Eight Weeks

Jack was eight weeks this past Tuesday and had quite the fun filled week! We have spent some good hours in the car visiting friends and family in LA and San Diego this week. He loves checking himself out in the mirror and looking at his toys that hang from his car seat. One of my friends gave me "Radiohead" lullabies and they never fail to settle Jack in for a nice long nap. (Radiohead is one of my our all time favorite bands, so to have their music in the form of lullabies is absolutely brilliant!) He is smiling more and more, which makes my heart literally melt. He tracks toys with his little eyes back and forth. He LOVES bath time. (We call it the hot tub. Like mother, like son.) He knows our voices... it is amazing to me the power my voice holds for Jack. It can work like magic in calming him down when he gets fussy. Other times, it holds no power and Jack goes to town wailing away. One of my favorite times of the day is cuddling with him in the morning. He is bundled up in his swaddle when I pick him up in the morning and I love laying him in bed with me: I call him my little burrito.

But the biggest activity of the week: calling the fire department for the first time. Jack and I were visiting friends and while at their house, he needed to go down for a nap. I swaddled him up and put him in the crib and shut the door to the bedroom. A few minutes later we heard Jack crying, so I went back to check on him and for whatever reason couldn't open the door. My friend calmly told me not to panic and that the handle was broken and they were in the process of fixing it. The door would not budge even an inch. She immediately called her husband and I continued talking to Jack through the door wondering how we were going to get into the room. Neighbors came over (who happen to be construction workers) and they couldn't get the door open, so they said they were going to try and get in through the window from the backyard. They went to the backyard and relentlessly tried to open the window, but it was locked securely. I called the fire dept. and a message came on since it was later in the evening, so I called 911. I immediately broke down when the dispatcher answered the phone, even though I knew Jack was safe and sound. It was  an uncomfortable and vulnerable feeling not being able to get to him, especially since he was crying. A cop car and fire engine shortly greeted us and ended up breaking the door handle to the bedroom... and there was little Jack. He had stopped crying and was barely awake. I picked him up in shock at what had just happened and rocked him back and forth as he slipped away into a deep sleep... my sweet little baby boy... he had no idea what we had gone through to get to him : ) We thanked the men for their help and I laid Jack in the swing and we went about our night and ate some yummy dinner. We were able to laugh about it totally in disbelief that a fire truck had just showed up to the house. A crazy evening, but one I will remember forever! We are all healthy and safe and will have a good story to tell him when he one day will become fascinated with fire trucks : )

Sleeping after the firemen rescued me

Mr. Bear, you crack me up

Hmm, I wonder how many polka dots are on this chair...

Really? That many, Mr. Bear??

I'm thinking really hard... 

You're my best friend

I like how fuzzy you are

Never have seen you from this angle before

Wow, you've got a nice back

Man down, man down

All ready for my 8 week birthday with Grandma, Grandpa & Aunt Kirsten

He looks like a little boy! His hair is unreal!!!!!

Checking out daddy

7 weeks... time for a haircut!

Mr. Jack man was in need of a haircut. There were a few of you out there who would have shot me if I really "cut" Jack's hair, so instead he got a trim. FYI- I have the best hair lady ever- Kate! If you live in the oc and need someone, let me know, she's amazing. I was getting my hair cut and colored... it had definitely been a long while and took last priority through the end of my pregnancy and Jack's birth. So I was more than thrilled to have an appointment saturday morning. I got the clever idea of taking Jack into her as well when I realized that Jack's hair had morphed into somewhat of a mullet/80's punker. Although very trendy and awesome, it kind of made me nervous at the same time. A two month old with such spiky hair. Our good friend Drew even gave Jack the nickname Rod. Yes, loyal fans of Rod Stewart are proud. We found ourselves referring to our newborn as Rod. Do you think anyone else has ever done this before? With my hair wrapped in foil, I gently held Rod's head as Kate worked her magic. To clarify- Kate had not cut a baby's hair under the age of seven months. Jack was awesome and made it through without crying. Sometimes I feel bad for babies- we can do whatever we please to them and they cannot have their own opinion. But in the end, Jack was happy and he looks super cute : ) Enjoy the pictures!

Wait a minute... what do they think they are going to do to me?

The Mullet

What is that buzzing noise in my ear?

It's still buzzing...

Ahhh, getting used to it... I kind of like it.

The floor is looking good

The floor is still looking good

Feeling a little rush of blood to the head

Really feeling the blood rush...

All right, I'm a new man

Spikes

Am I looking good, mom?

Happy baby, happy mama

Chilling with Dad

Time for a nap

Time is Flying by...

