DEXTER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY...

Dexter turned one last Friday!  We started out the day with breakfast in the high chair, we will get to breakfast in bed one day.  I made him one of his favorites, French Toast!  We then had some McDonalds for lunch.  Processed food on his birthday, what more can a kid want?  Right?  We took it easy on his actual birthday because we were having his birthday party the next day and I had lots of the "day before prep" to do.

The theme of the party was DOGS.  There wasn't a lot of dog party ideas on pinterest so I had to get creative and come up with a couple things of my own.  For the balloons, Zurchers didn't have any dog/paw print balloons.  But, did you know that Zurchers will fill up balloons they don't sell in their store?  It still costs like a $1, but this was a life saver!  I ended up finding paw print balloons on Amazon and took them to Zurchers before the party to be filled up.

For the food, I designed cute little cards to label our menu of:  ShiskaDogs (I used the Chicken Apple Sausage from Costco-so yummy), PAWsta Salad, Fruit Kibble, Dog Bone Chips, and Puppy Chow for the party favor.  It was quite a bit of work with preparing the Shiska Dogs, but I assigned people to bring other food so it wasn't too much work.

Setting up the party was fun!  Sometimes I think I should have gone into interior design instead of advertising.  :)  I love decorating and putting things together.  A few days before the party, I took an empty oatmeal container, toilet paper rolls, and a paper bowl.  I glued them all together to look like a fire hydrant and then I painted it red!  I found the most adorable dog balloon to set up on the food table.

For games, I thought it would be fun to do a dog show type thing.  I was going to have some kind of obstacle course that people would have to accomplish in a timely manner to win a ribbon.  BUT, I decided not because Dex doesn't walk and wouldn't have been able to do it.  So, instead our game was a drawing contest.  I had everyone color/draw a dog.  We then let Dex pick the top 3 dogs!  The people who won, each got a cheesy ribbon of first, second, or third place.  I'm going to put the pictures of dogs in sheet protectors and a binder so Dex can look at them.  His love for dogs is real.  He could look at dogs all day long!

 The cake...oh man!  No words to describe.  I could never make a cake that looks this cute.  My mom made it and I didn't want to eat it.  It was darling!  Dex didn't take a nap in the morning so by the time we had cake, he started eating it and then he started falling asleep.  Finally he got some cake in his mouth and the sugar rush kicked in.  He was such a happy boy and went absolutely crazy!

The party was a hit!  But, next year I think we will opt for Costco cupcakes and whoever wants to come, swimming.  That sounds much easier for me, the mom and party planner.  :) 

BEEN ALIVE FOR TWO MONTHS...

Dex has been alive for 2 months now.  We are feeling pretty awesome that we are doing things right for him to last long so far.  :) We are starting to get in the groove of things as parents.  I guess that means we are getting used to doing everything exhausted.  It's been hard to find a balance between marriage and having a baby. . .it's hard. . .though we keep persevering no matter what.

Dex Man is quite the child.  He now weighs almost 12 pounds and is in the 37th percentile for height and weight.  He is catching up to his chunky cousins (Calvin and Nash).  He has really been starting to smile lately.  He knows our voices and will respond.  He is also starting to push his head up during the dreaded tummy time.  About a week ago, Derek blessed Dexter!  It was the sweetest blessing!  As you can tell from the pictures, Dex was really enjoying being the star of the show.

We also celebrated Dexters first halloween. . .it consisted of Grandma Monson taking him to the door every time the doorbell rang to show him off to the trick or treaters.  Dex also continues to sport the bottom pouty lip when he gets sad.  We finally got a picture!  We can't wait for the big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas to get here, it will be so much fun to celebrate with our little guy!

*BTW, check out Rockabye Baby on iTunes and/or Spotify.  It's classic rock tunes made to sound like baby lullabies.  We love them!  Dexter loves them too!

WE ARE GREAT PARENTS...

Parenthood has been one hell of a roller coaster ride:

