Love a Rainy Nite

Spending time with my boys is the best thing in the whole world. Hands. Down.
We enjoyed a special treat today, the hubby stayed home from work due to a migraine, but we had a nice day anyways. Jeremy cooked a great dinner as discussed just before this.  We ate peacefully at the actual dinner table just us as Jacob napped in his crib.  I shockingly suggested we talk and not worry about watching Big Brother yet....I know you love it too! It was a very nice dinner with delicious food and great company.  Then it started raining (yea!!!!), so we grabbed Jacob and Guinness and sat on our back porch.  We have waited ALL summer to spend time outside together! I snapped a couple of pics....of course.

Sweet, sweet rain

Two of my boys

Look. At. That. Face!

Our evening then continued by me washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen making turtle brownies....the box kind.  I slacked on the homemade this time, already made and ate homemade M&M chocolate chip cookies a few days ago. Anywho, while I was tearing open the box and mixing away Jeremy was spending some quality time with Jacob.  I hear from Jacob room the words to Goodnight Moon...It was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard.  Every time I hear Jeremy playing with, talking or reading to Jacob my heart absolutely melts.  He is the best dad, and Jacob has a great role model to watch as he grows older. Speaking of growing older my little man will be 3 months on Friday....I will post about that obviously! We are now all cuddled up as a family with Guinness laying at our feet watching Big Brother and Royal Pains.  I love my life. Hope everyone's night was as wonderful as mine.

2 months

When Jacob was born and turned 1 month I didn't really have time to blog about specifics, but no worries I wrote down things like weight and length elsewhere for future reference.  Now I do have *some* time to write about his 2 month goings-on.
He is currently weighing in at 13 lbs. 10oz.  Yes, I am raising a prize fighter or sumo wrestler or something....
He's still rocking the blue eyes, and I'd say little brown, sandy blonde hair...but we'll see where those things end up. He is measuring 23 1/2 inches, and man can I ever tell he has gotten longer!  I have fairly short arms so trying to hold him football style while nursing out in public (w/o the boppy) has become slightly challenging.  I find myself asking Jeremy to lift Jacob's bottom and push it into my elbow space, so I can get a better grip....lol. I'm sure people think I'm nuts but whatever.  Another way I can tell he's beyond long is he no longer *really* fits in footie pjs for 0-3 months...just b/c the legs aren't long enough, ever other part fits.  He's still currently squeezing into a few of them but mostly sleeps in sleep sacks (LOVE THEM!) or pjs that just snap with cuffs at the ankles...I *almost* refuse to put him in 3-6 month footie pjs...my baby can't be that big yet!!!!
He is one happy and healthy little guy.  He is currently "talking" otherwise known as gurgling at me from where he's laying next to me on the couch.  Oh which is another reason I know he's so long...with his butt touching the back of the couch, legs and feet on the back, his head almost reaches the edge...*continues to watch him as he keeps pushing with his feet, so he doesn't launch himself head first into the floor.* He is becoming so much fun, I mean I loved him before, but now he smiles in the morning when I lean over the bassinet to pick him up and when I hold him up on my shoulder he can keep his head up and puts his arm around my neck...makes it MUCH easier to dance with my new guy. ;-)
Well, time's up...the "talking" has turned to crying and eating of the hand...*food time again*

Wordless Wednesday

Daddy Talk #3- Potty

Tonite's chat somehow ended up about the potty.
Jeremy: to Guinness, who is growling at him "You need to go to the door if you need to go outside."
Jeremy: to Jacob "Yeah, Guinness is a crazy dog.  He knows he's supposed to go to the door to go potty, but he's not doing it."
Jacob: *smiles and cooing*
Jeremy:  "Guinness goes potty outside, so he has to go to the door.  You will potty in the bathroom."
Jacob: *blank stare*
Jeremy: "Yep you will."
Jacob: *smiles*
Jeremy: "See you'll just climb on up that toilet and sit down and potty. That's how it's done."
Jacob: *smiles, gurgles, and cooing*
*Guinness finally goes to the door.*
Jacob: *smiles*
Jeremy: to Guinness "Ok I'll let you out."

