2 Week Baby Well Check...

Gunnar had his 2 week baby well check today. He is growing and eating like a champ! Our little guy weighs 10 lbs 6 oz (95 %) and is 22 inches long (95 %). His head measured 36 1/2 cm (50 %). The doctor was pretty impressed with how strong Gunnar is. He likes to pick his head up and look around and move around in a full circle on his back. He is doing everything that he is supposed to be doing at this age which is what we believed he was doing but it is always reassuring to hear that.

Visitors...

We have had a few visitors since we came home with Gunnar. Our first weekend home my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law came to visit. They were pretty impressed with how good Gunnar was. Hopefully, Auntie Carrie and Uncle Matt got a lot of practice in as they are expecting their first child in April--maybe they will hold out until the 17th. That would be something! A few days later the kids' Great Grandma and Harry came to visit and check out our new addition to the family. We had a great time visiting with everyone and will have to do it again! Thanks for coming and all the well wishes!

Tiny braids...

The kids got to have jammie day at Dani's and they loved it! Dani even braided the girls hair. Ada had these tiny, cute, little braids in her hair. She has not had a hair cut yet. She has worked to long to get the hair that she has. She just does not have very much hair. It is very fine and thin (not at all like my hair) so I am hoping that it thickens up but only time will tell. Dave says she looks like a little girl when she gets her hair done but he thought she looked so old with these tiny braids in her hair.

My turn...

I think it is safe to safe that Auntie Carrie loves doing Ada's hair. Ada also loves looking pretty like a princess so likes getting her hair done. I don't know whose idea it was but I turned around to find Ada doing Auntie Carrie's hair. She is growing up so fast!

Dress up time...

Ada loves playing dress up. She was one lucky little girl as she got a box of fairy dress-up clothes from Auntie Carrie and Uncle Matt. Of course she had to try out her new play clothes right away.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated Christmas on my side of the family over New Year's. Here Benjamin and Ada are enjoying some sparkling non-alcoholic bubbly! They loved it but drank too much as they each ended up with a belly ache.

All dressed and ready to go home!

Getting Gunnar ready to go home and for his first car ride. Here we are enjoying our time together with our new son. Daddy even picked out Gunnar's going home from the hospital outfit. Isn't it cute? The shirt has a little crocodile on it that says "see you later". Gunnar is quite the snuggly little bear. He certainly is spoiling us with all these cuddles and snuggles!

Look at those beautiful baby blues!!!

If you ask me, I think Gunnar is one handsome little boy!!

My mom and me...

I love spending time with my new little boy! He is such a sweetie and is quite the little cuddlier! I love just holding him, snuggling him, and rocking him. Dave says he can tell that Gunnar loves spending time with me and that Gunnar has a favorite spot to cuddle in. It has been so much fun to get him dressed and not just have him wrapped in blankets like the other two kids had to do for pretty much their first month of life. Gunnar has been a great baby. I have enjoyed each and every day of my maternity leave just spending time with the newest addition to our family. Have I said that I love this little guy?

Meeting Baby Gunnar...

Due to the blizzard Benjamin and Ada had to wait until Tuesday afternoon to meet their baby brother Gunnar. Dave stayed the night with Gunnar and me (he really had no other choice) and the kids stayed the night at Dani & Travis's house. Dave, Gunnar, and I had a good time getting to know one another on Monday, Monday night, and Tuesday morning. Dave and I think that Gunnar looks a lot like Benjamin so we had a hard time calling him Gunnar and not Benjamin. Especially, since it was just the three of us it really felt like we were with Benjamin (except Gunnar has two moving arms so we know without a doubt that we were with Gunnar and not Benjamin). Benjamin and Ada were more excited to see me than their new baby brother. I don't think that they really comprehended that they would be seeing the baby. Once they realized Gunnar was there they warmed right up to him. Ada more than Benjamin as she was busy giving her new baby brother kisses. Benjamin was amazed at the view out the window as he could see the whole world. They both have been a great big brother and big sister.

Gunnar's birth story...

Name: Gunnar David

Weight: 9 lbs 12 oz

Length: 21 3/4 inches

Date: January 25, 2010

Time: 2:00 p.m.

We had a wild week last week. Our precious baby boy Gunnar David was born during a blizzard. Dave typically has Mondays off and I was getting ready for work worrying about how I was going to make it driving in those wonderful winter storm conditions (terrible visibility) and unbeknowst to me that my courthouse had decided to close for the day (thank goodness as I had a bunch of things to get done--I was busy nesting all weekend and still wanted to do some more stuff and I was looking forward to spending the day with my family). Well, our baby decided to stir things up for us as my water broke that morning. So Dave woke the kids up and took them over to Dani & Travis's house. I have no idea how Dave could drive to the hospital as the visibility was so bad and here he was trying to time the contractions and watch the clock. I told him to keep his eyes on the road and I would do my best to keep my eyes on the clock as I really did not want to have a baby in the car sitting in a road ditch. As I was in labor we were listening to the news and hearing how they were closing the interstate, pulling plows off the roads, etc, we then realized that there was no way Dave was going to get home to get the kids. We have wonderful neighbors, friends, and daycare provider that allowed the kids to spend the night. It was right up Benjamin's ally because he got to stay with his best friend Quinn.

Once we arrived at the hospital we found out that I was dialated to 4 cm. Unfortuately, my contractions had slowed down and after walking the halls for a few hours Dr. Madison decided to speed them up with Pitocin. They started to come hard, fast, and regular. Things were moving now. I went from 6 cm to 9 cm in less than 10 minutes. It was just a few minutes longer until I was dialated to 10 cm (although it felt like forever to go from 9 to 10 as all I wanted to do was push). I pushed Gunnar out in less than 15 minutes (it may have even been quicker). Dave was able to cut the baby's cord for the first time as the other two kids had to be born very quickly that there was no time for that.

I ended up with 4 degree episotomy and laceration (I tore through the rectum). I really enjoyed my drug free labor experience. Not only that but Gunnar was born without a broken arm (yep, he has two working & moving arms)! His head was a perfect little round shape. He was pretty bruised up on his face due to the tight fit and the cord being wrapped around his neck. Dr. Madison earned his paycheck with Gunnar's birth. Gunnar was in their pretty tight and the doctor had to do a bunch of different maneuvers to get him out. The nursing staff even had to help the doctor by pushing on my belly to help turn him, etc. My natural vaginal delivery was a miracle as I was scheduled for a c-section on Friday of that week due to the baby's size and fit. Gunnar was very high and was not descending into the pelvic region and unless I went into spontaneous labor my doctor firmly believed that he/I would not respond well to being induced and would end up with a c-section anyway. I really did not want a c-section and I think both God and Gunnar answered my prayers with this wonderful birthing experience.

Gunnar past all his blood sugar checks right away (he needed them as I had gestational diabetes) and was jaundice (due to all the bruises on his head and body) but he ended up not needing the bili blanket or bili lights--thank goodness.

He has been a wonderful baby and is our perfect miracle. We thank God for him every day! We love you so much little one!

He's here and he's perfect!!

A quick snapshot of what we have been up too lately:
http://www.sanfordhealth.org/CradleRoll/BabyList.cfm?CradleRollParentId=28011