• Nursing the "monster" (literally) every 3 hours; when he is hungry he moves his head viciously and then latches on either momma or the bottle, making a snorting "aargh" sound.
• Changing the diapers every couple hours.
• Getting sprayed with urine; you think it's over and then more comes out...Niagra Falls.
• The quite often baths from those extreme diaper blowouts.
• The laundry-OH THE LAUNDRY.
• Rocking him to sleep every night.  We like to think we are getting a work out when we do this.
• Reassurance hand touches on his tummy when he is fidgeting in his sleep.  We just want him to sleep longer.
• The paranoid parent doctor visits; are we really doing things right?
• Spit up is the new perfume.
• Lanolin is the new chap-stick.
• The minute husband and wife start to have alone time, the little one wails.
• Car seat strapping in crying.
• You know that commercial where the baby cries every time the Dad stops at a light?  That commercial is based on true insight and real experiences.  The babe is the new backseat driver.
• Both Grandmas are already the little one's best friend, he likes "Grandma kisses" more than "Mommy or Daddy kisses".
• Exhaustion...need I say more about this?
• 15 diapers a day, give or take a few.  Thank the heavens for inspiring the human being whom created the diaper genie.
• It's really cute when he smiles and laughs in his sleep.
• You can never have too many pacifiers.
• When all else fails, put him in the bouncer or the swing.
• Keeping the room temperature to a strict 72 degrees.
• All the "Is he breathing?" thoughts.
• And, last but not least, we like taking pictures when he cries and creating memes out of them:

(He gets that bottom lip curl from his mother)

We also like taking other pictures of him as well that are a little more positive:

  

I'm sure there will be more positive affirmations than up above that we will experience.  The question we are facing, is how do people have more than one kid when it for reals takes a village to raise just one?  (We want to thank our wonderful moms who let us come home on the weekends to visit so they can get quality 1:00 AM snuggles with the little one and we can catch up on sleep.  We couldn't raise Junior without you guys!  Oh and for spoiling him, which our poor college student selves can't really do right now.)

THE FIRST MONTH OF PARENTHOOD...

We can not believe how fast time flies.  Everyone says that statement and while it's overused, it's true.    Our little man is already one month old.  I'm getting sappy and teary eyed writing this.  He is to the point where when we kiss his cheek, he looks at us and wants to smile, he just hasn't quite figured it out now.  Or, when we make clicking noises with our tongue, he looks at us in amazement by the sound.  The funniest, are his noises he makes when he is relieving his bowels. . .We love him!

Parenthood has been tough, it's a trial in its own way, but it's the kind that keeps you motivated to be the best person you can be.  Dexter had a little trial to overcome.  With him being early, he was considered as a late pre-term baby.  This means his suck was not the best and he was very very sleepy.  We would have to wake him up every 3 hours to feed him and the feedings were lengthy because he was so sleepy.

Most newborns are sleepy BUT premies are even more sleepy.  The nurses told us at the hospital that he wouldn't be a good eater until he reached his due date-he came on August 28th and his due date was supposed to be September 22.  But, we prevailed through the hour and a half long feedings those first couple weeks and now he is a successful eater.  He is becoming quite chunky now.

We were both surprised with the different sides of each other we are seeing.  Sometimes, I (Michelle), get a little bit frustrated at night time feedings if Derek is awake helping me out.  Dexter will spit up, and Derek, bless his heart, is so tired he just sits there looking, until I say firmly, "Get me a burp cloth!"  We are exhausted.

But, it's so much fun everyday to look everyday at our little human being, that we created, and to feel an enormous amount of love for each other.  The dynamic of our relationship has changed, but it's a good change.  We have both made a sacrifice in part of our lives to give this child the best things possible.

Happy One Month Little Fella'!

NEWBORN PHOTOS...

I can never justify spending lots of money on taking pictures. . .so, I borrow my parents Canon Rebel when I can to snap some pictures.  Eventually, I will invest in my own camera to further save money on future picture taking of my family and other things.

IT'S ALL WORTH IT...

From the beginning of this pregnancy, everyone would tell me, it's all worth it.  It was so hard to convince myself it would be.  Many of you know that I was sick until about weeks 23-24.  I was throwing up a lot, getting IV fluids constantly, trying to take my prenatal every night without throwing it up, etc.  After that, I felt fine as long as I was eating a snack.  Everything seemed normal with the baby at our anatomy scan, his head was down, he looked great!

Then, the third trimester started.  No one told me about the uncomfortableness I would feel during this time.  My hips hurt.  My sciatic nerve would hurt occasionally.  My bladder was getting, what I thought, punched at all the time.  I was going to the bathroom constantly.  My feet swelled up no matter how much water I drank.  Every pregnancy "con" I experienced during pregnancy.

It wasn't until Sunday, August 25th, that our little man gave us a little scare.  I started bleeding a little bit and that whole weekend was experiencing some back pain.  By Sunday, the back pain felt worse.   With the small, yet constant bleeding, and the back pain, I had a feeling to get checked out.  We went to labor and delivery, I got hooked up on monitors and was apparently having contractions.  I couldn't feel the contractions at all.  I was also dilated to a one.  We also found out that our little boy was breech.  The nurses and midwife gave me some medicine to stop the contractions and I was sent home to be on bed rest.  It wasn't strict bed rest, but I was ordered to take it very easy.

