3 months old!

Time truly does fly when you are having fun! Can’t believe our baby boy is 3 months old! Bennett has truly enriched our lives in ways I never could have imagined! I am glad that Matt and I had 4 years of marriage to make our own memories and experience life together…but the truth is that having Bennett has made our bond even stronger, and it is the best journey we have taken together thus far. Life as we knew it is over….it has only gotten better!
The first few weeks were a challenge (to be expected of course). Because of having Bennett early, Matt was not prepared at work for coverage…therefore ended up back at work right away with no time off. This meant Bennett and I were mostly on our own after Grandma went back to work too. Bennett was very easy these first few weeks, but between the Dr visits and feeding all of the time, we were very busy. Bennett had to go to the Dr almost daily to get his weight checked and bilirubin levels tested. To make sure he was gaining weight, we had to feed him every 2 hours. By the time we finished the process of eating, diaper change, swaddle, rock to sleep in cradle…it usually meant 45 minutes of sleep, and then start over again! Our DR advised that I start pumping after feeding Bennett, because the hind part of the milk has the most nutrients, and Bennett wasn’t eating enough to get the benefits of it. At first I thought this was a plus because it meant Matt would be able to bottle feed a couple of times during the night, and I could get some sleep. It was a benefit as far as sleep goes, but as for the rest of the day I spent my time breastfeeding, pumping, changing diapers, washing bottles (you get the point). I never really ate or showered during those days. Ah the life!


After about a month, Bennett truly came to life. Unfortunately this meant hours of crying with no relief. The Lauer family has a history of colicky babies, so at first we chalked it up to that. Matt and I took turns at night rocking away in the nursery, and I anxiously waited for the day we could say “goodnight” to each-other and sleep in the same bed. After a few weeks, we decided a Dr. visit was in order, thinking Bennett was possibly dealing with reflux. We were sent home with some samples of formula to try (the Dr wanted to rule out lactose intolerance before treating reflux). Guess what?? The formula was our ticket to a little more sleep and a lot less crying! But also meant our bank account started dwindling away as the formula is the most expensive on the shelf. Bummer!


We had a wonderful time during the holidays Bennett got to meet the entire Doll family, and the Hoppers were here to spoil him too! We even got our Christmas wish (a “real” smile) on Christmas Eve. On New Year’s Eve Bennett got to meet his friend Boone Reno (less than one week apart!). If they are anything like their Dad’s, we will have some fun times ahead!

The last few weeks have been the most fun. I love watching Bennett grow and learn. He loves to kick his legs (just like he did in my belly). He is trying really hard to roll over. At 9 weeks he figured out how to roll from his belly onto his back, but he hasn’t quite figured out the reverse. He sure does give it his best effort though! I love watching him develop. I have a feeling he will be an early crawler, but only time will tell! I am enjoying this time as much as possible before we have to start chasing him around! Bennett’s favorite thing to do is go shopping with Mom and Grandma Doll. Okay, maybe that is Mom & Grandma’s favorite thing…but he doesn’t seem to mind too much.

Bennett turning 12 weeks meant it was time for me to go back to work. The hardest thing I have ever had to do! Luckily I do not have to worry about Bennett during the day. He is with his Grandma Doll 2 days a week, and with a friend from high school the rest of the time. Matt picks him up in the afternoon and they have male bonding time until I get done with work. He is well taken care of…but it doesn’t make it easier on me. Hopefully by the time he is a toddler we can figure out something where I am working less, and with him more.

What an amazing 3 months. . .we are definitely living, loving, and laughing!

 



Finally...nursery pictures!

The mobile I made for Bennett.  Birds on birch branches.



Bennett's first TV!
Okay, this was actually an addition for Mom & Dad
after we realized how many hours we were spending in the rocking chair!

My mom and I picked out the strips of material, and my very talented cousin (also our photagrapher) quilted this for us!

Giving Thanks...for our healthy boy!

I thought we would be spending Thanksgiving this year patiently awaiting signs of labor. Instead, we will be spending Thanksgiving enjoying our 25-day-old baby boy! I definitely have a lot to be thankful for.
It is hard to put into words the mix of emotions I have experienced over the last few weeks. In fact, as I sit here writing about the birth of our son I almost have a sense of sadness that I did not get to write about the last month of my pregnancy. I think most people would think I was crazy, and that I was lucky to cut my pregnancy short. However, I was enjoying my third trimester so much…that I feel I got cheated a little bit. Not to mention all of the things I wanted to get done before Bennett arrived (including training my back-up at work!). But all of that aside, I could not be happier that early or not…our little boy was ready to join the world and is healthy as can be!

