We're three months late in getting started, however, so we have some catching up to do. :)
April 5-6, 2011
Jesper Paul Carlson was born on April 6, 2011 and was 8lbs 13oz and 22 inches long. I was in labor for 3 weeks + 6 hours (I consistently had braxton hicks contractions every day for 3 weeks with a lot of the pre-labor signs). Finally, on Tuesday, April 5, I had another round of what I thought were braxton hicks contractions that started at about 7:30pm.
After a shopping trip to Babies R Us, Dairy Queen blizzards, and an episode of NCIS, I told Josh I was having contractions again and we should maybe start timing them since they were fairly consistent. So at 9pm, Josh started tracking them on his iPhone app and I headed upstairs to check our hospital bag. The contractions were only 4 minutes apart and starting to hurt. Josh got our things together while I did my hair (there were going to be pictures, after all...). At 10pm, the contractions were only about 3 minutes apart and Josh was frantic, so we headed to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital and the nurse checked my progress. I was dilated to 4cm, but that was only slightly more than I had been at my last doctor's appointment. They told us to walk around for an hour to make sure I was truly in labor. At 12:15am, they checked me again and I had progressed to 5cm. They agreed to admit us and we headed to the labor and delivery room. At about 12:45am, the doctor broke my water and labor intensified quickly. Josh was fantastic during the entire event. I was having back labor, so he would give counter-pressure on my back during every contraction.
Since I was progressing rapidly, the doctor mentioned that if I wanted an epidural, now would be a good time to do it. I declined (but was wishing I hadn't shortly afterwards!!). By 1:30am I was ready to push. I told the nurse that I wanted to have our baby by 2:00am. Jesper was born at 2:08am.
There is nothing more special than having your brand-new baby handed to you. The first things I noticed about my special little boy was his chubby little back rolls, scrunched face, and soft little body. I will remember that moment forever.
Jesper - 1 Month
The first month with a new baby and new parents is an adventure. Josh and I learned rapidly every day how to adjust to life with a newborn. We battled a gas episode and jaundice in the hospital (motion was the only thing that calmed him for the gas and holding him was the only way we could get him to sleep with the light treatment). Learning to breastfeed was a challege (Jesper is slightly tonge-tied but a determined eater, so we eventually figured it out). During Jesper's first bath, he pooped and peed on both Josh and I and screamed the entire time (we realized quickly that we should have timed it AFTER he ate instead of before...). We had a terrible battle with diaper rash (diaper cream recipe: Desitin, lotrimin, neosporin, and hydra-cortizone cream). Friends and family brought meals and came to help (thank you!) and our standards for meals and house-cleaning dropped slightly.
Jesper - 2 Months
Just when you get to the point of exhaustion and start realizing how much work a newborn is, he smiles at you. Suddenly, every sleepless night, abdominal crunch, and extra load of laundry is totally and completely worth the effort. :) Jesper smiled at 6 weeks. He rolled over at 7 weeks and started cooing at 8 weeks. He could finally see further than just a few feet and started to watch his surroundings with more interest. We started letting him fall asleep on his own at about 7 weeks by rocking him until he was drowsy and laying him in his crib with good success.
At his two-month appointment, Jesper was 13lbs 15oz (95th percentile), 23.75 inches long (75-90th percentile) and his head circumference was 15.5in. (25-50th percentile). By 2 months, he was starting to outgrow his 3-month outfits and his size 1/2 Kirkland diapers.
Jesper - 3 Months
During my last month of maternity leave, we stopped swaddling him. I walked into his room for a middle of the night feeding and he had pulled the swaddle over his face. That was the end of that. He didn't sleep as soundly. He would take 30-45 minute naps during the day, although he was still sleeping the same amount (5-6 hour stretches) at night. The shorter naps were more work for me because I would have to put him down again 5 minutes after he woke up.
Jesper loves to "talk" with us and stand on our laps while we hold him. He is such a smiley baby! One of his favorite toys is the panda bear hanging from his car seat. He was finally able to pull the string himself in order to make it sing at the end of June. He's also becoming much stronger. He started sitting in his Bumbo seat at about 10 weeks and loves that he's able to see around him.
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