-I tell everyone Max is an easy baby and so far it is so true!
-He is a great sleeper! From day one he sleeps 4 hour stretches at night meaning he wakes up only once or twice during my night!
-He is a great eater. For all the feeding and nursing issues Gtave had Max has had none :)
-Max loves to be swaddled really tight and will himself to sleep once he is swaddled and laid down. If he is fussy there is not much that will calm him down until he is swaddled.
-His fussy time seems to be the middle of the day between 11-2.
-He kinda likes the soothie paci from the hospital. We strongly encourage him to take it but he really could care less as soon as he's asleep he spits it out.
-Max loves to look at his glow worm seahorse, out the window to the backyard, the baby mirror, and the fan. I know they say newborns can't see very far but he can spot a spinning fan!
-Max likes tummy time for short periods of time.
-He likes bath time when he is fully emerged in the water and his hair is being washed. Another fish in training.
-His sister is absolutely smitten with him and he already tries to focus on her fast moving self!
-He is gaining more and more control over his head each day and will hold it up for a few minutes at a time and turn it side to side to follow a person, light or sound.
-Max has made a few sweet coos over the last couple days and his sleep dream smiles melt your heart!
Maxton Henry I thought your Daddy would be the only boy to steal my heart I was so very wrong! You are the perfect completion to our family and I have truly enjoyed being your Mommy this last month...I can't wait to see what life has in store for you. You are truly a special little boy and I am so blessed to call you mine..
It all started 9-12-14 and much like my labor with Grace it would be a long one. I worked all day and had stronger contractions throughout the day. We went out for mexican that night and the contractions continued to be fairly consistent coming about 5 mins apart. They weren't very strong, I was able to talk, play and eat through them just fine but they were noticeable. We went home and prepared in case things continued to progress through the night. We let Jessica and Brian know to keep there phones close (Jessica listened). Than we went to bed.
Saturday 9-13-14 (40 Weeks 3 Days)
My contractions continued to progress and got stronger and closer together. We called Brian who did not answer than Jessica around 3 am. She came over to watch Grace and we headed to the hospital. We called my parents and they got up and booked a flight for later in the day. We got to the hospital around 4 am and they checked me I was only 2cm and the recommended that we walk for an hour and see if that would progress things. It didn't :( so they sent us home. Just like Grace my contractions continued to be 2-3 mins apart. We got home and I rested for a bit, my contractions seemed to slow down and finally stopped. In the mean time, Brian and Jessica stayed at the house and watched Grace. Jeremy and Brian decided it would be a good time to install our new antenna in the attic, so that my parents would have TV when they were here watching Grace. Brian accidentally stepped off one of the rafters and put a nice crack in the dry wall of our ceiling. OOPs! Jessica, Grace and I took an mile walk and nothing. Brian picked up my parents at the airport around 2p and during that time my contractions came back in full force! By 6p I was having to breath through them and we decided it was time to head back to the hospital. We got there and I was dilated 3cm and the recommend that we walk AGAIN!
I was down I just knew I was more dilated and I was dreading the 5 hrs of walking that we did with Grace. But one hour of walking and I was admitted :) I was so happy!
Sunday 9-14-14 (40 weeks 4 days)
A little after midnight I was tired and I knew it was going to be a long night. I was hoping I was 5 cm. I was and I asked for my epidural. This is where things got interesting. I had been sitting up most of the time we were in our room and had only been laying down for about 10 minutes. They sat me up to prep me for my epidural and my blood pressure plummeted 40 points and I about passed out. My eyes were rolling in the back of my head and Jeremy kept saying my name over and over again. Another nurse, my doctor and the anesthesiologist ran in. They cleared the room of extra furniture and started talking through a bunch of letters and numbers. Max didn't miss a beat! They gave me oxygen and I kept having dizzy spells. They gave me medicine to help stabilize my blood pressure that they don't typically give people prior to their epidurals. I was still feeling very dizzy and disoriented. Finally, the Dr. said take her off the oxygen and that was an immediate change. My blood pressure stabilized, color came back to my face and I wasn't feeling dizzy any more. But it would change how I would get my epidural. They didn't want to risk sitting my up again so they administered my epidural with me laying down and they didn't want to risk my BP dropping again so they gave me little bits of medicine at a time instead of all at once. It would take over an hour to get all the medicine into my system instead of the typical 15 mins. My epidural was not nearly as strong this time as it was with Grace.
Max was still very high and not dropping down so they began pitocin to help him get moving. He was still to high in the birth canal to break my water. They were afraid his umbilical cord with slip passed his head and cause a need for an emergency c-section. Jeremy and I tried to get some rest.
Around 5:30-6a I had them check me again and I was 8cm. His head was still to high to break my water. A few minutes after I was checked I started to feel something weird and we called in the nurse. Max's bag of water had started to come out and she called in the Dr immediately. Like Grace it all happened so fast. I went from 8-10cm in less than 5 minutes. They were still concerned about Max's cord dropping below his head and getting pinched and could not break my water, so Max was born at 6:33am in the caul (or still in his bag of water) a very rare birth! In some cultures babies who are born in the caul are said to be healers, it is good luck a special birth on a special day for a very special boy!
Like Grace, Max had high respirations at birth, unlike Grace his pulse ox levels were dropping very low at times his respirations were in the 150s and pulse ox was 70%. Normal respirations for a new born are below 70 and pulse ox is 90%. The pediatric nurse decided to keep an eye on him, let him eat and get some skin to skin time and see if that would help him get things under control.
