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Friday, June 7, 2013

Quarterly Blogger...oh well.

 
So, I guess I'm just a quarterly blogger....you're probably thinking, "what's the point?"  Actually, you're probably not thinking that because there probably aren't any 'you're's' even reading this....just me & the screen...Oh well.
 
I guess the point is to at least keep track of a few things that I'm sure I will forget in no time.
 
I feel like it already has gone by so fast & here, today, June 7th, I can't believe Riley is 9 months.  9 months of breastfeeding, 9 months of dirty diapers, 9 months of developmental milestones, 9 months of cuddles, snuggles, giggles, smiles & extreme cuteness....9 months of pure joy...pure & absolute joy.

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months
 
So, what have we been up to if I haven't been blogging?  Well, let's see...we went back to Oklahoma for 2 weeks, I try & keep up with Riley & all house chores while Toby works 80-100+ hours/week, I've been back in the grind of working out & enjoying the...top 20 things I don't want to forget. Here they are...in no particular order:
  1. How she feels & scratches everything with her one little pointer finger
  2. Her first tooth popped up at 7 months & the second bottom popped up shortly after (still waiting on those top ones)
  3. Her high pitched squeals & screams when daddy comes home
  4. How she absolutely loves bath time & gets excited when she hears the water running
  5. How she still prefers to 'army crawl' on her belly rather than on her knees (I think it has something to do with the hardwood floors).  She can crawl to mommy from across the room in a few seconds flat though....looks like a fast little lizard.
  6. Her little smirks....melt my heart
  7. How cute she looks when drinking from a big kid straw sippy cup
  8. How she cries THE second I walk out of the room (yes, it IS a little annoying right now, but I'm sure one day I'll wish she still wanted me around ALL the time).
  9. How she bounces & bobs her head every time she hears some music
  10. How at 7 months she started turning pages in her books & LOVES reading
  11. How we get compliments all the time at stores about how cute she is & how good she is (I'll keep this in my back pocket for the terrible two's)
  12. How she loves climbing in out & out of mommy & daddy's laps
  13. How cute she is while sleeping...rump as high in the air as it could possibly go
  14. How she puts everything in her mouth BUT food...I think we're making progress though
  15. How she rubs Mrs. Tiggle-winkle's "small, squidgy nose" in her Peter Rabbit book
  16. How she tries to stand up from a frog position completely on her own...not pulling up on anything
  17. How she had her first bloody, busted lip & bruised cheek from above mentioned #16
  18. How everything is "dada, dada, dada"...however, we do think she's saying it on purpose directly at "dada" now.
  19. How she gives the best slobbery kisses ever
  20. How she crinkles her nose & flaps her arms slapping her belly when she's mad or frustrated (i.e. throwing a fit)
So, basically enjoying life instead of writing much about it...yes, I guess so!  I mean, don't get me wrong...not every day is 'peachy'.

Toby works what seems like ALL.THE.TIME, so I basically have no relief...which I really don't mind...except that she's been sick like every other week (so it seems to me) from 4 months on. I thought breastfed babies weren't supposed to get as sick as often?!?! And, sickness equals late night wakings & feedings & one tired mommy!! 
 
We also went & visited Nancy Birkenmeier, a sleep specialist at St. Luke's hospital & she developed a plan to get Riley back sleeping through the night.  It was basically a glorified cry it out session that we keep having to re-do after every time she gets over a virus.  But hey, it works!!  Once we get her back on track, she sleeps about 10.5-11 hrs/night which feels like a dream. But man, those cry it out nights are the worst ever...I H.A.T.E. IT!!  We've had too many of our fair share....you would think after doing it so many times, she would give in sooner...but nope, she is so resilient with her crying!
 
Right now, we are SO looking forward to a Florida vacation...couldn't be more excited just to spend some R&R with the hubby & NO work...I'm sure he'll still have some dictations, or notes, or reading to do but at least he won't have to go to the hospital.  Does his learning ever end?!  I'm beginning to comes to grips with the answer.
 
And July 1 marks the beginning of his second year of fellowship.  We've 'heard' this year is supposed to be a bit better (I sure as heck hope so because this last year has, well, sucked in terms of hours worked).  Riley & I are hoping to have him home for dinner a bit more often, more than a couple days off in a month would be nice, & not so much 'homework' would be fabulous.  But, I'm not crossing my fingers.  3 more years, 3 more years of training...we can do it, we can do it. Yes, I most certainly say "we"!


9 month squeal

Loves those books!

Favorite scrunch face

Sun bathing beauty

 
 
 

Monday, March 11, 2013

Little Fishy...well not quite yet!

