The 'other baby'

The other baby.. from Sarah Barroso on Vimeo.

During play time today in his little baby gym, Syler would "talk" to the 'other baby' in the mirror he was looking in. When he was really talking up a storm I would try to video tape it, with commentary, but he would hear & see me and become camera shy.. So, in the video that is being posted Syler is just admiring the 'other baby', but is not really talking....

7 days & counting......

Well, I have 7 days left until I go back to work. Boo! Am I looking forward to going back to work you ask. Honestly, no, not really. I am nervous about starting at 2 new schools half way through the year, having to learn the ropes of the schools and work styles/ethics of my co-workers. I don’t know what kind of mess my cases will be left in, if any mess at all (I hope there are no messes!!!!) I'm also not looking forward to starting/figuring out a new schedule/routine for home now that I am at work. This I think is going to be difficult.

Would I rather be a stay-at-home mom you ask? The answer to that question is YES!!!! I have really enjoyed the 5 months I have had with Syler and I would love to spend the next 3-5 years (until he goes to school) at home with him. I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but like many other families out there, financially we cannot afford for me to stay home.

Do I feel guilty about going back to work? Yes, I do feel guilty. But, I need to keep reminding myself that Syler will be in good hands, and that Miguel and Maria, Miguel’s godmother, will take good care of him. I know its going to be REALLY hard to walk out the front door on Monday, but I will have to stay strong (I will only try to cry on my way to work and not throughout the whole day), and knowing that Syler will be waiting for me with a BIG smile on his face for when I come home will make it a little easier to get through the day. Maybe by the time we have a second child I will be able to stay home… Fingers crossed.

Syler's 1st Christmas

So here are some pictures from Syler's 1st Christmas!!!! Enjoy!

Mommy & Syler

Daddy & Syler

Tia Jen & Syler on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning wearing my cool pajamas that say "My First Christmas"

Syler and his 1st stocking

Syler loves his stocking so much he wants to eat it.

Syler & his sock monkey named Ted

Merry Christmas!!!

Excited!

Sy telling me how excited he is for Santa to come!!! (taped on xmas eve)

Excited for Christmas!!!! from Sarah Barroso on Vimeo.

Rice Cereal!!!!

Okay, so here is the video, that I mentioned in my last post, of Sy eating rice cereal for the first time. Finally!!!! Thank you Becky for the help!!! Also, please ignore the pig in the background.. Its just Max eating his dog food....

Rice Cereal!!! from Sarah Barroso on Vimeo.

Rice Cereal!!!!!!!!!

So, here is a video of Syler's first time trying rice cereal. You will see that is goes okay, but what you don't see is that about a half hour after shooting this video (he ate a little bit of cereal then had a bottle), he puked all over mommy. Chunks and all. Yum!

**Okay, for some reason I couldn't get the video to load, but I will continue to work on it and hopefully post it soon. Enjoy the pictures below.


The pictures are our second attempt at eating cereal, which we were much more successful!!! Enjoy!

Doctors Round 2

(Sorry for the delay in getting this post up) Well, Syler went to the doctors this past Monday for his 4 month Child Wellness visit and his second round of vaccinations. So, how is Syler doing? He is doing wonderfully. He is weighing in at 15 lbs 3.5 ounces, which puts him at the 50%-tile. As for his height, he measures at 26 1/4 inches, putting him in the 75%-tile (slightly above average). Sy's head circumference is 17 1/4 inches. Syler is also where he should be developmentally.

Over the past month, Miguel and I have been questioning if he is teething or not. Well, he is in the process of getting his first tooth. Right now he has what is called nepstine pearl on his gum, which is a white spot that forms on the gum. So the doctor took and look and he stated that he is starting to get a tooth, it just hasn't broken threw yet. The doctor said that getting a tooth can be a very long process for some babies. Also, the doctor is very happy, as are we, with Sy's belly button. The doctor also gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal. I will post on that when we give it a shot.

Lastly, Syler received his second round of vaccine shots. I must say, he did better this time than last. He did not scream as much as he did before, but he did cry during the whole process and for a very long time after. Overall, he is doing really well and the doctor is very pleased.

We go back to the doctors in 2 months.

Syler is 4 months old!!!!!!!!

Today, Syler is 4 months old!!! Holy Cannoli!!!!!!!!! Everyone tells you, even the old lady walking in Walmart, that they, your child, grows so fast, and boy do they... Miguel and I can't believe that it has been 4 months since this little munchin arrived... What a great adventure Syler has made it...

Anywho, here's what's been going on. We haven't had a doctors appointment since October. We are kind of anxious to go to the doctors because we want to know how much Sy has grown in height and weight.. We kind of weighed him on our own with a bathroom scale and it looks as though he may have gained about 2 pounds (12 lbs 3 oz in Oct) since his last doctors appointment. So we will see. Eating has been the same. Syler might start on rice cereal or oatmeal this months. We will see what the doctor says. Even though I wrote in my last post about Syler's arm, I still feel that I need to update you all about this matter. Syler's arm is wonderful. He is constantly swinging it around. So only good news there. We did not go to our last appointment with the Neurologist. We felt that Syler's arm is just fine and didn't feel it was necessary to go back. So I cancelled the appointment.

