How in the world is it September 23?! I can't believe our little guy is a month old. He truly has blessed us beyond measure and we are completely head over heels in love with him. He is the perfect addition to our already amazing little family. He is our missing puzzle piece!
Miller is growing like a weed....He is now 11 pounds and is just about 23" long.
He eats like we've never fed him before, which is part of the reason why we had to stop breastfeeding. Breast milk just wouldn't fill him up enough. He is taking 3.5 to 4 ounces of formula every few hours. If we give him just 3 ounces, he is ready to eat again in an hour!! What can I say? We have big boys with robust appetites.
This is basically what Miller does all day.
Here are some of this month's milestones:
I am sleeping pretty good through the night. I usually wake up once at 2 or 3 and not again until 6 or 7.
I get hiccups all the time. They make me so mad!
I am wearing size 1 diapers.
I am very alert.
I am a noisy little fellow-I make all kinds of noises from grunting, to pooting, to squeaking, to noisy breathing.
I eat very fast and sometimes I spit up because I can't wait to get it in my tummy.
I enjoy sucking on my paci occasionally.
I hate being swaddled and love to sleep when it's cooler in my house.
I am a snuggler.
I am wearing 3 month clothes.
I am trying to hold my head up, just like my big brother did when he was my age.
I enjoy when people talk to me.
I usually only cry when I'm hungry, lonely, or mad at my hiccups.
I am quite the comedian. I make funny faces all the time.
I have to say, having two children under three is challenging, but very rewarding so far. It is nice having a baby around the house again. I love his smell, his little cries, and the noises he makes when he sleeps. I also love seeing Miles help us take care of his little brother. He is extremely sweet to Miller. The other day he even put Miller's pacifier back in his mouth without me saying a word. On one hand, I am proud of the big brother he has become, but on the other hand, I am sad to see him growing up so fast.
Despite the exhaustion and feeding issues we've had with Miller (Breast milk doesn't satisfy him enough, so we started supplementing with formula. Then, I got a really bad case of mastitis, so, we decided to pump and feed him formula. I hate it but I'm just not a milk maid), we are getting used to the new norm, quite well. Here are a few pictures from our second week at home:
All three of my guys in one chair
This is Miller after one of his feedings. He was full and happy.
I caught Miller sleeping like this one day. :)
Sweet daddy and sweeter Miles
Miller makes funny faces too. He actually has been spending more time during the day awake, which is nice.
I just love this picture to pieces. My sweet babies just melt my heart.
Yesterday, September 8th, all 4 of us went to see Dr. Blake for Miller's 2 week checkup. Miles wasn't too thrilled about being in the doctor's office.
But he quickly realized that this visit wasn't for him. Dr. Blake said that Miller looks healthy and happy. He now weighs 9lbs and 12oz and is 22 1/2" long. That means he is in the 85th percentile for weight and the 97th for height. If I'm correct, I believe he is bigger than his big brother was at this point in his life. So, little brother might be bigger than his big brother in the long run.
This is Miller at exactly 2 weeks old.
This is my crew on my first drive in 2 weeks. It felt so good to get back behind the wheel again!
Another big event this week is that we got to give Miller his first bath on September 7th.
Miles helped us give "Milner" his bath.
Miller loved his first bath, just like his big brother did.
All smiles and all clean!
And here's a little video of Miller trying to talk to me.
We spent Labor Day weekend in Arkansas with my family. I know. Miller is still a little one, but I HAD to get out of the house!!
We didn't do very much while at Hidee and JoePa's which was a nice change in pace. Alvin, NeNe and Cica, Uncle Joe, and NanNan all came to WM for the weekend. It was great getting to see them and for them to meet Miller.
Miller at 1 week old.
We had to leave on Sunday b/c Uncle Joe woke up with a fever and sore throat! That's all we needed!! We hated to head home, but didn't want to catch anything.
It was good that we came home when we did. Miller got to experience his first UT football game! We all went to Mimi's for the game and dinner that Sunday.
We spent two days in the hospital, which was right up Matt's alley.....just kidding. He hates hospitals. We wouldn't have been there that long, but with my c-section we had to stay at least two days. Monday, August 25th, we went home with our sweet Miller. When we left the hospital he weighed 8lbs and 12 oz. For his homecoming, Miller wore a white gown with a cardinal on it (Go St. Louis Cards!!) and a hat with his initials.
The car ride home wasn't as rough as I figured it would be and it was great to get out of that hospital room!!
When we arrived home, Miles wasn't finished with school yet, so, we got to get everything inside and settled in with our new little guy.
Hidee picked Miles up from school (I just have to mention how thankful I am for my mom. She was a lifesaver with Miles during the weekend of Miller's birth. Thanks for the help, Hidee!) As soon as Miles walked in the door, he said, "What are y'all doing here?" I guess he was used to having the house to himself for the two days prior. Despite his despair, he quickly warmed up to the idea of having us at home with a little brother. He pulled up his chair next to Miller's and said, "I want to watch Milner." So, he proceeded to touch Miller and give him hugs and kisses.