In the meantime Jacob just looks far off the direction Jeremy went waiting for him to come back...he has been staring at his daddy and cooing at him for about 30 mins now. Minus the time it took to put Guinness out and let him back in.  Jacob is currently making all sorts of noises, smiles, gurgles...it's too cute.  And Jeremy just keeps saying "Yeah, is that what it is?" and "Really?" They just keep going back and forth...adorable.

Jeremy: "I love that smile.  Love your toothless smile."
Jacob: *coo*

Made it Monday

Meeting my little man for the first time...he's brand new!

All clean and getting checked out with daddy

Our sweet miracle...we made him...can't believe it.

I needed to remind myself what a miracle Jacob is, so here's my Made it Monday...because Jeremy and I created him....today's spitup and all. ;-)

Daddy Talk #2- Girls

Sitting on the couch this evening Jeremy brings Jacob in from once again doing the pj routine (see Daddy Talk #1), and he proceeds to have a small chat with Jacob. About girls.
Jeremy: "So let's talk about girls. They are crazy, all of them are crazy except your momma *whispers* she's just plain nuts."
Jacob: *smiles & stares at Jeremy with big eyes*
Jeremy: (continues talking about girls and how they are pretty, tricky, and fun)
Me: "No girls...."
Jeremy: "Someday you'll like them because you'll think ones pretty. They're tricky like that, making themselves all pretty. Then when you get older you'll find one and fall in love, but then she'll break your heart."
Jacob: *serious, focused look*
Jeremy: "But that's ok because then you find another one and fall in love, but she'll break your heart too because she's not the one."
Jacob: *cooing & smiles*
Jeremy: "And finally you'll find the one, and all her craziness will be ok because you'll love her and she's the one."
Jacob: *big smiles & cooing*
Me: *smiles & heart melting*
Love my hubby & my Jacob.

Daddy Talk #1 - Octopus

I'm starting a new series of posts entitled Daddy Talk...basically it's all the crazy, funny, sweet things I hear Jeremy talking about or saying to Jacob. Here is the first convo worthy of an entry...it occurred about a week or so ago...I overheard it from Jacob's room.

Jeremy (dressing Jacob in pjs for bed): "Dude hang on.  It's like dressing an octopus in here!"
Jacob: "Gurgle, coo, coo" (smiles)

The Joy of a C-Section (?)

The title of this entry is conflicting to me...
1) It was a great joy to know I was having my baby, and he would be safe and healthy!
2) The question mark (?) comes from my feelings of wanting my body to do what it was supposed to do (as I've mentioned in a previous post).  It's a difficult place to get to emotionally knowing you technically won't be doing anything to give birth to your baby.  Of course item 1) above helped me get to that place, that and my husband being supportive of my feelings and reassuring me that it made Jacob's arrival no less wonderful.
3) It was a great joy to be able to tell our entire families and friends when we'd be expecting Jacob's arrival.  I was so thankful to have both my parents, my step parents, my sister, and all 3 grandparents...Jeremy's parents, sister & brother in law, aunt, and cousin...all there to support us before hand and to love on Jacob after we came out of surgery. 
4) (?) Not a fan of getting to kiss on your child for a few minutes and then have to let him go to the nursery, where they took a 1/2 hour to get him back to me. Jeremy was not happy either b/c he knew I'd want to be holding & feeding Jacob ASAP and b/c he wanted to check on me....I can only imagine how he felt at that moment: so happy to have his baby boy, loving the joy of seeing him and touching him, frustrated that they were taking so long, anxious b/c he didn't know if I was out of surgery and ok, feeling pulled in two different directions to be with his new son and his wife.
5) Recovery: It was a joy to be able to shower, put makeup on, and have my day planned.
I can't speak from the experience of vaginal birth, but I think the pain of a c-section would be comparable at times.  My thoughts are the vaginal birth gets all the pain before the baby comes and the c-section gets all the pain after...I'd call them even.  My joy was knowing that I have had 4 surgeries already in my life, and I had recovered from all of them really quickly.  I also knew my tolerance for pain was slightly high, and I knew I could focus through and picture the end result....which was super helpful on day two when I wanted to put my fist through a wall b/c I hurt so bad.  Now mind you I hadn't taken pain meds since I'd had surgery...had the spinal and then ibuprofen and super tylenol all of Thurs. and Friday until about 6pm I gave in to the percoset (sp?).  I wasn't trying to be a hero, I just knew some pain meds made me dizzy and nauseous every time I moved, and I didn't want that feeling while trying to enjoy Jacob.  Other than that day, I was fantastic...and on percoset...LOL  I stopped taking the percoset regularly on Mon. (the day after we came home), I then just took them as needed, mainly towards the end of the day.
6) I received one of the best surgery prizes ever....Jacob Andrew.  I love him so much.

