Boiler Up!

Xavier is sleepy after an eventful weekend!

He loves his belly sleeping........

X doesn't have a Purdue outfit that fits him at the moment so he wore the next best thing! His GNR one-sie! (its Gold and Black) Boilers in the Sweet Sixteen! Yeah!!!

Caden and Charlie Cheese-cake

I spent Thursday and Friday in Lafayette with mom and dad and nephew Caden. We had a play date on Friday with my cousin's son Charlie. Xavier didn't do a whole lot of playing....mostly sleeping and visiting with Aunt Mimi.

The car rides to and from Lafayette for the most part were good. I say for the most part because I enjoyed half the ride in radio silence and the other half in a screaming, sweaty mess. I thought Xavier didn't really care for his car seat but I am starting to wonder and think that maybe every time I put him in there he ends up getting a wet soppy diaper. As was the case to and from Lafayette. Yesterday we made it up to Fishers/Carmel area and he stayed in his seat for 10 minutes when we arrived! On the way home....last ten minutes crying but he was wet! Today we went to Shelbyville and he made it all the way there just fine...on the way home last ten minutes, crying and he was guess what.....wet!(and yes we did just change him before we left Shelbyville) Tomorrow I am going to see some friends in Brownsburg for lunch so we will see what happens on that ride!

Xavier is sleeping pretty well at night from 11 til 8 or so (with about 2 feedings), but it is on someone. As soon as you put him down in his bed, its about 6-8 minutes before he wakes up and starts crying. He is too young for me to let him cry it out yet, so back to the chair to sleep with me!

X will be 6 weeks this week!! Time flies.

5 weeks

Xavier at his long 23 inches!

Xavier and his buddy Cooper who he met this weekend

Daddy and X doing some push ups and tummy time.

How time flies!!! I really cannot believe that I had Xavier 5 weeks ago, but I did! We are doing fairly well. He is still having some fussy times in the evenings, not every night. Sometimes he decides to be fussy say from 10-3pm during the day and not sleep. However after a 30 minute breastfeed and 2 ounces of formula he is still out....and it is 6pm now. So I certainly do not know what the magic formula is for his peaceful sleep and eating patterns yet. I have been reading the Baby Whisperer but like every thing, it depends on which method or who you want to believe has the words of wisdom that work. We definitely need to get him in his crib to start sleeping, as in more than 10 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours at a time. Last night he peacefully slept on his Gigi for 5 blessed hours so that I could get a good rest in. One day at a time is all I can do and like my dad told me the other day, "It won't be like this for long" and in a couple months I will want my little baby/newborn back! :) I also purchased a hotsling for the daytime to use, and well....not sure my 23 inch boy is going to fit in that thing.....I need to watch the instructional video to see how it actually works. My swaddle blanket arrived today, so we will see how that plays out tonight also! I am willing to try just about anything it seems. And like Grandie has said, if someone told me standing in the corner on my head would help my child sleep or stop crying, I would do it!

Surprise!!

Nate, April, Abby, Ali, Anne and the 30 year old!

Drew flew in from San Francisco for my 30th Birthday! He kept it a secret from everyone but Josh, even my mom! She cried when he walked into the Upper Room.

Xavier didn't feel like looking at the camera for this one. My two boys and me on my 30th Birthday. (with my fresh new birthday hair-do-thanks Aubree!)

I took Xavier to see his dad on Friday at work. Even though it was casual Friday X got dressed up in his tie. (his onesie has a tie on it-thanks Aunt April!)

Okay, so Jake threw me a "surprise" 30th Birthday party on my birthday. I was surprised somewhat, mostly that my oldest brother was there! I just knew though that Jake would not be able to obey my "orders" and not throw me a party for my 30th birthday. He has been giving me way too hard of a time for the past 2 years about turning 30 to just ignore my "big" day. He did a fabulous job though. I think maybe Jake should get into the party planning business instead of me :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came and to everyone who wanted to but couldn't! I am very thankful for all my friends and family who wanted to celebrate my birthday with me, it really means a lot!

