Getting the Itch?

With Christine's new arrival (congrats to you by the way!), my cousin Michele's baby shower this past week, and Krissy's shower coming up in a few weeks, I am feeling the itch for another baby : > I know what you are probably thinking - 'you have a baby.' I know, I know, and don't worry I would not be able to handle another right now so Tom and I are sticking to the plan and will start trying again next summer. Until then, let me reminisce. After reading Christine's labor stories, I feel compelled to share mine, especially since I wasn't blogging at the time. So if you are interested or curious, read on. . .

Even though I wasn't due until March 31st, I had a feeling that I would deliver early and even predicted that it would be the 17th. To my surprise, it was even sooner! I prayed and prayed not to have Colten on March 13th since it was a Friday - a bit superstitious I know but I couldn't help it. Colten held off to make me happy but barely. The night of the 13th, I was up every hour going to the bathroom (not much of a change from my usual 2 hour potty call but still different). Then at 4:12 am on the 14th (actually 30 minutes earlier since my clock is fast), I was awakened by a popping feeling down below - something different than a kick. Thinking of Cara's story, I jumped up and headed for the bathroom, wondering if my water was breaking. After going to the bathroom, I figured that everything was still in tact, that is until I was washing my hands and felt something wet running down my leg. "Had I not finished peeing?" I tried again and then headed back to bed. Within a few minutes, I could feel wetness again and knew then that it was not pee, but so far I hadn't felt any contractions so I put on a pad and waited. Tom had fallen asleep on the basement coach so I yelled down to him. At this point I still wasn't sure if this "was it" but I wanted Tom close. Tom came flying up the stairs and was ready to leave before I was even sure if I was in labor, but by this time, I started having contractions too ranging anywhere from 5-7 minutes apart. Still, I didn't want to be the one to go to the hospital only to return home babyless. So I headed for the shower, unaware of what Tom was doing until he rushed into the bathroom announcing, "I called your parents and the car is running so we are ready to go!" to which I promptly replied "What!? Go shut the car off; I'm still in the shower and need to call the doctor."
By the time I was done showering, I was pretty sure this "was it" so I called Dr. Canby and she told me to eat something light and then head to the hospital. So I had one last PB & J sandwich, we finished packing the bag, we got Lady ready and headed to my mom and dad's to drop her off before driving to Northside Hospital. By this time, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and were getting much more intense. After running a few red lights (not my idea), we were there, probably around 6am.
At first the nurses were skeptical and thought I was only having Braxton Hicks contractions (believe me, I knew the difference and these were nothing like those). But they put me in a room so a doctor could check me and with that, my water completely broke - what a strange feeling - and the doctor reported that I was already 4cm. This was it!
I soon found myself in a labor and delivery room hooked up to all the monitors. My contractions intensified so quickly and were coming so rapidly; I wanted my epidural now! But I had to wait for my blood work and for one bag of antibiotics to get though my IV. So many women fear the epidural, but I welcomed it and don't remember it hurting a bit. The hardest part was staying still while they inserted it even though I was having major contractions. But I was more than pleased with the result; I could still feel every contraction, but now they were bearable. The only drawback - labor slowed quite a bit. I was 6cm when I received the epidural but then I had to get Pitocin to help labor progress again. So with the epidural the whole process probably took a bit longer, but I'd never change it. Instead of suffering in unbearable pain, I chatted with Tom, his dad, and my parents while trying out lots of different labor positions.
Around 1:45 I started feeling really nauseous and wondered if my blood sugar was low. When I asked the nurse, she said that some women feel that way when they are ready to push and sure enough, I was ready to go!
With Tom holding one leg and a nurse the other, I began pushing at about 2pm and heard "It's a boy!" at 2:20pm! Colten arrived and I was now a mom, officially. I always thought that it was gross to hold a baby after it first comes out, but I really changed my mind quickly when they placed Colten on my chest. I only held him for a moment before they whisked him off to clean him up and take his measurements but I loved every second and already couldn't wait to have him back in my arms. And that's where he was a few moments later so we could begin our bonding by nursing. Our lives changed in that instant, and I have never felt more complete. Everyone says it, but it is so true: there is no love like the love you have for your child. I love you so much, Colten. You truly are my world.
In almost 5 months, Colten has grown in so many ways, but here are a few early photos.
Literally, right after birth - being weighed.

The first time Tom held Colten.One of my favorite early photos.

The Countdown. . .22 days

I usually love countdowns - the days until Christmas, until summer break, until a long-awaited getaway, etc. - but I dread this countdown. . . the days until the start of school. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and could not imagine having any other job (except being a stay-at-home mom). Logically I know that I still have almost a month but I can't help my heart from racing and the tears from flowing every time I think of going back to school or rather leaving Colten, and let me tell you I think of it A LOT. As if I don't already get too little sleep, I find myself tossing and turning with my heart beating so quickly when I finally am in bed. What time will I have to get up in order to get to school on time? How will I get the lunches packed, feed Colten, and find time to look presentable? How will I ever get papers graded? When will I have time to workout? How many bottles will Colten need during the day? Will I be able to pump enough? Will my school schedule work with pumping? What will I miss of Colten's firsts? I could keep going, but I will spare you...
Again, logically I know that I am blessed to have my mom. Colten will be in the best possible care at Grandmas and I am by no means nervous about leaving him with my mom. Her love for Colten is unparalleled, and I have no doubt that he will be just fine and perfectly happy. It's me that I'm worried about. After being with Colten continuously for five months, I cannot imagine dropping him off; my heart is breaking just typing this because it seems so real and so immediate. Hopefully I can find some peace and quickly so that I can relax and enjoy the last few weeks of summer. . . I'm just not sure how to do this. So until then, let the anxiety continue.

