Welcoming Baby Eli

-Settle in, this is a long post, with many gratuitous baby photos




We are officially welcoming to the world Eli Bradley Platt, 7lb 8.2oz 21.5 inches February 17, 9:16pm.

     Most of you know that I had a challenging birth that went the complete opposite of my birth plan, but that post is for another day. Today, today is for celebrating. This whole month, year, lifetime is for celebrating. I'm so overjoyed with this life I'm living.  Kenny and I had talked so often about having children and the timing was never right. Turns out God's timing was perfect, because this little surprise has brought so much to our lives, I can't imagine what we were spending our time on before him. We have been so lucky to be enveloped in friends and family that were supporting us, praying for us and guiding us during this time. Now that Eli is here, it feels so normal, so right. I was terrified that I wouldn't bond with him, that I would love my animals more. The first night, I couldn't sleep because I just wanted to get to know him. I wanted this sweet baby to wake up just so that I could tell him how much I love him and shower him with kisses. I'm so happy those fears were completely unfounded.

     Now let's get everyone caught up on Eli. Where do I start? Obviously he is the smartest, most beautiful, happy, strong, best baby anyone has laid eyes on :).  Truthfully, Eli is a very curious baby, he loves to look at new things and makes the most adorable little "o" mouth with these wide eyes.

He makes his sweet little "o" mouth face towards the very end and its my most favorite thing he does.

      He is an eater like no other, which is perfect because everyone loves a chunky babe. He was a pretty great sleeper and then realized that the world was a little too interesting to sleep through, so daytime sleep is a bit of a battle right now. He looks just like his dad, so far the only thing this kid has gotten from me is giant hands. He's calmed by running water, maybe this boy will take after me and be a water baby. Our furbabies are adjusting quite well to our new baby. Cole is playing the part of protective big brother, checking on Eli every time he fusses. The cats are playing the part of injured middle children and ignoring the baby. A note for all the prospective moms out there, I did a lot of research on EVERYTHING baby related before this little guy got here and while it's been nice to know that after days of elation the lack of sleep will set in and you'll cry; I found that much of my research sets you up for something much worse than what has actually happened. Breast feeding has not been the incredibly arduous journey I was expecting. Recovering from a cesarean, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

Mama's ginormous gift                Check out the belly button!

   

Celebrating our every milestone, clearly first time parents.

     We finally got Eli's room finished, minus a lamp. I already feel bad for my subsequent children, this room is all custom. From the floor that my family and Kenny worked on to the crib my step dad built to the giraffe painting my mother in law did, to the cushions my mom sewed; everything has a handmade touch to it. We are so happy with how it turned out. The room was looking a little austere for awhile, but the rug really warmed everything up and now it's perfect.

        A quick note about thank you cards. Since I was taking so long to send them out, I decided to wait till after his birth when I can include a sweet little photo. I wasn't expecting this guy to stay in for an extra 11 days and now all the cards are way late. Rest assured, you'll be getting thank you cards (with a photo!) which is way better than a boring card anyway!

Melt my heart...

Week 41

Due date: um... a week ago!
How far along: 41 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 38 lbs.... 
Stretch marks: none so far, but I think I'm putting my skin to the limit.
Sleep: After seeing my midwives on Monday and discussing my lack of sleep they offered me ambien and talked about therapeutic rest.  However, since I'm a crazy scatterbrain, I lost the ambient, but have been able to sleep at night anyway.  Apparently my body just needs the threat of medication to start working properly.  Soon, I'm going to start threatening pitocin hoping labor will start up!
Best moment this week: We now have lots of family here and more is coming in tonight.  I feel bad that everyone is here, just waiting for Eli to make his big debut, but it's been wonderful getting to see and spend time with everyone.  Eli's room is almost completely done and I will post pictures as soon as the cushions get recovered for the glider. 
Miss anything?   Aside from being little? :) I'm already starting to miss work.  I'm sure once I have a new little baby in my arms, work will be the farthest thing from my mind, but while I wait, I could use the distraction. 
Movement:  He's still moving around in there, happy as a clam!
Food cravings: I finally started using almond milk with cereal and am SO HAPPY!! Its not great for dipping cookies in, but I'll take a dairy likeness any way I can get it!
Anything causing queasiness: Lactose
Started showing:  I'm ginormous, everywhere I go people ask me not to allow my water to break in their store/restaurant/etc.
Gender: boy
Looking forward to: Being done being pregnant.  Pregnancy is crazy amazing and this miraculous thing that your body goes through is such a gift.  However, I'm sure any pregnant woman will tell you that they are done being pregnant at 39 weeks, unfortunately, babies like being fed round the clock and staying all snug and warm in the womb, crazy kids!
Pains:  I've been "borrowing" the hotel pools of of our parents and that makes me feel wonderful, so pain is at a minimum.  

