Six Years and One Month Old

Little man has now become the big brother, and he is so loving!  Each day when he comes home from school the first thing he does is find his brother and kiss on his head.  I make him go wash his hands and change his shirt before he gives too much loving.  He doesn't really like this part; he'd rather go straight to loving on his brother.

Rocco really likes playing video games on the Wii.  He plays Super Mario Brothers, Mario baseball, and Mario kart.  Recently he's started acting like Donkey Kong by beating on his chest and copying the Hoo-Hoo-Hoo sound of him.  His newest toy is a Nintendo DS.  We've been playing Mario Brothers on it, too.

He says some funny things sometimes that just crack me up.  Right after Maverick was born he said with much surprise, "He doesn't have any teeth!"  He honestly had no idea that babies were born without them.  "We won't have to brush his teeth because he doesn't have any!" was his conclusion.

And speaking of Maverick, the other day he had some gas.  He let out the loudest poot...just let it rip.  Rocco looked at him on the couch and then said to me, "Mommy, the problem is just that he doesn't have any manners!"

The other day I got a text that I needed to respond to, but at the time I was playing Mario with Rocco.  We were trying to beat the dragon and save the princess.  As I began to type words on my phone, he said with frustration, "Mom, this is not the time to be texting!"

Another funny comment he said while on our trip to the mountains made me crack up.  We were just driving around the outlet mall.  Jason and I kept pointing out the stores that we wanted to go in.  Rocco had been listening in the back seat.  Then, he piped in and said something that made him sound like a grumpy, old man.  "Well, if y'all are going to all those places I'm just going to stay in the car."

As we're going down the road or even when we're just in the house I'll often change my voice to talk like a pretend character we've made up.  His name is Johnny.  He stutters and can't tell time.  I've used him to make Rocco laugh as I've taught him about hours and minutes on a clock.  Johnny thinks it is 13 o'clock or five sixty.  "No, Johnny,"  I say.  There's no such thing. Rocco laughs and laughs when Johnny comes around.

This is Rocco's third year playing tee ball.  He's had a couple of practices; Jason is his head coach.  Games start in May.  He really likes playing.  When Carolyn watches Maverick, Jason or I will go outside to practice pitching and throwing with him.  Compared to last year he has more strength when hitting the ball, can hit is when pitched vs. just batting off the tee, and he runs faster.  He just keeps on growing up!

One Month Old

Maverick is now one month old.  Once we got home from the hospital we began to try to get to a new normal.  I admit it was fun being a stay at home mommy (even though most of this month I had to take it easy as I recovered from my C-section).  Carolyn stayed at our house a lot during the week days to help while Jason was at work.  I looked forward to 3:30 pm each day because that's when she would bring Rocco home. Then, both of my boys were with me.  

I'm going to try to take Maverick's monthly pictures in the blue chair with him wearing a white onesie just like I have done with Rocco's growth.  Here is the latest on baby Maverick.

When we returned to the doctor for a 4 week old check up, he was 11 lbs. 8.2 oz and 24 inches.  He had grown 3 inches since his birth.  On the growth scale, he was above the 95th percentile for his height.  His head circumference measured 39 cm, putting him somewhere in the 50 to 75th percentile for his head size.  

If he isn't in one of our arms getting spoiled, he's laying on his boppy pillow, in his swing, or on his play gym having tummy time.  He is such a strong baby; he holds his head up while on his stomach and turns it a little.  Of course this is just for a few seconds; still we're impressed with his strength.  

I love the fact that Maverick has the same bed and nursery bedding as Rocco did.  Here are our two boys spending some time together in the crib.  Rocco still sleeps with us, and Maverick sleeps in his pack and play.  We just use the crib when I'm cleaning or working in the nursery.  

At just a month old, Maverick's arms flail around a lot.  He doesn't really have much control over his movements yet.  When Rocco gets close to him, Maverick with hit him unknowingly with his hands.  Rocco acts like he's getting karate chopped.  For this reason we call Maverick the "littlest Samurai."

Other than the doctor's office we haven't taken him out of the house much.  For spring break, however, we took a trip to Pigeon Forge in Tennessee.  This was his first vacation.  He did great on the long drive there (about 3 hours).  He slept the entire way.  What a little champ!  On our four day trip, Jason and I took turns doing things with Rocco while the other one held the baby or just stayed back in the condo.  Here we are at putt putt golf.  He did good in the stroller until about hole 15.  

