Another John Day

As always, John's schedule changed again. He was allowed to come home for part of the day today, but I took him back at 5pm. We had a short but sweet time as we had a Lucas photoshoot. John will be coming home most likely for part of tuesday, and then out for 4 or 5 days for the actual builder's sea trials, and then hopefully on a regular work schedule for a while.
I was messing around with this photo editor program and also using different settings on my camera, and I actually liked a lot of them.



He looks so sweet--he looks so much better with the natural sunlight instead of the harsh flash.


JOhn took this one of me and Lucas- I actually liked it. Lucas was looking at me for a long time and John missed it, but I like that his eyes are closed anyway.

I have been putting him on his belly for a little while so his neck and back will get stronger.


These were taken with the color accent setting on my camera--i love how he poses.

These are all unedited ones we took of his little outfits:


This frog outfit was a gift from John's cousin Ken and his wife Linda- thank you!

This cute sweater (with pants not shown lol) was a gift from Shawna +Jim. Still a litte big for him, but he will wear the pants soon- and it's warm. I love the hood on him!


This cute polo outfit was a gift from Aunt Susan- I couldn't stop laughing at how those pants fit him- his feet don't poke out even though he has long legs! Another outfit he will grow into--and he is growing~ i love his chubbiness!



I bought this outfit for him when I was around 26 weeks. I still can't believe it's all done, and sometimes I even miss being pregnant. But I love holding and loving Lucas and I am excited for all the milestones and memories we will make. I know John is too.

Some New Pics of Lucas

Susan and I took Lucas out yesterday and today-- I got to use the stroller for the first time and it's very nice. Lucas didn't enjoy today's outing so much, but he sure was cute. Here are some pictures of him in his outfit Susan bought him and a very cute one of him in his carseat...his face is so adorable!

The Bush

I was just curious and looking up information on "sea trials" and "fast cruises," and I found this article just written today specifically regarding John's ship, the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). Read Article: Bush Sea Trials Are Delayed Once More

Here are some snippets:

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding officials said last month that the carrier was due to depart for builder's sea trials in late January. But the company now says the Bush is due to depart by the end of February.

Operational testing to prepare the ship for trials revealed "discrepancies" that the Navy required to be resolved before allowing the carrier's force to begin an intense training period called "fast cruise," which readies sailors to take the Bush to sea, the Navy said.

That period is under way and the Navy expects builder's trials to commence "shortly thereafter."

Commissioned on Jan. 10 at Naval Station Norfolk without being completed, the Bush must pass two sets of sea trials before the Navy officially accepts the ship. The trials, operational tests conducted at sea over a few days, are used to demonstrate that the ship's two nuclear propulsion plants and other systems function properly.

The two sets are typically spread over one or two months.

The final set of trials and delivery "will follow this spring," said Alan Baribeau, a Navy spokesman.

Northrop had targeted mid-March for the Bush's delivery. It remains unclear whether the most recent delay will push back the Navy's acceptance of the 1,092-foot-long carrier.

The Navy said Thursday that the Bush "remains on schedule for operational training in late 2009, with operational deployment beginning in 2010."

I don't know, I guess reading this makes me feel a little closer to John, and in-the-know about what's going on. I then starting reading about sea trials on wikipedia, and there was a submarine (the USS Thresher) that was doing deep diving trials in 1963, when it sunk with all 129 members drowning off the coast of Massachussetts, 8400 ft underwater, where it remains to this day. Pretty scary. John isn't on a submarine though so they won't be doing any diving.


Here is some information I found on the USS Reagan (CVN 76) and the trials they did before deployment, which is probably what the Bush will be doing this year:

It was a “clean sweep” for the Ronald Reagan. Over four days in early May the Reagan ventured to sea for the first time for builder’s trials and successfully endured an aggressive series of operational tests that demonstrated the ship’s awesome capabilities and performance.

Navy crews and shipbuilders performed wide-ranging tasks. They steered the ship in high-speed conditions, dropped the massive anchors, operated radars, tested numerous ship systems and completed many other jobs too long to list.

Proud. Pleased. Satisfied. Shipbuilders used words like these to describe their feelings about the Reagan at sea, recalling how far the ship has come since the Navy awarded the contract nine years ago.

This Nimitz-class carrier with its many new technologies and innovations, including a bulbous bow for improved hull efficiency, proved it would be an asset to the Navy and the nation.

