Okay so I am irritated with the photo aspect of this site. I really do love the blogger part but I need to add more photos and Flickr is driving me crazy so I have put together another site and I am starting over....http://ourcantwellfamily.shutterfly.com/ enjoy!
Joe, Melissa and Lucy
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Silly Lucy...
So they say that babies don't make associations or manipulate situations until they are 3-4 months old....I say that is a load of crap! Lucy is 2 months today and I have noticed the last two days that her cry has become more of a "mom...hey mom...are you there...mom...could you come here for a second...mom...mom...hey mom" type of sound. It is very pitiful and quite adorable. So I put her down for her nap this afternoon and she starts in with this little pathetic cry and I ignore it. She eventually goes to sleep with me going into her room once to cover her back up and give her one more kiss. I go down stairs and she has been quiet for about 10 minutes now and I say to my sister-in-law, "I think we are good, she is out" and the second those words leave my lips Lucy starts in again! I couldn't believe it! So I go back upstairs and she has kicked her covers off again and is crying her most pitiful yet adorable cry...I go into her room to cover her up and she stops her "cry" and sighs at the site of me...almost like she was saying "oh hi mom, there you are. I was just wondering if you were still around and whatchu were up to..." I couldn't help but laugh and give her one more kiss. I pet her nose and her eyes closed, she is out like a light now. I just love this little personality that is emerging. It is so precious and endearing. I have a feeling she will be quite the little love bug for awhile. I hope she stays the snuggly baby that she is right now. I know I am always saying how I don't want her to grow up but everyday I love her a little more and she is learning to do so many little things right now that I have to admit it is pretty cool. I love my little Lucy!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Best nap day ever!
It really is the small stuff that can make a wonderful day! Lucy had the best nap day ever today! We went down easily, without a fuss and slept for her entire nap time. I actually had to wake her to eat! I am hoping for a good nights sleep but I'm not getting my hopes too high. I have enjoyed the last two days with her so much. She is changing everyday and really growing into a little person. Yesterday she giggled for the first time, it made my heart skip a beat I swear. Today she was all smiles and sleep, what a wonderful combination. When Joe got home from work today I met him down stairs and he asked where she was, I told him she was upstairs in her bassinet just chilling (I was cleaning the bathroom). I went to go get something and he wasn't there when I got back...I figured he went the bathroom or was checking something on the computer. I went back upstairs and there he was playing with Lucy in her bassinet. He had missed her while he was at work. I was so happy to see them together...Joe told me yesterday that he is feeling the bond between him and Lucy grow a lot lately. It isn't as instant for some dads, of course they love the child but for awhile it is just a little sleeping, pooping lump that really just needs its momma. He is really growing as a dad and I love watching it. Lucy adores him, he walks into the room and she grins, he talks and she tracks where he is, he talks to her and she is elated by him. It is so wonderful to see their bonding time together.
Joe and I went out to dinner last night and to Target. It was great to go out as hubby and wife as opposed to mom and dad of Lucy. My parents were watching her and of course that is very comforting. We have such a great family support which makes it easy to get a little more hubby-wife time. We are very lucky in that way and in a lot of ways I am finding out. We shopped for the next size up in clothes for Lucy which was fun because I haven't shopped for clothes for her yet. I was so impressed that four outfits came to 21.00...too bad she won't always be that cheap! Dinner was fun and relaxing. Amazingly we were only gone for two and a half hours but I missed Lucy and was glad to be back home with her. I just love that little one. I can't wait to see the little person she becomes but for right now I am just cherishing each day I have with her and hoping she doesn't grow up too quickly.
