of days. I mean PUKING! I don't know if I should be worried or not. The nurse yesterday asked if anybody was sick in the house, which we aren't. He has extra flem in his mouth, which might be causing him to gag and then puke. And he hasn't been eating very well (puking out at least one full feeding and then eating partial for a few feedings). I'm not sure. I called his doctor today, but of course, she wasn't in. She is back on Monday, so I figured I'd keep an eye on it this weekend and either call the doctor on call or if things are okay, just call her on Monday. His appointment is on Wednesday, so I can for sure talk to her about it then. Oh, where is his owner's manual?!?!

Aren't staples for paper?

While this isn't in regards to Finn, it did happen in our house, so it still warrents a blog entry (I had to check with Becky first!). Austin had his first trip to the ER on Tuesday night! He was jumping on the couch (I think...I was upstairs feeding Finn) and he fell and hit his head on the coffee table. Since the edges and corners are rounded, I was suprised it could do that much damage, but now I know for future reference (i.e. when Finn is old enough to jump and fall!). So, his head was bleeding profusely and thankfully, Pete was here, who happens to be an EMT. He said it was bad enough to possibly need stitches, so the three of them headed to good ol' North Memorial (the site of the beginning of Finn's fateful journey into this world). Three hours later, even being on the "fast track," Austin came home with a Happy Meal and three staples in his head! I think Becky was more upset and grossed out by the whole thing than Austin was. He was the hero at daycare yesterday because all the other kids thought it was so cool...you know how kids are! Becky took some pictures, but hasn't sent them my way yet. I'll post on our picture site when I get them. He goes to the doctor (seriously, his favorite place to go because Nemo is in the waiting room!) next Thursday to get the staples removed. Luckily, Austin's hair doesn't need brushing because Becky will have nothing to do with Austin's head or the staples! Too funny. All's well that ends well.

No monitor or hair?

Finn has been sleeping a lot the last few days. Uh, oh...does that mean a growth spurt?!?! He gets weighed tomorrow byt the home health nurse, so we'll see how he is doing. I really hope he continues to do well and get big! I have my eye on at least 8 pounds, 10 ounces, so we'll see!

So, I haven't mentioned the monitor in a while...because there isn't anything to report about it! Finn doesn't set it off any more...well, hardly any more. I would say MAYBE once every other or every third day...instead of several times every time he nursed. This is huge. I can't wait until we do the next download to see what they think. I can only think that he is finally out growing whatever it was that made him set it off and that means we can get rid of the monitor soon! Scary.

Finn had a reverse mohawk for a while. He lost his hair in the front and down the middle but the sides didn't really fall out (kind of like old man hair!). He even has a few really long pieces on the top like a comb over! Too funny. Anyway, we noticed this week that he has peach fuzz growing in on top! It is really cute and helps to blend in the long pieces. I don't think it will turn out in a picture, otherwise I'd post one to show you what I'm talking about. I can't imagine how much hair he will have if it is anything like it was when he was born!

Car's boo-boo all fixed

Oh and my car is all fixed. I filed a police report, called my car insurance and contacted an auto glass repair company all before Noon today (and showered!). Then, that auto glass place was able to schedule to come to my house and fix it this afternoon! That is what I call service. The technician showed up about two hours after I called and had it all fixed and the glass vacuumed up in less than an hour. Now we just have to be careful for little pieces of glass on the passenger seat for a little while (no wearing shorts!). Since I was expecting to have to drive it somewhere and leave it there for several days, I'm VERY happy. They even said I might get reimbursed for my auto navigation system because they have a new "partial theft" policy or something like that. Hey, I'm not asking questions, I just want my GPS!

Craft project finally finished

Remember right after Finn came home, I mentioned that I wanted to do a craft project for Finn's room? Well, it is finally done and installed: I did the ribbon and Jim helped me nail them on the wall over Memorial Day weekend. I think it turned out really cute and it is positioned so you can see it as you are walking up the stairs. Jim also got the curtains and valances hung, too (minus one panel because Austin is using it right now)!See the little animals in the corner on the wall? We put those up a while ago. Now, I think Finn's room is complete. Nothing like waiting until he is almost five months old!