The builder’s sea trial accomplishments offered a sign of what would come with acceptance trials over two days in late May — another success. With June 20 marking the delivery of the ship, one last grand event remains. The Navy will commission the ship as the USS Ronald Reagan July 12.

So, it looks like the Bush has finally started this fast-cruise, and they will probably be done on monday or tuesday. But we don't know when they will be able to come home, because they will be doing sea trials soon after, and thats when they actually will go out on open water and test the ship's strength. Hope you all enjoyed reading this- it's sorta my therapy!

Quote of the Day

At the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, President Obama said:

"There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know."

Hmm..so I guess he doesn't think babies are 'innocent human beings?'

Grateful

I just wanted to let everyone know what they have done for me lately and that I appreciate it. I know I will think of even more things that people did for me, so please don't take offense if my new mommy brain is forgetful.

I realize that although my wonderful, loving, hard-working husband has been gone on the ship most of the past 2 weeks and will continue to be for an undetermined time, I have had lots of help adjusting to being responsible for a beautiful baby boy.

Of course John's parents initially did a lot for John and I by taking care of the house (actually fixing and cleaning!) and the dogs. I kept finding more and more repairs/deep cleaning jobs they did in our house lol.

My sister Susan is always eager and willing to take care of baby Lucas. She is very respectful of me as his mother, i.e. the one who decides the how/what/when/where etc. She doesn't think she does much, but she's a big help with keeping the house clean and I think John and I both trust her most with Lucas.

My other sister Sarah has always been there for advice on babies and childbirth and even what bottles won't cause gas--she has 2 adorable girls and 1 (30-something yr old) big baby boy lol.

And of course my mom has come over a few nights to stay with Lucas while I drove John to carpool at 4am. She has cooked many meals too and I know she is there if I needed anything. It's nice to know that after having lived so far away from her for almost 4 years.

Even my 13 yr old brother Norman has helped immensely, and without complaint. One night he fed Lucas a bottle of breastmilk while I pumped (it's becoming a challenge to keep up with Lucas' appetite), and then he learned how to burp him. He fetched many things for me when I was upstairs with a crying baby late at night (he spent the night on the weekends). And then, he tightened the screws on the base of Lucas' cradle to make it more secure. Very grateful for that. I even noticed Lucas looking at Norman's face as if, he recognized me in Norman, but knew there was something kind of off!

My friend from St. Bede's Kathleen came over last week and brought : a rotisserie chicken, spaghetti with zuccini, salad and bread. And she stayed for a long time, taking care of Lucas, who was amazed by the pattern on her shirt!:

My filipina friends Loli, Luz, Vicky, and Lina have brought many gifts and food over; they bought me a huge (250) pack of huggies diapers, Loli brought her homemade goodies over, and Lina brought me my favorite Cape Cod chicken salad from Cosco lol. They are having a lunch for me next wednesday too.

A good friend from high school, Brianne, has stayed in contact with me and has always been there to talk to and cheer me up. She has been a good role model for me in high school even, but now as a genuine SUPERMOM, she is raising 2 cute and smart kids and is the epitome of a good wife/mom. She is always doing crafty fun things with her children and cooking fancy homemade delicious food. She always shows true concern for me and even called around to call my hospital room just after I had Lucas---she sensed that I had him, and called my house (johns parents gave her the hosp #) that same day and congratulated me on how well I did delivering my first naturally. She's one of the most selfless people I know.

Navy wife, and mother of 2 boys with a girl on the way (wow), Elise has been my friend since high school in california, and now ironically is out here in Virginia where her husband is stationed, and is away most of the time. She also has a new dog to train and does a lot to sustain the family---but still makes the drive out here to Williamsburg to give me baby clothes, food, and nursing pads lol.

Navy wife and game night opponent (lol) Shawna has helped me through a lot; despite many challenges she faces with her husband's undiagnosed illness, and her adorable son's speech delay, she is always optimistic and happy. Nice to be around and helpful. And she and her husband have stuck with teaching their son ways to communicate and we have witnessed the huge and continual progress he makes. Good role models for John and I.

Navy wife (and pregnant with #2) Lindsay has given me a few pointers that have worked out; I have been trying Mylicon for Lucas' gas, she told me about getting a free cell phone upgrade for John from Verizon since his never stays charged and therefore he never could call me. I got the phone shipped free OVERNIGHT and it's really great--I know I can depend on it not dying after a 2 minute convo with John about when he's coming home. Before this phone, she also served as a messenger (since she hears from her husband who works with john) as to when/if to expect them home!

