Hey Jude!

You're one month old today!








Jude is wearing an outfit that Asher wore in his 3 month photos. I put him in it today and I'm glad I did because he will not be in it much longer!

We had a rough day yesterday...lots of screaming, very little sleeping. But thankfully I have an awesome husband who could tell I was spent. He let me go to bed early and he took over. Love that man!

But today is much better. I need to remember that bad days are almost always followed by good ones. You can't avoid the bad days, but they make the ones where everyone eats good and sleeps good so much sweeter.

Two Sleeping Boys

That's what I've got at my house right now. We laid down for a nap at 2 and everyone but me is still zonked out. Love that!

So I thought I'd take this moment to, of course, blog. Laundry and floors...they can wait.

So...life with 2 under 2. It's actually not as scary as it sounds. There are moments of pure insanity, to be sure, but overall, it has been reall good. As my friend Susanna just pointed out on her blog, when you go from none to one, you also have to go through the reality of losing your freedom and ability to just pick up and go when you please. That was a hard transistion for me because I am s-e-l-f-i-s-h! But now, having already dealt with that and knowing what to expect, things are much easier.

I don't want to make it sound like it is a breeze because it isn't. I'm working pretty hard these days and on way less sleep. But I love those little boys!

Asher is doing great with his baby brother. We have to remind him to be gentle, but he is only 18 months old. I have to remind myself of that so my expectations of him stay real. I don't have to use the baby monitor because the second Asher hears a little whimper from Jude, he looks at me and says, "Baby! Baby!" He still is very into kissing him on the head and yesterday, as Jude was laying on his playmat, Asher brought him a bunch of books and put them all around him--just in case Jude wanted to do a little reading.

Jude is doing great, too. He is about 11 pounds now! The boy likes to eat! He is going through that unfortuante baby acne phase, but is still just adorable. He is a little heater and his head is always sweaty. He is also a little bit of a goofball--twice we have heard him start to scream that "I'm in serious pain!" scream only to discover that he had a fistful of his own hair and would not let go. Bless his heart. We have caught a few little smiles, but mostly just really intent stares. Oh, did I mention he likes to eat? I nurse him, but cannot keep up with his appetite so I supplement with formula. It's kind of a hassle to do both, but I want him to have all the immunities that he can get from me, but also have a full tummy. So meal time takes a while, but it is worth it.

We have been out and about quite a bit. It's funny how much sooner Jude has been out of the house. At just short of 2 weeks, he was already running the roads with us. I just leave him in his carrier and cover it with a blanket. I went out by myself a few days ago with both the boys to the new Target that opened up about a mile from our house (how awesome is that!) No one melted down so I felt that the trip was a success.

And now for the pictures...just some random shots for your enjoyment.

Sunglasses, a guitar shirt, and alligator house shoes. The boy's got style!


Asher and Jude (in matching outfits!) with their great-grandmother, Mimi.



Tummy time (of course he hates it.)



That's better!



Flaky skin and baby acne, but still so cute!


Adventures in learning to feed one's self.

Asher's Favorite Song

Asher is absolutely in love with this song! We listen to it every day as many times as our sanity allows. So I thought I'd post it here so you can enjoy it, too.

So Here's How It Went Down

I was having contractions all day on Sunday, but they were not consistent. Up until about 1 am the next morning, I would have a few that were about 8-10 minutes apart and then the next one would be 15 minutes later. I fell asleep around then and woke up at 4 am to a strange "popping" sensation. With Asher, I never felt my water break, but this time, I did. I got up and walked into the bathroom and started calling Kris out of the depths of sleep. I didn't want to scare him, so I tried my gentle voice, but had to switch to my loud, panic voice because he was not even stirring.

When he finally came to, I told him my water broke and that we could officially go to the hospital without worrying about looking stupid and being sent home. This relieved me greatly. Within a few minutes, we were on our way. We live about 40 minutes from the hospital where my doctor delivers so thankfully it was early enough in the morning that we avoided any traffic. We even made a quick stop at CVS to buy batteries for our camera because I really wanted to have lots of pictures this time of the birth. Kris was nice enough to let me wait in the car while he ran in--a prince I tell you.

We made it to the hospital and my contractions were getting stronger and were about 5 minutes apart at this point. We got up to the L & D floor and got settled in a room. My nurse began hooking Jude and I up to the monitor. We both had normal vital signs and everything looked good to proceed with the plan for a VBAC. I started filling out forms (in between contractions) and the nurse left the room for a few minutes. She came back and said something to the effect of the doctor on call said I could wait for the next doctor to come on because he wasn't dealing with a VBAC this late in the shift. Those weren't the exact words, but the nurse was pretty clear that I was a problem he did not want to deal with. Issue #1.