 
 
Two blog posts in the same week...man, am I getting better or what?!
 
 
Toby FINALLY had a weekend off!! Around here, a full weekend off feels like a mini-vacation...no, I'm completely serious! It's SO nice to actually get the chance to spend time together.  There are so many things we want to do, it's hard to choose between "things that 'need' to be done" or "have fun"...this particular weekend, we chose "HAVE FUN"! 
 
However, Toby DID finally take the trash out...that was a "thing that NEEDS to be done" no matter what!
 
Saturday, we spent the day eating with our friends at The Boat House in Forest Park...it was nice enough to sit on the deck & Riley had her first experience with a public high-chair (which resulted in screams heard across the park...but the third time was a charm after eating some peas on mommy's lap first).  After a late lunch, we decided to take a walk with The Strutts' & their 10.5 month old little girl...why we took no pictures of all this, I don't know.  We don't have much time left with them as they're moving to Minnesota in June for Jon to start his fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. :(
 
Sunday, well, Sunday...we kind of missed our alarms & slept in....BIG TIME...like 'til 11:30 big time! Yeah, we totally missed church.  Toby had such a sleep debt from the last 3 weeks, he most certainly needed the extra snoozing...& I guess for some reason, I did too.  ;)
 
We decided to extend our "have fun" mentality & took Ry for a dip in the indoor pool at our YMCA.
 
Not sure what she really thought, but she didn't scream, so that was a plus.  I think she was just taking it all in...watching all the big kids play & dreaming of one day doing the same. ;)
 
Here she is...
 

Pre-pool Baby

 
First Dip


A little bit more...


Standing on Daddy's toes


Dip w/ Mommy...


Pool cuddles


Some people have that "natural beauty" thing going on, but I most certainly don't.
Please excuse my appearance (no shower, post work-out)


Watching the big kids

 

Well, this lasted all of about 10 minutes & then we got bored.
 
So, we decided to have take advantage of being there & took a dip in the hot tub while we both took turns holding Ry.  :)
 
Yes, what a lovely weekend!
 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Blog Fail...

 
 
November 20th....really?!  Really?! That was my last post....pathetic!  Blog Fail.
 
Well, as of right now...my house is picked up, laundry is in the works, I've worked out, have a 6 month check-up/Dr. appt under our belt, 6 month vaccinations under our belt, & Ry is down for her evening cat-nap.  There a few dishes in the sink..wait, I actually think I put those in the dishwasher already (score) & trash is over flowing.  However, that's Toby's job & since he's been working 6 am-9pm (or later) for the last 2 weeks, it hasn't been done since his dad was here.  Don't think I'll pull out the "Sarah Synthia Sylvia Stout" poem though....he does have kind of a good excuse this time.
 
So, given all that, I promised myself I would sit down & write a post...
mainly because I want to keep track of everything whether anyone reads this silly thing or not.
 
Well, since it's been a little while...I guess I'll give a run down.
 
 
 
I went back to work full time for the month of December.
 
I decided to stay home full time after the month of December.
 
I love staying home.
 
Ry is sitting up, rolling over & eating big girl food (well kind of...puree ya' know).
 
Been making baby food.  Love the MumiandBubi trays by the way...yeah, yeah, yeah...$25. But they are BPA, PVC & Phthalate free, space savers, & come with 42 cubes....AND I had an amazon gift card okay. So far, I've just made banana, sweet potato, butternut squash, & apples, but we'll be expanding our horizons soon.
 
She had her first airplane ride to Oklahoma....& back.
 
She's had numerous family visits here in STL & our good friends, The Steinochers' visited all the way from WI (they were driving through from WI to OK to TX all while Katy was 27wkish pregnant...man that's a ton of driving!)...but we LOVED seeing you guys!
 
I continue to work every once in awhile.
 
We dedicated Riley to the Lord at our church.
 
And, having fun each & every day!
 
 
 
Oh yeah, & she's been growing.
 
4 month stats:
*Height: 25.7 in (93%)
Weight: 12 lbs 14.7 oz (36%)
Head Circum: 15.7 in (20%)
 
6 month stats:
*Height: 27.75 in (97%)
Weight: 15 lbs 4.7 oz (36%)
Head Circum: 16.4 in (26%)
 
*Pretty sure they measure her length incorrectly EVERY time.
 
You can see for yourself...
  