John's friend Lavasseur has helped by agreeing to carpool and take John to work with them when they are gone for days. This way I only have to drive/pick up john from Newport News and not Norfolk (yay) and I get to keep the cobalt in case I need to take Lucas somewhere. Transportation is much needed security for a new paranoid mom.

And I can't forget John. Every few days he has come home for a night, and we have the best time because we feel so much for each other. We truly love being parents and both can't wait til he can come home for good. He does and says many things that I know no other husbands do/say because of pride or just because they don't notice. John does things for me without the expectation or need for them to be acknowledged; I do things and immediately tell him, "look what I did for you," needing that approval. John does it out of his own personal integrity and character. Here are some pics/video from last night, a night he got to spend home before leaving again at 4am--i think Lucas really did miss his daddy (esp in the video):


Anyway, thank you all for your help and concern. And thank God for this life- despite my lack of sleep, I feel this is what I'm meant for. I even took Lucas to mass sunday night for the first time, and he was very good (slept through most of it). I just found it interesting because one of the readings was this (1 Corinthians 7:32-35):

32I want all of you to be free from worry. An unmarried man worries about how to please the Lord. 33But a married man has more worries. He must worry about the things of this world, because he wants to please his wife. 34So he is pulled in two directions. Unmarried women and virgins worry only about pleasing the Lord, and they keep their bodies and minds pure. But a married woman worries about the things of this world, because she wants to please her husband. 35What I am saying is for your own good--it isn't to limit your freedom. I want to help you to live right and to love the Lord above all else.

It just reaffirmed for me that it is serving God when we work hard to please our spouses and keep our families strong.

Scary, But You Should Know

I am sure most of you have heard of Dane Cook the comedian. He has a new stand-up show they are airing on comedy central lately, and he talks about how you should never go to this family watchdog site because it will freak you out, but especially as a new parent, I had to check out what evil lives near my home and I suggest you all do the same. try it: www.familywatchdog.us
It's really a great site because you just put in your address and it brings up a map with red, yellow, blue and green dots;
Red="offense against children"
Yellow="rape"
Blue="sexual battery"
Green="other offense"
and they also list the workplace of these crazies. Here is a map of my area, not too bad but still scary to have any dots!

Dr Appt- follow up

Today was Lucas' follow up appointment with Dr. Rauchwarg regarding his jaundice. Everything has improved, no more yellow coloring, AND he gained more than a whole pound since last week; he is now 9 lbs 4 oz. John will be proud. When the nurse weighed him, he had to be completely naked, so of course I opened his diaper and he peed and shot out some poop.
I have had some concerns because I hear breastmilk is supposed to be so easy to digest, and yet it seems every time Lucas' poops, it looks painful and he cries and pushes really hard and turns red and then it explodes. The doctor said it may be what I am eating, but the thing is, even healthy foods cause gas and discomfort, so what should I eat? I am willing to go on a restricted diet for a period of time to see if he gets better--i feel so horrible for him when he is trying to poop.
He slept so much today, I know what I am in for again tonight; and my legs are already cramping all day today from lack of sleep. But at least he slept through our dinner; Susan and Norman and I took him to Red Lobster for a quick dinner and he slept through it all. Now he's up, finished 3 oz PLUS he nursed for a few minutes, and he is still whiny-- I think because of stomach discomfort. I am going to look up what I should be eating. Another day down, 5 more to go.

Game Night + Alex's Photo Shoot!

About a week ago we had our first game night since Lucas' arrival, and it was also the first one at our house. It went really well! We weren't sure how well Alex would deal with being at our house for hours, or how Lucas would do, but it was all good- he loves his sweetpeace swing. I pumped upstairs every few hours, and we all held and fed and changed Lucas, Alex watched his favorite dvd's on our tv, and also played with Susan, who really liked him. The dogs stayed in the crate but were very good and slept most of the night. Norman played with us too--and even took the highest score ever in Citadels (yes, we keep track of all the scores lol) Here is Alex's photo shoot with Susan:



He gets so excited over the squirrel in Ice Age!



Alex brought his magna doodle too! He also liked coloring with crayons with Susan.

