Sunday, September 23, 2012

2.5 months

I'm running a little behind on blog posts but as you can imagine, life has been on the fast track lately. The boy is growing like a weed. It's so bittersweet to me. I love watching him grow and reach new milestones but I'm saddened that he's already in size TWO diapers and in 3-6 month clothes. Where did my 7lb 12oz baby go?! As we are coming up on 11 weeks, he's been a lot less fussy and more content with whatever is going on. He loves to play and grab things with his hands. He also loves to talk, smile and laugh. He is the sweetest little man ever and he has us all so wrapped. He has the cutest little frowny face that melts my heart, and he uses it to his advantage for sure.

Saturday was the first day of fall (yippee, my favorite season) so I'm hoping it will cool off enough pretty soon to get outside more! He loves the outdoors but I've been limiting our time outside because of all the West-Nile cases. We've already been in the hospital once and I never want him to go through that again. Seeing your baby be a pin-cushion is not fun!! I'm so thankful for a generally healthy baby, because that was hard!!

Anywho here's a growth survey:

Weight: at nine weeks he weighed 11lbs 14oz, I imagine he's about 12.5-13 now. Chubby little booger!

Height: 23.5 inches, he's gonna be a tall boy!

Hair color: it's lightening up to a sandy blonde color with golden flecks! And super curly/frizzy! I love it!!!

Eye color: they're still blue! Hoping they stay that way!

Favorite food: breastmilk :)

Favorite "words": "ooohhh" "goooo" "eh"

Favorite toy: owl mobile and captain calamari

Favorite lovie: his sleep machine Lambo so far.

Favorite clothes: sleepers!

Diaper size: 2

Clothes size: 3 months

Shoe size: 1

Likes: bath time, outdoors, riding in carseat, being in a wrap or sling playing and talking, play mat, his fur sister Dixie, sound machines (hair dryer and lambo), lullabies, rocking, stories, cuddling, and nursing to sleep.

Dislikes: tummy time, nursing when other things are going on, sleeping alone, bouncer, swing, car seat simulator, or anything when someone isn't holding him.

Who does he favor? He's got my eyes, lips and hair, Phillip's nose, chin and facial expressions! :)

Love,
Nikki

Thursday, August 16, 2012

100 things that keep me going!

In a world where nursing your baby is frowned upon and with all odds against us, these things keep me pushing through. I love getting him chubby on mama milk and will continue to do so for as long as I can!

1. Looking in your babies eyes.
2. Holding your sweet little one.
3. Getting a BREAK to sit down with a super good excuse.
4. Makes you feel relaxed.
5. It really is easier in the long run.
6. Even after a busy, crazy, day with a baby and a bunch of other kids, you can look back and know that you held your baby a few times that day.
7. Getting an extra hour of sleep after the morning wake up when you nurse them back to sleep.
8. Being the person who feeds your baby skin to skin is a good feeling. It is like you and only you fed somebody and helped them grow. Amazing.
9. You know when you are nursing a baby that you were productive that day even if the dishes need doing.
10. It magically makes them stay babies. For real.
11. Babies and toddlers are quiet when they nurse.
12. Fixing sadness.
13. Portable.
14. I wouldn’t recommend camping with kids. But if you do choose such a thing, nursing makes it easier.
15. No runs to the store.
16. Breasts are easy to clean, and don’t usually need to be sanitized. (I am just kidding. I never sanitize mine.)
17. La Leche League- cool ladies, great friends.
18. It just makes sense.
19. Sneaking out of church to go to the mother’s room where it is quiet, you can hear the speaker, and hubby gets to sit with the kids! Many a relaxing break in the nursing room…
20. On the other hand, you can easily nurse in the middle of church so you don’t distract all the other kids that would want to follow you out!
21. No getting up to prep anything in the middle of the night- it is a self-serve system!
22. Lactating breasts are like a free pharmacy for the whole family! Ear infection, gooey eye, runny nose- NO PROBLEM! A little milk can fix it up.
23. Unoffensive poo.
24. Liquid diet for sickies means they still get nourishment when they are sick.
25. Milk sharing. It just makes a mama feel like she is helping someone when she can share milk with a friend who really needs it for their baby.
26. One less thing to buy.
27. Seems to magically calm the whole house.
28. Helps you sit and reconnect with the other kids.
29. Gives you time to read a little (before they are grabby) which is just so NICE when you are a busy mom.
30. A meal that requires NO DISHES!!!!
31. A meal that requires no preparation!
32. A meal that requires no shopping!
33. One less thing in the diaper bag.
34. Happy baby on the plane! Just nurse them and they don’t scream.
35. Less hassle when they frisk you in security when you are getting ON the plane.
36. MONEY- it is saved.
37. No plastic.
38. The little games they play that only you see while they nurse.
39. Sweet nursing noises. Nothing like a slurping baby.
40. Getting thin faster.
41. Of course, there is also the added bonus of being able to say, “I’m nursing, I need the extra calories,” as you mainline donuts. Though admittedly, this may interfere with 40.
42. Firm breasts for a few months again! It is like being a teenager all over!
43. Perspective. It teaches you what your body is capable of and how little some of the sag matters.
44. Milk drunk babies.
45. Milky drool. Cute.
46. Sleepy milky smiles.
47. Putting a baby to sleep with your body is really pretty special.
48. Legal protection to nurse most anywhere.
49. It pisses off Barbra Walters.
50. Such HEALTHY babies! The nursing baby is the healthiest person in the house.
51. Toddler calmer.
52. You can travel light! Baby, mama, diaper- GO!
52. Sisterhood.
53. It is fabulous to do something for your baby that nobody else can do.
54. Feeling fabulous about something after you just had a baby can be a big bonus when your hormones are going wacko.
55. Breastfeeding can help heal a birth that didn’t go as you planned.
56. NO AUNT FLOW!!!!!!!!!
57. A quiet phone call (while they nurse.)
58. Makes you love them more.
59. Slows you down for a minute.
60. Gives you a chance to cuddle with a toddler, either one you are nursing or one who is no longer the baby and needs somebody warm to sit with.
61. Getting away with public nudity. Come on, you know it is fun. (I’m just kidding! It isn’t sexual.)
62. Oxytocin.
63. Builds confidence.
64. Hello- you grew a baby- and now you are feeding one!
65. Bonding.
66. Night feedings don’t get much easier than rolling over.
67. Never forget a snack.
68. It is nice to be somebodies favorite person for a while.
69. The original COMFORT food.
70. Guilt free comfort food.
71. At the end of the day, after all the mistakes, I know at least I did one thing right.
72. Teaches you about your baby.
73. Gives you your first chance to teach your baby and work together towards a common goal.
74. Builds a relationship without words.
75. Strangely makes me feel like a feminist.
76. Feels very feminine also.
77. Snuggles.
78. A little person who loves you and doesn’t see chub or fluff, they just see a warm, soft, pillow.
79. Memories for later.
80. No leftovers.
82. No waste.
83. Self satisfaction of knowing you did your part to save the ozone.
84. Nursing- always a good answer!
85. All of a sudden, breasts are multipurpose!
86. Self regulating.
87. It is just cool when your milk lets down and then the baby wakes up. Being totally in sync with another human is amazing.
88. Increases and decreases as needed.
89. Healthier mama.
90. Happier mama.
91. Sleep-feeding.
92. Being needed.
93. Needing somebody else.
94. Dad can do so many things I can’t do, it is nice to have something that I can do special for the kids.
95. Breastfed baby smell.
96. Breastfed baby skin.
97. I might not look that good in tights, but making milk is a superpower!
98. Chatting with moms about nursing- it just is awesome to be able to share and learn and teach each other.
99. Sometimes you just need a good reason to buy a new bra.
100. LOVE