Joe and I went out to dinner last night and to Target. It was great to go out as hubby and wife as opposed to mom and dad of Lucy. My parents were watching her and of course that is very comforting. We have such a great family support which makes it easy to get a little more hubby-wife time. We are very lucky in that way and in a lot of ways I am finding out. We shopped for the next size up in clothes for Lucy which was fun because I haven't shopped for clothes for her yet. I was so impressed that four outfits came to 21.00...too bad she won't always be that cheap! Dinner was fun and relaxing. Amazingly we were only gone for two and a half hours but I missed Lucy and was glad to be back home with her. I just love that little one. I can't wait to see the little person she becomes but for right now I am just cherishing each day I have with her and hoping she doesn't grow up too quickly.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Flickr
So I created a Flickr account so that everyone can see new Lucy photos without a lot of work. So if you want to see some new photos of Lucy go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjcantwell/ and you will get the latest. There is a way to link that to our blog page but I'm not sure how yet, so as soon as I figure it out there will be a link that will make it easier. Enjoy!
Time
Well, I have been waiting to blog about this whole parenting, Lucy, new life experience for a while now hoping that I would have time...however, that just doesn't seem to be the case. So here I am at 2:53 am with Lucy eating and me typing because well...that seems to be the only time I have right now that is uninterrupted. So here I go and hopefully I will get this written before she is done eating or God only knows when I will be able to finish.
For the most part this whole experience so far has been....nothing like what I expected! This is both good and bad, I have really enjoyed most of it and then there are times when I am scared to death and frustrated to no end. I don't know why no one speaks of all the trials you go through in the early on phase of this parenting thing. For example, Joe and I were home all weekend with Lucy and it was a 3 day weekend so Joe was home more than usual. Lucy has had a particularly difficult time this weekend when in comes to taking naps. Now I am used to this...I do this every day. Joe however is not and is perplexed as to why Lucy doesn't just take a nap as opposed to waking up and screaming only to be comforted by us and put back into her crib to try again. This process goes over and over until she either falls asleep or keeps it up until her next meal. It is tiring when she doesn't get a full nap in but it is sooooo great when she does...at this point it is about a 1/8 success rate. He is such a wonderful dad, he just hates to see her so upset when she has a yucky tummy or is having a difficult time falling asleep. I have decided with naps this week that it is just going to take a lot of consistency and some extra patience. I have been venturing out of the house a lot lately and haven't really created a consistent routine for her when it comes to naps, so that is my focus this week. The other major thing this week is finding a nanny who will be with Lucy this year while Joe and I are at work. We have done a couple of interviews and one grandma-like lady who is retired would be wonderful. We will hopefully see if she can do the job for what we can afford to pay her. Well, I think that is all I have time for right now. Must get her fed and me some sleep!
For the most part this whole experience so far has been....nothing like what I expected! This is both good and bad, I have really enjoyed most of it and then there are times when I am scared to death and frustrated to no end. I don't know why no one speaks of all the trials you go through in the early on phase of this parenting thing. For example, Joe and I were home all weekend with Lucy and it was a 3 day weekend so Joe was home more than usual. Lucy has had a particularly difficult time this weekend when in comes to taking naps. Now I am used to this...I do this every day. Joe however is not and is perplexed as to why Lucy doesn't just take a nap as opposed to waking up and screaming only to be comforted by us and put back into her crib to try again. This process goes over and over until she either falls asleep or keeps it up until her next meal. It is tiring when she doesn't get a full nap in but it is sooooo great when she does...at this point it is about a 1/8 success rate. He is such a wonderful dad, he just hates to see her so upset when she has a yucky tummy or is having a difficult time falling asleep. I have decided with naps this week that it is just going to take a lot of consistency and some extra patience. I have been venturing out of the house a lot lately and haven't really created a consistent routine for her when it comes to naps, so that is my focus this week. The other major thing this week is finding a nanny who will be with Lucy this year while Joe and I are at work. We have done a couple of interviews and one grandma-like lady who is retired would be wonderful. We will hopefully see if she can do the job for what we can afford to pay her. Well, I think that is all I have time for right now. Must get her fed and me some sleep!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Little Lucy...