It went very well, so we had another one a few nights later, and we made breakfast foods for pre-game dinner:

I dont know how they liked it but Alex sure did! My mom also bought me this donut to sit on to relieve the pressure on my stitches---great idea for the hours of game night:


We are all waiting for John's return so we can play again! Jim + Shawna even bought us a new game we haven't tried yet called "Princes of Florence". But we did learn a new fun one called "Power Grid"--about power plants--so it should be easy for Jim and John right? I have already won twice, Shawna has won multiple times. I think Jim has, but John has yet to :) We always rub it in when someone has never won a game lol. I am sure John can't wait for the next game night to try and change his losing record!

I Love You John

Far away
The ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories Of the people who care if I live or die

Starlight
I will be chasing the starlight
Until the end of my life I don't know if it's worth it anymore

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold you in my arms

My life
You electrify my life
Let's conspire to ignite
All the souls that would die just to feel alive

But I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away
Never fade away

Our hopes and expectations Black holes and revelations
Our hopes and expectations Black holes and revelations

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold you in my arms

Far away
The ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories Of the people who care if I live or die

And I'll never let you go
If you promise not to fade away Never fade away

Just One Day

John's schedule changed yet again, and I got a call to pick him up from his friends house (car pool) yesterday morning. I immediately thought,

"oh yeah! Maybe they won't make him come back til monday for their next week long cruise thing...ah no they will probably make him come back saturday."

I get there and he says,

"I have to leave again tomorrow morning at 4am, and won't be back until next wednesday possibly thursday."

But, we made the best of the day we had together, and had family time. He was so happy to see Lucas and he said,

"he looks fatter!...and you look thinner!"

:) Both good news in my book lol.

I am so in love with John and I think we both feel even more for each other since having Lucas. This week will really be difficult, but I know when he returns it will have made our marriage even stronger. He paid me many really good sincere compliments and it has rejuvenated me as a new mom. I wish there was something I could do for him this week that would show my gratitude, other than keeping the house nice, but I know he would just be happy if I didn't spend money!
Anyway, I will probably be posting on here a lot in my spare time to keep me pre-occupied each day that I count down til wednesday. I know John thinks that I need him here simply to take care of Lucas with me and help around the house (which I do deeply appreciate) but it's truthfully more that I miss him as my husband. I think we have the best marriage and it's only been almost 5 years. Here are some pictures we took on our family day yesterday.
By the way, one of my favorite things that John said yesterday, no matter how cliche it sounds,

"If I only had one day left to live, it would have been spent like this with you and Lucas."

Rough Night

John went back to work yesterday, and unfortunately was thrown right into a fast-cruise. I was told by another Navy wife that he may come back on friday, and then they have another fast-cruise thing on monday through the next friday, so they may just keep them the whole 2 weeks. And of course since they are testing the ship out they aren't allowed any ways of communicating. No phone, no email. He was heartbroken to have to go back to work and leave Lucas especially for so long when Lucas is changing so much everyday.
My sister Susan decided to move in with my mom and norman, so it was just me and lucas last night. I made the mistake of not sleeping when he slept a while from about 4pm to 7:30pm, and he was up about every half hour/hour wanting something until about 6am, when we both got a couple hours sleep. When he wasn't up I was pumping to keep my supply up, and then he would wake up mid-pump. I am hoping this week goes by fast, but it's not going to. We both miss Johnny and Lucas and I haven't stuck to any routine yet. Susan Mom and Norman will be helping throughout the week though--I mainly just need a few more hours in the morning! I keep being reminded of that montage scene in "Look Who's Talking" when Kirstie Alley is sleep deprived and pouring coffee into a bottle!

Lucas has a message

This is his first time using sign language:

More Lucas Video

I am taping Lucas so much- just call me a mamarazi! I just love when he smiles in his sleep!


And this one is during one of his really active times--he seems to like music a lot. And of course there's a shot of him picking his nose and eating it discretely:

Big Foot

I just wanted to show you guys the birth certificate--and how big his feet are..they don't even fit in the box! When John went to the Yorktown Naval Base to get the paperwork filed to add Lucas to our insurance, the guy saw the birth certificate and said, 'big feet!' lol. Just like his mama.

