Memorial Day Weekend

So, this past weekend was Memorial Day Weekend and Vic took off an extra day to make it a wonderful 4 day weekend! It was just so nice to have him here all 4 days. We didn't do anything exciting--in fact, we were pretty lazy and just stayed at the house, but just not seeing him go off to work each day was very nice! Things we did:

1. We ate hot dogs for dinner on Sunday AND Monday which I am sad to say I was very excited about. I love hot dogs, but during my pregnancy I didn't eat them since that is one of the iffy items to eat when you are carrying around a little one! Good news though: they were just as tasty as I remembered.

2. We napped. A lot. Atticus does not mind napping on top of you at all. While I typically put him in his bassinet or swing to nap, there are days that we have been up for so long and if this is the way we can both nap, then I am up for it. So, Vic and I napped with him a lot this weekend.

Have you ever seen anything sweeter than the above? If you said yes, I do not believe you. It's just not possible. Atticus is just so snuggly right now!

3. I took an outing by myself on Friday. Gymboree, aka the most adorable children's clothing store I have ever seen, was having a big sale AND I had a 30% off entire purchase coupon! So, Vic stayed with Atticus and I raced out in between feedings to the mall. I shopped till I dropped and came home with some adorable items including a swimsuit for Atticus! Does Atticus swim yet, you ask? Well no. But, I'm sure we will have a couple of reasons to wear it this summer even if I have to turn on the sprinklers in the backyard and put Atticus in his suit to just sit on the porch and watch the water! Trust me - it was a necessary purchase! OH! And I happen to have a picture of some Gymboree items that Vic's aunt and uncle sent us. How sweet!

I cannot wait until he is bigger to dress him in these!

4. We attempted a walk in the stroller. I have to say it was not a great success. First of all, it was just plain HOT outside. We went in the afternoon but next time we plan to go a little later in the day. It was also windy. And while Atticus was completely shielded from the wind, we are not sure if he was just too hot or the wind was loud or what, but he was not interested in the walk that day. It was short lived. When we got back to the house, Vic noticed he was not upset while in the stroller so he instead walked him around the house - through the entry way to the living room to the kitchen to the dining room and back around over and over. It was pretty funny! But, Atticus was happy!

Our first attempt at a leisurely walk in the stroller...Instead of fussing, Atticus is completely calm, alert, and looking around as he is happy to be pushed in the stroller in the air conditioned house.

5. We also started trying out baby carriers. My sweet friend Megan brought 2 over for me to try out. I really want to find the perfect one because sometimes Atticus just needs a little loving and while I would LOVE to hold him 24 hours a day, I cannot because I have to be semi-productive at home. So, if I can carry him, we both win. Here is a pic of us strapped into one. I have to admit that I love holding him and having him look up at me this way. So, even though he is probably being forced to look at me by the way he is strapped in, I'll take it. He is just so sweet.

I love this little man!

So, that was our Memorial Day Weekend!

Bathtime!

We had to wait to give Atticus too much of a bath until his umbilical cord fell off. But, now that we are, we have learned it is not easy! He is semi-good and semi-fussy during the bath right now. And just as we get him soaped and rinsed, he poops on the sponge in the tub. So, we try again and he poops or tinkles again. It is pretty comical. We have to get him out, clean the sponge, dump the water, refill the tub, insert the sponge, put Atticus back in, rewash him and hope we can get through it without any other potty accidents. During this ritual the other night, I was holding him to wait for Vic to prepare the tub again and Atticus decided he would obey and NOT go to the bathroom in the tub. Instead he went all over me! We could not stop laughing as our poor sweet naked baby was crying.

Mom! Dad! I don't think I'm interested in this bath!So, I'll just put my wet soapy hand in my mouth instead.

Also, do you know how slippery a wet baby is? It's a little scary as you get him out to rinse his back or make sure he is clean right before you put him in the towel. He is just as slippery as can be!

But, I have to admit - nothing is sweeter or better smelling than a clean baby wrapped up in a giant towel. Even if he doesn't really enjoy it!

Activity Time

So, I know that Atticus is still pretty young to get much out of the Activity Mat. But, since Atticus is also our little plaything, in addition to being our beloved son, Vic and I have been enjoying the mat with him anyways. It really has some great toys on it - they make noise and have different textures! I love it!

