Bath time with Charlie

Zachary, Nicolas and I decided to give Charlie a bath.  The big boys LOVED it and so did Charlie.  They were very good and helpful.  They listened to the instructions I gave them and I didn't need to remind them.  They splashed their hands in the water and helped me pour some water on Charlie's belly and legs.  It was quite the cute experience.

Zachary and Nicolas are really great big brothers.  They are so caring and concerned for Charlie.  Whenever he cries they often (well at least one of them) go over and try to comfort him by talking to him.  They love to look in on him when he's sleeping.  I think the key has been allowing them to help me with him under circumstances that I can control.  The bath was perfect.  There was little they could do to harm Charlie and yet it allowed them to truly feel like they were helping.  It was the first thing they told Daddy about when he got home from work.

Here is a cute picture I snapped while Charlie was in the bath...

Brotherly Love...

Just thought I would post the picture I took this morning of my three favorite little men...

Our life in pictures...

Things have been pretty crazy yet wonderful around here lately.  The boys are adjusting so well to having a  baby brother.  They love Charlie to bits and have been wonderful at helping me with him.  The best thing is that they are not too helpful.  They like coming in to check on him when he's sleeping.  They also try to comfort him when he cries.  It is really adorable.

Charlie is such a great baby.  He sleeps so well and actually prefers to be in his crib rather than in our arms.  He is nursing like a champ and is feeding quite often,  This means a little less sleep for Mommy, but I don;t mind all that much since he's a quick nurser and is very easy to put back down afterwards.  He rarely cries and is content, when awake, to simply be in the middle of the action.  He is so good that sometimes we almost forget he's there.

Anyhow, here are a few pictures taken from the last few days...

Zachary before his haircut:

Nicolas before his haircut:

This is how I found Nicolas in the middle of the night last night:

Zachary in his big car:

Nicolas playing out in the sun:

Charlie hanging out:

Charlie is amazing!

Charlie is amazing and being such a great baby!  He is a great eater and sleeper.  He just needs to figure out that the daytime is when he is supposed to be most awake and that nighttime is for the bigger sleeps.  But I know that it's only a matter of time so I'm being patient.

He had lost 3 ounces while at the hospital (in the first 12 or so hours).  We had a visit from the nurse yesterday to check on his progress.    He has only lost 5 grams since he was discharged from the hospital.  So, obviously the nursing is going very well and he is getting what he needs.  I am not surprised by this but it's still good to know.

His big brothers are getting more and more interested in him.  They are very curious and I am doing my best to foster their curiosity while making sure they understand that they need to be careful with him.  They seem to understand quite well.  I am very impressed with how well they are transitioning.

Here are a few pictures for those who want to see more...

Blueberry is here!

On Saturday, June 18th 2011, Charles Thomas Janidlo was born.  He came into the world at 12:01 and weighing 10 lbs 7 oz.  He was 22 inches long and very healthy.

I started having contractions every 8-10 minutes starting at 6:00am on Saturday morning.  By 6:45 they started coming every 5 minutes and were quite strong.  We called the hospital at 7:45 and were admitted just shortly after 8:00.  I was already 5 cm when they first checked me and we quickly progressed to 8 cm.  I got and epidural which was a really good thing since I would never have expected him to be as big as he was!  They had me wait for a while before starting to push since the doctor was grabbing a bite to eat.  They were in our room at 11:30 and started to set up.  By about 11:40 we started to push and he was in my arms at 12:01.  Steve was there the entire time being the great Daddy he is.  It was a proud moment for the both of us.

He looks quite a but like Zachary.  He is a great baby so far and hopefully he continues to be so easy going.  He is most alert when his big brothers are around, usually opening his eyes for them.  We are all home now and are hoping for a decent first night.  Wish us luck!

40 week check up

I had my last check-up this morning.  Nothing has happened since the visit last week.  I have been having contractions off and on but they are not doing a single thing.  So, Dr. Vasilie has decided to schedule me for an induction next Wednesday.

I am very tired and anxious for Blueberry to make his arrival.  This wait is killing me and so I have decided to no longer think about it.  I am assuming he will be born next Wednesday.  If he comes before then, I'll consider it a bonus...

My estimated due date is here...

Today, June 13th is my estimated due date based on our very first ultrasound at 9 weeks.  This is supposedly the most accurate date and it looks like it's going to pass us by...

My next appointment is Wednesday which is my estimated due date based on the first day of my last period.  So, we'll see if he decides to make his appearance before then.  I am hoping to get some good news when I see my OB.  I have had a few contractions here and there, hopefully it's helping things along.  I guess we'll know on Wednesday.

I will leave you all with a quick picture I took to show off my belly...

If ever he decides to come out, I'm sure he's going to be quite the big boy!

39 week check up

I went to my 39 week check-up this morning.  She checked and there has been no progress since last week.  She found that my cervix is higher than it was.  She joked that he was going the wrong way!  Typical of a man to not know where he's going and not being willing to ask for directions!

So, we keep waiting.  There is medical reason to do anything and I would prefer to keep an induction as a last option.  I would really like for him to come out on his own terms.  I hope that by being patient, he will reward me with a short and easy delivery.  I guess only time will tell.

I am just getting very excited at the thought of seeing his cute little face and staring into his eyes.  I spend a lot of time wondering who he's going to look like.  I know he's going to be his own person and I'm cannot wait to find who that is...

House of sick

Well, our house is filled with sick kids and parents at the moment.  The boys started out sneezing and with runny noses a few days ago.  It has moved into their throats and now they are coughing up a storm.  Zachary was without a voice yesterday but thankfully no fever.  Nicolas had a low grade fever and threw up quite a bit of mucus.  He even took a nap yesterday afternoon, which is unheard of.

Neither of them slept particularly well last night.  Which in turn meant that I did not really sleep either.  I think it was 5:00 before I got longer than 30 minutes in a row!  So, today is going to be another lazy day, I think.  The boys seem to be a bit better.  Zachary's voice is returning slowly and Nicolas' mood is much better.

I just hope that we can all kick this prior to Blueberry's arrival.  I really do not want to be feeling sick while in labor.  It will also put a damper on bringing him home if the boys are still sick.  The last thing I want to do is keep the boys away from him but I also don't want to have a sick newborn on my hands either.  I guess only time will tell.  I am just happy that Blueberry stayed put yesterday.  It would have been a horrible day for me to have to leave the boys.

I see my OB again tomorrow so hopefully we will have some news on when he might be making an appearance...

Professional Family pics

On May 7th we went and had some professional family pictures taken.  I absolutely love Kathleen and the work that she does.  It is amazing what a good eye and a lot of talent can produce!  I just wish I could take pictures of the boys and have them turn out even half as good as hers.

We plan to go back sometime after Blueberry is born to have a new family picture taken as well as some shots of him.  Who knows when that will be but I will post those pictures when we have them done.

So, here are the pictures we chose to have printed up...

A Great Dinner Out...

We went out to Mike's for pizza tonight.  Fridays are called "Take Out Friday" in our house but tonight we decided to eat out instead.  The boys enjoy eating there and since it is a family style restaurant, we don't need too worry too much about the boys being overly quiet.

They always do really well there (we usually go there for breakfast on the weekends) and tonight was no exception.  They were very well behaved and ate like champs.  Just before we were about to leave a stranger walked up to me and told me how well behaved the boys were.  She was apparently sitting at a table next to another kid and she said that our boys were far better behaved.

Although I do not need strangers telling me how good my boys are, it is still quite nice to see that some people appreciate the hard work we are putting in.  My boys are really good and I couldn't be more proud of them especially on a day like this!

38 week check-up

I went in this morning for my 38 week check-up.  All is well with me and the little man.  My blood pressure and weight gain is right on track.  He has a strong, healthy heartbeat.  Things are progressing... I was dilated 2cm.  So, things are happening but there is no indication as to when they will actually happen.  I have another appointment for next Friday.

Dr. Vasilie informed me that she really wants to deliver this baby.  So, I have to give birth on Wednesday or Saturday.  Those are the days that she is on call.  She talked to my belly and told him to be a good boy like his brothers and come out on Saturday so she could be there.  It was really sweet and cute!  I told her I would do whatever I could... even though I am aiming for this Friday since it's my grandfather's 89th birthday.

And now we wait...