Holy Crud!

Has it seriously been over a month since I last posted?

Sean has changes so much too fast. He turned 4 months this last week.

He is a really social baby who loves to 'flirt' with just about everybody. But out of all the people he visits on a regular bases, he talks the most to my mother. I honestly thing he’s going to be ‘Grandma’s Little Buddy” when he’s older. My mom just loves being Grandma.

I just love how we can see his own little personality sparkling in his eyes. He is so curious! Everything he looks at, he look at it with a sense of wonder... and “okay, how can I get it in my mouth?” and I mean everything! His feet, blankets, toys, our glasses... you name it, it’s in his mouth. Time to start baby proofing! Especially since he has figured out how to flip from his back to his tummy – then back to his back. He’s getting too big too fast, so I’m just going to love every stage while it last... True there are times where I need a break – either to get some things done or for a ‘mental holiday’ – but I have a wonderful support group of family and friends who are my God-sent angels – and Nate is my everything!

Nate is so good with Sean! Sean just loves his daddy’s fuzzy beard and pulling off his glasses. If Nate weren’t here, I most defiantly would be loosing my mind more than I already am.

This is going totally off the baby topic, but this is something that I feel pretty bad about and need to get it off my chest. About three and a half weeks ago, there was a severe house fire on out street. Everyone was okay, but their house in now uninhabitable. The night of the fire, I went down to the scene to see if they needed any help with first aid administration (since I know how to do that) and there were, I swear, five people, probably between the ages of 17-25, all with their camera phones video recording the fire. Two hours later, my husband found the footage on YouTube with things like ‘so cool’ and ‘awesome!’ in the description box.

I’m sorry, that makes me livid! I am tired of using other people’s devastation for a laugh or two. The next day while taking Sean and Tobey Dog on a walk, the family who lived there were trying to salvage what they could. I had about $40 of mad money stashed away and I figured that they needed it more than I did. The lady of the house was so overwhelmed and heartbroken. Those neighbors who were using that for entertainment just make me sick!

Back to baby.

Here are photos!:

Teddy Bear

I like Beef!

Sunshine

Chomp!

And this is because I am so tired of girls getting all of the cutesy outfits:

I took a 50¢ onesie I got at my friends store and an old cloth diapie that had a fun pattern. I’m very happy with how it turned out. Now what to do with the other one….

3 Months

Where has the time gone? I know it's cliche, but it really does feel like it was just the other day when Nate and I brought Sean home. And now, yesterday he turned three months!
He has changes so much! At his last check-up he weighed in at 14lb, 10oz and measured in at 25 inches, the 97 percentile for both. Doctor says he's growing and developing very well. He also had his first round of vaccinations. it just broke my heart to hear him scream like that when he was stuck, but after we changed his diaper, he quieted down.
(I know that there are a lot of people out there who say that vaccinations cause autism, but I know that this is entirely false, medical research has proved it. I think that some parents found out that their child had autism and were just so angry because of the "this could never happen to my child" mind set, and they needed something to blame.)
Sean has started to 'talk' and coo; he's smiling at Nate and me, plus flirting with all of the ladies at my knitting group; and just this past Monday he flipped from his back to his tummy!
He is also one of the most hick up-y baby I know! He gets the 'naughty hick up's' at least two times a day, but at least he doesn't cry when he gets them any more; he laughs at them now!
He is a very happy baby. He loves his glow worm and to stand on our tummies and chests; he likes getting his diaper changed and getting dresses and um-dressed; he thinks The Wiener Dog Song is the coolest song in the world, and he eats like a little piggy! He loves his Mummy's Milk!
I love him so very much! Tobey Dog is getting more accustom to him being around and has started to acknowledge him some, but not all of the time.
But anywho, it's photo time!


I'm one cool dude!


Husker fan in training


I love to stand on Granddad


Having fun with my new toy


Buddy time with Uncle Derick


My mid-morning nap

The Late Show with Me

Yes, I know it's almost midnight. Yes I know that I didn't sleep well last night. Yes, I know I have work tomorrow afternoon. And yes, I know Sean is going to want to eat in about three hours, but a girl needs some time to herself and reflect.

Sean is fighting his first cold; and I hate every moment he's miserable and I can't do anything to alleviate the discomfort. I feel so helpless. I mean, it’s not he is not going to get better, he is; but when he has a hard time breathing or coughs so hard he has a back arching, arm flaying, crying fit. But I’m doing my best. Lots of snuggles and kisses and baby vapor rub on his feet (for the cough).

