The Jack Attack

Our little Jack Ryan Caudle came January 14th, 2012 and he was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches of adorably handsome joy. I was dilated to a 4 on December 30th so you would think that he was going to coming any day after that right??? Well over 2 weeks later he finally decided to make his appearance. The wednesday  morning before I had him they stripped my membranes at my Dr. appt and I thought for sure that would do the trick (so did the Dr) since I was already so dilated. Well no dice with that either. It was supposed to work within 48 hours if it was going to work and I didn't go into labor until the next Saturday night. Anyways here is the wonderfully quick story of how our little man came to be.

Most of Saturday was a normal day. We went to Kyle's church basketball game in the morning and hung out the rest of the day. I had to go grocery shopping to get food for dinner the next day so that evening after dropping Kyle off at the Mariott Center for the BYU basketball game I headed to the grocery store. He had told me all month long that he would be fine with missing work or school but he did not want to miss a basketball game. Surprise surprise within 10 minutes of dropping him off for the game I had my first contraction. I still headed to the grocery store but from then on they came hard and they came fast. I hurried at the store and headed home. By that point it had been about an hour since they started and I was sure that it was the real thing and if i didn't go to the hospital now I probably wasn't going to make it. I packed some last minute stuff and my mom got Lucy ready and I text Kyle that we were coming for him. At one point while I was waiting for my mom to load up the car I laid on the couch waiting for a contraction to pass and I had my head down and eyes closed and Lucy came over to me and started rubbing my head and gave me a kiss. That was seriously the sweetest moment of my life. Anyways we headed to pick Kyle up and then went to the hospital. Funny thing was that the basketball game started at 6 and we ended up picking Kyle up at 5:58. So we got to the hospital around 6, a whole 90 minutes since labor started. Kyle ran in and got me a wheel chair and then took the stroller out and put Lucy in it while my mom parked the car. Another funny thing was when Lucy saw my mom drive off she got really sad and started screaming because she thought she was leaving her. So were sitting there outside the hospital entrance, me in a wheel chair in obvious extreme pain, Lucy screaming her head off in the stroller and Kyle standing there with our bags. In the 2 minutes it took my mom to park we had 2 separate people passing by ask us if we needed help inside. Very nice of them. So from there we went up to labor and delivery and I was admitted quickly and all hooked up to everything. They called the anesthesiologist and I thought for sure he wasn't going to make it in time. They checked me and I was at an 8. Then the anesthesiologist made it about 20 minutes later thank goodness and got me all prepped for the epidural. Let me tell you in those 20 minutes I became complete and had an EXTREME urge to push. The urge came on the minute I was sitting up and the Doc was sticking the needle in my back and I had to stay completely still.. That was by far the worst feeling I have ever had in my life. It was awful. Trying as hard I could wasn't enough and my body just wanted to push. We later found out the Jack was facing sideways and stuck and if he wasn't I probably would have pushed him out then and there. Finally he was done and I got to lay on my back again and it wasn't as bad laying down then sitting up and being hunched over. The OB came a few minutes later and they gave me about 15 minutes for the meds to kick in before I started pushing. They had pumped up the epidural so high to make sure that it worked that by the time I started pushing I was paralyzed. From that point on things were so much more pleasant. I couldn't even tell I was in labor anymore. I started pushing  and I was so numb that I couldn't even tell if I was pushing or not. I couldn't even tell when I was having contractions. It wasn't like that at all with Lucy so that was a new experience. It was at that point they discovered he was sideways and we decided that forceps were needed. About 20 minutes after I began pushing our little bundle was born, 3 whole hours since my first contraction.


Well that's that. My recovery has gone really well. After a few days I was up and about and feeling really good. 6 days after he was born Kyle and I actually went on a date to the men's volleyball game to take advantage of having my mom there as a babysitter.

The transition has gone really well. Jack is seriously THE BEST baby on the planet. He is almost 3 weeks old and he has never once been fussy or cried just to cry. He gets mad if he doesn't get fed fast enough and that's about it. On that note he is an excellent nurser too. By the time we left the hospital he was a pro and we haven't had any problems. He sleeps incredibly hard which is a blessing because with Lucy around he wouldn't ever sleep if he didn't. He usually wakes up about 2-3 times a night to eat. He doesn't always go right back to sleep but he's so easy going that I can lay back down in bed with him and go back to sleep and eventually he falls asleep too without a peep. I would rather not have him in bed with us but it beats having to stay up until he falls asleep. It's not that often that happens though. If he's close to sleeping we can lay him in bed with a pacifier and he'll put himself to sleep. He is such a happy boy and is becoming so much more alert and awake day by day. He has already smiled a few times. Warms my heart.

Lucy has taken to him ok. She doesn't really seem to me jealous or anything for the most part. She actually loves him too much. She always wants to hold him and give him love but when she can't she gets mad. She has figured out that when I'm feeding him is the best time to get into trouble. She's had some fits here and there but nothing that's made me completely lose my mind yet. Jack is actually so easy going though that he's so content sitting in the swing or laying in bed that I have actually spent more one on one time the Lucy then I did before he was born. The girl could have it a lot worse.

