Reflux,Magic Eraser and more...

We made it through the first month of the year and now it's Feb! I am in the middle of trying to get out Kaden's Announcements and working on Thank You notes. However, I got slowed down big time last week with Kaden. We discovered last Friday, that Kaden has Reflux!

Poor little guy was vomiting uncontrollably after I would feed him and then of course want to eat more, finalizing in overeating and vomiting again! Not to mention that he would scream in his car seat after a feeding, (mainly due to lots of gas and needing to get out a good burp) and I got a shower in spit up daily! I knew something wasn't right last week when he puked 4 times in a row on me. He has gained a TON of weight and all the symptoms he has been having are a match of reflux! Last Friday-he weighed 10.7 lbs and was 21 inches long. He has overeaten to comfort the suffering he has been in! Poor little guy- :( So, we got a prescription for Prilosac for babies...and he is a completely different baby! The vomiting has stopped to a minimal amount.-He no longer screams when we change him (laying on his back), and the fussiness that he would have after a feeding is about gone! He still requires more love and attention during the night then Parker did, but I am so happy to have a temporary solution for him. I am not a BIG advocate of medicating a young baby-but this is so much better then the pain and discomfort he was in.

Speaking of solutions-I have discovered a NEW solution for Parker's "Modern Art" that he displayed on the hallway yesterday! It's called Magic Eraser and a little bit of Fantastic Oxy Power!  

Parker LOVES to color his Elmo coloring book-but yesterday was a first! He discovered that his "color-"Boo" (blue) works on the wall too!
YIKES!!!!!!!! (I knew the day was eventually coming-don't all kids explore on the walls with colors or worse...sharpies? So glad those are out of his sight and reach!)
I knew the excitement of him scribbling in the hallway was not on his book but on the wall!
 Well, P and I had a good chat (and some time spent in time-out) about the appropriate place for his colors! Parker learned that the wall is NOT one of them! I got the color off the walls by 11PM yesterday, and I sure LOVED how fast Magic Eraser removed the crayon! It is my new favorite toy ...LOL! Don't tell P that though. :)
Parker and I had a play day last Friday with Kayleigh and Caroline and of course Parker and Kayleigh just pick up from their last time together. They are 2 peas in a pod and SO stinking cute together! We miss her and Caroline a ton-but we are SO happy that they are still in preschool together! Mike and I are forever grateful for a sweet date this past Monday, courtesy of Kayleigh and Caroline's grandparents. They treated us to dinner out and free babysitting. We SO appreciated every minute of it! THANKS a ton!

Kayleigh Loved holding Kaden-he was not interrested -he wanted to eat!

Kaden had some special visitors this past Sunday. Two of daddy's old co-workers from PWC made a special trip up to visit Kaden-Julie and Audrey. It was a special treat to have them visit.

Here are the photos as promised of the boys rooms!

We still have a few more decorations to go in each~but I am posting them for now.

 Kaden's Room

(freshly painted sage green all by Grandma)

A Parlee Pocket for Kaden (made by Samantha).

We are still making them and now offer monogramming!

Contact me if you want one-they are the best for organizing, storage space and much-much more).

Parker's Big Boy Room

(Parker was sitting there with his "friends" and I thought it was kodak moment)

                                 (The book shelf was my frugal find-or Grandpa's find)

When my parents were visiting my dad ran into Goodwill and found it for $13.00 !

He got us the Senior Citizen Discount too- So we got it for $11.00!

I was elated to take it-since we are on a budget and still on the Dave Ramsey Plan.

Some day we will get the boy (s) a new bedroom set-but we are making due with our old furniture and being practical with what we have. Thanks Grandpa, for painting it and putting it together!

I better take advantage of this nap time and get my shower in. It sure is harder to get in with the 2 now! But I love being their mommy even though the days may be long and sleep deprived lately! Thanks Mike, for letting me stay home Mike, and helping out a ton with P!

This post would not be complete without some recent photos of our sweet pea!

Here is Kaden at 5 weeks

I got a little carried away but amazed at how much he has changed already! :)

Happy 1 Month Baby Kaden

(Kaden-3 weeks old)

WOW...here we are Jan. 28th! Amazing that Kaden is 1 month old today. We have been getting used to being a family a 4 and I am learning to function again on 4 to 5 hours of sleep. Even though I am sleep deprived and nursing every 3 hours I am feeling great (most hours...but ready to crash by 9PM) and loving our new baby boy!

(Kaden 1 month old)

Kaden's personality is coming out more and more. He HATES having his diaper changed and when he is ready to eat he makes it clear! I think he is at least 10lbs by now...but we will get an official weight the end of Feb. He basically sleeps for 3 hours after a feeding-but we can not lay him down right away.  He LOVES to be held before laying down. And of course it may take more time out of us-but nothing sweeter then cuddling a newborn baby! His hair is getting lighter and lighter-but NO I do not think he will have red hair. It does appear to me that he will have blue eyes though! Mike has green and I have brown...and so far-the boys have blue. Recessive genes from the Grandparents in deed.

