Guest Room/Nursery

I have wanted to finish another bedroom in our basement for a long time , but it would cut 1/4 out of the boys' playroom.  When we found out we were having visitors for 8 weeks it became more of a priority.  Then when we found out we were going to have an addition to our family, the need for another room became more urgent.  We tried to figure out how to fit a baby into the space we already had, but Brenden's room has no space for a crib and Nolan and Ethan already share a room - we had 3 boys in one room in Idaho and I didn't want to do it again.  Before we left Idaho, I bought new bedding for our master bedroom, but then my mom bought us bedding that I loved so much more and so the bedding I bought sat in our closet for two years unused.  This new bedroom was the perfect spot.

And since I am kinda crazy like that, I needed a matching bed for little Eva when she came.  My friend Tiffany gave us this cute red bed and I bought a twin duvet on Amazon (for WAY cheaper than I could have bought coordinating fabric - AND it matched!) and cut it apart.  I even made matching sheets.

Ethan has recently decided this is his bed of choice.

And then crazy really set in when I decided to make my own crib bedding - skirt, bumpers, and sheet.  The little bag hanging from the crib is for pacifiers - there is nothing worse than crawling around in the dark looking for a pacifier, which is usually between the wall and the crib.  Pacifier storage will (hopefully) save the day.

The room has a little weird spot between Brenden's room and our storage room that we discovered was the perfect size for a mini-crib. 

 So then I needed a matching mobile.

 I bought a mobile and took it apart.  My mom bought and saved us all a huge collection of Beanie Babies when we all lived at home.  Some of mine have finally found their purpose in life.

My final crazy attempt was a contoured changing pad cover.

Doug and his brother Jeremy created a solution to our biggest problem - a door for the room.  One side of the room has double pocket doors open to the play room (and will someday have built-in shelves), but the other side has a four foot opening that we needed to keep four feet.  And therefore the four foot door was created.

When it comes time to sell our house, this room will be listed as an office because it has no window, but it makes a perfect bedroom for us.  The room is a long way from our bedroom - like almost directly under it (good for guests, bad for babies), so Doug and I will probably move down there for a little while until Cameron sleeps through the night.  Doug loves the mattress and hates our king mattress, so he is eagerly awaiting the day we move down there.  It still needs some decorating and paint, but for now, this is our guest room and nursery all in one.

Appetizers and Private Parts

I've had this blog post typed up since last Thursday and I haven't posted it because I was waiting to put pictures on.  As I said, Doug has recently stolen all of the pictures.  Okay, so really my computer is full.  Here are some - I will post more soon.

Cameron has a middle name... David.  It is my mom's dad's name and I like it.  Doug held out for Ozzie for as long as possible, but when I went to the hospital for Cameron's second PKU, I filled in the birth certificate paperwork.

Last Tuesday, so at 10 days old, Cameron was 8 lbs. 3 oz. and still 21 in.  He's already growing too fast for me.  He is starting to get chubby cheeks and little rolls on his thighs.

Cameron went back at 16 days for his hearing screening and passed right away in the right ear, but after about 10 tries, still failed in the left ear. I have emailed the audiologist the other boys see in Anchorage and we have a plan of action.  I doubt he has a loss at this point (he is my first to fail a newborn screening), but Doug and I have kind of decided to go ahead and have a CT at about 6 months and just find out then if he has enlarged vestibular aqueducts like Brenden and Ethan.  It is a progressive loss, so it's just something we would be constantly watching for and it would put our minds at ease to just know.

Nolan set up his tent just for Cameron

Nolan is funny.  One night when Cameron was crying, Nolan said, "He needs his appetizer... (thinks for a second)... what's it called again?"  Pacifier.  He is the best big brother in the world and is the one that constantly wants to hold the baby and talks to him and gives him kisses.

 This afternoon Nolan asked me if dad was at work.  "Yep."  "Why does dad have to go to work?"  "So that we can live."  "What does live mean?"  "Pay for our house, food, that kind of stuff."  "So when we have enough money at home, Dad won't have to go to work anymore."  Notice it's a statement, not a question.  Oh, the innocence of children.  I called Doug and told him that.  His response was, "Tell him someday... but by then he'll have a wife and children of his own."

Nolan is an aspiring photographer

On the other hand, Nolan has become the class clown at school and gets everyone all worked up so no one can learn.  This week I have received a note home one day and a phone call on another.  I made him verbally apologize one day and tell his teacher he would think before he acted.  Another day I even made him write his teacher an apology letter and he told me he would try his best to be good.  His very best is not very good, evidently.  That day was his worst day yet.  He even had to sit at a completely different lunch table than the rest of the class.

This is Nolan's old cast, but he wore all the way through it and now it is covered in camouflage.

In other news, Nolan's cast comes off on the 20th and then we will find out how the healing is progressing.  We decided that perhaps he had a vitamin D deficiency, as many people in Alaska do, so we have been giving him an adult dose of supplements everyday.