Random musings at week 41:
We are ready to meet our baby! We are "ready" to start this new chapter of our lives.  Ready is an interesting word, there is really no such thing as ready.  How do you prepare for your life to change completely and be turned upside down?  I think at this point the waiting is whats killing me the most.  I have enough time to wonder if I can handle this new role, enough time to wonder just how painful birth really is, time to doubt myself.  Kenny has been this insane pillar of strength and stability, reassuring me that I will deliver amazingly and that this is the role I was born to play.  How people get through pregnancy without a supportive partner is unfathomable to me.  
Also, just to assure everyone, yes we are doing all the tricks to get labor started.  If you're somewhat familiar with Kenny or I, you may be aware of just how stubborn our child is obviously growing to be. I promise, we will get everyone updated as soon as Eli gets here!

Week 40

Week 37

Week 38

Week 39

You should all know how much I love you and want to keep you updated, based on the fact that I am willing to post these exhausted looking, large late pregnancy photos; don't even try to argue otherwise :)

Due date: Today!
How far along: 40 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 36 lbs!! Whoa golly!
Stretch marks: none! Yay yay yay!
Sleep: better, I wake up about four times a night, with a weird insomnia thing between 4 and 7, but the sleep that I am getting is glorious. The only time it's been really rough is when I have Braxton hicks keeping me up with false hope that this babe will be here soon!
Best moment this week: we have family here! Kenny's parents have been out here for a week and we have gotten the house cleaned and the baby's room set up. Feels so nice to have stuff done and just be ready for baby. 
Miss anything?   The only thing I'm really missing is not having to lug my gigantic body around. I'm big folks and being big is less than comfortable.
Movement: he is still moving quite a bit.  He has started to get a little aggressive in his movement, hopefully starting to make his way out!!
Food cravings: dairy! I just want milk and cereal and ice cream and whenever I give in, my stomach is in knots.
Anything causing queasiness: Dairy
Started showing:  so much, so big.
Gender: boy
Looking forward to: Meeting this child! As much as I want him out of me and into the world, it's mainly about how much I want to know him.  I have no guesses as to who he will look like or what he will be like and I juts can't wait to find out.  Its like having a pen pal ad finally meeting them, I feel like I know him already and yet there is so much to be discovered.
Pains:  I started my maternity leave on Saturday and it's amazing how much less pain I'm when I'm not carrying plates and trays and 30 extra pounds on concrete floors for 5 hours at a time!

We are so very very excited to start this new journey.  Everything still feels surreal and somewhat far away.  I'm just existing in this haze and trying to soak it all in.  Kenny and I have talked about how it sounds so normal to say the baby is coming soon, or even Eli will be here soon; but transitioning to our son is still super bizarre.  The ownership and care of another life is a slightly daunting role, but we feel as ready as can be.  Thank you everyone for all your prayers, gifts, blessing and support.  I feel competely confidant is saying that we would be utterly lost without you.  Now we are just hoping that baby Eli will take after his dad and be here near his due date.  I feel as though the longer I sit here with time to think about natural birth, the more anxious I will get :)