Jack was seven weeks this past Tuesday and each day that passes, I am overwhelmed with how much more alert he is! And... drum roll please... Jack slept through the night TWICE this week! Can I get an amen??? Monday, November 9th, 2009, Jack slept from 10pm to 5:30am. Our really close friends from London, Peter and Becca, spent the night and I was ecstatic to wake up and share the news with them! I think they are my good luck charm.. don't go back to London!!! And then on Tuesday, Jack slept from 10:30pm to 8am! I had to wake him up to eat. Has been such a gift. But last night, I got too excited about it and returned to my old habit of staying up late putzing around the house and went to bed at 2am. Well, little Jack decided to only go for six hours and wake up at 4am. I was tired today... totally my own fault : ) Point being- he is doing AWESOME with his sleep and I am SOOOO thankful! We had a relaxing day at home and ran some errands this afternoon. As I pushed him around the stroller in Target today, I couldn't help but smile at how cute he is. I just love his precious little face, his funny little noises and his SMILE! Yes, another milestone... he has started smiling, folks! Tonight Matt even got a teeny little laugh out of him. Such a joy! Here are his four week pictures. Next week I'll post his eight week and you can see the difference.

Matt is the best husband in the world. Honestly, it is so true that you fall deeper in love after having a child together. We have been protective of our free time (since Matt doesn't have much of it) and have grown so much closer together. A lot of our free time has been spent getting outdoors and playing in the hills of Ladera. There are beautiful trails around here, so we have bundled Jack up and embarked on some hikes and runs that have felt so good to complete after being a swollen balloon that couldn't walk more than five minutes at a time. Even after working all day, going to school, studying, working on research... Matt has the energy to come home, play with Jack, help with bath time, read stories, and sit and look at our precious boy. He has also been extremely affirming and loving towards me, which makes me feel valued and confident as I figure out this new phase of motherhood. God has been so faithful to us the past five years. I am thankful for this place we have come to... I am feeling content and thankful. Praying about what God has for us as a family, how He will use us and how we can serve others. Although we haven't been going to church faithfully these past few months, we have been listening to some challenging sermons. Our favorite speaker at the moment is Francis Chan. Check him out if you haven't heard of him. Anywho, that is our update! Happy Friday tomorrow : )

Mom, I can't hold my head up!

Ummm, little shaky here, mom

Ah, there we go! What's shakin', Mr Bear?

Huh? What did you say to me?

Are we almost done??

My little baby doll : )

What's that noise over there?

Jack's Birth

Baby Jack arrived on September 22 at 3:24 pm and we were overcome with peace, joy, awe, tears... many different emotions as we welcomed him into this world. He was 9 pounds 12 ounces!! Here I am, five weeks later, sitting at the computer with Jack hanging next to me sleeping away in his swing and I cannot imagine what life would be like without him. Here's a little bit of the whole story...

The last few weeks of pregnancy were not my favorite weeks... I literally looked like Shrek. I was extremely swollen and had the most amazing waddle you've ever seen. It hurt to walk, sit, sleep... everything was uncomfortable. But I will say I enjoyed the pool... I worked on getting a killer tan... check out the pics below. On top of the swelling, I had high blood pressure. The last two weeks leading up to the pregnancy my doctor kept saying she would most likely induce at the next appointment. Finally, on Monday, Sept.21, she got the party started and induced me. I officially went into labor around 1am on Tuesday morning and arrived at the hospital at 7am. By the time we got there I was already five cm dilated. The anisthesiologist was busy, so I finally got my epidural between 6 and 7 cm. Woo! And was that the best treat ever! I immediately felt like I was floating on water and even managed to take a nap. My doctor came in around 1pm and said that I was 9 1/2 cm and that I needed to get ready to push. So funny, I remember barely being able to open my eyes and told the doctor I felt like I was on drugs and everyone in the room laughed because yes, I was indeed on drugs : ) I pushed and pushed for 1 hour and 45 minutes and Jack arrived. I turned into a mountain woman and was determined to get him out. So rewarding and such a relief physically, mentally, emotionally to finally meet him. My favorite moment: when they placed Jack on me, Matt and I were doing everything from laughing to crying to smiling to crying... I started to talk to him and his little face turned toward my voice and there he was: my little baby that I had been waiting to meet all these months. I still get emotional thinking about that moment. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13) Miracle.

We celebrated the birth by getting some pizza and shakes, which was the best way to end labor, but I started getting sick and ended up losing a lot of blood, so all visitors were told to leave. I ended up staying in the hospital for three days and it took awhile for my body to gather energy to even get out of bed due to the blood loss. I wasn't able to shower for two days!! If anyone knows me, this is the worst thing imaginable. Showering and clean sheets are my favorite thing about each day... so to sit in my glorious sweat for a few days was difficult to say the least. But we made it home and it has been the best! My mom stayed with me for a week after the birth and we had a good time learning and relearning how to take care of a baby. My sister came down the next week and was able to stay with us for ten days. The support of family and friends has been such a blessing. From encouraging words, to meals, to cards, to visits... we have felt very loved and supported, so thank you!!

 Jack was extremely gentle and calm for the most part the first few weeks. I kept asking if this would last or if it was just a newborn thing. Honestly, Jack has remained very sensitive, loving and gentle. He has come out of his coma and is more aware than ever before. We are in love with our little boy and are soaking up everyday with him as we learn what he needs and how to parent him as best we can. We are praising God everyday for this precious gift!