If you endured my venting, now enjoy some new photos of Colten!

Colten playing at Grandma and Grandpa's house while Daddy painted our basement.


Playing with the plane Daddy gave Colten after his trip to the United States Airforce National Museum.

"I'm so cute; no wonder Mommy doesn't want to leave me!"

Spoon Time!

Colten started eating solids about 2 weeks ago, but I was just dissolving the rice cereal in a bottle. Now I'm proud to say that Colten is eating from a bowl with a spoon! His first spoon experience happened on July 23rd and we have been going strong ever since. It sure is messy and much more time consuming than simply breastfeeding, but he is loving it! I thought that he would start sleeping longer during the night since he'd be more full, but that has yet to happen. In fact, some nights he is up even more - I think I just have a really hungry guy : > Here are some photos of his first day eating rice cereal with a spoon. "It's all gone already?"


On Saturday, Tom was in Dayton at the National Air Museum with a buddy so Colten and I went to a pig roast with my mom and dad. The weather was crummy, so we basically stayed inside but the food was yummy!

And finally, Colten's new obsession is his exersaucer from Aunt Tunny, Karol, and Jerry. Thank you so much! Colten cannot get enough of the fun!!

Road Trip!

Colten is ready for the trip, sporting his cute outfit from the Belschner family!

This past weekend, Colten made his first road trip to Columbus to visit Uncle Mike. And we are happy to report that it was such a success! Colten stayed busy in the car by playing with his car seat toys and blanket until he dozed off. About 20 miles outside of Columbus, he started to fuss so I climbed in the back with him and kept him company; it seems that was all he wanted because he made the rest of the trip in good spirits. One lesson that we learned - my Kia is too small. Luckily, my parents made the trip as well so they took Lady and some of Colten's supplies; otherwise, we never would have had enough room - babies need so much stuff : > Before we make our trip to visit Beth and Dave in SC next year we will probably have to invest in a new car . . . I love my Kia though.
Yay! We made it to Uncle Mike's!

Playing while Mommy packs.


I was a bit worried about how Colten would sleep at Mike's, especially since we just got him to sleep in his crib, but again, I'm happy to report that he slept quite nicely in his pack 'n play too! It was a weekend for firsts because Colten also enjoyed his first outing to a restaurant - Uno's Pizza. Luckily it was loud in there because he did have a crying spell, but then he fell asleep and slept long enough for me to get some shopping in at Tuttle too! I love my boy!
Colten enjoying some of Daddy's pizza - one day : >

After a busy day of shopping and after Tom fell and skinned his knee in Mike's driveway (I haven't seen a skinned knee in years : >), we headed to my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Frank's house for dinner, and boy was it yummy! Even more than the food though, it was so wonderful to visit with everyone, but as KC said, "boy how our dinners have changed!" Instead of all sitting down to a quiet meal, Cars was playing in the background for her son Braden and Aunt Joyce held Colten so he wouldn't cry and Chris and Liz's new puppy played at our feet. Much more chaotic, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We had so much fun!

Visiting with family at Aunt Joyce's
Colten with his older cousin Braden
Colten and Daddy!

In other news, Colten had his 4 month doctors appointment today. Since Tom is on vacation, he was able to meet the doctor for the first time, but he conveniently left the room before the shots, leaving Mom to handle it : > Colten weighs 17.1 pounds (although he may weigh more because he no longer fits on the baby scale), and he is 27 1/2 inches long! No wonder so many of his clothes do not fit ; > The doctor also told us to give him rice cereal to 3 times a day, and next month we get to start stage one baby foods! I cannot believe how quickly he is growing up, but he'll always be my sweet baby boy.

Happy 4 Month Birthday, Colten!

