Baby Casen Growing Up Already- 2 & 3 weeks old

I am still in Baby Heaven. These are a few pics of baby Casen, alot of them taken by my younger kids Corey and Cade because I am holding him, etc. One of the pics he is at his 2 week Dr. visit and gaining more than the weight he needed. He is a snacker and he does not know when to say "I am FULL." I have had him puke up fresh breastmilk on me a few times because he just ate too dang much. And it is not so much fun when it is the middle of the night. He gained 9 more oz. then he needed too. I have a feeling his nickname is going to be "Lunch" like Cade's was or "Chunk." He is really a good baby. He has finally gotten his days and nights switched around and he is sleeping 4-5 hours at night, which I am loving. He does OK in the car. And I bought this thing called a miracle blanket that swaddles him so good and I think it really helpe him sleep at night. He is also getting a little bit more use to his baths. Still not a HUGE FAN, but he is getting a little better. As long as I make sure he is fed and that the bathroom is at 75 degrees when he bathes. He hates to be cold.

I am doing good. I have kinda gotten into this mode of "staying home" and I like it. Yeah I do run my crappy "mom errands", but I really go the least amount of places that I have to go and I am kinda becoming a home body. I have not had cabin fever this year, except for the fact that I would love to go walking, but it is too cold to go with the baby. And Matt gets a little stressed out if I leave the baby with him longer than like 30 minutes. But on the weekends, I would rather just make dinner or bring something home and hang out at home; rent a movie, do some picture books, etc. I love being home with my fam, instead of stressing out and trying to go out to eat, etc. Maybe the cold just sucks and trying to get stuff done on a babies schedule. You know what I mean!

But my other kids are doing OK. I feel like they have both been affected by the new baby. Corey is a little more whiny and makes stuff up to get attention, like "I don't feel good." And Cade cries alot more when he wants attention. Him and Corey have also been fighting alot more. So I feel bad and I am trying to help them adjust, but that is what is wearing me out. I really hate being referree and raising my voice. I felt kinda bad the other day. I hope I am not a clean freak nahtzee (sp?) But Cade and Corey were playing dress-up and I came in his room and it was all cleaned up, so I praised him for it and he said, " I want to clean up quick, so you not get mad at me for a messy room." I felt bad.

And for Matt, I just laugh at him. Anytime I ask him to hold the baby or anytime he willing asks to hold the baby, he expects Casen to just sit there and not move. He gets all flustered if Casen is figgity. And if Casen fusses, he always says, "I think he's hungry, Jen." I know when he needs to eat, most of the time. I swear that if men had nipples, our kids would all be fat because men think babies need to be fed every 15 minutes. Casen is just a sucker and a snacker, but I have had him throw up milk on me one too many times because I overfed him. IT IS CALLED A BINKIE AND WE ARE TRYING TO HELP CASEN TO LIKE HIS BINKIE AND NOT USE MOM AS A BINKIE.

But other than that, life is good here and life is simple and I am loving it. A little tired, but I love my family and my kids and my husband. I am excited to see my mom and dad and brothers and sisters in March, when we bless Casen. I miss them and wish they lived closer. 6 more weeks till spring, so the GROUNDHOG believes.

Tribute to MY MOM

So it has been about a week or so since my mom has gone home and I am really missing her. She lives in CA and it is so far away. I always get a little depressed for a week or so after my family leaves to go home; especially my mom after I just had a baby. She has been at every one of my baby births and I just love it. I love that she gets to share that experience with me. And I think Matt likes her there for comfort too. She likes to come up for the labor and then be there for us to see the baby the first week or so and to help us adjust. She helps with my other kids, running errands, cleaning up the house, and of course we just like her there for conversation and company.

It is such a fun time. The kids get to see their "Grandma Christy" and we get to catch up. I always feel closer to her, during her 2 week stay. I love my mom and it is always hard to see her go. She always cries too when she has to say good-bye to the new baby because they will not look like a newborn the next time they see them! Love you MOM!

Coming home from the hospital- Casen's first 2 weeks- Jan. 2009

I finally made it home and I was excited to see my other kids. They were really excited for me to come home and bring baby Casen home. It was a little hectic when I first got home, but it always is, isn't it. It took a little adjusting. But I had my mom and my sisters here and they really helped me out and helped me to adjust. I have really recovered nicely. My mom was here for a week longer and all my sisters went home. It was so fun to have her here. And I loved the company! We did just hang out and not really go anywhere, but I loved it! I really wish she lived here or at least closer.

Casen is on the wrong schedule and I am not getting alot of sleep, but he is so worth it. I just love cuddling with him. And my kids are really great with him. It really is nice having my kids be a little older , so I do not have to worry about them hurting him. Cade is a little crazy, but he loves Casen and knows he has to be careful with him.

I was really sad to see my mom go, but I am managing. Meals were brought in which was so appreciated and Matt has been awesome too. He still gets a little nervous with newborns, but he is doing better. He is a great DAD!

Casen also had his first bath and he was not a fan. I have given him a few more too and he hates them. He hates to be cold. He hates cold wipes on his butt too.

Casen does look like a mixture of my 2 kids. It will be interesting to see what he looks like as he gets older. We are so happy that he is here with us and HEALTHY!

Casen James Thompson - Jan. 9th, 2009, Friday

Waiting all day, Thursday, Jan. 8th, for a phone call from the Women's Center to be induced. Finally around 5:30 PM , they called and said to

"Come on up." So they started me on an antibiotic and pitocin around 7:00 PM and broke my water around 9:00 PM. And I did not have Casen until 1:59 AM , Friday morning, January 9th. So my labor was about 7 hours. I did get my epidrual, which was a good thing because Casen's head was posterior which means his head was down but his face was up, and his face is suppose to be down. So my DR. said that because he was posterior, it prolonged my labor by about 2 hours. So the Dr. had to turn his head while I was pushing and I just kept thinking "If I did not have an epidural, I would have been miserable." This laobr and pushing was a little bit harder than my others, I think because he was posterior. I was so tired and starving that I had no energy to push. But my recovery has been GREAT! My mom and Matt were there the whole labor. My sisters Em and Becca came to the hospital about 10:30 PM and Matt's mom and sister came up about 11:30 PM. So I was feeling bad that everyone had to stick around SO LATE! I do not think I got to bed until 6:00 AM the next morning. And my mom left around 4:30 AM. And my sister Steph, was at my house, right by her phone, babysitting all the kids! I love my family. My mom and my sisters really did alot for me while I was gone. They watched my kids, played with my kids and cleaned my house! I love them and could not have done this without them! I LOVE FAMILY! They are such a blessing to have. I did miss my dad and Mike. Wish they could have been here too.

My kids came up the next day and they were so cute and excited. I think they missed me more than they wanted to see their brother. No they were excited! They each got to hold him and I think Corey has changed her mind about wanting a SISTER! They both love him and are great babysitters! Steph's family came up to the hospital the next day and got to see through the waiting room window.

I am so in love with my precious little boy. Oh yeah, he was 20 1/2 inches long and 7 lbs. 5 oz. I think out of all my kids, he was the least beat up. I have really been enjoying him and I am not busy working from home, like I was with my other 2 kids. S0 I have really been able to enjoy the "newborn" experience. I love babies and I want like 5 more, but physically my body says only 1 more!