(Parker -29 months  and Kaden- 1 month)

Parker is being a great Big Brother to Kaden. The past 2 weeks have been much more smooth then the first two. Parker wakes up EACH morning saying "I go see Mommy, I go see Baby Kaden!" It is so sweet to see him get so excited and kiss his little brother each morning! Parker is doing great with Kaden and sometimes has to be reminded to be gentle! Parker is picking up new words weekly and is now saying Sentences! I go see Baby Kaden, I get a Juice Box, Come play Choo-Choo with me! His latest songs to sing are the "ABC's and Tinkle-Tinkle Star song" He knows how to count to 10 and knows most of the alphabet. I think he is learning a ton at pre-school or Sesame Street! We are having a blast with him right now even though he has his tempermental moments...we are still proud of him and blessed to be his parents.

Parker is starting to take a deep interest in Potty training. He is not logically ready for it-but he sure is getting interrested. I was ready to completely potty train him last week! He was down for his nap and got a dirty diaper.I heard him talking in his room (after 40 min) and went up there to check on him. My parents were still here visiting and my mom instantly knew what had happened when she heard my "Oh No" coming out of the monitor. Parker had taken his diaper off and had tossed his "poopy" on the floor and then crawled back on his bed and of course it was all smeared on the comforter. THANK GOODNESS for my dad! He came up and helped me right away and Parker was in the tub! I was not sure how/ what to say to him! I guess I wouldn't like going to sleep with a dirty diaper either....but fingers crossed he expresses it better next time instead of just taking it off! 

My parents just left on Sunday and we already miss them. They were a HUGE help around the house (I am sure you can tell why!) They are very handy (especially dad) and did a TON of projects around our house. My mom painted the nursery and the family room. My dad did all the bigger projects like fixing the garbage disposal, cleaning the upstairs vents, fixing, and caulking our master shower, replacing parts on our dryer, and MANY other projects!

(me and Lorelei at the shower)

While my parents were here my close friends had a baby shower for Kaden and me! It was special to have my attend and we were blessed with sweet clothes and items for Kaden.

(Posing with all the girls that hosted my shower)

             

It was SO special to have my parents here for the time and of course have them meet Kaden.

 Parker feel in love with them. The last time he saw them was in April (when we went to MI for Easter...and I don't think he remembered them!) So, now he is attached to them and of course Nene and Papa! I am so happy for SKYPE so we can keep him and Kaden connected with them all. Parker finally got most of his room decorated too...(I will post another blog of the finished nursery and Parker's room) (We  still have some decorations to get up). Parker got sports chairs for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Clark and NeNe and Papa. He loves them as you can tell.

 Now that Kads 1 month old it is time to get the Birth Announcement out! It will be coming soon in the mail...My sister-in-law designed them and I love how they turned out! Check your mail boxes soon. I will blog it coming up.

Off to go make some soup....so happy to have some energy again to cook!

:)

2 Weeks as Parents of 2 boys!

We have just crossed over Kaden's 2 week old birthday! Today is officially the day that we were "scheduled" to deliver Kaden! HAHA! Indeed we are thrilled to pieces that he came 2 weeks ago but it still is a shocker at times. I always thought for sure -I would be a mom who would always have my babies late and never before my due dates. God's plan for Kaden's arrival was a blessing financially and many more ways that have recently been revealed.

Yesterday-we took Kaden to see Dr. McGee for his 2 week weigh in and the boy is already 8lbs 4oz!....He is chunking out in his cheeks and it is so cute! We got the ticket to skip the 4 week check up. He is nursing well and we will not have to go in now till he is 8 weeks old for his first set of shots. I am so grateful for another happy, healthy baby boy who sleeps just as great as Parker! The past 2 weeks would not have been as smooth with out the help from Mike's parents and mine. I will admit is MUCH harder coming home with a 2nd child then it was the 1st! I think it is harder because it mentally wears on you as you are loving and caring for the baby-you are worried and feeling bad about the time you have not given to your first born. But,that is why I am SO grateful for Mike and the family stepping in to give all the TLC to Parker the last 2 weeks. Originally, my parents would be here during the hospital stay and then helping me with my first 2 weeks of recovery! Well, I am officially at 2 weeks of recovering and doing great! We went to see my OB and she said my incision is healing beautifully. (We forgot to get a photo of my OB with Kaden so we got one on Monday of them together!) I have the permission to drive now-but no lifting more then 10 lbs till Feb. 8th! So,I can go out on my own-but not with the boys yet! Kaden's car seat carrier has got to be close to 14 lbs alone! I am trying to be really good and not over do it! It is hard not to lift up my sweet Parker-but we sure do have tons of cuddle time and reading lots of books!

