Day 9: Sleepy Head

Day 9: Dec 31 - Sleepy Head

Kaden loves to nap in his car seat, seems like that is where he likes to sleep any time of the day.  We all like watching him sleep.

I hope I don't ever forget how cute these little piggy toes are!

Awake for a little while...

Christmas 2010

Us on Christmas morning

Christmas was quite different for us this year - and exciting, with a brand-new baby boy!  That said, I don't think I would like a Christmas baby again :).   I got home from the hospital at noon on Christmas Eve.  I rested for a bit before helping the kids get ready for Christmas.  They got their beanbags out and camped out by the Christmas tree, said they would sleep by the tree to try to catch Santa this year.  Allie tried to set up the mino but it was not charged up (I bet Santa was glad!).  Then they set a sugar cookie and milk for Santa and a long letter from Allie.  I wish I took a picture of that.  It said some really fun things.  Kevin got the kids ready for bed while I took care of myself and the baby.  Allie checked noradsanta.org and saw that Santa was in Tucson, so I told her they had better get to bed fast!

Of course Kevin and I were up very late and didn't go to bed until way past midnight.  I finally got me and the baby ready for a long 2-hour stretch around 2 a.m. At 4 a.m., I heard Allie and Collin talking telling each other that Santa hadn't come yet, except that all the stockings were gone, so maybe he had already come.  They went on a hunt around the house to try to find their stockings - and they found them in their bedrooms, with some wrapped presents.  They came and woke me up and asked if they could open their Santa presents.  I said yes, and couldn't resist to get up and take pictures of them.

 The kids decided to give each other presents this year - Here's Allie holding up Collin's present to her: 1 Reese's peanut butter cup and 1 homemade card, wrapped in homemade wrapping paper.  That boy is so creative and sweet. She gave him a pack of Nerf darts.  

Collin got a fortamajig and head lamp from Santa, which he loved because he likes building forts to sleep in, and Allie got her very own digital camera to take pictures with.  Maddie got an iXL and software (which she calls her DS) from Santa, too. They built a fort by the tree and checked noradsanta again and found that Santa was in Gilbert AZ!  We all decided that Santa had just come right before they woke up. I was still tired and sore, so I went back to bed.

A couple of hours later, the two were up again for the day.  Kevin made us some wheat blender pancakes for breakfast then after I got semi-decent and ready, we opened presents.  It was just us this year (vs with cousins in years past) so Kevin helped them get toys out of boxes (quite the task with all the screws and wires) while I videotaped and took pictures.  I didn't get very many pictures this year!

This was Allie's gift to me and Kevin.  She wrapped a See's gift certificate and made a very cute and glittery card.  So sweet!

Our Christmas gift tradition: the 3 Gifts of Christmas

We give the kids 3 presents at Christmas: the gift of usefulness, the gift of wonder, the gift of meaning to represent the 3 gifts that were presented to the Savior by the Wise Men.   The gift of usefulness: anything useful (clothes, tools, etc); the gift of wonder: possibilities are endless with this one - it could  be the #1 item on their list for Christmas, something you want them to have, etc; the gift of meaning or time: something that helps them spend time with you or with their family (books and movies or games count) or something that has special meaning for both people.
Since we started this tradition over 7 years ago, it has been great because not only is it an easier wrapping job for me, but the kids only expect 3 gifts and not more.  There are years when there is an additional family present and they are so grateful for the extra that they get.  So back to the tradition, a box can contain more than one item, like say, Allie's gift of usefulness this year was a spa/beauty set: the big tower contained a makeup kit and a hairdryer.  Her gift of time was a spa foot bath. And her gift of wonder was the ipod shuffle and a itunes gift card.  So you could get really creative.

She loves her new addition to her American girl doll collection: this year, she got Felicity from my parents (Felicity is now in the AG archives).

Collin got laser tag cars, the new u-draw plus games for the wii, and books.  He lined up his loot and asked me to take a picture.

