Stratton's 1st bath

We gave Stratton his first "real" bath the last night and it was pretty funny. He didn't like it at first and kicked and screamed, but once he got used to it and after peeing in the water he decided it wasn't so bad. Just so you know we aren't totally redneck. . . we had to give him his bath in the kitchen sink because we don't have a baby tub yet. I registered for one and someone has bought it off my registry, I just haven't gotten it yet and so I didn't want to go buy another one.  We don't intend to continue to bathe our child in the sink for long! ha!

Jarrod held him and I soaped him up and rinsed him off.  .who knew a little thing like that would take two people and four hands!!

 

I think he would have liked to take a nap in the tub!

 

He didn't like being taken out and dried off at all!

 

Pistol Pete meets Wild Bill

My Papa (my Mom's dad) gave all of us grandkid's rhyming nicknames when we were born [ex. Scooter, Tooter, Pooter, Cooter, Rooter . . ect. . . ].  These "nicknames" were what he called us for most of our childhood. Well, except for me. Somehow my nickname stuck.  My nickname was Scooter, and to this day he still calls me "Scoot". I don't know why I am the only one that is still being called by their nickname?? Anyway, when my cousin Kayce had her son, Cooper, my Papa started calling him Pistol Pete, who knows where he gets these names, I don't know what Pete has to do with "Cooper". So, when I found out I was having a boy, Papa started calling him Wild Bill (which at least makes some sense, William. . .Bill?). I guess the great grandchildren's nicknames are going to be cowboy themed, instead of rhyming?! I am really not sure if these nicknames will stick like mine (hopefully, not!) but so far both of these boys are already living up to their names. Kayce, Aunt Judy and Cooper came for a visit today. That Cooper is a busy little guy! He wasn't interested in Stratton, at all. He was more interested in Taki and her toys, which he carried around the entire time. . .that and the watering can that was beside the back door. We attempted several times to get a picture of the two of them but to no avail! Stratton was a sleepy head and barely opened his eyes in the time they were there. Oh, well! There will be lots of time for pictures later! I am sure these boys are going to get into all kinds of trouble in the future together!

 

Here is a picture of Stratton sucking his thumb. . . he still hasn't decided which he likes better. Sometimes he wants a pacifier and sometimes he sucks his thumb?

Tomorrow Stratton's Nan (Jarrod's mom) is coming to baby sit while I get to meet some friends for lunch and shopping! I am so looking forward to getting out of the house for an afternoon!

Valley View shower

  

 

Sunday I was honored at a baby shower at out church, and I got so much great stuff! My favorite was a diaper bag made by my friend Amy. Stratton stayed at home with Jarrod, Jarrod's dad and my dad (all the women were at the shower) and then Jarrod's parents and sister stayed with him so Jarrod and I could go to church together (for the first time in about 2 months!) we also got to go out to eat with a group of our friends from church afterwards. It was a fun day, but I was worn smooth out. This week we are looking forward to a visit from Stratton's cousin Cooper on Wednesday and I am hopefully going to get a girl's day out Thursday with some friends, and then I have a doctor's appointment on Friday that I am not looking forward to at all!

2 week check up

 

We barely made it on time due to the little stinker. Jarrod had just given him a quick bath and was trying to get him in a clean diaper and get him dressed. Well, before it was all said and done we had gone through 4 diapers, he soaked the changing pad, a blanket and peed on the wall again. The pee machine was in full force this morning. We finally got him dressed and ready to go, I had to put on my makeup in the car on the way since the fiasco this morning took up so much time. We get to the doctor's office and of course they want to take all his clothes off (which really upsets him, he doesn't like to be changed) so they can get his weight. When I took off his clothes the nurse wanted to see where he had been circumcised and also his diaper rash. Well, guess what?? Yep, he started to pee just as soon as we pulled his diaper off. He soaked the blanket he was laying on and also the wall. Again we went though about 4 diapers before we left the doctor's office. The nurse said she had never seen a baby pee so much! ha! We got a good report, he weighs 7 pounds and 9 ounces now!! Man, has he put on some weight in the last week!! He is still the same length, which is normal. He won't have to go back until the first of October when he will get his 2 month shots.

Great new toy

 

My grandparent's (Leonard and Joy Kay) got Stratton this Rocker & Seat by Fisher Price. He really seems to like it! It's the neatest thing, it can be a rocker or a stationary seat that vibrates and plays music and nature sounds. I have been putting him in it a lot it works out great for times when I don't really want to lay him down, like now when I am in the office on the computer. There is one slight problem. . . it almost always puts him to sleep!

Last night went much smoother than previous nights. I was actually able to feed him and put him right back down with little or no fussiness and crying. I hope he is getting the hang of things! We let him sleep in the crib in his room last night instead of the pack and play in our room and we used the video monitor. That monitor is fabulous!! It's such a convenient thing to be able to see him without having to get up out of bed and walk across the house to check on him! I think Jarrod and I both slept better with him in his own room, too. Even though we can still hear Stratton's noises on the monitor it wasn't as loud and noticeable. He is still waking up about every three hours ready to eat, but he is taking the bottle faster and burping so much better! We have started feeding him 3 ounces and he has been eating almost all of it every time. I hope he gets some meat on his bones soon!

