Doctors Visit- Weigh in (4th week)

On Friday Max will already be a month old...wow how time flies. We have been trying to get him on a quasi schedule from this book I have read...we are only on day two so I'll give it a few days to see if he can follow it. It's pretty labor intensive but if it allows me to sleep more at night it's worth it.
This morning I had my second break down. I am just soooo tired that after four weeks of getting no more than two hours of sleep at a time it's starting to wear me down. I was crying to Steve asking him if I had the baby blues....he said nonsense, it's the lack of sleep that is getting to me. I agree, I have no other symptoms to think I have the baby blues, it's just pure exhaustion which would affect anyone. So Steve called the doctor who told us to come in with Max so he could be weighed and give me a piece of mind. They also wanted to see if he had acid reflux and to address my concerns regarding supplementing him with soy based formula which I have heard bad things about. We are almost certain our lil guy is lactose intolerant so they put him on a different formula...of course it's the most expensive kind out there, but we are going to see if it helps with his gas and vomiting.
Max weighed in at a healthy 9.4 pounds....Last visit which was 13 days ago he was 8 pounds, so he has put on 1.4lbs since then. That definitely makes me feel better since I've been worried about my milk supply.
The doctor told us after 8 weeks he can slowly leave the house and travel, however to be very careful around people and especially not to let kids touch him. We have been pretty good about that and luckily he hasn't gotten sick yet.
Tonight Steve and I are heading into the city for a nice dinner since we can't go out for new years. Of course we are making it an early dinner, but it will be nice to get out a bit and have some time to ourselves. His Grandma will be watching him so he is in good hands. Well, I'm going to try to get some rest before we head into Manhattan xoxo

Sneak Peek of our Baby Photos

Our photographer posted a few of the baby photos we had done on her blog. They came out even better than I had imagined. He is cute as a button and we can't wait to see the rest. I had to save them a certain way so the pixilation is off but you get the gist of what they look like.

Two milestones today...

Today is my 30th birthday and my son turned 3 weeks old...oh and it's my first Christmas today as a mommy. As I sit here and reflect on my life I can honestly say I truly feel blessed. I have everything and more that I've ever wanted. My husband got me the second charm for my necklace that I had asked for. It's the letter M for Max...so now I carry both an S and an M around my neck for the two most important men in my life. I woke up to a wonderful meal in bed and am going to sleep with my husband having cooked me homemade spaghetti carbonora.
He slaved over the pasta for hours this morning and it was soooo yummy. I'm also enjoying my favorite champagne (anyone who knows me, knows that it's my drink of choice). I pumped before dinner so I can skip the next feeding and enjoy some drinks...it is my bday after all.

Today my father watched Max by himself while I saw a great movie with my step mom...we saw It's Complicated, and we both laughed our butts off. Alec Baldwin is soooo my dad it's scary and i highly recommend the movie. As i was just saying to Steve, the movie made me want to have more kids then i had thought. We always knew we wanted two for sure, but Steve always wanted three and I was on the fence. The more time that goes by with Max, the more I'm sure I want more...say 3 to 4. I grew up in a family with four siblings and Steve had two siblings...there is nothing better the older you get than coming home to a big family. The more time I spend with my son the more I love being a mom. It's such a wonderful feeling and I am soooo in love with him.
It's amazing how much of a difference only breastfeeding has made with Max. He isn't crying and gassy like he was and he is pooping up a storm now. We have started to feed him every three hours which is going well so far. We have had two incidences where he has wanted to feed at the two hour mark and has cried his heart out for an hour, but for the most part it's going well. Being able to sleep a bit more at night is a huge difference and it's allowing me to pump more which is also great. Tonight I was able to pump 3.5 ounces an hour after his feeding...which is why I'm enjoying a nice glass...or three of champagne haha I hope everyone had a wonderful christmas and are as blessed as I am. Life is good, and I am looking forward to my 30's with my growing family xoox