 Once we got to the 16th hole we had to golf like this...taking turns holding him.

Other events this month...
1)  His umbilical cord stump fell off 3 weeks after his birth.
2)  We can tell he is gaining a sense of trust in us because he quiets down when he hears our voice trying to sooth him. Sometimes we'll put him in the swing for a while and he'll began to cry; as we go to pick him up he stops crying as much.
3)  When we place our fingers in his hand, he grips it very tightly.
4)  He does NOT like getting a bath.  Once we got home from the hospital, Jason gave him his first wash down.  He screamed.  I've given him all of his baths since then, and he continues to scream like a girl.  He gets so mad when he gets wet that his face turns red.  To be such a little baby he sure can pitch a fit.  

He's not even submersed in the water and he's partially covered with a towel.  It doesn't matter, though.  Getting wet and cold makes him mad as rips!
5)  His vision is not well developed just yet since he is a newborn, but the other day he focused on a little red monkey toy that vibrates.  The sound of it scared him at first and he cried, but later he just looked at it and studied it.
6) Maverick and mommy are getting the nursing thing down pat.  It's been a learning process for both of us. He usually feeds every 2 to 3 hours and takes two to three ounces. I am so thankful that God has given me the ability to nurse him.  At one point in the hospital I wondered if I would be able to because of all of my health complications.  I am so thankful that Maverick is pretty much off all formula at this point.

Super Reader

Rocco reached a really big goal today.  He earned his tags for reading library books and passing tests on them.  Each book is about half of a point at his level because they are beginner books.  He can only take one test a week.  We've been reading for months, and today he finally reached 10 points.  

Out of the 40 or so kindergartners at his school, I would say less than 10 reach this goal all year long.  Well, Rocco met this goal and he's still reading.  His picture was taken and placed on the big bulletin board in front of the school. 

Big man was so proud when nana brought him home today.  He had me close my eyes and told me that he had a surprise.  When I opened my eyes he showed me the tags.  Way to go Rocco!  We are so blessed to have a Super Reader in the house!!

Baseball Season Begins

This is the third year Rocco has played tee ball.  He's stepping up a bit this year and playing coach pitch.  If the players don't make contact with the ball after several tries with the coach pitching it, they get to hit it off of the tee.  Rocco was ready to begin the season.

In our small town, the local businesses sponsor the teams.  The first year Rocco played on the Car Wash team; the second year he was with Triangle Storage.  This year the gas station sponsored the team he is on, so we are called Marathon.  Here's a few of his teammates in the dug out during the first practice.  The kids are 4 - 6 years old.  

 The neat thing is that Jason is Rocco's head coach.  It should be an interesting season; Jason's very competitive!  I predict we'll have a winning season.

Newborn Photos

We had a couple of photographers come out and take pictures at our home of our family.  Maverick was just two weeks old.  Actually my brother-in-law's brother, Chad, and his business partner took these.  All of these were taken in the nursery.  You would have thought we went to a studio.  They did a great job!

Psalm 139: 14 in the background (I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.)

Two Wonderful Grandmothers

When the doctor said I could go home from the hospital, I honestly wasn't sure if I was ready or not.  Obviously I wanted to be at home in my own bed, but I didn't have much strength.  I had not even walked the halls of the hospital my entire 6 day stay due to all of the complications I had.  Ready or not though I went home that Saturday, March 31st. On Sunday Jason didn't go to church to preach.  Thankfully he stayed home with me that morning.  The rest of the week he returned to work.  If it had not been for my mother-in-law, Carolyn, I don't know what we would have done.  She stayed with the baby and me during the day.  

  

She cleaned, did laundry, washed dishes, helped take care of Maverick, and picked up Rocco from school each day. For two weeks our church provided supper for us, which was such a blessing. All of this kindness from friends and family really allowed me to just rest and recover.  Once I had been home a week, we received a special visit from my mom.  She lives out of town and has a lot of responsibility on her.  She's currently taking care of her parents, my grandparents, and is not able to get away very much.  Having her at our house for a couple of days was a real treat!

 Mimi sure looks proud in these pictures.  She enjoyed every moment getting to love on her two boys.