On a much much happier note, Syler's belly button is NORMAL. YAY!!!!!!!!!! Well, we don't know if it is completely healed, we will find out when we go to the doctors, but it looks like a normal belly button, and surgery is no longer in the distant future.

On a sadder note, I have retired all of Syler's newborn and 0-3 cloths. They have been folded up and stored in bins until our new little munchin arrives. Each piece of clothing brought back fond memories of the first few weeks of Syler's life. While going through his cloths, I couldn't believe he fit into them. They were so tiny, small and cute.. Then I would think, "I can't believe how much he has grown in such a short period of time." Oh my little boy is growing up!!!!

So, here are his likes and dislikes. Starting with likes:

~ Syler still LOVES his bouncer! To this day, we say this is the best gift ever. He doesn't spend as much time in it as he use to and he doesn't sleep in it nearly as much as he use to. He spends most of his nights sleeping in his bassinett. This leads me to naps, sleeping and routine. Syler seems to have had a consistently routine going for the past month or two, which is great!. He takes one LONG morning nap and then multiple afternoon/evening naps until it is time for bed. Bedtime these past few months has been anywhere between 11-12:30, and he would sleep until about 8 or 9 a.m. I am happy to say that it looks like his bedtime is changing. For the past 3 nights, Syler had been going to bed around 10 and sleeping until about 6/6:30. Syler usually gets any where from 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Even though part of me misses having to get up a few time in the middle of the night to feed or comfort, I am enjoying these sleep-filled nights. I on the other hand still have to get up around 5-5:30 to pump, but not a big deal. We still need to work on a bedtime routine though. I think that will come once evening naps decrease and we get a more consistent bedtime time. Syler is also going longer between each feeding, and there has been a slight increase in food intake per feeding. Hopefully after out doctors appointment on Monday we will start introducing rice cereal.
~ Books & reading time. Syler loves having books read to him!!!
~ Talking. There has been a huge increase in his vocalization. We are hearing new sounds, seeing new facial expressions & new movements with his mouth and tongue.
~ Sucking on his fingers and hands. This is actually pretty funny because he still hasn't quite gotten the hang of sucking on his thumb. So he either sucks on his whole fist or 3 fingers at a time. But, he is constantly sucking or licking his fingers/hands.
~ Playing with toys. Syler has a deer with dangly legs that he loves playing with (see picture). He was all about his glow worm, but he has recently gotten over that. Now, he likes his deer and wormy, which is a little stuff rattle.
~ Baths. He enjoys taking baths now.
~ Watching mom and dad. Syler can just watch us for ever. He loves to stare at us, and if we get up and start walking around her will follow us.
~ Grabbing things and bringing them to his mouth. Syler just recently has started to grab objects and either holds onto them or will bring them to his mouth to suck on.



His dislikes:
~ Getting dressed. More specifically, putting his shirt on. I don't know what it is, but Syler hates having his shirts pulled over his head, or having his shirts bunched up around his neck while you are putting his arms in his sleeves. He hates it and starts crying almost instantly.
~ Being hungry. When Syler is hungry he has no patience (just like his daddy). He will cry until that bottle is placed in his mouth.

Upcoming events: Syler gets his next round of vaccine shots on Monday. So, Monday's agenda will be comforting and caring for a cranky/hurt and sad little man.

All in all, things are going great and Sy continues to be a happy, smiling little man.

syler is 3 months old!!!

Today, Syler is 3 months old.... It has been a wonderful 3 months! We have had no doctor appointments or visits to any specialist. So, what has been going on? Syler is doing well. He is still eating like a champ. He has actually been eating a little more lately, which is possibly due to a 3 month growth spurt (doctor said this would happen). We know that he has gained more weight, and we are looking forward to going to the doctors to see just how much. Again, his arm is doing wonderfully. Nothing but improvements there. We go back to the neurologist November 20 for our last appointment. His belly button has made huge improvements this past month. It is actually starting to look like a normal belly button. It seems to be healing faster than what I had expected, which is great. Hoping that it is completely healed by the time he is 3 so we can avoid surgery. I think his belly button will be completely healed by then though.

Syler is definitely fitting into 3 month old cloths now..... Thanks to all his chub rolls. He was actually fitting in to some 3 month old cloths a few weeks back. I have been slowly putting away his newborn and 0-3 month old cloths, which has brought back some memories, especially his newborn cloths. I look at them and can't believe he was that tiny and actually fit into them. Syler continues to LOVE his bouncer. He still spends a majority of his sleeping time in his bouncer, but he also has spent a good amount of time in his new bassinet (Thank you Susie!!!). He seems to like that better than his crib. So we are slowly working to get him to sleep only in the bassinet, which is going well. Syler doesn't mind taking baths now, since I have been using his infant bath tub. He still doesn't like to have his hair wash, but the whole bath experience has improved. The first time I use the bath tub (since the very first time, the first day he was home and he HATED it), I put him in the water and he almost started to cry, but then it looked like he had the thought of, "Hmmmm, wait, this isn't that bad". Then he just chilled. He seems to react this way when I first put him in the tub. So that is an improvement.