Who Knew??? (Week 3)

Who knew motherhood could be so fulfilling and wonderful and yet frustrating and tiring at the same time. Nobody I guess until you experience it for yourself. I love being a mother and I love getting to know myself better as one. This is all so new to me, and I'm learning so much about myself and my strengths and weaknesses as a mom.
The past two days have been difficult, he has been extremely fussy and cries nonstop. We don't know if it's because he has acid reflux or might be lactose intolerant but he has severe gas and so the doctors want us to change some things up and see how it goes for the next few days. If it doesn't go away we will have to go in and they will see what the problem is although they suspect it to be acid reflux. Either way, the crying bouts have been extremely difficult to handle. Watching your baby cry inconsolably and not being able to ease his pain is frustrating. I now understand why they tell you to walk out of the room and regroup because it can be extremely unnerving, especially on little sleep. Luckily Steve and I have each other and so we just take turns and allow the other to relax a bit.
I believe Max is going through a growth spurt. He has been eating in shorter intervals and so the gas has been worse and the crying longer. We were relieved today to have a few hours to ourselves to head into Manhattan while Grandma watched him. I know I needed it, although after an hour of being away from him I began to miss him sooooo much. I find myself just looking at his pictures I have on my phone and can't wait to head back home again.
He still hates sleeping away from us or in his crib/bassinet. He loves his bouncer or my lil lamb swing set, and will only fall asleep in the room we are in. So while Steve and I watch tv in the family room, Max is either in our arms sleeping or in his bouncer. It's amazing how much he likes to be cradled and rocked to sleep. He constantly has to be moving in order to sleep. I look forward to him being a bit older so i can just stick him in his crib and let him cry it out a bit, but for right now I just can't do it. He is too young and i just want him to feel loved and secure before I do that to him. I just hope we aren't spoiling him and making it that much harder on ourselves later on. It would be easier if I knew why he was crying lately, but given that he cries so much at the moment and we don't why it's even more difficult to just let him cry it out...especially since he just doesn't stop. With that being said, I have to run, because guess what... my son is crying AGAIN. Good thing I love him to pieces!

What does my son think of tummy time.....(week 3)

I believe today he stuck his middle finger at his mom when I made him do tummy time :)




"WHAT YOU TALKIN ABOUT WILLIS!"




But no in all honesty he lovessss tummy and bath time:








My delicious little prince all bathed and ready for bed:

2 Week Pediatrician Visit

Our little man is not so little anymore. Well, yes he is, but he is growing. Today he weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds (born 7.65, left hospital 7 pounds) and measured 20.5 inches (born 19.5). Everything looked great and he even got his first hepatitis B shot which made him cry like crazy, poor guy. We asked about the urine crystals he has been having in his diaper, to which they said it was nothing to worry about. Nor should we worry about the fact that he is only going number two once a day lately, as long as he is peeing a few times a day which he has been. I was told to drink more fluids so I could increase my milk supply which I have done today and it has already made a big difference.
Before his bath time today I went out and bought the Johnson and Johnson Bedtime lavender soap that everyone swears by. Steve and I gave him his second bath today, and it went way better. We filled up the tub a bit more so he stayed warmer and he was a champ. I guess it's working because he went to sleep at 7 and has been quiet since.
Our next doctors visit is in two weeks for a weigh in so we can have a piece of mind and know he is eating enough.

Two Milestones.... (week 2)

Our little son is almost two weeks old...wow time is going by too fast. Steve and I wake up every day amazed at how much our son is changing. His cheeks are filling out more, he is a lot heavier and growing so fast. His stump finally fell off, sadly grandma and I searched on our hands and knees for it, but I think the dogs got to it first.

