One Month Old

So the hormones are apparently flowing as I tearfully write this post.  I'm not sure why I'm crying.  I guess I just can't believe it has been one month since we welcomed Hudson into this crazy world.  He is the sweetest thing you could ever imagine.  He has the softest little head, the sweetest little smile, and the loudest grunts we've ever heard any male under 30 make.  ; )

On Friday, April 27th, he went for his one month check up.

At one month Hudson weighed 12 pounds 4 ounces and was 23 inches long.

That puts him in the 95th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height.

He is wearing just a few newborn clothes, but is mostly in 0-3 months now.  He wears a size 1 diaper.  He nurses every 3 hours during the day, but gives me at least one, sometimes two 4 hour stretches at night.

He had his first shopping trip Friday! We went to Buy Buy Baby to do a little shopping for him and his friends Payton and Gage.  ; )  We had a great time, but Daddy kept him entertained, so I didn't get a true picture of what it will be like when just he and I venture out soon on our own. 

He attended his first party Friday night to find out that Baby Ross is a BOY!  We are so happy for you, Jason and Samantha!

He has continued to have visitors and friends that have very thoughtfully brought Mommy and Daddy food. (THANK YOU!!)

Other facts about Hudson at one month:

He can lift his head really well.  If he is on his tummy, it is pretty controlled.  He can have his head facing one way, lift it up, and turn it to the other side and lay it down.  If he is on your shoulder (burping position) he loves to lift his head, but watch out! He'll head-but you! He doesn't have as much control in that position.

He loves to stretch out flat on his back on a firm surface, like his crib mattress or his changing table.

He is still sleeping in the bassinet in his pack n play in our room.  I am going to start putting him in his crib for one of his naps while I am up doing chores.  We have a video monitor that we will be using.  I'm taking tiny, baby steps getting him (and us) ready for sleeping in the crib at night.  I think he will first transition to sleeping flat in the pack n play without the bassinet, then maybe do most naps in the crib, then we will try sleeping at night in the crib. I'm in no hurry to rush him into his room, but it is something that I want (and need) to start working toward.  

He liked being swaddled as a newborn, but I guess since we didn't keep doing it for naps/nighttime sleeping, he doesn't like it anymore.  He wants to be covered with a blanket with his arms on top.  If you cover his hands/arms, he will squirm and fuss until he gets his arms out and on top.

 This is Hudson sleeping in his new sleep sack.  For some reason he had zombie arms.  You just never know with babies! He does all kinds of crazy stuff!

As you can see, he likes the Avent Soothie pacifiers.  He usually only takes it when he is sleepy or sometimes if he is fussy.  You never know if he will want it or not.  He is very finicky about it.

He falls asleep the best when you hold him with one arm under your armpit (breastfeeding cradle), patting him on the butt with his paci.

I have had to cut and file his fingernails about twice a week.  They grow super fast and when he is hungry or sleepy, he will grab his face and and scratch it if his nails are not trimmed.

He is starting to smile more and he likes to kick his legs, too.  

Nicknames: Huddy Buddy, Milk Monster, Snuggle Bug, Boo Boo, Baby Doll, Precious Baby, Baby Darlin, Peanut, Little Man, and the list goes on and on....

Here is Hudson just a few minutes old:

Here are a few of his newborn pictures at 11 days old:

 

Here he is at one month old:

We are really looking forward to watching him grow and develop over next few weeks! We love him to pieces!!

Two - Three Weeks

What in the world have we been up to?

In some ways, not much has changed in two weeks. In other ways, we are in a totally different world.

*The biggest thing is the noise level.

Hudson has discovered that he has a voice and it can be REALLY loud if he needs it to be. That being said, he only pulls the "someone do something NOW" card every blue moon. Most of the time, he is still a very easy going baby.

He is also a VERY noisy sleeper! He is constantly grunting, sighing, etc. Right now he is in the bassinet of the pack-n-play right next to my face, so I hear every little sound. I honestly don't mind the noise because it lets me know he is doing ok (yes, I am paranoid, but it has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better). But, sometimes he decides he is going to moan and groan so loud that it is impossible for me to sleep through.

*We are trying to learn his cries and other noises and faces.

