Good pics are hard to capture!

We were given another swing a while back by someone in our area, but this swing goes side to side, and typically only keeps him entertained for 5 minutes. I caught him from up above, as he was watching the mobile (before he decided it was boring and wanted to fuss). His face is so amusing and so cute and happy, but by the time the camera actually takes the picture, he has gone back to Mr. Serious face... Imagine the rest of this picture. Daddy is working out on his bike to the left. Sports is playing to the right. Baby is in the middle being entertained temporarily, but soon to let mommy know that he doesn't like this swing as much as Haley's swing upstairs... The one that not only entertains, but can also induce sleep!

Again, this was an attempt to catch a smile, to catch tongue sticking out, and a multitude of other cute adorable faces, but all my camera caught was Mr. Serious yet again... No one will believe me he can actually smile and be entertaining when not fussing or screaming. :P

Things that seem to be working for the moment

This morning I went up to shower, and Larry offered to watch the baby so I could take my time. :) I came back downstairs to find that Kaleb was babysitting daddy... While daddy thought he was holding the pacifier in baby's mouth, which wasn't even close! :P And miraculously, Kaleb was as content and quiet and peaceful as could be, just watching daddy and wondering why daddy's hand was pressing on his chin. :P
When I left them to go shower, daddy was thrilled to be holding a pleasantly satisfied, happy baby. This is something we don't see much of, so we were both enjoying the moment. :P A wide awake, yet not fussing or screaming baby. YIPEEEE!!!

Daddy is the best at burping Kaleb, go figure! Mommy tries but doesn't seem to be as effective, and when he gets burped by daddy, his tummy isn't as upset. :)

Yesterday, Grandma Hall brought over cousin Haley's swing to try. It proved to be a miracle! He got in the swing (shown below) and wasn't sure what to make of it. He fought sleep as hard as he could, as this baby Kaleb has not known how to go to sleep, and we thought he was just taking after mommy in not sleeping much at all. Apparently, part of the problem was that he didn't know how to put himself to sleep, and this swing gave him the right motions and music, and he slept for 6 hours!!!! And mommy got so worried about him not eating (even though he's been eating too much until then) that she attempted to wake him up to eat, and he kept falling back asleep, even though he was hungry. He would be all happy, smile, and then instantly drop all body parts and appear dead asleep. Just like daddy...

Prior to the swing, SOMETIMES driving to the chiropractor would help, but sometimes it only made the screaming worse. Flip a coin, sometimes driving induces sleep, sometimes it induces screaming. Same goes for mall walking.

Back to me... BORING!

I have some newer pics of Kaleb, but they aren't with me at the moment, so I can't post them yet. I'm trying REALLY hard to limit my stairs and activity, but it is very difficult in a townhouse with all stairs, and with a needy baby, and being all by myself most the time. (Complain complain complain!) :)

I haven't posted anything in a while, because Kaleb seems to have developed a very bad case of Colic. The doc today said that typically it peaks at age 6 weeks, but due to Kaleb's symptoms, he seems to have an extremely bad case of it, and he's only 3 weeks old today. This is apparently going to go on for about 3-4 months too! And I have an extremely bad case of going insane... Which is why I am actually on the computer right now!

Sweet Larry realized at 4am this morning, after I had been up with Kaleb screaming inconsolably for hours and hours, and this was the 5th night in a row, not to mention all the afternoons he did the same thing, that I was shot. Not just physically (yes, there are some major physical concerns too) but emotionally, as I was afraid of what I might end up doing if I didn't get some relief/help ASAP. SO, he took the day off work, we got him to the doc (again, and he now weighs a mighty 9 lbs 6 oz!, as he LOVES to console himself by eating himself silly). And then we went mall walking together, as the motion of the stroller seemed to calm him. Larry is going to watch him this afternoon for a bit so I can take a nap (or at least try) and here I sit doing emails (which have piled up, and I still won't get to them all).

It is so hard to see Kaleb appear to be in excruciating pain, with nothing that consoles him, nothing that stops the screaming, and literally hours and hours and hours and hours on end. At first, the compassion is there, wanting to help him feel better, trying everything imaginable to console or make sure the basic needs are met. After so many hours, the compassion turns into a frustration/anger, wondering why nothing is working and with the inability to hear (hysterically screaming baby overwhelms any other sounds) and unable to do anything (no hands to do anything like cooking or cleaning or even to sleep) all with absolutely no sleep for days and days on end... I feel terrible. I feel like a bad mom, and why can't I console my hurting baby? I feel like I can't do anything right, I feel guilty for being angry, I feel guilty that Larry had to take a day off work to try and help ME, as I'm all puffy eyed from crying and having no sleep. It's a cycle that probably doesn't end, and I'm just at the beginning of it, as we can anticipate at least 3 months of this.