:)

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

It's tough to be a week old

Happy one week, baby!
Believe it or not, we had him dressed for picture taking, but he tee-tee'd right through the diaper (thanks alot Huggies, you were not made for little boys with wack-wack's) so we just put him in a sleeper.  It's so hard for me to believe that he turned a week old yesterday. At his first newborn check-up, he checked out fine but had lost a few ounces (normal for breastfed babies), and two days later he was back to gaining weight! His bili level was lower than ever, also! So blessed with a healthy, growing baby!!

Survey:

-Weight: 7lbs 5.5oz at last check-up

-Height: not much taller than 20 inches I would imagine

-Cord stump? still in tact, so is the circumcision cap.

-Nicknames? Boyfriend, little man, a few more but nothing has stuck yet.

-Breastfed or bottle-fed? EBF

-Paci? Yep. Vanilla soothie :)

-Wrinkles? Galore :)

-New baby smell? It the best thing ever.

-Longest period of sleep? 5 hours and had to wake to feed... Definitely wasnt expecting that but I'll take it.

-Favorite things? Eating, sleeping, being swaddled and cuddled with mommy or daddy, lights and music or singing, car rides

-Enjoy bath time? Not at all! Doesn't like to be lotioned either.

-Colic/reflux? No signs so far, he hasn't even spit up yet!

-How's the rookie parents adjusting?
We are great, getting more sleep than I thought possible for a newborn...Phillip is having to do most of the work, caring for me and Titus because I felt 100% better about 3 days after being home and over did it, but i relapsed and am now I'm paying for it. I'd still say we are doing pretty good though, for first time parents. I will say that I guess I was naive and expected to just pop a baby out and be on my way, but now I definitely understand why the doctors advise you to take it easy for a few weeks. We are just so happy that he is here and healthy. We couldn't ask for more, except for maybe the world to spin slower :)

-love, the lasseter's

Welcome to the World, Titus Hartley Lasseter

**WARNING** This is our birth story, don't read if you are not comfortable with this subject! 

We welcomed our sweet little man into the world on July 10th at 10:28pm weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces and 20 inches long with a head full of light brown hair!
So alert in his first little hour of life


My water broke around 6:45 Tuesday morning as I was coming back from the bathroom and Phillip was putting on his boots for work. I felt a gush of fluid that stopped me in my tracks and I said "either I just peed my pants or my water broke" and as I waddled to the bathroom I felt more gushes and knew what our day had in store. We were having a baby today, within 24 hours!!! So we grabbed our bags and packed a few more last minute things, showered and got dressed, stopped by the bank and Chic-fil-a and headed to L&D. It was a clouded over, stormy day that would have only been better if it was about 30 degrees cooler; but since we spent the day inside with the thermosthat set to 60, it was a perfect day to birth our baby! Phillip called our parents and we had grandparents waiting on us in our huge delivery room. Good thing we got the biggest room because we had so many visitors!