Our first attempt was short-lived; he fell asleep immediately.
But, the next evening, Atticus was very alert and very intent watching Vic show him the toys and talk to him. Too bad that pole is in the way - I love this picture of them looking at one another.

Already getting bigger...

Thumb sucker?

We might have a thumb sucker on our hands. Or just a random finger sucker. Or an entire hand sucker. It is most cute when Atticus figures out how to put that thumb in his mouth. But, sometimes he likes hands and fingers too. He never took a pacifier and we haven't seen a need yet to give him one, but if he takes his thumb, that is ok with me.

Random thoughts...

A few random thoughts:

1. Weight Loss due to Breastfeeding - Everyone says that breastfeeding your babies will help you lose your pregnancy weight more quickly! You know - more calories burned to make milk, etc. However, I have learned the REAL reason you lose weight when breastfeeding...it's because you NEVER eat! Just kidding; now is better than originally, but in the first couple of weeks and even now, the clock just ticks away while I am feeding him over and over and the next thing I know, it's 2:00 in the afternoon and I haven't eaten lunch. Or it's 11 in the morning and I've missed breakfast. I am getting better because I have to eat in order to provide enough for Atticus, but at least now I know the real reason you lose weight!

2. My Nest - So, because I am here all day and night long and because I feed Atticus so often, I have realized that I spend 8-10 hours in my rocking chair in the living room. Next to my chair, I have built My Nest of items that I need to survive. These include: water - sometimes I end up with 2-3 bottles or glasses; cream for my tatas to keep them pain free; "Complete Guide to Breastfeeding" book and "What to Expect Year 1" book for all of our constant questions; camera, video camera; house phone and cell phone; clock (for timing feedings); snacks - so that when I sit down for a feeding and realize all of a sudden I am starving, I have backup; mittens, socks, burp cloths, blankets -- by the end of a day, I realize we have lots of these lying around all over the house! So, those things keep me pretty satisfied when I begin feeding and have needs! It is funny though that I've built a nest next to me. Vic and I are not typically nest-builders. We would make terrible birds.

3. Snuggling - This is my favorite thing to do with Atticus. He is such a good snuggler. I love to hold him and cradle him in my arms. And I love the way his little head falls limp when he sleeps on my shoulder. But, honestly, my absolutely very favorite way is when he snuggles up against me - his stomach to my chest and his little face is facing up towards me and he just buries himself into me as close as he can get. It's almost sweeter when he gets upset and cries and then the moment he is in that position, he is happy and content. It makes me feel like I am a good mom, even after I've let him cry and cry because I cannot figure out for that instance what the heck he is upset about. I know he will not do this forever, so I am enjoying every moment that I can.

Those are my random thoughts for now.

Just A Swingin'

As Atticus grows, even though he is still less than 4 weeks old, we are excited to show him new things and use some of our wonderful baby gifts! So, this week we finally put Atticus in his swing that his Aunt Jill gave him! Before this week, he seemed too little and the instructions said he needed to be 6 lbs to be in it, so we waited a couple of weeks to give him plenty of time to grow a little. Anyways, 2-3 times a day instead of napping in his bassinet, Atticus naps in his swing. It has music and it automatically swings, so it is a nice change for him and a nice change for me to not have to swaddle him (he is already kicking out of the swaddle sometimes).

Sometimes we look around and listen to the music while we swing....And sometimes we are just so exhausted from our big day, we need a nap.Look at this sweet little face!

Only 24 hours in a day?

It is hard to believe how much time it takes to care for a newborn. Everyone has said "say goodbye to sleep" but not only was I not truly prepared for sleep deprivation, but I also wasn't prepared for how much time it takes just to feed Atticus and change diapers. Okay, changing one diaper doesn't actually take that much time, but changing 74 in 7 days? Yes, that is how many we went through this past week - 74! So, it does add up. And we tend to change outfits between 4-5 times each 24 hour period - so that takes time. Plus, snuggling with him, consoling him, and just staring at him takes time as well!