We are continuing to work on a schedule/routine. I have noticed this past months that Syler is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time as well as sleeping for longer periods on time too. He is getting better about decreasing his sleep during the day. We currently take a morning nap and then a few afternoon/evening naps. He still goes to bed late, but anything is better than him staying awake until 2:30-3 in the morning. So I think we are slowly getting the hang of some kind of routine. Syler enjoys playing on his baby gym, but continues to hate tummy time..... He seems to be more alert and interested when I read books to him, which is pretty cool. I also love how is able to track us, while sitting in his bouncer. I could be walking around in the kitchen putting dishes away and he just happily watches while I do so. His dancing has improved. What I mean by that is his body movements. He is moving his arms and legs in a more coordinated fashion, and he is constantly swinging his arms around and kicking his legs.

One of the best parts from this past month has been the increase in talking. Miguel and I are hearing a lot more oo's, ahh's, coo's, gurgles, laughter, howoo's, and the best part of it all is that he will have conversations with us. He will mimic the noises we make, or we go back and forth making noises as each other. TOO CUTE! Another best part is the increase in smiling. Syler smiles as soon as he see his mommy or daddy, which is just awesome.. He even instantly smiles when he hears one of us. He just smiles all the time. I love his toothless smile! Syler also enjoys sucking on the side of his fist (the side with the thumb). He still hasn't figured out how to suck on his thumb, so he just sucks on his fist instead. It is too funny. Another wicked cute thing, which will be dangerous when he gets older, is his super cute pouty face!!! OMG, I love it! I laugh and give in every time he does it. SO CUTE! Overall, Syler continues to be a very happy baby and we are looking forward to what this month has in store for us all.

Happy Halloween!!!!!

Hi everyone!! Just wanted to share some cute pictures of Syler's 1st Halloween!!! Enjoy!

Sporting a devil headband the night before Halloween.


Syler's first "halloween costume." Thanks Auntie Kim and Auntie Melissa!!!






Syler's 1st pumkpin curtesy of Auntie Kim...





Happy Halloween!!!!!!

Doctor's Appt # 3

Today, Miguel and I took Syler to the doctors for his 2 month Child Wellness Exam and his vaccines. Well, things are looking really good. Syler weighs 12 lbs 3.5 ounces. He is 23 inches long and his head circumference is 15 inches. His doctor says Syler is right on target; he is average in all areas. We also had the doctor look at Syler's belly button again (because it still weirds us out). The doc says that his belly button is going to stick out like it does for a very long time. Possibly until he is 3 or 4 years old. He again reiterated that as long as we can push his belly button back in he is okay. But, the doc also said that he will most likely have to have corrective surgery later on in life (again around age 3 or 4). We will continue to keep an eye on his belly button. To be honest, it is really hard not to keep an eye on it. It is huge and sticks out so far.

Anyways, Syler received his first round of vaccinations. This wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be (with the idea that people say "Its harder for the parents than the child"). Well, I think this was harder for Syler than for us. Granted, it was not pleasant to see Syler in pain and cry as much or as hard as he did, but it wasn't too bad. So, Syler's doc came in first with bubble gum flavored mortin, which is suppose to help with the pain afterwards. Then the 'evil' nurse came in to give Syler 3 shots and a oral medicine. She did the oral medicine first. Syler drank it all down and then within a minute he threw it ALL up and then some. So that wasn't pleasant. Then came the shots. He took 2 shots in the right thigh, and he cried at the administration of both. But, it wasn't until the 3rd shot did Syler cry the hardest. This shot was in the left thigh and as soon as she put the needle in Syler's face became extremely red, mouth wide open but no sounds. Then seconds later, he wailed so loud it was heart breaking. Afterwards, he was comforted by Mom and Dad and his teddy bear (seen in the picture).

So, all in all it was a good doctors visit and Mom and Dad are doing a great job!

Syler is 2 months old!!!!!!!!!

So, today Syler is 2 months old. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! This past month has been wonderful. We have seen many changes in Syler. He is smiling more, which is wonderful. He smiles at the sound of mommy and daddy's voices, if we smile at him or do silly things, or just because he is happy. He is a very happy baby. The best thing is when he wakes up in the morning and he is laying on the changing table just smiling up at me. Its the BEST! He is also starting to talk more, which is great. We are hearing a lot of coo's, ah's, gurgles and giggles, which are all just precious.

We are currently working on a routine/schedule for the day (implementing naps during the day), which we hope will help with sleeping at night. The beginning of the month Syler would sleep all day and stay up all night long and he was difficult to put to bed, which made this very difficult for Miguel since he takes the night shift. I first started implementing the routine about 2 weeks ago and Syler would have good and bad days/nights. But, over the past couple of nights he has been sleeping much better. He wakes up to eat and then will goes right back to bed. This has been great for Miguel...

Syler is also staying up a lot more during the day, which is nice because I/we get to play with him. He spends time playing on his baby gym, tummy time, reading with mommy, listening to music or just hanging out. He also LOVES his bouncer!!!! This is great because we have been using this a lot to get him to sleep at night (on the bad nights). I also put him in his bounces when I have things I need to get done around the house.

As for Syler's health and wellness, he is doing great! His left arm is great. Its like he never even had a problem. We go back to the neurologist in November for our last check up. Syler continues to eat like a champ. His food intake has been slowly increasing. So, no worries there. We can tell that he has gained more weight since our last doctors appointment (a month ago). We go to the doctors on Tuesday so we will get new weight and measurements. Miguel measured Syler's height this morning, and he is measuring at 23 inches (give or take). Syler is also starting to fit into 3 months old cloths. I can't believe that..... He is getting so big and is starting to get chub rolls, which is too cute and I love. One thing that we are not looking forward to at the doctor's appointment on Tuesday is Syler getting his first round of vaccine shots... I have been reading up on the vaccines, but it doesn't make that fact that he is going to be pricked with needles any easier.