Jacob Andrew Case

Introducing Jacob Andrew Case...(better late than never...I've been a little busy people!)

Ready to become a family of four* (if you count Guinness, which we do)

Still in surgery, Jeremy brings me Jacob

My sweet Jacob with his daddy's hand

Our blessed little family (an hour and half old)

 

 

 

Jacob, one day old

Two days old, hanging out with dad

Jacob's 1st portrait (2 days old)

Slightly upset by being messed with...but the sweetest pic with dad's hand

Our 1st official family portrait...this melts my heart...this picture shows absolutely everything I've wanted in the world since I met Jeremy almost 10 years ago.

Made it Monday....a day late....

Alright people, so I was all pumped to have something to post for Made it Monday....and then Monday kinda slipped away!
So I'm still posting....oh well!

throw pillow

dog bed/ floor pillow

bedskirt

Here is what I made for Jacob's nursery....I am very proud of myself as the bedskirt was the first ever bedskirt to be made by me.  The pillows were easier as I have made many a pillow case/form. Although I did have a small challenge with the throw pillow zipper...I got it from Jeremy's dad at the upholstery store, so it was a hardcore zipper and didn't separate at the end of the zipper.  This posed a problem with the machine and being able to sew the zipper all the way to the end...so I had to bust out the needle and sew the very ends by hand.  But I think it all turned out super fabulous!

Pics of Baby Jacob

One of my favs...28 weeks

The entire Baby Case album.

And a couple maternity pics....34 weeks

And a fav from our at home pics...8 weeks & 35 weeks

Sorry for the delay.....38 weeks

I realize I have been MIA on the updates about Baby Case, but.....I've been slightly busy getting ready for baby and slightly exhausted.  So here is the latest: I am now 38 weeks preggo, and Jacob is approximated around 8 lbs.  We have also scheduled a c-section for May 12th because my sweet, sweet boy still has his head in my ribcage, thus being breech.  I suppose my fabulous pregnancy had to have a minor hiccup...as in the baby hasn't flipped....so that's our hiccup.  He is 100% happy being head up and just hanging out, so we opted to not have the inversion (where doc tries to flip him) procedure....there were multiple reasons but as doc pointed out first babies don't have as much room to manipulate them and he has been in the same position for at least 4 months. We have tried stretches and rocking and whatnot....but nothing. So like I said he's 100% happy where he is, and next Thursday he'll join the world butt first (I assume, just based on the strategic place of the incision and his butt...lol)

Eventhough this wasn't what we had planned or expected from my body, we want Jacob to join the world in whatever way is safest and best for him and me, so off to c-section we go.  It has taken me a few good weeks to get used to this idea of how he'll be entering the world, but I keep telling myself that God has a plan and whatever is best for Jacob. Jeremy has been amazingly supportive and reassuring whenever I have moments of stress about wondering why my body hasn't done what it's supposed to as far as Jacob flipping. It has been difficult to work through for me because I like reasons or explanations for things, and this doesn't have a reason...I'm apparently the 1 in 25 full term births of the population that has a breech baby without any complications.  There's no low fluid, no placenta problems, no issue with the length of the cord...it would drive me crazy if I didn't have Jeremy to bring me back down to Earth (about this and MANY other things...) I can't be grateful enough for my amazing husband, and I am beyond excited for him to hold Jacob...I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees the baby we made.

