Wk 3 - Nana left :(!!!!

So this week started out quite eventful and there are lots of 'firsts' (first night alone with out Nana, first bottle, first sitter, first diaper change by Gg (grandpa greg))- Mom and Greg headed up to Dayton for their Sat night to visit with some highschool friends and John and I had Drew to ourselves. I didn't get a nap that day which didn't help things as well.......so, they left and I fed Drew - he was so hungry even though not really on schedule, so we fed, and fed, and fed......he had a bit of a gassy stomach so we gave him some of the 'ROCKSTAR' mylicon drops and he started to settle. I handed him off to John so I could straighten up the kitchen and not 2 minutes later - BLAH - throw up all over Daddy John (right after his shower to try and 'wake him up' - guess he is awake now). Then we need to go for a bath since he is covered in blah -

Into the bath - Daddy runs downstairs to get something, I am with Drew - I watch him aim for the faucet and pee - next, like a feather pillow hit and feathers go everywhere? he farts and poo goes all over everywhere in the bathtub - now, that is good times.......so I am trying to get him out, keep him warm, dump the tub, clean off the tub, and fill it back up - for those wondering, you can't hear me yell if I am upstairs and J is downstairs (note to self)........So he is clean, exhausted, worn out and ready for his last feeding and off to bed - and thank goodness because so are we :).

Monday we found out Drew's daddy is going to be a Manager - he got the promotion - everyone was so happy and we are so proud of Daddy and his accomplishments - he had a great business plan focused on all of the things very important to him at work. With this great new job comes some traveling starting next week while we have no visitors. So with the recruitment of some great friends here we should be okay during the evening hours when I need to most help.

Mom & Greg left on Wed - needless to say, I was quite sad to see them go - Greg did some small things around the house we have had on the list FOREVER and mom was sent from the angels to handle the times I couldn't or when I just needed a break. Before Mom left, John worked with mom to give Drew his first bottle of breastmilk. Things went well so we know we have that in our back pocket if we need it. So we made it Wed night fairly well, walks, baths, etc.....however, Thursday and Friday proved to be challenging. Drew is very gassy (with J as his father, go figure) so we are challenged sometimes on getting him down at night.

Friday we took Drew to meet mine and John's hairstylist while J got his hairs cut and then I walked over to the Chiro with Drew to get my ever so OUT OF WHACK body adjusted back to reality :).....felt good......we came back and had planned to take Drew to a bbq we were invited to at a fellow co-worker/friend's house but at last minute, we decided to leave Drew with Wendy (the fab neighbor from next door). She and her family took Drew under their care so The Herringtons are the official first babysitter :). We came home to find Drew had eaten us out of house and home and then proceeded to down another 5 oz with Daddy while mommy pumped and dumped from her 2 glasses of wine :). We are into the Wk 3 growth spurt so he is a hungry hungry hippo - starvin marvin -

This weekend Drew will meet mommy's BF, Jen, and 'Uncle' Eddy is coming over for a visit as well. Note the budlight sign John got me for the (wo)man cave as a 'delivery' present. It should be super cool when we get it hung. Stay tuned for pics and more updates.

Wk 2.....a bit late!!

So - I am a bit late on Wk 2 - we had some learnings this week - Drew doesn't like when his mother eats Garlic - by way of Ceaser Salads that is.......I don't succomb to the practice of don't eat this or that but I can see why folks do - learning the hard way what their bodies don't do well with is for the birds. There were two nights in there that I thought we might not make it through.......and this baby doesn't cry - I can't imagine one that does :). Once we made it thru the Friday and Sunday night garlic nights, we were moving in the right direction.

Drew proceeded to make it several nights (and now somewhat his norm) at an 8.5-10 hr sleep with only one waking for a feed. So as long as I get a nap of some kind during the day we move along quite well. John and mom got Drew on a routine in the evening - I feed around 6:30 or 7 then he goes for walk, a bath, then for his last feeding and to bed. A bit overboard on the baths but it is a good routine for now.