I will post after our doctor's appointment on Tuesday!!!!

Pictures

Syler: 6 wks 2 days old. Loving his bouncer.

The family (minus daddy).

So tired from a very busy day.

Momma loving Syler.

Doctor's Appt # 2-Syler

Syler went to the doctors today for his second 'Child Wellness Exam' and it went great!!!! Syler weigh in at 10 lbs 9 ozs. He has gained 4 pounds since he has left the hospital. He is currently 22 inches long. He grew 4 inches since August 14th. His head circumference is 14.5. The doctor stated that he is where he should be, and he has caught up so now he will not be behind when it comes to meeting milestones and what not. The doctor checked his eyes, legs and hips, and all are fine. The one thing that is of some concern is that Syler has an Umbilical Hernia, causing his belly button to stick out about a half inch. The doctor stated that at this time it is nothing to worry about as long as we can push his belly button back in. But, if it comes to the point where we are not able to push his belly button back in he may need surgery. So, for now, we just keep an eye on it. Other than that, Syler is happy and healthy!!!!!!!!!!! Our next appointment is the 2nd week of October and that is when Syler starts his rounds of vaccine shots. Kind of not looking forward to that.

Labor & Delivery

LABOR & DELIVERY

Per request of a great friend, here is the story of my labor and deliver (pace yourself: its kind of on the long side)

Friday July 31: It was a normal day. I woke up around the same time Miguel does. I putzed around, ate breakfast, then went to hang out in the bedroom with Max and watch tv on my laptop. Around 10-10:30 I started to have contractions. I didn't think anything of it. Just thought the contractions were braxton hicks contractions. So, just out of curiousity and a little bit of concern (just in case they were the "real" thing) I started timing my contractions. Throughout the whole day the contractions were very inconsistent; far apart and not very long. Come later that night, the contractions started getting close together, but were still somewhat short,which kind of concerned me a little more, but not really. I was still thinking they were braxton hicks contractions. So, when Miguel got home, I gently broke the news to him. He seemed a little concerned but not really. He too, just thought they were the "fake" contractions. He asked me how the contractions fell on a pain scale of 1-10, and I said about 2 or 3. So, I kepted track of my contractions until about 3 a.m., when I fell asleep. I woke up early the next morning because I was very excited about my baby shower later that day.

Saturday August 1st-2nd: So, like I said. I woke up early (without an alarm) because I was very excited about my baby shower. I woke up, ate breakfast, showered, got dressed and waited for my Yaya's to arrive. During that whole time I had no contractions. It wasn't until we started driving to Adams I started having contractions, which was around 10 a.m. (On a side note, I spoke to my sister-in-law, explained to her what was going on and she too thought it was braxton hicks). So as soon as I felt the first contraction, I started timing. This concerned me a little bit, because I didn't know braxton hicks lasted a couple of days; this being day 2. I timed the contractions all the way to Adams, which was an hour and fifteen minutes away. Once at my brother & sister-in-law's house I stopped timing but paid close attention to the contractions all day. As the day progressed, the contractions got stronger, but I didn't tell anybody. I started paying more attention to the contractions when the shower was over because they felt even stronger. After the shower was over and a few of us were still hanging around the house, I decided to go to the bathroom. This may be a little TMI for some of you, but when I looked at my panties I noticed that there was a light brownish mucus discharge. The "plug" as they called it in lamaze class. This was around 6-6:30ish. By 6:30-6:45, my contractions were becoming more and more uncomfortable. At this point I told Miguel we needed to leave. So we left my dad's house around 7ish. As soon as I got in the truck and we started driving, I started timing my contractions. My contractions were about 6 to 7 minutes apart and were lasting about 30-40 seconds. Miguel asked me what the pain scale was and I said 5-6.

The drive home seemed long and fast all at the same time. So, as the hour and fifteen minutes past, the contractions got closer and closer together and lasting long. By the time we got to Chicopee, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 50-60 seconds. So we were pasted the 5-1-1 (contractions being 5 minutes apart for 1 minute long for 1 hour). So, Miguel and I decided that as soon as we got home, I would call the hospital and while I called he would unload the truck just incase they wanted us to come to the hospital, which they did. I called, explained to the midwife what I was feeling, how far apart the contractions were, the 'plug' situation and she asked that we come to the hospital.

Once at the hospital (around 8:30 p.m.), we registered and they brought us to a room. I put on a gown and they put two fetal monitors on me; one to monitor the baby's heart beat and the other to register/monitor the strength of my contractions. After explaining to the nurse and the midwife my contractions, which were in my lower stomach/pelvis area, they told me that it is most likely cramping from not drinking enough water during the hot summer day, but they wanted to keep me there to monitor me for a little while. Well, while there, my contractions were getting worse. So the midwife decided to do an internal exam. Well to our surprise, I was 3 centimeters dialated and 80% effaced. I looked at the nurse and said "WHAT!!!!!" and Miguel's jaw dropped to the floor. After it registered in his head he asked the midwife "This is it, we are going to have a baby?!?!?" She said yes, check to make see if she could feel the baby's head (and she could), then said that we were going to be admitted and moved to the birthing unit upstairs. By this time, Miguel has been making phone calls, had a mass text going, and 3 of the 4 Yaya's were sitting in the waiting room. Also, by the time we were moved upstairs, my contractions were so painful, I was squeezing Migule's hand hard and clenching the bed sheets hard also.