Over the weekend, I transitioned Finn into size 1 diapers! My baby is getting so big. Technically, the newborn size says up to 10 pounds...which Finn obviously isn't that big yet. But I'd like to see a 10 pound baby fit into newborn size! Finn is just over 8 pounds and they certainly "fit" him, but do not fit his output...if you know what I mean. So the size 1 diapers are huge, but work much better to avoid blow outs.

Also, I had to put away my favorite set of long sleeve onsies yesterday. They were from our friend Erin and were SO cute. But they started looking like three quarter length sleeves, made him look like he had a buda belly (which I didn't mind!) and there just not long enough any more. They said up to 7 pounds, so I guess it was time. It was tough for me, but I guess I'd better get used to it. I added 0-3 month stuff to his dresser and have 3 month stuff on stand by.

So, Finn is pouting. When he cries, or tries to cry, he sticks his lower lip out and it quivers a little! He has been doing it for a while, but I got a picture of it today.
Is it wrong that #1: I think this picture is adorable and #2 it took me several minutes to get this picture and I just let him cry?!?! Oh, well. I kept giving him his pacifier and he kept spitting it out and then crying! We don't have hardly any pictures of him crying and I guess that is part of his "story" too...not just the super cute faces and poses!

Happy Memorial Day and poop

Honestly, we aren't doing much today that honors the men and women who have fought and died for our country, but they are in our hearts just the same. I'd like to go down to the river and take Finn for a walk...not exactly Memorial Day related, but should be peaceful and get us outside for a while.

We've been working on our lawn the last couple of days. It needs help! Pete has been working on it for us (and mowing...he is the best!), but we figured we should probably take some pride in our lawn, too, since we own the place. We spread some seed first and then some weed and feed yesterday and gave it a good dousing of water today. Hopefully things start to look better.

I know I talk about Finn and his pooping a lot, but today, he had Jim and me crying with tears from laughter. Jim was changing him (it was already a dirty diaper, mind you) and Finn tooted on him. In my head I thought, be careful because when he did that to me, a bunch of poop came out right after. But I didn't have time to say anything because Finn projectile pooped all over EVERYTHING. He even got the wall and the window! And then while we were trying to clean it up, he peed all over, too! It was so gross that all we could do is laugh. Hey, Finn felt a lot better after doing it, so I guess that is good. I'm laughing even now as I write this. I told Jim he had to do this post, but he says he doesn't like writing about poop...who cares! That is what our son's life revolves around right now! Ha, ha.

Anyway, that has been our eventful Memorial Day so far! I hope you are all having a wonderful and relaxing day. Later Jim is grilling hamburgers that he ground the meat himself. Should be yummy!

Eye lashes that won't quit

Finn definitely takes after his daddy at least in one respect...his eye lashes! In the last couple of days, they have gotten so long and now they actually curl up! For a long time, he didn't have any eye lashes and then he had them, but they were transparent and you couldn't really see them. Not any longer! I think he will give Austin a run for his money in the eye lash department!

Happy 30th birthday to daddy one day late (I didn't have time to post yesterday). We've been busy. Mommy stayed up until midnight on Thursday night to wish daddy happy birthday (this is a HUGE thing for mommy to do!). Jim's cousins from North Dakota, Dave and Matt, stopped by to play with Finn for a while. It was good to see them and catch up. Then Stacey and auntie Kristine came by and spent the afternoon (running to the store with mommy to get daddy's birthday present!). I never wait until the last minute, but I guess things change when you have a baby and he can't go out! Uncle John stopped by on his way from the airport and we (John, Kristine, Finn and mommy) sang "Happy birthday" to daddy and had Red Velvet Cake (Yum-O!). Jim's birthday was pretty low key, but that is what he said he wanted.

Today, mommy's cousin Lauren came for a while in the morning, which was SO nice because we haven't seen much of her lately. She is a senior at the U of M, so she has been busy. Then auntie NaeNae and Nick came by and then auntie Kristine came back in the evening! It is a good thing that we like visitors!

Oh, my car got broken into today, too...in the middle of the afternoon in our driveway! Jim got home from running errands around 1pm and it was fine and when he walked out to his car around 3pm to grab a few things, my passenger window was broken in and my auto navigation system was stolen. Of course, no auto glass places are open on a Saturday afternoon, so we pulled my car into the garage and will have to file a police report and take it to get fixed on Tuesday. I just hate stuff like this...so needless and unnecessary. Oh, well...in the big perspective of things, it could have been much worse.

