And slept the whole time!

Lukey did the fast red slide all by himself.

Daddy gave me my first bottle tonight. I took those 2ozs like a champ! 

Like my brothers before me, I have had a pretty busy first 2 weeks.  Let’s be honest, though, week 1 was kind of slow.  Mommy’s not complaining!  She had some time to recover, the weather was pretty cold so we camped out in the house, and I did a lot of nursing and growing.  Week 2, however, was very busy!  I had my first visitors on Valentine’s Day, Siobhan and Chris came over to visit!  Then on Tuesday Mommy’s friends from work, Jess and Kathleen, came to visit.  Grandma comes on Thursday for lunch before she picks up Preston from school to take him to choir, and Friday Mom took me grocery shopping – we were the MOST poplular shoppers.  Saturday was a little nuts.  Mom and Dad took all 3 of us out to run a TON of errands: breakfast at McDonalds, library, haircuts for the brothers, Qdoba for lunch, LaZBoy to pick out a new rocker (mostly for Luke), and then FINALLY home at 1pm for a nap for just about everyone.  My parents are totally winning at this “parenting 3” thing.  So far they’ve only had to do it on the weekends, but that’s a luxury they appreciate. 
I’m not a great sleeper.  I like to sleep on my belly on Mom.  That means that she’s not sleeping great, either, but that is the anthem of every new mom ever.  We went to the pediatrician yesterday.  I hate sleeping on my back and get uncomfortable every time they put me down on my back.  Mom suspects silent reflux, so we are trying a tiny dose of Zantac to see if makes any difference in my comfort level.  The good news is that I’m now 7lbs 14ozs – 40th percentile.  The doctor says I’m doing great!  We go back in 3 weeks for our regularly scheduled check up!
I had my first bath on Valentine’s Day, too!  My umbilical cord fell off pretty early, which meant that a bath was on the schedule.  I’ve only had 2 baths so far; they aren’t terrible, but it’s so cold and I don’t get that stinky.  We’ll probably try another bath tonight.
We also did a photo shoot for my birth announcements!  Daddy is a champ and put together a whole photo studio in the living room.  It’s harder for Mom and Dad to take as many photos as when Preston was a baby, but they will try their best.
I almost forgot that we went to church on Sunday, too.  Preston had to sing with choir, and all the girls in choir LOVED me. 
Like I said, week 2 was pretty busy!

​Here are some photos!  

Welcome Alyssa Beth!

​We have a baby sister!!  Alyssa Beth Nedick.   She came on February 7 at 9:30pm after a rather normal labor for Mom.  We LOVE her!  She was 7lbs 4ozs and 20 inches long, and she is perfect.  She has been here for 5 days now, and they have been a whirlwind, but we are all settling in at home now.  She feels like the missing piece in our family and has made us complete.