On a slightly different but similar note: yesterday was my last day of work for the school year...kinda crazy.  I keep thinking how much I'll miss my kiddos, and I tried my hardest to prepare them for me being gone....I guess I just have to let it go...they'll be fine, right? lol
They are so excited for the baby to come, and I will miss having them pat or kiss my tummy when they leave everyday.  I told them I'd be back the last week of school with him & that it might be weird b/c I wouldn't have as big a belly as I do now.  They agreed that'd be weird, which I thought was funny...they can't wait to meet Jacob.  I have loved being able to be preggo all school year.  The kids have enjoyed watching my belly grow, feeling him move, and just yesterday seeing my whole stomach do the weird alien moving thing while I read the chapter book.  They were all amazed, and I'm glad I got to share this miracle with them.  I feel like they learned so much this year...plus it made learning about baby chicks and hatching eggs lots more fun to compare it to a human "hatching".  I had to laugh everytime they told someone we had an incubator for eggs, and and incubator for the baby...me. Hey, it was the easiest way to explain to 7 yr olds what was going on inside my body...LOL!

Anyways, all will be fantastic as I rest up this week, and prepare final little things for Jacob's arrival. 
We can't wait!

Week 29

Well Jacob is now the size of a nutterbutt squash...I mean, butternut squash. ;-)
I think that is funny enough as it is. Don't have much else to say on the baby front other than all is going well and doc says he is getting nice and big. =)

Snow and baby things.

Yesterday, we ended up with just around 14 inches of snow.  We have drift in our backyard that even Guinness would disappear into.  It's nice and pretty, and I wouldn't mind running around in the snow with Guinness if it wasn't also negative degrees outside!  Jeremy and I have both been snow in from work (darn!). The dog won't venture across the huge snowdrift to have more room to do his business, so we'll be shoveling and sanitizing the back porch as soon as we can see it again.....Needless to say we haven't gone further than our back or front porch in over 24 hours.
So yesterday, we cleaned up the office, Jeremy played some Everquest, Guinness and I napped and watched tv, Jeremy and I watched Be Cool, and then Jeremy made tomato sauce for spaghetti....mmmmmmmmmm! We also played around with baby Jacob.  He was very busy kicking around most of the day.  Jeremy can just barely feel him when he kicks....it has to be a strong ka-pow though otherwise he doesn't feel it.  I also read that if you put your ear to my tummy you could hear the baby's heartbeat, so of course we had to try it! Jeremy was so cute putting his ear to my tummy, and I held my breathe (just to make it quieter lol) AND Jeremy said he could hear his heartbeat!!!!!! I told him I was jealous of that, but then I quickly said I guess you're jealous I can feel him move, so we're even.  I love seeing his face light up when I say that Jacob is a busy boy, kicking away, so I'm super happy he can start to partake in "hearing" and feeling Jacob. 
On today's agenda we have fold some laundry, clean the bathrooms, sweep the floors (not wet washing them...no point it's all snowy, everywhere!), and finally baking some cookies!  We may also investigate the driveway and see how much shoveling there is to be able to see the world again. We are supposed to host the HOA board mtg at our house tonite, but I think it will only happen if people are willing to trek across the snow in the boots and coats so we'll see. I can't say I would if it were at someone else house....
We are so thankful we kept power and that it seems like the rest of the state did too!  I would have been one cranky preggo without heat!
On a side-note....only 105 days left!!!!!!!!