Brenden brought home a school assignment last week and it said:

(click to read)

I always tear up a little when he talks about it.  I know he thinks about it - a lot.  For it to come home written on a school assignment took me a little by surprise.  He wants to know why he has to be deaf when all of the other kids can hear.  He didn't like my most recent answer about Doug needing glasses because he can't see.  Brenden pointed out that Doug isn't completely blind like Brenden is deaf.  Very true.

I sometimes have to think twice when Brenden comes home and announces that he "made it to third base today!"  I have to think for a second before I remember that it is their classroom behavior reward system.

I saw Brenden's friend walking through the yard Saturday while I was nursing and asked Brenden to get me a blanket.  He got the blanket and then whispered, "Why do we have to hide the baby?"  I told him I wasn't hiding the baby, I was hiding me and my private parts.  He opened the door for his friend and announced, "Don't look over there, my mom has private parts."

Doug's mom left last Monday and Doug went back to work on Wednesday.  It took Ethan a whole 10 seconds to figure out I can't do anything when I'm nursing and he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.  The up-side is that the kids have been in bed early every night.  As early as I can justify.

Saturday Cameron was crying while I was making dinner, so I took him and laid him by Brenden and Nolan, who were sitting on the couch.  They both tried the pacifier with no luck and were finally yelling at me to come feed him.  (Why is it that every male in this house seems to think that's the answer to every cry?)  Ethan came to me and told me he needed to hold the baby.  I put Cameron on his lap and he sat there with him and let him cry himself to sleep.  We were ready to eat dinner, so I went to take Cameron from Ethan and he told me he wanted to hold the baby more.  He held him, asleep, on the couch for half of dinner.  I never thought I would see a nurturing side of Ethan.  He's kind of evil.

I can't believe that I wondered if I wanted another child.  Doug's brother and his family stayed with us for 8 weeks this summer.  They came with a 3 month old (and left with a 5 month old).  During that time, I always felt like I should have been thinking, "Oh, he's so cute!  I can't wait to hold my baby!" but in reality, all I thought was, "I really don't want to do this again."  When I was about 5 months pregnant, I walked into Babies R Us and had a little panic attack as I looked around at all of the things involved in having a baby... and I had forgotten about so much of it.  I can't believe how much I can love a little boy that I wasn't sure I wanted.

Introducing...

Cameron Boehme

(middle name still being debated)

September 19, 2010
7:33 a.m.

7 lbs. 13 oz. 21 in.

Doug and I stayed up late on the 18th watching The Back-up Plan (and making fun of the lady in labor in the movie. The YouTube video misses the best part - she sounds like a goat.) and then went to bed.  I woke up in pain and looked at my watch at 1:44 a.m.  I silently had contractions every 5 minutes for the next hour.  Finally, the contraction that began at 2:45, I leaned over Doug (fully intending to wake him up - and it worked) and he asked me if I was okay.  I told him no.  

I got out of bed and walked around and around my kitchen island and back and forth across the dining room to see if the contractions would continue and immediately they were 2 minutes apart BUT they only lasted 30 seconds.  Supposedly, if you are really in labor, contractions last 60-90 seconds.  Around 3:00 I got in the shower, just in case I had to go to the hospital.  At 3:30 I called the hospital (while still standing in the shower) and told them I lived 45 minutes from the hospital, this was my 4th child, I was having contractions 2 minutes apart, but they only lasted 30 seconds.  The nurses had a little discussion about me and decided I was not in labor, but I should call them with an update in an hour.  My contractions finally started lasting 45 seconds, so I decided we should probably call someone to come over to our house, just in case.

You see, I have had family visiting for the last 8 weeks.  They left on the 18th.  I was due on the 20th and Doug's mom arrived on the night of the 21st.  I had a whole three days with no family here and I had to go into labor on day one of those 3 days.  Oh, and Doug was supposed to be at work all of those days too.  I had no plan.

We called a very nice woman in our ward who happens to have 3 teenage daughters and asked if she could spare any of them for the morning.  I felt terrible since we never even previously discussed this with her.  She, herself, came to our rescue.  While we waited for her to arrive, I did my hair and make-up.  Doug takes a lot of pictures.  You must always be ready for a photo shoot.

At 4:15 we left for the hospital.  Contractions sitting in the car are terrible.  I just want you to know that.  I called at 4:30 (when I was supposed to call with my update) and told the nurse I was on my way.  5:00, I was at the hospital.  Doug had been saying for weeks that we needed to get some "belly shots."  This was our last opportunity.  

 

5:20, I was wearing a gown with my rear end hanging out the back.  It is also hard to leave a urine sample mid-contraction.  When the nurse told me she was going to check me, I told her I would hit her if she told me I was dilated to a 2.  I had been 60% effaced for 4 weeks and dilated to a 2 for a week.