 My mom helped us out by driving Maverick and me to my first doctor's visit since the delivery.  Jason met us there.  Praise the Lord I got a great report from the doctor.  My blood pressure was excellent, and my hemoglobin was back up.  It's just a miracle from Jesus how my body has recovered since my hospital stay. Everything looked great.  Here's my doctor.  I just love this man.  He delivered Maverick, and he dropped everything and ran to my side to help me during the trauma after the delivery.  Dr. D. is a Christian man, and I'm blessed to have him as my doctor.

Easter 2012

Happy Easter!  Jesus Christ is risen!  We have hope beyond this life.  We can have eternal life through God's precious Son.  I love Easter and what it means to me as a born again Christian.  

Since little man is still not supposed to be in large crowds just yet, we did not make it to church today.  We did manage to get dressed up in our best for a few pictures.  This was Maverick's first Easter.  Here are my two boys in front of our azaleas in the flower bed.  Notice how Rocco's hand is on his little brother's head.  He rubs his head a lot like that and kisses on it, too.  I think that is so sweet!

 I don't think he was crying here...maybe yawning.  I didn't get many pictures of him in this outfit because he got it dirty with a diaper mess up.  I believe this was the first time I ever put shoes on him.  Check out Rocco  chewing on his gum.  This is so him.

 Carolyn took this picture of us.  Jason was still at church.  Thank you Jesus for my two boys.  They are both such miracles.

 For lunch we went to Gary and Carolyn's house.  We tried to get a picture of all 4 grandkids.  I love this one because everyone is just kind of doing their own thing.  It shows just how hard it is to get 4 kids to all sit up and smile at the camera at the same time.  Rocco is smiling here but has thumbs down.  That's his sense of humor.  Hey, at least Drew was ready.

I'll Take You For a Ride on My Big Green Tractor

What is my husband doing? 

Yes, he is a little crazy.  He's strapping the car seat inside the tractor.  And there they go...

 Our son is not even two weeks old and he's going on his first tractor ride with his daddy.

I thought this was pretty sweet of Jason to get some father-son time in.  And Maverick loved it!  He fell asleep on the ride.  Rocco is such a mama's boy, and he seldom likes to go outside and work with daddy.  He'd rather be inside playing Mario on the Wii.  .  .  so daddy may have just found his new farm hand.  Looks like the littlest peanut might be the one who likes hanging outside.  For Jason's sake I hope he at least likes to cut the grass.  ;)

First Doctor's Visit

 We came home from the hospital on Saturday, March 31.  On Tuesday, April 3, I was finally able to give Maverick a bath.  At the hospital the nursery took care of that, and when we came home I was still feeling weak.  It was a real treat to finally take care of my baby!  Rocco and I enjoyed it; Maverick screamed.  He's not very fond of being undressed and wet.  He is such a snuggly thing...his daddy spoiled him in the hospital.

Once he was all clean, Carolyn helped me load both of the boys into the car for a doctor's visit.  It was an early appointment so Rocco didn't go to school that morning.  It had only been a week since my C-section, so I couldn't drive.  Carolyn drove my Honda, and Jason met us at the doctor's office.  This was little man's first trip somewhere.

Rocco's check-up came first.  He just turned six.  He measured 3 1/2 feet tall and 33 pounds.  Thankfully all was well, and he didn't need any shots!  The doctor said he won't need any until his is 11.  Great news for our big guy!

Maverick's checkup was next.  He had already gained back to his original birth weight of 9 lbs 6 oz.  He gained an inch in height.  He was now 22 in long.  What a big boy.  All checked out well with him.  We are so blessed to have two healthy boys!  

After the appointments, we went downstairs and ate at Subway.  Then, Carolyn and I took Rocco to school.  When he got there his classmates were coming up to him with excitement. They were so glad to see him.   They just love Rocco.  Who wouldn't?

The Unexpected

After I held Maverick, Jason and the baby began to move to a regular hospital room.  But by 10 o'clock they told Jason he needed to come back to the recovery room because I was having some complications.  Throughout the entire ordeal that day I was aware of what was happening to me.  I was conscious as I lay there with my uterus filling up with blood.  The problem was that it was not contracting down to the post-delivery size that it should.  Instead it was filling up with clots.  I learned later that they called my doctor to come back.  He ran to my recovery room and cancelled the rest of his patients for the day.  I was hemorrhaging.  Nurses had tried to push on my already sore abdomen to get the clots out.  My uterus would not go down like it should as long as it was so full of blood.  They pushed and pushed on me so many times that I lost count.  A very concerned Dr. Dean came in and ordered them to give me some shots of a certain medicine that would hopefully stop the bleeding.  Every time they would push on my abdomen I would cringe with pain internally and feel lots of blood leave my body.  Later I found out that I lost three and a half liters of blood between the C-section and the hemorrhaging.