leaving for the hospital
Things were progressing pretty slowly at first so after about 3pm I was given pitocin to speed up the process (since you need to birth a baby within 24 hours of your water breaking) and an epidural because I couldn't handle the contractions anymore. I planned a natural birth, but because we had to speed things up the contractions were much stronger and I couldn't do it. However, looking back, I'm not totally convinced I could have done it without and epidural anyway but I'm glad I stuck it out for as long as I could (I'll still go as long as I can without one next time, that labor might be different). I felt like I was stuck at 8cm for nearly 2 hours and then all of a sudden nurses rushed in and said it was time to push! So everyone left the room except Phillip and my mom and I pushed for an hour and forty-five minutes. It was the most exhausting thing ever! My right side already had the feeling back so I felt just about everything on that side. I knew when to push with every contraction and my pelvis felt like it was about to shatter. 
getting ready to push!

At 10:28pm, my world changed forever! I heard the most beautiful cry as Dr. Cannizaro unwound the cord twice from my little boy's neck and placed him on my chest. They took a few minutes to clean him up while we were waiting for his cord to stop pulsating. Phillip cut the cord, they took Titus for just a few minutes to get weighed and checked (in our room, of course) while I was delivering the placenta (yuck!) and getting sewn up (ouch!!), and then they gave him right back to me for some skin-on-skin/nursing time. It was about midnight before he got blessed and introduced to the family. After everyone left, my sister went on a food run because I was starvingggg! I hadn't eaten since about 8am. Burger King never tasted so good. 

Introducing him to family (that waited about 16 hours for his arrival)
Titus was sent to transistion for about 3 hours and I was up walking and using the bathroom. We called the nursery and asked for him as soon as we got into our postpartum room and they brought him in. That was the longest 3 hours ever! All-in-all, I would say I had a great experience at River Oaks.  For a hospital setting, they did a great job at making me feel comfortable. Even though my doctor wasn't able to deliver, she was there through most of the labor and made sure I had everything as I wanted it (even though I changed my mind last minute). 

Titus had some bruising and swelling on his head from the delivery and being in the birth canal a long time. He was also a little cone headed baby. He still has a hematoma on the right side of his head, but the swelling and bruising is looking much better. The hematoma will heal on its own. He was high risk for jaundice, but thankfully his levels were low and he was never considered jaundice. Nursing is going pretty smoothly too, he latched great from the beginning. The only problem we've had really is keeping him awake during feedings and waking him up for feedings (he slept nearly 5 hours straight by accident one night). What can I say? The boy takes after his mama in the sleep department. He's such an easy baby and usually only fussy when hungry or during a diaper change. He couldn't be more perfect in my eyes! :) 

Being a mommy and holding him for the first time is a feeling I'll never be able to explain or never forget. We are so blessed :) 

With love, 
-Nikki 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Patience Is Not My Virtue

We are finally in the 9th month with less than 30 days to go, his due date is one month from today! With our 36 week mark approaching in two days, we are finally "in the clear" as far as a healthy baby goes. This whole time, my doctor predicted that he would be really premature. He has surpassed all of that and even though he could still be "early" at 36 weeks there would be little to no NICU time and we are beyond thrilled about that. However, this waiting game has been miserable! I am so ready to meet my little man. 

When I first went into full-blown "preterm labor" over a month ago, my first thought was "I've gotta keep him in there and keep him healthy, at all costs!" and my second thought was somewhere along the lines of "I've never experienced pregnancy before, I want to make it all the way til the end so I experience everything that comes along with pregnancy". Little did I know, these parts of pregnancy are less than thrilling. My body has gone through way more than I ever thought possible, things people have NEVER mentioned to me about pregnancy before. You mean to tell me I've still got a MONTH to deal with all these things? I know I've always been a bit of a "hypochondriac" or in my words "in tune with my body". But there is literally a new symptom every day. One day there is a rash covering my arms, the next there is a poison ivy like rash all over my belly, "blood bruising" on my legs from swelling, something I like to call "lightening crotch" that literally feels like a lightening bolt right to the cervix. The first time I ever got it, even though his head is engaged, I was sure that there was an arm or leg sticking out. It felt like a knife cutting right through. I even asked Phillip if anything was hanging out because obviously, I cannot see those parts of my body. 

I got skills: 
-Learning to manuever my body plus 30 extra pounds out of the bed every 30 minutes for a bathroom trip. You literally have to roll off the bed, putting your feet against the wall so you don't roll too far, lying there for a second because that took alot of effort and your already tired, trying to lift up or roll up without getting a contraction because that can stop you for another minute if your in pain. You just pray not to get a charlie horse in your calves because those last sometimes for minutes at a time and if you really gotta go then those few minutes are crucial. HA! 

