Routine

Though I can't say that we are actually on any kind of a routine, and things are far from normal here (what is normal, anyway?!), it's starting to feel like 'regular' kind of.

Gavin woke up twice last night after I laid him down at 11 and went to bed myself.  I fed him at 2 and 5am, he went back to sleep easily both times, and then slept until 8:30!  Bryan got up with the big boys at 7ish and let me sleep until the buffet needed to be opened for Gavin, so I felt well rested even.

Speaking of the buffet, just a side note:  I had forgotten the *ahem* huge feeling of breastfeeding.  Seriously.  These babies are enormous.  I feel like I have had a botched implant job.  Crossing my fingers that this issue will resolve itself quickly, because frankly, it's embarrassing.

Ian is a little wild.  We've been trying to make sure that he has special things to do with Daddy every day, and that he gets to do important big brother things (like carry the dirty diapers to the diaper pail...), but I think that secretly he needs more attention than that.  He's just wound up, and I feel badly for getting frustrated with him (haven't I TOLD you not to sit on your brother until he cries?!?!) but I don't want him to think he can get away with murder just because there is a new baby here.  Other times he is the sweetest brother ever, showing Gavin his Nerf gun and piling baby toys on top of him as he is snuggled in the baby papasan chair.  So, yeah, he still needs some time to adjust.

Chase is kind of oblivious to everything, I think.  He is happy, loves to pet Gavin when he is awake, but is also happy completely avoiding him.  My only issue with him is that I have orders not to lift him for 2 weeks, and it is very hard to say no to his little hands reaching up to me.  Oh, yeah, and when he climbs on me, he has a knack of stabbing me with a well-placed elbow or knee on tender areas.

I fear jinxing myself at this point, but Gavin is a really laid back, quiet, happy little guy.  He's observant and content, crying only when he discovers that he is hungry.  He's a good nurser and sleeper...I'm hoping that this isn't the calm before the storm.  Crossing my fingers...

So, overall, things are good here.  Thanks for asking :)

Photo Dump!

Just a few hours old

Proud Daddy of 3!  Ack!

Look at Chase's face..."Um, what are we supposed to do with THAT?"

Gavin has rock star hair from the get-go.  All the nurses and doctors commented on it.

I love it, but HALP!

Chase makes peace with Gavin.  And then eats his hair.

We just introduced Gavin to Brown Monkey.  Ian was a little disappointed because he really wanted him to have a Blue Dog just like his.  (he's 3 days old here)

Doul-o

I have to take a moment (while Chase is sleeping and Gavin is snoozing on my chest-- seriously, is there any better feeling than a newborn warm and content and cuddly on you?!) and brag on my husband.

I know that he is a pretty good PR person for himself, and he has been known to let everyone know how great a birthing coach he is...but honestly, he really is telling the truth!  Those who know him may believe that he is being his usual sarcarstic self in all of his boastings of being the best coach ever, but I come here to tell you that he truly, truly is.  And if there is ever a niche in the market for male doulas (doulo?), I would highly recommend him.

We went to one 'class' on birthing before Ian was born, and he must have some kind of steel-trap memory, because he remembers specific phrases that she told us and visualizations that she used.  He talked me through every single contraction, advocated for me with the nurses and the doctors about going drug-free, walked me up and down the hallways and wasn't afraid to coach me in front of everyone in creation, helped me relax every muscle in my body, encouraged me when I was about ready to give up, and cheered me on the entire time.  I think there was only one time that I almost hit him... and I think he was purposely being a smart ass:)  Seriously, I would not have been able to do it without him by my side.  And that goes for all three of the boys' births.

And services don't stop there.  I didn't change one diaper in the hospital.  He slept on the really uncomfortable pull-out chair thing in the room and woke up whenever I needed something.  He took me on a lunch date to the cafeteria on our last day there, and was ever ever attentive to me.  When we got home, he told Ian that it was their job to tell me to sit down whenever they saw me trying to do something, and to help Mommy out with everything that needed to be done.  And, if that wasn't enough, he and Ian are at this very moment, "surprising" me by taking the van to the gas station to clean and vacuum it all out (believe me, that is a job and a half, since at least half of everything I give to Chase to eat ends up in every crevice of the carpet and upholstry in there).

He is so incredible, and entirely deserving of partial credit for the awesome birth experience that I had (he can't have it all, because let's face it- I did push an almost 9 pound watermelon out of parts-that-must-not-be-named).

To the best doulo ever!  Love you, honey :)  MCH!  

Gavin Elijah Maddex

Gavin Elijah Maddex was born at 12:32am this morning weighing in at 8 lbs and 13 oz! He is 22 inches long and doing just great!!

Mom was a champ and delivered her third son all naturally without any drugs and also is doing great! (What a great coach she must have!)

