Newborn photoshoot

Because we moved and I lost all access to my go-to photographers, I had to ask around to see who was good here, to take Nixon's baby pictures. Luckily, the guy over Ethan down here has a wife that's a photographer. Unfortunately, she was going to be out of town and was completely booked up until then. She did, however, give me some names of photographers she knew around the area. I looked them up and was able to book one for the day my mom came to visit. Here's Jill's website.

In all reality, I probably could have done them, but I didn't want to risk it on these pictures! Here they are!

I am absolutely in LOVE with these next two. I love these boys so much!

 I'm so lucky my mom was here for the pictures so we could get a couple together!

The rest will have to wait so I don't use up the best ones before I get the announcements out!

Nixonisms

I find myself taking a lot more pictures than ever before in the past. Most of which I wouldn't normally post, because there's not really stories behind the pictures other than I thought he looked cute and I want to have the pictures to remember those moments. So here are the first of many Nixonisms to come:

Nixon's drawer

I mentioned in the last post that Nixon has been sleeping in our drawer. I thought I would post a picture showing how roomy it is. It's not some tiny drawer, so I don't want anyone to call CPS on us. This was taken one of the first nights home with him, but he still fits in wonderfully. We got this bed from Ikea when we moved here and when we didn't have a place for him to sleep, one of these gigantic storage drawers was open, so we thought, "Why not?"

It's the perfect answer to our debacle, and it's continued to work for us!

Four weeks

Nixon had his one month appointment today and he's doing great! He is now 10 lbs. 4 oz. (exactly two pounds more than his birth weight) and is 22.5 in. long. He took his shot like a champ, barely crying. He's kind of a tough guy. 

He is sleeping great at night, and usually sleeps from about 11:30pm-7:00am. He obviously understands how much I need sleep! He takes a binky, which is fantastic when we need to hold him off at home of in the car. He feeds like clockwork–10 minutes, literally. I'm not complaining though!

He's become more alert and is awake more throughout the day. He's a bit more fussy, but that's to be expected the more awake he is. He has beautiful blue eyes that sparkle! I love when I'm holding him against my chest and he lifts his head and stares at me with those beauties.

He really is such a sweet baby and loves being swaddled and snuggled, which we love as well! He's still sleeping in our drawer and it works out just fine for now!

We're looking forward to seeing him continue to grow and develop, especially when he gives us sneak peaks of what his little smile is going to be like!

Three weeks

We said a tearful goodbye yesterday to my mom which meant we were on our own for the first time. It was a little rough. He must have been overly tired, because there was not a whole lot that was going to calm him. Luckily, we got past it, he took a good nap and was ready for his close ups!

Throwing a tantrum. Just kidding, that's him mid-sneeze. It's adorable.

Even after a rough day, I'm counting my blessings that he's such a good baby. I love giving him kisses and spending my day with him. He is so precious and I love him more and more each day!

Dear Mom

You left yesterday and I held it in pretty well (Ethan has seen enough of my goodbye meltdowns with you), but it always breaks my heart when you have to leave. This time was especially hard. I loved being able to spend uninterrupted time with you (well slightly interrupted, but I suppose Nixon is a cute distraction). I know we didn't do anything extravagant or even that entertaining, but I was ok with that–hopefully you were too. I loved being able to sit at home and not worry about anything other than just hanging out with you. And as much as I love Ethan, it was kind of fun having a girls week alone with you while he was out out town.

I loved watching you with Nixon and to see how much you love him. I'm definitely still learning, and will be for many years to come, but luckily I have an amazing example to look up to. You are truly an amazing mother and grandma.

I love you more than I could ever express, and I'm so thankful you came to help me with this new addition to my life. It seems like the older I get, the more I need you, and I'm sure that want and need will only get stronger as the years pass. Thank you for everything!

I love you!

Trip to the beach

This weekend we took a trip to the beach for the first time since we lived here. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the water was freezing (Ethan said it was refreshing once you were in, but I was ok just putting my feet in. Nixon wasn't the biggest fan of the breeze, so we got him to sleep and he spent most of his time in the stroller.

Ethan was right at home jumping in the big waves and splashing around in the ocean. I'm more of a put-my-feet-in-but-stay-mostly-dry-and-hang-out-on-the-beach type of girl. 

It wasn't too busy which made the trip even better! We also decided that we're definitely going to become beach people. There's not much better than hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.

Reunited

Ethan had training for work this whole week, which meant my mom and I were home with Nixon. I tried to send him a picture almost everyday so he could see his little buddy. We finally picked him up tonight and he was elated. The second we stepped into the house, he got him out of the car seat and sat on the couch like this:

I would say that's the face of a proud daddy. He loves being reunited with his boy.

First bath

Nixon had his first real bath last night. We've given him little sponge baths up to this point, but it was time. I was a little worried because he hasn't really enjoyed the baths we've given him up to this point, but once he was in the warm water, he was loving life.

First bath was definitely a success. Look at that face of satisfaction!

Two weeks

Look who's two weeks old!

His two week mark also marks his "due date." It's a bit of an understatement to say I'm happy he didn't make it that long in my belly! He is a great baby and is basically sleeping through the night. He doesn't cry much, but he grunts a lot. He's also taking a binky pretty well. 

He's definitely got some strong neck and leg muscles. He holds his head up pretty well, we're just working on setting it down with as much control as it's lifted. Not only is he dang strong, he's also basically rolled over, really. We had him on his back and he lifted himself up on his side and started rolling to his stomach. His little arm was in the way, but if could move that we would have had a two week old on our hands who could roll. I put him back on his back real quick because I can't stand the idea of him growing up that fast! I want to keep him little for as long as I can.

 He's our sweet little boy and we're soaking him up.