As soon as we were upstairs (around 10 p.m.), the LOVELY anesthesiologist gave me an epidural, and within seconds I was pain free! The anesthesiologist was my new bestfriend! Miguel and the nurses would watch the contractions on the monitor and ask if I felt anything and I said "nope" and they were surprised because looking at the monitor I guess they were severe contractions. So now we waited. My Yaya's hung out with us until about 1-1:30. Around 3ish my water broke. The midwife checked me around 5ish and I was 6-7 centimeters dialated 100% effaced. Miguel and I tried to sleep, but how can they expect you to sleep, seriously. Our friends and family showed up around 7-7:30 a.m. and hung out with us for a while. Later that morning around 8:30 the midwife checked me again and I was 10 centimeters. She explained to me that once I feel like I want to have a bowel movement then it is time to go. For about the next hour we hung out, joked and laughed with our friends. At about 9:15-9:20 I called the nurse and told her it was time! Our friend left, the midwife & nurses all came in with their equipment, the midwife told Miguel to grab a leg, and I started pushing at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday August 2nd: So the excitement began at 9:30. All our friends and family were standing right outside my door (a little awkward). So I am pushing and pushing. First thing I thought of was "This isn't too bad. It doesn't really hurt all that much!" It took me a little bit to get the hang of the whole pushing thing (if that makes scense). After about 45 minutes of pushing I was getting frustrated. I felt like I was not making any progress. I didn't really feel the baby moving. Miguel, the nurses and my midwife were all encouraging me, then I got it, and I new I did because my midwife got excited. So, I was pushing, pushing, pushing... All of a sudden my midwife says that the head was crowning. She said "I can see his hair." She told Miguel to look, he did but wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. He thought that she only did that to encourage me to push harder. Also, about 45 minutes in I was extremely hot, sweating REALLY bad and felt like I was going to pass out. So, Miguel and my midwife started putting very cold wash cloths on my forehead and chest, and boy did that feel GOOD! Also, every time I would push, I would get a sharp shooting pain across the left side of my chest, which made it a little more difficult to push because it was painful.

Okay, so an hour has past and I am thinking to myself "I'm not sure how much longer I can do this." It wasn't the pain that made me want to stop. It was me being extremely hot and the pain in my chest. Honestly, my contractions were more painful than labor pain (I'm sure the epidural had something to do with that :-) All of a sudden, I felt Syler's head pop out a little more and everyone started getting excited. I wasn't allowed to put my legs down, so that is another way I knew I was close. My midwife asked it I wanted to touch the head and I said "NO" (I felt bad about kind of yelling at her. I just wanted my baby out). The excitement in Miguel's voice when he was telling me to push and helping me breathing, made me push harder, and that is when I started grunting and screaming louder. Up to this point I was quiet. The NICU nurses started getting ready. My midwife started getting her things ready. After twenty more minutes of me pushing, Miguel coaching, and my midwife helping scretch my vagina, out came SYLER!!!!

He was wisked away to the NICU nurses. They did what they had to do; got him breathing with a little assistance, did his apgar scores, and wrapped him up. Miguel cried, paced back and forth between Syler and me, yelled to our friends and family in the hallway "IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (you heard lots of cheering), and got to cut the ambilical cord. While Miguel was doing all that, I was patiently waiting for my placenta to be delivered, which took about nother 8-10 minutes. While I was waiting for that, I just watched Miguel, which was one of the best things. Seeing him so beyond excited was priceless. Then NICU nurses brought Syler over to me for a quick kiss and wisked him away to the NICU.

Syler is 1 month old!!!!!!!

One month ago today, Miguel and I officially became a mommy and daddy. The day that Syler was born was the absolutely best day of my life. I can not believe that Syler is a month old already. I must say it has been an amazing, amazing month that has gone by too fast.

When I think back to the day Syler arrive, I think back to the moment when I called the nurse and told her it was time and all our friends and family left the room. When they left I couldn't help but cry. The emotions I was feeling at that moment were overwhelming. I was happy, scare, nervous, excited, anxious, elated, terrified, and ready. I knew in just a little bit our baby was going to be born, and that moment he was born we both felt a love that we had never felt before; a love that cannot be explained. But, this love is beyond amazing. The moments after Syler was born are some of my absolute favorite moments. I layed there in the bed just watching Miguel pace back and forth between my bed and the open crib with Syler in it. The look on Miguel's face, tears in his eye, the smile just lit up the room and my heart. Those moments I will never forget. He was beyond happy and when he yelled to everyone in the hallway "IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!" and they all cheered, it was priceless. The whole labor and delivery experience was so amazing and thee best day of my life. Now, Miguel and I look forward to careing, loving, teaching and guiding our little man.