*His biggest problem right now is going #2/having gas pains. Besides that, he is very happy. I read somewhere that babies are realizing that they have the sensation to go and think they have to use every muscle in their little bodies to get it out. That is definitely what we are seeing with him. Lots of very red faced grunting. Hopefully he will get use to that feeling soon.

*He (we) have had a couple of rough nights here and there when our little night owl decided he would rather stay up and/or be fussy than sleep between the hours of 9pm-2am. It has gotten better overall. We know there are going to be long nights, so we are grateful for the easy, peaceful ones. I really think it may have had something to do with his growth spurt, so we will see how the next week goes.

*We FINALLY have a belly button! It is still healing on the inside, but at least that nasty stump is finally gone!

*He is a CHUNK!!! He is already getting heavy. Since he is a chunk, I take it the breastfeeding is working well. It can be hard on Mommy at times - trying to get a good latch, keeping him awake to eat, worrying is if he getting enough/too much... - but I know it is worth it.

*At the rate he is going through diapers, everyone should buy stock in Pampers. If it is a poopy session, you are almost guaranteed to use at least two diapers. He takes about 5 minutes to use the bathroom. You hear it, and you think he is done. No one wants to sit in there own poop, so you go change him, even though you KNOW in the back of your mind he is not finished. You change him, and before you can even get his little outfit buttoned, he lets it rip again.

Oh and when I say hear it, I mean it. You could hear it from across the room.

*He has a little bald spot, sideburns, and he is rockin a slight mullet.

*He had his newborn pictures made with Melissa Wells Photography. We can't wait to get them in!

*He had his first Easter. The Easter Bunny was slightly out of commission this Easter, so the basket was a little slim. But, considering he has everything he could possibly need/want from every baby store around, the Easter Bunny really didn't know what else to put in his basket.

*I realized I never did an update on his kidneys. Before we were discharged from the hospital, he had an ultrasound done that showed the same thing we've been seeing - mild dilation. When we went for his 1 week checkup, she decided even though it was very mild that she wanted him to have a VCUG to see if he had any kidney reflux and to see the severity of it. I know that this doctor would never do a procedure that she did not feel was necessary, but Mommy and Daddy were NOT excited about it. Trying to hold still/soothe your 13 day old baby while he is being catheterized? Not my idea of fun. We had it performed at Children's South. They were fantastic. We could not have hoped for a better experience. The test showed that he had NO REFLUX!! : D He will have a follow up ultrasound at 6 months just to check on things, and hopefully he will be released after that.

*The dogs had a hard time when we first came home. They wouldn't even eat!!! : ( We felt terrible. After sprinkling all kinds of leftovers in their food and sitting beside them when ate, they finally seemed interested in their food again. They have slowed adjusted, just sniffing Hudson and his things as they walk by. Daddy went to the store to get dog food, but this is what he came back with.

Two Weeks Old
Tummy Time on the kitchen island while Mommy does the dishes - Three Weeks Old
He loves to wrinkle his forehead.

Three Weeks Old

We fall more and more in love with him every day! We are so grateful for this blessing!

Hudson's Birth Story

Rusty and I went in Monday, March 26th for my 39 week checkup. This was the day that we had been anticipating since my 36 week appointment. This was the day that we would "come up with a plan" to get big boy into this world. My appointment was at 11am, but there was a mix up with appointments in the computer system and the office was swamped. I did my labs quickly, but did not see my doctor until almost 1pm. I was LIVID. I was uncomfortable, impatient, and extremely anxious. When we got in our room, I could tell my doctor already had a plan just by the look on her face. She examined me and I was still about 2cm. She looked at us and asked us if we were ready to have a baby and we said absolutely. I was waiting for the calm talk about "the plan", but she quickly informed me there was protein in my urine and that I was going to be admitted to Labor and Delivery immediately to be monitored and do a more detailed round of lab work. I. Was. Stunned.

What? Admitted to the hospital? Me? Right now? But I haven't eaten lunch! (hey, at the time, that was pretty important)

We quickly debated regular delivery vs C-Section, and she said she was confident that induction would work and that I would be able to have him on my own. She said if I were petite (she said 5'2") she would go ahead with a C-Section, but she was confident that I could do it. She said if we induced and he didn't look like he wanted to come down and out, she promised she wouldn't put me in a bad predicament and we would move on with a C-Section. She left the decision up to me and I decided I would give the induction a shot.

