Parenting: Hey, Hey, Hays!

Well, after 40 full weeks of waiting, plus one day, our latest bundle of joy has arrived!

And it's a boy!

Joseph Hays Rankin

We're calling him Hays.  Named for his great, great grandfather (Pat's mother's grandfather), Joseph Hays Cooling.  Pat has an early memory of riding the train with his grandmother to Kansas (where she grew up) to visit her parents, so Pat actually met the original Joseph Hays when he was four years old.

As with my other two children, I was induced.  This time it was the day after my due date.  After slightly tearing up when kissing Clara and Paul goodnight and tossing and turning for the four hours I tried to "sleep," Pat and I left the house at 3 am in twenty degree weather to get to St. Vincent's hospital by 5.  We were quickly shown to our room.  Within no time our nurse Teri had me all hooked up to the monitors and the IV.  Initially I was afraid we were rushing things.  Maybe we should have waited longer before deciding to induce.  It seemed Hays wasn't exactly ready to come out because he hadn't dropped very much even at 40 weeks and a day.  This pregnancy was the most comfortable one I've had - I could go a little longer before delivery.  But it was too late.  Things were in motion now.  

The labor overall went very well.  I got an epidural, like the previous two times.  I was bound and determined not to get a "boost" if the epidural wasn't strong enough.  I made that mistake with Paul (and was numb from the belly button down for hours afterward).  While I probably would have gotten a boost (had I not had my previous experience), I was SO glad I didn't.  Yes, I "felt" this labor more.  It felt like labor is supposed to feel.  It was work.  It wasn't excruciating, but pretty uncomfortable.  I pushed as hard as I could and was totally out of breath in the process.  Pat wiped the sweat from my forehead.  I felt the immediate relief as the doctor pulled Hays out and laid him on my chest.  It was such a rewarding experience.

He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, which makes him my biggest baby out of the three.

He measured in at 21 1/2 inches, which is half an inch longer than Clara was when she was born.

While I was told over and over that "third babies just slip out," that wasn't exactly true in this case.  Hays had his head turned slightly to the side, like he was trying to get a sneak peak at the world, which did make the pushing a little more strenuous.  With contractions starting at 6:30am, Hays was born at 12:39pm.

Some people say they see resemblances to Clara; others say they see resemblances to Paul.  I have seen looks that remind me of both.  But I think my babies all look a lot alike!  They all had dark strawberry-blond hair, dark blue-gray eyes, and rosy skin.  But the big question is: what does his feet look like?

We're excited to report that his feet seem long and narrow, at least longer and narrower than Clara and Paul's.  We are hoping for off-the-rack shoes for this child!  If you know anything about Pat's difficulties finding shoes that fit, then you understand why we are so excited about Hays'* feet.

I would miss a big part of this event if I failed to mention all the help we had with Clara and Paul through it all.  A big thanks goes out to Pat's sister Ann, who dropped everything at a moment's notice to watch the kids for two days while we were gone.  Another thanks goes out to Patrick, who stayed with them the night we had to leave for the hospital, and another thanks goes to my parents who changed their travel plans (and drove the 14 hours straight) to get to Alabama a day earlier than originally planned to relieve Ann.  It was wonderful to not worry about Clara and Paul while we were in the hospital.  When we called to check in, the kids were too busy having fun to talk!

I enjoyed the peace and quiet that I had during this hospital stay.  I really appreciated and noticed the quiet that I had. Yes, they wake you up every 4 hours to get your blood pressure and temperature, but that wasn't terrible.  I had 48 hours where I didn't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry.  My time was spent napping leisurely, reading magazines, and holding (and feeding) a tiny sleepy baby in between those nurse visits.  I definitely missed Clara and Paul, and there is nothing like your own bed, but I really tried to enjoy my time in the hospital as a retreat of sorts, and it was good.

In retrospect, it was great to have the induction procedure and not continue to wait for Hays to come on his own.  Why?  One: Hays probably would have gained another pound and might have been too big to come out the usual way.  Two: The following week we had "Winter Freeze 2014" where Birmingham was literally shut down for three days due to severe ice on the roads.  People were stuck at work or spending the night at churches and schools because they couldn't get home.  I wouldn't have wanted to get to the hospital or back home in any of that mess.

Welcome to the world, Hays!  We're so happy you're here safe and sound!

*Did you know it's grammatically correct to write Hays' or Hays's to show possession?  I had to look it up to be sure because my brain was a little fuzzy on that one.  Grammar Monster says to use just the apostrophe if you say it "Hays" and to use the apostrophe s if you say it "Hays-is."

Parenting: Paul turns One!

My baby is already one!!  My this year has flown by.  It's surreal to think that just over a year ago at this time I was waddling around unable to see my feet.

Paul and Clara already have very different personalities and temperaments.  Paul has been far more difficult in a lot of ways. 

 

But he is a sweetie.  He smacks his lips to "blow kisses," he runs toward cars (dangerous, I know) waving hi or bye to them, and he loves anything with a wheel.

Happy First Birthday, my young man!   I love you!
 
P.S.  I've been busy the past month (or two) gathering and organizing and strategizing a party for Paul.  The theme?  Lumberjacks.  (Paul... Paul Bunyan... Lumberjacks... you get it.)  Stay tuned for a slurry of party prep posts in case you're interested in the nitty gritty deets.

Parenting: Potty Training

I am afraid to write this post.  Afraid because I don't want to jinx it.  And I don't have pictures.  Sorry.  But, Clara's been diaper-free for almost a week.  Eek!

