Easter 2013

This Easter, I didn't go to church for the first time ever.  But when you have a five day old, I think God understands.  My parents and Semmes came into town to hang with new baby Semmes and we had a fun couple of days.  The Easter bunny came to visit Cooper.  He got a lava lamp (not pictured), and iPhone toy, a pair of shoes, a chick that squeaks...

and a new baby brother.

My family of four:

Podge and Cricket with their two grandsons

The birth story

At 37 weeks, I was already 3-4 cm dilated and 75% effaced.  My doc told me Semmes could come at any time.  But, since I apparently have a cervix of steel and Semmes was very much not interested in the whole being born thing, I just didn't go into labor.  I never really had any contractions, just small tightenings that didn't hurt.  I could have been induced on March 20, but that was the first day of Cooper's spring break and it just wasn't going to work with Brad's work schedule, so I waited and hoped everything would start naturally.

When I went in for my 39 week visit, on Brad's birthday, I had progressed even more to 5 cm.  My doc was on call that night and she said if I wanted to come in then I could have the baby that evening.  Luckily my parents were already coming into town, so we picked up Cooper from school a little early, Brad got off work, and we went to the hospital a little before 4 that afternoon.  We thought we'd have a baby by nine.  Unfortunately, nine other babies thought that evening would also be a good time to be born and L&D was packed!  It wasn't until 8 or so that I got an epidural and 9 before Dr. M broke my water.

**Side note, I will never have an epidural again.  It as miserable.  Last time, I was in the throws of labor pain and someone sticking a needle into my back was nothing compared to that pain.  This time, not so much.  Plus, it made me really sick and lightheaded, so much so that the doctor wasn't sure she wanted to break my water.  I just wanted the drugs to go away, so I convinced her to just do it.  Also, because I wasn't in pain, it didn't work right for the longest time.  And then afterward it just takes FOREVER for feeling and movement to come back to your legs.  So if there is ever a next time, I think I'm just going to deal with the few hours of pain and pushing.

Anyway, after that everything progressed quickly.  Brad was hoping that Semmes would share a birthday with him, but because we got started so late I didn't think that was going to happen.  Sure enough, I remember looking at the clock at 12:01 and telling Brad we had missed it (all this while actively pushing).  Semmes was born after 3 hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing at 12:06.  So close to Brad's birthday, but I'm kinda glad he has his own day!

Semmes was 3 pounds heavier and 3 inches longer than Cooper was when he was born.  The first thing I remember thinking was how big he was!  Over 8 pounds is huge!  Also, he cried immediately, unlike Cooper, and his APGAR scores were both 9.  I got to hold him almost immediately after birth.  The pediatricians only spent a few minutes checking him over before they declared him just fine and went to check on another baby (like I said, ten born that night).  The only issue he had was that his glucose lever was 30, really low.  So they gave him 20 mL's of formula (the only formula he's had) and his level popped right back up.  So no issues.  He got to stay in the room with us the whole time!  Compared to the last one, it was very drama free!!

Cooper meeting Semmes

In all honesty, I'm pretty sure Cooper was oblivious to the fact that he was meeting his little brother for the first time.  However, it was also the first time Cooper had seen Brad and I in about 24 hours, so he was REALLY excited to see us.  Because of this, I got some amazing, awesome, wonderful pictures.  Go Cooper!

"Mom, what is that thing?"

Cooper and daddy having a talk about new baby brother.

Yay for mommy and daddy!  Haven't seen them in FOREVER! 

Little brother!!

Daffodils

Saturday was such a nice day.  So we took Cooper up to Wye Mountain after Brad got off of work to see the daffodils.  The United Methodist Church in Wye plants a huge field of daffodils behind the church every year.  It's free to go up there; they just ask for a donation to the church.  Cooper was not too sure of the whole experience.  I think he's definitely an inside child.

This was when we first got there.  He started out ok, then had a brief meltdown.  So I took some pictures of the field while Brad was calming him down.

Finally, he just had to come hang out with mommy.  I sang to him and rocked him a little until he had fully recovered from his freak out.

Me singing to him:

Then, when he seemed ok, I stood him up next to me.  Lately, he thinks that being gently shaken from side to side is hilarious.  So once he had calmed down, I tried that and it worked!  He started laughing out loud.

Cracking up.

However, that was a little short lived and he REFUSED to smile or be happy when it was picture time with daddy.

Seriously, this was the best I could get.

And then one of the three of us.  May be one of the very last (or the very last) of us as a family of three.

"Walking"

For the past few weeks, Cooper has been using a gait trainer.  His is called a Pony.  His physical therapist warned us when he first started using it that, since it is much easier to move backwards, it takes a while to learn how to go forward.  Some kids never figure it out, but just get really good at moving backward.  Also, Cooper has been known to have a bit of a lazy streak (faking sleep to get out of therapy, for example), so he might just hate it and refuse to use it.  Boy were we off.  He LOVES his Pony.  And, he is already starting to figure out how to go forward.  If you pull him forward in it, he takes actual steps, not any of that bouncing stuff he was doing in other walking devices.  We even brought it home last weekend and he spent most of the time running into cabinets in the kitchen.  It was amazing.  His PT has also told us that mobility of any kind, even more passive types like being pushed in a wheelchair, increase cognitive functioning.  So he's getting smarter while exercising!  Double yay! And now, for pictures:

They can put toys in front of him so he can stand and play.  Sometimes though he pushes them over and out of the way so he can move.

Also, he's doing more work with sitting independently in the classroom and playing with stuff.  He's also got a bit of a girlfriend.  One girl in his class calls him Coop and pushes his pony around.  Too cute.