Tonight I gave him his first bath...sadly he didn't enjoy it very much. The poor guy cried like crazy, and as soon as I got him out and was drying him off he managed to pee himself and so he had to go in a second time. As you can see, not even his adorable doggie towel helped:


For someone who needs 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep I'm holding up fairly well. It's nights like two days ago that make it that much more difficult. i guess having him on a schedule is a good thing, because whenever we don't abide by it, our lil guy makes our evenings more difficult. We now bathe and feed him between 6 and 7 so he is in bed no later then seven. Knock on wood that has been working for us. He still hates his bassinet and only wants to sleep in his my lil lamb bouncer.
On Monday we had our photo shoot with him, and he was a complete angel. He slept through most of it and so she got some great shots. I can't waittttt to see them all. She said it would take approximately three weeks to get them but we will get a preview around xmas. He managed to poop in one of her hats and pee all over his face, but otherwise it went much better then I had expected.
My body is starting to feel a bit better, and like they said, after the ten day mark breast feeding gets easier. I have decided to only do it for 2.5 months since I'll be going back to work and pumping will be impossible. I'm already getting sad at the thought of leaving him and going back to work. I don't want to miss out on anything. I already find myself missing him when he naps and can't wait to see him wake up. He makes all sorts of funny noises...there are the gas noises, and the 'I'm about to poop' sounds which are hysterical. He pushes sooo hard and makes the cutest faces. Then there are the smiles that just melt our hearts.
Tonight was the first night I was alone with him since Steve had to work from 3pm on. It went so smooth and I'm feeling more and more comfortable with him now that I can read his cries better. Tomorrow we have our 2 week pediatrician visit, I'm anxious to see how he is doing. I'll keep you posted.

Our dogs are all over me, especially when I'm feeding him. Daisy loves to sit in his boppy while Chloe tries to sit on Max while he is eating.

Pediatrician Visit (week 1)

Today we took our lil guy to the Doctors office again so he could get weighed in and we could get a peace of mind. The doctor did a thorough check up and he looks greattttt! The jaundice is not a problem anymore, he has been gaining .8 ounces a day (average is .5). He weighed 7.4 pounds on Monday and today (Friday) he weighed in at a healthy 7.12lbs. The doctor said he was so good that if we decided we didn't want him anymore (like that could happen!) that they would take him in a second haha
However the only thing that stuck with my husband was when the doctor removed our son's diaper and goes "WOW, your son is going to have a VERYY healthy sex life"...I guess our lil boy is hung like a horse haha. Last night was a very tough night, he didn't want to sleep since he had slept all day. We tried to sooth him with a pacifier which he loved, but only caused us headaches since every time it fell out of his mouth he would start crying. Needless to say we are done with them. Here are some photos we took today for fun...hope you enjoy xoxo

So this is what it feels like...(week 1)

To love someone so much it takes your breath away. You always here people say it, but you can only truly understand the meaning of it once you have a child. I am sooooooo in love with our son, I can't get enough of him, despite the grueling schedule we have been on. And grueling it has been. The lack of sleep could drive anyone insane, and factor in the hormones of coming off being pregnant and the pain of trying to recover and yes, it leads to a few meltdowns. Max has been home with us for three nights now...two of which were veryyyy difficult. Luckily we are getting in the rhythm of things and last night we made it through the night with only one incident (him not wanting to sleep after his midnight feeding).
Maximiliano is such a good baby, rarely cries, and when he does it's either because he is hungry (which he is A LOT), soiled his diaper or is over stimulated. He eats like a champion, and in his first night of being home, he almost regained all the weight he had lost since birth.
Luckily we have an amazing support system in our families. Everyone has been so wonderful and helpful and it makes this entire process a bit easier on us. It is pretty scary how hard it is the first few nights, especially when you're recovering and not feeling well. It's soooo nice having Steve here with me and to be able to experience this with him. I am so blessed to have the family I do, even our dogs have responded very well to the new baby in the house. Our baby photos got pushed back to next Wednesday, so we are excited to get that done. Otherwise we are just trying to take it day by day, never knowing how bad the nights will be. Whatever the case, I couldn't be more in love with our son, he truly is the best thing that's ever happened to us. Here are some photos, and I have added some more photos from labor and delivery to the previous post xoxo

Our son has finally arrived!!!!