But, the biggest time consumer of all is feeding him. I am breastfeeding him, which was tough to begin with. I won't go into all details here - I will save those for my girlfriends. But, there is a big process of learning how to get Atticus to latch on and stay on; how to make sure everything is in the proper place to know he is nursing and not just suckling; deciding whether he is getting enough to eat each time; figuring out why at certain times he wants to eat for 2 1/2 hours without getting full and other times is done after 10 minutes on each side. So, there is just lots to learn for both of us! Towards the end of the 2nd week, we had it down as far as eating regularly. The first week and a half or so, we had a hard time. Sometimes Atticus would go 12 hours (this happened about 3 times) without nursing constantly or nursing good (well?). This was frustrating because I felt terrible knowing he wasn't getting enough to eat but not knowing what to do. This led to the first breakdown of tears (aka bawling) when he was 6 days old and we were getting a weight check at the dr.'s office. He had lost 1 1/2 oz. and I just fell apart because I knew he wasn't eating enough. All is better now; At 2 weeks old, he weighed 6 lbs, 12 oz! I have just learned that Atticus can be a little impatient at times and sometimes a little lazy (he thinks the milk should just be poured into his little mouth out of a crystal goblet instead of him actually getting it for himself). But, he is precious and I do not mind the learning curve we went through! We have got it down now. Well sort of - we still alter our schedule all the time! But, he is eating and eating a lot!

I want to give you a quick breakdown of how my day is spent:

1. 8 - 9 feedings a day @ approx. 1 hour each (this is being conservative) = 9 hours.
2. 10 diaper changes a day @ approx. 5 minutes per change (have I mentioned it does take longer when he decides to tinkle on me instead of in the diaper and thus, typically required another outfit change?) = approx. 1 hour.
3. Feeding me/showering me/dressing me*/having adult conversations with Vic = 1 1/2 hours (this is being liberal)
4. 3-4 daytime/nighttime naps @ approx. 2 hours each (again - liberal) = 6-8 hours tops!
5. Blogging/picture uploading/work/baby laundry/small to-do's still for nursery = approx. 3 hours.
6. Consoling, cuddling, snuggling and holding my sweet baby Atticus is done the rest of the time and many times replaces things like #3, 4, and 5! And this is my favorite one of all!

And sometimes we just spend all 24 hours with one another eating, changing diapers and napping! We even include Daddy when he gets home!

*Dressing me means just exchanging one set of shorts and tank top for another; the first set having tinkle, spit-up, milk, etc. on them and needing to start fresh each day after my shower. I do not care if anything matches, is too revealing for public (let's be honest here - the more revealing a top, the easier it probably is to breastfeed him..hehehe), do not apply makeup, and let my hair airdry. I am lucky my husband loves us not matter what!

So, that is my typical day right now. And when I do hit that exhaustion point each day, and it DOES come at some point each day, I am still so thankful for our new little family of 3!

This is how Atticus prefers to spend his evenings. Snuggled on the couch talking to Daddy.

2 weeks old

So, I am a little late in posting this picture...he is closer to 3 weeks in real life now. But, I want to keep track of his pictures by comparing him to this monkey! Well, comparing his size to this monkey - monkeys are cute, but Atticus is much cuter!

He was 2 weeks old in this picture. I just think he is adorable.

Hiccups, Toots, Sneezes

**I should go ahead and warn anyone that reads this blog that Vic and I have changed our lifestyle so much that talking about diapers and spit-up and breastfeeding has become a regular part of our conversation. And thus, sometimes a part of my blog. I will also go as far to say that during his "poop color transition" we got very excited and proud of our little boy's successes in the diapers and talked about it! So, if you are not interested in that kind of talk, I will not be offended if you skim over or skip altogether certain posts...:)** (this is mainly for Taylor Verett if he is reading...haha!)

