2 Weeks Old!

Well, technically he's now more like 2 1/2 weeks old..I'm a little behind! We've definitely seen some changes in Wyatt, most notably in the last several days. He's becoming more and more alert and now wakes up on his own (for the most part) for feedings. I've noticed that he seems to be more alert in the evenings and overnight. I may have to switch to a nocturnal sleeping schedule! He's also making more eye contact. Whereas before he would look around everywhere and seldomly look us directly in the eyes, he now is focusing more on our faces as we hold him. I can't wait until he increases this and interacts with us more.

Wyatt had his 2 week Pediatrician appointment yesterday. Everything looked good. He weighed in at 8lb 7oz and was 21.5in long. As far as percentiles go, he's 30% for weight, 75% for height, and 25% for head circumference. So we don't have a bobble-headed child like we thought after our 32 week ultraound! :) His next appointment will be his 2 month, which is in November.

That's the latest for now. Here are a couple of pictures I've taken this week:

Love,
Ashley

The Little Cowpoke's Nursery

I am finally posting some pics of Wyatt's room! I've been taking pictures at various points of completion, and now have all the finishing touches. A majority of the pictures were taken before his arrival. I'm glad I took them when I did, because his room is definitely not as neat and tidy anymore! In fact, our entire home is beginning to resemble some sort of baby frat house. Instead of keg cups, trash, and old food lying around we have burp cloths, blankets, and random baby clothes strewn about. We're trying our best to keep up with it all, and I'm sure we'll get better at staying neat at some point...

Anyway, here are some pics of Wyatt's nursery that I wanted to share. Thanks again to my sister-in-law's mom who made his quilt, and to my cousin who made the crib sheet, crib skirt, and valance. They all look awesome!

Love,
Ashley

Week One: Adventures in Flying Poo

It's hard to believe we've been home from the hospital for just over a week now. If there was a word that could best describe our first week as parents, it would be this: Exhaustion. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely adore Wyatt and are so grateful to have him in our family. But dang, newborns can really wipe you out! I've been averaging somewhere around 4-41/2 hours of sleep during the night (not all in one stretch, mind you), and typically manage one hour-long nap in the afternoon. I really need to be better about resting during the day, but I've never been a good napper. Plus, it always seems as though I have something I feel the need to do (such as update my blog!) during the 1-1/2 hours I have left before the next feeding. But I'm sure that soon enough I'll give in and take multiple naps during the day.

This week has definitely been a learning experience for Keith and me. Most notably when it comes to diaper changes. We've discovered that boys in particular pose a challenge for this. I don't think I can count the number of times we've fallen victim to a "golden shower" mid-change. We had 4 alone yesterday, if that tells you anything. We even keep a washcloth out to cover him up so he won't do it, but the little stinker finds a way to catch us off guard anyway! I knew going into this that being peed on was very likely to happen, but what I didn't plan on was projectile pooping. I mean projectile. Exhibit A:

I felt like a member of CSI cleaning that up. Seriously, how on Earth is he capable of that?!

So although it has been a learning experience for us, we've survived the first week of parenting with our newborn. We look forward to the weeks, months, and years to come.

Love,
Ashley

Wyatt's Arrival

I’ve finally found a few minutes to update the blog on Wyatt’s arrival. I never realized just how much of a full-time job taking care of a newborn is! Between feedings, pumping, diaper changes, clothing him and snuggling with him, I haven’t found the time to do much else. So I thought I would take advantage of this opportunity to update you on his birth.

On Saturday night at about 9:00pm my water broke. It took me a moment to register what was happening, but within a few minutes it was clear that labor was beginning. We quickly rounded up our gear and headed to the hospital. I wasn’t having any contractions at that time, and after being checked was still dilated and effaced the same as I was at my last appointment. They decided to take me to a labor and delivery room to get an iv started and let me rest for the night to see if I would progress on my own. By 7:00 am I was only experiencing a few contractions an hour, so they decided to start the pitocin. Let me tell you, that stuff is the devil! My body quickly responded to it and I was having major contractions in no time. I decided I was ready for an epidural around 8:00 and had it put into place at 8:45 (after many painful contractions in between). BUT it still was not working for about the first 15-20 minutes, so they ran a second medication through the catheter. Finally I felt it go into effect. From there I progressed from 5cm dilated to 10cm in 15 minutes. The nurse had me start some pushes to get Wyatt into place before delivery. The doctor arrived not long after that and it took only about 3 rounds of pushing before he was born. It was amazing!
We were discharged on Tuesday and have been getting settled into our new life as a family. It’s almost bizarre to think about how different things were for us just a week ago. I really took for granted the ability to sleep for more than 3 hours a night and shower on a regular basis! Our first night home was rough, as one might expect. However, last night was much better. With the exception of one brief cry, Wyatt slept soundly each time I put him back in his pack n play after feeding/changing. I know we’re bound to have more difficult nights, but I’m hoping a majority of evenings will be like last night. Other than that, Wyatt and I are doing very well. He had his first pediatrician appt today and gained back 2 oz since being weighed yesterday. I’m hoping we’ll continue that upward trend.
Here are some more pictures of baby Wyatt:

We are so smitten :)
Love,
Ashley

Our Little Cowpoke Has Arrived!

Wyatt Keith Hoff has made his entrance into the world!!! He was born Sunday morning (9/4/11) at 11:02am, weighing in at 7lb 14oz and 21in long. We are still at the hospital, and expect to be discharged tomorrow morning. I will post more details of his birth soon, but I just had to share this wonderful news with you. We are so blessed!

Love,
Ashley

38 Weeks

Today marks 28 weeks! I am officially done with work as of yesterday, so now I get to sleep in, lounge around, and do nothing clean the house, try not to stress out, twittle my fingers, and anxiously await Wyatt's arrival. I've found my emotions are all over the place anymore. One minute I feel super giddy for Wyatt to come, and prepared to face labor and delivery. While another minute, I feel myself starting to freak out a bit. Though I've been through labor once before, I can't help but feel a little nervous. Each birth experience is different and I have no clue how long it will be or how I will handle it this time around. But I've been praying that God helps me stay calm through it all, and that He will help make it as smooth and painless as possible. I have faith that He'll get me through it. And I need to keep myself focused on the prize: our baby boy!

Other than that, there's not much for me to report. Well, besides than the fact that it's the first Husker game of the season and my husband has been glued to the television (and laptop, because apparently all of the sports channels we get aren't enough to appease him) pretty much all day. This would be the equivalent of a Real Housewives marathon for me, so I guess I don't blame him :)

Here's this week's belly pic.

Will we have one next week? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Love,
Ashley