Graham at 2 Months

I know I say it all of the time, and it's a cliche, but time flies! I can't believe Graham is 2-months-old already. I completely missed doing a 1 month blog post for him due to the craziness of adjusting to being a family of six, but I hope to do monthly blog posts for him from now on. (This post was actually written almost entirely on my phone while I nursed and held Graham as I haven't been able to find much time to sit down at my computer these days).

Graham at 1 Month, Graham with Jack and Faith at 1 Month, and a photo of me with my baby brother posing the same way Jack and Faith posed with Graham

Age: 2 months
Weight: 10 lbs 6 oz
Length: 22 inches

Size Clothes: 3 month 

Naps: He sleeps best during the day when we are on the move (carrier, stroller, car). His naps are still random and short.

Napping in the Rock n Play

Night Sleep: At night he sleeps great! The last time he eats during the night is still unpredictable (anywhere between 7:30 and 9:00), and sometimes I wake him up for a 'dream feed' in hopes that he'll sleep longer (although it hasn't really worked). For the most part, though, he wakes around 2:30 am and 5:30 am to eat and I'm usually back asleep within 30 minutes of him waking. (At 1 month old this was not the case as I was up for at least an hour every time he woke up as he was much more awake during the night). After he eats at 5:30 am he goes back to sleep until about 7:30 am. At 7 weeks old he slept from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am, which was amazing, but it's only happened once. For his first six weeks he was sleeping in the rock n play at night, but after I read about the increased SIDS risk and the developmental issues that can occur due to a rock n play, I switched him to a pack n play. I expected the transition to be difficult, but it ended up not being a problem at all.

His first night in the pack n play

Eating: Our trio was bottle and formula fed so breastfeeding has been something new to learn this time around. I am so happy it has worked out so far as it was something I was really disappointed about with having triplets. Although it was really hard for the first couple of weeks, once my body got used to it and we got Graham's top lip tie lasered, it has been so much more enjoyable! Breastfeeding is much more convenient than bottles, especially now that I'm getting more comfortable feeding him in public (with a cover and in discreet places since I do like my privacy). We don't have to make formula, guess how much a baby will eat, heat it up, and then wash the bottle! We have given Graham a bottle of pumped milk on occasion, and I really hope to do this a little more regularly so that I am able to leave him with Micah and sitters in the future.

During the day Graham eats every 1.5-2 hours (sometimes I stretch it a little longer if we are out) starting between 7:30 and 8:00 am. I'm not feeding Graham on a set schedule, but I do watch the clock to know when I should feed him based on the last time he ate. I started doing this when Graham was about 10 days old as I wasn't getting any sleep at night because he'd go long stretches during the day and then he'd want to eat all night. A lactation consultant suggested I try to get him to eat more often during the day so he slept more at night, and it worked great. His last feed of the day is usually around 8:30 pm. Right now he eats about 11 times in a 24 hour period, and he usually eats for about 15-20 minutes (although there are always a couple of short feeds during the day too).

Food Intolerances: Unfortunately it seems that Graham had some food intolerances as when he spits up it's a very large volume and it smells like vomit. This started when he was about two weeks old, and at first we just thought it was reflux. But as time went on we realized that this didn't seem like the reflux our other kids had since he didn't spit up very often but when he did it was projectile and so much that there were puddles (or if it was on me I needed to change my entire outfit and possibly take a shower).

After doing some research and talking to the pediatrician I decided to eliminate dairy and soy from my diet. His spit ups decreased and I thought maybe it was a fluke, so I added it back in after 10 days. During the 4 days that I ate dairy / soy, though, his spit ups increased again. So as of 6/1 I have been dairy and soy free again. Since his spit ups haven't gone away completely I took Graham to a Kinesiologist who determined he also had a gluten sensitivity. I have been avoiding gluten since 6/15. It is so difficult to eat this way, especially since I don't have much time to grocery shop and prepare food and dairy, soy, and gluten are in so many foods! If it helps Graham it's definitely worth it though.

Likes: Looking at picture frames and fans. Laying upright on a chest. His pacifier.

Snuggling with Mommy

Dislikes: Getting changed after spitting up on himself. When loud noises wake him from his nap (happens often since the big kids are loud and I haven't been able to get him down for a nap upstairs very often).