But even with his cold, he’s still a very happy, very good baby. He’s started to ‘talk’ to us more and is so aware of his surroundings. I had my postpartum appointment a week-and-a-half ago and in the exam room he opened his eyes and smiled at me. Not a gassy smile; a smile. He is so pretty when he flashes that gummy grin. Also, the other day with his great-grammy holding him, he was looking around for my voice when I was talking to her.

It’s the small things like this that just milt my heart and make every sleepless night worthwhile.

Christmas is really close, so I did my holiday baking yesterday… but not for us. Every Christmas, since I was a freshman in high school, part of my Christmas present was to go shopping for necessities and donate them to the local homeless men’s shelter. This year, with the economy and lack of shopping time, I wasn’t able to donate my usual Christmas gift. This year, I baked 5-6 dozen cookies for the men, because everyone deserves a special treat.

This is just one of the tings I do for the shelter. And as much as I love that people give to these men at Christmas, it seems a lot of times this is the only time of year that they do give. My sr. year of high school, the a capella choir I was in sang for them and we were warned not to be upset if not a lot of men showed up. We were told that a lot of the men were upset that this was the only time of year they were thought of. That really struck me. Christmas may be a time to give, but the homeless just aren’t around during the holidays, they’re among us year round.

I have made it my personal mission to do as much as I can for these men and this shelter year round. From the 2 dozen cookies I get free from work at the end of the work week, to the travel toiletry I horde from traveling. Anything I can do, I do, because someone needs to do it year round: So why not me?

When I think of those men, I also think about Christ and how he relied on people like the shelter volunteers and people like me.

Jesus didn’t have a home. Yes, he lived with his parents and worked in his step-fathers shop, but when he left, he was just as homeless as these men. He traveled from town to town and didn’t have a BlackBerry in his Cadillac to find the closest Hilton Suite. He relied on the kindness of the people for lodge, food and transport.

If we say we would have done those things for Christ, then we must do it for these men, and women, as well. “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Mathew 25:40

A blessed Christmas to you all!

Love,

~Erin

Short and Sweet

I'm going to keep this short because I'm A) exhausted and B) just coming off the stomach flu.

Sean Patrick Mumm was baptized on November the 30th, 2008 by his grandfather, Rev. David Mumm.
We are all very proud and happy for Sean.

Two Weeks

Today is Sean's two week birthday; he is growing like a weed!
I can't believe how much he has changed in just this short amount of time! It's crazy! I can already tell he's longer and chubbier and half of his cloths don't fit him anymore!
He's starting to recognize day and night now. He gets up early (like his daddy) and is up most of the morning. He'll have a feeding around 9:00 then take a nap till the noon-ish hour and eat again. After that he'll be awake for a tiny bit, then nap right about till Nate comes home (between 3:30-4:30), eat, play with Dad some and then crash till evening. We'll eat and all watch CSI, Law & Order or Criminal Minds or something of that like, eat when the news comes on and head to bed. He get's up about twice a night now to eat; I take one shift, Nate takes one, so it's all good. (This account does not include all of the diaper changes that happen through out the day)
His 'schedule' may be a little off today. Yesterday, he was really fussy. I had some of my mom’s lasagna the night before last and she used Italian sausage instead of hamburger like she normally does. The seasoning must have gotten into my milk and upset his tummy. The only times he was comfortable yesterday afternoon was if he was held somewhat upright. He slept really well last night, though from all of the fussing.
His stub fell off this morning! It was right after a diaper change and I picked him up to pull his rubber pants over his bottom and when I put him down, his stub was gone! I was all excited (I don’t know why) and put it in a baggy to save with his other baby mementos. And, of course, I had to tell Nate right when I got back to bed. (Should I have mentioned it was a 5am diaper change?)

Right now, he's playing very nice and quiet on his blanky at my folk’s house. We're going to a 'Mommy and Me Breastfeeding' support group today and my dad is taking us. Sean and Granddad had some nice play time a little earlier while Sean was awake and all alert (he still is and is looking at the dogs toys and cooing up a storm). I’m so proud of my baby.

He and Nate and I are also going to his two week check-up this afternoon. I’m sure that he’ll pass with flying colours!

