Jack Update 6-7 Months Old

Jack 6.5 Months! (I wrote this on Oct. 11, but am just now posting...oops)

-Jack started crawling (well, scooting – getting on knees, making a little leap frog movement, flattening out and then getting back on knees.  Somehow he seems to get from from side of the room to the other.  Now, he does it quite quickly....although he still doesn’t look like a “real” crawl...it’s definitely considered crawling in my book.  He can even turn around and come back the other way....especially if he sees the compter in front of me...like now.  He just loves to try to get his little fingers all over these keys. 

-He doesn’t quite sit up on his own yet though.  I try to work on this, but he just leans sideways or back and wants to get movin! 

-He started eating rice and oat cereal at 5.5 months and loves it.  Just last week I started feeding him peas and green beans...oh and some prunes...for the same reason we all eat prunes..ha.   it worked. 

-He giggles more and more

-He sleeps great at night – a consistent 10-11 hours!  Still napping 3 times a day, he gets tired out easily – like his mom I guess.

-He can easily grab things, pass items from hand to hand, put it in his mouth, drop it and pick it back up. 

-I feel like he’s been “teething” for a few month: drool, fussiness, biting on things, etc but no teeth to show for it yet.

Jack 7 Months (Oct. 25)

-          Jack sits up on his own now for several minutes.  I still need to be nearby, but he takes the face-plant falls like man...that’s my boy J

-          He crawls all over – and getting faster each day! and likes to take a few "steps" on his hands and feet (see pic below).  

-          Jack snuggles into me when I kiss his little neck and it’s sooo cute.   I love it.

-          Today he took two long naps...here’s to hoping we transition to two good naps a day, instead of 3 that are a bit shorter.

-          Jack talks and blabs on and on.  Music to my ears.  He is getting close to saying dada...on purpose. 

-          He is eating all sorts of foods, like green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach and even some organic puffs for a snack.  And he loves eating!  

Snotty Nose and Loving Life

It’s hard to keep up with all the new things Jack is doing these days at 5.5 Months Old :

rolling, rolling, rolling lots.  Sleeping a solid 10 hours a night (YES!) 

Smiling and giggling more and more.

 Just started grabbing his feet and putting them in his mouth (Yum??) 

Got his first cold (so sad.  Colds never seemed like a big deal until you have an infant who can’t blow his own nose and has a hard time eating because he can’t breathe out of his little nose.  I knew that day would come and all the sudden I was like “how do I treat a cold?”  The boogie getter-outer (okay, I know it’s not the real name – aspirator for those of you who like that name better) IS NOT fun...and it’s hard to use.  I feel like I spend a good 2 minutes trying to position his ever-moving head just right so I don’t shove the blue thing too far up his nose, yet far enough that I can actually get the snot out and not have to continue torturing my baby!  He screams when I get anywhere near his nose.  Saline solution is a little better...although I think I’ve gotten the same amount of quirts all over his face/in his eyes as I’ve gotten actually up his nose – good thing it doesn’t hurt his eyes.  Whew...I do look forward to when I can just put a tissue around his nose and say “blow!”....okay, it’ll be nice when he can just do it all himself, right? Haha. 

I joined a ministry called NEST at my church for moms with young kids and it’s great!  I’m creating a mommy mission statement!  That may sound weird, but it’s true that mommyhood can just fly by and I want to be intentional with each of my days..plus it helps me find joy and great purpose in my job as MOM.  Will post when I finish.

I am LOVING this season of life – I know I’ve said it in every post, but I know that there will come a day when I might not love “this season” and I want to remember this to help carry me through that season.  Jack is my treasure and I’m honored that God chose me to be his mommy.  I love it...I love it all...all that comes with it. 

.......Even the boogie-getter-outer screaming moments.  I’m thankful.  

