GONE!



Warning:  This post is about breastfeeding

 Gone like a freight-train, gone like yesterday
Gone like a soldier in the civil war, bang bang
Gone like a '59 Cadillac
Like all the good things that ain't never coming back
She's gone

Probably most don't know what this picture is.  It's a hospital grade breast pump.  I have been pumping exclusively for 10.5 months!  Gah!  I'm so excited that this thing is going back to the hospital and never to be seen again.  I get so giddy thinking about it!

I chose to pump because I went through 12 days of horrible pain while trying to nurse Bryce.  After meeting with a lactation consultant she thought he wasn't sucking right.  This would require doing exercises with him to get him to curve his tongue more and me pumping and syringe feeding along with trying to breastfeed.  At his two week appointment he was not gaining so the pediatrician said I should bottle feed him.  So we bottle fed and I pumped and it just worked that way.  It was a little constrictive because I had to have it with me every 2-3 hrs for a while and getting up and pumping in the middle of the night is a lot less fun than just laying in bed to nurse.  But I did it!  I will pin a rose on my nose and pat myself on the back that I sacrificed comfort for myself to give my kid something better.  And I will push all those selfish things I do for myself under the rug and away from this blog because obviously blogging and facebook are for bragging.

Breastfeeding was always a struggle for me.  I'm pretty sure my older two got barely enough to get by and grow.  Even pumping I only got 2/3 of what Bryce would eat.  But now I can say bye bye to that pump and I'm sure my children will be much happier now that I'm not saying "no I have to pump now".  And my husband will be much happier that our 3 yr old boy is not pretending to pump to feed his baby.

Hopefully soon I will have a post with pictures of our latest camping trip....pump, rain, baby, dirt, no toilets and all.

On Starting Kindergarten

Once, before we had any children, Eric and I were invited of to some church friend's house for dinner.  There were two other couples there, each had a baby, and the missionaries.  The missionaries asked "so what do you do in your free time"?  I guess not having kids I didn't think much of it but when I was introducing our family in church at the beginning of my talk I thought about when they asked that question.  And now I think "have you seen these 3 things we haul around everywhere"?  This is what I do in my free time.  I thought I might have something on here to add about me but really this week was all about the kids.

 

My oldest started kindergarten this week.  It went surprisingly well.  I walked him into his classroom the first day.  I pictured it going something like a scene from the Grinch Christmas cartoon.  You know the part where the Grinch and his dog Max are sledding down the hill and at one point Max ends up wrapped tightly around the Grinch and the Grinch has to shimmy him off one leg at a time.  Ya...that is how I pictured the experience going but there was none of that foolishness.  We walked right in, he found is name, put his back pack in the cubby, and started playing with the puzzles on his table.  I was shocked.  I was just like "uh ok...uh bye...uh no crying....uh aren't you going to miss me".  This was totally out of character for my child who, since crawling, has cried when I left him with anyone.  I was quite proud, impressed, and a little sad that he had grown up.  I drop him off everyday in a car line and he just walks right in with no looking back.  Crazy.  Now I still really have no idea what goes on at school.  Only that he likes recess, has a friend named, Nicolas, and they do the same thing they did in preschool "work and play".  I could go on about my worries and sadness about him growing up too fast, losing his innocence and care free life, but I try not to think about that because I can't change it.  The whole thing really wasn't sad or anything for me.

 

At home it is so much calmer and peaceful.  This kid has soooo much energy.  I try to spend extra time playing legos with him now at night or snuggling with him in his bed (after I heave myself up that blasted bunk bed ladder).  Bryce and Dustin have come to appreciate each other more.  I don't think they really paid attention to each other much when Mitchel was home.  

 

 

 

On the other spectrum of sociality I have Dustin.  Total opposite of Mitchel.   He is calm, carefree, and will go anywhere or play with anyone as long as it involves trains.  I took him to his meet the teacher for preschool last week and he loved it.  His teacher said she had trains at home she would bring since he likes trains.  He has been talking about it EVERY DAY since.  Every morning he wakes up and asks if he gets to go to school today.  Then he talks about how he has to remind his teacher to bring her trains.  I hope she really does have trains. 

Basically that has been our week.  Tomorrow I get to take Bryce to the doctor....again because we think he has his 4th ear infection.  Blah!  I did finally get him to eat a very small about of apple sauce if I served it on a graham cracker.  Dustin was weaned and drinking cows milk from a sippy cup just about 6 weeks older than Bryce is now....but Bryce still won't eat much solids.  And I have tried every suggestion that has come my way.  I have never seen a baby so adamant about not eating.  First he would close his mouth and turn away.  Then he started blowing raspberries if we put food near his mouth.  Then he added shaking his arm and hand in a kinda "no no no get away" fashion.  Now putting him in his high chair is like trying to put a cat in a bath tub full of water.  So much fun we are having here.

