Hyrum, right now

These amazing boys of mine just keep growing and changing and I thought I'd make an effort to capture their stages. 
Hyrum is a gem of a little guy.  He turned three in October and keeps us in stitches.  He is a tender little thing who informs you that his feelings have been hurt when he's offended.  He's been my little side kick since Isaac entered kindergarten and we had a great time coaching cross country this fall and he helped me get ready for Asher's arrival.  I loved toting him around and listening to his chatter while we shopped for diapers, pacifiers and baby wash.  He loved hearing the stories from his arrival and infancy.  I loved remembering the mellow, perfect baby he was and marveled at how quickly he'd become a talkative little three year old. 

To be honest, he had a hard time adjusting to his new role as a big brother.  He adored the baby from the start but was pretty angry with me that I wasn't devoting all my time and energy to him the way he was used to.  During my second stay in the hospital he stopped using the potty.  It's taken some effort but we seem to have gotten back on track with potty training. 

He entered Sunbeams at the beginning of the year and loves it.  He's attentive and loves having his own class.  I love hearing what he's picked up on at church that day.  

I feel like within the last couple of weeks he's really started to settle into his new role as big brother.  He frequently asks me how much I love him and then answers his own question, "oh yeah- you love me the whole world."

He's so right- I do love him the whole world.  

2 weeks of Asher

Asher's arrival

I'd better get these memories down before they're lost.  It's hard to know where to start.  The end of my pregnancy with Asher was much different than any of the other ones. While I've always been sick (nausea)  for the first 20-25 weeks of pregnancy, I have had healthy pregnancies.  My blood pressure has always been stellar, minimal swelling and very few aches and pains.  At about 35 weeks my blood pressure spiked and my midwife was a little concerned.  I was monitored closely and it came back down.  Also at 35 weeks I had a final ultrasound to check the weight, position and fluid levels.  The baby was measuring quite large at 7lbs. 3oz. (+/- a pound).  My original due date was January 5th but after the ultrasound the midwife looked at the other two ultrasounds and the size of the baby and settled on the 27th of December as an adjusted due date.  This was December 2nd and so I went into Christmas overdrive and got everything decided on and ordered for the boys.  Later at my checkup on December 16th my blood pressure was elevated again, I had some unusual swelling and there was protein in my urine- all signs of preeclampsia.  The midwife came in and told me that she thought it would be best for me to have the baby that day.  She walked me right over to the hospital into labor and delivery.  I called Nat and my mom and was started on a pitocin drip.  This was about three o'clock in the afternoon.  I started labor dilated to a three.  The pitocin started some mild but regular contractions.  I kept thinking though that none of the contractions were strong enough to really do anything- I would not have even come into the hospital with any of those contractions.  I went on contracting until about seven o'clock when the midwife came in and checked.  I was only at a four.  She told me it was time to break my water.  She broke my water at 7:20.  The contractions immediately picked up and got serious.  I went into that quiet zone of concentrating and relaxing through the contractions.  She came back and checked me at 8:00 and I had progressed to an eight.  There was a pause in the contractions and I knew that I was through transition and about to push.  The next contraction I could feel the baby start to crown.  I tried to get into position to push but while I was moving the next contraction started and I could feel that he was on his way out.  I yelled, "he's coming out!"  Vivian told me, "don't sit on him" and pushed me backwards, Nat caught me and I looked down to see a squirming pink baby on the bed.  He was perfect.  He cried right away, was placed in my arms and I couldn't get over how amazing he was or how funny his arrival had been.  He was born at 8:19 just an hour after she had broken my water.  He weighed in at 7lbs. 1oz and measured 20 inches.  He latched on to nurse right away. There he was, another perfect baby boy to add to my collection. 

Asher, right now

The time goes faster and faster and I can hardly believe that two months with this little sweetheart have passed.  He is a darling little man and we are all in love. At two months our little Asher:

• sleeps long stretches as long as he is swaddled and in his crib.  
• is not a fan of the car seat, swing or bouncy seat. 
• has just become interested in the play mat and its toys.  He smiles and coos at the little animals that hang down.  He's started to bat at the little animals that hang down. 
• is the most popular member of our family.  His brothers adore him and love to hold him, sing him songs and admire his little hands and feet. 
• still struggles with reflux.  This has been an entirely different experience for Nat and me.  He requires a fair amount of soothing and holding.  I, for one, am glad to have an excuse to hold him a little more and let a few more things go around the house- except when the episodes occur in the middle of the night.
• loves his big brothers.  He smiles the most at them and they love it.
• loves to stare at the ceiling fan. 
• makes it hard to capture a smile with my phone or with the camera as the smiles are fleeting and pretty squirmy.  
• has eyelashes that seem to grow just a little more every day. 

I am so taken with him and feel so blessed to have had him in my life for two whole months.