Bennett Oliver Lauer

Born 11-01-10 3:51 PM

5 lbs 5 oz

18 inches

Our Birth Story

Thursday Oct 28

We had our 35 week appointment with the Doctor. 1 cm dilated and baby had dropped. Everything was on track…although I did get a warning that I shouldn’t be surprised if baby comes late. First time pregnancies often have late deliveries, and I had been measuring on the small side. I was convinced that baby would probably be joining us in December instead of the end of November.

Sunday Oct 31

6:00 am -- wake up to discover that I have wet myself, or something. Go ahead…laugh away. I was having a mixture of laughter and tears. This was very confusing since I had just gone to the bathroom an hour earlier. But then again frequent bathroom breaks weren’t out of the ordinary at this point. I thought maybe my water had broken…but it was only a small amount of fluid. Everything I had ever heard about your water breaking is that it would be quite a lot of fluid. I know that incontinence can happen during pregnancy…so I chalked it up to that. (And then cried a lot because who wants to deal with that?). Figured I would take a trip to my Dr on Monday morning just to be sure. If anything, it was possible I had leaked some amniotic fluid and possibly would be put on bed rest…or baby might also come a little early. But I wasn’t having any contractions yet, so not a big deal.

6:30 pm --While our first trick-or-treaters were coming to the door….I was “dribbling” every time I stood up, so I finally decided it was time to call the Family Birth Center. They said it could be amniotic fluid, or incontinence….so might as well come down and they will check. I put a few things together just in case, but decided not to bring our bags figuring we would be returning home shortly.

7:00 pm --As we were waiting for the results from the Dr, I told Matt that either outcome was bad news. If it was amniotic fluid, we would be having the baby early. If not, I was peeing myself. Seriously, how was I supposed to go on for 4 more weeks while I am peeing myself? We laughed, but I really just wanted to cry. The Dr came in and told us that it was definitely amniotic fluid. He then did a physical examination as he wanted to see if I had just leaked, or if my water had actually broken. Guess what…water had broken and I was 2 cm dilated! They hooked me up to a monitor and I was having contractions 5 minutes apart, yet couldn’t feel a thing! As it turns out, we should have brought the bags! We were not going home…our baby was on his way! The nurse took me into my room, hooked me up to the monitors, put in my IV and then told me to get some sleep as things would probably not progress until the morning.

Monday Nov 1

8:00 am -- Well, sleep did not happen for me. I was completely uncomfortable laying on my back (never quite figured out how to get rid of the back pain I had for my entire pregnancy). Every time I tried to turn on my side or find a comfortable position either the heart monitor for the baby or the contraction monitor would quit working – and in would come a nurse. Also, I was worried about the birth of our son and whether or not he would be healthy. The Dr had warned us that baby Bennett would have a 90% chance of going into the NICU. The Dr came in the morning to check my progress and I was having contractions 3-4 minutes apart…but I still wasn’t feeling much of anything. I was only dilated to 3 cm…so I still had a long way to go. The Dr decided to start giving me pitocin to get labor going.

1:30 PM  -- All of a sudden contractions are strong and painful. I have been waiting all day for something to happen, I am finally making progress.

2:30 PM -- An hour of pain is enough. This is when I asked for an epidural. The anesthesiologist showed up soon after. I could feel the right side of my body going numb, but not my left. The nurse was going to put a catheter in, and then they were supposed to put me on my side so the epidural could start taking effect on the left side. The anesthesiologist said he would be back in an hour to check my progress. This is where things get crazy. The nurse suddenly blurts out that he would not need to come back in an hour because I was 9.5 cm dilated and was going to have the baby before then. She was trying to get a hold of the Dr with no luck…so she then explained that I didn’t need to worry, she was qualified to deliver babies if necessary. My mom was out in the hallway with my Dad, and things started getting really hectic. The nurse told Matt to run and get her help and tell them to bring a table. (He turned really pale at this point). She was strapping an oxygen mask around me, and pulling out supplies, etc.