End of Summer

 I had to take a break from the blog because  few weeks ago we went on vacation for a few days to Gulf Shores, AL and then the week after that (which was today) we spoke in church.  So I spent all week preparing a brutal talk for church.  Glad that is over.

Anyway we went to Gulf Shores in search of some better than Texas beaches.  They were better.  Almost white sand, cleaner water, cleaner beaches, and cool water (not pee warm like Galveston).  It was a 9 hour drive that took us 10.5 with 2 stops.  I was quite shocked at how well the kids did.  Bryce barely made a peep on the drive.  Sometimes he would get fussy but I would lean back and give him a bottle and he was happy.  Mitchel and Dustin probably fought once the whole way there and I don't think they played on my phone at all.  So far we have been able to avoid getting a movie player for long road trips.  I saw on pinterest once that a mother got little surprises and put them in bags and wrote on them cities that they would pass through on their trip and when they passed that city they would get the surprise.  I have done this with the kids on our past 3 road trips.  It works out ok.  I usually give them something every hour and rotate between a toy and a treat or snack.  Problem is since they can't read time or a map they end up asking for the next surprise ALL. THE. TIME.  But every once in a while they get something that entertains them for a while.  These are some 99 cent water arcade games I found on a website that they seemed to like ok.  Mitchel said "it's like I'm playing a game on TV".

Our trip consisted of 2 hr outings followed by returning to the cabin we rented for a meal, Bryce's nap, and some sponge bob squarepants watching by the older two.  We only have broadcast tv at home so everytime we stay somewhere with cable all the kids want to do is watch Sponge Bob....I actually think it's pretty funny.

One morning we went to Fort Morgan, a civil war fort, and let the kids run around.  Unfortunately it down poured 5 mins after we got there but cleared up enough for the kids to explore.  I felt like this took me back to my childhood when we would go visit army forts in Washington.

 

 These stairs were crazy steep and big steps.  Made me nervous.  I don't know how these military guys got up and down those.  Mitchel is all into army guys so I think he was in a little bit of heaven with the  cannons and guns.

 I had to put this picture in because it was the closest we got to a family picture on the trip.  Dustin had been on the verge of NEEDING a potty trip but was trying to hold it until we went back to the cabin.  He had already had 2 failed attempts at the bathrooms at the fort by the time I tried to get everyone to take this pictures.  I guess I waited too long because about 30 seconds after I got them together and began getting the camera he yelled "I gotta go poop!" and then Bryce had a break down.  A family picture was just not meant to be....or maybe this really shows how our family outings always are.  I rushed him to the bathroom to find he didn't really have to go.  Awesome!

 The rest of the time we spent at the beach.  Bryce loves bath time but he hated the beach.  He didn't like the water or the noise or something.  He cried when we brought him up to the water.  Cried when we put him in the sand.  We were a little shocked because he's usually a pretty accommodating kid.  He got where he would splash in some water in a bucket next to him and put his feet in the sand but never really touched the ocean.

 Mitchel and Dustin of course were in heaven.  They loved it.  Sand and water...enough said.

It was a good vacation.  The kids did well.  I was ready for a real vacation of rest when we got back.  I hope we can go there again someday.  One of my favorite things was putting them to bed at night.  The sleeping situation was less than ideal.  Half of the nights I slept with Mitchel and Dustin in a queen bed and it was rough.  But it was so fun to lay down with them and talk about the day and listen to them giggle.  I love seeing them happy.

On another note, August is just about over and I have survived another Houston summer.  Tomorrow my first born man child enters the world of all day shoe wearing and book learning.  I hope that he will like it but the unfortunate truth is I think I'll have to drag him kicking and screaming to school the rest of his life.  Wish us luck.

Bryce Cody Olsen

Keeping it consistent, although very late.  I never wrote down the birth story of Bryce.  Oops. If you don't care then don't read.

Bryce was born on November 15, 2013 at 11:29AM was 20 in. long and weighed exactly 7 lbs and came to this world just perfect.  He looks so chubby like he should weigh more.  And he has a dimple chin.