Milestones: He first started smiling at 5 weeks old, but the smiles really started becoming more frequent in the last week.

8 week old smile

Places he's been: Graham has been so many places already! He has been to Target, Sprouts, and Costco. He sat on the sidelines while the big kids played at the spray park, pool, and a few parks. He's been to church and he's been along while we worked in the nursery. He's been to the Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden, and Explora. And he's been to Monte Vista twice, which is a four hour car ride without stopping each way, and he did pretty well! Both times we were in MV we also visited the Great Sand Dunes. We are thankful he is an easy going baby so far. He's been more places in his first two months of life than our trio had been in their first year. Everything is so different with a singleton, especially when Mommy is trying to keep the older siblings entertained.

Aquarium

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Evening stroller ride with Mommy after the big kids went to bed

Trying to keep up with the biker gang

Reading with Grammy in Monte Vista

Things he does that make us smile: SMILE! I don't know if there is much better in life than having a tiny baby look at you and give you a huge smile! He also makes some adorable cooing noises.

Howard Trio's thoughts: Since having a baby brother has been a HUGE change for Alexis, Jack, and Faith, I thought it would be fun to get their thoughts on him each month...

• What is your favorite thing about baby Graham?
• Alexis: I love talking to him, kissing him, hugging, and looking at him
• Jack: hugging him
• Faith: putting his pacifier in and helping getting rid of the throw up 😁

Looking at his tiny hand

Our four cuties

Here are some other random pics from the last month:

The girls waited a whole month to hold him, but they were both proud when they did it! The were afraid he would pull their hair and I think they just weren't sure what to think of a baby.

Reading bedtime stories (no one wanted to look at the camera but me)

Playing

Saying good-bye to Grandma. We have been thankful for the help that the grandmas have given us in the past two months!

Father's Day 2017

Tummy Time

Meeting his future BFF Peregrine who is 7 weeks younger than Graham

I put him on his back and then came back to him on his side!

Alexis' Interview Questions

Last year I asked each child these same interview questions, and I plan to do so each year for their birthday to see how their answers change. Here are Alexis' answers to the questions that I asked a few days before their 4th birthday:

•What is your name?

Alexis 

•How old are you?

June 7 

(Since I knew she didn't really listen to the question I asked again, "How old will you be on your birthday?") 

4

•When is your birthday?

June 7

•How old is Daddy?

I don't know

•How old is mommy?

16

•What is your favorite color?

Purple and yellow

•What is your favorite food?

Hot dogs

•Who is your best friend?

(...points to me) 😍

•What is your favorite song?

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep

•What is your favorite animal?

Polar bears and pandas 

•What are you scared of?

A snake 

•What makes you happy?

(...points to me) 😍 

•Where is your favorite place to go?

To the Botanic Garden

•What do you want to be when you grow up?

A car mechanic 

•What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?

I don't know

•What is daddy's favorite thing to do?

Botanic Garden 

Faith's Interview Questions

Last year I asked each child these same interview questions, and I plan to do so each year for their birthday to see how their answers change. Here are Faith's answers to the questions that I asked a few days before their 4th birthday:

•What is your name?
Faith

•How old are you?
3
(I rephrased..."How old will you be on your birthday?")
6 

•When is your birthday?
June 7

•How old is Daddy?
I don't know

•How old is mommy?
6 or 9

•What is your favorite color?
Red, pink, and orange

•What is your favorite food?
Once I tried some fish before and I liked it. And my favorite food are rolls.

•Who is your best friend?
Alexis and Jack

•What is your favorite song?
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

•What is your favorite animal?
A elephant

•What are you scared of?
Bears

•What makes you happy?
Polar bears

•Where is your favorite place to go?
The zoo

•What do you want to be when you grow up?
A ballet

•What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
Clean up the kitchen

•What is daddy's favorite thing to do?
Make smoothie

Jack's Interview Questions

Last year I asked each child these same interview questions, and I plan to do so each year for their birthday to see how their answers change. Here are Jack's answers to the questions that I asked a few days before their 4th birthday:

•What is your name?
Jack

•How old are you?
5 
(I rephrased, "How old will you be on your birthday?") 
4

•When is your birthday?
In June

•How old is Daddy?
(...Held up 10 fingers)

•How old is mommy?
I don't know

•What is your favorite color?
Blue

•What is your favorite food?
Peanut butter jelly

•Who is your best friend?
Faith

•What is your favorite song?
Jesus Loves Me

•What is your favorite animal?
Tigers

•What are you scared of?
An elephant

•What makes you happy?
Tigers

•Where is your favorite place to go?
The zoo 
(I rephrased the question since he seemed stuck on the zoo theme..."If you could go anywhere in the world?") 
The mountains

•What do you want to be when you grow up?
Doctor

•What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
I don't know

•What is daddy's favorite thing to do?
Play with us

Graham's Birth

I have so many posts in the works as a lot has been happening since I last posted seven weeks ago. For starters, Graham was born six weeks ago! Life has been pretty hectic since his birth as we have been sleep deprived and trying to adjust to life with a newborn and three 3-year-olds. In many ways it's been harder than I expected it to be, but I'm happy to say that I am finally starting to feel like myself again and I'm starting to believe that we will live a somewhat 'normal' life again. Also, Alexis, Jack, and Faith are turning FOUR in two days, so I have a lot to write about with them as well! But first, the birth story.

Thursday, April 20:
I'm not sure when my contractions actually started since I had Braxton Hicks all of the time since I was about 15 weeks. But after dropping the kids off at preschool and going out to breakfast with my parents, I decided to start timing them. I recorded my first one at 10:30 a.m. and they continued to be about 30 minutes apart for the next six hours (until about 4:30 p.m.).

For the next two and a half hours, from about 4:30-7:00, they were anywhere from 10-25 minutes apart.

Starting around 7:00 p.m., right when we were putting the kids to bed, I noticed that they were getting closer together and even stronger. They were now 10-12 minutes apart.

All day I went about my normal activities. I did have a 30 minute foot reflexology massage at 1:45 in the afternoon, which might have helped things progress, and it definitely helped me relax for a bit.

I told Micah about the contractions when we were getting the kids ready for bed (my parents went out after dinner). I told my parents about the contractions when they came back around 9:30 p.m.

Unfortunately Alexis had been sick and coughing, and when we were getting ready for bed she had a crying / coughing fit, so we decided to put her on a mattress in our room. This was better in a way so that she was close by, but her heavy breathing made it harder for me to sleep. Plus, the contractions started becoming slightly more noticeable once I laid down, so I gave up trying to sleep and sat in a comfy chair in our room.

Friday, April 21:
Contractions began getting closer together and they were coming about every 5 minutes for several hours. I woke Micah up and told him I thought we should go to the hospital (I called triage first to ask the nurse's opinion). I texted our Doula to let her know what was happening, but I told her to wait to come to the hospital since this was my first time being in labor and I wasn't sure how serious things really were yet. Thankfully my parents were in town so we could leave the house without making arrangements for the kids.

The last photo I took before heading to triage

I arrived at triage at 3:00 a.m. and, of course, my contractions slowed down. Sadly I was only dilated 1 cm, so we went back home. I felt embarrassed that I thought I would be further along after all of those contractions, but as this was my first labor I really didn't know what to expect or what labor contractions really felt like. We were back home by 4:30 a.m. and I was able to sleep (interrupted) until 7:30 am. Since I was up all night timing my contractions, though, those three hours were the only sleep I got Thursday night.

Although the contractions slowed down when I was at triage, they picked back up again in the morning. Once again I was convinced that I should go back to triage as now the contractions were coming every 3 minutes apart, but we decided to have our Doula come over to our house first. Megan, our Doula, came over at 10:30 a.m. and suddenly my contractions slowed down again. We all agreed that I should stay home awhile longer to see how my contractions progress. 

Although in hindsight I wasn't technically "in labor" yet since the medical world only counts labor as starting when one is 6 cm dilated, the contractions were already painful. Although I could feel them in my abdomen, the contractions were really painful in my back. Megan helped me figure out my breathing, she showed me some ways to use a rebozo (long scarf) to help with the pain during contractions, and she put counter pressure on my back during contractions. Contractions were 3 minutes apart but bearable at this point. They would slow down when I laid down, so I was still in early labor and we knew it wasn't time to go to the hospital yet. 