I am also feeling much better today. I guess it's got a lot to do with getting more sleep and I haven't had any fever in several days. I have felt so bad for so long and I can't tell you how ready I am to feel like my normal self again! I am still really sore and sometimes it takes a little while to get up and down , but I am taking very few pain pills, so that is also a good sign! 

We are taking Stratton back to the doctor in the morning . I think if it goes well he won't have to go back until 2 months. Yay!

He's a pee machine. . .

Stratton has managed to "get" my mom and Jarrod separate times while they were changing his diaper. Then last week while Terry, Jarrod's Dad, was holding him he peed through his diaper, clothes a blanket and got Terry wet. He has also done this to Jarrod on a few occasions while he is rocking him at night.  Stratton pees though his clothes almost nightly in his bed, we go through at least 2 gowns during the night, sometimes 3. (Thanks for the boppy pads, Amanda, they have been lifesavers!!) Well, somehow I have managed to avoid being peed on. .  .until yesterday. While changing his diaper, in the millisecond it takes to pull the old diaper off and fold the new one up, he got me! Actually he didn't get any on me, since it arced over his head and hit the wall and the window blinds and the table that is bedside the twin bed, in just seconds the boy had sprayed almost every surface with in three feet. I have been wondering how in the world he could pee through so many layers and get himself so wet at night. . .well now I know, the force alone cannot be contained by a measly diaper! It was like a pressure washer hose!! It took me half an hour to clean up the mess he made it a few seconds! I know you mothers of boys can relate and are laughing at me, I guess it happens to us all at some point!

 

 

 

 

Stratton~ 2 weeks old

So, Stratton was 2 weeks old yesterday! It doesn't really feel like it's been two weeks already!

My mom stayed with us last week (what a life saver!) since Jarrod decided he needed to go back to work on Tuesday and I was still not feeling well and getting around really slow. She kindly took the night shift with him so that Jarrod and I could get some sleep! That twin bed we put in his room has worked out great!! We took Stratton to the Dr on Wednesday for his one week check up. We decided to use Dr. Lowery Beck at the Apache Drive Children's clinic. We really liked him. Stratton's weight (6 lbs 12 oz) is in the 25% and his length put him in the 75%, so he has some growing to do! Dr. Beck said he was impressed with his size and how much he was eating and gave us an overall good report! While we were there they went ahead and circumcised him. I was really worried that I would freak out, so far so good. I am actually pretty proud of myself! The doctor also told us that we should use common sense when it comes to taking him out and having guests. He recommended that trips to places with large crowds, like the mall or church, should be postponed for at least 6 more weeks or until he is 2 months old. We don't want him to check something and end up back in the hospital!

I also went to the Dr. on Wednesday. I hadn't been feeling good and Tuesday night I started running a pretty high temp. It turns out I have an infection in my uterus (there is a technical term for it put I don't remember what it was) and they put me back on antibiotics for a week. If I am still running a fever after a week then she said that would probably have to put me in the hospital to administer antibiotics by IV. UGH!. . .as of today I haven't had any fever so far! I am praying that it doesn't pop back up, the LAST thing in the world I want to do is go back to the hospital!! I am still really sore and the meds I am on make me nauseous and totally kill my appetite. But I am getting better everyday. I am trying to take lots of naps, mainly when Stratton sleeps I try to, too!

Speaking of sleep. . .the boy sleeps ALL THE TIME! Well with the exception of a time period from about 3am-6m?? We have to intentionally make him uncomfortable when we feed him just so he will stay awake and eat. We are trying to keep him on a schedule and feed him every 3 hours, except at night and if it has been 3 hours and he hasn't woke up on his own to eat then we just let him sleep. Laura gave me a book called Baby Wise, about getting your baby to sleep through the night and we are going to try to follow it and see if it works! I hope so, if we could just eliminate the 3am feeding I would be a happy mommy! He is eating 2 ounces every three hours so we are going through the formula and diapers! We will probably start feeding him more next week.

I am finding it difficult to find clothes to fit our little guy! Preemie stuff is too small and newborn sizes are too large. This outfit is Carter's newborn and the length is perfect. . .it's just way too large in the waist! If he could stand up they would fall right off.  He is so long and skinny!

Funny Faces

This past weekend was pretty busy. Friday afternoon Jarrod and I both went to get our hair cut. I had not had my hair done in 2 months!! Jarrod's fam came so we could have a birthday dinner for Jarrod's dad that night so they kept Stratton while we were gone. Then Saturday my mom and dad came and babysat for us so we could go out to eat and to the mall. . .ah, the mall! Wow, have I missed shopping!! We ate at Lazzari's for the first time in almost 2 months, I am sure that is the longest we have ever gone without eating there in the almost 9 years we've been together.  It was so nice to get out of the house. Sunday afternoon I had a shower at church at HR so we ate lunch at Grandma's and Stratton got to to take his first trip to HR and grandma and grandpa's house. I had a great shower, I got tons of stuff! I was most excited about the video monitor my mom and dad got us and the play yard (pack and play) that the hostess went together and got us! {I will try to post some pics from the shower as soon as I get them from my mom.}