Mom and I tried to dress up Drew in outfits and stuff for pictures but didn't have much luck at getting him to keep his arms still so we waited for him to go to bed. We made this pic while he was sleeping to give to J to put on his desk at work for Father's Day - pretty hysterical - we couldn't stop laughing.

Greg got in Friday night at the tail end of Wk 2 so he could visit and go home with mom on July 1st. The stories get good for Wk 3 - you will have to wait to see what is in store :).

Each day Drew continues to get bigger and bigger and we are looking forward to his 'reactions' stage where he does more than sleep, eat, and well, you know the rest.....and let's just say, he is quite good at the 'rest' - like every single diaper :) - we can't wait for that to change a bit as well.

Week 1 - Mr. Andrew Austin Rardin - The Drewster!!

So we have made it through wk1 - it was a little touch and go with my sanity and drew's feeding. Because he was so large, it took us about 3 days and some pediatric attention to realize he wasn't getting enough fluids waiting for my milk to come in - so he wasn't sleeping, pooing, urinating like he should have been after the first 24 hrs (might have helped had we had some nurses that were a bit more knowledgeable in the hospital). Day 2, I was breastfeeding for 4 hrs straight, not so good, for my physical recovery or my sanity. Day 3, finally the pediatrician and nurse (on dayshift I add) share that we should probably take syringes of formula and supplement right after feeding - it wasn't until Day 4, when we headed to the pediatrician's office to find out he had lost more weight than they wanted so he needed 'WAY MORE FORMULA' - well, with that correction and my milk coming in around Day 5 - we all made a trip to sanity lane - sleeping more, pooing, peeing - Mr. Never Cries even though he was starving for food is now Mr. Even Happier.

I go to bed at 9pm, Mom stays up with him till 12 or 1am and then I take from then until breakfast. This is working and both of us are managing....J has been working this week, mostly from home but leaving occasionally for appts. We had the pediatricians visit on Friday, Day 7 and Drew had managed to gain almost all of his weight back in the last 3 days - go milk, it's your birthday, we're gonna party like it's your birthday!! I told you he was like his father when it comes to appetite. In addition to his food needs being met, he sleeps at night other than his feedings - his fussy time of night is resolving itself.....keep your fingers crossed.

Drew had his first bath this week and his first walk to the end of the block. Now we are working on 'Baby Wise' - transitioning to the Feedtime, Waketime, Naptime process - up this am, fed, play time on the floor with Baby Einstein's Aquarium set-up, then falling asleep in Daddy's arms.

In addition to all of this going on this week, John had his second interview for the mgmt position. They had wanted him to go to Pittsburgh for the interview but with Drew's arrival, he opted for a phone interview - a bit of a risk but he feels it went as well as could be expected. We should know more next week - everyone is on pins and needles right now waiting to find out. Look for updates next week when we know more.

Drew's Arrival!! June 12, 2009

So leading up to today, we had seen the doctor to confirm in wk 38 we were still strong at 2 cm dilation....I scheduled a maternity massage, went to prenatal water aerobics and the chiropractor. Anything to help Drew come see the world. On the 11th, mom and I headed to the doctor to find out I was at 4 cm without any real contractions (that I knew of). So we all sat down to eat that night early (in hindsight, big mistake - should have eaten late :)). The neighbors dropped off a heath bar blizzard for me around 7:30pm and then I didn't head to bed till about midnight.

At 2:12 am, I got up for a usual bathroom break, laid back down and "POW!" my water broke. So after crawling up the stairs to tell mom and John, I got in the shower (because lord knows when I would have that chance again) and John called the doctor to report we were having a baby. We got to the hospital around 3ish and had an epidural by 4:30 am - GOOD TIMES - not sure why women wouldn't want this wonderful pain blocker, it is enough work, pressure, and grief without all the pain on top. So now we wait, well, mom and I wait, John makes himself a bed and sleeps :). Around 9:30ish we are still a bit away from pushing so J heads home to take care of the dogs, get mom a Starbucks, and pick me up some beautiful roses.