We got settled into our room and my Mom, Dad and Grace came up to visit a little before 10am. They were only there a few minutes before the nurse determined that Max needed to go to the nursery for further observation. She didn't think that it would be long. Around noon the came back and told us that they needed to take him to the observation nursery to put him on oxygen. Max was on 25% oxygen and room air is 21% he just needed a little bit to keep him stable. They did a chest X-ray and could see massive amounts of fluid in his lungs. The determined that he did not get rid of the fluid in his lungs through the birth process because he was born still in the bag of waters. The neonatal nurse spoke with us and believed that he would be good to come back to us in an hour or so. Well an hour passed and than another and they determined that it would be best for Max to go to the special care nursery in other words neonatal ICU. Not fun words for a parent to hear. They said that he could stay there for 6 hours for observation before they would have to admit him. We would be able to be with him there and feed him and hold him even though he was hooked up to the monitors.
We spent the next 8 hours cuddling our baby boy in the special care unit hooked to cords and watching monitors and wondering. Than they told us he was good and he was able to come back to our room with us as long as he spent the night in the nursery so they could monitor him.
At 10pm Max was free of his cords and we had a new perspective for parents who spend weeks and months with their babies hooked to cords and watch beeping monitors.
They continued to monitor Max over the next few days and determined that his breathing was normally abnormal. He lost a little weight, went down to 8 lbs 2 ozs and was jaundice. His weight would inevitably drop to 7 lbs 15 oz. We made two follow up visits to the pediatrician the first week with an additional billrubine check for jaundice.
Here is the video Jeremy created for our sweet boy!
I haven't posted in a long time! Since April to be exact and there is so much to catch up on. Funny how now with a newborn napping in his swing and the 2 year old off at school I find the time to catch up.
May:
We tracked out for 3 weeks in May. Jeremy and I were both hopeful that this would be our last track out as a family of 3 and that Max would arrive during our August/September Track out (we were wrong). We started the track out with Grace having surgery for another better set of ear tubes and to have her adinoids taken out. We were very hesistant about this surgery but after consulting with her ENT, Pediatrician and Immunologist they all felt that it was the next best step in her care. It would hopefully help us avoid having to do antibiotic therapy with her for the next year. So far they have been right. She has only had one ear infection since the surgery and although she still battles at lease one head cold a month it is much much more managable!
Before surgery
Snuggling with Mom after surgery
We took a wonderful family vacation to the outer banks where we rented a house with lots of friends for a week. It was a perfect time! We cannot wait to go back next year.
Duck Donuts!
Lucca and Presley playing in the baby pool
Swing Action
Jumping off the side of the pool to Mom. Grace is a fish
Ice cream in Duck with Daddy
Girl talk at the pool with Kylee
Ladies getting their nails done. Arabella, Grace, Kylee and Bethany
First night at the beach checking it out with Daddy, Kalani and Keola
Beach Babe
Snack time with Dad
Fun with Jessica at the Beach
Hollywood
Friends at the Beach Kylee and Grace
Its hard work making a castle
LOVE
Building Castles the girls and their Daddy's
Beach fun with the Parnells
June:
Grace turned 2 in June! It is so hard to believe that we have a 2 year old. She is 2 going on 12 at times and most days acts like a 4 year old. She will talk your ear off if she knows you and be super shy if you are new to her. She is obsessed with FROZEN and Disney princesses. Her favorite book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar and that was the theme for her second birthday party at the park. Aunt T flew down to celebrate with her and took her to Marbles the day before her birthday. She loves dress up, anything pretend play, art, music, reading books and pretending to be a teacher. She has us in stitches with her dance moves and story telling. Her tune is spot on in songs and she has a dramatic intonation when she is telling a story, she'll often put her hands on her hips and get really into it. Grace will belt our Jesus loves to at the top of her lungs to anyone who will listen then put her hands on her hips to shake it to Timber. Her heart is full of love and compassion for other she is sensitive to others and tough as nails when she gets hurts. She is sass and spice and snuggles and silliness and the best thing!
The amazing Amber Parnell took Grace's two year old pictures at the beach and like everything she does I am in love with them!
Friday night June 13th family Party with lots of presents
Rice puff cake Lutz Family tradition
Princess Stuff her favorite gifts!
Party Time at Pullen Park The Very Hungry Caterpillar
And because she is our girl we went downtown that night to celebrate Father's day at Raleigh Brewing Company, Trophy and Chucks!
July:
July was quiet and nice. We changed over school years, spent a lot of time at the Spivey pool and prepared for Max. My parents came down for a long weekend and we changed Grace over to a big girl bed and got Max's room all ready for his soon arrival. Grace got a nice big girl bed a day bed and has slept like a champ since then. Sleep for her has been a constant struggle up until the new bed she would be up on average twice a night. Since the new bed she sleeps through the night 8p-6a most nights. It is a miricle! Jeremy and I celebrated our 6th anniversary a few weeks early.
4th of July Parade and Fireworks
August:
We were lucky to go and spend a weekend at the outer banks again visiting my best friend and her family. It was a short visit but so needed. It is amazing to me how time and distance has no effect on true friendship. Allison and I have been friends for 19 years and been through A LOT together, but when we are together now it is like an old sweat shirt (her discription) it fits just right! We tracked out August 18th and were hopeful Max would arrive before we went back on September 8th (he had other plans). We spent this track out enjoying every moment as a family of 3. We had Daddy Daughter Dates and Mommy Daughter Dates and lots of special family time. We went to the pool multiple times, library story time, pullen park, out to eat, jumping beans and many other things. It was wonderful time just with our girl!