My goodness, I wanted pregnancy to fly by and now that Little Lucy is here I can't slow time down! I really want to make time just stand still right now. She is growing so quickly and I cherish every moment with her. It is truly amazing how my life has changed in such a wonderful and holistic way. She has brought so much to my family and I am so thankful for her. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have such a wonderful gift. Now on another note I have also had quite a few experiences that I was not anticipating. Like an early morning diaper change that included projectile pooping all over me! I have changed a lot of diapers in my day and had never been pooped on!! The exhaustion is another thing I was not ready for. She is getting to be a good sleeper now but waking up every hour or so is really too much for my body...and yet I enjoyed seeing her adorable face looking in my direction every time I woke up. Joe thinks I am either crazy or super mom because I keep on going even when I am really tired. I don't seem to notice...it is what I am supposed to be doing right now and I wouldn't change any second of it!
Mostly Lucy is a pretty good baby, she gets a little fussy in the evening but nothing a little tag team from both me and Joe can't handle. She loves her bath time and snuggle time. I am sooooo glad she likes to snuggle. Basically right now I am just taking this precious time to enjoy her and love her. I am so fortunate to have the amount of time off that I do. It is amazing to think of the bond I am creating with her right now and for the next three and a half months. I feel very blessed. She has started smiling at people in the last few days and that is enough to steal your heart. I am very excited to see what the next day will bring but at the same time wishing time slowed down so she didn't grow up so quickly. I will try to post more frequently now that she is on a little bit of a schedule and naps are no longer in my arms (at least not all of them...:).
Mostly Lucy is a pretty good baby, she gets a little fussy in the evening but nothing a little tag team from both me and Joe can't handle. She loves her bath time and snuggle time. I am sooooo glad she likes to snuggle. Basically right now I am just taking this precious time to enjoy her and love her. I am so fortunate to have the amount of time off that I do. It is amazing to think of the bond I am creating with her right now and for the next three and a half months. I feel very blessed. She has started smiling at people in the last few days and that is enough to steal your heart. I am very excited to see what the next day will bring but at the same time wishing time slowed down so she didn't grow up so quickly. I will try to post more frequently now that she is on a little bit of a schedule and naps are no longer in my arms (at least not all of them...:).
Thursday, April 30, 2009
This is my birth story…
Wow, you actually have the wee one and time just starts to fly by! Lucy was born at Southwest Washington Medical Center at 3:18 pm on April 1st, 2009 (congrats to all who voted for that date!). It all started with contractions that felt different than any others I had experienced so far. On March 31st I had these harder, more consistent contractions all day long. They were about 8 minutes apart all day until 10 pm when the slowed down to ten and then fifteen minutes apart. At this point I was so irritated because I was thinking this was it and then when they got further apart I thought nature was still just teasing me and they were once again "fake" contractions. Needless to say I went to bed sad and thinking I was wrong about the fact that I was really going into labor. However, at 1:45 am on April 1st I woke up to some pretty good contractions. I laid there for an hour timing them before I woke up Joey. They were five minutes apart and getting stronger...this was it and this time I was sure. Joe woke up and took a shower and we headed to the hospital around 3:30 am. I called my mom and brother to let them know. Brice was in charge of the dog and I wanted my mom in the delivery room.