Next, the nurse tries to start an I.V. in my hand. I told her that I have really bad veins and that last time, the nurse anesthetist had to come get it started. She assured me she could get it so she sticks me and then proceeds to chase the vein around in my hand for a good minute. It hurt! I was just looking away praying that she would hit the vein quickly. She finally gave up and my hand had this huge swollen lump on it. Issue #2.

She decides to go get another nurse to try. While she is gone, I start to feel really nauseated and light-headed. The nurses come back in my room and Kris tells them how I am feeling. One nurse lays me back and puts ice packs on me while the other one tries her luck at finding a vein in my arm. She digs around too and is also unsuccessful. At this point, I feel like I am 2 seconds away from passing out which causes Jude's heartrate to drop from the 130's to the 80's. This causes about 6 other nurses to rush in, along with the nurse anesthetist who sticks me and has the I.V. going in about 4 seconds. Issue #3.

The next thing I know they are rushing me out of my room and I am begging for someone to tell me what the heck is going on. I am feeling better by now but am being wheeled down the hall to the O.R. for, as someone kindly bothers to clue me in, an emergency c-section. I really wanted to cry at this point, but decided to postpone my tears since I needed to focus on what was going on.

They put me on the table and the anesthesiologist begins to put in my epidural. He gives me the first lidocaine shot and then I have my second expereince of someone digging around trying to find what they are looking for. Your spine, I must say, is way worse than your hand. This docotr gets very frustrated and ends up having to stick me 3 times trying to get the needle in the right space. Not. fun. at. all.
(It should be noted that, by now, both mine and Jude's vitals are back to normal. So the "emergency" is over. But once you are in an O.R., you are getting a c-section whether you need it or not.)

This is the point where my memory ends. This is a huge blessing because what happens next is not for the faint of heart. Apparently, they never got the epidural working right when I was sitting up so they laid me down and tried to put it in again. At this point, a nurse was sent to go get Kris to come in to be with me. As they walked back in, I was lying on the table moaning and writhing in pain. They had begun the surgery, however, that epidural still wasn't working. So basically, my poor husband had to see me after they had just cut me while I still had sensation.

They rush Kris out and made the decision to put my under general anethesia. So I am intubated and completely knocked out. The communication between the nurses and the doctor was not the best because they went and got Kris again, only to have the doctor yell at them to get him out. No one has told him anything at this point so he is totally distressed by now. They take him to a waiting room and tell him that someone will be in to get him soon. Of course the worse-case scenarios are running through his head because he has still not been told that we are O.K.

After Jude is delivered, they come and get Kris and he is able to hold Jude for a few minute before they take him to the nursery. Then Kris is taken to recovery where I am. I'm pretty disoriented as I try to make sense of what happened. I'm thankful that Jude was delivered safely but very sad that, once again, I don't get to see my baby born or hold him right after.

The nurse that originally tried to put in my I.V. comes to the recovery room and begins to apologize for everything. I'm really in no mood to have a conversation at that point so I'm not sure what I said. I later found out I was the talk of the whole floor. Thankfully, it's not very often epidurals don't work and they begin cutting so I was a hot topic among the staff. In the middle of all the drama, my friend who is a nurse there came on for her shift and found out that it was me that all this was happening to. She ended up having to take the next day off because she was so emotionally drained from what went on. If she was that affected, you can only imagine who upset Kris was. And let's not even talk about my poor mother.

So at one day shy of 41 weeks, I delivered Judah Kristopher. It was not what I planned and I believe many errors were made that could have been avoided, but the most important thing is that I have a healthy little boy. And instead of not being able to hold him for 5 days like with Asher, Jude was brought to my room a few hours later. There is much to be thankful for regardless of what happened to us.

2 boys. 2 out of the ordinary birth stories. I think I'm taking a few years off from the having babies business because no telling what #3 may bring :)

A Few Pictures

Me and little Judah K.



Our family of four. (Kris was right--I am smokin' hot.)



Cutting off the tags.



Jude and his BIG brother.



First bath at home.



Jude in a milk coma.



Asher kisses Jude on the head about 40 times a day.



A real post where I actually write something is coming soon. But for now, enjoy the extreme cuteness and the stellar photography.

I'm still alive

Just popping in to say hi and thanks for all the sweet comments! I'm very much in the throws of "newborn-induced exhaustion" so as soon as I get a little more energy back, I will post the birth story. It's a doozie. (I hate that word, but I can't think of a better one. Pregnancy brain's friend, post-partum brain, is just as brutal.)

Check back soon--many more pictures to come of "the boys!"

More pictures of Jude

Thanks for praying for us. Jamie and Jude are recovering nicely. Asher is seems to enjoy his new role of big brother. Fear not, the exciting, lovingly crafted post that you have grown to love and expect from this blog shall soon return when my smoking hot brilliant wife settles back into life with 2 boys. With no further ado, here are some more pictures!

God has bestowed another blessing upon us.