3:30 PM -- My mom and Matt made it back into the room, and the nurses started filtering in. (Because of Bennett being pre-term, there were two extra nurses on hand to evaluate him as soon as he was born). Soon after, the Dr. ran in…Literally, ran in. She had been in another area of the clinic and came as fast as she could. Before I even had time to collect myself, she was at the end of my bed telling me to push. I could still feel all of my contractions since my epidural still hadn’t taken full effect. Pain or not, I still didn’t find this part too difficult. In fact, I think I made a comment that I could totally handle this and would definitely give my parents more grandchildren. Haha.

3:51 PM -- Our baby boy arrived! My mother, Matt and I were all in tears. That was truly the happiest moment of my life. He came out screaming, which was the first sign that he was healthy. The Dr had explained that the main concern would be whether or not his lungs were fully developed. That did not appear to be a concern. Bennett was checked out right away, and the nurses left without him! No NICU stay!

We did it! 26 days early, but for whatever reason Bennett was ready to join the world. I consider myself very lucky. Labor and delivery went smoothly, and we have a healthy baby boy. Life is wonderful…and for that, I am thankful!

Finally Enjoying Pregnancy!

 

32 Weeks!



Well, this last stretch has been my favorite so far.  I definitely had my fair share of struggles through my 1^st and 2^nd trimesters, but the 3^rd has been wonderful.  Matt and I would like to have more than one child, but for a long time I wondered if I would be able to prepare myself to go through pregnancy again.  Now I know that I can do this again.  Everything was worth it just to get to this point where I can truly enjoy pregnancy! It will be even more worth it after we meet our baby!  I finally feel like myself again (with a bigger belly of course).  It has been great to feel good, have energy, have an appetite (and no food aversions), and enjoy our little man moving around inside of me. Can’t wait to meet him!

Week 29—Time to be spoiled. I had the most amazing baby shower thanks to the Simonich girls. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing support system….and let’s just say that we will have one well dressed child (he will not be short on love either)!

Weeks 30-31—Finally, a break from back pain. It definitely still comes and goes, but is much more bearable. Also, I am happy to report that I am HUNGRY. For most of my pregnancy I have been forcing myself to get in some extra snacks since I need the protein and iron….now I need to tell myself that every meal does not need to include desert! Also, I can eat dairy again and meat finally sounds appetizing. I do still have one complaint though….no immune system! I managed to get the stomach flu for the second time during my pregnancy. I won’t complain too much though – less than 48 hours and it was over. I also got spoiled by my amazing husband.

Week 32—Time for a Dr visit that leaves us a little unsettled! My uterus measurements were smaller than the last time. I was measuring closer to 28 weeks instead of 32 weeks. The measurements are by touch, so there is room for error, but the Dr did want us to go in for an ultrasound to make sure baby was okay and that there was enough fluid, etc. Results??? Baby is great! He is a tad smaller than average, but development is still on track for 32 weeks. His “long bones” are not very long, but he has a nice sized noggin. Hmmm…sounds like daddy! He was folded up with his legs over his head and kind of crammed in there, which is most likely why my measurements seemed small. We got to watch him play with his toes! It really is amazing to get a glimpse of what he is doing in there!

Week 33—Dresser is painted, baby clothes and blankets are all washed and put away, birch tree decals are on the wall! Nursery is almost done (pictures to follow soon!)

Week 34—Matt finally takes a few days off work to celebrate our anniversary a little early! We haven’t spent this much time together for over a year! We had planned to take a longer vacation, but with some other stuff going on it got shortened. We were able to at least take a quick trip up to Bozeman to walk around in the mountains and get some authentic wood fired pizza (thank you Damasco’s!). Wish we could have visited friends & family, but we really needed “Matt & Laura” time, and it was well worth it! I can’t believe we have been married for 4 years! We have made some wonderful memories together and are looking forward to the memories we are going to make as we start a family. As for baby? We had another appointment and he is growing quickly! Maybe he won’t be small after all…uh oh!





34 Weeks!



  


Happy 4 Year Anniversary!

 



35 Weeks...Almost Halloween!



   



2 Down, 1 To Go! (I'm talking trimesters here)

22Weeks!

Well I just spent the morning cleaning our house….only to end up with a sore back and stuck on the couch. I figured this would be a good time to catch up on the last 6 weeks! I can’t believe I finished out my second trimester and am into my third! The question I get asked most is “What have you been craving?” My answer……nothing! I have yet to experience pregnancy cravings. I am convinced they are a myth….although I’m sure women everywhere are going to kill me for that statement! If anything, I am having a hard time figuring out what sounds good to eat!