He's a bruiser

That is what Finn's doctor said today after weighing him. Finn now weighs 8 pounds 4 ounces. Yup...EIGHT pounds! He gained one full pound in two weeks. That is really good and puts him just above the 10th percentile for weight on the preemie chart (if you remember, he was at the 7th for a long time). Jim and I were concerned about his weight gain because he has been spitting up more than usual and sometimes just doesn't want to eat. I guess we worried for nothing!

Side note: when our friends Darren and Nicki's baby was born (two days ago), he was EXACTLY the same weight and height as Finn is right now and Finn is four and a half months old! It is all in the perspective, I guess.

Finn's doctor said that if he can stay above the 10th percentile "for a while" we can reduce (or maybe eliminate) his fortified bottles! Oh, that will be a happy day for me...not so much for Jim. Jim likes the time he has with Finn when he feeds him his bottles. But it is SO much easier for me not to coordinate when he needs a bottle, feed him, burp him, pump and then clean up. But, even if we don't do bottles regularly, Jim will still feed him when I have other plans (not that I do very often!!). Anyway, we'll see how that goes.

We've also been fairly concerned the last several days about Finn's intestines. He seems to be grunting and pushing very hard and not getting anything out (we weren't sure if it was gas or constipation or what) and his tummy has been pretty hard and large. Plus, he is really fussy, which isn't like his normal self. So, just to be on the safe side, Finn's doctor ordered an x-ray to see what is going on in there. The preliminary results were that it looks good (no blockage or air pockets that she could see), but since she doesn't review baby x-rays very often, she is sending it to the specialist at North Memorial to review. We'll have those results on Tuesday (because of the long holiday weekend). In the meantime she said to keep him on the Miralax (we were trying to eliminate that since he isn't on iron any longer) and to up his prune juice to 30 mLs...we were giving him FIVE! I hope we haven't created a poop bomb! I guess we'll see. He loves prune juice, so I'm sure he will like the extra amount.

On a different note, Jim took today and tomorrow off, so after Finn's doctor appointment, I was able to do something I've been needing to do for over a year and a half...drop my wedding dress off to be cleaned and preserved! What's the rush, right?!?! (in case you don't remember, we were married in October...of 2007!) They said it would take a month and I was like, "um, that's fine!" It feels good to have that sent in. Thanks Lynn for "making" me do it. I just needed a push and a reason to do it, I guess!

Baptism...finally!

We FINALLY have a date for baptism! We (Jim, me and Finn's godparents...Becky, John and Kelsie) went to baptism class last week on Tuesday. It was surprisingly informational and I'm glad we went. They talked about the symbolism of baptism and what it means to be baptized, and how the actual baptism will work.

So I called the church the next day (Wednesday) to schedule Finn's baptism and she had to ask the priest about his schedule and said she would call me back. Well, I hadn't heard back by Friday, so I called back and talked to a different lady who didn't know what was going on. Then I forgot to call on Monday (too busy!) but remembered yesterday. She confirmed the time and date.

So, Finn is being baptized on Sunday, June 28 at Holy Cross after the 10am mass. This is a big day for me (well, and Finn, too obviously!). When I was admitted to the hospital in December after my water broke and they told me I was going to deliver...I was sure my baby was going to die. I told anybody who would listen that I wanted him baptized before he died, if it came to that, because I didn't want it to be over looked in the chaos. As it so happened, they were able to stop my labor and baptism wasn't necessary when he was born 10 days later, but even just remembering the place I was at mentally and emotionally makes me sad even now, four and a half months later. I guess I just appreciate Finn being able to be baptized just a little more than I would have, had he been born in April instead. We think he is going to wear Jim's baptism gown, which is pretty special.

On a slightly different note, congratulations to our friends Nicki and Darren! They had a healthy baby boy yesterday (over a week over due)! His name is Dane Lee...I don't know much more than that, but I think mom and baby are doing fine.

My aunt and uncle, Tony and Vickie, stopped by this morning for a nice visit. We hadn't seen them since they visited me in the hospital right before I had Finn so it was nice to catch up. Plus, I can't believe that their oldest, Alyssa, is graduating high school this year! I remember when she was a baby...where does the time go? I'm sure we'll be saying that about Finn before we know it! Thanks for coming to visit and meet Finn!!