Lucas likes this song

And this one he doesn't mind either:

A Normal Mom

We got Lucas' bilirubin (jaundice) levels back today and they rocketed up from 10.8 to 13!! I was crying earlier. I was so frustrated because I had even put him in the sun in the window a few times this week, and I have been feeding him non-stop---not to mention cleaning his full poop/pee diapers. I was really concerned that there was an underlying reason for his levels to be that high. The nurse called me and told me to get the levels checked again today, and if they go up again, he will have to go to the hospital and be under the lights again. I was pretty upset.
So we got dressed quickly and strapped him in and went back to the doctor. I decided to schedule an appointment with Dr. Rauchwarg today right after the labwork, since the medical practice is conveniently connected to the hospital where we get the lab done. Lucas was very good considering he has been pricked all over his feet. It was adorable too because the nurse that took his blood was saying, "He is so cute!" just as Lucas let out a huge messy LOUD poopoo!
Anyway, we went back to the doctor and asked him what could be wrong. They weighed him and he has gained quite a bit of weight in the 3 days since they weighed him; from 7 lbs 9 oz to 8 lbs 1 oz! I was pleased to know that he is definitely feeding well. The doctor came in and got the results from the lab, and the levels went back down to 11. He explained that every newborn has a spike in their bilirubin levels, and once they peak and go down, they are no longer a concern. The most probable reason they seemed to go up and down, is that the bilirubin UV lights in the hospital created a premature drop in his levels. So the big 13 was most likely his peak. And he won't need to be pricked anymore because he is gaining weight, looks less yellow, and even the whites of his eyes are already lighter. I am feeling better now, and I am glad that I scheduled the appt with the dr anyway. I was so worried and frustrated that I wasn't doing something right. The doctor said, "You know what that makes you? A normal mom!" SO, all is well for now, and he has fed, and sleeping. Time to go eat and pump!

Here are some adorable pictures John took of him before his labwork was done- they are probably the ones that actually really look like him (a lot of the pictures/video don't resemble his true features):

Lucas First Bath!

Here's a quick video of his first bath- we had to wait for his belly button thingy to fall off. He didn't like it initially but then he got really relaxed and enjoyed it. Sorry for the twisting video angles; John didn't know you can't do that on video, without me having to rotate it in movie maker, which diminishes the quality. Lucas smells even better now- i love baby soap!

Ready to go

Well, I have been pumping a lot lately so I can know exactly how much milk Lucas is getting, and it's nice to have a reserve ready and on hand whenever he wakes up at night etc. The Medela Swing pump which is a single electric pump, works really great. The only problem is that when I am pumping one side, the other one leaks everywhere. I started putting the extra funnel thing connected to a bottle (but not connected to the pump yet) on the other side, to catch all the dripping milk. And guess what? It was like a whole ounce that just leaked into the bottle without any pumping! So it's hard to balance and hold everything, but its relatively quick and easy and pretty painless and I know Lucas is getting his fill!


With all this pumping, I still don't know why I have some hard lumps on both breasts, that I hope don't turn into mastitis. I am going to call the lactation consultants today to see what I should do. I have tried pumping the blockage out (doesn't work) and heating pads etc. I hope this doesn't affect my breastfeeding...


Update: Well, the lactation consultant seemed a little disappointed that I am pumping more than nursing; she says the baby is the best pump and that if I am not pumping consistently throughout the day it could cause those lumps, and a decrease in my supply. I think I am pretty much pumping every 3 hours and getting at least 5 ounces every time. She says as long as I don't feel ill or have a fever, I should be able to massage the lumps while pumping and work them out. I am trying that- and they have gone down a bit. I honestly think one of the causes of the lumps was wearing one of myu nursing bras that had a wire cutting into me. I recently bought a more comfortable one without wire from target and its great. I feel a little guilty for not nursing him directly, but I feel if he's getting enough breastmilk it's just as well. I can see exactly how much he gets, and John gets to help out. And it bypasses any problems with latching on. If things continue the way they are, I think I could do this for at least 6 months if not a year. Let's hope my supply doesn't decrease.

John is Spoiled

I forgot to mention that when John's parents made their trek out here, they picked up boxes full of certain foods that John likes that aren't on the east coast. (He is also the one who asked them to pick up Jack in the Box and they complied even though it was 13 miles out of the way)
Among the precious items were a million cans of this delicious Dennison's Chili. John likes to mix it with cheese whiz and pasta (it sounds wierd but it's good). I like to mix it with cream cheese and use it as a dip with fritos.


Then there's this taco sauce called "Lindy's". It's very good with tacos and taquitos. Another brand probably strictly made in California.


And then they brought a box full of one of John's favorite desserts, Choco Tacos. They kept it in a cooler with dry ice and they stayed fresh!


So we are stocked up on some of the west coast commodities. They also found things out here in VA that they liked and didn't have back home so we will have to return the favor and bring out a bunch of stuff when we visit CA later this year!