Weeks 22-24—What a wonderful couple of weeks! Finally feeling great, and having so much fun planning and shopping (I had been patiently waiting to find out Boy or girl!). The little guy started moving more and more…and Matt can finally feel the little kicks too! Our future son is definitely a daddy’s boy; he loves when Matt is around and kicks at the sound of his voice! The basement is finally underway. The bathroom has plumbing and our Dad’s knocked out all of the electrical work! I don’t think we will be finished by the time our bundle of joy arrives, but our goal is to get the dry-wall hung and textured (and maybe even painted). Right now the dry-wall is stacked on the floor taking up a whole room. We need it on the walls and out of the way so we can move our guest bedroom furniture down there. At this point we have ½ nursery and ½ guest bedroom upstairs.

Weeks 24-26—Well, baby is definitely on the move! Now we can actually see the baby moving around. As if feeling something move inside you isn’t odd enough, watching my stomach ripple is one of the most bizarre things I have ever experienced. The whole second trimester has been an amazing experience, but this is the point when baby actually starts moving TOO MUCH. I have never been so exhausted in my life! The little guy has decided to keep me up all night! He kicks and punches so hard it takes my breath away. I actually feel bruised on the inside! I am sleeping in 30-45 minute increments. His kicks seriously wake me up every half hour or so. Making it through the work day is taking everything out of me…I get home and go straight to the couch for a nap, only to find out that our future son has decided to practice Kung fu yet again. I suppose the bright side is that this is preparing me for many sleepless nights with a newborn. But at least Matt will be able to help out during those difficult times. Unfortunately he cannot take half of the kicks for me at this point!

Week 27—Baby’s first shopping trip to Denver! I’m sure he won’t be interested in shopping with his Mom later in life, but right now he doesn’t have a choice! This was a much needed break from work, and was fun to shop for maternity clothes and baby stuff! I had all of the baby clothes out after coming home, and the pile disappeared. I found Matt hanging the clothes in the nursery…He was “nesting”, haha. He is going to be such a great Dad! I had a Dr Appointment after returning from the trip. I still love hearing the heartbeat, it never gets old! Passed my glucose test…woo-hoo! Unfortunately I failed the iron test. Just a tad bit deficient, but not a surprise since I have always had issues with iron. Easy fix with more spinach (I will pass on the red meat), and iron supplements. 14 lbs gained! Not that anyone is interested in how much weight I am putting on, but if I decide to do this whole pregnancy thing again I figured it would be nice to document how much I gained the first time around! THIRD TRIMESTER! I called Matt after realizing I had entered my third trimester, and his response was “I know. We are due exactly three months from yesterday”. Someone is keeping track of time better than I am!

Week 28—I am sleeping a little better, the little one is still kicking away but seems to sleep for longer increments. Unfortunately my back is killing me. I even have a special body pillow to sleep with and can’t really say it’s helping a whole lot! It hurts to sit, stand, bend, walk, sleep….that about covers it! 12 weeks to go and I am determined to find a way to cure this back pain before I go into labor!

Here’s hoping for a happy & healthy 3rd trimester!  I will take more belly pics soon...he is growing fast!

The Bump!

The Joy's of pregnancy!

Now that we are starting a family, I decided that the best way to share our journey was to join the trend and start a blog. Also, what a wonderful way to document the many memories along the way! So now that I have been pregnant for 5 months…I might as well do some back tracking and share the many experiences before they become a distant memory. (Although for the sake of having more children, I am hoping that I can erase some of these pregnancy memories!)



After taking a couple of negative pregnancy tests, I packed my bags and hopped on a plane to Eden Prairie, MN. Not exactly my dream getaway--then again it was not a vacation, but rather a work trip. The whole time I was there I was completely drained of energy. My initial thought was that it was a pretty stressful visit, and I was meeting people and busy all day long, so it was normal to feel so tired. But by the end of the week I knew that something felt different…so off to the store for another round of pregnancy tests. This time we have a POSITIVE! Matt and I were too excited for words….but I do not think I was prepared for the following weeks! So here it goes:


Week 6 – Appointment to confirm pregnancy and meet with the nurse. The nurse asks me a million questions about how I’m feeling, what I’m experiencing etc…and the only thing different is that I am tired. She tells me to get rest, and otherwise I am very lucky to be feeling so great! We decided to break the news right away to the family. What better time – Easter! We left Easter baskets with Blue and Pink eggs on each of our parents’ doorsteps with a poem from their future grandchild. Definitely an Easter that won’t be forgotten!