Maximiliano Sergio Villanueva was born on December 4th at 5:52 am weighing 7.65 pounds and was 19.5 inches. He is the most adorable lil guy with perfect features and we couldn't be happier parents.
Yesterday we had our doctors appointment at noon and she helped move things along by breaking through my scar tissue. I was bleeding and cramping a little so we went home, but not before we schedule the induction for December 8th, Steve's birthday. When we got home I was extremely tired and still bleeding for a few hours. My sister and I went and bought groceries for that evening so she could cook for us. As I was waiting for her to come over I was in bed watching Bride Wars when all of a sudden I heard this funny sound come from my vagina. It felt like a vaginal air bubble and sounded like a loud pop. I thought it was really strange and went to the bathroom to pee. That is when I noticed my undies were a bit wet. I changed into a new pair which got soaked within minutes. That is when I knew my water had just broken and it was go time. I yelled for Steve telling him I thought it was my water, and he didn't believe me and told me to start counting my contractions, which i did. They were eight minutes apart so I called my doctor who told me to shower, pack up and head into the city. We were scrambling all over the place trying to get our bags packed, the dogs taken care of and my water leakage under control. Luckily my sister was there to help us and so the three of us got into the car and headed to the hospital.


Once we got to the hospital I was admitted and hooked up to monitors. My contractions were 5 minutes apart and getting much stronger. I was shaking and started to feel awful. They told me I could get an epidural anytime I wanted. So once the contractions were three minutes apart I decided I had had enough of the pain and asked for the pain meds. The epidural hurt less than the IV they had put into my wrist earlier (it bled like crazy). All it felt like was a ton of pressure being applied to my back. Once I was hooked up it took about 15 minutes for it to really kick in. Fully working they gave me a catheter which really bothered me so they increased my epi dosage twice. My drugs were working so well that I couldn't feel anything by the time pushing came around. I was 3 centimeters dilated when I was admitted at 9pm, and by 1am I was still only 3 centimeters. By 2:30am i was only 4 cm dilated which surprised the doctors given my intense contractions. They said Max was face up which he shouldn't' be and so they made me switch from side to side every hour. At 4am they checked me again, and to our surprise I went from 4cm to 9cm in no time. We were almost at the finish line! We slept for that final hour and at 5am the doctor came in to see if I had progressed, and boy had I. I was 10 cm and his head was already starting to want to come out and so the pushing game began.
Because my drug dosage had been increased twice during the night I couldn't really feel my contractions or the pushing. So there I was, both legs in the air, elbows elevated and my chin pushed forward trying to push out our son. I was getting frustrated because I was pushing more in my face then in my butt (it feels like I should be squeezing out a poop). So they put a mirror in front of me, and wow, what an incredible experience that was. I could now see that every time i pushed his head would slowly start coming out. In the end that's all I needed, 50 minutes of pushing and out came our son. The final push was incredible, feeling the pressure ease when his entire body came out of mine was a feeling I'll never forget. I couldn't really see him for the first 20 minutes because I had torn and so they were sowing me up while the pediatrician was cleaning Max's lungs since he had gone to the bathroom in my stomach (there was meconium in my fluids when my water broke). Overall the entire experience was wonderful and as far as laboring goes, it was as good as it could get.

The healing on the other hand is far worse, which i guess they try to avoid telling you. Given the tear and the bruising the recovery process has been the most difficult to deal with. The breast feeding is no walk in the park either and my nipples are chapped and swollen and i dread the feedings. I guess practice makes perfect. Our son just got snipped this morning and the poor guy is sleeping right now. Being a parent is the most wonderful experience I've ever felt. I feel such pride and joy for him, and they were right...the love you feel for your child is unlike anything you've ever experienced.