Standing in all my prego glory

Shrek

Amazing

Love him

Our new family

Was he really inside of me???

Proud daddy

Cuddling

G-mum

Auntie Dana thought she might be a little sick... hence the mask

Proud Pa

Pa & Jamma

Grandma & Grandpa Bettino                      

Jack's Room

Here are some fun pictures of baby-proofing our house. I love Jack's room. It smells so good... like a baby : ) I don't know if it's the diaper wipes, laundry or what... but it smells so good.  We have been praying for Jack and trust that God will protect him, reveal Himself to Jack and equip us to be the best parents we can be. I feel complete peace and know that God's presence fills his room. I will be spending a lot of time in that rocking chair... yay for baby Jack : ) Proud daddy installed the car seat. When I'm driving, the little toys will clink together in the back seat when I go over bumps and reminds me that I will have a partner in crime each time I get into the car. Hopefully this week we will meet our little boy. We relaxed this weekend and spent good time together- hit up the beach and took a few walks. I cannot tell you how good it felt to float in the ocean. I could have literally stayed in the water all day. We also celebrated three birthdays- happy birthday daniela, bibi and john! And today was my dad's birthday... even though we didn't get to see him, we'll be celebrating in person soon : ) Enjoy the pics!

All ready for Jack

Hard working dad

The swing... and Matt & Lucy taking a snooze

The crib

shout out to Dana and Matt- thank you for the wall letters!

Changing table

Already a Dodgers fan

The start of his book collection

Rocking Chair

Closet - baby shoes are too cute

The Home Stretch...

We are almost there... hopefully only days away!! I was 39 weeks yesterday and am really feeling ready to meet Jack. It has been an interesting two weeks because my main "job" is to take care of myself, rest and do random little chores. I have been able to spend time with friends, go to the pool, take walks, go to the mall for air conditioning (the people at babygap know me by name), and do household chores. Matt is happy- he has been getting lots of yummy home cooked meals. I think I have gone to the grocery store almost everyday this week to "make sure" we are stocked. Mission accomplished : )

 

Due to my swelling and high blood pressure, there was a chance I would be induced this past Tuesday. Matt ended up getting the flu or food poisoning the morning of. It was an emotional day since we had been preparing for it thinking we would have a baby on Sept. 15 or 16th... but instead, Matt was throwing up and I went to the doctor by myself and she said that my swelling had actually gone down and that she wouldn't have to induce. (I don't know how my swelling went down that morning.... my feet feel like they are going to explode at any moment.) We know that God's timing is perfect and that Tuesday was not the day for little Jack to enter the world, so we are waiting... I am trying to be patient and know he will be here so soon... I'm just ready to meet him, hold him and sleep on my stomach again!!! : ) 

Babies are everywhere and I love it! Our good friends, Drew & Jordyn, just had their little baby girl, Emery, a couple weeks ago. We got some really cute pics of her below. Cannot wait to get her and Jack together.... they will be good little buddies : ) Have been able to see my good friend/sisternlaw, Nicki, and her son, Luke, a few times these past few weeks which has been really fun. Went to the pool and Luke even tried out Jack's crib and slept pretty well. Yesss... we got a good crib : ) Kim and Dillan came over last week and she helped me wash bottles, showed me how to use the breast pump, put the baby tub together.... I just kind of sat and watched in awe as she showed me the ropes of being a mom. My good friend Steph in San Diego just had a son, Sawyer, this past week... he was four weeks early, but healthy. Steph and I never made it to the beach while on maternity leave, we'll just have to wait until I have Jack to have our beach date : ) Our good friends, Tim and Mariah, came down with their son, Isaac, who is almost a year old... really fun to envision what Jack will be like in one year... walking, beginning to talk.... so much fun. Crazy- one of my best friends growing up lives in Costa Mesa and just had her son, Isaac, 10 weeks ago. We got together for lunch this week and it's crazy that after both growing up in Danville and getting into lots of fun trouble together as kids that we are having little boys less than three months apart. Love all the wisdom I am learning from these women : ) All that being said, thankful for our friends and family and cannot wait for Jack to grow up with some fun kids.

I think I am inflated with a balloon

38 weeks

38 weeks

Bettino ladies (and Jack)

Newphews- Zach & Luke and Aunt Nicki

Dusty, Matt & Dillan

Lucy loves Luke

Mariah, Isaac & me

Kelly & Isaac

Matt & I meeting baby Emery

Emery- little angel : )

36 week picture

We are past the 37th week, but needed to put up the 36 week picture! My white body will officially be getting some sun because I finished work last Thursday and am ready to relax and hang at the pool/beach!! Cannot wait to hold little Jack and finally see who has been kicking me non stop : ) And I will be very excited to no longer waddle or look at my swollen feet.... legs actually. Did you know that some prego women's legs actually swell, not just their feet and ankles? And hands. I have inherited these joys in my pregnancy. Almost there! 

36 weeks