Today, we can say that Syler weighs well over 7 lbs. We won't know for sure until we go to the doctors on 9/15, but he has been eating really well and you can tell in his pictures that he is chubbier. Syler is also a good sleeper. Granted there have been some moments where he has been fussy and not wanting to sleep, but over all he sleeps well. He loves to cuddle, and I LOVE having him lay on my chest and take naps together. I cherish every minute of that time we get to spend together. It strengthens our bond as mother and son and I love that. I also love it when Syler is wide awake and just wants to hang out. He makes such funny noises/faces and he is so active; swinging his arms and kicking his legs. Miguel and I like to say he is dancing. It is too cute! Syler loves to look in your eyes and just stare. We love that too. I never thought you can be so mesmerized by a baby's eyes. He is very ticklish on his feet, which he gets from me.

One thing that Syler is not too thrilled about it taking a bath. He seems to not like it very much, and tends to scream the whole time. I am hoping that his dislike for baths quickly fades. I'm hoping it fades when we are able to use the baby bath tub and he will be able to sit in warm water instead of laying on a towel during bath time. He is also not a very happy camper, most of the time, when he is getting his diaper changed or we are clothing him. Since he has been home, we have seen the Occupational Therapist once and the Neurologist once. Both were extremely impressed with the amount of improvement Syler has made with his left arm since leaving the CCN unit, and feel that he will definitely make a full recovery and surgery will not be needed. We will continue doing his arm exercises for a little while yet. We have one more visit with each person and then it's see ya later alligators.

What I have learned from the whole experience so far. Well, while Syler was in the NICU/CCN unit for 11 days, I learned that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was, and that Miguel and I are a very strong/supportive team. This whole process, I believe, has made us a stronger couple and has brought us closer together. Having Miguel by my side made the whole process much easier. His support, love, and strength did not go unnoticed and I admire and love him more than I ever did.

I've learned that I can function pretty well on VERY little sleep, and that I don't mind getting up at all hours of the night or pumping every 3-4 hours each day (even though it hurts). I love him and I will do anything for him.

I look forward to watching Syler grow and learn. I look forward to Syler discovering things for the first time or eating something sour and making a sour face. I look forward to Miguel and I teaching all the things we know. I just look forward to all the things that come with having a child; good or bad.

Lastly, I'd like to say THANK YOU to all our friends and family that offered us overwhelming support, love, strength, prayers, and for going beyond the regular duties of friendship to help us out. We appreciate you and love you.

Syler: 4 weeks old

Four weeks ago today, Miguel and I became a mommy and daddy. The day that Syler was born was the absolutely best day of my life. I can not believe that Syler is 4 weeks old already. These past 4 weeks have gone by so fast. I must say it has been an amazing, amazing 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks were very emotionally provoking and a bit of a roller coaster ride, but we managed to get through it. I can tell you that the first 2 weeks while Syler was in the NICU/CCN unit, I realized that I am a much stronger person than I thought I was, and that Miguel and I are a very strong/supportive team. Even though the kids in the NICU/CCN were much sicker than Syler, it was still very difficult to see him there and to learn that he has herb palsy, sleep apnea, and breathing problems. I give great credit, admire and look up to the parents who had a child in the NICU/CCN unit while we were there. Their strength, devotion, love that I saw from some parents was unbelievable (and I internally cried for those children who never had a visitor.)

Today, we can say that Syler weights over 7 lbs. We won't know for sure until we go to the doctors on 9/15, but he has been eating really well and you can tell in his pictures that he is chubbier. Syler is also a good sleeper. Granted there have been some nights he has been fussy and not wanting to sleep, but over all he sleeps well. He loves to cuddle, and I LOVE having him lay on my chest and sleep. I cherish every minute of that time we get to spend together. It strengthens our bond as mother and son and I love that. I also love it when Syler is wide awake and just wants to hang out. He makes such cute noises and he is so active; swinging his arms and kicking his legs. Miguel and I like to say he is dancing. It is too cute!

One thing that Syler is not too thrilled about it taking a bath. He seems to not like it very much, and tends to scream the whole time. I am hoping that his dislike for baths quickly fades. I'm hoping it fades when we are able to use the baby bath tub and he will be able to sit in warm water instead of laying on a blanket or towel during bath time. He is also not a very happy camper, most of the time, when he is getting his diaper changed or we are clothing him.

What I have learned:

What I am looking forward to:

I'd like to say THANK YOU to:

Nursery Pictures

Will be adding a rocking chair and wall decor.

34 weeks pregnant

I can't believe that I am 34 weeks pregnant. The time has flown by so fast. I only have 6 weeks (possibly) left. So, how am I feeling? That seems to be the question everyone is asking lately. Honestly, I am feeling great! I am more tired this trimester than I was in my 2nd trimester, but that is part of the 3rd trimester. I am having more difficulty sleeping and finding comfortable positions to sleep is becoming more challenging. This late in the pregnancy, one does not have many choices of sleeping positions. Its either sleeping on your left side or right, but really you shouldn't sleep on your right side. So, that leaves only your left side, which is the side doctors prefer you to sleep on anyways. I am finding that if I stay on one side for a long period of time, I get really bad pains in my hip, making if painful and more difficult to change positions. Also, while changing positions, I feel discomfort and pain in my stomach, especially my lower abdomen.