I could see the concern on the nurses' and doctor's faces.  I knew it was bad, but the bleeding wasn't the end of my problems.  Because of my low blood volume, my mitral valve got stuck.  I had come through a mitral valve repair at age 23;  I was now 35.  I remember more doctors coming into my room and by this time it was getting crowded as I looked around.  I even asked them if everyone in the room was necessary.  The doctor assured me that everyone was working to help me and that all had an important job.  Through a lot of this distress I just lay there and closed my eyes.  The concerned looks on the doctors' faces scared me.  By this time my heart rate was 165; it would stay extremely fast for about 3 hours.  My blood pressure dropped to 57 over 35.  When I tried to raise up on my bed I would gasp for air.  I couldn't breathe and this really freaked me out.  They made me lie flat and put an oxygen mask over my mouth.  There was another doctor putting more IV's in my other arm.  I ended up with three of them.  I heard the doctor ask what my blood type was.  When they told him B - he said that it would take 30 minutes to get that type.  They ran to get type O and quickly began giving me units of blood.  I would end up taking 7 units in all in addition to frozen plasma and platelets.  I found out later that I had lost 70% of my blood volume.  

I remember someone asking me if I was afraid to die.  I told them, "No, but I'm scared of having to go through surgery again."  I didn't realize how close I was to an emergency hysterectomy, but if I had not stopped bleeding they would have had to put me back in the OR to take out my uterus.  That would have been a very risky surgery under my circumstances.  

At one time I looked to my left and saw Jason standing in the back of the room.  He was letting all of the medical professionals do their jobs, and he just looked so helpless.  Through it all he remained calm.  It made me feel good to see him there.  Just knowing he was in the room with me made me feel better.  I asked the doctor several times if I was going to be alright.  I just wanted to be assured that everything was ok.  I heard him say that I needed to go to ICU so that they could watch me.  ICU?  That can't be right.  I'm supposed to be going to a room where my baby is.  That's what I thought.  But sure I ended in ICU by lunch time and remember begging the nurses and my mom to get me some ice.  My mouth was so dry. My mom fed me ice and sat by my side for the longest.  It was so good to have her there with me.

I was hooked up to units of blood for a long while, and they were giving me more shots (I think for my heart rate). Even though I was medicated I remember being in so much pain.  My abdomen hurt so badly I could barely move.  I just lay there looking at the monitor and hoping my blood pressure/heart rate would do what they needed to do.  

I did rest some, but I remember being in the ICU room with the curtain closed.  It was just me and the Lord.  A nurse named Babette helped me, and I really liked her.  It seemed like things were settling down for now, but I didn't like being back in ICU without a family member.  They could only come back for short moments.  At one time my best friend's husband, Jason B., slipped back to check on me.  He was a nurse at the hospital.  It was so good to see a familiar face.

It seems weird to me now thinking back but I didn't ask to hold my baby again.  All I could do was just lay there.  I dreaded the times the nurses would have to come in and push on my sore abdomen.  They had to make sure my uterus was shrinking down and I wasn't bleeding too bad.  The pain was horrific when they tried to turn me on my side.  I was in no condition to hold my newborn baby, and I didn't even have the frame of mind to even ask for him.  It did make me sad deep down though thinking about how all of my family and Jason's family were there seeing our baby and I was missing it all.  I couldn't even see Rocco when he came to visit.  

Thankfully they brought Maverick back to me later.  Jason came in with him in one of those closed off boxes just to protect him from getting any germs or sickness.  I could not hold him, but as least I could see him.  What a precious sight!

 Thankfully the pulmonary and cardiac doctors were pleased with how I had pulled through.  I give God all the glory for how I survived on the day I delivered.  The second day in ICU would thankfully be my last, but little did I know I was about to face another complication.  