Once we got to the hospital they put me into triage to see if I was in active labor. I was dilated to 4 and completely thinned out but I had to show that things were progressing before they would admit me. I was able to get into a whirlpool to ease the discomfort and see if I would make progress. During this time Joe and I were cracking jokes and talking between contractions. My mom showed up and we just waited it out. About an hour into this I felt a gush of water while in the whirlpool (even with the jets on!) and I knew my water had broke. So we called the nurse and she had to check and see if in fact my water broke. As I got out of the tub more water kept pouring out of me. I couldn't help but laugh each time and with the laughter came more water! Joe and my mom were laughing too...good thing I wasn't at Costco...there is a lot of water in there!! However about two contractions after my water broke the laughter stopped and the real work began. I tried to labor in the bed and that was a no go so they allowed me to go back into the water, thank God. I continued to labor in the water for 9 nine hours until I was dilated to 9.5 cm. At 5 cm I was begging for the drugs! I told Joe and my mom that it was just my stupid pride and that I didn't care any more...they kept telling me to take one more then they would talk to the nurse...after hearing this about ten times I stopped asking and I'm so glad I did. I was finally told that it was okay to push and I thought to myself 'this is it!!!' However Lucy wasn't in the correct position, she was 'sunny side up' and that made the pushing part extremely difficult and it took three and a half hours! I was thoroughly exhausted and didn't have any drugs and I was sure she was never, ever coming out. I became very frustrated at about 2 hours into it and was wondering what I was doing wrong. They brought out the mirror at my request so that I could see the progress for myself, I thought they were all lying to me when they were telling me good job! After three and a half hours and a fifth push in a row on one contraction I got her out. She was so small it only took one push when she did decide to come out! The entire experience was so exhausting but some how I was reenergized as soon as Joe told me it was Lucy and they placed her on my belly. This was one of those experiences you can try and prepare yourself for, I read all the books and went to class and looked online, however nothing could prepare me for this except for the experience itself. I was so proud to have followed through with my plans and I have my two wonderful coaches to thank for that. They were so wonderful to me and they were my rock throughout the whole time. Both my mom and Joe were very emotional during the last couple of hours, neither wanted to see me in that much pain.
It was the hardest thing I have ever done and probably ever will do but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world (I can say that now because it has been a month, if I would have written this a day or two after it would have been a very different story!).
Once we got to the hospital they put me into triage to see if I was in active labor. I was dilated to 4 and completely thinned out but I had to show that things were progressing before they would admit me. I was able to get into a whirlpool to ease the discomfort and see if I would make progress. During this time Joe and I were cracking jokes and talking between contractions. My mom showed up and we just waited it out. About an hour into this I felt a gush of water while in the whirlpool (even with the jets on!) and I knew my water had broke. So we called the nurse and she had to check and see if in fact my water broke. As I got out of the tub more water kept pouring out of me. I couldn't help but laugh each time and with the laughter came more water! Joe and my mom were laughing too...good thing I wasn't at Costco...there is a lot of water in there!! However about two contractions after my water broke the laughter stopped and the real work began. I tried to labor in the bed and that was a no go so they allowed me to go back into the water, thank God. I continued to labor in the water for 9 nine hours until I was dilated to 9.5 cm. At 5 cm I was begging for the drugs! I told Joe and my mom that it was just my stupid pride and that I didn't care any more...they kept telling me to take one more then they would talk to the nurse...after hearing this about ten times I stopped asking and I'm so glad I did. I was finally told that it was okay to push and I thought to myself 'this is it!!!' However Lucy wasn't in the correct position, she was 'sunny side up' and that made the pushing part extremely difficult and it took three and a half hours! I was thoroughly exhausted and didn't have any drugs and I was sure she was never, ever coming out. I became very frustrated at about 2 hours into it and was wondering what I was doing wrong. They brought out the mirror at my request so that I could see the progress for myself, I thought they were all lying to me when they were telling me good job! After three and a half hours and a fifth push in a row on one contraction I got her out. She was so small it only took one push when she did decide to come out! The entire experience was so exhausting but some how I was reenergized as soon as Joe told me it was Lucy and they placed her on my belly. This was one of those experiences you can try and prepare yourself for, I read all the books and went to class and looked online, however nothing could prepare me for this except for the experience itself. I was so proud to have followed through with my plans and I have my two wonderful coaches to thank for that. They were so wonderful to me and they were my rock throughout the whole time. Both my mom and Joe were very emotional during the last couple of hours, neither wanted to see me in that much pain.
It was the hardest thing I have ever done and probably ever will do but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world (I can say that now because it has been a month, if I would have written this a day or two after it would have been a very different story!).
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