So, it's a scary, frustrating, difficult time, and I just had to complain again I guess... No one wants to hear that, and I know it. But, hopefully, we'll find some tricks along the way that help decrease the hysterical screaming from 15 hrs or more a day to less than that, so if you know of any tricks (we've read up on tons, and been told tons, but no miracle cures yet!) let us know.

Things to be grateful for

That I can HOLD Kaleb in my arms, rather than just patting my hard huge stomach. :) That I can bend over without moaning and groaning, which includes getting in and out of cars, getting stuff to cook with, and a host of other things I had sorta stopped doing as I couldn't bend. Oh yeah, and tie my shoes!!! No more "AB of steel" though. :P

That I can adore my cute little poop makin' machine, and think he is just the cutest thing in the whole wide world. And meanwhile, enjoy not having constant nausea (just sometimes now!), that I can brush my teeth without gagging and barfing, and finally brush my tongue again!!! Instead, just wear baby barf in my hair and on my clothes (and down them too...) and be grateful for the bloody nipples and nasty diapers that are the mainstays in my current state of life...

That we finally have a happy little family (at least when Kaleb is fed, clothed, changed, and not feeling sick). Apparently, this wasn't the case when Colleen took this pic. :P

2 Weeks old today!

We had our 2 week old checkup today, and he has gained 12 ozs since birth! He was born at 7 lb 14 oz, discharged at 7 lb 9 oz, by day 4 was 7 lb 13 oz, and by day 5 was 8 lb 2 oz. Today he was 8 lbs 10 oz. He is quite the healthy eater for sure! and he is a POOPIN' MACHINE! He squirts more than he sleeps it seems. :) I've started calling him Squirts. :P He actually doesn't sleep that much, as everyone tells us that newborns sleep all the time. Kaleb seems to take after mommy in the sleep department, and doesn't sleep as much as you would think he should. :) We still love him to death... we just can't help ourselves.

Ruth's visit

Another friend who got to hold and fall in love with baby kaleb. :)

Trigger Happy Parents

FYI: read this Post should from the bottom up.

FINAL stage of going out: all bundled up and ready to go! :) And by far one of the cutest pics yet of Kaleb!!!!
The blanket that Grandma Hall had made adding a layer of warmth (super duper cold outside!) was again, SOOOOO CUTE, so another pic had to be taken.

The hat and mittens and booties (which subsequently were lost in Target the same day) just added to the cute factor, so another pic had to be taken.

Kaleb is finally dressed to go out, and wondering why more pictures are being taken of him! "Aren't you done yet?"

This is Kaleb in his little undershirt (gift from aunt Nancy and cousin Cely for Christmas). He was in the middle of a cute face switching to something else.... obviously. :)

We dressed Kaleb up to take him out mall walking on Monday, and just couldn't get over how cute he was in each stage of getting him ready to go out... so here we go for more pics! :)

More grandparent pics :)

grandma and grandpa Hall got to see kaleb on Sunday. grandpa hall for the first time, and grandma for the 2nd time, as she had spent 19 or more hours waiting in the hospital for Kaleb's arrival, and got to hold him for about 30 seconds shortly after he was born before making her tired treck back home...

Colleen came to visit!

We were messing around with a camera I've had for a bajillion years, and discovered different settings on it. Here is an accidental pic that I thought was just too cool to junk. :) Plus, a pic of colleen and baby kaleb...

I just can't get enough...

Larry should love that subject line, being an 80's song. This morning, while Larry was working out, an 80's song came on, and Kaleb instantly perked up and became more lively. He truly is his father's son...

First Bath :)

He is such a good baby, but it was definitely not a fun experience for our little guy. :)

Kaleb Q-T-Pie

First trip to the pediatrician

Send me pics!

So, I have posted all the pics I have on my camera. I know others took pics, but I don't have them. If you have any, please send! :)

So, here is a little more info on our little Kaleb. :)

Starting with specifics.
Born: January 8th at 12:03pm
Weight: 7 lbs 14 oz (and at day 4 he was back to birth weight, and day 5 he exceeded 8 lbs!!!!)
Length: 19 1/2 inches, and day 4, 20 inches.
Head: 14 inches (and keep in mind he was crowned for over 1.5 hrs with that big head...)
original welcome site is: http://www.welcomenewborn.com/index.php?hospital=LH with wahlquist and kaleb to log in...