I am the first to admit that potty training Clara has been a difficult task, and I did not approach the process as prepared as I should have been.  Need I remind you of my other potty post?  Like this one from almost 18 months ago?  I thought that buying a potty, having the "Once Upon A Potty" book, and watching for her "cues" was all it took.  Naive.

A few months later I thought: she needs an incentive.  She needs some treats.  No deal.

Then a few months later I thought: she needs to be invested in the process.  She can pick out some underwear.  Still no deal.

Then a few months later I thought: I need help!

My advice?  Read some books about it first.  Be strategic.  Going with the flow (bad pun, I know) was and is slow and painful and expensive.  I checked out "Potty Training in Less Than a Day" from our library, and it actually made a lot of sense.  Its basic concept is have your child teach a doll (that can wet) to use the potty, then they will know how to go by them self.  I think if that was my first foray into pottying with Clara, we might have had more success, but it was not.  We tried that method, and she LOVED teaching her doll to use the potty.  She loved all the treats you ate during the process, but she wanted nothing to do with sitting on the potty herself.

So how in the world is she using the potty now?  Well, I'm not sure.  All I know is that she had two diapers that leaked in a short time span one morning.  As I was cleaning the floor from the spill, I told her, "You're too big for these diapers.  They can't hold all your peep (what we lovingly call urine).  It's time for you to wear underwear."  And by golly, she went with it, despite the fact that I had told this to her umpteen times before.

She's not 100% accident free yet, and I have her wear a pull-up to bed, but we're all doing well.  We've got a small potty seat, a little potty, a little potty at Gram's house, and a fold-up travel potty.  We've got a sticker chart on the wall with plenty of stickers to choose from, tootsie rolls, and animal crackers.  We have Dora underwear, "Punzel" underwear, plain underwear, and princess underwear.  In other words, the support staff is in place.  We have our fingers crossed.  While it's somewhat nerve racking to constantly check on her and remind her about using the potty, I know that this stressful part of learning will be a short span overall. 

The end is in sight!  Hallelujah! 

Kid Crafting: Handmade Wrapping Paper

The subtitle of this post should be: Entertaining Your Children On the Cheap (or something like that).

Clara, Paul, and I went to our first non-family birthday party a week ago.  Clara helped me not only wrap the gift, but make the wrapping paper. 

I thought it turned out pretty cute!  Now this is not any kind of original idea, nor is it rocket science how I did it, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

I grabbed a sheet of newsprint and asked her if she wanted to decorate it.  She was all for it.

She drew a butterfly and a rainbow.  We were going to a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" birthday, so her drawing was very appropriate (weird coincidence!).  Can't see them?  Let me help you.

After she finished, I busted out my new mini stamp set and using her markers, stamped on the "Happy Birthday" part.

We wrapped Pat's gift today using the same method.  Cheap + Amused Child = Happy Erin

Put it in your arsenal, Moms, if you haven't already... Christmas will be here before you know it :-)

Reflection at 7 weeks

Paul is over seven weeks old now.  He was ten pounds at his last check up (at one month); he had grown an inch and a half since he was born.

It has been such an adjustment now that there are two little ones in the house!  In retrospect, one child is so simple; two children are exponentially harder. 

My husband and I knew that we were spoiled with Clara - from the start she was a good nighttime sleeper, and really just an all-around healthy child with a relatively peaceful demeanor.

Paul is a different child.  Healthy? Yes, but quite demanding of my attention.   The swing that was the life-saver for me with Clara doesn't seem to lull Paul to sleep at all.  In fact, he's spends a maximum of about 10 minutes in it at a time before he tells me it's time to get out.  Paul wants to be held.  All. The. Time.  Thank goodness for the Baby Bjorn - otherwise I wouldn't get anything done!

Clara definitely loves Paul.  She wants to take care of him at the slightest whimper.  Oh, if only she was gentle!  A typical Clara-Paul interaction involves Clara nose-to-nose with Paul saying "Hey Paul, Hey Paul, Hey Paul..." over and over and over again until something happens to stop it (Paul cries, Clara tries to pick him up, etc.).  Pat says that Paul is getting "lots of stimulation, as long as he lives through it." 

 

 

Clara's made the transition to the "Big Sister Room."  She's been sleeping in her bed for almost two weeks now.  I can't say that she really likes her twin-sized bed, but she doesn't protest sleeping in it either.  I'm still working on finishing the details before I post photos of it, but I hope to have it mostly done in time for her second birthday (which is 26 21 (aah!) days away and counting!).

Hypothetical Parenting Quiz: Question 1

Suppose you are a parent and are confronted with this situation:

You are leaving a store headed to your car when your daughter sees a piece of trash in a parking lot (a candy wrapper).  She picks it up and tries to hand it to you.  What is your response?  (There is no trash can nearby.)

A)  Tell her to put it down; it's dirty.

B)  Take it; throw it away later.

C)  Tell her "you keep it" and allow her to play with it.

Okay, so this happened to me a few days ago.  Clara found a skittles wrapper as we were trying to leave Subway.  Since I didn't act quickly enough to stop her from picking it up in the first place, what did I do?  My answer: B.  I really wanted to tell her to put it down, because I didn't want the trash, but I thought, "Would this be saying it's okay to litter?  Would this be teaching a bad habit?"  So I took it from her and said, "Mommy will throw this away when we get home."  And that's exactly what I did.

So did I do the right thing?  Have you been in this situation before?  What would you do?  Honestly.  This struck me as an interesting parenting situation (although thankfully a relatively harmless one).