 
4 Months

5 Months

6 Months
 
 
 
After our 6 month appointment today & the discussion on baby proofing our home & really getting into solids...I won't lie, I felt a tad overwhelmed.  Before long she will be moving all over the place...the days of laying her down & being able to walk away for a few minutes will soon be over. going.to.try.not.to.be.a.helicopter.mom.though.
 
In addition, I'm supposed to start introducing solids for 2 meals/day...in between breastfeeding as usual & napping. Not to mention regular life stuff like chores, grocery shopping, showering..ya' know, the basics.  I guess it's doable though right?! right?!
 
I guess raising a child is kind of a big responsibility...one I feel SO blessed to have! 
As, I watch her grow & delight in everything she does & learns, I can't help but be reminded of our relationship with God. Funny how parenthood seems to make me do that so MUCH more often...He sure knows what He's doing huh?!  Anyway, I can't help but think about how much it must delight Him to see His children (us) follow & learn His ways, grow & transform into something new.
 
  
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him,
a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ...
1 Peter 2:1-25
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

 
TuTu Cute at Two Months
 
 
I figured since Riley's 3 month mark is fast approaching (December 7th), I'd give a rundown of month 2.
 
First of all, Toby was on an "easier" Cardiology rotation the first 2 weeks of November (Electrophysiology) & can I just say how nice it is to have your husband home for dinner...I mean seriously awesome!!!  Working 7:30 am - 5:30 or 6 pm is MUCH better than his usual 14 or 15 hour days.  It was a much needed change of pace from the previous few weeks.  However, we're back to night shifts this week.  :(
 
While Toby was working a bit less & had 2 FULL weekends off in a row (unheard of), Riley & I took advantage of much needed Toby/Daddy time.  The first Saturday he was off, we ventured to The Loop for some lunch & had our first experience with Bubble Tea (NOT a fan of Tapioca balls by the way!).  Then, with so much time on our hands, we decided to visit the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.  We learned all about women's fashion through the centuries (kind of a random exhibit I thought, but nonetheless, interesting....& definitely made me reminisce about my History of Apparel class back in college) & they had a huge exhibit on the 1904 World's Fair...St. Louis' Forest Park was completely transformed for the one of largest World's Fair in history.  Did you know, it has been claimed that Peanut Butter, Dr. Pepper, the hot dog, the hamburger, waffle cones, & cotton candy were first introduced at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis?!  Who woulda thought....
 
Riley & Daddy at History Museum looking out at Forest Park

 
 
Anyway, the next weekend Toby had off, his parents came in for a visit.  We went to the park on Saturday & while the guys played a round of Frisbee Golf, Toby's mom & I took Riley for a stroll....it was a beautiful day to be outside.  They watched her that evening while we went....wait for it...our first date by ourselves since Riley entered the world!  :)  We only went out for a couple of hours to dinner at our favorite little Thai restaurant in downtown (Sen Thai), but it was nice just to get out.  I was a little worried about Riley taking a bottle from Grandma....but she did (however, has not done well since).
 
First Date since baby...
 
Her 8 week Dr. appointment on 11/02/12 proved for her to be right on track:
 
Height: 22.7 in (68th percentile)
Weight: 11 lbs 4 oz (53th percentile)
Head Circumference: 14.7 in (16th percentile)
 
So, basically, she has a small head (but I'm sure not lacking any smarts) & about average on height & weight....she's looking pretty healthy. 
 
But don't take my word for it...
 
 



 
Mommy Lessons learned this month:
  • 1.  Don't put your child in the baby Ergo immediately after they eat, march around the house to "test it out", put them in the car seat & tightly strap them in, pull them out of the car seat once at destination to then place them once again into the baby Ergo.  Because....THIS HAPPENS!
  •  
  • 2.  If your baby does not take a pacifier, don't wait until after 2 months old to introduce a bottle....because, they will act as if they have NO clue what to do with a rubber nipple!
  • 3.  While breastfeeding during church, be sure the baby doesn't get a diaper wedgie while you're trying to get them situated....because, you could have them pee all over themselves & you during the middle of the sermon.  Lucky for us, our church has speakers in the bathroom!
  •  
  • 4.  Make sure you have Baby Tylenol on hand BEFORE their 2 month shots....otherwise, when their leg starts to swell & gets red hot, it's not fun to load up a screaming baby in the car, run to Wal-Green's by yourself & patiently wait for the pharmacist to tell you the new dosage requirements for infants!
  •  
  • 5.  As for sleeping, well I have no lessons learned yet.  Let's just say...we're STILL learning!!
 
And just for the fun of it...this is how Toby likes to spend time with Riley!
 


Spa Baby
 
 
~Bridget 
 

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Oh, the things you've missed....