-Waddling to the bathroom holding your hips because your sciatic nerve is KILLING, stopping in your tracks to grab your "lightening crotch", trying to keep your legs closed because it feels like a bowling ball is about to fall out and to prevent anymore "LC". When you finally get to the bathroom you only "trickle". After you get back to bed it isn't THAT bad. I have a routine of tums (because even water gives me heartburn) and rehydrating, repositioning the heating pad to another part of my aching body, getting back comfortable (the hardest part of getting back into bed), and resting my eyes until the next episode. 

-I'm not working anymore (Yay, early maternity leave), but I still get cankles. Not just cankles, full blown balloon ankles and sausage link toes. I haven't tried to put on a pair of real shoes since I can't remember when. It's flip flops 99.9% of the time, since they just slip on. It's a chore just shaving my legs and putting on lotion, much less trying to paint my toenails. One minute my rings fit fine, then the next I can't pry them off. 

-I don't even attempt to get dressed anymore. There's no point, even the maternity clothes are snug. Trying to put on a pair of pants or underwear definitely takes skill. Thankfully, Phillip helps me when he's home. 

-The biggest skill I've mananged is refraining to punch people in the throat when they offer unwanted pregnancy advice. I want to be a hermit crab these next few weeks, not hear another comment about MY pregnancy or the way I chose to do things, and not leave my house where there temp is set to 65 degrees. No one cares if I'm dressed and I get to eat all the food my pantry can store. I know thats wishful thinking and I will have to get out at some point, but it sounds so promising. :) I'm really not THAT bad, but there are days when I feel this way. 

I'm sure I've aquired more skills over this pregnancy, those are just some of the most recent ones. Its definitely an invasion of your body, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know the moment I meet him, all these pregnancy pains will disappear. I'm just so ready to hold him and kiss little baby feet. I love sitting in the nursery, smelling all of his clothes, and wishing he was already here! I'm still planning a natural labor and I've been preparing for this in many ways to get my cervix ripened and pelvis ready for a quick and fast delivery ;) At 37 weeks, I'll probably start walking moderately and trying some natural induction methods. They won't work anyway unless he's ready to come, but if he is ready hopefully they'll speed things along. I've even considered getting membranes stripped (OUCH!) because I don't want Pitocin, at all! I'm 2cm and  75% effaced, but I could stay that way for a while. I'm actually hoping she won't check at my appointment tomorrow because its SO uncomfortable and it doesn't really tell you that much anyway. His head is engaged at a -2 station, so he's still got some dropping to do, but not much. 

Well, I'm off to the birthing ball and drinking my cup of Raspberry Leaf Tea. I still owe an update on his nursery and our last two showers, but I'll get to it eventually. :) 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I am your safe place

I can tell by the way you slip into my room when you wake during the night, sniffling as you shuffle down the hallway and then, having arrived, breathing that deep sigh of contentment.

I am your safe place.

I can tell by the way you run to me, crying, holding out a hand or lifting up a knee for me to kiss better. Like magic, it works every time. The tears stop and you run off, just like that, and I wish I could cure the world so easily as I can soothe your bumps and scrapes.

I am your safe place.

I can tell by the way you curl into me when you're scared, pressed hard against me, certain that I can protect you. One day you'll realize that I can't always keep you safe, but for now you rest secure in your belief that I am omnipotent.

I am your safe place.

I can tell by the way you reach for my hand when you're feeling uncertain or overwhelmed, sometimes wrapping both arms around my leg or hiding your face against my neck. I understand, sweet child, and I will allow you the time you need to feel comfortable stepping away.

I am your safe place.

I can tell by the way you tell me a hundred times a day, I like-a be wif you. I reply in kind each time - I like to be with you too - and I mean it so very much.

I am your safe place.

I can tell by our late-night conversations, my night owl, when you ask your big questions and explore your fears. I don't always know how to answer, but I hope that I can consistently lead you to God, our true safe place in this world.

I am your safe place, but I don't always understand it. Most days I feel like a child myself, pretending to be a real live grown-up but waiting all the while for someone to discover the truth. One day you'll realize that I don't know as much as you think I do, that really I'm just stumbling along, doing my best, like everyone else on this planet.

I am your safe place, but I don't always deserve it, this I know. I lose my temper, criticize, shame, and I see the confusion in your eyes. But more than that, I see the acceptance: I am your safe place, so what I say must be true, there must be something wrong with you. Oh, but there's not, sweet child, and one of my most fervent prayers is that you will always remember my apologies above the thoughtless words that prompted them.

I am your safe place, but I know it won't always be so. One day you'll find a new safe place and it will be someone else who strokes your hair as you confess your worries into the quiet darkness of night.

But for now, for whatever crazy reason, I am your safe place.

And I am honoured.


-from a friend

Friday, June 8, 2012

34 weeks!

I have A LOT of catching up to do so bear with me! I'll start from the beginning.

