Two Weeks Old (pictures and post at the bottom)

3-22-10...This is the face that we get most of the time, especially when he is hungry!
3-22-10...Just hanging out with mom and showing my love for dad! (right before he puked all over this onesie and I had to change him :)

3-23-10...You can see just how light his hair really is after it is newly washed!

3-24-10...The "three musketeers"! I have a feeling that Webster doesn't know what the other two have planned for him in the future!

3-24-10...Oh yes, the diva herself!

3-24-10...Swinging and checking things out; he has to be upright for 30 minutes to an hour after he eats so he doesn't spit up everywhere, so the swing worked!

3-24-10...Miss happy-go-lucky!

3-25-10...Already bleeding red and black!

3-25-10...Look at his chubbiness!

3-25-10...Sweet boy!

3-25-10...Pooped from our day on the town!

Well, yesterday Jack was two weeks old! We went to the doctor for his 2-week well visit and he weighs 7 lbs. 14 oz. (10 oz more than he did just 10 days ago!) and is 21 inches long (2 inches longer than his birth length!) He is in the 50th percentile for his weight and 85th percentile for his height, leading us to think that we might have another tall one on our hands! I can already tell that he has grown because he doesn't fit just perfectly in between that nook of my shoulder and chest anymore! :( He is sleeping much better, waking up around 2ish and then again when Thad gets ready for work around 5ish. So, overall I am sleeping and so is he, so we are pretty happy most of the time! He is still having spit up issues and some pooping problems, but Dr. Landry said she isn't concerned about it because he is absorbing all of the calories and his weight looks wonderful! She did check to make sure there was no obstruction as far as the pooping problem, and thankfully there was not! He is such a good baby and really only fusses when he needs something so we are very thankful for that! He has also starting focusing a lot more on things instead of that "blank stare." It's so nice to know that he "sees" you and we can't wait until he starts recognizing us!

Berkley Tate has been busy being a big sister and she is at least entertaining the idea of loving "bug!" She really does a great job with him and when he is napping she wants to "see bug" and will climb on the table and lay beside him. It really is cute but she is still getting the hang of "being easy" and sometimes forgets. But I know that she is still a baby herself and I have to keep reminding myself that time is our best friend in this case! Thankfully, she has not regressed any as far as her language or wanting a bottle or any other weird things I have heard from parents, so that is definitely another blessing! The most she has changed is her attitude and I know that comes with the territory at this point! But overall she is just the same happy-go-lucky girl with a sweet personality and wonderful demeanor! I hope that Jack grows up to be as well-spoken and well-behaved (on most accounts) as his big sis! Anyway that is enough with the rambling! It is naptime and I need to shower and then finish boxing up clothes! (Yes, maternity clothes are going in a box and in Thad's words "need to be burned!" But that is another topic in itself that I won't get into right now!) Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Meadows

One Week Old!

Well time is already flying by! I can't believe that Jack was a week old yesterday! It seems so surreal to me that we have already been blessed to have this perfect baby in our lives for a week! The week has flown by and things are starting to find some semblance of a new normal! It is definitely more challenging being at home all day with the two of them, especially when the one is starting to find her attitude, but overall, I wouldn't change it for the world! Jack is already changing before our eyes and it amazes me! I wake up everyday and it seems like I am looking at a new baby! He started cooing today which is so cute and he makes the cutest little faces all the time! Overall, he is a very content baby and he will sit and "watch" his sis for hours on end! He has had some tummy issues but thankfully we have a full supply of Mylicon drops! Last night to celebrate his week-old birthday, he only woke up once during the night and was awake a large majority of the day! It was so nice to get more than an hour and a half to two hours of sleep in a row! But overall, things are wonderful in our household and we are looking forward to having Thad home this weekend! Unfortunately the weather is going to be horrible once again, but I don't think either of us will mind having to hunker down with our two little darlings! Oh and the cutest thing is that Jack already has a nickname, Bug. I got to calling him that because he reminds me of a big-eyed bug and when Berk caught wind, she started on too! It is the the cutest thing when she calls him "my bug!" Anyway that is about all that is going on around here. I will continue to post pictures as they come! Hope you have time to sit around and gaze at our baby!