Week 35

Due Date: February 6th- 5 weeks away!!
How far along: 35 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 26 lbs up, right on track to gain 30 lbs!
Stretch marks: still not a one! I'm counting my lucky stars.
Sleep: in a word, rough.  I wake up several times a night, whether I'm trying to find a comfortable way to lay, the animals are waking me up or I'm moving to the couch to prop myself up on pillows because of heartburn.
Best moment this week: family came out to visit! Being so far from family is an amazing blessing because it really made Kenny and I grow up, grow together and learn to rely on one another, however it is really hard not having family near by, especially when our families are so kick ass.  Another great moment; getting the picture above that I have wanted to take since I realized I would have a big belly at Christmas.
Miss anything? I miss everything and nothing at the same time.  I like being pregnant, it's this wonderful, weird little science experiment and my pregnant time is rapidly dwindling. With that comes this great big anticipation of meeting him and getting my body back to normal.  I would say that I'm content in where he and I are right now.
Movement: Eli is a mover! Which is a great great wonderful thing.  At our 32 week appointment, we got the news that he was breech, which scared me beyond belief.  I started seeing an amazing chiropractor and not only feel much better, but he turned himself right around! Now his main movement is feeling moving his feet whenever I poke them :)
Food cravings: I'm craving healthy food, but don't actually want to use the energy to get it.  I would feel a lot better if I was eating healthier right now, but eating healthy takes a small amount of effort and the lack of restful sleep has me not wanting to exert any extra effort at all.
Anything causing queasiness: I haven't quite learned the size of my new squished stomach, when I eat small baby portions I feel fine, when I don't - heartburn/acid reflux grossness.
Started showing:  a little boy pointed to my belly and said "whoa!" enough said
Gender: Baby boy to continue the theme of Platt children
Looking forward to: This next month! I made myself a schedule so that I could have a visual representation of what needs to be done and would stop collapsing in a heap of tears about feeling overwhelmed and it is this giant month of baby prep and couple time. Can't think of a better thing to have my mind distracted by during January in Idaho.
Pains:  I have pretty bad hip pain, but Dr. Jen has been a godsend and I generally feel pretty good.

Kenny and I were talking on our way to a new year's party last night about how crazy this year has been.  We have grown so much as a married couple and really identified what we want our lives to look like.  Its has been one the most roller coaster years and I want to thank all of you for taking this journey with us.  We have the deepest appreciation for everyone that has read along and said that they will be apart of the village its going to help to raise Eli. We are so very very excited to see what 2014 brings for us!

Also I love games like no other and if you do to, I started a baby pool! Basically guess when the child will be here, height, hair color, etc.. Maybe I'll throw in a wonderful prize for the winner, you know a cookie or something :)

Week 31- finally!

Week 31

Week 28/29?? 

Week 31

Due Date: Early February (trying not to set myself up for disaapointment by honing in on one day)
How far along: 31 weeks, 1 day
Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs, that's 10 lbs in 6 weeks folks! And I feel every ounce.  There is no where for this weight to go on my petite frame (as you can tell from the picture above)
Stretch marks: false alarm on that last stretch mark! Kenny was somehow disappointed that I didn't have a stretch mark, saying that my pregnancy has almost been too easy. How times have changed in the past couple weeks.
Sleep: now that I have figured out that I need to position pillows in such a way that they support my belly- great!
Best moment this week: the past couple weeks have been glorious.  We went to a birthing class, Seaside, OR for a couple days, then lots of family, Thanksgiving and baby showers in Redding.  
Miss anything? I'm entering the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy, I miss my old body.  
Movement: any time I'm not standing, he moves all over the place.  However the little brat stops moving the second I call anyone over to feel his tumbling!
Food cravings: I want rich foods that no matter what end up making me sick, total bummer.
Anything causing queasiness: everything I eat. I have been getting some crazy acid reflux which means I've been taking Tums each night before I go to bed so that I'm not up all night.  Trying to look at it as getting that extra calcium that this child is leaching from me. 
Pains: My left hip as a lot of soreness in it, but nothing that nightly massages doesn't take care of :)
Started showing: ha!
Gender: Little Eli Bradley!
Looking forward to: everything. We are still crazy busy trying to make sure we have all these finances in order to give me the 6 weeks of maternity leave we are aiming for, need to decorate and shop for Christmas, trying to connect with Dutch to see where cookies are headed in the next year, finish decorating the house, Eli's room is a disaster and I am looking forward to every bit of it.  I lay in bed on these cold wintry mornings and see all the animals all snuggled up and can't wait till he is here to snuggle with al of us and welcome his papa home from work.  

On another note, we had the most amazing baby showers with all of our Redding family and can not even begin to express how grateful and showered with love we feel.  It was so amazing how all of you came together to welcome this little guy into our lives and we can't wait to bring him out there to meet all of you!

Catching Up: Week 25

In my mind, I will be some great and consistent blogger, in reality, nothing about me has ever been consistent.  Anyway, I promise a whole catch up on our lives out here in Idaho in the coming days (possible now that I am only at the restaurant 4 days a week!!) for now though, lets just catch up on brewing the baby.