Parker has been very accepting of Kaden and as I shared earlier the first few days home were a memory we will never forget.
Parker has been battling constipation the last few months (hope this isn't TMI but it is a story I must post).So, we have been trying really hard to keep him regular and fill him up with good, healthy foods. The week I had Kaden was a tough one for him. I never even remembered to mention to my in-laws when he had his last "dirty" diaper. So, the poor boy went 5 days with out a B.M! So, our first day home (and it was NEW YEARS DAY) was spent cuddling Kaden and battling a 2 year old who could not poop! Poor Parker walked around the house ALL day saying "Poopy-Poopy" but refused to go. Mike was about at his wits end and ready to resign from Parker duty-since I was in charge of Kaden! My in-laws were helping out with each boy and very soon...mom and I were in charge of the baby and we left Mike and his dad to deal with the constipated 2 year old! We ended up having to give Parker a suppository and tried 3 baths that day -and of course there is much more I could say but I won't. Nothing worked come dinner time and we were all feeling horrible for Parker. We all ate anything full of fiber and tried to convince Parker that it was the best snack ever. Finally that night by 9PM the boy had relief...daddy was in shock at what he saw in the diaper and the room smelled like a "sewer plant!" Mommy cried because I felt horrible for him suffering so long. We may now have 2 boys-but we will never battle that again (we hope)! Parker is now a faithful "Activia Yogurt eater" and loves popcorn every night too. We are happy to report that he is back to a nice fully regulated body and we bribe him with his fruits and veggies! He is doing really well! I guess it is one of those moments that I can not beat myself up for. It was indeed a crazy week and yet-we are thrilled to have the birth all behind us (especially Constipation boy) and so grateful for God's timing in the whole plan.

Mom and Dad Riese stayed that whole week and we loved every minute that we had with them. My parents arrived this past weekend and are staying till the 24th.

We are actively doing projects and the biggest -Kaden's nursery under construction! Very excited to post the before and after pictures. I am so excited that my friends have changed plans for Kaden's baby shower (from Feb 13th) and have moved it to the 22nd of Jan so my mom can attend! I had 7 showers with Parker and mom never made it to any. So, this shower will be sweet and special in deed. Of course the whole shower is "Sweet Pea" themed and we are actually doing a few little "Sweet Pea" things in the nursery too.We will post photos soon of the finished nursery!

Kaden's Birth Story

Today, Kaden is a week old and I am still in shock that he came before the 2009 year ended!

I was scheduled to go in on Tuesday, 12/29 for my 37 week check-up! Sunday night (the 27th) I began getting Braxton Hicks /or contractions as what I am now told every 7-10 min. I went to bed feeling AWFUL and tried to sleep it off. This was ALL foreign to me. I had 1 Braxton hick with Parker and was induced with him. I woke up at 4:30 AM and got in the tub-hoping I would feel better. I felt the same! So, I just waited for the clock to say 9AM so I could call my OB. I had a feeling if I called the DR on call they would make me go into the hospital in the middle of the night-and I didn't want to have to deal with all that.
Mike went to work at 8:30 AM, Monday-12/28! I called my OB office by 9AM and  got a phone call back from then within 30 min. My Dr. was ordering me to go to Tri-age right away!
( FYI-since I was Placenta Previa they only want you to labor so long on your own.) The week before I was already 2 cm and 50% effaced. I had SO much to do before I could get to the hospital, I had to make arrangements for Parker (and THANK YOU Aunt Sam for watching Parker all day Monday and Tuesday!) I called Mike and he packed his bag to come back home (after being at work for only 40 min). We arrived by 11:30 to the Hospital and I refused to take my bags in! I really wanted another week or two to get things ready for the baby! Well that wish was never granted-but Mike sure got his wish! I got hooked up to the monitor and discovered that I was in ACTIVE LABOR. I was having Contractions every 2-4 min. Some were more worse then others. Apparently I had been in active labor for almost 2 days....but I had been having Braxton Hicks for almost 2 months-that my body just got used to it! I was asking when I was going to get checked and see if I had dialated any further. My Dr was the only one who could check me and she was with patients-so I had to wait for her to come. She kept getting updates from the nurses-and insisted on them giving me an IV to slow down my contractions! It didn't work! SO -by 3:00 the decision was made-Surgery was at 5PM. Baby was not going to wait and Baby wanted out! He was already descending down the birth canal!
I was so happy that He came when he did-Mike's parents were in the car by 6PM and drove all night to stay for the week with us! (My mother in-law is a teacher and had the whole week off!) God really has a better plan then any of us!
My surgery was a successful one with no complications. I am recovering well and being good not to over do it! I have a husband who has stepped up and been AWESOME to take over the whole house and care for Parker. I know he is really looking forward to the break once my mom arrives!
During the birth-The only concern was that the baby was only 36 weeks and 5 days gestationally. So we were prepared for him to go to NICU!
Here are the photos that will help unfold the rest of the day...a moment I will forever remember and YES the best surprise and happy ending to my surgery was hearing IT'S A BOY!