Moving in general is getting more difficult. I have a hard time moving around in bed and getting out of bed, along with getting off the couch. A friend told me the other day that I am starting to waddle. Which is true. I have noticed it myself. Doing different activities (cleaning, dishes etc) are still difficult, but I have noticed that I don't get as short of breath as I use to when I walk up the stairs. I also feel like my stomach leads me to where I need to go. I have also noticed a decrease in baby movement, which I was told was normal, and a decrease in appetite. I am still craving fruit, but I don't feel like eating all that much. Oh, and there as been an increase in stretch marks also, which I am not happy about.

As for doctors appointments, I am now going weekly. My weekly appointments, which were not suppose to start until I was 36 weeks, were prompted after my doctors appointment this past Monday. During my appointment, I expressed my concern regarding the decrease in baby's movement. My midwife was concerned with this also, so she had me come back after lunch and hooked my up to fetal monitors to track baby's movements and baby's heartbeat. After the doctor reviewed the tracking sheet, he said everything was normal and to not worry. Since then, baby has been very active. I guess Baby Barroso was just taking a long break. My midwife was also concerned about my blood pressure. So she took it a second time while I was laying on my left side and she was more please with it. She also mentioned that I should decrease my activity, which I will find difficult because I hardly do anything as it is. Any who, our next doctor's appointment is this coming Monday.

I must say that the closer I get to giving birth, besides getting more scared/nervous/anxious about giving birth, the more sad I feel about not being pregnant. I'm going to miss carrying a little baby in my belly, rubbing my belly as it grows, and feeling the kicks and punches from the little cutie.

Looked, I figured out how to add pictures!!! I'm so proud of myself :-)

Childbirth/Lamaze Class

Well, these past 2 weeks at lamaze class have been interesting. Last Tuesday we got to watch not 1 but 2 birthing videos. I guess our teacher thought it would be funny or something. The first video was not that bad. It pretty much showed the women using breathing techniques and different positions to help with the pain. Even a little pain management. Then showed the tail end of her giving birth. After watching that I was like, "Oh, that wasn't too bad. I can do this." But, the second video was ALOT more graphic! The second video showed, literally, step by step, the birthing process from early labor to the baby being delivered. It showed baby steps of the baby crowning to shoulders popping out, half the body then whole body. Oh, and you can't forget the video showed the placenta being delivered also. Our instructor warned us about the delivery of the placenta. She stated, "Here comes the gross part." After watching the 2nd video I was thinking, "What did I get myself into. I don't want to do this anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

After we watched the video's we discussed pain management and practices our breathing techniques, massage, and different positions I can put myself in to help with the pain. Like the first class, I again had a hard time taking the breathing seriously. I did better than our first class, but still laughed and joked.

This past Tuesday's class we had the pleasure of watching a video of a woman having a C-section. That was fabulous. Honestly, it was actually pretty interesting. I felt bad for the little baby being delivered because the doctor had a hard time getting him out and was really pulling and tugging on the little guy. After watching the video, we practiced 'pushing'. We went through the steps and pretended we were giving birth. Next we talked about "assisted delivery" which I did not like. We talked about vacuum extraction and forceps. I DON'T like either option! Our instructor showed us the actual vacuum and forceps used in assisted delivery, and the forceps are scary! I will opt to have a C-section before those other 2 options (if possible of course).

The best part of this past Tuesday's lamaze class was getting a tour of the labor and delivery units. We were shown what the delivery rooms looked like, saw pictured of the operating rooms, and the nursery. Seeing the nursery was obviously the best part of the whole tour!

We have one more class left!

32 weeks pregnant

I am 32 weeks pregnant today!! I can't believe it.. These past 8 months have gone by so so fast. Its unbelievable that in 8 weeks Miguel and I will be caring for a little baby. The closer I get to my due date the more reality checks I have. For example, lamaze class yesterday. I am starting to feel more anxious, nervous, scare, worried, terrified and so on....... But on the other hand, I am getting more excited, happy, and anxious. I can't wait to meet this little baby!!!

So, I am 32 weeks pregnant. I am still feeling pretty great. I am a little more tired now and I think that is because I am starting to have a little bit of a hard time sleeping. I am no longer wearing my wedding rings, and haven't for the past 3 weeks, and I have very little swelling in my feel/ankles/leg. It is also getting more difficult for me to do physical activities; like walking up the stairs. By the time I make it to the top of the stairs I need to take a few minutes to rest and catch my breath. Even talking and walking at the same time causes me to be short of breath. I was thinking to myself today that I needed another pedicure and to save money I would just do it myself. Yeah right, I can't even reach my toes anymore..

What else??? I can definitely tell now that the baby is resting on my bladder. I am constantly going to the bathroom. I also think the baby plays tricks on me. The reason being, it will feel like I have to go to the bathroom REALLY bad, but when I go hardly anything comes out (sorry if this is TMI for you). I have a huge craving for fruit, especially strawberries, blueberries and banana's. YUM!!!! I am feeling the baby kick/hit a lot more now, and I am also starting to see these movement roll across my belly. Super exciting!!!! There are also times that my whole belly moves. The baby must be dancing or shifting positions or something. Its pretty incredible. Also, I am hot all the time. I turn the AC on and I have it so cold that Miguel will put on sweat pants and a sweat shirt to keep warm. He will even sit downstairs on the couch with his sweat pants/shirt on and a fleece blanket over him.. Its kinda of funny. Sorry sweetie!