This had probably been my least favorite pregnancy, although not horrible, definitely not fun.  I had more nausea, more migraines, and more constipation.  Pregnancy is just all sorts of wonderful.  But other than that the pregnancy was quite uneventful.  In fact, right after Bryce was born my obgyn said to Eric "Is she always this calm?  She's like the most calm patient I've ever had.  She's always just like oh ya ok sounds good".  Pretty much how it went.  It was just a pregnancy and I figured I had done that twice before so I didn't have many questions for him.  I was feeling especially huge and achy this pregnancy.  I so wanted this baby to come early.  I really tried to exercise and wear myself out (which didn't take much) to try and get things moving the last month.  But of course when my doctor appointments became weekly and the doctor started his oh so fun physical exams I always had the same outcome.  Not much progress.  I think I had Braxton hicks contractions off and on for a week before he was born.  I think I even woke up one night and timed them and they were 5 mins apart but I fell asleep so obviously they went away.  

Week 39 came and I was scheduled for my appointment that afternoon (Nov 14).  I was hoping he would come a week early since he was due Nov 22 (the day before Thanksgiving).  I had been having Braxton hicks contractions that day but still no pain and no consistency.  Went to the appointment at 2 PM and I think I was 2 cm dilated and maybe 50% effaced...which was about as dilated as I ever am at appointments.  So I left, as usual, feeling hopeless and pretty sure that this baby would never come out and I would be huge and uncomfortable the rest of my life.  I'm pretty sure that is how every pregnant woman feels at her last appointment before birth.  I wondered through the rest of the afternoon if my contractions were real labor but they were so minimal that I couldn't quite tell when they started and couldn't time them half the time because I had two other little kids running around.  I told Eric at dinner that I thought I could be going into labor so he might want to call his mom.  They must have gotten closer together soon after because his mom ended up coming over after dinner.  While I waited for her I frantically cleaned the kitchen, swept, and picked up the house.  I think his parents got to our house around 7 or 8 and we put the other two to bed before we left for the hospital.  The contractions were the 5 min apart lasting 30 seconds that my handy little booklet told me to go to the hospital for.  They still didn't hurt so I wasn't sure but Dustin didn't come too slowly and I sure as heck didn't want to have a baby at home.

We got to the hospital about 9ish PM and checked into triage.  I was 4 cm.  The nurse said that wasn't enough to admit me but they'd keep me for an hour to see if I dilated anymore.  I think they said I'd have to dilate a cm an hour to be considered in labor.  I never dilated anymore but waw still having the right timed contractions.  We asked when the heck we should come in if my contractions were already timing right.  She said when I can't handle the pain anymore.  Great.  She gave me an ambien and by the time we got home at around 11 PM I was loopy and went straight to bed.  Eric's mom spent the night just in case. 

I think I got up around 7 AM and we were deciding whether or not Eric's mom should stay for a bit just to make sure when I figured out my water had broke.  That cleared all the questions up so I showered, he showered, did some last minute packing and were off to the hospital.  My pants looked like I had peed.  It was disturbing.  We were waiting at the nurse counter to be called to triage and the nurse came over and asked what made us think I was in labor and I said my water broke.  She said "are you sure?"  And Eric pointed at my wet pants and she said "oh ya ok it did we can skip triage and just check you in".  So did all the fun paper work and blood work.  I may have been dilated to a 6 or 7 when I got into bed.  I don't remember.  I was adamant that they get me an epidural as fast as they could.  I think I got that a little before 9 AM.  The anesthesiologist had a C-section to go to at 9 and she told me I was lucky they caught her when we did because I would probably be too far in labor after the C-section.  YA!  I progressed pretty quickly for a while.  Probably up to an 8 after the epidural.  Everyone thought this baby would come pretty quick they were getting ready so fast.  But it slowed down and we waited an hour and no progression really. 

So we sat tight and waited more.  I think the nurse told me to let her know when I thought I was ready.  I thought that was weird.  Uh I can't feeling anything.  Actually I felt more pressure with this one than the others.  I kept pushing the epidural med button because I was afraid I'd feel something.  The nurse said to let her know when I felt I couldn't resist pushing....hmm ok.  So I held back through some contractions.  Then I called her in and told her I felt pressure and maybe I was ready.  She took a look and said "oh ya he's right there ya lets get your doctor here now".  I pushed one and a half times and he was out.  I say the half because I think the doctor pulled him out mostly after the first push because the cord was wrapped around his neck.  It was a good delivery.

The hospital we went to this time has skin to skin time right away after the baby is born.  They do a quick wipe and I held him for about an hour.  I nursed him.  Then they do all the first bath and check ups in the room.  The baby never left our room. 