Meadows

3-16-10...No more umbilical cord!
3-18-10...Look at his hair! I swear he came out with a mullet! It is so light compared to Berk's and I think it might actually stay that way because his eyelashes and eyebrows are blonde!

3-18-10...The Meadows hairline!

3-18-10...Sweet baby boy!

3-18-10...Look at the chunky monkey!

3-18-10...You didn't think I would forget this darling, did you?! She was reading her book before we took our trip to the grocery store! (Quality mother-daughter time, I tell ya!)

3-19-10...Giving "Bug" some kisses!

3-19-10...Just a comparison! You really can't grasp the difference because of the angle, but all of her features seem so big to us now that he is around!

What We Have Been Up To...

Well, we have been adjusting to our new "normal" with Mr. Jack Brannon Meadows. I woke up Wednesday morning not feeling well and I decided to call Labor and Delivery and they told me to come in and just make sure I brought my bags because I might be staying. By the time we got there and went to Labor and Delivery Triage, they told me to go ahead and get admitted because Dr. Phillips said it wouldn't take much to admit me! (She must have sensed that I was NOT taking NO for an answer about leaving without a baby!) So, we went and got a drink while they cleaned a room for us and started calling to let everyone know that it was a "go" and we would be in it for the long haul this time. After getting admitted and answering a million questions and getting my IV started (after failing one time, from which I STILL have a bruise!), they finally got the Pitocin started at 4 PM. (I was only dilated to a 3 when they admitted me and he was still high) But we got the Pitocin started and started going up on it steadily. Jack did wonderfully throughout my entire labor and I must say that labor this time was much more tolerable and I wasn't as miserable! The only miserable parts were A) my catheter blew and it spewed blood EVERYWHERE and my blood pressure dropped to 88/50 because of this and B) the anesthesiologist was a complete butthead and jabbed me FOUR TIMES and then got a blood vessel on the first time and had to start over! (Yea, Thad was a little hot by the time that guy left!) Besides those few things everything was peachy this time and I didn't even mind that it took 14 1/2 hours and a Pitocin level of 21 to get Jack here! They broke my water at 4:50 AM and Jack finally dropped into my pelvis. At 5:20 I was dilated to a 9 and 100% effaced and by 6:32 AM Jack was born with the cord wrapped around his neck TWO TIMES. (Yes, I was a bit paranoid but now realize that this is probably the reason why he never dropped, thank God!) His stats at birth were he weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19 inches long and scored an 8 on his APGAR test. He was and still is absolutely PERFECT and has completed our family! I took him yesterday to the doc for a weight check and he weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and looks great. This morning his umbilical cord fell off so he is looking more "normal" by the day! My parents came out for his birth and most of Thad's family was there and my sister and Jayden came out Friday after we got home! We had a great weekend with Jayden and Berkley playing and everyone just loving on Jack. It's so amazing the love a newborn can bring out in people! He is so perfect and his big sister is starting to be such a wonderful big sister. I have to admit that on Friday when we got home and she wouldn't even look at me, I was DEVASTATED! Talk about the post-partum hormones coming on full speed, they were there! It killed me that she wouldn't come to me and threw a total fit when I even got close. Thankfully she is doing much better and we are adjusting. BUt overall, things are getting into a routine and we are just enjoying the little things because we know they will soon be gone! Thank you for your love, prayers and support throughout this pregnancy and your encouragement as we start this new journey! Enjoy the boatload of pictures and I am sure there will be more to come!

Meadows

3/10/10...Berk wondering why I am in a bed and can't get out!

3/11/10...Jack Brannon Meadows-7 lbs. 6 oz. and not happy about being out of my womb!

3/11/10...Getting checked out!

3/11/10...A perfect bundle of joy!