Gavin couldn't wait to get here! Contractions started at about 7pm and he kept the hospital staff on their toes until his quick arrival. In all fairness I did warn them that I was keeping a tight schedule. I had predicted his birth by midnight, and will blame the 32 minute delay on the lack of rooms available.

Side note, I am gently reminding Laurie that she needs to rename her blog. Feel free to submit your recomendations, along with an official entry form and $5 entry fee. All proceeds will benefit the "Laurie is looking forward to a glass of wine fund". The winner will be allowed to donate said bottle of wine. :)

Bryan

Change Change

Chase has a new trick.  He is almost always telling me when he needs a change, and not only will he sign it, but he goes to his little diaper basket, takes out the changing mat, unfolds it, and lays down.  It is super cute because when he lays down on it, he almost always misses, so he kind of ends up laying next to it.

He also occassionally thinks it's funny to go through all those steps except for the laying down part, then he waits for me to get on the floor ready to change him, and then he runs away laughing.  

Supreme Court Case RE: special education

In case you want to keep up with the Supreme Court rulings regarding education for students with special needs, my husband sent this to me.  Good to know, even if we are not quite at this point yet.

They ruled that the public school district had to reimburse a family for private school tuition because they failed to provide free and appropriate public education.  From what I am reading, it is a landmark case because the student, T.A., was never actually in the public school system.  I guess before this case, you were expected to at least give the school a chance to provide FAPE, and if it failed, then you could take your child to private school on the school district's dime.  With this case, you can opt to go straight to private school...?  

Jesus Take the Wheel!

I'm having the carpets cleaned this morning.  The guy that is here doing it is a very very southern older man, nice, chatty, and just kind of bumpkinny in a sweetheart kind of way.  

When I told him that I was 4 days overdue, he said, "Well, if anything happens while I'm here, I'll just throw up my hands and say, 'Jesus, take the wheel!', 'cause I wouldn't know what to do!"

Let's hope Gavin can hold out one more hour.

Happy Father's Day!

**Warning!  Sappy post!!**

I am so blessed to have two wonderful Daddies in my life.  

My dad, who provided me with such a wonderful role model to grow up with, and my husband, who is like my dad in many (sometimes scary) ways.

Of course, I knew way more than my father while I was growing up, but he managed to point me in (mostly) the right direction.  He took our family camping, t0 church, on train trips, to museums, and car shopping.  He showed me how to use power tools and how to paint a room without using blue painter's tape everywhere.  We lived in houses that were continually under construction, but he taught me the value in finishing a project the right way.  He loves my mom, he tells bad jokes, and he isn't afraid to be a grandpa in the best possible way.  Thanks, Dad.

And my husband, who works incredibly hard for our family (even though he thinks I stay home and eat bon bons all day), loves us all unconditionally, and reminds me that life is not all about doing everything practical, but about stopping to laugh and play along the way.  He has put up with me since high school, watched me and stood by me as I made good choices and bad ones, and is teaching our boys how to be stand up men; thinkers, honorable, proud, charitable, and kind.  You are an amazing husband, and more than I could ask for in a Daddy to the boys.

Happy Father's Day to my two best men.  You mean so much to me.  

Nostalgia

Facebook rocks.  One of my friends (hey Jess!) posted this photo of my castmates and I when we did Chicago my senior year.  I was Roxie Hart :)  So fun.

Can you find me?

Brotherly Love

While driving in the car today, Ian and I were having a discussion with Gavin about how he should be ready to come out now.  I told him that Ian really really wanted to hold him.  

Then Ian added, "Yeah, because I am so strong, and I would never ever hurt you."  So sweet, right??

Then, there was a short pause "...until you are big like Chasey."

Happy Birthday...?

Gavin is due today.  I have this feeling that he is clinging to my uterine walls screaming, "You can't make me go ANYWHERE!!"

Big Belly Photo

38 weeks, 1 day...at the DSAC picnic on June 6th:

Discovery

Ian is rediscovering all the toys that have been hidden in the playroom forever as I reorganize and paint (photos to come!  I'm almost done!)  Right now he is trying to find all the balls that will fit into this gumball machine-thingy. 

Then he said:  "Look, Mama!  I have so many balls that I can play with now!"

And it just struck me how fun it is to be raising boys :)

Babywatch Update

Just checking in with everyone.  Nothing going on here.  Gavin is still comfortable and has no immediate plans on evacuating my uterus.

Babywatch

He's still happy in there, at 39 weeks tomorrow.  

I'll be on the yoga ball if you need me...

Weekend Recap

First off, there was no baby.  Let's just get that out of the way, shall we?

Friday night my culdesac girls took me out for dinner for a mini-baby shower :)  It was a really nice break, good food and conversation, and tiny cute presents for Gavin.  Thanks, ladies!!