A few hours later Mitchel and Dustin came.  They weren't too interested in the baby.  Kinda cautiously looked at him but were more interested in their new toys, my moving hospital bed, and sponge bob on tv.  Unfortunately after the delivery I got a head ache, nausea, and dizziness.  I ate lunch about an hour after delivery and then threw that up not too much later.  I asked the nurse what was causing this and she said I probably ate too fast to which Eric replied "well you've had 5 years of experience with that".  Meaning I always eat fast because I have kids to tend to.  Still I wasn't feeling better and just felt crappy.  They gave me anti nausea medicine that helped.  Probably a few hours later the nurse suggested the anesthesiologist come take a look at me because it could have been caused by the epidural and it wouldn't go away until they fixed it.  Well the anesthesiologist never came but I laid back and got better.

I hate hospitals.  I hardly slept the 2 nights I was there.  Bryce was good.  Eric got to go home and sleep.  I was happy to come home.  Only to have Mitchel start throwing up every hour the night I got home.  So basically he, Eric, and Dustin got sick the week I got home.  It was a stinker.  At least Bryce slept pretty well.  He nursed well and for once I thought "this breastfeeding is going really good.  He's eating well".  Well soon it hurt, and it hurt, and I was cracked and bleeding and wincing in pain with every feeding.  After 10 days of that I went to a lactation consultant and she said he was not getting quite enough and that the problems he was causing me was because he was sucking flat tongued.  She gave me a nipple shield and some exercises to do with him to get his tongue to curl.  Oh sweet relief that nipple shield was but then he really kinda quit wanting to nurse with that.  The lactation consultant gave me a syringe to supplement a little formula with his feedings since he wasn't getting enough and suggested I pump some too to see if it was a supply problem or his sucking problem.  Turns out next day he had a cold and he being so young the nurse said I should bring him in for a check of his lungs.  It was two days before his 2 week appointment.  I was hoping the doctor would just do his two week appointment check up then but he was still slightly below his birth weight and they like to see them at least at their birth weight at the two week so she said we should come back in two days.  I think he was 8-10 ounces below.  I talked to her about the lactation consultant's suggestions and she said that there comes a time when you just need to give your baby a bottle.  He's not getting enough and he needs to be supplemented.  So we started the bottle and I rented a hospital pump. 

Turns out I was producing very little and still I don't produce enough for him and never have.  I nursed him a few times a day just to try but I never felt like he got all he needed from me and I just didn't have time to work with him and pump and bottle feed and watch two other kids so I have been pumping for the past 9 months.  In that two days before his two week appointment he gained at least 8 ounces.  This whole breastfeeding experience for me is probably another post in itself but pumping has worked well for me.  I think breastfeeding is important and should not be tossed aside for the convenience of the mother.  It's hard work.  Although I could have worked harder to maybe actually breastfeed Bryce I feel like I did the best I could in my situation which is really all a mother can do whether breast, expressed, or bottle.

Bryce has been a very content baby.  Mostly slept through the first month or two of life.  He has been our best sleeper.  Still not sleeping through the night but doing at least 7 hours a night way before his brothers ever did.  I blame that on the fact that the first two didn't get enough to eat.  He has been a great addition to our family.  Mitchel adores him and Dustin tolerates him.  He loves his brothers and we love him. 

Babies don't keep.

I was talking to my mom the other day and I told her that I was really trying to enjoy Bryce while he is a baby since he will most likely be the last.  I told her that I wished I would have been less stressed and enjoyed my first one when he was a baby because I had so much time.  She said that probably I could enjoy it more now because I now a bit more what I am doing as before everything was so stressful and new because I knew nothing.  True true. I'm sure you've heard this poem.

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Well with my first it was more like "I'm rocking my baby because he won't ever go to sleep".  Now I long for those days when I could hold a snuggly sleeping baby.  I try to do that with Bryce whenever I can sneak it.  Often when I put him to bed at night I rock him extra long sometimes to leave my husband to put the other two crazies to bed and sometimes just to enjoy the moment.  Not that he doesn't have his problems (ie his continued feeding and eating issues) but I just love babies.  Sometimes this comes at the expense of my older two.  They have their mommy time too but maybe I'm favoring the youngest a bit.  I think when I was single and imagining myself as a mother I never pictured having boys really.  I just thought cute girly things.  Now I can imagine having any girls, which is good because I probably won't.  Even if I tried for another I'm pretty sure.  The point is I love my boys and each for different reasons.  They are each so different.  At Dustin's gymnastics I have twice been complimented on my parenting of him because he is so patient, easy going, and submissive.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is much in my parenting to be complimented.  It's all nature for that boy.  Mitchel is exact opposite.  It's interesting how they each come with their own personality.  So here is why I love each of them.


