August 3 - 4 Months

Baby SJ, you are 4 months old already.  Okay, so a bit passed, but bear with me.  At least I am finally recording things :D

Likes:   You enjoy being held and entertained.  You are certainly a social butterfly.  A favorite new toy of yours is a bee/butterfly toy that hangs down for you to grab.  You enjoy sitting up in the bumbo seat.  You are constantly putting everything in your mouth.  You like grabbing your feet... great toys always within reach.

Dislikes: Being left alone in a room. 

Biggest Achievement this month:  You've had success a few times of putting your pacifier in your mouth.

Biggest Challenge of the month: A semi-regular sleep schedule... specifically at night.  Some nights you pass-out around 10, other nights you pretend to be out for the night at 8:30-9ish but then wake up from a great "nap" around midnight expecting to be awake for a couple hours.

Little Personality: You are so happy.  Your smiles come easily, and tickling your sides or ribs brings out the best giggles and belly laughs!  You are more laid back which was good while your older siblings were living with us!
 
Talking/Communication: We frequently hear you talking and cooing.  Your squeals are all over in range and well as all over in volume.  It's fun to hear you responding when we interact with you.
 
Eating: Regular 6 to 7 oz bottles, about 3 hours apart depending on lengths of naps.  This means usually 5-6 bottles a day.  It seems like so much!

Major Milestones:  You've been able to turn from tummy to back for a while now, but I think you are only a few weeks away, if that, from turning back to tummy.  I thought for sure you were going to do it the other night!
 
Firsts: Trip to see Grandma and Grandpa Haines at their house.  First time meeting your other cousins and aunts and uncles on Papa side of the family. First fair visit... not to interesting to you yet.  First camping trips!

Favorite Baby Gear: The bumbo seat.  Our sit 'n stand stroller, although you don't enjoy being strapped in to the carseat for long times.  Halo sleep sacks for bedtime.

Meeting our Son

April 1 - Mom J told me at parenting time that I'd probably have a birthday present... she was definitely feeling things starting

April 2, 4:30ish - Called Mom J who wished me happy birthday.  I asked her how she was doing and she said that things had gotten intense for a little while, but not beyond that and she didn't think we'd have a baby for a while yet.  We kept the phone handy, even so, while we went to dinner for my birthday.  Oma and Grandpa watched the other kids. 

10:30-ish - finally get the big kids home and in bed, no new news from Mom J.  Get AJ in bed.  She always goes to bed later than the big kids, always has and probably will continue to do so for a while. 

11:45 - We go to bed, still haven't heard anything.  We take both phones upstairs with us just in case.

April 3, 12:15am - Mom J calls and says we should probably head to the hospital.  She's bed admitted and is at a 9!  Frustrated that they didn't call earlier, but apparently she was in denial that it was real labor up until they actually checked her.  We immediately call Oma and Grandpa, update them and ask that they get to our house asap so we can get to the hospital.  It's foggy out so it takes them a while.  I set up the couch for Oma to sleep on.  We already have plans in place for the kids, but didn't expect a middle of the night call. 

Just before 1 - We arrive at the hospital, but the doors are locked and security isn't answering.  I freak out because I can't find the cell phone that fell out of my pocket and spend a minute or so searching for it.  We find it and then huff and puff our way, running around the outside of the hospital.  The security person on the floor takes a while to find out which room she's in.  As we approach the room, I think, well, I can't hear any screams yet, so hopefully we made it in time.  Then I hear them!  We get in the room, go around the bed and notice she's crowning.  We made it... just barely. 

1:06am - about 3 minutes after we arrive, Baby SJ is born.

This time around, the hospital wasn't as full.  So even though we assured the nurses that we wouldn't need a separate room.  We were still assigned one.  As it turned out, it was nice to have one for sleeping in.  When one of us was getting tired, we could go there for a few hours to have uninterrupted sleep.  It also gave us a place to keep SJ once Mom J was discharged. 


We had a stressful time in the hospital due to the circumstances he was born in to.  His oldest three siblings were living with us through foster care and CPS decided to forgo the guidelines and rules set in place when there is an adoption plan already made and place him in another foster family.  The removal from Mom J's care was approved by a judge without all the facts.  The next day in court, all court officials were astounded that he had been taken from us, and demanded he be returned to us immediately.  In the end, he came home and that's all that matters in the long run. 

WELCOME HOME BABY SJ!!

Finally shouting it from the rooftops!

I am sitting here really late at night.. like it is nearly 2am, and my mind finds it way back to a conversation I had the other day.  I find myself thinking about it a lot... having to hold myself back from blurting it out in conversation with others.  It is one about a new baby... a new baby that may be joining our family come spring time.  Yes, AJ might be getting a little sibling through adoption... a blood related sibling!  I can't stop thinking about the possibility, wondering if the pregnancy test was read correctly, wanting to see it for myself, wanting to pinch myself that this might actually be happening, but not wanting to wake up if this is a dream.
We haven't shared anything yet, partially because we have only known for a few days ourselves, but mostly because I don't want to get my hopes up too soon.  Although who am I kidding, my hopes are already through the roof!  I can't help but think about if it will be a boy or a girl.  My hubby asked me the other day what I thought it might be.  I said I hoped it was a boy so we would have one of each, but think it will be a girl.  Obviously either way I will be ecstatic!   I have even pulled up a name site and started looking at it.  I found a boy name I like with the middle name as one of his Papa's name.  I don't know about a girl though... that is a bit harder I feel like... And you know, we only have like 6-8 months to figure it out ;)
Anyway, this post won't go public until we know more information, and of course share it with those around us in person.  However and I laid here tonight, I wanted to capture some of these initial thoughts, and maybe by "sharing" it I can resist the urge to blurt it out every two seconds... Can't wait until I can shout it from the rooftops!