That first week at home was rough. Trying to heal from abdominal surgery, breastfeeding, and just dealing with a newborn again was difficult. We made it through, though. A huge thank you to Mimi, who checked on us daily, brought us lunches and dinner, and picked up/hung out with Miles. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us and supported us during this time.
A little "Miller time" for Miles and Daddy.
Sleepy Miller
Sleepy Daddy
The Wednesday of the first week at home we ventured out to see Dr. Blake for Miller's weight check. He weighed 8lbs and 13oz on August 27th. Dr. Blake also said he looked great.
As many of you know, our precious Miller is here! We have enjoyed every moment with him so far...but here's a little of our birth story...
On Thursday, August 21, Matt and I went to see our Midwife, Holly, because she wanted to check on our progress and do an ultrasound to see how big Miller was measuring. They measured him at 10 pounds and I was only dilated 3cm!! Therefore, Holly urged us into doing a c-section because she was worried about his shoulders being too broad to fit through the birth canal. So we scheduled one for Saturday, August 23.
That Friday before Miller's birthday, Miles went to school like normal and Matt and I hung out and ran a few last minute errands. I spent the entire day dealing with a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, I was petrified about surgery because the only surgery I've ever had is when my wisdom teeth were cut out years ago. On the other hand, I was nervous about if Miller would be healthy as well as if Miles would be ok with his baby brother coming into our lives. I have to admit most of my day was spent worrying, but I was a little excited about meeting our new little guy, too.
The next day....D-Day...we woke up really early to head to the hospital. Hidee, Mimi, Matt and I ventured to Jackson General while Miles and JoePa stayed home to sleep in a little. To our surprise, one of our pastors beat us to the hospital and was waiting on us as we went into the labor and delivery room to prep for surgery. We are so grateful to Gerry Campbell for coming to pray for and with us prior to my c-section to meet Miller.
We sat in the L and D room for a while, answering questions, getting filled with fluids, and trying to laugh out my nerves. Then...around 9:00 am....IT WAS TIME! I walked down to the operating room as a pregnant mommy. I had to leave Matt in the hallway. (He was really excited about wearing scrubs by the way!) The nurse anesthetist administered my spinal block. He did an amazing job and was so kind throughout the procedure. Then, they ushered Matt in and Dr. Gray and Holly got to work (I have to give a BIG thanks to Holly for coming in to assist. She didn't have to be there but she did for us and for that we are ever so thankful and blessed.) Dr. Gray said, "Ok, Lauren, I'm going to pinch you." I waited....and waited...and felt nothing. I said, "Dr. Gray...did you pinch me?" He replied with, "Oh yes I did. Big time!" I think that's when they cut my stomach.
Having never been through a surgery let alone a c-section, I had no idea what to expect. People told me all about how it feels and what they do, but until you experience it, you have no clue. I'm laying there on the operating table, my arms are velcroed to the table so I won't touch anything, and Matt is sitting next to me trying to crack jokes. He peeks around the sterile sheet and says, "I see your intestines." I told him to quit!! Then, after only about 5 minutes, the nurse anesthetist tells Matt that he better get his camera ready. As soon as Matt got it out, Holly jumped and pushed on my belly and out pops Miller. He cried immediately! It was the sweetest sound I think I've ever heard with the exception of Miles' cry when he was born. They brought Miller around so I could see him and he looked perfect.
Matt went over to Miller while they weighed, measured, poked, and prodded him. He scored a 8/9 on the Apgar scale. He did ingest a little meconium and had the cord wrapped around his neck, so, we were thrilled with our decision to do a c-section.
Miller arrived at 9:38 am weighing in at 9lbs and measuring 22" long. He is perfect in every way and we love him dearly.
After Miller's birth, they sewed me shut, gave me some pain meds, and took out my spinal. They asked Matt to head to recovery, so, he reluctantly went. He didn't want to go without me, but they assured I'd be there soon and sure enough I was! We got to spend some quality time with Miller before bringing in Miles. Miller immediately took to breast feeding, which was great.
Miles came in and was a little scared at first. I think he didn't like seeing me on all of the ivs and monitors. He said hey to Miller...then he would play a little...then, he would come back over and touch Miller....then some more playing...then, a kiss. I was so proud of how much of a big boy he was!!
After Miles' turn with Miller, we invited our family back little by little b/c we didn't want to be overwhelmed. We are really appreciative of the family and friends we had on hand to welcome in Miller. Here's a picture of everyone who came to welcome Miller on his birthday:
We stayed in recovery for about 2 hours. Then, they wheeled me to my room. Miller joined us soon after as did Hidee, JoePa, Meemaw, Papaw, Mimi and Miles. Miles got to see Miller again and this time, he held him.
Miles instantly took to Miller, which was a wonderful sight to see. We spent that first day trying to rest and spend time with our precious baby boy.
I love this picture of Hidee, Miles, Miller and Mimi. So sweet!!
Stay tuned....more on Miller's first few days and first week to come in the days ahead. A BIG thanks to all of the prayers, visitors, and support we've gotten over the past few weeks. We couldn't do it without our friends and family. We are extremely blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.
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