Kaleb is a beauty, and both larry and I are enamored with him. Good thing too, as getting him here (which was a 10 month process pretty much) was miserable, and the last 30 hrs of the journey was an absolute nightmare. But, that is all behind us now, and we get to just enjoy him now. :) and laugh at how we now HOPE for dirty diapers, anxiously wait for him to wake up if it's been too long, as these things tell us he is healthy and doing well.

Pictures and more pictures

More Pics of our Cutie

KALEB HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!!!!!

We are THRILLED that Kaleb finally decided to join us in this world. It was a very difficult battle, including 30 hours of hard back labor and multiple complications, and then once he arrived, a scare of getting him out from the strangling umbilical cord, meconium, and eventually breathing. The docs were saying that he just REALLY didn't want to come, as he was hanging on with his hands and feet to my rib cage or something. :) But, he CAME, he is HEALTHY, and he is definitely a cutie! Here are a few pics!

Possible Apology needed to the little one

Here I've been getting mad at my unborn baby, thinking he is a stinker pot, a little wussy, one who doesn't like change and wants to stay where he is, comfortable and nothing new... and perhaps a host of other negative connotations. All of these could in fact be true, but one of the docs today had an insight that made me realize my own little brain tumor on my pituitary, which sits on the hormone maker stuff, could also be playing a role. It could be thyroid issues, and a host of other mechanical or neurological things causing my hormones to also be playing a role in why Kaleb is SOOOOOOOOOO freakin' late.

So, even though it COULD totally be Kaleb being a stinker, it also COULD be my brain tumor or something else off balance hormonally. So, that means, I need to hold off calling him bad names. :)

So what's the latest development? Well, I'll be 42 weeks, and apparently that means placenta and other stuff won't be working, and Kaleb can no longer just hang out inside. He HAS to come out, no matter what. So, Fri night 1/9/09 (the last possible day they will let me go...) I'll check into the hospital to start an induction, which could turn into a C- Section on Saturday if things don't go well. We've been trying our hardest to avoid that, as I am immune to pain killers and anesthesia (yeah, talk about the only person in the united states... I'm quite unique). So, basically, we will be praying that things go well, that either he comes naturally before Friday, or that the induction and whatever else comes will not be too complicated, as I have to feel everything, even if they THINK they can put me under or give me anesthesia or epidurals or whatever, because experience of a billion previous surgeries indicates that Docs egos change once they discover that I am actually telling the truth and pain killers and anesthesia doesn't seem to work on me.

Happy New Year for 2009!

Larry and I ended up going to an 80's Party for NYE, still crossing our finger's we'd get the tax write off, or at least if NOTHING else, the first baby of the year new prizes and free stuff... Larry played drums on guitar hero/world tour (I think that's the name), I strutted around in my blue eye shadow and big loopy earrings (hopefully I'll get to post a pic once one gets emailed to me...) trying to hide my intense nausea and teasing contractions.

And that was it. We rang in the new year with lovely people at the 80's party, went home, and STILL didn't have the baby. Then New years day, we thought for sure something would happen. The only thing I can say, is that the teasing contractions stopped. Now I haven't had contractions since NYE, so I went 4 days with tons of them, and now nothing. We ran errands, wondering what things need to be in place before Kaleb comes, thinking that maybe he hasn't come, because we haven't done something that is needful. But we can't seem to figure it out. I doubt he would stick around inside my belly just because I haven't mailed out Christmas/new years cards yet. (I'm waiting to do the baby announcement instead...) I highly doubt he's waiting around inside just because he wants his bathroom painted before he comes.. but maybe that's what I need to do tonight after work! :) Or maybe he wants us to rip up the nasty stinky carpet in the bedroom instead of waiting until we can afford to replace it, so he doesn't have to survive what I've been trying to survive (nasty smells accosting my nose every time I walk in the bedroom, making me wish I was somewhere else). Or perhaps he wants to see how much trouble he can get in before he even arrives into our little family! (If that's the case, he IS already taking after both mommy and daddy, both of which were rebels...) :P

Whatever the case may be, he's not going to have much choice much longer, as the docs are going to MAKE him come out before jan 10th. That is the end all of waiting. I guess we'll be scheduling an induction when I see the doc again on Monday. Larry says he's earning himself USED PACIFIERS at this rate... which is much nicer than I would be... LOL.

So, we even scheduled a family game time on Saturday, assuming this little stinker is going to stick around inside as long as absolutely possible, taking after his daddy in not liking change... AND, of COURSE, I have my sheet ready for church again, unless I can make myself wear pants to church where everyone else is wearing dresses...