​Alyssa’s Birth Story
I was having a lot of anxiety about how my 3rd labor was going to go down.  The first two were fast.  I was terrified that my water would break and that I wouldn’t have time to get an epidural or even get to the hospital to have her.  At my appointment early last week I was already dilated and things were moving, I knew it was only a matter of time until my water would break.  So I felt like I was walking on eggshells for a week. 
I woke up on Sunday feeling worse than usual.  On top of my normal pregnancy complaints I had stomach pains and a backache.  We had our sibling tour at the hospital for the boys that morning, so we headed out anyway and did the tour.  The boys were great.  It felt a bit like dejavu.  We were at the hospital anyway, I wasn’t feeling quite right, and John convinced me to just go to labor and delivery to get checked out.  He stayed downstairs with the boys.  I was 5 cm already, but not in labor, and they didn’t quite know what to do with me.  I walked the halls for 2 hours, trying to get things going, and again, I was sure they were going to send me home like they did with Luke.  My Mom had already come to get the boys because we wanted to get Luke home for his nap and didn’t know how long it was going to be until I was sent home. 
I got a lucky.  The hospital doctor on call the afternoon said that even though I wasn’t in active labor that they could get things going for me, then break my water once I was comfortable and have the baby that day.  It was a little more intervention than I felt comfortable with, but it really turned out perfectly in the end.  I got settled in, got my epidural, rested for a little bit, and then around 6:30 they came to break my water to get things moving a bit.  A word to anyone reading this who might go into labor soon – EAT.  I had barely eaten all day, remember my stomach hurt. When they gave me the epidural my blood pressure dropped and I felt like I was going to pass out.  The apparently happens pretty frequently, so the anesthesiologist had a blood pressure medicine ready to go and I felt better almost instantly, but that was the first time that that had happened to me.  Anyway, they broke my water, I began to dilate much faster and things were indeed moving along.  And I was glad to already have my epidural!!  At around 9oclock I felt a huge flood of fluid and a lot of pressure to push.  It took the doctor a little bit to get there (there were 7 of us all getting ready to push at the same time), and then in 2 easy pushes she was out!  It was really the perfect way to have a baby, and she was perfect.  She was pink and crying.  We got to do skin to skin contact and nurse within a few minutes of her being born.  The doctor didn’t need to do much with me, so she was on her way to the next delivery, and we were ready to call the family around 10pm! 
I had a very restful stay in the hospital – after the first night which is always horrible.  She is great a nursing – my easiest newborn by far.  We even won the “latch of the day” by the lactation consultant on Monday.  She later confessed that it was so nice to see a mother and baby doing well that day.  Apparently it was a rough day for some new moms.  It’s not easy with a newborn. 
I didn’t get a lot of attention in the hospital, which I take to be a good thing.  The nurses left me alone because we were doing so well with the nursing, and everything was pretty quiet.  It’s been quiet since we have been home, too!  This is my official offer to have visitors!  This maternity leave is going to get lonely soon!  I don’t feel like I need to be all cooped up this time, although the cold weather is sor of forcing me us to stay put.
Alyssa had her first weigh check at the pediatrician yesterday.  She was discharged from the hospital at 6lbs 11ozs and was up to 6lbs 12.5ozs the next day.  They love to see weight gain, and the doctor was so confident that he said we didn’t need to come back until her 1 month check up.
So if you can’t tell, things are pretty good.  Our first night home was rough.  She was spitting up a lot of mucus and couldn’t get comfortable to sleep.  Last night was better.  She still wants to nurse every hour and a half or so.  I’m not getting good REM sleep, but I am getting some sleep.  I shouldn’t complain. 
Today was my first day home with her, and it’s been easy.  Grandma came for lunch before going to pick up Preston for choir.  The silly story of the day was the diaper change from hell.  This child doesn’t like to poop unless her diaper is off.  We really need to work on that.  But anyway, I went to change her because she was pretty wet.  When I went to put the fresh diaper on, before I could get it under he little bum, she pooped all over the changing table.  And then again.  And then she peed.  And then she pooped again.  She may be tiny, but I was running out of clean corners on the changing table to actually get a new clean diaper on.  I just had to laugh.  It was such a crazy moment and what else was I supposed to do?  At that point you just have to ride it out and clean it up later.  The changing pad was white – nothing a little bleach couldn’t handle.  And even though he outfit somehow went unscathed, it was a good excuse to try a new one on.  We need to do a LOT of wardrobe outfits a day in order to get through all of this kids clothes!

From Preston:
I really love my new baby sister.  On her first morning home Daddy and I drew her a picture of sunflowers and tapped it on her bed.  On her first night home I got to read her a story in the rocking chair.  And last night I got to hold her and sing her a lullaby.  I can’t wait to take her to school to show my friends.  Mom said maybe tomorrow for our Valentine Party.  Last night I was trying to figure out all of the sounds in her name, so that I can learn how to spell it.  I know it has an “L” sound and “I” sound and an “S” sound.  Mom said she would help me to write it tonight. 

​From Luke:
I love the baby, too!  I like to hold her and give her kisses. I also like to rock her and check on her to make sure that she isn’t crying.  This morning I saw that her diapers have ELMO on them!  That was super exciting and Mom and I changed her diaper together to make sure she had an Elmo one.  I still like to make sure that I am the center of attention, especially around the grandparents, but this baby is ok.  I think she can stay.

From Mommy:
The cats don’t want to have anything to do with her.  They know what this thing is, they know it can do nothing for them, so they stay away. 
Preston is very sweet with Alyssa, and very emotional. It’s interesting having him be 5 this time around.  He remembers things about Luke being a baby, but I think it makes more sense to him this time.  He had a major meltdown at the hospital after he met her for the first time.  Grandma had to stay with him until he calmed down, and then all he wanted was to come back to see me.  I think we are all feeling a bit emotional right now.  I’m trying my best to do more with the boys and to make them all feel special.  I know it will be an adjustment, but hopefully things will stay smooth.  Preston knows that we need him to be a good helper right now, so he’s been more willing to get himself dressed, help set the table, feed the cats, etc.  I have a feeling it will get old for him, but I’m enjoying it while I can.  Luke is being more of a terrible two year old, but is still somehow manageable.  John and I still have the “divide and conquer attitude,” with Luke as the main focus usually.  I don’t feel outnumbered yet, but the baby is pretty easy, still.

And a few photos and videos from our days at home: