Levi is 2 months old!

Yes, yes... My little man is 2 months old! I love comparing the two pictures above... he's really filling out in his face, and look at where his little feet reach to as compared to the previous picture! :) My sweet sweet boy!

He is such a joy, my days are filled with so many smiles because of my two little children! LOVE, that's how  I would describe it.

Levi is now sleeping between 7 to 8 hours at night, and makes a very happy mommy. He is on about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour schedule during the day. He is a good eater! He also gives mommy tons of smiles and coos during the day. When Madilyn comes into the room, he looks for her and smiles at her. She can get some pretty BIG smiles out of him! She is such a nurturer too.  She just loves on him, and when he fusses, she tries to console him and make him smile. She's such a sweet big sister! She does keep me busy though! As soon as I sit down to feed him she has to go to the bathroom, or needs a snack, or something pertinent. The other day (thank GOD John was home!) JUST as I sat down to feed Levi, she decided she wanted to go back downstairs... and on the 3rd to the bottom step she slipped and fell the rest of the way down. We have wooden stairs, with wood floors at the bottom, and since we moved in it's been my biggest fear that she would fall down the stairs when I wouldn't be there to quickly do something about it. I heard her fall and cry and I screamed for John... luckily he was there and had already responded... poor Levi, he did not understand what was going on, and I scared him pretty good! :( Luckily it was just a large bump on her head and a couple bruises... so glad it was towards the bottom of the stairs, and not the whole way!

I have found with Levi that I am such a softy! I hold him and console him WAY more than I did with Madilyn. I am a bit more relaxed with things also. I think that's what happens with your second child... you are a bit more mellow. He's such a snuggler too... and that bottom lip, man, what's a mommy supposed to do when he sticks it out looking all pitiful??!! ;)

Well, I am making my freezer meals today... hope it will last for the next month! 

God bless!!

6 weeks

Yesterday, 11/30/11, Levi was 6 weeks old! He's really filling out, and becoming such a cute and sweet baby! He's starting to smile and coo at his mommy, which TOTALLY makes my ENTIRE day!!! :) Right now he's sleeping in a bassinet in our room, and so I have a changing pad on our bathroom counter. When I set him on the pad, he turns and looks in the mirror and just smiles and coos at me in the mirror. *melt*!
So, we had his 6 week appt. today at the doctors, and I showed up completely expecting for it to be a quick visit and to come back @ 8 weeks for his shots... nope... he got his shots today! I was completely unprepared! Emotionally and physically (as in, I forgot to bring/give him tylenol before the visit). I cried as he got his shots... poor thing! He has some skin issues, like Madilyn did. I hope it doesn't get bad like hers did! He has horrible cradle cap, a rash on the lower part of his face, and an awful diaper rash that I can't get rid of. I have tried so many different creams, it's insane. The doctor gave me a couple of other ideas to try... so hopefully they work!
Levi was 10 lbs and 6 oz., 22 1/4" long, and his head was 15 1/4 " around. He was all within 65 to 75th percentile. I looked it up, and Madilyn was 10 lbs 8oz at her 8 week appt., so he's a bit ahead of her. :)
He's a bit fussy today, and isn't eating quite normally... and he's definitely more sleepy than usual! we'll have to take it easy for the next 24 hours for the poor little guy.
Well... that's it for now!

new quote:

Don't think I've put this on here yet, but I want to document it:

Me: It sure does!
Madi: Sure is does!

:)

1 Month Old!!

So... Levi was 1 month old on Saturday, November 19th. People say, enjoy each moment because time flies! That is so true! I don't know where the last month went! My days are filled with diapers, spit up, nursing a baby, feeding and chasing after a 2 yr old... and then I fall into bed... oh... and there's a husband in there somewhere! :)
Levi is a wonderful baby, he truly is. I thought Madilyn was easy... no, I think she was a high maintenance baby compared to this little man. Madilyn was hard to nurse... I was crying by about 2 weeks (and before then too) and had to be encouraged daily, sometimes hourly to stick it out just to at least 3 or 4 weeks to give it a chance. (I made it 13 months!!) Levi, from the very first time, has been easy. He latches on no problem, eats like a champ, and pulls of when he's done. HA! SOOO different. Just reinforces the statement that every child is different. He is a good sleeper... I am starting a bit of a schedule with him, that he almost does on his own. He eats about every 3 hours during the day (sometimes less if he's extra hungry ;) ), and then he'll do a 5-6 hour stretch at night (from 9p to 3a) once. The only thing that's hard is that he is SO gassy, no matter what I eat. I could eat chicken and water, and he'd be gassy. I have to give him mylicon or gripe water during each feeding, and it can still take me 10 minutes to get a good burp out of him.
He is so snuggly and sweet... he just nestles in and loves to be swaddled and cuddled. He also seems to really love Madilyn. He turns towards her when she's talking to him, and puts up with a lot of her snuggles and constant kisses. I was worried that there would be jealousy, but it's truly non-existent. It's different to her I guess, it's her brother. She constantly is trying to kiss him, shush him when he's fussing, covering him up if he's "cold"... she's very tender and nurturing.
My house is a disaster, and I don't get a ton done during the week when it's just me here, but that's ok... it will get better. John has been wonderful on the weekend, and he lets me have "me time" and helps me get stuff done. Sadly he gets home around 6:45 or 7 at night during the week, so we don't have too much family time during the week... so we take full advantage on the weekend.
I can tell Madilyn is 2 1/2... I am getting an earful. John and I were talking about her yesterday. Madilyn has 3 modes: whispering, yelling, and sleeping. Seriously! She's just non-stop. It's truly precious... I just have to remind myself of that sometimes. :) I hear a lot of her opinions too: "No, Madi  not want wear that", "Madi wuv that shirt", "Madi not like those pants, Madi want wear pink ones", "No, Madi not listen, Madi need time out...". Seriously (even the last one!). She's learning how to whine every sentence... and how much it annoys mommy, she will never comprehend! She has very strong opinions that she is learning to properly express. We need to remind her several (thousand) times a day that when we love someone we talk to them nicely and lovingly. She's exhausting, but I love every ounce of her.
Well, gotta go put my little girl down for her nap!

A poem to describe...

Here is a little poem I found that accurately describes the lesson I have recently learned... ;)

Changing a baby girl is not all glitz and glory.
Changing a baby boy is an even bigger horror story.
You hold his feet in one hand, and the diaper with the other,
The whole time praying "Please don't pee on your mother".

6 days old!

Well... my sweet baby Levi is 6 days old today. As of tomorrow he will be 1 week old.... I can't believe it's been that long! How on earth did that happen so quickly without me putting anything on here?! Here's what happened last week:
Wednesday morning, October 19th, 2011, John and I woke up at about 4am. I was full of nerves! Having already had a c-section previously, I knew exactly what to expect. For some reason that made me more nervous. Knowing exactly what is to come, gives you knowledge of exactly what to be nervous about. ;) We left our house around 4:45am to have our baby! (Madilyn had spent the night at Papa and Grama's house so we wouldn't have to bring her over so early in the morning, and so they could bring her to the hospital after he was born.) We got to the hospital, parked and walked into the "Birthplace" at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital. It took a while for us to get settled in waiting for the nurses, etc... but then we got into the pre-op room, I got in my hospital gown with my "cute" red hospital socks, and hooked up to my IV and the monitors. I was precisely 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant with Levi. At around 7:20 they had me walk into the operating room and sit on the table so that I could have my spinal. They then quickly had me lay down and started to prepare. John then was able to come into the room, and sat beside me. Within 20 minutes he was born! Levi Hudson Cain came into our world at 7:40am on 10/19/11... I am getting choked up and teary remembering his first cry, and just feeling so full of joy I could hardly breathe! They let me hold him (with some help) for a couple of minutes, and then John went with the nurses so he could get cleaned up. Madi and my parents were able to be there and see him come through to the nursery and watch his first bath while I was being "stitched up" in the operating room. We got a video and some cute pictures of the first time Madilyn saw him. I am gonna have to upload a couple of videos, because it's really precious. Man... I am getting all teary eyed! :) It's just such a happy time! I was wheeled out of the operating room a little after 8a and brought to recovery. Shortly later Levi was able to join me. John and Levi and I were able to have some time together, and then I was able to nurse him for the first time. He took to it quickly and very well! We got to our hospital room around 10:30 (I think) and we got to see Madilyn and she got to see Levi up close for the first time. She was talking about how he came out of mommy now, and that he was "so cute" and "so little". She's so sweet and gentle with him, it really is quite adorable. Levi does have some jaundice, but has been such a champion eater that he has no need for a billi-light or anything else, we just have to keep him fed and take him outside a bit.
He is the completion of our family, and I feel so full...I thank God for our blessings, and just feel like my "cup is over flowing". He is such a sweet boy, and a great sleeper and eater. He seriously gets cuter by the minute, and I fall more in love with him each and every  moment.
I am healing well from my c-section, and seem to be getting around better than I did after having Madilyn. I am taking it easy, and my wonderful mom and husband have been pampering me and making sure I am getting plenty of rest. My mom has been coming over every morning and helping me take care of Madilyn and stuff around the house. It's been so awesome!
I will have to upload some videos of his birth, and of Madilyn seeing Levi for the first time... until then, here's a couple of pictures:

Our first full family picture

A sleepy smile

Madilyn holding Levi for the first time in the hospital

Preston, Levi's big cousin, holding Levi for the first time, and Madilyn protectively watching over him.

Levi all swaddled up

My sweet boy all "milk drunk" ;)

sweet face... :)

Mommy getting to meet Levi for the first time, and give him a kiss... this picture puts tears in my eyes!

Videos to come shortly... :)

6 days...

Had my VERY LAST OB appointment this morning... seems like a milestone or something! :) 6 days until I get to meet my sweet little boy, and I am sooo excited! I have a lot to prepare, and a lot to clean... but I am getting so excited! I can't wait to hear his sweet cry! Sigh... *tear*