Celebrating 5

David and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary this past Friday on August 19!  I adore my husband.  I am beyond thankful for our marriage.  In a world where marriages are crumbling all around or settling to endure the years with complacency....I am thankful to my God, my loving Father, for giving us and sustaining a sweet and strong union!  I don’t give credit to God because it’s the “Christian” thing to do; I give credit to God because I have experienced His love working in me and through me to love David.  I have experienced being loved by a husband who seeks God, hears God and then loves me out of that overflow.  When things are difficult, God reminds me to find my strength, peace and identity in Him.  He pursues me with His love.  God tells me things like “I have loved you, my people [Betsy], with an everlasting love.  With an unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3)   God first and foremost fills my heart with the very real need to feel accepted, loved, embraced and cared for.  Then, I love David  and don’t expect him to meet the needs of my heart that only God can.  From this place of security, I love David and am thankful.  I can respond to him with grace, patience and mercy.  My husband sits with Jesus every morning, learning from Him and letting God’s word be written upon his heart.  Then, when he encounters an emotionally unstable or frustrated wife, he responds with tenderness and patience.  When we love God more, we love one another more.  For 5 years we have experienced this.  So, I PRAISE GOD for my marriage! 

David is so sweet.  He got down on his knees, reread his wedding vows to me and gave me a very, very special gift.  He placed another wedding band on my hand.  It’s stunning.  I cried and read him my vows and cried again while reading them because there was such a deeper meaning behind the words.  We have lived out our vows and I can say them with more sincerity, promise and comittment. 

Today is Jack David’s 5 month birthday!  I have so much love for this baby boy and have learned so, so much in the past 5 months.  I have never loved anyone so much just for “who they are,” and not for anything they can do.  He is smiling, giggling, sleeping, eating and bringing joy to my heart every day!   

The "Brinca, Brinca"  (Brinca means Jump in Spanish)

Tummy time....WEEE!

Jack LOVES his Daddy!  David can comfort and calm Jack like no one else (even me!)  

Heart = melted.  I never want to let go in moments like this.

Record Breaker: 63 days of living in an oven.

Leave it to throwing my back out to get me to slow down, sit down, and type out some of the thoughts I have been wanting to share on this blog.  In my mind I envisioned myself frequently updating my blog to document the growth, transitions, exciting moments and even the normal day-to-day glories of mothering Jack.  People always ask me if I am journaling Jack’s growth, so here’s to journaling.  Right now. 

I can’t go back and pretend like I’m documenting  Jack’s first 5 months in real time (I did think about it though...but I guess writing entries and making up dates would confuse people and myself when the posts automatically put the date at the bottow).  So here are some highlights of the past few months:

Month 3 (June 2011- July 2011):

1.        1.  Rolling over well from his belly to back...which has it’s perks: more entertainment for himself and it has it’s drawbacks: this little belly sleeper  rolls over at night and then cries when on his back because he isn’t used to sleeping that way...which meant I was back to getting up once a night (or three times) to roll him back over. 

2.      2.    Grabbing things in his hands – I still have to help him, but he could grasp items well.

3.      3.   Giggling more and more (a personal favorite)

4.     4.    Sleeping 8-10 hours a night!  (ok wait...this is the personal favorite)

Month 4 (July 2011 – mid August 2011)

1.     1.  Jack just began rolling over from his back to his belly (ok, so just a couple of times but I think THIS will really be a personal favorite because it will help him put HIMSELF back to sleep at 3am...haha). 

2.    2.  Lots of giggles.  My sister-in-law, Anna-Maria, came to visit and began making cute kissy noises as she kissed Jack’s neck and he LOVED it...he giggled and giggled.  David makes funny noises and Jack just looks at him in amazement and giggles (uh, warms my heart!)

3.      4.   Holding onto objects for about a minute.  When I put things in his hands to hold, he can keep it there for about a minute or so now, so he’s more aware that something is actually in his hands.

4.     5.    Jack went in his baby pool for the first time and I thought he would be kicking his legs and splashing about...but he just layed between my legs and enjoyed the relaxing float.