So that's pretty much it. We're just all plugging along trying to figure each other out.

Lucy at 18 months.

This goof ball is a year and a half. The blanket cape and socks on her hands were all her idea. Not to mention this was the same afternoon that she had been throwing up allllllll morning. She hit her second wind and had to take advantage of it by being super baby.

Anyways she had her 18 month check up this morning (with no shots thank goodness) and I have a chance to post about it. Here are her stats:

Weight: 20.3 lbs. in the 3rd%

Height: 29 inches in the 7th%

It took her a year and a half but she finally broke the 20lbs barrier and can sit facing forward in the car. I was looking back in her percentiles and the highest she has ever been was when she was 4 months she was in the 13th. At least she is short so it makes her proportionate I guess. There's not much of a chance of her ever changing because it is impossible to get her to eat. She doesn't really like any meat or sweets or anything that could possibly help her chunk up. All she wants to eat is fruits, veggies and crackers. We have recently discovered her undying love for strawberries. She still loves baby food too. What a nut.

According to the Dr. she is doing excellent in her speech. I was kind of concerned that she doesn't say any 2 syllable words yet but that isn't necessarily normal for her age so I'm relieved about that. For example baby is "bay" and Dora (as in the show) is "do". It's more the effort and amount of words rather than the quality of how she says it I guess. He said normal for her age is about 7-20 and she says 25+ at least I haven't actually counted. And she definitely has no problem with understanding the concepts of words and commands so she is right on track. She is getting pretty good at understanding fairly complex commands too which is a lot of fun to watch. It's just fun all around to see her grow and learn and be a part of that with her. 

She definitely doesn't lack in personality either. She is a spitfire and very tenderhearted at the same time. She is an emotional time bomb. Kyle has no idea what to do with her at times because she is such a girl. She goes from high to low at the drop of a hat. Some days it is a lot to handle but other days (when I'm well rested) I can just sit back and watch her personality change from minute to minute and just crack up because there are no words to describe her. When she wants to be she is just about the sweetest little love bug you will find. She will randomly come over to me, run her hand in my hair, look me straight in the eye then give me a big hug and kiss. Then she will go straight over and in a span of about 15 seconds play with the buttons on the tv, go to the Wii and turn that on and then go to the laptop and try to lift the lid and turn that on too. Needless to say we have also been working on timeouts the last few months that's a whole other topic.

Her newest thing right now is singing. She is constantly singing songs to herself now. The other day she twirled around in the living room singing for 15 minutes straight. I really need to get a good video of it. I guess that can be my goal to do that before this baby decides to make an appearance.

We can't wait for her to have a little brother to share her kind loving side and her quirks with. She has no idea what's about to hit her but I can't wait to get this party started.

Christmas and baby update.

Christmas is over with. I'm honestly kind of excited about that because I was looking forward to celebrating it and everything but a big part of me just wanted it to be over so that we were one step closer to having the baby. Nevertheless it was a great day for my family to spend together and we had a lot of fun. Kyle had 2 weeks off of school and we got to just enjoy him being home. Lucy loved opening presents and LOVED what we got her. I knew she would though. We only got her a couple things but she has played with them all nonstop since Christmas. It was a very special day for sure. You can check out the pictures on my facebook.

 I'm 37 weeks and 5 days right now. My poor mom came a week ago (about 5 days before she was planning on coming) because we found out I was dilated to 4cm and I started having some pretty painful cramping and contractions but nothing has happened. I was in the same boat with Lucy but I didn't have any contractions with her like I've had now. We've been having fun though. Lucy is in complete heaven having her here. I don't find it coincidental at all that since my mom has been here she has learned what an "owie" is. Not just an owie like when she cries after getting hurt but that she will continue to point to it for the next couple days and say "ow" and want you to kiss it. There has been no lack of sympathy for that little girl that's for sure. She's eating it all up though. She does deserve it so I don't mind. She's had to put up with her useless pregnant mom for the last couple months and she's going to have to deal with her useless mom again soon enough when she has to share her time with her little brother.

 In other Lucy news she is officially 18 months today and got to go to nursery for the first time. I was shocked when we left her and she didn't cry at all, just watched us leave. She is very very attached to Kyle and I since we are pretty much the only people in her life. I wish so bad I had a video of her in there and see how she reacted to everything. I was told by both the nursery workers that she did excellent and just kind of observed what was going on. She's always our little quiet observer in situations like that. If a situation is new, no matter how much she likes it she just sits back and takes it all in.

I guess this was suppose to be a baby update but it turned into a Lucy post. She is obviously the center of attention at all times in our home still so I guess it's fitting. She will have to share the spotlight soon enough. Well hopefully for all of our sakes it is soon enough. Until next time!