I was so excited, but I was very nervous because if I was being admitted, that meant she was afraid something was wrong. We got all checked in and they monitored my liver enzymes, retested my urine, and checked my blood pressure 9 times while I was in 3 different positions. Meanwhile, since there was a risk if having an emergency C-Section, I wasn't allowed to have ANYTHING but ice chips. At 4pm, they said I looked great and could be released. We were allowed to leave, and we were told to return at 8pm to be admitted to be induced! YIPPEE!!! We were so close to meeting Hudson!

We went STRAIGHT to Newk's for my "last meal" - which was lunch/dinner by the way. We ran home to do a few last minute things, show our first babies Macy and Coop Coop some loving, and see my parents. Then we went to the hospital, got checked in, and Rusty's parents, brother, and sister-in-law came to see us for a little while. Uncle Jackson came by for a little while, too.
I was told to try to get some rest, but who can sleep knowing in a few hours you are going to deliver your first child?!?! They came in around midnight and set up IVs and all sorts of goodies and by 12:45am I was receiving Pitocin. I was able to sleep through the contractions until about 3:15am, then they started getting painful enough to make me too uncomfortable to sleep.

At around 5:30, my doctor came to examine me and check my progress. She broke my water and inserted the intrauterine pressure catheter to monitor my contractions. At this point, I was 4 cm, so I could have gotten my epidural. They said if I could wait a little longer, that the baby may progress more quickly without the epidural. So I toughed it out for about an hour and a half. The contractions were MUCH, MUCH more intense after she broke my water. I probably could have gone a little longer, but I went ahead and asked for the epidural. They were REALLY busy that day and I sure didn't want to be one of those horror stories that waits too long and can't get it because you are past the point of no return. To me, getting the epidural was no big deal. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, but it wasn't like I wanted to scream or anything.

They do lots of blood pressure checks and quick little exams to make sure you are not going to have a bad reaction to the epidural. All of that was fine except the meds went just a little too high and I felt tightness in my chest. I wasn't one of those people who flips out and says they can't breath - thankfully. I could just tell that something wasn't right. My nurse immediately put my bed at a 90 degree angle and I was sitting up super straight so that the meds would run back down. After a few minutes, I was fine. It was no big deal. After that was over, I just felt really weird. I wasn't nauseated, and I didn't get the shakes; I just didn't feel good AT ALL. My legs were super numb, but other parts that needed to be weren't. After a "boost", I was good to go. Our families came back in the room and I put on my make up. Momma wanted to look presentable to meet her little man! So epidural - worth it? ABSOLUTELY. They checked me throughout the day and contractions got worse...I can't possibly imagine having to feel all of that pain. All I could feel was pressure.
So the day went on with several checks. I was dilating like most first time moms, about 1 cm per hour. Everything was moving along great, but the doctor was concerned that he had not dropped enough. My A-M-A-Z-I-N-G nurse Stacy was determined to get that baby down, so we tried every position and trick she had up her sleeve.

Finally around 2 pm, it was showtime. Everyone left the room except Rusty and my superhero nurse Stacy and another nurse. At 3pm, the other nurse's shift was over. So now it was just the three of us. Not at ALL what I pictured labor to be. But, if you think about it, Momma is doing all of the work, so there isn't a need for a bunch of people to stand around while she pushes. My doctor came back down around 3:30pm and I could tell she was not convinced that this baby was coming. But Stacy was determined and so were Rusty and I. I didn't starve myself for almost 24 hours, lie in pain, and push for an hour and a half to go have a C - Section. (Since there was a risk that I might have to have an unplanned C/S, I was not allowed to eat anything but ice chips from midnight on.) So with 15 more minutes of pushing, she paged the doctor. It was time. He was almost here. I mustered up the energy and pushed until 4:01 pm. He was finally here!! It took almost 2 hours of pushing, Rusty being an terrific partner - counting and holding me up with every contraction, and our awesome nurse Stacy, who I feel like was more of a best friend than a nurse, to bring Hudson into this world. Neither Rusty or I cried, which is really shocking considering how emotional I had been up to that day. We were just so happy to meet our happy, healthy baby and relieved that everything went so smoothly.