Tom and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary on Sunday by going to Youngstown State University's annual art festival. We usually attend every year but missed it last year since we were in DC. The day was absolutely beautiful, and we had such a great time. Colten loved being out in the fresh air, too. Then toward evening, Krissy and Victor came over to visit and talk babies while we waited for the Campbell City Fest fireworks from our deck. What a great way to end such a fabulous day!
Yay! Colten is 4 months old and loving it! After a wild start to the day, we had fun bumming around town to run some errands with Grandma. What I mean by wild start . . . Colten was as happy as could be in his crib while I was doing some morning chores like feeding Lady. He was talking to his mobile and playing with a blanket so I was not expecting what I found. Upon picking him up, I saw a poop spot on his sheets and thus on him as well. I know what most of you are probably thinking, 'big deal; we've all been there.' Well it wouldn't have been a big deal if I could have done laundry, but our water lines were being flushed so the water was rust colored to say the least. Note to self - buy extra mattress pad. Luckily Grandma saved the day. She came over and got our laundry and we packed up and headed to her house to finish getting ready. After a much later start and lots of laughs, we finally ventured out. To our surprise, we ran into Colten's doctor at the Sprint store. We are going for his four month appointment next week, but Dr. Jose gave us the go ahead to start solids! Yay! We'll give that a try tomorrow so I'll keep you posted ; >


Here's a picture of the only way Colten will sleep now. At first I was really nervous about suffocation (who am I kidding, I still am). But I'm feeling better, at least somewhat, thanks to Steph reassurance : > He loves to sleep on his belly!

In other news: Thanks for everyone's patience with my cell phone issues. I picked up my 3rd new phone today so hopefully I'll be able to text again. No promises : > So hang in there with me if you still get random texts. Krissy, you are a pro at decoding my crazy messages!

And CONGRATS to Adrienne and Domenico! We are so happy for you guys and can't wait for updates as your belly grows!

July 4th

Colten wore his "I Love the USA" outfit from Krissy and Victor to celebrate the 4th!


Colten's first Independence Day was surely a day of firsts. Since I was just starting to feel better after battling a sinus infection, we only made it to one party - the Beck's block party. We have been going to their 4th of July celebration since I was in high school and only missed last year since we were away for Janelle's wedding (Congrats on 1 year by the way!). Colten loved his first party and even took part in his first parade lead by Mr. Camuso to the tune of patriotic music. Colten already told me that he is looking forward to next year because he'll be able to walk in it himself : > It was so great to visit with two of my best girls from high school, Angie and Jen! We say it all the time but we truly need to get together more often because I enjoyed our conversation so much.Getting ready for the parade.


Colten had so much fun!

Ang and I in the parade with the kids!

The night was filled with fireworks, but Colten didn't seem to mind. As you all know I have been trying to transition Colten from sleeping with me in the recliner to sleeping in his crib. At the end of June, he was napping in his crib for short periods but still sleeping on me at night. July 4th changed all of that! He spent the whole night in his crib, only waking twice for feedings! I'll take that : > Since then we have had our ups and downs. On the up side, he has slept in his crib ever since. However, not all of these nights are restful for me as he still sometimes needs me almost every hour for food or just comfort. Still, I'll take that. We are making progress, and that's all I can really ask for. Thank you so much to everyone who offered me their advice or even just words of encouragement. Sometimes it's nice just to know that I'm not alone in this and that I'm not messing up too badly : >

Battles Lost, Battles Won

The Belschner Family sent Colten this Curious George onesie. Doesn't he look so cute with his stuffed animal : >


First I have to thank Christine for helping me change the background of my blog - you're the best! And now on to Colten. . .

On June 30th my sweet baby boy rolled over for the first time! He had been trying to roll over for a few weeks, and he finally did it!!! We were playing on the floor with his keys and rattle and before I even knew what was happening, he was on his belly. I am so happy that Tom was in the living room with us, too! I know that when I go back to school, I will miss so many of his firsts so I am thrilled that we were both there to witness this milestone, however small (to us it's huge : > ).

For those of you who read my blog on a fairly regular basis, you'll remember that I have been trying to get Colten to sleep in his crib, but I haven't been having much luck. I mentioned that the vacuum worked so we purchased an mp3 of a vacuum. Well Master Colten can tell the difference and the CD did nothing more than give me (and probably him) a headache. So then we thought we would try to put a massager under his mattress; we hoped he would like the humming and the vibrating, and it worked - to a degree. By this I mean that we could eventually calm him down in the crib if we rubbed his belly for 30-60 minutes. Then he would sleep for 20-40 minutes. I'm not sure if this is a success, but we took it as one. However, we were burning up batteries so quickly. . . so I invested in an electric massager that we could plug in. But once again Sir Colten decided that he had had enough of this tactic too. It never worked again. Regardless, I am determined to break him of his habit of sleeping on me because school is just around the corner. So I vowed to not let him nap on me, and insisted that he sleep in his crib. . . We are making progress (I think). He still only naps for 20-40 minutes during the day so if anyone has any wisdom about getting him to sleep longer and helping him fall back to sleep on his own once he wakes up, PLEASE SHARE! Last night we had a bit of a breakthrough; he stayed in his crib from 8pm-12:30am. This sounds fabulous and is on some levels but I got no sleep during that time because about every 40 minutes he woke up and needed his pacifier again. So as happy as I was that he was in the crib, I want sleep too : > Today, his naps have not been any longer but he has gone to sleep much more easily than ever before. He's either getting used to the crib or he is so tired from lack of sleep that he can't help it : > Either way, he is in his crib! I never thought that this would be one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I always assumed that babies just naturally slept in their cribs - I guess not.

Sorry if this has bored you, but it's important stuff in the McCutcheon household : >


Colten loves to play in this jumperoo! Thanks Candice!