(a 32 week prego picture will be posted soon)

Childbirth/Lamaze Class

So, Miguel and I went to our first of 4 lamaze classes yesterday (Tuesday 7/7). Let me tell you, it was interesting, fun, slightly informative, nerve racking and scary... Interesting because our instructor is very peppy and drew us a diagram on how to get to the bathroom, which was literally 15 feet from where our classroom was. Fun because the group of people in our class (a total of 11 couples) seem to be really relaxed and laid back, which allowed us to be more comfortable and joke around a little bit. The class was slightly informative for me, but Miguel ended up learning some things, which is good.

The class was nerve racking and scary because we got to see diagrams and videos (not the birthing video. Thats next Tuesday. Super!) that made me think, "What did I get myself into" and "How is an 8 pound baby going to fit down there?!?!?!?!?" This class was just another reality check that in only 8 weeks (give or take) I am going to be responsible for a little baby (holy $@$%!!!) I am starting to have more freak out, OMG moments lately.....

On the other hand, I did have a good time practicing my breathing (hee hee hee hoo). Well more laughing than practicing. I would go to practice and all I could focus on was Miguel sitting next to me practicing also. Hearing him practicing his breathing then made me run scenarios through my head of the actual day. All I could picture is Miguel coaching me with my breathing, but at the same time making faces while doing it or coaching me in a funny manner that would make me laugh.. For those of you who know Miguel, you know what I mean... He is a jokester and to lighten the mood or to make himself feel better because there is nothing else he can do while his wife is in a lot of pain, he would make jokes during the whole process. Humor is the best medicine right?.

I also found a few items on the "What to pack for the hospital" list kinda of funny. One item listed is breath spray. Seriously, breath spray? I don't know about any of you, but how my breath smells during that day is going to be the last thing on my mind. Also on the list, tennis balls.. I told Miguel that I am going to pack tennis balls so I can throw them at him while I am having a contraction. That will definitely keep my mind off of the pain. 8-}

Bi-weekly Dr.'s Appt

Well, Miguel and I went to yet another doctors appointment this past Monday... It was a late appointment (4 p.m.) so I figured the wait would not be too long. Well, I was wrong.. We get there and waited about 20 minutes before we were called in. Once in, I did the usual pee in a cup and get weight in (I must say that I am doing pretty good with maintaining a health weight gain). Then the nurse escorted me, Miguel was already there, to the exam room where we waited another 15 minutes or so.. I don't get it. I was the ONLY patient in the office. Why was I seen 35 minutes late???? 

Anyways, the check in went well. My midwife measured my growing belly, which the measurement was normal for me being 31 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Then Miguel and I got to hear the best sound in the world....... The baby's heart beat.. I LOVE that sound and it brings a huge smile to my face every time I hear it. I wish my midwife would leave the doppler on my belly just a little bit longer... Well a lot longer :-)   We finished with the midwife and then scheduled another appointment, which will be July 20th. 

Question??

Why are doctors a half hour late to see you for your appointment when you are the ONLY patient in the office????

Recap/Update

So, most of you who are reading this blog are pretty up-to-date on what is going on regarding my pregnancy.  But, for those of you who don't, here is a quick recap.  Miguel and I found out we were pregnant January 1, 2009. It was a complete surprise followed by excitement and happy tears. Finding out we were pregnant was a surprise because even though we were trying (started in late October 2008), we didn't expect to get pregnant so fast.  I called my doctor and they wanted me to come in to take a pregnancy test to make sure I was definitely pregnant. Like the 5 home pregnancy tests I took weren't enough proof. I had to take one more. So I did, the doctor confirmed I was, and thats when the roller coaster ride began. We are due September 2, 2009!  

Fast forward to today,  I am 31 weeks and 2 days pregnant, which means that Miguel and I only have a little over 8 weeks left before our little bundle of joy arrives (granted that the baby arrives around our due date). OMG!!!!! I can't believe we only have 8 weeks left. It has gone by so fast, but I must say that it has been a fairly easy pregnancy (I hope I don't jinx myself now). Oh, and we are not finding out the sex of the baby, which I know is killing some of you :-).

So what's next? Well, we start child birthing classes on Tuesday July 7th. We are really looking forward to these classes and learning how to breath :-)  Though I am excited to start these classes, this just makes me realize that I am one step closer to giving birth and then having to care for a little child. This is all starting to get a little scary!  Also, we will be having doctors appointments every two weeks starting this Monday (7/6). This will last until I am 36 weeks pregnant then we will have doctors appointments every week.  Unfortunately, we will not be having any more ultrasound appointment, so we will not be getting any more pictures of our little glow worm. As soon as I figure out how to put pictures up I will....  

Breaking My Blogging Cherry...

Hello everyone!  

Well, after much thought I have decided to start my own blog. One thing I want to say is while you are reading my blog please excuse the grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. I was never very good at that stuff and I am not good at it now. Actually, I think the older I get the worst I write...  

Anyways, another reason why I wanted to start blogging is because Miguel and I are about to enter into a new chapter of our life (we're having a baby) and blogging is a good way to keep our family and friends up to date. So, I hope you enjoy reading this blog, and any advice, tips, comments or thoughts will be much appreciated.  

Hope you enjoy!