Maddie was happy to find Strawberry shortcake movies and toys, Pinkalicious cupcakes and dolls, fairy books, and her very own pink scooter.

Maddie loved all the new books she got for Christmas.

Grandma and Pop came by to open their presents from us and we opened our presents from them.  We got new white dishes and glassware (after 13 years of the same old dishes, I decided it was time for an update/change!).  Allie was so excited to find Grandma got her a new curling iron along with some new clothes/pajamas and matching accessories.  Maddie was so glad to find a new Pinkalicious doll and pajamas, and Collin got a new wii game.  

(kevin and me + my post-baby fat and swelling, & the handbrace I had to have on the last 4 weeks of pregnancy)

The kids spent the rest of the afternoon playing with all their new stuff and helped pick up all the mess before our Christmas dinner.  The Harris' and Merrills came by for our traditional ham dinner - it was so good!  We had a great Christmas and love this time of year when we can spend time with family, and reflect on the Savior's birth.  I am so grateful for the wonderful gift of life He gave us.  With a new baby this Christmas I couldn't help but think of Mary and how much of herself she also gave to give birth to the Savior.  What an amazing woman.

Day 8: Sunbathing

Dec 29 - Day 8

To help with Mr Z's jaundice, Aunt Anna helped him sunbathe today.

Day 7: Aunts and more aunts!

Baby is one week old today!  Wow.  7 days went by like a blur!  My parents flew up here from the Bahamas last week, and spent a few days fattening me up with lots of good food.  All my siblings were here too except for Abby and Archie (too bad they missed out!)  -- so Mr. Kaden had lots of hands to hold him.  We had lots of fun together and now the house is back to being super quiet, it was quite a party with 9 adults and 7 kids in the house for a few days.  Here's Zane with his aunts and grandparents:

Day 6: Chillin' with Maddie

 Maddie loves her baby brother!  After getting over her initial shock at the sight of him at the hospital, she now loves to hold him and pet his head, give him kisses on the head and being protective of him.  She loves to hand me diapers and wipes.  She's a cute little helper!

Baby 365 Project: Day 5

I'm feeling a little ambitious and starting a new project.  The subject of course, is my new little guy Kaden.  I thought it would be neat to take a picture (just 1) every day of his first year of life.  It will be fun to see it in a book / movie on his first birthday.  I wish I thought to do this with my other kids!

Day 5: Kevin and I took him to meet his pediatrician, Dr. Auxier for his newborn screening.  Kaden is healthy except for a little elevated jaundice.  He had to get a blood test done right after his appointment and late last night, Dr. Auxier called us personally and told us he was at level 12, which is slightly above normal so he prescribed lots of sunlight, and no other blood tests unless we tell him he's looking yellower. Phew!  We love Dr. Auxier, I wish I would have just called him while we were at the hospital - he is very thorough and such a grandpa!

Baby 365 Project: Day 4

Day 4: Allie loves holding Mr. Zane - so here they are together again.  Allie's been picking out clothes for her brother to wear every day.

Baby 365 Project: Day 3

It's been 4 days since this little guy was born!  He is changing so fast and every day he looks a little older.  Kaden Zane was born last Wednesday, December 22 at 1:03 p.m.  He weighed 8 lbs 11 oz. and 20.5 inches long.  More birth pictures to follow, I couldn't resist posting these ones, these were taken on Christmas Day, after Allie dressed him up in his little elf outfit that his Grandma Lorraine and his big sisters and brother picked out for him.  He looks so funny!!!

Baby 365 Project: Day 2

Time to go home!  After a much-needed two-day stay at the Banner Gateway, we checked out early on Christmas Eve.  After all the paperwork was complete, the birth certificate turned in, and the bags packed we were discharged and were on our way home at noon.  Kaden was 8 lbs 3 oz today.