Finn's ROP is dead

We had another eye doctor appointment for Finn today. It went exceedingly well, other than Finn completely puking right beforehand. It went everywhere. I'm so glad I switched to a diaper bag because I had an extra blanket and clothes. It was out of character for him because he hadn't just eaten, but who knows. It even came out his nose. I don't remember this happening when I've been around other babies (but I'm sure it does!), but it really bothers me. He grasps for air and there isn't much I can do (the suction bulb is still too big for his nose). I hate it. He just looked at me like, "What is happening mom?" He cried I hadn't heard before and my heart was pretty much broken.

Then the doctor came in and did his exam...which cause more screaming. He HATES having his eyes propped open, which I don't blame him. It looks terrible. BUT...we had good news again. The ROP disease is still there but completely inactive. That means there is practically no chance that it can come back and cause damage to Finn's eye. This is a huge relief. Finn doesn't have to go back for two more months and this is just to start checking his vision and to keep an eye on the disease (it is still there, but more like scar tissue than anything else).

It was so nice out tonight that we grilled (which isn't anything new) but then ate outside. Finn was outside with us (in the shade of course) in just a onsie. You know it is hot when he is just in a onsie. It is a first for him and he looked so darn cute. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture...I know, how terrible!

Grandpa Ron and Memere were here yesterday and today. It is nice to have them around...if nothing else for a little break. Memere got up with Finn at 6am today so I could actually sleep for more than one hour at a time. I don't know what Finn's deal was last night, but he seemed to be starving but wouldn't eat well. Makes for a very long night for mom (and probably Finn, too!). Ron was showing Austin how to hold and swing a bat today, so Austin thought that was pretty neat and was really sad when they had to leave because Austin wanted to play with Ron more!

Finn's first road trip

Even though it might have been a little soon, we decided to take a trip to Ortonville this past weekend. Jim's great-grandma hasn't been able to meet Finn yet and since she is 100 years old, we didn't know how many opportunities there would be (we'd rather she see him 10 times than not at all!).

So, we headed out on Saturday around 11:30...not bad considering I was hoping for around Noon! We ended up taking Hwy 55 (don't ask why!) which took a little longer. We stopped in Paynesville at A&W (yum!) for lunch, which we got in the drive through and ate in the car. Before that, Finn had been pretty quiet and sleeping, but I think he got hungry, so I sat in the back seat with him the rest of the way to my moms (easier to keep him happy when you're next to him...and safer since I had to unbuckle and turn around to see what he needed). We got to mom's and Finn ate. Then we stopped quickly at my dad's and headed to Ortonville.

Great-great Grandma Della didn't know that Finnegan was coming, so we had to get to Ortonville before she demanded to get taken back home. Well, we walked in the door and once she realized who it was, she was so happy. She even held Finn a few times.

The second picture is a "five" generation picture. Granny (Jim's great grandma), a picture of Gram (Jim's grandma), Ron (Jim's dad), Jim (himself) and Finn (Jim's son). Pretty crazy. If only Gram could be here, too. She would be over the moon about Finn. Sigh...things to wish for.

Then, after Granny was taken back home, Finn went to his first baseball game (it just so happened to be uncle John's team playing!). That is uncle John batting in the background. It was a little chilly and windy, so we sat outside to watch uncle John bat twice (Pete was also playing, but I didn't get a picture!) and then we (Memere, Finn and I) headed to the car to watch the rest of the game. I'm sure this will be the first of many of uncle John's baseball games for Finn.

Then on Sunday, we got up, looked for John's keys for an hour (which he took with him to his baseball game...oops!) and then headed for home. We stopped at my grandma and grandpa Smith's and grandma and grandpa Walsh's in Benson (they both happened to be home when we dropped by unannounced). It was nice to chat with them for a few minutes. Then we stopped at mom's again (great place to stop and feed Finn). She made Rhubbarb Crunch, so I was all about that. Yumm-O! Then we headed to Willmar to stop and see my aunt Vicky and then we finally headed for home.

Surprisingly, Finn did really well until about 30 minutes from home...then he lost it (since our trip took five and a half hours!). So I sat in the back with him and kept him somewhat happy until we got home. Then he ate and crashed for the night. Overall, he did great this weekend. It was overwhelming for him with everything going on, but he handled it well. Hopefully we don't try to cram quite so much into our next trip.