Happy Birthday, Sean! Mommy and Daddy love you!

The Joys of Motherhood

Today, Sean is five days old and we're getting use to being a mommy and daddy.
Friday, I was able to go home from hospital, but not right away. Nate had to work Friday, so my dad picked us up and we went to their place for a little bit till Nate got off. I was dead tired: I had opted to keep Sean in my room after his feeding at 1:00am (we finally got this latch thing down!) so if he was hungry or anything else I could take care of it. I though that I could sleep okay-ish, that he may cry sometime; no, I was up with every little sniffle and hick-up. So, no sleep at all.
(The funny thing was Nate brought my going home clothes and chose a black sweatshirt. Me being as tired as I was, two nights poor sleep and recovering from an operation, I was pail; that black made me look like death warmed over!)

That night, we ate, we feed Sean, changed him and all of the other good things that parents do and headed to bed. Sean has his times mixed up; he thinks that day is night and vice versa, so he was up a lot. I was also paranoid because he was having some problems with spitting up earlier and I was checking with every noise to make sure he wouldn't choke. That was the hardest night
so far.
Last night wasn't much better, he was just fussy and wanting to 'play' and be alert and act like it was day time. I think tonight may be similar, he's slept a lot today. And, it's a little hard for me; i decided that I would take the 'night shift' so Nate could sleep because he goes to work at 7:00 in the morning. He starts to take over around 5-ish (normally he gets up at six, with no alarm clock, so it's not that big of a deal for him) and will keep Sean happy and fed and clean. Tomorrow he'll goes to work again, but my mom took this week off work to help out around the house and get Sean into some kind of grove. We're very lucky, we have a lot of help and we are grateful because not every young family does.

Today was Sean's first doctors visit. He's putting weight back on (he lost 14oz before we came home) and is pretty much healthy over all. He is a little jaundice-y but is still in the normal range, the high end; normal enough to not do anything yet, high enough to have him come back tomorrow for another heel sticking.
But I have to go for now, he's asleep and I should be, too.

HE'S HERE!!!

Sean is finally here!
Tuesday they induced labor for me, thing number one that change our plans. When we got there, the doctor broke my water to get the process started (It felt like I was peeing myself for a long time). So with the induction, I was required to stay in bed the whole time hooked up to a monitor to make sure that Sean was okay, thing two that changed, not being able to move around.
After a while of smaller contractions, they introduced some pitosin in my system to get the the labor stronger. Oh, my God, did that hurt! I was able to handle them for the most part of nine hours, but after nine hours and not a lot of progress, I desided to get the epidural, seeing that I was already stuck in bed. Change number three.
Then the biggest change was when the doctor came in after 12-ish hours and no change had happed whatsoever, I was still at 5cm and having contractions that would normally dialate me to 7-8cm. He was still able to get his fingers between the cervix and baby's head during a contraction, so Sean was sitting really high and semi-sunny-side up. That meaning instead of being face down like he was suppose to be, he was facing up, and not just facing up, facing up at an angle. So, we talked it over and Nate, Doc and I desided that a cesarian was the best option.
The Operation was cool to watch; I could see it in the reflection. The birth took about fife minutes tops, and when they lifted him over the drap to show me his lil' face... I still couldn't believe it; something so 'tiny' and innocent came out of me, that Nate and I made... Wow.
Sean came into the world at 9lbs 15oz and 21 1/4 in with dark brown hair and steel gray eyes screaming like a banchee. He's a big baby, with cute little chubber cheeks, but not chuncky really. He's also really storng and loves to snuggle.

Right now, Sean is doing fine. I'm still having a lot of discomfort and some pain from the operation, but otherwise okay; maybe a bit of baby blues, but okay. Sean is having some issues with latching on for nursing, but we're meeting with a lactision today to try and work that out.
Nate is so good with him while I'm recovering (it's hard to get around). He's been helping changing and swadling him and walking with him. He's also been helping me out to; reaching and fetching things that are painful for me to do now, helping me up out of bed and chairs and being a wonderful rock of emotional support. I couldn't have gone through this without him.
But brakefast is here, so I better go, I'll be home tomorrow.

YEA!!!!

Just got back form the doctor (today is my due date) and they are going to induce me Tuesday if he hasn't decided to come before then.
Yea!! I get to hold my my baby soon!