Oh, bloggety, blog, blog, bloggety, blog...have you missed me so?!?  It's been over a month since I have graced you with my presence, so I guess I have some catching up to do.  Last time I wrote, it was all about Riley's birth story & here today she's already 8 wks! 
 
So, what have I been up to that has been keeping me away?  Well, I'm so glad you asked!  Riley & I have been attending the Mom's & Babies group at Missouri Baptist Hospital on Tuesday mornings.  We get to meet with other brand new moms & talk about how we have no idea what we're doing.  There is an experienced volunteer who talks us through various topics (like tips on traveling with a baby).  Then, we have a mom's Bible study that we're attending on Thursday mornings and have also met with other moms & babies through WUMCHA.  We go on walks, read books, visit friends, etc, etc.  Honestly, I have such a limited amount of time in between feeds & I usually fill it with stuff that needs to be done...like showering & cleaning the house (sometimes a nap). 
 
Other than that, I have just been thanking God everyday for this wonderful & special blessing in our lives.  I now have a glimpse at how much the Lord loves us as his children...how amazing!
 
And since pictures are worth a thousand words, I'll share a few (or several....or lots....)....
 
 
First Bath
 

Hating it...


Realizing it might not be so bad after all...


And, hating it again...
 
Luckily, she has no problems with bathtime now! 

*****************************************************************************
1 Week Old Stats:
Height: 19.60"
Weight: 6 lbs
Head Circumference: 13"
One week old & very first outing...St. Louis Balloon Glow!
************************************************************************
 
2 Week Old Stats:
Height: 21.4"
Weight: 7 lbs
Head Circumference: 13.7"
Just chillin' in my clean diaper...
 
 
********************************************************************
One Month Old:
I love my fat sheep, I really do...

Totally had enough of this tutu!
 


Riley's favorite place to sleep...even has a smile. 



Pretty girl 
Getting bored with these pictures mom.

No, I'm seriously DONE with these pictures mom!

Well, that's about all we've been up to!  ;)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Riley's Birth Story

 
 
 
 
Well, it's been awhile since my last post.  I've been meaning to update this thing ever since we arrived home from the hospital but due to sleep deprivation, napping always prevailed as THE  priority during any "free time"....so, finally...here's Riley's birth story (mostly told by daddy/Dr. Toby Rockefeller...as you'll be able to tell).
 