Because of the back pain I was experiencing, Megan thought the baby might be posterior. She walked me through the Three Sisters poses from Spinning Babies to try to make sure the baby would be anterior. Around 12:30 Megan took a break for lunch and we ate too as it didn't seem like things were moving very quickly.

At 2:00 p.m. Megan came back and we did some exercises to help engage the baby. We did some rebozo sifting, laying tilted on my stomach, and step walking (this was done on our landscaping bricks in the backyard and the kids were quite puzzled as to what I was doing). The step walking was pretty tiring since I was exhausted from not sleeping much, I was super pregnant, and I was not in any sort of cardiovascular shape.

Around 4:00 p.m. we decided that labor didn't seem to be progressing, even though I'd been having noticeable contractions for over 24 hours, and that Megan should go home. The contractions simply weren't coming regularly enough to be active labor since they would slow down when I rested. At this point I felt extremely frustrated since I was already exhausted from not sleeping the night before and the back pain was intense with every contraction.
After Megan left I decided to try to sleep again, and this time contractions did NOT slow down. I rested for about 30 minutes before Micah and I decided that things were actually getting serious and it was time to head to the hospital. We left our house around 5:30 p.m. 

I texted Megan on the drive to the hospital to let her know that she should head that way as well. I was in SO MUCH PAIN with every contraction during our 20 minute drive. Of course traffic was terrible because of construction once we got off the highway, which had Micah driving through parking lots and such to keep moving. I was in a lot of pain and he was getting concerned. During that unbearable drive I decided that I wanted the epidural (I was hoping to go without, but I wasn't completely against it if the pain got too intense). The back labor was sooooo bad, and I was soooo exhausted from the lack of sleep, so I told Micah that I definitely wanted the epidural (we had a "code word" that I was supposed to use to let him know I was serious).

We arrived at triage at 6:00 p.m. They wanted to weigh me and take my blood pressure, but since we had done that the previous night and I was in excruciating pain with every contraction, I convinced the nurse that it wasn't necessary. I felt very out of control with every contraction and I was not doing a very good job managing the pain and my breathing. I think I was just too exhausted since I had been 'working' all day.  The midwife checked me in triage and said I was 4 cm, which was the minimum dilation required to be admitted. I was discouraged that I wasn't further along, but I was very thankful that they admitted me.

They moved me to labor and delivery very quickly, and I got the epidural around 7:45 p.m. (I was 5.5 cm at that time so at least things kept progressing). Megan arrived sometime before the epidural.

The epidural was amazing! It took a little while for it to fully kick in, but once it did I was able to relax and sleep, and thankfully it didn't slow my labor at all! (My biggest reason for not wanting an epidural was because I had read that it could slow labor, which could lead to interventions, which could result in a repeat C-section which I really wanted to avoid). I was fully dilated by 11:20 p.m., but the bag of waters had not broken. The midwife said we should give it an hour to let it break on its own and let the baby move down. 

While we waited I started getting nervous about some pain that I felt in my lower abdomen with each contraction. I had the ability to increase the epidural dose, but I didn't want my legs to feel completely numb (although in the end they did). I was concerned that the pain I was feeling was due to uterine rupture, which is the biggest risk of a VBAC, although the risk is less than 1%. I talked to the midwife and she assured me that I was fine and that I was probably just feeling the contractions. 

Saturday, April 22:
At 12:50 a.m. the midwife came back and manually broke the water and then the pushing began. I pushed for 2 hours, which seems like forever, but didn't seem like that long to me in the moment. Micah caught Graham and he was born on his due date at 2:50 a.m. (he was anterior at birth, but I think it is possible that he was posterior during labor which would explain my back pain). Graham weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and he was 20.25 inches. He tried to breastfeed almost immediately, which was amazing to witness. Seven minutes after he was born the placenta basically delivered itself, which seemed to surprise the midwife. Micah then cut the cord.