Some more "firsts"

First, I broke down and started using a diaper bag for the first time last night. I had just been putting a couple diapers and wipes in my purse (it is pretty big), but all the moms at our classes had diaper bags, so I felt like I wasn't as prepared as they were (for what, I'm not sure!). So, I got the diaper bag out (thanks auntie Kelsie and Memere) and filled it with stuff I probably won't need very often...but I'll have it!

Second, Finn wore "shoes" for the first time yesterday. Sorry, I can't remember who he got them from...but they are all soft and more like slippers than shoes, but the LOOK like shoes. They were so cute and they even stayed on.

Third, Finn is wearing shorts today for the first time! He woke up feeling a little warm to Jim and me, so I was finally able to put him in the short sleeved shorts outfit from Auntie NaeNae. I haven't gotten a picture of that yet. I don't like that his little feet are cool, but I guess that isn't supposed to be a big deal with babies. Plus, we keep the house around 76 degrees during the day, so I'm sure he is warm enough!

Finally, I used the Snugli front baby carrier today, too (thanks Lisa and G'ma Walsh!). Austin and I had to go out to water our two baby trees and I didn't want to have to lug the stroller through the grass. The Snugli worked prefectly and after a few seconds of not knowing what was going on, Finn seemed to like being in it. He fell asleep about five minutes later! BUT when we came in, he set the apnea alarm off, so I'm thinking even though weight-wise he is big enough, his body might not be (he was probably squished down or something). So, we'll wait a little bit to try it again. I loved using it, though. I felt so mobile!

Monitor-good; Weight-good

The nurse from the apnea program called me yesterday after talking with the doctor. The doctor is not overly concerned with the lack of improvement regarding the number of alarms Finn is having and he thinks Finn will eventually just out grow whatever is making him set the alarms off. This is what we were told to begin with, so I'm happy to hear he agrees. The nurse was just being cautious and I'd rather her question something and it be fine than not question it and something be wrong! So, now Finn has to just stop setting the monitor off. On a good note, it has only gone off twice since they reset the low threshold of the heart rate to 70 bps on Tuesday! That is really good. Keep it up little man.

On other good news, the home health nurse came today and our little guy now weighs 7 pounds 11.5 ounces! This is good news because #1. he is gaining weight (duh!), but also #2. because he is gaining exactly how much he should be! He should gain 1 ounce a day and last Thursday he weighed 7 pounds 4.5 ounces. I was a little concerned because he is only eating once during the night (he was eating two or three times) and often he is stretching it out to 4 hours between feeding during the day, too. But worry not, momma! For now, all is good. We are a stone's throw away from 8 pounds!

Monitor and iron

The nurse from the apnea program called me yesterday with the results of Finn's monitor download. In 11 days, he had 10 apnea alarms and 92 low heart rate. She says that she is concerned that he isn't improving, which kind of upset me. I mean, I feel like people say something is fine and then all of a sudden say it isn't. If he hasn't been improving, why wait until it is a concern to say something?!?! She is meeting with the doctor to discuss Finn today around Noon and will call me after to go over what they decided or talked about. On the up side, since they lowered his low heart rate down to 70 bps (beats per second), he hasn't set it off yesterday or today! Maybe that was the trick. I guess we'll see.

On a very happy and excited note, we received the results from Finn's lab draws last week and his iron and hemoglobin levels are normal! That means we can discontinue the iron supplement and just put him on a liquid multi-vitamin with iron (his formula is also fortified with iron). This might not seem like a big thing to others, but we are hoping by taking him off the iron supplement, it will help with his pooping (or inability to do so) and then we can take him off the Miralax, too.

I've been watching Austin on Tuesdays. This is how Austin watches his cartoons in the morning:He moved his little chair over next to Finn and sat by him, pushing his swing every so often (even though it goes by itself), saying "it's okay baby Finn" when Finn made a noise and watching TV. It was really cute. Austin might be the best big cousin ever!

The car seat is the key

I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised and happy that sleeping in the car seat seems to really be working for Finn. Last night he had a tough night, but before that, he was getting up only ONCE a night (compared to every 15-20 minutes)! I can't believe it. Keep in mind, we put him to bed late and he is up ready to eat between 6 and 7am usually, so it isn't 12 hours or anything but still! I'll take it. I think that is pretty good for a 4 week old...which he will be tomorrow for his adjusted age.