Mitchel....oh Mitchel.  He has been quite the parental growing experience for my husband and I and I fear he always will be.  He is very determined and strong willed.  I'm sure some day that will be a good thing but we are still working on focusing it.  He is so energetic!  I don't know how he does it.  He is also my cuddler.  Probably the only one that will really snuggle me.  He loves his baby brother and is so helpful with him.  I LOVE to watch this boy dance!  I'm no professional but he's awesome!  He love music.  He goes to symphony concerts and listens and is interested.  He will be my musical child.

 

 

Dustin always keeps us laughing.  I can't think of anything specific right now but he always says the most random things and is so sincere about it.  It's hilarious!  He makes funny faces and does this little tip toe run that I think is so cute.  And when he wakes up in the morning and asks for his "weally weally warm honey chocolate milk" his hair looks like he was stuck in a wind tunnel all night.  It's great.  He always likes to tell me secrets, his favorite being "Sophia".  I don't know why.  He doesn't know any Sophias.

 

Bryce man.  Don't know a whole lot about his except for he is a pretty content baby.  He has to be with these other two hoodlums running around.  He has been our best sleeper.  Goes to sleep so easily and sleeps when he should most of the time.  He loves books.  He gets so excited about them when I read to him.  I love when he giggles at his brothers.  And he has the best chubby cheeks.

 

Brenham

Mitchel randomly asked me when we were going to go to that ice cream place.  And by "that ice cream place" he meant the Blue Bell Ice Cream Creamery.  I'm pretty sure he did not want to go on the tour but while we were out there might as well.  Anyway, being the excellent mother that I am want to be I planned our trip.  I also recruited Gramps and Bahbah to join us.  The big kids and I did the tour and I think they even found it a little interesting.  Although they kept saying "I just want some ice cream" and that does not come until the end of the tour.  I was a little surprised when they both only finished half of their scoops of ice cream.  That is not normal for my kids.  It could have been the package of mamba candy they devoured on the 1 hour drive out.

Mitchel and Dustin semi-enjoying their ice cream.

Bryce just enjoyed the hats.

 

After ice cream we went to lunch (our timing didn't quite work out well).  We went to the Brenham Municipal Airport where they have a diner that is pretty good.  On the way in we saw some "army guys" inside eating and I pointed out their helicopter to the boys.  Mitchel is into everything army.  He got camo shorts, pants, back pack, and tshirt for school this year.  We borrowed 2 seasons of GI Joe from the library and he watches it every second I will let him.  We sat down and I saw the "army guys" get up and leave and Mitchel and Dustin are lucky to have the best Gramps ever.  Gramps jumped up and chased said "army guys" down to see if the boys could check out the helicopter.  They said yes and Gramps took them out to see it but sadly my boys are too shy and nervous around strangers that they would not get in it or even stand on the skids.  They probably would've done better had I been there instead of Gramps but I was busy mopping up one of Bryce's messes which is a whole other story.  I think they still enjoyed it.  We then watched the helicopter take off along with another 15 people that had gathered.  I thought it was pretty darn cool but my kids still said the ice cream was their favorite part of the day.

 

 



We waited and waited for that helicopter to take off.

 

 And finally it did.

Hair

You know it's been a long time since you have blogged when you go to make a post and can't figure out where to click to make an actual post.  Oh well.

Our poor little Bryce has such a struggle with hair...at least compared to his brothers.  When he was entering this world and before I saw him the nurse said "he's got a lot of hair".  Yeah not really.   Maybe it's not as obvious to anyone else but this boy had significantly less hair than his brothers. 

Mitchel

Dustin

 

Bryce

Not so luckily for him it got worse from there on out.  First it fell out on top so he had this Frank Barone thing going on.  So at about six weeks we cut his hair so it wasn't quite so ridiculous.  Funny our baby with the least amount of hair got the youngest hair cut.  Well then the top caught up because a month later he had a Mohawk.  So we trimmed that.  Now he's just a bit fuzzy.  These are pictures of them all at about 9 months.  Mitchel probably had had 3 all over hair cuts.  Dustin probably one or two all over hair cuts.  Then we have sweet Bryce with 2 touch ups and still the least amount of hair.  What he lacks in hair he makes up for in sweetness.  I love these boys!

Mitchel

Dustin

 

  Bryce