On Tuesday, August 26th, I went in to my check up.  I learned at this appointment that because of my partial bicornuate uterus, I couldn't have an inversion to have the doctors try to flip the baby.  It would be too dangerous for them to try it as my uterus could tear during the process.  So, we scheduled a C-Section for September 15th.  My goal was to take it easy so baby boy could stay in until that time.  I followed the instructions and took it really easy.  And, I also started preparing myself emotionally for this surgery.

We were (and still are) taking a hypnobirthing class to learn breathing and visualization techniques to get me through a natural vaginal labor.  I always expected to have perfect births.  For Derek to be right by my side, holding my hand through it all, or whisking my arm with his fingers while I mentally push through contractions.

The next few days, baby boy was kicking me very hard in my bladder.  It was so hard that I would wake up in the middle of the night because it hurt.  On Thursday, August 28th at about 1:00 AM, I woke up to him kicking.  As I was laying in bed, I felt him kick me really hard and my water broke.  I knew it wasn't urine because I couldn't control the gush.  I woke up Derek and I walked briskly into the bathroom.  Sitting on the toilet, I kept thinking, this is it.  We are going to have a baby today and I'M NOT READY.  I hadn't had time to prepare myself for this.  The baby's room wasn't even fully organized or ready.  It was too early.

We got in the car, drove to the hospital, and the calling of the parents began.  I tried over and over and over again to call my parents and let them know my water broke and we were having the baby.  They didn't pick up their phones.  I called Derek's mom, and both her and Dad Nielsen had just taken sleeping pills.  They couldn't drive from Ephriam to meet us at the hospital.

Because of my scoliosis, I have 15 vertebrae fused, I knew that an epidural or spinal might not work. I was probably going to be put under generally and not be awake for the birth of our son for the surgery.  I wanted so badly for my mom to be there, for anyone to be there with me when I woke up from surgery.  I told Derek no matter what, you go with the baby and hold him so you can bond with him.

I finally, after trying to reach my parents so many times, got a hold of my little brother, Nate.  He lives close to the hospital and came right over to give me a blessing with Derek.  There was only like a 10 minute span where they could do a blessing since the prep for the C-Section was going so fast.  After the blessing, I had a thought to call my parents next door neighbor to go wake them up.  She answered the phone and was able to knock on their door and wake them up.   They got there after the baby was born, but before I woke up.

Derek came with me to the operating room and the anesthesiologist tried doing a spinal.  I sat on the edge of the operating table and was shaking because I was nervous.  I put my head on Derek's chest and held his hands, due to nerve damage from previous back surgeries, I didn't even feel the prick of the needle.  It's sad that I get more nervous for the needles than actual surgeries.  Sadly, the spinal didn't work and while got moved to the operating table, I had to watch my husband bravely walk away, holding the I love you sign with his fingers, and tears in his eyes.

The anesthesiologist put oxygen over my mouth and I started hyperventilating.  I was scared.  It wasn't just me having to go through the surgery, it was the baby as well.  I would be put all the way under, having no control of the situation.  I then started doing my calm breathing, that I learned in hypnobirthing, and I felt the presence of my grandfather (whom our little boy is named after) and my great grandmother around me.  I knew they were watching out for me and little boy.

When I awoke from surgery about an hour or so later, my little brother Nate was right next to me to feed me ice chips.  My parents got to the hospital about 30 minutes after the baby was born.  They showed me pictures of him, though I was still a little out of it.  I remember Derek coming in the room and warning me of the IV's in our baby.  He had low blood sugar and needed a little boost-this is very common in late pre-term babies.

Then, the miracle happened.  Our little son was brought into the room, IV and all.  I held him for the first time on my chest and everything miserable about pregnancy and everything difficult about how I gave birth went completely away.  The morning sickness I encompassed during the first 20 weeks or so, the discomfort in my hips in the third trimester, the no sleep factor with getting up to use the bathroom in the last weeks of the pregnancy...it was all worth it.

No matter what way babies come into your family (IVF, adoption, C-section, Natural, etc.).  No matter how hard it may seem to get them here, it is all worth it to hold that little baby in your arms the first time and staring into their eyes.  I thought I knew what love is, but it's so much more.  I'm so glad that my birth went well.  It wasn't was I expected and I didn't give birth how I wanted to, but I did get the most perfect son.  We love him so much.

Meet Dexter Ronald Nielsen.  Dexter is a mix between Derek and Derek's father, Rex.  Ronald is after my Mom's dad who passed away a few years ago.  He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 17 inches long.  We are smitten and in love as every parent should be over their children.  (And we are exhausted too.)