The Best $10 I Have Ever Spent

So, ever since we moved into our new house, Hayden has been waking up at around 6:00 am. This is not normal (he usually would wake up around 7:30 or 8:00), and has resulted in a cranky kid and some cranky (and impatient) parents. We attributed it to a number of things: a new house, a new big boy bed, a phase, a sense that his life was about to change with a new baby coming. But, it didn't get better, no matter what we tried.

After Jonah arrived, Hayden continued the trend, but fortunately my mom was here to get up with him, get him dressed, get him breakfast, etc. I was already a zombie enough as it is with the new baby, so I can't imagine being up all night with Jonah, and then up with Hayden at 6:00 am. I literally cried at the thought of my mom leaving and Jay going to work and me getting up with the baby and Hayden and never sleeping again!

Out of desperation, on my first day alone with both kids, we went to the fabric store and I bought some blackout fabric. I also bought some double-sided velcro. I cut the fabric to the exact size of Hayden's window, and velcroed (is that a verb?) it directly to the window frame. We had put a cardboard box in Hayden's window to block out the morning light, but it only blocked out some of the light. I thought we'd try total darkness to see if that worked. And, boy, did it work!! Hayden took 3 hour naps all week and slept in until 8:30 every morning. Plus, Hayden is a much happier and well-behaved little guy when he gets enough sleep. It has been wonderful, and I don't think I would have survived my first week alone with both kids without it.

The fabric cost $10, but I had a coupon for 50% off any regularly-priced item from JoAnn's, and the velcro cost $5. So, the blackout shade cost a total of $10, and it has been the best $10 I've ever spent!

Mr. Handsome

I know I'm biased, but isn't he adorable?!

Jonah at Home

When Hayden first visited us at the hospital after Jonah was born, it felt like our family was finally complete. It was great to have us all together. However, the hospital room is a bit too much fun for a 2 year old to explore, so Hayden's visits were short and sweet. The time in the hospital was great, though I was anxious for us all to get home. Here are some pictures from Jonah's first week of life:

Here is a family shot at the hospital. It was harder than I thought to get two kids to cooperate for a picture.

Jonah with Dad:

Jonah with Mom:

Ready to go home! Jonah hanging out with his favorite guys. Jay has been so wonderful and helpful, and he's been very busy making sure Hayden, Jonah and I are happy. Hayden loves his new baby brother and always has to know where the baby is ("Where'd baby go?"), though he is a very busy guy and doesn't pay his brother too much attention.

My mom is in town for two weeks, and she has been a huge help. I don't know what I'll do when she leaves!

Being cute and cuddly:
First sponge bath at home:
All clean!
Jonah this afternoon: Look at that sweet, peaceful face. Sometimes he makes faces in his sleep like this:

8 Hours of Fun

It turns out our little Jonah is a very thoughtful baby. I kept telling Jay that Thursday, June 25 would be a very good day for the baby to be born, since 1) we had tickets for the circus the day before and I didn't want to miss it, and 2) I would be done with almost everything I needed to get done by then. So, sure enough, at 5:00 pm on Thursday, June 25, my water broke while I was home with Hayden. We finished the last-minute packing and Jay dropped Hayden off to spend the night at the home of some very kind friends (thank you Carly!) It was hard for me to say goodbye to Hayden, knowing that it was the last time he'd be my youngest baby.

We got to the hospital and all checked in by 6:30 pm, and by then, my contractions had kicked in. The doctor and I decided we'd wait and see how my labor progressed on its own before giving me the labor-inducing drug Pitocin, and it turns out, I never needed to take it. I was dilated to a 5 by 10 pm. By that point, the contractions were not fun and (since my pain threshhold is pretty low) I got an epidural. The epidural fully took effect around 11 pm, and Jonah Miller was born just a short time later, at 12:46 am on Friday, June 26. He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz, was 19 3/4 inches tall, and was perfectly healthy and already adorable!

Labor was a little less than 8 hours start to finish, and I couldn't have asked for a better, more special experience. Birth is such a miracle, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of Jonah's birth. We're so happy to have him here!