Okay, it's about time I start describing everything I love about this little boy of ours! First of all, these last few days Atticus and I have been at home by ourselves with Daddy at work. So, we spend all day long together. We talk and eat and have our diaper changed (Atticus - not me) and sometimes we cry and sometimes we get fussy, but overall our days are pretty good. Especially now that breastfeeding is easier (a post on that later).
And I cannot help but tell you some of the cutest things about him. First of all, he toots, hiccups, and sneezes constantly. He has the hiccups right now as I type this. Hiccups do not seem to bother him, while I would be constantly unhappy if I got hiccups as much as he does. And he can be so funny when he has hiccups - he gets quiet and wide awake and it's as if he is concentrating on the next one coming. While hiccups tend to calm him if he has been fussy, they are not so welcome while feeding him - sometimes it's hard to eat and hiccup at the same time! And the toots are so funny - they are SO loud and so constant. And sneezes (which fortunately we learned does NOT mean he is coming down with a cold) are the cutest little sneezes you ever saw! He also moans all the time - when he stretches and moans, you would think he has the hardest life ever!

He also makes the funniest face with his lips - he purses (sp?) them together kind of like a fish mouth and kind of like he is gearing up to give you a big kiss! They get completely firm and I just love to touch them when they are in this form. Here is a picture:
He also has a very specific routine now with breastfeeding...at least most of the time this is the routine. We eat on one side, rest, stretch, burp and then we are finally ready for the other side. If you mess with this, sometimes it can change the entire feeding process. A nurse at the hospital called him demanding...I think he might be!

Truly though, Vic and I love to watch his expressions and learn his moods and personality. He smiles (even though he doesn't know he is smiling!) when he sleeps. And we could swear he laughed the other night...we could just be optimistic. But, we laugh a lot at our house, so this is very possible! He is so squirmy sometimes and just moves the arms and legs around. He does this funny little pose of sticking his legs out straight as a board in front of him and leaving them that way for a minute. He has really big "big toes" and long fingers and toes in general. We think those are his daddy's.

He snuggles so sweetly and loves to lay on your chest and sleep. We are good to put him down to let him sleep, instead of holding him all the time. But, I have to admit that I know they are only babies for a little while and if I just want to pick him up and hold him and let him sleep in my arms, you better believe I do it!

We just love everything about him. We are so proud of him. Get ready - these 'I love Atticus' posts are going to come for a long time...here are lots of adorable pics just because!

This picture says "Don't bother me; I'm relaxing!"He sleeps with his arms above him all the time if he is not swaddled (heck if he can get those little arms out of the swaddle he still prefers to sleep this way!)

There is really nothing sweeter than a little baby sleeping on your chest...so snuggly and warm!

Sleeping on Daddy's chest....both of my boys were so tired!
I hardly ever get pictures with his eyes open...he was totally relaxed here!

Whoop! Charley's Aggie Graduation

Well, I might as well keep blogging the first 2 weeks of Atticus life, but also want to talk about Charley's Aggie Graduation!! First of all, we have had 2 great weeks of family in town. I was very set on wanting to have family wait to come until our baby was here. This was mainly because Vic and I needed all of that labor and delivery time to ourselves since we didn't really know what to expect. Our families would have been there in a heartbeat to sit in the lobby and wait or visit or do anything we needed them to do. But, we decided that until the baby arrived, we'd do this on our own.

We did have Charley and Ana, who were already in town, come to bring Vic lunch and they even waited all afternoon until Atticus arrived before they left to quickly get ready for Aggie Ring Dance! They also helped update family members throughout the day. I never actually saw them, but it was so special that they were there.

Anyways, as soon as Atticus arrived so did our families. I mentioned this in another post, but it worked out so great to have GG here while I was in the hospital and then relieve her and have my mom here for our first few days at home. Vic's parents and sister Jill also came for the first weekend at home. Then, we had a day to ourselves and Molly came to visit for a couple of nights. Then, my grandparents, Melbo and Pa, and GG and my parents all came again the 2nd weekend to celebrate and attend Charley's graduation!! So, it was a whirlwind, but wonderful to see everyone and let everyone meet Atticus right away!

For the 2nd weekend, when all of the Erwins were here, we celebrated Charley's graduation! It is hard to believe that the 4 years went by so fast. Charley has been a big part of mine and Vic's life, from his first semester when we got married all the way to his last semester when he became an uncle! I couldn't be happier to have had that time with Charley. He was always a phone call away to come help Vic with some project, celebrate events and holidays in College Station with us, house sit, or come eat dinner and hang out. And while Vic always teases that he never knew his first kid would be college-age and Charley always gives Vic a hard time about being so "old", the truth is that he and Charley have become great friends. So, to say the least, as happy as we are about his graduation, we are going to miss him being here. A lot. Good thing we had a baby to attract him back down here as often as possible for a visit!