Graham just a few hours old

I am so thankful that I was able to experience a VBAC. This experience was a stark contrast to having premature triplets born at 31 weeks via emergency C-section. Although having triplets is amazing and knowing that Alexis, Jack, and Faith started as 3 lb babies is unbelievable, being able to hold Graham the second he was born is an experience I will never forget. It is truly indescribable. 

Easter 2017

My parents came to town on the Thursday before Easter since this baby boy could make his appearance anytime. They took the long route here via Texas and southern New Mexico to see some sights, and their original plan was to only stay in ABQ for a few days and then continue traveling during the week if there weren't any signs of labor. Unfortunately, though, I came down with the stomach bug on Thursday night, which meant I spent a couple of days recovering. Healthy or not, taking care of three 3-year-olds is a lot of work when one is 39+ weeks pregnant, so after seeing the struggle over the weekend my parents decided to stay with us in ABQ and do fun outings during the day so that they could help me and be more readily available when labor starts. I'm glad to have the help, and it will be great to have them here in case of a middle of the night trip to the hospital, but now there is a little extra pressure to get things moving. Oh well, this baby will come when he is ready!

We dyed eggs the weekend before Easter and the kids thought it was a blast

The afternoon Grandpa and Grandma arrived

Thankfully, by Sunday I felt a lot better and we were able to enjoy Easter. I put together some simple Easter baskets for the kids, which they thought were the best thing ever. Everyone got their own chocolate bunny, which Alexis had been hoping for, some jelly beans, a Pez dispenser, a springy bunny, and some sort of slime / putty. Everything has been thoroughly enjoyed by all three.

After breakfast we changed the kids into their church clothes and we went to the backyard for some photos. I had been hoping to get some sort of "maternity" photos for weeks, but it hadn't worked out. Easter was the perfect time for these photos since everyone was dressed up and my parents were here to take photos.

I might have bribed the kids to take photos by promising to do an Easter egg hunt afterwards. Bribery might not be the parenting method, but it worked, and I really wanted those photos! Since the kids had plenty of candy between their Easter baskets and what they brought home from their Easter celebration at preschool, I didn't fill the eggs with anything. No one seemed to care as they had fun racing around the backyard and filling their baskets with eggs.

We then went to church and celebrated the true meaning of Easter. Afterwards our church body celebrated with cinnamon rolls, bacon, and mimosas, so no one was hungry for lunch. Because of this, we planned on eating our Easter meal at dinner time, which meant we didn't have to come home and rush to make a meal. It also gave us time to bake and decorate a bunny shaped cake, which was basically a Pinterest fail after one of the round cakes disintegrated when I took it out of the pan, but I was able to make-do and the kids thought the bunny cake was great!

Bunny glasses! Jack, Faith, and Alexis.

Not the best looking bunny (the kids helped with the decorating), but it tasted great!

I am thankful for an enjoyable Easter, but now that the holiday is behind us I am even more ready to meet this baby boy!

Early Term and Grumpy

Well, I've made it to early term with this baby! (In 2013 "full term" was changed to 39 weeks gestation, so 37 weeks to 38 weeks 6 days is now considered "early term," which means the baby is still early but a doctor won't do anything to stop labor). Although making it this far along is great news, the bad news is that the other day Micah said to me, "You just seem grumpy." Yes, at this stage in pregnancy that is unfortunately the best word to describe me.

I'm not unusually down or depressed...just grumpy about everything. I feel like I've been pregnant FOREVER. I know I shouldn't complain about being pregnant this long after having preemies, but WOW...9 months is a really long time to be pregnant! Recently Micah asked me what we did for our anniversary last August, and it took me a few minutes to remember. And then it struck me that I've been pregnant since August, and that was so long ago that we can hardly remember what we did for our anniversary (which was just dinner out while our friends watched the kids, but we don't go out very often so it should be memorable!).

Having triplets is a very unique situation and my triplet pregnancy was in no way easy. Many women comment about me being their "hero" since I carried triplets and I take care of the three of them by myself most days. But to be honest, these days I am in awe of the women that have had numerous pregnancies, especially when they were close together. I look at photos of our peers' families and think to myself, "Wow, her oldest is the same age as my trio and she has been pregnant two more times since then?!!" I simply cannot imagine being pregnant for, what seems to me like, years on end.