Week 24, Day 4

Week 25, Day 4

Due Date: According to the sonogram February 4th
How far along: 25 weeks, 5 days
Total Weight Gain: 15 lbs!! whoa, I've surpassed my sad Idaho winter weight gain a couple pounds ago, meaning largest I've ever been.  Meaning, I feel huge and I will most likley double this weight gain by the end of the pregnancy, meaning, I will be enormous.
Stretch marks: ...possibly, I found a red mark.  I'm desperately hoping that I may have scratched my belly against something and that I am not developing stretch marks this early on.
Sleep: aside from kicking Kenny all night long; I sleep well some nights, other nights, not so much.
Best moment this week: getting some clothes that fit! I've been down to rotating about 5 outfits and finally got the maternity clothes I ordered a couple weeks ago.  Worst moment? Only a couple of the clothes fit, because apparently petite women don't get pregnant.  Another great moment? Booking our vacation to Seaside and our birthing class and our trip to Redding all at the end of November. So much family time, baby time, and couple time I can hardly wait.
Miss anything? Being little.  It sounds so vain and lame and I am so thankful for this amazing gift I'm carrying, but I've been about the same size since I was 13. Its difficult to learn to adapt how I put on shoes :). And tequila, because I'm classy that way. I just smell shots of it at the restaurant.
Movement: this little guy moves ALL THE TIME!  At our last appointment our midwife could hardly get his heartbeat because he moved around so much and kept kicking the monitor off.  He is so strong and active that we can see his creepy alien movements under my skin.
Food cravings: I've never liked tomato juice or bloody marys, however while serving one to a table a couple weeks ago, I HAD to have one.  My amazing bartenders made me a delicious virgin one and I'm in love! Also the other night Kenny wanted chocolate cake and then proceeded to only have one slice- that cake was almost gone within 4 days.
Anything causing queasiness: same general lactose inspired food issues, same as before.
Started showing: yes, very much yes.
Gender: baby boy-shocked us like crazy.  Can't wait to snuggle my little guy.
Looking forward to: finishing our house! My amazing parents came and put in new flooring and it is beautiful and wonderful and causing me to upgrade the rest of my house.
Pains: just general belly soreness still, no fun being stretched from the inside.

I promise more to come soon, but for now, I've got a dinner to cook and cookies to bake.

Coin Flip

     As many of you know, Kenny and I differ quite a bit. A couple of things brought up with pregnancy have been finding out the sex of the baby and cloth diapers. I tend to gravitate toward the granola side of things and have had my heart set on cloth diapers since I attended an environmental event at Chico. The majority of people think I'm crazy for a multitude of reasons; but I say something that is better for baby, less expensive and helps to potty train sounds brilliant- even without the loading up the landfill bit.  Anyway because of all the differences between the two of us, we have become wonderful at compromise. I get my way about 93% percent of the time, perfect statistics in my mind. However with some things he won't budge and those mentioned above were two of them. So we made a deal, I won't even mess around with a coin flip if he would agree to cloth diapers- deal has been made and tomorrow is the big day. So now is the time for everyone else to participate. Kenny and I both have no inclination as to what we are having. I always thought at least one of us would feel one way or the other, but so far total split. I'll lay out the facts (old wives tales) and let everyone make their best guess.

Cravings: more chips and crackers (however if milk and cookies and ice cream didn't make me sick, I feel like this would be different) = boy
Skin issues: better better better and then crappy = split, girls are supposed to "steal your beauty"
Carrying: I think it's low, but it's a small bump = boy
String test: back and forth = girl
Heart rate: above 140 bpm = girl
Mayan gender predictor/Chinese calendar = boy
Morning sickness: hardly any = boy

    Truth be told, I feel more prepared for a girl. You see, Kenny and I have had it predicted for us that we were going to end up with all girls ever since we were about 18. I've only thought we will have girls, now that it's actually time to have a baby, I'm terrified that I'm not at all prepared to parent a boy. Luckily I have about million little brothers that I loved helping to parent (boss around) so I'm sure I'll be able to glean some knowledge from my childhood. I would love to hear what everyone else thinks Cletus the fetus is going to be. Also if anyone has some tips and advice for cloth diapers, please share the wealth!

                                                              20 weeks, 4 days