After the nurses bathed me off, they had me sit up.  My head pounded with this awful pain like I had never felt before.  I quickly moved to a chair and reclined.  At least I was out of the bed.  The lactation consultant came in later and helped me pump some colostrum.  They took a small syringe of it to Maverick.  This gave me a little hope that maybe I would be able to breast feed him.  I figured I would not be able to because of my ICU stay and the time I had been away from him.  Throughout the entire day in ICU though I had to lay reclined.  If I ever sat up my head pounded.  They could not even wheel me into my hospital room that day for the headache I had.  They rolled me in a reclined chair.  An anesthesiologist confirmed that my headache was due to the spinal that I had during my C-section.  A small section in my lower spine had been punctured, and blood was draining out of it.  Any time I stood or sat up it caused me to have a tremendous headache.  They said they were even worse than migraines.  Because of my blood loss, my platelet count was very low.  This prevented me from having a "quick fix" called a blood patch for the headache.  They would normally have injected some of my own blood into my spine to sort of plug that leaking hole.  The doctor said that it was just too risky with my current blood condition at the time.  Perhaps I could have the procedure done the next day or two.  

In the end the headache caused me tremendous pain and proved to be a major inconvenience.  I could not sit up to nurse Maverick or eat.  Jason or my mom helped to feed me, and I nursed lying back in the bed.  Several anesthesiologists tried to help me. They so wanted to give me the blood patch.  My platelet count got much better, but when they did a clotting test they saw that it took a tiny prick on my arm 8 minutes to clot when it should have only taken 3 to 5 minutes.  If the blood patch went wrong I could bleed really bad and possibly end up paralyzed.  The risk was too great.  I would have to wait for the headache to go away naturally as the spinal hole closed up on its own. This could take a week or two. 

They said caffeine would help stop the headache.  Jason fed me chocolates and I even drank a Coke.  I haven't drunk caffeinated sodas in over 10 years.  They make me sick and dizzy.  Needless to say that Coke gave me a headache in the front of my head and did nothing to take away my spinal headache I already had.  

When they took my catheter out, I had to get up to go to the bathroom.  I would have to walk leaning over or my head felt like it was going to explode.  Once  I got back in the bed I would cry in pain from the headache.  It would take me about 30 minutes to recover just from going to the bathroom in my own hospital room.  

I never walked the halls during my recovery.  I couldn't.  I couldn't even sit up.  Finally on Saturday (I had been in the hospital since Monday), God touched my head.  The pain had lessened tremendously and I was able to get a shower.  I sat up in a chair.  We were going home!  Rocco was so ready to take his little brother home.  Actually he wanted to take him home on the Monday he was born.  

It had been a long trying week.  At times I felt like I was never going to get better.  My nerves got really bad and I panicked about the middle of the week.  I cried and cried.  The nurse had to give me some medicine to relax me.  I felt bad because I had not changed one single diaper for Maverick.  Jason did a great job tending to him all week.  The baby was fed Similac because I was just not up to nursing even though I had tried several times.  I could barely hold him for the headache that caused me to be bed ridden.

Although I had some complications, I am so grateful that God touched my body and allowed me to get better.  He spared my life so that I could raise my boys.  And he had given me the most beautiful, healthy newborn baby.  Maverick was ready/dismissed to go home before I was.  He had no problems at all.  He was one big baby!

On Saturday night at about 8pm, we left the hospital.  Carolyn helped us take our things to the car.  She had been such a help the entire week.  She helped us by taking care of Rocco and seeing that he got to/from school and also visited us each afternoon.  His birthday was on Thursday of that week when we were still in the hospital.  She made sure he had a school birthday party with refreshments.  She's such a jewel!

 The four of us (Jason, me, Rocco, and Maverick) headed home as a new family of four.  We were so thankful to be going home!  

Even Maverick seemed to have a smile about leaving the hospital.  

The one thing that really stays in my mind about the hospital experience was how loving and caring Jason was toward me.  He was there by my side all week.  Not only was he there for me, but he tended to our newborn baby and made Rocco feel loved, too.

 He kept most visitors at bay so that I could rest.  He was being everything to everyone, and I know it had to tire him out.   He went home one night to get some rest and my mom stayed with me.  I guess I felt more loved by him that week than ever before.  I saw how much he loved me by how he gently cared for me- feeding me, bathing me, helping me walk to the bathroom, getting anything I needed, asking how I was doing, holding me hand when I was scared.  When that week was over I was exhausted, but I did not doubt one bit how much Jason cared for me.  And I did not doubt one bit that it was God who had brought us through one tough, yet miraculous week.