5.     6.  Jack’s personal favorite: the “brinca, brinca.”  This is his jumper/swing that he adores.  He has hasn’t quite gotten down the drill of jumping up and down in the swing, BUT he is really getting the hang of running a couple steps, picking up his feet and letting his body swing back.  Sheer delight for his little senses! 

6.     7.    Jack had his 4 month check-up and sweet Dr. Kemper said she looked perfect (with one exception: cradle cap).  I had to buy a shampoo called Nizoral to get rid of it.  I am hoping this isn’t a sign of Jack taking after his mommy with expensive hair treatments/products.  This bottle of shampoo costs $50!!!  (I couldn’t find it at ANY of the 7 stores I looked at in Waco because they moved their manufacturing plant and are awaiting FDA approval, so I had to order it on Amazon from a company that had some in stock...talk about supply and demand!)   Jack weighed a little over 17lbs and I actually didn’t find out his height!  I’ll get it off his record when I go back at 6 months.  Everyone comments that he is very long for his age...here’s to hoping he gets the tall genes in the family! 

7.     8.    I think Jack is starting to become VERY aware of where his mommy and daddy are.  He started this new little whine (which is actually quite a cute sound) sometimes when we leave the room or leave him alone for too long.  He is also quite the homebody right now.  We went on a Spanish Ministry Retreat this past weekend and whew...it was anything but a “retreat” for me.  He did not like sleeping in a new place and being surrounded by lots of loud (but lovely) children!  It was just too much for him!  When we returned home, it was like night and day!  He began giggling and smiling, took wonderful naps in his own bed, and was so very pleasant!  Not that I want to go through that again, but we better get him used to being away from home because I don’t want to go through that every time we spend the night elsewhere!   

Okay, these were just supposed to be “bullet points” and each “highlight” has gotten longer than the previous one.  Oops. 

Jack will be 5 months in one week!!  He is sleeping 9 hours a night and car seat riding is much easier (this is a worthy note because it was quite tramatic for the first few months). 

We are spending the summer INSIDE because as I type this, the weatherman is reporting that we have broken a record in Texas: 63 days over 100+ degrees.  This has been the hottest summer on record in Texas!  Poor little Jack...he and mama are trying to get some vitamin D elsewhere. 

Time to refreeze my icepack that is on my back and feed the awaking little squeaker!  Praying for GRACE this week as my back heals and I am trying to care for Jack (not easy when I can hardly walk, let alone lift him up to carry him from room to room!) 

I do want to end this with a thought of thankfulness.  I am thankful for my overall health and thankful for a healthy almost 5 month old.  We are blessed! 

OH...one more thought!  On this Monday,  I pray for all my teacher friends that are returning to work.  Their summer is over.  I cannot even BEGIN to describe how wonderful it is to NOT be going back to work.  I am BEYOND THANKFUL to be able to stay at home with Jack.  I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom! 

"Real Life" Begins

Well, I was going to increase my blogging during June, but I had my gall bladder removed right after school got out (literally the minute the kids left the building, I was struck with horrible pain, which started the process of me going to the ER twice and in the hospital for 4 days with two procedures to remove the stones and my gall bladder).  I'm glad that's over with!
I had an amazing visit in Michigan for three weeks and loved time with my parents.  So did Jack!  I was a little spoiled though....Jack had been waking up between 6 and 7am, so while I was there, I would get up, feed him and then whisk him into Grandma and Grandpa's bed and they LOVED his morning giggles.  I would then go back to sleep :)  haha.

Now, I'm back in HOT TX (today is the 36th day of the summer and 22nd day in a row in the triple digits).  I started P90X with David....week one is done.  11 more weeks to go!  It's tough, but time to whip this body back into shape!

16 Weeks Old (July 15, 2011)

8 Weeks Old!

Okay, starting in June I will increase my blogging updates!  Here is just a sweet pic of Jack at 8 weeks old!