I brought the monitor in for a download today. Because of Finn's adjusted age, they changed his low heart rate from 80 bps to 70 bps. Hopefully that will help reduce the number of alarms he has. The nurse will call me today or tomorrow to discuss the results. As I've said before, I'm hoping to be able to get rid of it (probably not quite yet, though), but it is such a huge security blanket, too! In our Infant Massage class yesterday a few of the moms talked about needing to check on their babies often just to make sure they are breathing and okay. I don't have to do that with the monitor, which is so nice. I'll probably be an obsessed freak once the monitor is gone, though! I was also excited at class yesterday because there was a 2 week old and I thought Finn finally wouldn't be the smallest baby there...but as it turned out, they were about exactly the same size! Oh, well.

Jim needed to get a new sport coat for all the business trips he is going on and wanted me to go with for a second opinion (which is funny because I know NOTHING about sports coats or men's business attire, really). So, we went to Ridgedale on Sunday. As it turned out, neither Finn nor I was ready for it. By the time we left, both Finn and I had pretty much lost it (I was exhausted and Finn was beyond fussy and upset). It was a good thing to try out, but all I did was worry about germs and people getting too close and Finn was not happy, so that didn't help. I think we'll have to wait a while longer before trying to transition back into the real world (heck, I knew it was too early, but I go stir crazy some times and wish I have a "normal" baby that can go places!).

My first Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you new moms, expecting moms, veteran moms, step-moms and of course, my mom. I never fully knew how hard and rewarding being a mom would be.

Finn (okay, Jim really) out did himself for Mother's Day. We hadn't really talked about what I wanted to do or even talked about it at all, so I wasn't expecting much. Jim has been traveling so much, I figured it was the last thing on his mind. At Preemie Class on Thursday night, they asked what our Mother's Day plans were and I said we celebrated with my mom on Wednesday night (because she was in town) and I didn't know anything else. One mom said she learned to tell her husband exactly what she wanted/expected so she wasn't disappointed. So it got me thinking...what did I expect? When I really thought about it, nothing. I am so happy and grateful to have Finn in my life, just having a reason to have Mother's Day is really, honestly enough for me. This surprised me because I usually love this kind of thing.

Well, I didn't have to worry or think about it, as it turned out. Finn had flowers and a balloon delivered on Saturday with a card that said, "You are the best mommy ever. Love Finn" So cute. And Jim made me my favorite tuna burger for dinner. I thought this was it and I was so pleasantly surprised and happy. But no, there was more. There was a card and Juut Spa gift certificate waiting for me when I got home from church (I can't wait for a facial...my fav). They were from Finn and Jim and the card talked about my first mother's day (Becky, Pete and Austin also got me the SAME card...too funny! I loved it just the same). And Jim made me, Becky and Austin a fabulous breakfast/brunch of quiche and cinnamon rolls and an adult beverage of orange juice, grenadine, ginger ale and vodka (Austin's was a kiddie version, obviously!). I highly recommend it! And now he is making my absolute favorite thing in the world...crab legs! Plus, I know he will crack them for me, which makes them taste even better. He is honestly the best.

I hope that all of you have just as fabulous a Mother's Day as I did. Happy Mother's Day!!

Sleep...finally!

Finn slept last night! There are three things that were different than normal. #1. I kept him doped up on Tylenol because of his immunization shots yesterday. #2. I shut off the baby monitor in my room. I was hearing every little cough and grunt. I mean, his room is across the hall and we leave both doors open. I think I'll hear him if he needs me (and I'd certainly hear his monitor!). #3. I had him sleep in his car sear! Okay, before you freak out, I wasn't too sure about doing this either. I saw on a TV show that a family did that with their baby when he wouldn't sleep in his crib. So, it got me thinking. Then last night, I asked about it at our Preemie class and the facilitator said it was okay as long as he passed his car seat test at the hospital (which he did with flying colors!) and we kept him buckled in to avoid a strangling hazard with the straps (which we always do anyway). So I thought I'd try it. Jim was still out of town and I was on my own.