3/11/10...First bath

3/11/10...Some quiet time with just mom and the camera

3/11/10...Melts my heart

3/11/10...Berk meeting her brother for the first time.

3/12/10...Chubby cheeks!

3/12/10...Love these little feet!

3/13/10...Such a big boy!

3/13/10....Precious baby

3/13/10...Jayden! Such a sweet boy!

3/13/10...A future golfer! Papa got her a golf set to get her started!

3/13/10...Getting an early start on the make up thanks to Auntie Rach....

...we might have some work to do in the future!

3/14/10...Bubba Jack getting some sun and Berk rubbing his belly!

3/14/10...Sweetest girl!

3/14/10...This makes my heart sing!

3/14/10...Giving bubba kisses!

3/15/10...Look familiar?

3/15/10...They will be sawing logs together before I know it!

40 WEEK DOCTOR VISIT

Well yesterday I was officially 40 WEEKS PREGNANT (GASP) and I went and had my weekly appointment: blood pressure was 116/73, his heart rate was 145, I was dilated to 2 centimeters and she was kind enough to strip my membranes without asking! :/ She said my cervix was still thick and that if it would have been thinner or if I was about 3 centimeters she would have gone ahead and admitted me and we would have had a baby yesterday, but lucky for me, I am still pregnant and getting more impatient by the MINUTE! She did say that she feels like my body will go into labor on its own in the next few days and that I just need to relax; easy for ANYONE ELSE to say at this point! But the one optimistic thing I found out of the whole situation is that she said his water sac is bulging which made me believe that maybe I was in for a surprise last night, but of course not! And of course I did not sleep good because I was worried about a surprise in the middle of the night so I am dragging booty today! Luckily I am home and with Berk so I am able to "relax" as much as she lets me! So, all in all we are still "patiently" waiting. She did say that if I do not have a baby by Saturday that she is on-call at 8 AM and that she would be more than obliged to admit me! Hopefully Jack will come out of his comfort zone and meet us before Saturday! Berkley has even told him to "Come out" lots of times, but he obviously doesn't listen to his big sister either, which might cause problems down the road! Anyway here is a picture of me 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant with "Mr. I'm In No Hurry!" Have a great week and I will keep this updated!

Meadows

40 weeks 1 day pregnant with Jack

39 Week Doc Appointment

Well Thursday we went to the doctor and of course there was very little change: I was dilated to a centimeter and he is still high, his heart rate was good, I didn't gain any weight (WOO HOO!) and my blood pressure was perfect (112/72). I didn't see Dr. Phillips because she was out of town but the doctor I did see said that she (and probably Dr. Phillips also) would not induce at that point because it would most likely lead to lots of pain and result in a c-section which they would like to avoid at all costs! That is something that I am so thankful for with these doctors is that they are very uninclined (if that is a word) to cut if they don't ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO (i.e. baby in stress). So, I see Dr. Phillips on Monday and if he hasn't come I am hoping I can convince her that we should set a date so I can quit being paranoid about all the unknowns and just meet our sweet baby boy! But I know that Dr. Phillips will be looking out for our best interest and if she feels that I should give it more time, then I will grit my teeth and gladly try. But overall, Thad and I had a great afternoon and I actually got a new dishwasher and haircut out of the deal! But anyway that is about it. I will post again after the visit on Monday and hopefully I will be able to tell you all when we will be meeting Mr. Jack Brannon. Other than that, I am just trying to "relax" and just enjoy Berkley Tate as much as possible! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and we will keep you posted!

Meadows

39 Weeks Pregnant Pic

Well tomorrow we will go to the doctor in the afternoon and I will also complete my last half day of work until after my maternity leave. We are keeping our fingers crossed about the visit tomorrow and I am just really hoping that something has happened and that Jack is making up his mind to come and join us! I will post tomorrow after the visit with the update and hopefully it will be good news! Here is a picture of me at 39 weeks 2 days pregnant (Wednesday). Hope you enjoy and hopefully we will have some baby pictures to post soon!

Meadows

39 weeks 2 days pregnant with Jack