 I was a 7 and "very squishy."  I'm not sure, but I am almost positive that "very squishy" is not a medical term.  We heard the nurse call the doctor and tell her that she couldn't tell how effaced I was because I was so "squishy."  My doctor had also used this term when she checked me at 36 weeks and was surprised at my "squishiness" for being a 4th time mom.  

My contractions got harder, but really, not that much longer.  I hated the doctor when she finally made me climb into the bed because then I had a harder time dealing with the contractions.  I will admit that a time or two, I swatted the doctor's hand away or asked, "Do you really have to do that?" during the final stages of labor.

When the doctor asked if I would mind if the resident was involved in my delivery, I guess I missed the part where she implied, "The resident will deliver your baby, right after we have a debate about your cervix, where the resident will be unsure if you are complete or not."  I kind of thought "involved" would be a little less involved.  As the resident felt around (not comfortable) and tried to explain what she felt to the doctor, I wanted to yell, "Could YOU, the DOCTOR, please stick your hand in there because she is taking a REALLY long time and appears not to have a clue what she is doing!"  I was patient and kept my mouth mostly shut.

I about squeezed the life out of Doug's hand when I delivered Ethan, so this time I refused to hold his hand at all.  I did however, in the very end, squeeze his arm - hard.  Doug was so reassuring and kept telling me what a great job I was doing.  He loves me.

7:33 a.m., after pushing for 8 minutes (I won't go into detail why, but this could have taken less time), Cameron arrived.  I pushed through 2 contractions laying on my back and then once they had me turn on my side, his head popped right out.  Doug cut the cord, Cameron peed on all the medical equipment, and then I cuddled with my new, naked, little boy.

And then the resident took forever to deliver the placenta.  I kept thinking, "Can't you just pull it out?  That's really not pleasant." and then the doctor said, "Just pull it out." and then there was relief... until the doctor started massaging my uterus.  They shouldn't call it massaging.  It ruins the entire word for me.

I really like the hospital here.  I delivered Cameron in the same room I stayed in for the entire time I was there.  They do everything in that one room.  I have never seen the first bath, dads always get to go to that, but they did it right there in the room.  They can do everything except the hearing check (which Cameron failed - we will assume because of fluid in his ears) right there in the room.  And they have good food.  And lots of it.

I got up, showered, did my hair and make-up, and felt great, other than the uterine cramps that can make a woman wish for death.  I promise you, they get worse with each kid.

 My stay was pleasant.  By the next afternoon, I was off all pain meds, Cameron was nursing great, and the nurses were wondering why I was still there.  They kept asking me what more there was that they could do for me.  One nurse asked me if I was ready to go home.  I replied, "I have 3 kids at home," she said, "Oh, that you need to go care for?" and I said, "No, dad can do that."  She obviously has never had 3 boys at home.

"Doug is such a good dad, he could be a mom" is what my grandma told me when I called to tell her about Cameron.  She is right.  Doug took over my mom duties and made an insane number of trips back and forth between schools, home, and the hospital.  All hauling a boy with a broken leg.  He has made lunches, taken the boys everywhere they need to be, and made sure I am well rested.

I am taking advantage of having Doug home for two weeks, as well as his mom here.  They are taking great care of me.  For the past week, I have basically had one child to care for, not four.  I am taking every opportunity to hold Cameron because I know that when all of my help is gone and I have to go back to my life, he will get held much less.  Brenden, Nolan, and Ethan love their little brother and are sweet and gentle with him.  We're excited to have Cameron in our family and love him to pieces already.

More pictures and updates to come!

Never a dull moment

I know I have a lot of updating to do, but remember this?

Today we have this:

And he ate breakfast like this:

Same bone, same break, same boy.

Last night around 7:00, Nolan was doing his gymnastics and things got a little crazy.  Nolan fell to the ground and screamed, "I broke my leg again!"  We were in the ER until a little after 11:00 and got Nolan to bed around 12:30.  He slept most of the night and is doing very well so far today.  We are trying to figure out the logistics of school and gymnastics and everything (everything including the fact that I am 38 weeks pregnant today), but he is happy and only occasionally in pain.  (A few minutes ago he plastered on the most pathetic face he could muster and looked up at me and said, "Swedish fish would make me feel much better.")

The x-ray lady showed us Nolan's previous x-ray and it looks exactly the same as the new one.  The orthopedist told me last November that Nolan's bones hadn't properly fused, so we have been wondering if this would happen again someday.  The doctor we saw last night said he has NEVER seen a kid whose bones didn't fuse.  I will call the orthopedist first thing tomorrow morning and they want to see him Tuesday or Wednesday.  Nolan is still too short for crutches, so he might be going to school in a wagon for a little while.  I am not sending him until he has a hard cast.

And THAT is my update for now.  I have some very cute first day of school pictures to share as well as our adventures with our 8-week visitors and 15 people in my house.  I just have to get the pictures from Doug.  He stole them all.