False Alarm...Thursday May 24th:
I was having a pretty regular day. I didn't have to be at work until 1 and was actually working at our Renaissance location that day. I woke up around 8:30, had some breakfast, laid by the pool for about an hour to work on my tan, got ready, and cooked a small lunch for Phillip. I rested a lot in between all these activities, so it was nothing strenuous or rushed at all. I left for work and stopped by Bon Ami to get my favorite berry tea because it was SO HOT outside. Work that day was pretty laid back  that day and I got off early so Phillip met me at Bonefish for dinner. We stopped back by my mom's house to pick up some things she had bought for Titus, and by this point I was pretty much in pain. I've had some uncomfortable contractions this whole time but I was doubling over in pain. So we did the only thing we knew to do and went home, took medicine, drank lots of water, and got in the bed to rest. I started counting the contractions about 8:30 and within an hour at complete rest they were at 2-3 minutes apart and stronger than ever. So I called the nurse-on-call, she called the hospital and made sure they had a bed ready, and we were on our way (after Phillip scrounged around to pack a quick bag). Sure enough, I was contracting off the monitor. We were naming them (mole hills, mt. everest, mt. Kilimanjaro, etc). They slowed down with IV fluids and a terbutaline shot. When that didn't help, the 2nd terbutaline shot knocked them on out for a while. And let me just tell you, you never want that shot unless you have to have it. My pulse was sky rocketing and I was very jittery. YUCK! They let us go home around 2:30 and we were exhausted! She put me on bed rest until I saw my doctor the following week.

I love my doctor and all, but she hasn't been the most "on top of things" doctor I've ever had. She's pretty relaxed about any and every situation in this pregnancy, unlike other doctors and nurses I've seen. She pretty much told me I could go back to work but we might have to stop labor again, or if I wanted to sit the week out and rest up to get past the 34 week mark then thats what we would do. No thanks, I think I'd rather wait it out a week, not have to go to the hospital AGAIN and play like a pin cushion. I didn't want to chance it. She's not stopping labor after 34 weeks and I'm going back to work full time, until its time to have the baby. This scares me, A LOT. I know I'm very lucky to have kept the baby in this long and people have 34 week old babies all the time that are healthy, but a stay in the NICU is what I'm trying to avoid and a healthy baby is my goal. Good news is, the baby is measuring big! At 33 weeks he measured 35 weeks with a head as big as 37 weeks! 5.3 pounds and 66th percentile (not sure what that means?) and his feet were almost 3 inches long! :)

As of now, we have less 6 weeks left to go and I'm ready to meet our little baby! I get emotional over pampers commercials, A Baby Story on TLC, and thinking about sweet baby feet. We've had our shower at Phillip's work, shower at church, maternity pictures, and we will have our family shower this weekend! It's all going by so fast, now all we have to do is play the waiting game. Phillip has been so supportive though. Say a prayer for him and me through these last couple of weeks as I've been on an emotional roller coaster and probably be a bit more moody than either of us enjoy. :) Hopefully I'll have time for one more maternity picture/shower post before he's here!

Oh & he's been practice breathing! Its the most amazing thing to watch!! Hopefully that means his little lungs are developing well!

Love,
Nikki

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Thankful

I know I JUST posted, but I wanted a separate post about our wonderful friends and the Diaper Drop and Shower they gave us! Phillip's work held a diaper drop where we received over 1200 diapers and 1100 wipes (Yes, I counted!). We also received some of the most precious gifts including wash clothes, a crochet hat, bath wash gift basket, Desitin, a bouncer, a humidifier, baby thermometer, gift cards, money, and a cute little outfit.

Diaper tower that's even bigger by now! 
My friends gave me a shower at work last night and it was so much fun! We got tons of cute clothes for Titus, bottles, boppy, bibs, baby book, changing pad, towels and bath stuff, diaper cake with lots of goodies, door hanger for hospital, owl canvas, diapers and wipes that we added to our tower, and a gift card! But the best part was good food and spending time with sweet friends that are also so excited to meet our little guy! 

Cutest diaper cake ever! Its an owl in a nest! 

Excuse my awful sunburn. No one told me your skin is extra sensitive to sun during pregnancy! Haha! 

Baby Cake! 

Some of my dear friends and Phillip not paying attention, ha! 

Loved the owl paper and the cute baby book inside!

He was interested in the Dr. Seuss bibs! 


So cute!! 

haha, priceless! 

More owls :) 

Cute Baseball suit and towels! 

:) So cute! 
Phillip and I just want to thank each of you who are making this journey so special for us! It's such a blessing to become parents and we have some great mentors in our lives to help us along the way. One of the most sentimental gifts we've gotten so far is a porcelain cross that is hanging in Titus' room that says, "For this child, I have prayed."  Because not only do I pray for him everyday, but we prayed so hard that we would be able to have a child of our own someday. We are so thankful for the opportunity to be parents. :) 

Love always, 
The Lasseter's 


30 Down, 10 To Go!

I cannot believe we are down to a "10 Week Countdown". It seems so unreal that I will be able to hold my sweet baby boy in my arms in just a few short weeks! Sorry peeps, but I just can't contain my excitement. I know posts all over Facebook may get annoying but here, I can post about it all I want :)