Thanks to Grandie for watching Xavier while we were out. I didn't stay out too long because I had to get home for breastfeeding and pumping, but we had a great time.

Well Xavier is 1 month old today!!! The last 4 weeks have flown by, sort of. He is 9 pounds and 12 ounces, 23 inches long for his 1 month checkup. He still has somewhat slightly elevated billi-rubin levels so is a teensy bit jaundice still, but it is working its way out. We have introduced some sensitive stomach formula to X, usually just once a day, sometimes twice. He seems to be okay with it. My breasts are still not quite healed. (sorry to those of you who do NOT want to read about breasts on here) We had a three day spell of major fussiness, starting on Sunday, but yesterday and today he seems to be doing a lot better. So keeping my fingers crossed

And again, I cannot thank my mom and Grandie enough for coming down once a week and helping out. I always seem to be able to get some things done when they are here, the other days I can barely make it to a shower it seems!

Jake claims he is now #2 in my life, which is well, kind of true, but both my boys are tied for #1 in my heart. Jake has been awesome. I still laugh to myself at all the times he told just about everyone that he would NOT be changing any poopy diapers. He comes home every night, gives us both a kiss and usually takes X for a diaper change. Chances are...its poopy! And Jake claims, that he changes and dresses X better than I do, so usually I just let him do it! :)

Well off to prepare for the next meal. I will try not to take too long to post again.

Daddy Time!

Xavier enjoyed playing Bicycle with Daddy tonight!

He has been having some awake time at night the last couple nights. Some of them have been fussy nights!

Okay just wanted to post a couple pics with his eyes OPEN. Off to feed Xavier's big tummy!

THANK YOU

Huggies bath time on Saturday morning

Daddy and me working on head control

Just chillin

Two words I cannot seem to say enough of in the last few weeks. Thank you to Jake for being such a great, devoted father after he comes home from a long day at the office fending off upset people about the market! Thank you to my mom for helping me through some nightly feedings and sleep during the week! Thank you to my sister, friends, mother in law for constant food and nourishment. Thank you to all the mothers and friends who have been giving me good advice on my over-used breasts and feedings.

Thank you to all our friends and family for all your visits!

I knew breast feeding would be a deeply rewarding experience for both myself and Xavier but I never really realized I don't think that you become glued to your couch or rocking chair in anticipation of the next feeding. We have had to supplement a little for X because he has been doing a lot of clustering feedings lately and I just sometimes cannot handle it. I have started to pump some for the days or nights when I need to go somewhere or be somewhere so Jake or someone else can feed him breast milk. It is not as easy as it seems, thats for sure.

I have made it almost 3 weeks though. My goal is to make it 1 more until he is a month old and hopefully by next week, I will make it yet another week.

I used to joke around about how I was not breast fed as a baby and I might have made my mom feel bad when I did that. I have to say I am sorry because her pain from my brother was probablly 10 times worse with Mastitis and I completely understand now why she decided to take a break on breastfeeding me.

Okay enough on my woes of breasts.

Here are a couple pics of Xavier from last week. Can't seem to get the camera out when he is in his awake stages, although at 3 am that is the last thing I am thinking about!

Oh and Thank you to my friend April who came over today and we went out for lunch for the first time. I was sweating to death at the beginning of it when X was crying but all it took was for me to take him out of the car seat and snuggle with him then he no longer bothered the 3 people having a business lunch next to us!

Oh and one more thing, Xavier is anxiously anticipating the arrival of a new cousin! Ashley, Brady and Caden are expecting a baby on September 19th. We of course are hoping for a girl, but 10 fingers and 10 toes and a healthy baby are most important! Our friends the Deno's though just found out girl #2 is on the way for them, their bundle of joy is due July 29th, Dustin's birthday!