Mother's Day

I was blessed enough this year not only to be a mom, but to have my mom here with me as well. I loved having my family around me and to soak up every moment I could of this amazing day!

I'm so grateful for this little man of mine. He has honestly stolen my heart and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father trusted me with this precious little boy. I wasn't ready when I found out I was having a boy, but I wouldn't trade him for all the girls in the world! I sure love him!

Then of course there is my own mother. I don't even know where to start. Aside from Ethan, she is honestly my rock. She has helped me through so many things in my life, and there is no way I could ever repay her for all she has done for me. She is truly my best friend and I can only hope that I become even a small percent of the woman and mother she is. 

And even though she's not here and in the pictures, I can't talk about Mother's Day without expressing my gratitude for my mother-in-law Sarah. I was able to spend a lot of time with her this past month, and I'm so thankful for that time I had with her. She is an amazing woman and she gave me the best man to be my husband. 

The good life

Nixon has been an absolute dream. I know things change, but I'm soaking him up as much as I can. Ethan has been able to be home with us since he was born, and I can't even begin to explain how amazing it has been to have all of this time with our little family together. We stay up, and sleep in–it's a dream. This is how we spend most of our day.

He slept like that for a good 2 hours. Luckily, I didn't have anything else I had to get done!

He is more than loved here, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Nixon's birth story

I was more than surprised when I started having contractions Sunday (4/27/14) morning at 3:00. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it quickly dawned on me what was happening. I decided to download an app to track the contractions. There weren't too strong, and were about 5-6 minutes apart.

I called the doctor around 5:00am or so to see if we should come in or not. They told me to wait until they were a bit stronger and about 3-4 minutes apart. I tried to get some sleep, but that didn't work out too well. The contractions continued without change, other than they were getting stronger. I called the hospital again around 12:00pm and told them the situation. They told me that I should come in and they would check me out. Ethan and I gave each other a look that basically said, "Oh my word, this is really happening." We went around the house trying to pack a hospital bag. We were planning on a couple more weeks to prepare, so we weren't as prepared as we should have been! We got the bags packed and we were off to the hospital.

When I got to the hospital, they took me to an evaluation room. They checked me, and I was dilated to a 2. They were slightly concerned because I had an elevated blood pressure (I was having contractions at two weeks early, wouldn't that increase blood pressure slightly?) and I had protein in my urine, which are potential signs of preeclampsia. They had me chug a couple glasses of water to see if that would help, and low and behold, no preeclampsia for me!

They checked me again around 3:00pm or so and I was dilated to a 3, so they admitted me. I was still having the contractions, but they were still bearable.

The hospital rooms were absolutely amazing! They have them set up to labor, deliver, and recover all in one room and they had such an awesome view!

They broke my water around 5:00pm. I wasn't long after that they started getting extremely uncomfortable and it was time for my epidural! I was slightly concerned at the pain of the shot, but honestly, that was probably the least painful thing I had been through the whole day! I was able to get some rest for the first couple hours of the epidural. Ethan was able to go get some dinner (while I ate ice chips), and I was enjoying life.

It wasn't until about midnight that my epidural started wearing off a bit. They didn't want to up my dosage again, because they didn't want it to affect my ability to push. I was in so much pain, but I still wasn't ready to push. That was the first time I felt like no longer going through with it (not that that was an option, let's be honest). The nurse had me push a few times to try and prep me and relieve some of the pressure I was feeling. Side note* I never thought I'd be that person, but I totally threw up as well. I don't know if it was the pain, the lack of food or a combination of both but it was awful. I was also a lot more vocal than I ever expected to be. Granted, the girl down the hall was way louder, but I was totally embarrassed!* I had pushed for about 20 minutes (most painful thing ever!!!) and then my doctor came in.

 I pushed for about 10 more minutes until the greatest joy of our lives arrived!

There is a reason people don't even try to explain the pain and joy and every other emotion you feel during childbirth, and that's because unless you actually experience it, you'll never be able to comprehend it.

They had to take him quickly after he was out, because he had some fluid in his lungs that they needed to get out. But everything was perfectly fine and we had our perfect 8 lb 4 oz baby weighed, measured and all cleaned off, ready to be loved and adored by his parents.

Our first family picture. Don't mind my face, I had been awake almost 24 hours and hadn't eaten in 14 hours. Oh, and I had just gone through childbirth. No big deal. Ethan was so sweet. After the birth, he went out to get me some food. He brought me back a double cheeseburger and strawberry banana smoothie from McDonald's. Not going to lie, I don't think food has ever tasted that good!!

Ethan was so amazing during the whole day. Poor guy, he didn't think we'd actually be admitted so he only brought an extra t-shirt, toothbrush/toothpaste and deodorant. I love the way he adores Nixon and I can see the love that he has for both of us.

 The most perfect face I've ever seen.

Both Ethan and I were exhausted after everything, so we took some naps and cuddled with our boy. 

I felt so bad because the hospital had to go off of my drivers license for my last name. I didn't want to have a get a new one back in Idaho, so I was just putting it off until it expired this year, so everything said Baby Oxnam, and had me as Kaytlin Oxnam on all of their records. Oh well I suppose. At least Ethan knows who we really are!

Even though I went in on Sunday afternoon, because I didn't have him until Monday morning, we were able to stay in the hospital until Wednesday. It was so nice to have that time together as our little family. We had a couple visitors from Ethan's work and Ethan's great aunt and uncle came as well, but for the most part, it was just our family (and all of the nurses that came and checked everything). The staff was absolutely amazing, and I'm thankful for all of their help in continually making sure everything was going as it should. 

I mentioned it before, and I'll say it again. We are so in love with this boy of ours and I can't imagine our lives without him! Welcome Nixon, we love you more than you could ever know!