I want to apologize for not being "up-to-date" with my posting. It has been pretty crazy around these parts. Since I last posted, we've had plentiful doctor visits. One week I was in the doctor's office 3 times!! Turns out, Titus has decided to bake a little longer and we are so thankful for it. Around the 28 week mark, we had a few scares. His heart was skipping beats but we saw a specialist and had a very detailed sonogram on his heart and everything else. It was just Premature Atrial Contractions, which is where his heart isn't fully developed yet and were just over paranoid ;) What can be expected from first time parents who don't know a thing about a baby?! That same week, my contractions had started getting really close together (6-10 minutes apart). They've been closer and stronger since then, but Dr. Moses assured me that some people are just "contractors", hopefully this will help me when I'm in active labor. I'm taking the medicine to stop them every 3 hours now (even during the wee hours of the night, I think its preparing me for waking up so often when he's finally here). The good thing is, they aren't making me dilate. My cervix is still short for 30 weeks, but it's at a standstill and hopefully won't get any shorter until a week or so before delivering! We had the Fetal Fibronectin Test (almost two weeks ago) which told us that he would not be arriving within a two week period, and he didn't! Ha! We're just playing it week by week and hoping for the best :) In the meantime, I've been getting plenty of rest like the doctor ordered some things done in the nursery in case he is earlier than expected!

He looks like he's thinking hard! 

Rubbing his eyes! 

Sweet little man! 
The sonographer graciously gave us some free shots of him in 4D. Good thing she did because the next week we went in to do the real thing, his head had gotten way to low to get good pictures and she said it doesn't look like he'll be moving back up. (I'm not sure if that means he's engaged or not?) She did get good measurements, though. At 29 weeks, he measured perfect for his gestational age, except for his head which measured a whopping 31 weeks! He also weighed 3lbs. 5oz.

As for me, I'm growing like a weed too. We won't go into numbers though :P I'm actually gaining pretty steadily like I'm supposed to be so far but I could blow up like a blimp next week! I'm starting to swell pretty badly, but I can't tell if its still from the medicine I'm on or not. My feet get pretty puffy though, haha! I guess some swelling is expected with pregnancy, along with the lower back/hip pain, leg cramps, a few growing pains, heartburn, and very frequent trips to the bathroom! It's an amazing experience though, and I would do it over and over again. Poor Phillip will probably wish that we get a Surrogate next go 'round! Just kidding, I don't think I've been THAT bad. He's just been really supportive and waiting on me hand and foot when I need it. He's going to be the greatest Daddy in the world. You should see how excited he gets when my belly jumps around. It's incredible to watch his reactions!

Sorry for the blurriness, but this is around 29 weeks! 
Love,
The Lasseter's

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Hellooo Third Trimester

Well friends, I thought this time would never get here. I'm finally in the home stretch and everything about pregnancy has been amazing...until now. Not that I don't love being pregnant and carrying a wonderful, mysterious, precious baby in my tummy, because I certainly do. And I know that things will still be fine because God will never give us more than we can handle. But, we have been thrown some curve balls the last few weeks and suddenly, it's not all about material things anymore...such as nursery furniture/bedding/adorable outfits/etc.

Now our biggest concern is keeping baby Titus in the womb for as long as possible, because it seems like he wants to make an extremely early arrival. My doctor has been seeing me weekly because I've been having some pre-term labor. The contractions have been very frequent and although they are pretty painless, they're pretty uncomfortable at times. Braxton hicks is what I passed it off for, and I'm sure that's what they started out as but unfortunately Braxton Hicks doesn't force your cervix to thin and shorten, and that's what mine has been doing. It should measure about 4cm long/thick but it measured 2.4 this past week and 2.8 the week before. So I'm almost 50% effaced at 26 weeks pregnant which equals not good.

The good news is, my doctor put me on medicine (Procardia) to calm down/stop the contractions, she's monitoring it weekly, and she also wants me resting as much as possible. The Procardia should take care of the contractions, it hasn't yet but I'm sure it will whenever it gets in my system good, however it has lots of side effects. It's used normally on high blood pressure patients to lower their blood pressure, but since my BP is normal, it's making mine go really low. So there's headaches, excessive swelling, dizziness/lightheaded, and then I just feel drained of energy. YUCK! Some people aren't able to get used it, I hope I'm one of the people that can, and if not then I'll just deal with some yucky side effects! The resting should help take some of the pressure off my cervix, because him laying right on it isn't helping matters at all (he seems to be stubborn like his mama!). It's just so hard to get rest when you've got a million and one things to do.

On a more positive note, I know that he is getting stronger by the not-so-gentle kicks and punches he's been throwing around. We might just have ourselves a black-belt on our hands! ;)
We'd love it if you could keep our little family in your prayers. We have faith that everything will be just fine, and we are willing to take every precaution possible to keep him baking for the next 3 months! At this point, it's our number one priority!

With love,
The Lasseter's

Friday, March 30, 2012

Spring Break and 23 week checkup!

Okay here I am trying to roll two posts into one, because I can never find the time to sit down and just write!

As many of you know Phillip is in school full-time, so the only time he could really get away was Spring Break. We decided to go to Disney World!!! Our last vacation as a family of two (unless I can talk Phillip into going to the beach before Titus comes :). We figured it would be a while before the boy is old enough to go to Disney and actually enjoy it so we had an adult trip and it was a blast! However, it was very exhausting for me. As if it's not just an exhausting place to begin with, Spring Break and being pregnant made it 10x more exhausting. But I didn't let it hold me back. We left the hotel before 8am and wouldn't get back most of the time until 10pm or later. We literally tried to squeeze in as much as we could!