Introducing Jack David Karnes

A Special Delivery

(The Long Version)

My heart is full, my body is weary, and my soul is deeply satisfied.   Jack David Karnes arrived on Wednesday morning, March 23 at 5:55a.m. weighing in at 8lbs 10 ounces and 21 inches long.  Here is the story:

I had been so  hopeful that little Jack would come a few weeks/days early because I was getting so big and was beyond ready (yeah...big baby!).  On Monday, I woke up and spent some time with Jesus that was so sweet and intimate.  I then created a to-do list and vowed to just stay busy and use the time I had wisely.  So, I accomplished 19 things on that to-do list!  I went to bed Monday night with an other to-do list for Tuesday.  However, starting at 2:30a.m. I felt little Jack turning in my stomach (it felt like he was spinning in circles on his head....ouch).  I could not sleep, so I paced and came into my mom’s room...she was up reading.  Finally, he settled down from moving so rigorously at 4a.m.  At 4:30a.m. I started feeling contractions.  These ones were different (finally!)  They were low and came in waves.  So we began timing them.  They lasted for about a minute and were about 10-20 minutes apart.  So, I could only sleep for the 10-20 minutes between them.  When David awoke, I told him to be ready because I think today is the day.  He left for work and we waited!  Thankfully, I had my weekly OB appointment that morning.  I went to that and Dr. Bachofen said I was dilated to a 2 and 90% effaced (previous week I was at a 1 and 70% effaced).  She said to go home and rest and wait until the contractions are 5-7 minutes apart and pretty hard to talk or breathe through.  I went through the day just praying the contractions wouldn’t stop....I was ready for the delivery day!  David came home from work, I ate a smoothie and  around 7:30 the contractions were 5 minutes apart and pretty painful (I definitely had to do my breathing techniques).  We headed to Hotel Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center at 8p.m.  We checked in and went to the triage room to get checked.  Dr. Beaird was the doctor on-call.  I wish Dr. Bachofen could have delivered baby Jack, but Dr. Beaird was great!  After about 45 minutes, I went into our delivery room. 

                Walking into that room was surreal – the time had finally come for ME to be the one in the delivery room.  I had watched several episodes of A Baby Story  the days before this and now it was my turn.  David sat right next to me on the workout ball and helped me breathe through each contraction.  He was so helpful.  For the next few hours the contractions got much stronger and I was feeling so much pain.  I did not want to have an epidural, but took the narcotic drug to take the intense edge off.  The first round of this was great – I felt slightly more sleepy, but could manage the contractions for a few more hours.  The first dosage wore off, and I asked for some more.  At this point (probably 2a.m.) I was very, very tired and struggling to breathe properly through each contraction.  David was beyond tired too, so he layed down to take a 30 min. nap.  My mom sat by me and helped me.  Somewhere around 3a.m. I was in excruciating pain and the contractions were about a minute apart and lasting at least a minute (some never fully went all the way down before the next one started).  I was exhausted and could hardly catch my breath through the contractions.  I remember feeling like I was so “out of it” mentally and cried out for David to come back over to help me breathe.  My mom was great, but I just needed David.  He jumped up and immediately calmed me down by telling me I could do it and breathed with me.  After 20 minutes, I couldn’t take it.  I asked “Is it too late for the epidural?”  When my nurse said “No, I’ll call for the anesthesiologist right now,” I felt so relieved.  Although, it felt like an eternity waiting for him.  I have to be honest here.  I was disappointed that I couldn’t go through with the birth naturally.  I was just so tired after not sleeping for two nights and did not have enough energy to endure the most difficult last hours.  I kept saying “I’m sorry, I just can’t do it...I’m too tired and I feel like I can’t catch my breath.”  My mom and David comforted me saying that it was okay.  The epidural procedure was a piece of cake (I heard that it hurt).  As the epi was put in, I remember praying “God, please keep away all side-effects, I just can’t do this without it!”  I had heard of people having severe headaches, the epidural not working or only working on one side of the body and was nervous about side-effects.  I felt peace about it though.  Within minutes I felt the biggest physical relief imaginable.  Finally, I could rest....ahhh, huge sigh!  Over the next two hours, I rested and felt like I returned to a “normal” mental state.  They tried to tell me to sleep, but how could I when was just a few more hours from meeting my son?  I was dilated to an 8 and so close!  Around 4:30a.m. I began feeling an urge to push and my nurse said that I was just about ready.  The baby’s heart beat dropped a little, so they put an oxygen mask on me and that helped.  Plus, when I turned to my left side his heart rate when up  too...he didn’t like it when I was on my right side! 