I do believe pregnancy is simply easier for some people than others. I was talking to another pregnant woman recently who said that she has felt great her entire pregnancy. That is so hard for me to comprehend. Overall this pregnancy has been fairly easy compared to my triplet pregnancy, but I'm still dealing with the usual complaints of heartburn (which means I fall asleep laying on multiple pillows every night), digestion issues, fatigue, dizziness at times, some slight swelling at times, and other common ailments. I also have already gained a few more pounds than the "recommended" amount and I still have a few weeks to go, so I just feel blah. It sounds vain, but I daydream about squeezing back into my old clothes. Also, I know some women workout throughout their pregnancy, but I really haven't, and I can't wait until I can run and climb again!

I have heard people say that the discomforts and related grumpiness at the end of pregnancy are God's way of making us ready for childbirth as it's obviously not the easiest thing to go through. At this point, I can definitely say that I am ready to meet this little guy anytime and, although the unknown of birth is still a little scary, I feel done with pregnancy and I am ready to do what it takes for him to make his appearance!

Hopefully the kids don't remember me as their grumpy mom after the baby is born. They are used to getting out of the house several times a week with me and enjoying the Biopark or other parks, but I am simply too tired to do those things these days (plus parks here don't have bathrooms, which is a hardship for a pregnant lady!). I'm so thankful that Alexis, Jack, and Faith really do play well together most of the time as they keep each other fairly well entertained, even on the days that we don't leave the house. I am also thankful that they are potty trained, they can mostly dress themselves, and they are fairly independent in many other ways. Although 3-year-olds are definitely not "easy," overall they have been great to me during this pregnancy.

A few random tidbits about this pregnancy since my last update:

• I have minor swelling in my ankles, and sometimes my hands, that started when I was just short of 33 weeks. Honestly, I've hardly had any swelling compared to my triplet pregnancy, and it tends to happen if I've been on my feet for most of the day. 
• My midwife's office did a quick scan at 34 weeks to confirm that the baby is head down! I was told that he really shouldn't flip at this point.
• I got another prenatal massage at 35 weeks. I've only had two in total this pregnancy as it has been hard to find the time and I haven't felt like I needed it as much as I did with my triplet pregnancy, but my back has been sore so it felt great.
• I started feeling really tired again between 34 and 35 weeks. The tiredness probably came on gradually, but this is when I noticed that I was exhausted by the time Micah got home at dinnertime. I also need short naps some afternoons. 
• I have been surprised by the discomfort I feel with some of the baby's movements. Although I had three babies in me last time, they were only about 3 lbs each when they were born so their movements weren't very forceful. Plus, they were probably so squished in there that they couldn't make very big movements. This time, though, some movements take my breath away!
• Occasionally I've had a racing heart (up to 125 bpm on my count) after doing something as simple as putting laundry away. When this happens I have to sit down for 20-30 minutes until my heart rate decreases and I start to feel better (I feel lightheaded when this happens). I talked to my midwife about it and although she was slightly concerned, it is probably okay since it's happening when I'm being active. 
• I have been having Braxton Hick's throughout my pregnancy, but they've definitely increased in the last few weeks. I was usually getting them in the evening after I had walked around a lot during the day, but now I seem to get no matter what. I get them morning, noon, and night, and I've tracked as many as eight in an hour.
• During my triplet pregnancy I had terrible tailbone pain, especially when I sat upright for awhile. Thankfully, this has not bothered me at all this pregnancy!

This week I went back and looked at my early blog posts and realized that one reason I might be feeling a little anxious about the length of this pregnancy is that not only were Alexis, Jack, and Faith born at 31 weeks, but Alexis and Jack were actually home by the time they were the equivalent of 37.5 weeks gestation! At 37 weeks "gestation" each of our trio weighed slightly over 5 lbs, and my weekly pregnancy emails tell me that this baby likely weighs just over 6 lbs. He is going to seem like a giant to us by the time he is born!

Here are some photos of this pregnancy compared to my 30 week triplet pregnancy photo, which was the last one I took before my trio was born at 31 weeks and 2 days.

30 vs 32 weeks

30 vs 33 weeks

30 vs 34 weeks

30 vs 35 weeks

30 vs 36 weeks

30 vs 37 weeks