Charley graduated on Friday, May 13th at 9am with a B.A. in History and a minor in Business. Because of feeding Atticus so often and because it was easier for my grandparents to miss the stair climbing and walking around Reed Arena, the 4 of us stayed home and watched graduation online. My aunt, mom, dad and Ana attended the ceremony. It was perfect though because Melbo said she had the best seat in the house to watch him graduate on the computer! And she literally had the "best seat in the house". As soon as the ceremony was over, they all came back to the house for his family party! Even our cousin Mary got to come hang out too! That night we all enjoyed a dinner of fried fish and sides, and jalapeno/shrimp/cream cheese/bacon appetizers, and homemade pie! Everyone played darts and sat on the back porch visiting and everyone got their share of turns holding Atticus! It was fun and relaxing and just a wonderful memory.

Molly had to miss the weekend, but otherwise, we do not get our entire Erwin Family together that often because of the 4 hours between us. So, it was extremely special to have everyone in my house at the same time! We are all so proud of Charley! He is headed back to the DFW area to look for a teaching and coaching job and we are praying he finds the right thing at the right time!

Our graduate and his beautiful girlfriend, AnaProud Parents!
Mom, Dad, Charley & Geeg

Pa, Melbo and Charley
Brothers!

So proud of him!
Lots of Aggie Rings!
Dinner with the entire family! (Mary is letting us eat by holding Atticus in the living room - thanks Mary!)
Gotta love some back porch sitting time...the weather was so perfect!
Adorable couple - keeping the dart game scores!
Money tree...where can I plant one of those?

And this is the best picture of all...
Class of 2011 and future class of 2033!

CONGRATULATIONS CHARLEY!

Heading Home!

GG laughing and Atticus not happy after our very long "leaving the hospital" experience.

So, this picture just makes me laugh! First of all, I was so sad when we were not allowed to go home on Tuesday, as originally planned. 1) I wanted to go home and 2) the reason we had to stay was for Atticus' jaundice and being a new mom, I was worried about him. At least they let us stay instead of just keeping him and sending us home!

So, Wednesday morning, they discharged us. We were so excited! As much as I loved my stay and enjoyed the people at St. Joe's, I was ready to get out of there. We went through all of the check-out stuff with the nurses and put his going home outfit on and were ready to put him into his carseat for the first time and head out the door! Well, it turned out we needed some adjustments to the carseat, so the nurse left and Vic adjusted the carseat. Just as we get ready to load him in it, we realize his diaper is dirty. So, we stop to change it. It was a 2 man job, so Vic and I are just getting started when he starts to poop all over the place. And I mean everywhere. The diaper is open; the poop is coming out; we are scrambling to clean him and save his outfit from being dirty; we are realizing that we have NOTHING available to clean him because the nurses have signed off on us and taken his plastic bed with all of our necessities; the wipes, diapers, etc. that we did have were already loaded into the car; we were a mess! But, worst of all, we were laughing. And couldn't stop. Atticus is crying, Vic is trying to handle the diaper and keep me from laughing as I am holding my stomach to lessen the pain. I learned that c-sections mean your stomach is so sore that even laughing can be painful. But, we laugh a lot! So, I am laughing, Atticus is pooping, GG is laughing, and Vic is trying to take care of the diaper disaster. What an experience!

After that, the nurse comes back in so we can load him in the carseat. By that point, it was really getting close to being time for Atticus to eat, so we asked if we could go ahead and feed him before the trip home. The nurse agreed and we start a new task of stripping him down, stripping me down and attempting breastfeeding. We get him fed and eventually get him loaded in the carseat, out the door and to the car.

I guess it was just so funny because GG said this is exactly what having a child is like! Just when you get ready to go somewhere, a million things can happen to delay you. All we wanted to do was get out of the hospital and go home and it took an extra 2 hours just to do that! The nurse probably thought we were never going to leave!

All bundled up and tucked away into his carseat for his first ride home.