We did the DSAC family picnic on Saturday and met a bunch of new families, which was nice, because most of the time I only get to talk to them on email or by phone.  The boys had a blast and were filthy dirty by the time we got home.

We had about an hour at home before we had to take off for a cookout with our small group from church.  Ian turned into a little fish after dinner in their pool, and suddenly decided that he would like to swim.  No floaties, no life jacket, just arms and legs, head in the water, swim!  It was awesome- I can't wait to see him do it more this summer.  We were home LATE and both boys went to bed after 10:30...but that's ok because they'll just sleep in the next morning, right?

Riiight.  6:15 and everyone was wide awake.

We did church and errands (last minute baby stuff!)  and scored a quick nap afterwards.  We indulged and ate out twice- Mexican for lunch and a steakhouse for dinner.  Bryan figures it will be a while before we can go out to a real restaurant to eat, so we might as well do it now while we have one really well behaved child and one that can't stand to sit in one place for more than 2 minutes.

And now the weekend is over...again.  I am voting for whatever party supports 4 day work weeks next election.

Things to Do on a Rainy Day

We had to cancel our play group in the park this morning due to the nasty rainy weather.  So we are trying to find things to entertain ourselves.  This activity was a big hit:

Pool Boys

Aren't they cute?

Favor?

Will someone come over and watch my kids for a couple hours?  I seriously need a nap.  I don't care if we've never met...

Lovin the Water

Since we put in the giant frame pool in the backyard, we've used it every day, I think.  It is so awesome.  It is just big enough to have a bunch of kids over and still have room to float on a raft.  Why didn't we do this 3 years ago??

Seriously, I can put the babies down for nap, then go float with Ian for an hour.  Then when Chase is awake, he swims with us (well, hangs onto me with the death grip, but laughs a lot).  It is perfect for these miserably hot summer days where your only choices are to be cooped up in the house or sizzling in the backyard.

Bonus:  I don't have to pack everyone up, load the car, strap kids into a stroller, find a parking space, haul everyone into the water park, find a free chair, get in the water, realize someone needs a diaper change or a potty stop, drag the entire party out of the water into the locker room, procede with business, get back out to the pool just in time for "adult swim" for 15 minutes, entertain children next to a pool they are not allowed in, wait it out, get back in the water, enjoy ourselves for 20 minutes, then begin the cleaning up/drying off process in order to get home by dinner time because everyone is cold, hungry, grumpy, and completely exhausted.

I am so happy to skip that this summer.

Chase's favorite thing to do in the pool:  ride in the boat (my raft) and make driving noises as I push him around in circles.

Ian's favorite thing to do in the pool:  learn how to swim with Daddy.

My favorite thing to do in the pool:  float, whale-like, belly submerged, enjoying the weightless feeling for a few precious moments.

**Speaking of whale-like; the OB appt today was less than exciting.   No real change, Gavin's head is a little sideways still.  He suggested I walk for 15 minutes a day, which I am going to take as a directive to visit Target every afternoon.

Not for the Squeamish

Today I took the boys to the store just to walk around in the AC for a little bit and get out of the house.  Chase was riding in the stroller.  

I smelled the spit up before I actually saw it.  After investigating, I found that he had sour-milk spit up pooled in the stroller tray.  He was finger painting in it.

I scrambled to find a wipe or a napkin (I had, of course, left the diaper bag behind because we weren't going to be gone that long).  By the time I found an already-used Dunkin Donuts napkin at the bottom of my purse, the mess was mostly gone.

...because Chase was licking it up.  Ew.  Ew.  Ew!

New Ds Site

Tricia posted this site today, and I wanted to make sure everyone saw it:

Down Town, Down syndrome news/info.

I played around a little on it today, and it has some really great stuff.  Check it out.

IFSP Meeting

We had Chase's IFSP meeting this morning- not anything groundshaking or anything.

He mastered lots of skills (lots of PT ones this time) and has several that need to be carried over (ST, OT).  I think that we have a really awesome team of people helping us, and really, right now, we are kind of just coasting.  Chase is making progress, and I think the best thing that we can do is keep on keeping on.

I am, however, scared to death of the transition to preschool (which we will go into full blown transition mode for in October).  Not that he won't be able to handle it, but that his home school is a special needs school, where I hear they have really great teachers, but I'm just not sure I want him plugged into a self contained classroom rather than integrated into a typical class.  I don't think he needs it, and I'd rather try him in a typical classroom and move to a more structured setting if he needs it.  

I don't know.  I just don't want kindergarten to come around and have to fight extra hard to get him into a typical class because he is always has been in a "special" classroom.  Then again, maybe the special needs  school would provide extra support to prepare him for a typical class later...?

I just don't know.