Has this this thing gotten smaller, or am I not as small as I once was? ...

Little Jude!

Mamaw, Jude and big brother Asher.

Asher loves his baby brother.

Jude's Pictures!!!!!!

Here he is...

Judah Kristopher is here!

Yesterday morning Judah (Jude) Kristopher made a remarkable entry into this world. It was full of stress and uncertainty, but by God's grace, he and his momma are healthy and recovering well. Jude was 8 pounds & 9 ounces. he was 19-3/4 inches long. He was born at 6:32 via emergency C-section. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 139:13-16...

"For you formed my inward parts;you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,the days that were formed for me,when as yet there were none of them."

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Praise God for His graciousness and blessing.

kris

p.s. Pictures will be up ASAP

Still waiting...

I don't like waiting. It's no fun. But instead of going on and on about being almost 41 weeks pregnant, I will spend my time a little more constructively.

My little Asher is growing up so fast and I have been meaning to record some of the things he is saying now. Not that you care, but I think we all know by now this is the closest thing to a baby book the poor kid has. So bear with me. According to the ticker to the right, he is 1 year, 5 months, almost 3 weeks. Here is what I can immediately recall of his vocabulary:

First, my favorite: "ottawa" which means "other one." He calls his other lovey (besides Dumbo) ottawa. If he sees a plane, he points up and then looks at us and says "ottawa?" meaning we need to wait until we see one more. When we put one shoe on, he hands us the other and says "ottawa." You get the idea :) Sometimes he drops the "wa" and says "otta" and then whatever he wants or sees another one of.

Animals:
--dog, cat, lion, bird, snake, and monkey are all called the sound that they make. I try to get him to actually say the name, but he feels the sound is sufficient.

--tuh-tah (turtle), buh(bunny rabbit)

Food:
--cracker, yogurt(go-guh), milk (meh), apple(a-pah), banana (ba-ba), pancakes(pah-cah), cookie(cah-cah), chicken (chi-chi-chi), water(wa-wa), ice cream (i-cah)

People:
--Mamaw (meh-mah), Poppy (pa-pa), Micah (bike-ah), Nay-Nay(Aunt Renae), Saige (sah-ge), Tye(said with a very sweet southern drawl, baby (buh-buh), Grandpa (pah-ca)

Things: (all with their various pronunciations ranging from "very clear" to "only we know what he means"

--bible, book, guitar, pick, car, ball, blocks(pops), shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, diaper, wipes, bath, towel, soap (pope), help (his favorite word that I hear no less than 89 times a day--sounds like "op"), God, door, "Little Bird" (his favorite song that he wants to listen to 89 times a day), pillow, shower(sha-sha), rain, this, that, yes (dah!),

--he "counts" but will only say "one" never 2 or 3 or any other number. He just points to whatever he is counting and says "one" over and over again.

--he can answer the first 3 questions of the Children's Catechism:
Q:Who made you?
A:God (Gah)

Q:What else did God make?
A:All things (Ah tas)

Q:Why did God make you and all things?
A:For His glory (go-gah is all he says--so glory and yogurt are the same thing.)

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I love, love, love watching him acquire these new verbal skills. It is so fascinating to me how he is learning a whole language with very little direct instruction. I love how babies and toddlers never think "I don't know how to say that so I'm not even going to try." If the word is too hard, they just call it soemthing until they are able to say it correctly. No fear of being wrong...must be nice :)

Also, I just remembered...I took him to the dr. last week and he weighed 27 lbs. Other notable stats: He is in a size 6W shoe and he wears 18-24 month clothing with the occasional 2T thrown in.

The Update

So I went to the dr. yesterday for my 40 week appt. No change from last week. So the deal is if I don't go into labor on my own by next Tuesday, I will probably have a c-section on Wednesday (which, incidently, is my dad's birthday.)

Thankfully, I am not too uncomfortable. I think since he has dropped, breathing and sleeping have gotten easier. And I have more room in my stomach so I'm still enjoying food :) So other than being really big, I'm feeling pretty good.

My preference is to not have a repeat c-section, but since the main goal is a healthy baby coming out safely, I'm not going to get too worked up about how that ends up happening.

Life's Simple Pleasures

A good pb&j sandwich.



Cool new-to-Asher shoes from Jackson (and a free "gun show").



Playing guitar.



Listening to Elizabeth Mitchell on iTunes.



Some good dumbo-lovin'.



Does it get much better? I think not.

40 Weeks Tomorrow!

Little Judah Kristopher...already so different from his big brother. One can't wait for developed lungs to make his entrance, the other may come out ready to say his first words.

I don't get it.

But I just host the knitting-together party--I don't call the shots. So I'm trying to be patient...not my strong suit, but I gotta learn somehow, right?

This is the woman I love!