Atticus Vic Seidel

Atticus Vic Seidel arrived at 5:35 pm on Saturday, April 30th, 2011 via C-Section at St. Joseph's hospital in Bryan, Texas. Our doctor was Dr. Bertsch and she, along with wonderful doctors and nurses at St. Joe's brought him into this world! Atticus weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. He is just perfect!

For the official story: On Thursday, the 28th, I went in for my regular doctor's appointment and my blood pressure was high. It had been high on and off for the previous 7 or 8 weeks, but after protein tests and more glucose tests that came back with good numbers, it was decided that I did not have preeclampsia and Dr. Bertsch was not concerned. But, this time the blood pressure was much higher than it had been and she decided it was best to plan to deliver. We were only 36 weeks but after an ultrasound showing he weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, it was decided that we would induce the following Saturday morning. So, I took the next day and a half to rest at home and keep the blood pressure down and at 5:30 Saturday morning, Vic and I headed to the hospital.

We checked in, got settled in our labor and delivery room, got my IV (after 2 tries - my skin is tough!), and began the pitocin. At 9:05, Dr. Bertsch broke my water and I was dilated to 1 1/2. About an hour later, I got my epidural. I'd had some cramp like contractions, but saw no reason to wait. :) The epidural made my blood pressure drop and made me sick but then we got settled back down to wait on our surprise gender baby to arrive!

The day progressed until about 4pm when I was dilated to only a 5. Throughout the day, when I had contractions, the baby's heart rate would drop. So, they would stop the pitocin to let my body do my own contractions but then the labor would still slow down and it was just a back and forth process of starting and stopping pitocin. So, by 4pm, they decided that the labor was progressing too slowly and a c-section would be necessary. After more meds to make me numb from the chest down, they took me to the operating room. It was surreal - everything happened quickly and since I didn't have contacts in, I couldn't see a lot of what was going on. I was sick during the c-section which was a little miserable. But, otherwise, all went fine! The doctors and nurses were great and so nice! Vic got to suit up in operating scrubs and mask and saw him as soon as he arrived and took pictures. I was so glad because as I said, no contacts were in my eyes - and I am as blind as a bat!! They did bring him to my face so I could see him, which was wonderful!

I was in the recovery room for 2 hours and then moved to our post-partum room. We didn't see and hold Atticus until 9:30 that night. I don't think it had sunk in at that point; but it was so wonderful to see his little face and touch him. And to think he had just been in my stomach before that - such a miracle!

He definitely has his daddy's chin and other than that, we will just have to watch him grow to decide what features belong to what family member.

We were in the hospital for 4 nights. We had to stay the 4th night because Atticus had a little jaundice and had to stay in the bilirubin blanket. But, Wednesday, the 4th, we got to come home and start our life as a family of 3. Here are a few pictures....really he is perfect. Vic and I are so happy!

5:30 in the morning in our labor and delivery room...waiting for our baby to make his/her debut!He is here! This was in the operating room right after he arrived. It was such a wonderful experience not knowing whether we were having a girl or a boy until Dr. Bertsch pulled him out. Vic said that he wants to do it that way every time. He always wants it to be a surprise. I agree! (sorry for the hand on the chest...I was not allowed to touch my body below my chest because of the sterile environment. I was a little sick and turning to the left so my hand just came with me instead of laying out flat to the right. Sort of funny now, but looks goofy!)Finally we can hold him!

Vic's parents came Sunday morning to meet Atticus and stay for the day.
He already loves his Aunt Geeg...she came Sunday morning as well and stayed until Thursday morning. She was so wonderful to stay the night on the very uncomfortable couch so Vic could sleep at home and get actual rest. Plus, it was just fun having GG there with me!
Atticus also has a very proud Uncle Charley! Looks like they are already having their first of many conversations right here...

We had lots of visitors at the hospital - girls from my office, girls from Vic's office, our Pastor and intern, friends, etc.

Also, since everyone asks for background on why we named him Atticus: It started out with Vic liking the name Atticus from the book "To Kill A Mockingbird". Over time, it just grew on me too and Atticus became our favorite boy name! And, our sweet little man just fits it perfectly.

Until next time....