I fed him around 8pm and he was so tired (I'm assuming from the shots and the subsequent fussiness) that I put him to bed. I went to bed between 10 and 10:30, knowing he would wake me up around 11pm (he usually eats every three hours). Well, I woke up around 1am! I changed him and fed him and he went right back to sleep. Only to wake me up a little before 6am! You have to understand, he NEVER goes this long, especially without a pacifier, which he didn't have most of the night. I had to go in and get him at 7:30 because he was fussy, but I just brought him in my bed at that point and we slept until 9am. If all nights could be like this, life would be so much less fuzzy (since I'm tired most of the time!). Now, it is only a sampling of one night and like I said, it could have been from the Tylenol or me not hearing him all the time from his baby monitor and not just the car seat...but I'll take it and hope for more nights like that! Dad gets home tonight, so I'll have to deal with snoring, too!

My friend Amanda and her two kids, Taylor and Gavin, came over for a little bit this morning. It was good to see them and I know Taylor, who is 5, has been looking forward to meeting baby Finn. She even got to hold him for a while. It was really good to catch up with Amanda. For now, we are both stay-at-home moms, so hopefully we can do it on a regular basis!

4 month well child appt

Finn had his 4 month well-child appointment today. He weighs 7 pounds 4.5 ounces and is 19.5 inches long! I couldn't believe his length. He has grown 5.5" since he was born 4 months ago. Yikes! His weight is okay. If he were gaining 1 ounce per day, he would have weighed 7 lbs 5 oz...but he pooped just before getting weighed...I'm sure that was half an ounce! He is still right around the 7 or 8 percentile for weight...which isn't necessarily bad. As long as he continues at a steady pace, his doctor is happy. Going down in percentile at this point or not gaining weight would not be good.

He also got his 4 month immunization shots (three total)! Poor guy...it just about broke my heart. For the first time, he had real tears and everything! He also had to get blood drawn to check different levels, including his iron. We are really hoping his iron is such that we can discontinue his iron supplement (should help with his pooping problems!). Plus, the formula he gets three times a day is iron fortified, so maybe that will be enough. Here are Finn's "battle wounds" from today:Three blue camouflage for his immunizations and one Garfield on his arm for his labs. He was pretty upset for the rest of the day. I was not shy about giving him Tylenol, but he was fussy. He is in bed now, which is really early for him. I think he wore himself out.

We also went to in for his post-op follow up appointment for his hernia surgery. Dr. Rich said that everything looks great. He reminded me that there is a higher percentage of reoccurrence because of how small he was when he had surgery, but to just watch for unusual swelling, especially when he is mad. This is also something Finn's regular doctor will check for during our regular visits.

Grandma left this afternoon. Both Finn and I were sad, but I think Finn wore her out a little bit (and I probably took advantage for having her here, too...I'll take sleep any way I can get it!). It was so helpful having another pair of hands and arms for cuddling Finn! Hopefully she will come back soon!

Rolling over already?

Finn rolled over yesterday, much to my surprise. I put him on his tummy on the couch when I ran to the kitchen to grab his bottle and when I looked over my shoulder, this is what I saw! I was amazed and a little scared. I guess no more putting him on the couch for a second or two! I even put his legs out to the side, so he wouldn't roll over. He is too smart for me already. I don't think he knew what he was doing and I'm not even sure it was intentional, but still! He has been close to rolling over before, when he is mad about something, but never actually did it.

Finn is four months old today (three weeks old adjusted age). My how time flies, and I'm sure it will only speed up. I can't believe Jim and I made another human being...especially one as cute as Finn! I don't even really remember what things were like four months ago...I think I was in a fog or auto pilot. Yesterday, I looked at the picture of the first time I held him, and I don't even feel like it happened...or maybe that is happened to somebody else. Very weird. He is doing so incredibly well, so much better than we ever dared hope when I went into the hospital after Christmas. I can't wait to see what the next four months brings.

Also, thank heaven for grandmas! Since Jim is gone this week, my mom came to visit for a few days and I am so incredibly thankful. I still got up four times last night (to either feed Finn or pump), but she got up with Finn when he was fussy! I slept in until 10:20am! Awesome. This is what I saw when I got up:I guess he wears everybody out...not just me! So cute, though. She will be here tonight, too. I hope my body doesn't get used to the extra sleep! I only wish you could put sleep on reserve to use it later.