At 5a.m. it was time to push!  I was fully dilated and it was ready to rock and roll.  The doctor came in and said this part of labor could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours.  I think I prayed aloud “Oh Lord, please don’t let this take 3 hours!”  David helped me hold one leg and the nurse the other and I wrapped my arms under my thighs and began the hardest workout of my life!  For the next 55 minutes I pushed with everything in me.  The doctor came in and watched me push and then left.  I remember thinking “Why did he leave?”  I kept pushing 3 sets of 10 second pushes over and over again.  I don’t think my nurse could have counted any slower!  They brought the mirror over and that helped me push because I could actually see his little head coming down and it gave me more determination to push.  The doctor came back, watched me push again and then left!  I thought “He is NOT leaving next time, I am pushing this baby out!”  Thank goodness I had the oxygen mask on because David and my mom thought I was going to pop every blood vessel in my face.  The next time the doctor came in, it was time to go.  In seconds they took off the bottom part of the table, the doctor put on his gown, my legs when into the stirrups and the baby nurse came in ready to clean, measure, footprint and weigh baby.  I think I pushed for 3 sets when the doctor sat down to catch the baby. 

When they pulled Jack out, I was OVERWHELMED with emotion!  I started crying and saying “Thank You, God!  Thank You, God! I’m so happy, I’m so happy!”  Hearing his cry was the most beautiful sound ever!!!  David stood there holding my hand and our tear-filled eyes stared at one another as we listened to our son cry his first breaths.  They cleaned off the baby and David stood by me as the doctor delivered the placenta and began my repair.  Now, the repair....if I wasn’t glad I got the epidural for the last few hours, I sure was of for this part of my delivery.  I had a 3^rd degree tear (out of 4 degrees).  Not to be too vulgar here, but that means I tore the whole way.  We later asked my doctor why Dr. Beaird didn’t perform an episitomy and she said that he probably did and I tore too.  Okay, back to baby Jack.  The baby nurse said that he had a slight gurgle in his breathing, so they would need to take him to nursery for a few hours to watch him.   When David heard this, his knees when weak and he had to sit down on the workout ball.  (He had thought he might not be able to make it through watching the delivery, but he did great – he said it didn’t bother him at all!).  When baby was all cleaned up, David walked over and held our son for the first time.  His eyes swelled with tears and he brought Jack to me.  I began sobbing.  Seeing his little face was amazing.  We just held him and were in awe!  Although, the poor little guy had a rough transition into the world because his poor little cheeks were chaffed and bright red and his little head was definitely shaped like a cone...but he was beautiful...he was ours! 

They took Jack to the nursery and the doctor finished sewing me up (that took awhile!)  The doctor comforted us by saying that Jack sounded just fine and to not worry because the nurses tend to be extra cautious.  God gave me a great peace and I knew in my heart he was just fine, so I wasn’t worried.  I stayed in the delivery room for another couple of hours and tried to sleep.  Have you every been so tired that you can’t sleep?  That was how I felt.  Around 8 David lifted me into the wheel chair (my legs were still numb from the epidural) and we went to our recovery room.  After another hour of waiting for baby Jack, my mom and David couldn’t stand it, so they went across the hall to the nursery and saw him.  They said he was fine, they were just warming him up and bit and would bring him soon.  So, we waited...and waited....JUST BRING ME MY BABY!!!  I’ll warm him up!  4 Hours later, our little squeaker (that’s my nickname for him because he makes the CUTEST squeaks) was in our arms...ahh, the MOST wonderful feeling ever.  I cried again and felt so at peace.  Wednesday, March 23 will forever be marked on my heart as the most emotional overwhelming day of my life.  I looked at baby Jack and couldn’t believe he was INSIDE of me.  For being so small, he was also so big and it was no wonder that I tore.  I slept a little that day, but mostly just stared at my baby and snuggled him in my arms.  A few friends came to visit and so did my brother, Billy. 