Pointless Post

Don't say I didn't warn you because as I start this post I don't really know where I'm going with it. Tonight is Kyle's last night of working his normal schedule before the break. While he is on Christmas break he gets to work more hours and also work normal hours so he will be home at dinner time every night instead of leaving for work after dinner every night. Very much looking forward to that. We finally get to watch our regular Christmas movies that we haven't been able to get in. Christmas is a little over a week away. For the first time in our marriage we are staying in Provo for holidays. Kind of a bum in some ways but not really in others. Obviously it's no fun not getting to spend it with our families but I'm pretty excited to enjoy my own family of 3. It won't be a family of 3 much longer. I'm excited to start our own traditions and just lay low and focus on each other. Not that I don't want to go home and see family but it will be nice not having to rush rush all the time because I only have so much energy at this point. I thought once the time got here I would start to get really homesick but it hasn't happened yet. Either way we are moving home in 4 months and will be with family all the time. It's just starting to hit us that we are in fact moving back to Portland in 4 months. Wowee. Our shift button isn't working for some reason and it's getting rather annoying. I never realized how much I use it until now. Lucy took some crazy pills tonight before bed. When we were doing our family story and song time she kept cracking up and then all of a sudden go completely stone faced. She kept doing it over and over just to entertain Kyle and I. We were both in tears laughing. Love that girl. She only has a few weeks left of being an only child and I'm very glad Kyle will be on break to give her lots of attention with me. Not that with my mom visiting and Kyle's mom visiting after the baby is born won't make her spoiled rotten but it's just not the same as some one on one with mom and dad. She has stopped saying dad recently and it's pretty funny because she calls Kyle mom. Even if you tell her to say dad she will say mom. Kyle doesn't get such a kick out of it but I think it's hilarious. I don't really have anything exciting on the pregnancy front. I'm 34 weeks right now. This kid has 3 more weeks and his lease is up. Oh boy this is really pointless. Sorry for putting my 2 readers through this. I will be updating our Christmas festivities after it is over and hopefully a birth story shortly after that. May your days be merry and bright!

Why I love having a girl.

Lucy's beautiful curly brown hair is getting so long and it's been so fun being able to play around with it. Here are some of the things I've come up with so far.

French braids. These actually last a lot longer in her hair then I thought they would.

Probably my favorite. This one is great too for getting all her hair back when it needs to be washed but it's not bath time yet.

Love this too. She looks like such a precious little girl with these in!

But of course there's always the straight out of the bath look. (PS Look at those gorgeous brown eyes!)

So much fun. Not that I won't love having a little boy but he definitely won't be as fun to dress up! I can't wait until her hair grows more and she has long ringlets down her back like I did when I was little. Kyle asked me when I think I'll cut her hair for the first time and I said probably not until shes like 4. I love my sweet girl!

Long Day

One day last week I decided to pick Kyle some subway for lunch because it was his long day that he's gone from 730 to 630 then work from 8-midnight. After dropping it off to him Lucy and I were on our way home to put her down for a nap when this happened...

I was on the road right outside my apartment when I pulled up behind a BYU maintenance truck. As we were driving along the truck came to a stop which I didn't really think anything of because the grounds people are always stopping to pick up branches and stuff. So I stopped too so I could go around them. Little did I know that this truck had other plans and all of a sudden started going in reverse. My first instinct was to back up to because I thought they were only going back a couple of feet. I realized quickly that they had no idea that I was there and just kept on reversing. I was honking my horn like crazy but they couldn't hear me either. It wasn't too long before they hit me, luckily just side swiping because when I was frantically backing up I somehow swerved my car all the way to the curb. I have feeling that if they would have hit me head on things would have been a lot worse for me and my car. Someone was definitely looking out for me, my little girl in the back seat, and my little bun in the oven. From the sound of the impact they finally realized I was there and stopped. I'm happy to say that Lucy and I are completely fine. I went to the doctor later that day and the little man is fine as well. I did have some painful cramping the rest of the day but it's all ok now. The police came and took our accident reports and what not. The car still drove minus the flat tire but the maintenance crew was nice enough to put a spare on for me so I could make it home (about a block). The driver door didn't open though so until I dropped it off at the body shop a couple days later I was crawling over the passenger side to get in and out. The next couple days were spent on the phone with various insurance companies, doctors and car shops. So glad that part is over. Now my little neon is getting all pampered and we are rolling around in a rental for the time being. Words can't describe how grateful I am that this wasn't as serious as it could have been. Thinking about having my kids in the car during a serious accident is so terrifying. I hope that's something I never have to experience. As for now all is well!

In case you don't know what these trucks look like this is the closet I could find online.

Lucy's got the moves.

Lucy has a favorite show on Nickelodeon called "Bubble Guppies". It's just a goofy kid show but she absolutely loves the theme song. Every morning when it comes on she lights up and shakes her groove thing. Even if she's in the other room she runs to the tv and starts dancing. In fact just watching this video on the computer she is dancing away. It's a pretty hilarious way to start the day.

Lounging and watching her favorite show.