More thoughts on Great Danes and babies

A comment on my last post got me thinking....
Jax mentioned people who choose to have kids when they have a dog, sometimes then think they have to give up the dog.  Jax and I are in total agreement that the dog is a huge part (or should be) of your family, and you can't just shuffle them off like a stuffed animal.  I mean, if you have a hard time with the kid at age 8 months, are you going to pass them off to another family?!? I realize that at times dog's and children for that matter can be trying on the patience and that everyone is not perfect, but I really don't think there is anything Guinness could do to make us give him to someone else. (And before you give me reasons why that could happen, I'm aware, when I was 5 my dog was put to sleep b/c she had become senile basically and had bitten me and my 1 yr old sister. So I understand extensive circumstances. I'm talking about the people who just don't want to walk the dog or feeding or playing with the dog is a pain in the ass now that they have a baby. I mean did they think life was going to get easier?!?)
So this is my rant about how you should think before bringing a dog or child or both into your family. 
Think about the situations you have at hand.  I know it sounds like common sense but sometimes people are lacking....
I believe my Great Dane is the best one ever....this is why. ;-)
From the day we brought Guinness home, we knew he would be out "child" until we had children, and then he'd become the oldest "child."  We have taken him every place possible, introduced him to dogs and people of all sizes and ages, and we have trained ALOT to get the best behavior out of him.  I'm not saying he's perfect, or that we did everything right...(just like I'm sure I won't be a perfect mom, but that's another entry.), I'm just saying that we have busted our butt LONG in advance to get him to be people friendly, because we knew we would have children someday with him around.  Guinness has "played" with babies as young as 4 months and people as old as 90, and from what I've seen I think we've done pretty damn well if I do say so myself.  I know those people don't live in my home and that will be different, but I really think he will be an amazing protector for Jacob. 
I have washed everything I have so far for the baby, so he's seen me folding that laundry and now it smells like the rest of us around here...I spend time in the baby's room by myself and with other people...I let Guinness inspect the clothes in the closet and the blankets and the toys that jingle and wiggle (part of his training, is he doesn't "eat" or play with anything unless he's been given it by us)...We let him lay on the bed in the babies room...We've let him slime the crib railing...We even talk to him about the baby and tell him to be careful and soft with my tummy and that his brother is in there....etc....You may think we are crazy, but when I said Guinness was our first "child" I meant it.  He is without a doubt the best older sibling ever...He will always be there for us and Jacob...He will always love us unconditionally.  This is why my Great Dane is the best one ever! I can't wait to see him with Jacob. I can just picture Jacob sleeping in his crib, Guinness sleeping on the floor in front of the crib, Jeremy and I resting on the couch (who am I kidding, folding laundry on the couch) and my entire world will be perfect!

Great Danes are amazing!