A guest post by Kris Rives

My lovely wife has invited me to post any time i want , so I thought I would tell you a little bit about her. She is a model of grace and humility. She is beautiful, lovely, kind, funny, intelligent, thoughtful, thought provoking, a wonderful wife to a difficult husband,

and a loving mother of two precious, energetic blessings from the Lord (Asher and Jude (who will, Lord willing, enter the world any day now!)), and my best friend and helpmate.

Her wit is only matched by her beauty. She speaks reason and truth amidst the offensive banter of this fallen world. She speaks words of truth and encouragement into my life. She speaks of Christ, His Church, our falleness, His faithfulness. She is my beloved, the wife of my youth. I am humbled that God would entrust such a precious treasure into my care and allow me to call her my wife.

Cheese!

I love this smile!

Here's my 38 week shot. Lovely. I was going for a wistful, forlorn look.



Here is one of Asher thoroughly enjoying some chicken nuggets. The enjoyment is mainly derived from the tiny bit of ketchup I allow him to dip the nuggets in.


OK--enough random pictures for one day :)

Haircut #2

So apparently Asher turned 5 since he's been at Mamaw's! She took him to get another haircut from the same lady that gave him his first one. Oh my goodness...why did it make him older???

(They keep emailing me adorable pictures of the little man that I feel compelled to post immediately.)

At Mamaw and Poppy's House

I just received these pictures from my mom and dad of Asher all torn up and sad because he misses his mama and daddy. He is spending 2 nights there so I can catch up on a little rest and maybe even a few chores.

Asher loves his Mamaw!





He never has any fun at Mamaw and Poppy's and wants to come home right now. I know it looks like the water hose and baby pool are a big hit, but if you look deep in his eyes, you see how homesick he gets for me. At least that's what I tell myself.

5 Strollers

That's how many we have right now. A bit much at first glance, but allow me to justify the excessiveness.

We have a single Combi stroller that accomodates our infant carrier. I love Combi because they are super lightweight and they fold up very nicely. They are a little hard to maneuver if you are on the taller side, but that is the only drawback.

Then we have a Chicco umbrella stroller that is easier to haul around than the Combi, especially once Asher outgrew the infant carrier (a sad day indeed as I had to wake him up if he fell asleep in the car as opposed to just popping the carrier into the stroller and him never being the wiser.)

Next we have a Jeep jogging stroller. It is a single, but I love it because it handles really nicely and has built-in speakers and a jack for the ipod or a CD walkman. We won't be getting a double jogger because the only thing more ridiculous than 5 strollers is 6 strollers. We'll just alternate who gets to go on walks.

Up next is a Maclaren double umbrella stroller that we were given. I love Maclarens and I love even more that we were given this high dollar item (thanks again, Kelli!) But you can't use an infant seat in it. It will be great when Jude is older, but I really wanted something that would allow me to leave him in his seat when we arrive at our destination.

This leads me to the fifth and final stroller, the Combi double stroller that we just bought from Craig's List. (Craig's List is definitely the way to go for items like this. A $300 stroller just isn't in the budget, so finding a used one for less than half price is great. And then when you get Mamaw and Poppy to help out, it makes it even better!) I have been stalking that site daily trying to find one. I finally found one, talked the poor lady down about $50, and went and picked it up today. I do love to wheel and deal, I must say.

And the thing is, I don't want to get rid of any of the single strollers yet. Not until we are through with the "having babies" portion of our lives. What if we reach a point where we are back to just one kid that needs to be strolled. Then we will be in need of the singles again and I'll be glad I retained the option.

Baby gear! It has a way of taking over, doesn't it?

"I once was lost, but now I'm found,"

said my camera!

I was distraught yesterday. DISTRAUGHT I tell you. I thought our camera was lost, never to be found again. I searched high and low and could not find it anywhere. I was convinced some scumbag broke into our car and took it, along with the roughly 800pictures that were on the memory card. (A brief aside: Never let your memory card have that many pictures on it! It's a tragedy waiting to happen.)

But last night, Kris continued the search and thankfully found it hiding in the filing cabinet. All was right with the world again.

Kris then dumped all the pictures on to the computer and then burned them to a DVD. And I learned a very vaulable lesson...just because you have a 2GB memory card does not mean that 2GB worth of pictures need to be on it.

In other news, I go to the doctor for my 38 week check-up today. I know I still have 2 weeks until D-Day, but I am praying he decides to make an appearnace a little early. I'll keep you posted.

Update: No major progress to report...apparently Judah K doesn't feel like he has anywhere to be so he'll just enjoy the present accommodations as long as he can.

Still waiting...

I realize that my lack of blogging may make some wonder if there is any baby news to report. So I thought I would pop in and let everyone know that Jude is still incubating and seems to be in no hurry to go anywhere...which is good...don't get me wrong. We are all about full-term babies here. I just can't imagine that there is that much more room left in there for him. Surely he is reaching capacity, right?