Phillip felt the baby move for the first time on vacation and I had tons of Braxton Hicks contractions, but thats another story for another day. But here are a few pictures from the trip:

Sleepy head! 



I'm a bug! 

On a mission to get in line for Butterbeer! 

Look at those sleepy eyes! 

Minnie. 

We had to pull out the poncho's the first day at Epcot! It rained all day!! 

Lady and the Tramp 

A squirrel finding something interesting in Bell's wig. hahah

A big silverback coming right to us! 



this is the day we got rained on! Yuck!




I had a doctor appointment the week we got back (23 weeks). The good news was that the baby was doing fine, growing healthy, and I am still on track with my weight gain (even though we ate out every meal for a week, woot-woot!!). Titus' heartbeat was 144. The not so good news is, its kinda too early for me to be having so many braxton hicks contractions. So I've been having to keep an eye on them and keep them down with rest and lots of water. At my next visit I will officially be in my 3RD TRIMESTER!! Crazy how time flies, huh? We are working on our registries and our classes for childbirth start this week, along with all the other "first-time parent" classes we signed up for! 

Until next time, 
-Nikki



Sunday, March 4, 2012

Two in one night, I'm on a roll

So earlier tonight I was going through all of our "stuff" to see how much of what we have and not. I just have to say that we are so blessed with a loving and giving family!! The only thing in this picture we have purchased is the crib and mattress. We've gotten a bouncer, pack-n-play, 2 carrier/backpacks, blanket, bottles, bibs, bible, passies, bath stuff, binky/lovies, a cute crochet hat (from Pop), 20 pairs of socks, atleast 8 sleepers (some footed, some gown type), a little spa suit with slippers, hat, towel, and robe; more bath towels, probably atleast 15-20 onesies, a monkey suit, and a plethora of other cute outfits. Not pictured we have more hats, onesies, and outfits, and a highchair. We also got a few girl outfits and blankets from the FEW people that actually thought we were having a girl. 

Can you tell we are ready for you to be here?!
(Grana (My mom) is going a little happy with the shopping, I don't think you will ever have to wear the same outfit twice, HA!)
We plan on getting our registry up and going soon, I've had a couple people ask me to go ahead and do one so they can start buying gifts. And we accept any and all hand-me-downs and pieces of advice! We have signed up for every single class available to us, because we are trying to get as much information as possible! We want to be prepared when Titus gets here!! Breastfeeding, infant cpr/safety, tour of the baby suites (River Oaks, where we will deliver and recover), nutrition, a 4-week class of childbirth and childcare, car seat safety and I think that's it. But who gives you information on which carseat/stroller/breastpump/bottles/etc, etc, etc. to buy. YIKES! We might be in trouble! 

Anywho, for a little fun, here's a survey I found on the internet:

How far along? 20 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: Lost 6 in the beginning but gained everybit back plus 1 pound.

Maternity clothes? most of the time but some of my low cut jeans still fit, yoga pants, and a couple tshirts. But I've definately been shopping in the maternity department!! 

Stretch marks? a few from my growth spurt when I was younger, but none from the baby, HA!

Sleep: To hear my mom tell it I've been sleeping 12 hours a night since I came home from the hospital. Which is pretty true, I love my sleep. Always have. And I will surely miss it for the next 18 years so I'm getting plenty now :)

Best moment this week: We hit the 20 week mark. And I've felt the baby "really" move.

Movement: the quickening started around 16/17 weeks. I was almost 20 weeks when I was sure there was a baby in there, hahah! Since then he's been moving, ALOT!

Food cravings: fried chicken, cheeseburgers, fruit (grapes and citrusy fruits), lemonaide.

Gender: BOY (:

Labor Signs: None that I know of!

Belly Button in or out? innie.

Wedding rings on or off? still on, a little loose if I haven't had much sodium. The past couple of days that hasn't been the case though. :/

What I miss: sandwich meat (I never even really cared for sandwiches, but they were convenient), not having to pee 24/7, and a medium well steak. And I miss not having to worry about having a cup of coffee or a coke. I still have them, just less frequent. 

What I am looking forward to: short-term, Phillip being able to feel him move...long term, holding this baby in my arms!

Weekly Wisdom: Wisdom? I feel like I'm losing my brain most of the time! I do know that the baby is about as long as a carrot (head to rump).

Milestones: The 20 week mark means I'm halfway there, so that's a pretty big milestone I'd say :) 

Love, 
Nikki 

IT'S A BOY!!!

As most of you already know, Phillip and I are having a boy! We found out on February 23. This appointment was so exciting and nerve wrecking for us. I had been studying sonograms so I knew exactly what to look for gender wise. What I was mostly anxious about was the health of our baby. At this sonogram, the sonographer is looking for specific things on the baby (4 chambers of the heart, nasal bone, spina bifida, etc.) however she said everything with the baby appears to be normal as of now. BIG RELIEF!!!!

As for me, everything is healthy as well except for now my placenta is low. 90% of the time, the problem fixes itself, so I haven't been worried. Worst case scenario is having a c-section, which I'd prefer not to have but we will go with whatever is safest for the baby and me! She'll check it again in 8 weeks to make sure things are progressing. And I've gained 4 pounds this month...but its normal for the 2nd trimester.