At around 12:30pm we were ready to push at a full 10 cm - however, the negative here, I am only at -2 stage and need to be at +4 to have the head crown...lots of distance to make up. Doctor comes in, realizes Drew is headed up instead of down in the canal so with a few pushes on my part, and some head turning on his part, we got Drew ready for the delivery face down. So we start to push (of course at this point the doctor leaves to go have lunch), Mom on one leg, John on the other (of course he is staring at the wall, he won't look at all......for at least the first few hours......(if you go long enough, he can't bear not to finally look :)). And we push, and we push, and we push...well, you see where this is going......I am SOOOOO hungry at this point and thirsty (I couldn't even have ice chips because I was so nauseated - yuck). And then there were the nurses, leaning against the counter saying 'good job, your making progress, keep going' - shut it - that is all I could think, couldn't say it, frankly because it was all I could do to breathe - they say this to everyone, just shut it.

So around 3:30pm - I have had enough - I am tired, hungry, out of energy, wasted, felt like I had run 4 half marathons (I know that is 2 marathons but I can only relate energy levels to a half since that is all I have run)...I start crying - John is tired of seeing me in pain....they call the doctor thinking it is almost time but I might need help with tools........he walks in, does two things, and the Drew's head is crowned - where the hell was he an hour ago :).......so a couple more pushes, with John, mom, and myself looking on, Drew graces us with his perfect little (well very large) body, 9lbs. 1oz, and 22.5 in long. With only a 2 sec peep of a cry, he enters the world very content, happy and calm - taking it all in stride (whose child is this?).

He jumped on the breast an hour into life and was a hungry little booger - like his father - that is the food, not just the breast :) - he slept quite a bit in the first 24 hours but definitely continued to feed when he wanted - feeding for a long time....this should have been our first clue.....more to come in upcoming posts. So I look a bit rough here but this is at 1 minute from delivery - a bit emotional :). Ya'll get it!

Wk 39 - 8 days to go

Hiddy ho there neighbors! We are in the home stretch, we have been at 2cm dilation for about 2 wks now, quite possibly walking the streets of downtown for the Taste of Cincinnati drove that progress - waiting and waiting and waiting.....I am done with work - woohoo! I didn't really get why they are so gracious at giving us these 2 wks at P&G but I am getting it now - I am exhausted quickly - this baby is sucking the life out of me - every fluid I drink, every food I eat......I get winded walking at Target :). Good news, my feet have stopped swelling (funny if you stay away from Mexican food and stop standing on them all the time).

Here are some updated photos - I tried to move my upper body (read: boobs) so you can see exactly how big this belly is.....quite large - yes, you can see my lovely stretch marks as well, good times......

I got a maternity massage the other day - it was wonderful. Why didn't I do this sooner, I have slept better the last 3 nights then the last 2 months. He worked on my hips so I don't have as much pain when I sleep although it is starting to come back a bit - but hey, I will take it. Drew is as large as a house now and his rumpus continues to push into my ribs and lungs - little Turkey!

I am running errands here and there. From picking up a pair of slippers to wear at the hospital to packing my bag when it is time. John has the cameras ready and charged, he is packing a bit of a bag this week. Mom gets in on Wed, doctor on Thursday and then more waiting. Maybe I will hit the Chiro this week to see if he can adjust this baby out :).

The room is ready, sheets and blankets washed, carpets get cleaned tomorrow and dogs for baths (like that will do any good). I think the dogs know what is going on, they sleep downstairs with me every night (protecting) while J sleeps upstairs.

A little on the forefront of John's job, he has applied for a management job over new Sales folks. While this is a totally new structure for his office and would include bringing in folks from off the street and up to full commitment within 3-4 months - he is one of the few folks in the running. He has a second interview next week and we think he is in the front-running if they decide to lean forward and pick someone who hasn't managed experience with Verizon prior - either way, John is ready for this baby and Mom has offered to help with some 'extra trips' if he gets the job.

I guess that's about it - John says Drew will be here by Father's Day because John wants a gift but only Drew knows. In fact, John said I should go and buy him a gift...I reminded him he couldn't even find the card aisle for Mother's Day :). Good times. Take care and look for more updates.