So few surprises in life and this was one surprise I will always remember! We are rejoicing that he came out HEALTHY and has been such a joy to hold and watch grow already! The NICU Dr. said Kaden was measuring as a 38 week for ALL of the tests! We were thrilled. Oh-he came out screaming and also Peeing in the air! He wanted to make it known that he was here and he was a BOY! LOL

And of course....he will always be known as our tax deduction baby! So, because he came the end of the year-it was so fitting for the proud CPA dad to get that name "Ramsey" in there after the famous Dave Ramsey (financial planner) As for the rest of Kaden's name-we loved Kaden -which means Spirited

Mikah (which is a form of Michael-means who is like God)

We will post another entry soon of our New Year's Day adventure with Big brother Parker! It is a FUNNY story and you will just have to come back to find out about Kadens first 48 hours at home!
Thanks for ALL the love and prayers! Can't believe my pregnancy journey has come to an end and now the journey of being a mommy to 2 has begun! Amazing how much love you can have for 2!

:                                   

SWEETPEA, it's a BOY: The $6000 Savings Baby

Kaden Mikah Ramsey Riese

Surprise, It's a Boy!

And a surprise, indeed, that December 28th is Kaden's birthdate.

We are thrilled and happy to announce our adorable 7lb 6oz, 18 1/2" healthy 36-week brown-haired baby boy.  He was born via scheduled [as of this afternoon] c-section, and arrived at 5:30pm.

Kaden and Mom are doing well.  Parker and Dad are holding down the fort and waiting for NeNe and Papa to arrive on the 29th!

Thank you for all the love and prayers.  More photos to come!

*****

Yes, those of you who know the father, will appreciate the second middle name as well as give Mike props for lucking out on his son's healthy birth and bypassing the January 1st change in health insurance.  Stay tuned in to Dave Ramsey... 

Tax Deduction Baby??!

Is what Daddy is really hoping for...Mommy-not so much! 

Today, we had my 36 week check up and we got some surprising news. I am already 2cm and 50 % effaced. Now, of course many mom's walk around being dialated for awhile-but I can only dialate to 5 and then my OB has to schedule me for my c-section. My OB said the baby is definitely not going to make it to Jan. 13th! She can not automatically schedule us next week for a c-section because I will not be 38 weeks (GA state Law for inductions or scheduled c-sections) But- Mike would be thrilled if we really have "Sweet Pea"  come naturally by  next Friday. From Mike's world as a CPA He is looking at things financially! -It would save us just about $7,000 to have the baby before the 31st. We will be switching to a new Health Care plan for GE on Jan. 1st. And unfortunately, we have a lovely 5k deductible on top of  oweing 20% of my hospital visit! But of course if the baby comes-before the year is over, it is all under the OLD plan and how amazing that it is 100% covered! Mike obviously cares most about the health and safety of me and the baby! But  he just reminded me of all that info today! No pressure on me by any means!!!!! I am having more frequent Braxton Hicks-but I am SO content for Baby to stay in as long as possible for the growth of the lungs and health over all! Not to mention that my mom doesn't come in until Jan. 9th and Uncle Rick and Aunt La-La (our neighbors and close friends who will take care of Parker if I go in before the 13th) are headed to FL next week! We do have some back up plans just in case. God really has a great sense of humor. I know that the moment we found out that we were expecting "Sweet Pea," God already knew how the whole ending would/will unfold. It really is a waiting window now for us. I really do not want the baby to come before the 5th- but that is me the "Planner/teacher" speaking! Keep us in your prayers over the next week! I did video the baby's heartbeat today (just for a fun memory). Heart was beating at  143 and that is really close to what Parker always was! I say BOY and Mike says GIRL!

We have been enjoying our time with Parker as we get ready for the Christmas Holiday!

I Love this photo of him looking so innocent and sweet!

 This past weekend we had a special visit from my College Friend, Krisha -her Husband Dave, and their 4 boys! Yes...We had a house of 5 little boys running around and Parker loved it! He was unsure what to think at first-but the boys showed him some new ways to play "Basketball" and now he loves it even more. They spent 1 night with us and are in FL for the week visiting some family. We will see them the beginning of next week before they head back to MI.

                       

                       I finally got our Christmas decorations up and

                       I really did keep it SIMPLE!

 

(The Wall Hanging Parker made at Pre-School!)

 I will add the video soon of Sweet Pea's heartbeat!

Next visit with my OB is on Tuesday at 10:30AM!

We will keep you posted!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!