Bjorn Cheering for the Grandparents.

Bjorn is always the happiest in the morning and for once he wasn't camera shy.

Someone takes after Grandpa Denny

Uncle Jeremy

So Bjorn got to meet his uncle Jeremy for the first time and they got along splendidly. Jeremy seems to have a way with kids. Though Alli and I were starting to look forward to having our house back to ourselves (six weeks straight of visitors, while wonderful, does start to make you look forward to getting the bathroom when you want it), Jeremy was an easy guest. He spent a summer in Bellingham a few years back so Alli and I were able to rest while he caught up with old friends. He also secured an apartment for himself in Seattle for when he moves here in the summer.

We love having family around and we eagerly await his return to Seattle this summer. See you soon, Uncle Jeremy!

A basic "update"

I hear from many of you that you are enjoying the blog. This is great - but now I realize that I really need to keep updating it so people keep checking it. So here is the basic update on the Houtsma's.

Last week Bjorn was circumsized. He took it like a man, according to the doctor, actually he just said he did really well and when they brought him back into the room he wasnt even crying - so that made Jason and I feel a lot better. It really does hurt us more that it hurts him - well not completely because since last Friday Bjorn has been just a little more sad than normal.

I also celebrated my first Mother's Day. It was so great. I took my first walk since the surgery. I went just a little over a half mile (stopped in on Sean and Julie!). I didnt make it all the way home though because I could feel a pull in my belly, so Jason walked ahead of me (since I was moving at about a 2 mile an hour pace anyways) and came back with the car. I havent walked since - I still feel some belly pains and pulls and the last thing I want is to end up back in the OR. Jason bought me a massage at the Crysalis and my sister sent me the sweetest mothers day card.

Speaking of my sister - she had her baby today!!! Ryan Daniel Egan, 7 pounds 9 ounces. My sister says he looks like a boy version of Hannah (her little girl). Bjorn and Ry were suppose to be about 6 weeks apart, but with my lateness and her being early - the are 3 weeks apart to the day (yup today is Bjorns 3 week bday). Amanda is doing really well. She said she felt no pain (she had her epidural started before the MD broke her water). She was only in the hospital before the birth about 5 hours. She was dilated to a 5 when she got there. And she only had to push twice. I am so happy for her and so excited to see my new nephew.

Other updates...Bjorns got major Baby acne. Jason calls him startrek boy. We are LOVING all the meals people are blessing us with. We cannot tell you how helpful this is!!! Thank you everyone!!! The food is so fabulously yummy. It is saving us so much time and energy, which is the best gift people can give right now. We reallly really appreciate it.

We are still trying to get Bjorn back up to his birth weight. I am going to see a lactation consultant tomorrow...and we are back to the pediatrician tomorrow too. And the itching issue has compounded - but my Allergist is brilliant so I am getting some good help with that.

There are more updates, but this is getting long and Bjorn is stirring - time to eat again!

Grandparents are great

So it has been 5 days since Grandma and Grandpa Houtsma left and 9 days since Grandma Ladonna left. Bjorn misses them so much!

Our parents were such a huge help and blessing while they were here. My mom was such a patient trooper helping me wait and make it through every day that dragged on waiting for labor to kick in. We did a lot together. The best though was the Saturday before the induction - trying every trick in the book to get things moving. Long walks, pinnapple, raspberry tea and tons of it, spicy food, egg plant parm, bumpy car rides, etc...Looking back it is obvious that if 21 hours of pictocin couldnt do the job - tea surely wasnt going to have an impact. It was really wonderful to have my mom present during labor and for the birth. As I was wheeled in to my room after the surgery, there she was holding my new baby. She was the first female to hold Bjorn. I am sure they will have a special bond as he grows.

Our parents were also super helpful with keeping the house livable. My mom did a bunch of gardening and cleaning. Jason's dad mowed the lawn (little role reversal from Jason's childhood). His parents also did a lot of laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, dusting, and of course holding Bjorn. It was all so so helpful. I dont know what we would have done without them.

Thank you Mom's and Dad's! You have blessed us so much.

How is Alli doing...really?

So, how am I doing? Overall, I'd say pretty good. Physically, compared to other c-section new mommies, I'd give myself an 8 on a 1-10 scale. My hairline incision (thank you Dr. Holtzman) doesnt hurt or bother me at all. I am still feeling some contractions as my uterus returns to a non-freakish size, but I am completely off my pain meds now - even tylenol. So as far as recovery from the birth/surgery I feel pretty good. Compared to my normal self, however, (even my normal pregnant self) I'd say I was a 3 or 4. I got this cold, which is much better today...but the first few days when it is really in your head...well that sucked. Another physicial issue and this one is bothering Jason too - back pain. I had mine before I started holding and nursing Bjorn, but Jason's just started. We are getting nasty knots in our backs. J is going to see the chiropractor on Thursday (we are joining the chiro club with you Meghan, Micheal, Jeff and Bethany), but I cant go until 3-4 weeks pasts because my spinal anesthesia. Last and most annoying today is the ITCHING. I am itching everywhere...my arms, my stomach, my legs, my sides, itch, itch, itch! My allergist and I think it is due to the pain meds. She gave me something for it. Hopefully it will all resolve in a day or two. Other than that, I am just low energy - which is to be expected. I take at least 1 or 2 naps a day and have little bursts of energy to basically make myself breakfast, lunch, and shower...or update this blog.
Emotionally, I feel great. No baby blues. I love him. He is so cute and honestly pretty easy to care for as far as newborns go. He sleeps for 3-5 hour stints through the night. He soothes really easily - basically anyone with a finger that he can suck on can soothe him. The only thing I am struggling with at all is dealing with reality of what carrying a 10 pd 4 oz baby has done to my body. I basically cycle through feelings of horror, greif, and resolve. The good news is that the weight is melting off (at least at the present time). I loose between 1-3 pounds a day. I know...I shouldnt be stepping on the scale everyday, but so far it is giving me hope, so I keep doing it. Plus Jason continues to make me feel so beautiful everyday - take note guys (especially you Dieter) pregnant and post pregnant women really appreciate this.

Nursing... my new J-O-B

So nursing Bjorn has become my new job. I know some of you have heard me say this, but I started collecting data (cant help it - I am an analyst that is what I do) and between feeding and pumping I spend about 6.5 hours a day on the job. Of course, I dont get weekends off, so that is a 45.5 hour week. The picture shows my new "desk" fully equipped for the football hold. The Tuliebitz's bought me this feeding journal and I love it so much. I keep track of how much Bjorn was fed, for how long and how much I pumped to save as well as wet and dirty diapers....that is how I have such great data. Today I decided to keep track of my own food consumption. I will leave my "output" a mystery, however.

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