Day 1 - Night at the Nursery

Baby slept in the nursery so I could get some sleep without worrying about him. Unfortunately for me my arms wouldn't let me - they were the worst pain I have ever had the last two months.  Found out that even a dose of Percocet on top of Ibuprofen didn't do much for the pain.  It finally started going away around 6 a.m. which was when the nurse brought him back in for me to nurse.  Kevin came back early today and brought the hand brace for me to wear.  I was so sleepy the whole day!  Good thing we stayed another day at the hospital.  I would have been a basket case at home.

Baby 365: Kaden Zane's Birth - Day 0

 I slept pretty good the night before I went in the hospital to be induced.  3 hours straight - my left arm and leg both fell asleep so they really hurt when I got up, not to mention the swelling from them falling asleep, but 3 hours was good.  I called the hospital around 6:30 and they confirmed they were on schedule for me to come in.  Kevin and I hurried out the door, Maddie was still asleep when we left - which was a good thing or she would have probably freaked out about us leaving.  Allie woke up extra early that day because she wanted to curl my hair!  She did a great job - that girl is talented.  She babysat until her grandma came by a little later.

Me and my basketball belly right before I donned the beautiful hospital gown.

In labor

Meanwhile, I finally got in the labor/delivery room at 8 a.m.  My nurse Carolyn did a great job with setting up everything and getting me hooked up to all the monitors and "wires" -:).  I was a 5 when she checked me, so the epidural came in next around 10 a.m. The baby was posterior and needed to turn so he was face down.  The epidural was great - the anesthesiologist, Anna Pivec was so good she did it all in 3 minutes with hardly a peep from me.  By 10:30, it was in full force and I had progressed to a 7.  I decided to post my delivery progress on facebook - it was fun to read all the comments posted back by my fb friends.  At 11 a.m. Dr Beck came in to turn the baby - he had turned sideways but needed a little help.

Dr Beck came in again at 12 noon and broke my water.  At 12:45 he was back to check on me and before I even realized it, he was in his delivery "gear".  Anyway it went too fast!  After 4 pushes (at 1:03 p.m.), the baby was out and I got to hold him right away!  It was the best feeling in the world to finally see our little guy and what a relief to know he was healthy (I worried so much the last couple of weeks!) and so cute.  Kevin and I decided he looked a lot like Maddie.

 Kaden Zane's first official photo (taken by his Dad)

Thumb sucker!

Now we can say we have "BOYS".

Allie was so excited and so happy to get to hold her little brother.  She has been waiting for this day forever!

The kids watching their baby brother get a bath

Kevin's mom hurried over with the kids, so they got to watch the baby get a bath and all. He weighed 8 lbs 11 oz and 20.5 inches long.  Apgar score was a 9.9, head measured 14.8 cm.  So the ultrasound the week before was pretty close to being accurate.  On December 13th, Dr Beck estimated (from the ultrasound) that the baby was 7 lbs 14 oz.  Had I not been induced this day, he would have been well over 9 lbs! Yikes.

Well anyway, back to the birth scene...Allie was beside herself, she wanted to hold that little brother of hers right away.  Collin was happy too, but not as hands on as Allie, and Maddie was shocked - she didn't want to be near me or the baby - I think she was scared that I was dressed weird and had all these hospital equipment around me.  

Kristie also came and took some photos for me (but we didn't get one of her!), while I ate my first hospital meal of the day -  cheeseburger and fries.  The funny thing is Kevin loved the cheeseburger so much that I ordered the same meal (with a variety of desserts of course - my favorite was the chocolate cake) 4 times over the course of two days for Kevin, while he sneaked me in food from Pei Wei and Costa Vida. Good trade in my opinion.

 In Rm 1103

After we moved to Rm 1103, the kids and Kevin's mom and dad visited with us for a while until it visiting time was over.  Kevin left to go home around 11 p.m. and I sent Zane to the nursery for the night around 11:30.  It was a long day, but one that seemed to go by fast - and I was exhausted from the whole labor and birth experience.  I was happy and grateful that our prayers were answered, and promised blessings came to pass in one special day.  I am so grateful to be a mother to another one of Heavenly Father's choice spirits.

 Our family of 6!