At the sonogram, I wanted to spot the gender so I asked her not to tell me. I saw it right off the bat, two baby legs and a little twig. :) Phillip was wigging out in excitement, and the boy was flaunting his junk all over the place! We already had a feeling that it would be a boy, maternal/paternal instinct or just coincidence? Who knows?

Pointing to the little twig


little baby feet that I cannot wait to kiss!

Titus Hartley Lasseter at 10oz with a heart rate of 144.
He's looking straight at us with a little smile on his face. 

"He's translucent"--my adorable husband :)

 We had to keep this BIG SECRET for 3 days!! Our appointment was on Thursday and we had a gender reveal party with our family on Saturday! We had a "What's it gonna bee?" theme. We had cupcakes made with the center filling the color of the babies gender, blue!

Bee cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and a few gifts for baby!

Our family as they bit in to the cupcake, such a sweet moment to share with our whole family! 

BLUE! 
If you got through all of this then good for you! I know my facebook friends are probably tired of all my baby updates so I try to keep it minimal. It's soooo hard when you are this excited though. We have lots of family and friends that love hearing about him, so I'll try to keep you updated on here as often as possible. We've hit the 20 week mark so we are halfway there. I have to admit, I love being pregnant though. I know I will miss it  once it's gone but will have a sweet baby to hold to make up for it :) I've started feeling him around 16/17 weeks (Valentine's day-ish) but it was flutters that I actually thought were little twitches or hunger pangs. I now feel him everytime I get still and quite for a little bit, and the moves are way more noticeable that before. We haven't been able to feel him from the outside yet, so Phillip hasn't gotten to feel him move at all. Hopefully soon! 

We will be taking him on his first Disney trip next week! We will update you with pictures when we return!! :)

-Love always, 
The Lasseter's

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Poll

...Just watch this baby come out a girl. Not that I would mind one bit, I'd absolutely love a girl and if I could pick, I would even pick a girl because I think that would be easier for me.

But everything is telling me it's a boy. I'm actually so certain that I haven't even been looking at girl stuff, only boy stuff. Maybe it's that I want a girl so bad that I don't want to get my hopes up.

Not that I mind having a boy either. Phillip, I know, would be beyond thrilled. I just know that with a boy, I'd be lost as a goose! I don't have a bit of Tom-boy in me, and certainly don't look forward to playing in the dirt or with reptiles.

Even when talking about the baby, I refer to it as "him" not "her" or "it". I think it's because we have had a boy name picked out for a while now, or it's because of my symptoms are more geared towards having a boy (kinda). And it doesn't help that all of the old-wives tells are mostly saying that it will be a boy.

And then, I think that the baby is just tricking me, and that it will be a girl. Either way I will be so excited, I already love it so much.

It's just crazy how the motherly instinct works. I never thought I'd be the one ready to change my whole life around for a baby, or spending my free time reading review on products and product recalls or just looking around the baby section of target! Or that I could love someone that I've never even met. I haven't even felt it move yet and I already feel a connection. I even look forward to our alone time, just me and my baby-in-the-belly, or our cuddle time with daddy. How crazy is that?

I kinda got off on a rabbit trail with this post, so if your still with me, I'll give you some of my symptoms/craving/etc. and you can help me out with this gender confusion

Cravings:
Fried chicken
Cheeseburgers
Grapes
Boiled peanuts
Anything salty
Ice cream
Pickles
(none of these are usually craved together but I do have to put extra salt on everything, more than I normally do).

Aversions:
Shrimp
Crawfish
Any seafood really
Onions

- I have had barely any morning sickness, but very fatigued.

-people say I'm carrying pretty low

- the heartbeat at the last visit was 149, but it had been higher before.

- I feel like I'm losing weight everywhere else but finding it in the belly.

Let's take a poll:

What will baby Lasseter be?
Boy
Girl
  
pollcode.com free polls 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year (11 wk. checkup)

We're so sad to see Christmas go, as it's our favorite time of year, but are definitely looking forward to all that 2012 is bringing us. Bean got more Christmas gifts than we did, but we aren't complaining. The way things are going we aren't gonna have to buy anything for a while!!! From over two hundred dollars, to outfits, blankets, toys and toiletries. We are so thankful!!!
We kinda went all out this Christmas too, because from now on it won't just be about us.

This months visit was short and sweet. We went in, had my vitals checked (I lost 6 pounds since last month), they took lots of blood, and the doctor came in for just a few minutes. They didn't do an ultrasound but we got to hear Bean's heartbeat on the Doppler.
It was beating 166 bpm. In about 8 short weeks we will be able to give bean a name! We haven't quite decided if we will do a gender reveal party or not... Any thoughts?

As for me, I feel not so pregnant at all besides the bloating and excessive tiredness. I had a couple weeks of nausea, but hardly no sickness. I honestly feel like I've gained 10 pounds but I've lost 6. The doctor said it was normal though, so no complaining on my end.

Our resolutions this year:
- to be closer with God and pray more.
- to be the best parents we can be.
- to not forget the importance of our relationship, and to keep it strong.
- to live more frugally.
- to cook and stay at home more.



"the greatest gift you can give a child is parents that respect each other"
-anonymous