The first night was fine, Jack slept a lot, but I couldn’t.  Every little movement and noise he made woke me up and I had to peek in his little bassinet to make sure he was okay.  If I wasn’t kept away from him, I was kept awake from my pain.  I did take some Vicadin and it definitely helped.   I sent David home to get some sleep because he did have to do a little work that day and my mom stayed with me overnight.  She would bring him to me to try and nurse him.  The next morning, my mom left to go home, clean up my house and shower.  The nurses took Jack to get his circumcision and I slept for about 30 minutes, but any baby cry I heard, I imagined him screaming during his procedure and I couldn’t sleep!  Finally, they brought him back and it was just me and him.  The room and hospital seemed so quiet and I just looked at him as his little eyes got heavy and he fell asleep.  I began crying thanking God for my perfect little gift.  I felt so happy, scared, nervous, overwhelmed, thankful all at the same time.  I am a Mom...I am his Mom....wow!  He layed next to me with his face next to mine and for the first time in over 48 hours, I slept (well, until someone came in to take my vitals). 

They had originally told me that I would be going home Friday morning, but when Dr. Bachofen came to check on me, she released me to go home then (she totally understood that I was not getting any sleep in that bed and with people coming in and out all day and night).  So, that was 1p.m. and we finally left at 5p.m.  Does it really take 4 hours to prep us to leave?  Seriously?!?  The only con to our experience at Hillcrest (everything else was wonderful , especially my nurses!) 

I walked into my house, slowly...very slowly...and sat in our very comfy recliner chair, put baby Jack on my chest and we both slept so soundly for several hours! 

It has now been a week (well, in a few more hours) that Jack has been with us and this has been the hardest and most wonderful week of my life.  I have cried through several meltdowns (almost one a day), I have cried tears of sheer joy, I have laughed so hard at his precious faces and just enjoyed every single moment being a mom.  The first few nights, I hardly slept because every time I would hear him squeal, squeak or squirm I would worry that he wasn’t okay.  Now, when I hear him, I tell myself “Betsy, that’s a normal noise, normal noise!!!  Keep sleeping!”  The 2^nd through 5^th night I had him sleep with me in the twin bed in his room and I slept so much better because I could just wake up and see that he was okay and keep sleeping soundly.  I know they say you shouldn’t sleep with your baby, but it was the most peaceful place for him to be and I knew I would not roll over on him. 

I am starting to get the hang of things and trying to be patient with myself to adjust.  To all my friends and family  - I’m sorry for not returning phone calls or messages, I seriously have only had time to feed baby, sleep when he sleeps, feed again, maybe get a shower, eat myself and feed him again.  Thanks for understanding!  Give me another week and I’ll probably be able to handle more.  My priority is Jack right now and learning to figure out our new, crazy, wonderful lifestyle!  Through this all – I have to give my amazing, loving, servant-hearted, helpful mother an amazing “THANK YOU!”  I COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH THIS WEEK WITHOUT HER!!!!!!  She has cleaned my house so many times, cooked every meal, gotten me anything I’ve asked for, encouraged me and given me so much support!  Wow – she is amazing.  Mom, I love you...there are no words to explain the way my heart feels about you and how you have loved me and my family the past month.....just know the tears streaming down my face as I type this have never been more full of thankfulness. 

Okay, Jack is awake...you know what that means...the milk machine is ready and it’s time to eat!  (oh, more on the milk machine later....I never knew I could look so much like Dolly Parton...who needs a boob job when you just need to breast feed!) 

(Sorry if there were any typos in this....I don’t have time to go back and reread it to correct them...maybe someday!)