Labor was exhausting, but that is the best way to describe it. I wasn't in terrible pain, but towards the end the pressure did get REALLY intense and it was very uncomfortable. I honestly think that I was in more pain immediately after delivery than during labor. I won't share any gory details. It was just your typical post delivery procedures, but I truly think I was in more pain then than during labor.

We stayed at the hospital until Thursday afternoon. I didn't really feel to great the whole time I was there. We determined Thursday morning that it may have been the pain meds that were making me feel so bad, so I stopped taking them since I was feeling a little better.

Coming home was great, but just like any first time parents, we were a little overwhelmed. Taking care of a newborn is exhausting, but it was very hard for me because I felt TERRIBLE. I still don't know what was wrong with me, but my mom thinks I was dehydrated and not getting enough calories on top of being so physically exhausted. I felt like I had the flu. Thankfully by Sunday night that was all over with and we were off to the pediatrician's office Monday morning.


I took too many pictures to post, so here is a link to my facebook album so that you can see all of them.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.956634973886.2260092.20500532&type=3&l=6f1658fd47

I have to give one more round of applause to the St. Vincent's nursing staff. They TRULY went ABOVE AND BEYOND our expectations. They were so kind, considerate, and helpful at all times. I wish I had gotten a picture with Stacy, my main nurse that day, because without her, I probably would have had to go in for a C-Section. The nurses in labor and delivery and postpartum were outstanding. Thanks for everything!!

Introducing...

Hudson Michael Ashworth

Born Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 4:01 pm

Weight 8 pounds 14 ounces Length 20 1/2 inches

Hudson is now one week old!!

So what has happened in Hudson's first week?

He is not a fan of bath time, but we really think it is because he is still having to have a sponge bath on the counter, so he is kind of "exposed" to the chill of the air. But, he LOVES getting his hair shampooed!

He has had some visitors at home.

He has played with his gym.

At his one week checkup, Hudson got a great report! He lost 11 ounces at the hospital and left weighing 8.3, but he weighed almost 8.10 at the doctor's office Monday, so Momma's Milk is doing its job!
While at the pediatrician's office, we had a little diaper incident. Being the Type A/over packer that I am, I packed 10 diapers even though I estimated us to be gone for no more than 3 hours at the most. When we got to the doctor, he was wet, so Rusty was going to change him really quick before he got weighed. Well, that turned into a lengthy diaper change. I think he went through 5 diapers in that one change. He just kept pooping and kept pooping while Rusty was changing him. We would give him a minute to see if he was finished and as soon as Rusty would get a clean diaper on him, he would poop again.
Then, Rusty held him in his diaper and blanket as the doctor talked to us. She asked Rusty to put him on the table to be examined, and when Rusty put him down, he has a huge ring on is shirt. He had peed out of his diaper, through the blanket, and on to Rusty. Just a day in the life of a newborn parent. I've been peed on twice since we've been home. All we do is laugh - you just can't help it!

Quick Facts about Hudson:

He is very alert and loves to raise his head and turn it already!! We are amazed at how strong his neck is and how much he moves his head!

He is a VERY easy baby. He only cries if he has a gas pain, and that cry is a very short, slightly fussy cry. He is not a crier (yet) and hopefully he won't be. Our biggest problem is that he seems to have his days and nights mixed up.

He was crying during diaper changes for the first few days, but since his little wee wee is almost healed, he doesn't really cry anymore. But, if he ever gets upset, we break out the secret weapon - the Glow Worm from Nana and Papa. Our nephew Dominic had one and he loved it, so they got Hudson one and we grab it if we anticipate any tears being shed (see the pic for "poop explosion").

One Week and One Day Old!

I am going to do a post of his Birth Story and our time at the hospital, but I know it is going to take me a little while to write it. Since I only have about a 2 hour break in between each feeding, it is hard to get things done and rest in that short time! ; )

Thanks to EVERYONE for all of the sweet messages, prayers, visits, food, and everything else you have done for us the past week and nine months! We have the most wonderful family and friends.

We feel extremely blessed to have this little boy in our daily lives now!! He is PERFECT and brings us more joy than we could have ever imagined!