While doing some research on babies and dogs, more specifically Great Danes, I came up this sweet story someone had posted on the Great Dane Club of America Rescue.  Needless to say, it brought tears to my eyes, hoping and praying that Guinness and Jacob will get along just as fabulously.
"Before we even knew it, days turned to weeks, weeks to months and finally with Forbes in the family for three years (and our other dog, lab mix from the shelter, for five years), I became pregnant. We were so excited and yet worried about how our dogs would take it. We did all the things that were suggested by our obedience trainer and vet - carrying a baby doll around the house to judge jealousy, play a recorded sound clip of a baby crying to get them used to the sound and bringing home a blanket from the hospital with our baby's scent on it for our boys to smell but nothing could ever, ever prepare us for what lay ahead. From the time I was pregnant forward, I felt like I was carrying twins- my human baby still in the womb, and the Great Dane baby who plastered himself to me every moment of the day. When I would lie on the couch, Forbes would lay on the ground right next to me. When I went to the bathroom, Forbes would stare at me eyeball to eyeball until I was finished. When I would sit to read or watch TV, Forbes would come, lie beside me and gently put his head on my ever expanding stomach- an instant fluffed pillow for him. By the time our son came home from the hospital I felt like Forbes already knew him- after all, he had also endured several months of kicking and karate chops so his pillow was more like a vibrating bed. The bond the two of them formed was immediate. As a baby, when our son would cry, Forbes would sit quietly by his crib until his Father or I came to soothe our son. When people came to visit, Forbes would stand or lay between the family member holding our son and the visitors to let others know they were not going to touch this child unless his parents told him it was OK. When we went for a walk, Forbes was always the one closest to the stroller so he could see our son at all times. My husband and I soon began calling him the doting father. As our human son began to grow, the bond he has shared with his Dane grew deeper. The first journey our son made when he began to crawl was into the dog bed with Forbes. Forbes watched him come closer and instead of moving away as we expected, he parted his legs to make more room for our son to curl into. That became the place of choice for our son to watch TV from over the next few months and years. When walking began, who better to hold onto than a dog bigger than you? Even when our son would accidentally pull an ear or whisker as he fell down, Forbes never even gave a whimper. Instead he would look at the opportunity to give our son a kiss when no one was supposed to be looking. Now our human son is three and a half. If given the opportunity he will tell you all about our "big dogs" and "Forbes, his favorite dog in the whole wide world". The two appear as Siamese twins on a regular basis- no one knowing where one stops and the other begins with arms wrapped around necks and noses nuzzling hair. We often hear our son whisper "I love you" into Forbes' ear as they snuggle together."


I also found this very funny video of a Great Dane with a baby.   

And then of course there is still the onesie I need to purchase ASAP!

I'd say we are slightly excited to have Jacob here with Guinness. And I just know that he is going to be an amazing protector for Jacob, and they will be best friends!

Baby Case Update

I thought I'd update about the baby boy...it's been a while, forever it seems since I posted.  After having bronchitis just before and over Christmas, and then I was just kicking it in the ass and getting better............I get it AGAIN! Needless to say, I've been doing not much other than coughing, sitting in pjs, drinking hot tea, and using more Kleenex than I ever thought possible.  But I have to say that I'd rather have this than being having a hard time with the pregnancy.  That's the only bonus, is our baby boy is still growing strong, perfect is what the doc said.  He is weighing in at 1 lb. these days, and something like the length of a spaghetti squash (which is much fatter than spaghetti... but whatever.) Here are all his portraits to date.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jeremydcase/BabyCase?feat=directlink#

I am so happy and blessed that he is doing so great!  Jeremy, Guinness, and I can't wait to meet him!

He has a NAME & we are HALFWAY THERE!!!!

Well folks, Jeremy and I have survived half of the pregnancy.  I am still so amazed that I had a wonderful first trimester with just a little nausea, and now my second trimester has been going so fabulously that I sometimes forget I'm preggo.  No, I don't forget to the point that I'm at the bar taking shots or chugging beers...lol. I can only hope and pray that the third trimester goes just as well and that of course the birth has no complications either.

In, other fun news, we have picked a name for our little man.  His name is Jacob Andrew Case.  Jeremy and I have always loved the name Jacob, and we love that it is a Biblical name as well.  Jeremy came up with the idea of Andrew, which was a name I honestly hadn't considered, but when he mentioned it I said "hmmmm Andrew... I really like it." We "slept on it" for a week or so, and then finally decided we kept coming back to Jacob and we really liked Andrew with it.  So we bit the bullet and said "yep, we LOVE it, that's his name." And so we are anxiously awaiting meeting our little Jacob Andrew.

So at 20 weeks, he is the length of a banana! Love it...haha! So we've gone from measuring general size of baby, to just comparing the length to fruit and veg. It was either the banana or a cantaloupe this week depending on the website you look at. Still cracks me up that they compare him to fruit...LOL.

I will upload the 17 week ultrasound pics sometime this week, and then get them posted.  We go to the doc again in 9 days....it just seems like time is FLYING! Dear time, Once he gets here feel free to sloooooow waaaaaay down please. Thanks, Jessie