Week 7 – I would easily rate these next few weeks as some of my worst, EVER. My immune system crashing is the most terrible pregnancy symptom in my book. First I got a cold that lasted over 2 weeks and completely wiped me out. The only drugs I was allowed to take did nothing to help. I finally started to get over the cold…and then hello stomach flu. My co-workers made several jokes about me having a crappy immune system. If they only knew why!


Week 9 – First appointment with my Doctor. I step on the scale to find out I have lost weight. I have never been so disappointed to lose weight. My Doctor provides reassurance that this is perfectly normal and I have plenty of time to gain the weight I need. So in comes the nurse with the Doppler so we can hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Only one problem…she cannot find the heartbeat. At first this worried me a little, but I got the better end of the deal since they decided to do an early ultrasound. I now know why people call their babies little “peanuts”. I was pregnant with what appeared to be a peanut. Thanks to our Dr, we have 42 pictures of our little peanut. When nothing would print after repeatedly pushing the button, she finally decided to find help. Well, the ultrasound machine was plugged into the bed, but the bed was not plugged in to the wall. Once the printer had power, the ultrasound pictures just kept coming. I confirmed with the Doctor that I would not get a bill for the excessive pictures, ha.


Week 10 – Okay, I can do this. I am finally starting to feel healthy again and even get a little energy back.


Weeks 11-15 – Last week was some kind of sick joke. After a few days of finally feeling well, nausea decided to present itself late in the game. Even my nurse told me that I had made it so long without, I would probably be lucky. WRONG. I am not sure why the term “morning sickness” is used. I would be completely fine if this feeling only lasted throughout the morning. It was all day! Fruits, vegetables, and crackers were the only thing I was able to eat for weeks.


Weeks 16, 17 – The nausea finally lets up. I am feeling pretty good, getting my energy back…woo hoo. Time to clean the house that has been neglected! Apparently this was a bad idea. Somehow vacuuming ruined my back. I have never experienced this kind of back pain in my life. I can’t sleep, sit, or stand. I am also starting to experience random onsets of lightheadedness (almost to the point of passing out). At this point I am thinking that an only child sounds great.


Week 18 – Unexpected trip to the DR. I have heard of “round ligament” pain, but what I am feeling is different. I am definitely having some sort of complications. Luckily, I am very wrong. We have a happy, healthy baby with a heart rate of 145 BPM. I was not going into labor; I was experiencing ligament pain from all of the stretching and growing, AKA “round ligament” pain. Hmm. The books do not go into enough detail regarding how truly painful this can be. I soon forget the pain though…I CAN FINALLY FEEL BABY MOVING. You would think that the symptoms, ultrasound, heartbeat, etc would make it seem real…but the honest truth is that it didn’t hit home until I felt that little life moving inside of me. So amazing! Another milestone…..I have a little baby bump. I never thought I would be so proud to put some extra pounds on!


Weeks 19-20 – I am still having back pain….but other than that, feeling great. I cannot believe it took me 5 months to get to this point! Unfortunately I am in for another shocker. The baby just does not like too much meat or dairy. I will spare everyone the details. I don’t eat a lot of meat anyway, and I am not a milk drinker, so you think it would be easy to adjust my diet. Nope. I am just now realizing that cheese is a part of every meal I eat. It took me a few times of getting sick before I really decided I can’t overdo on cheese anymore. In fact, I am not sure I am done learning that lesson. Ask me in a week if I am still trying to find how much cheese I can get away with eating.


Week 21 – Ultrasound time. It’s a BOY!! I honestly had no inclination either way, but with the Lauer genes I definitely knew that we had a much higher chance of having a boy. Matt kept saying he wanted a girl, but I have never seen him so proud when we found out we are having a boy. I can’t wait to watch Matt raise a son…I hope he’s just like his daddy.


Well I am finally current; I apologize to everyone for my novel. I will try my best to stay on top of this and share all of the wonderful (and not so wonderful) experiences as they happen! Stay Tuned!