 
"Birth Day Thoughts:
06:00 – Awake after a TERRIBLE night of sleep. I tossed and turned all over the place. I’ve never done well with anticipation of big events (e.g. vacations, tests, birth of my first child, etc).
07:58 – Just arrived to the hospital for our 7:00am check in time… Yeah, we’re that late. The front desk lady was pretty rude, but we eventually got registered. We had to wait for the front desk lady to register the 8:00am appointment first. She didn’t care that the traffic was atrocious.
10:00 – Oxytocin started after 3 painful attempts at placing an IV. Apparently she was a little dehydrated so they gave her a liter of LR. Man, I really hope this goes well…
10:15 – Bridget struggled out of bed to straighten her hair in front of the mirror. Unbelievable…
10:30 – We prayed together that Riley and Bridget would stay safe. God is sovereign over all things, including the delivery of his handiwork. Can’t wait to see what He’s been knitting for the last 40 weeks.
10:45 – Contractions are starting to get a little stronger. Now coming every 4 min and lasting 2 min.
12:00 – Mom is pacing the room, intermittently watching the monitor. We’re talking about Mom’s deliveries, and apparently, I was the perfect child. Unfortunately, I was born 8 days late and I seemed to have passed this trait on to Riley. Contractions are becoming a little more painful and frequent.
1:20 – I step away and grab a bite to eat.
3:00 – Nothing is happening now. Seems like everything has stalled out… Did we make a mistake?
3:30 – Dr. Philpott came in to talk about our options if Bridget gets to 20 on the Pitocin in the next hour and things still haven’t changed.  We can try an artificial rupture of membranes and put ourselves on the “we’re gonna have a baby in the next 18 hours come hell or high water” pathway, or we can go home and try again in another week or so if things don’t take off naturally in the meantime. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated at this point, because no one had any strong opinions. We all just looked at each other and said, I could go either way…
3:30 - 4:40 – I read everything from midwivery blogs to Cochrane Reviews and I still haven’t convinced myself of the perfect decision. I’m mentally weighing the risks/benefits with no real research to guide me. I hate when medicine is more art than science… Midwives might say “you never should’ve tried the induction in the first place because there’s no such thing as a baby that’s too big, and Pitocin is made by the devil himself,” OB/Gyn’s would probably say, “go ahead with the AROM and see what happens. If she fails to progress and gets a c-section that’s not the end of the world,” and the research I was reading claimed something in the middle: Primigravida AROM causes more fetal distress than SROM, but inductions prevent meconium aspirations and deaths… So, if we proceed with induction and do the AROM, I feel that the risk of c-section is unchanged, the risk of infection from prolonged rupture is higher, and the risk of meconium aspiration is lower versus going home to wait for SROM or a more receptive time to induce. Add to that the fear that insurance may balk at paying for an induction under the diagnosis of “high risk for cephalo-pelvic-disproportion” if we just walk away later in the day. I mean Riley’s head is changing faster than Bridget’s pelvis. How could the risk for CPD be present in the morning and not in the afternoon? I can hear them now, “if you went home, then there obviously wasn’t a real indication for induction.” They may be right…
4:40 – Bridget’s Pitocin is turned up to 20 microunits/min and the countdown begins. We’ll give it an hour and recheck her cervix. If there isn’t any change, then we’ll be forced to make a decision. Pretty sure I’ll push for going home…as crazy as that sounds.
5:00 – Contractions are coming pretty regular now and they seem to be more painful. Wish this would’ve happened hours ago!!
5:30 – Contractions are pretty painful! Bridget is crushing my hand and she’s telling everyone to shut up while she’s making a floppy face and blowing away the pain…
5:45 – Cervix rechecked and we’re 5-6cm, 90% effaced, 0 station. Things have changed…some. The nurse asks for a decision and I voice all my concerns. Bridget is laboring away. We’ll wait and see what Dr. Philpott thinks of the change…
6:00 – Bridget’s contractions are considerably more uncomfortable. Dr. Philpott basically said we can do whatever we think is best. The nurse is wishy-washy. Ahhhh! I ask Bridget one more time if she has an opinion (which she didn’t have before) and she now seemed adamant about finishing what we started. She wanted her water broken and she wanted Riley OUT! We prayed it over before making it our final decision. In the middle of the prayer I had the realization that my anxieties about the delivery would never go away, there is no way to reduce the risks to zero, and I just needed to trust God’s faithfulness. The decision to induce was made after much prayer, so why second guess it now? Onward!
7:30 – Contractions are regular and intense. No AROM yet because the Dr is busy, so we checked the cervix again. 7cm and 100%!! We turned down the Pitocin to 10 and plan to ride this thing to SROM!
9:00 – SROM occurred and it was clear. Contractions are really good and we have a great system of rubbing every inch of Bridget’s body while she blows the pain away…
10:00 – Bridget got in the shower for some warm water/relaxation. It was actually quite nice, and she seems to be doing a little better.
10:45 – Bridget is REALLY tired and the contractions are starting to get to her. It’s time for that epidural. She seems defeated, but I’m really impressed with her tolerance so far!
11:10 – Epidural is in and she’s getting some relief. We checked her cervix after laying back down and she’s completely dilated with some of Riley’s hair visible!!
11:20 – She’s now feeling numb all over and wants the epidural taken out. Hahaha. Grass is always greener…
11:45 – Bridget’s starting to push!!
12:07 – Riley is literally at the threshold! Dr. Philpott is on the way in! Bridget actually asked to use a crotch mirror to see Riley’s head! Mom is taking off-centered pictures!
12:17 – Riley Anne Rockefeller is born, healthy! Bridget has minimal tears/tears and is so beautiful! Pictures galore. She weighs 6 lbs/12oz, is 19 inches long, and had APGARS of 9 and 9! God is good…"
As for my thoughts...I can only simply say, it was the most AMAZING feeling to finally have her here!!  I endured hours of pain (was pretty proud of myself that I made it to 9 cm without the epidural!), was beyond thrilled that we didn't have to have a c-section (as many thought I would), thanked God that she came out screaming, kept wondering why she had dark hair :), but above all else, now know what love at first sight truly means! 
 
I am currently loving my job as full-time mommy & wouldn't trade this for anything. We have prayed for her for years & now have her in our arms....yes, we're completely & utterly in L-O-V-E!
 
 
 
Daddy's little girl...
 

 
About to head home from the hospital...
 

 
Hating the carseat...
 
And we're still trying to decide who she looks like...thoughts??

Mommy
Daddy
Riley
 
Riley

Riley


Cutie Pa-Tootie


And don't worry...more updates to come such as: 1wk stats, 2 wk stats & first bath...but right now I need to go change a blow-out diaper.  ;)