Bye bye Nana and Papa

Well, Nana and Papa left last night (after making us a wonderful dinner with Kelsie's help!). Actually they left this morning, but they left from John and Kelsie's, so we didn't get to see them today. It was so wonderful getting to spend so much time with them and I KNOW they loved getting to meet and spend time with Finn. It was really sad for everybody when they left. It is hard when they live so far away (Washington state). But, they come back once a year and when Finn is allowed to fly, I'm sure we will be going out there for visits, too!

Finn had his Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) assessment today provided by Minneapolis Public Schools. An ECSE teacher and a school nurse came out and asked a lot of questions. Of course, Finn fell asleep pretty much as soon as they got here, so they weren't able to do much assessing by watching him (I tried waking him up, that did NOT work...I got the evil eye) so I had to answer as best I could. They will be assessing him based on his adjusted age, not chronological. And based on that, they said he is doing really well right now. They will take the information they gathered today and write a report/plan for Finn. The teacher will be coming back next week to present that to me. It is very reassuring knowing there is so much that can be done if something is needed in the future (language, social, physical, etc).

Sweetest smile ever

After lots of failed attempts, I finally caught Finn smiling with my camera.There is just something about a baby's gummy smile that lights up their whole face. It is irresistible. He is smiling much more, but not quite on command yet. I know it is such a small milestone, but it just about melts a mom's heart! He is making a lot more eye contact now and interacting with those around him. He stops and looks and listens to the mobile when we wind it, which is something he wasn't doing before. It won't be long now before he is actually playing.

The home health nurse stopped by today and Finn has reached the 7 pound mark! I just can't believe it. This morning, he weighed 7 lb 2 oz. Based on babies gaining 1 oz a day, that is exactly what he should weigh from the last time he was weighed, so I feel much better about the weight concerns we had last week and the week before. We have his 4 month well-child appointment on Thursday, so I'm sure I'll have more to update then.

Jim left today for a business trip for all week! Poor me (ha, ha). But I convince (it wasn't hard!) my mom to come this week instead of next week, so she can help me out a little bit. It isn't that I couldn't do it myself, but if there is help available, why not take it?!?!

Ron and Lynn decided to come up for the weekend when they heard how much fun we were having with Nana and Papa! They came Saturday and left Sunday. It was nice to have everybody here. Nana did make Monster Bars and John didn't even eat them all. In fact, I think I got to keep more than he did! She also made veggie pizza for Kelsie. I haven't stepped on the scale since they got here and I think I'll wait a few days until after they leave! I never go hungry when we spend time with Nana and Papa, that is for sure!

Finn's biggest fan from Ohio, my friend Paula, is coming to meet him tomorrow and I can't wait! I worked with her when I worked for Gander Mountain. She has meetings there tomorrow and is extending her trip one day to make time for us. So thoughtful. Can't wait to show off my baby and catch up!

Great Grandparents and ice cream

Jim's grandparents, Nana and Papa, arrived yesterday from Washington state. They drove the whole way and ran into some pretty bad winter weather in Montana...isn't it May?!?! They finally got to meet Finn and I don't think they were disappointed. Uncle John came over for dinner and more importantly brought his ice cream maker (auntie Kelsie had to work...boo, hoo)! Making ice cream is kind of a tradition with Papa and and Jim. We decided to make peppermint ice cream last night (saving the vanilla to make tonight). If you don't mind me stealing a phrase from Rachel Ray...Yum-O! Nana promised to make Monster Bars for John and me (are you jealous Sasha?!?!) and also get her homemade hot fudge recipe for the vanilla ice cream tonight. I can't wait. I think they are planning on staying until Monday or Tuesday next week...I hope I don't gain 15 pounds while they are here!

My milk seems to be coming in a little bit, which is a huge relief. I'm still not getting a ton when I pump, but more than I was. I miss being able to sleep through the nighttime feeding when Jim gives Finn a bottle...but it is worth it. Finn's doctor said some day we will be able to sleep for 8 hours straight again...what is that like?!?! Ha, ha.

We are now positive Finn smiled. While we weren't for sure about the first time, we are about the second time. We were getting ready to go to Preemie Class on Thursday night and Jim was holding Finn up to his face and saying, "A-boo" to him and he smiled! Finn likes it. So cute. Of course, haven't been able to catch him smiling on camera yet...I tried yesterday (that is where the extreme close up came from if you look at our picture website!), but no luck. I'll get it eventually.