Woah! Being a mom of two has been very busy! We are getting the swing of it, so I'm finally getting around to updating again.

Blaise and Sutton are doing good. Blaise is such a big helper when it comes to being a big brother. Sutton has been refered to as "that baby" a puppy and a monkey. He is coming around, and often gives her kisses and tells her "I love you Sutton". Melts my heart!  He likes to tell me when the baby's eyes are open, what she is looking at and that the baby is talking. He wants to pick her up, hold her, change her diaper etc. etc. I've decided she is more of a toy/entertainment piece for him than anything. She's getting used to the prodding and bumping and roughness from her big brother.

After originally having weird tempertatures, we decided that was probably just how she was going to be, and stopped worrying about it. At her two week appointment she had gained back her birth weight and weighted 6 lbs 7 oz. She is now 5 weeks old, and I'm estimating that she weights in the neighborhood of 8.5 lbs. She isn't a great nurser, she falls asleep. She has also been very fussy. Likes to cry a lot and has spells at night of two hours or more of constant crying. It seems like she has lots of gas and problems passing it. We've just started her on some reflux medicine and will see if that helps. I think she would sleep through the night if I'd let her. I'm always waking her up to eat.  As of today, we have worn our first 3 month and not newborn outfit. When she isn't sleeping and awaking and not fussing it's fun to see her coo and a little personality.

The Saturday after she was born we took a day trip to see our new newphew/cousin Everett. It was fun getting all the kids together, comparing and getting pictures. Blaise, Sutton and myself spent a few days at Grandpa and Grandma Sudmann's the week after when dad was gone trucking for a few days.  Blaise LOVES the farm. He does great hanging out with Papa by himself now and he did great eating lots of sweet corn off the cob. We took him to my county fair Westfair and he enjoyed it.

The Hartwell clan from Aberdeen and GG Glenn were all here for the county fair. We did it all! Lots of long days but it was fun. Sutton was a great trooper, slept most of the time in her stroller. Blaise rode some carnival rides and thought they were the greatest. He also showed his very first calf in the pee wee showman. Karly Cull helped him show her calf, and he was never scared, smiling from ear to ear as he walked in the ring. Oh boy, here we go- I see lots of cattle shows in our future!

We also spent a few more days down in Treynor- Sutton and Blaise got to see their cousin Everett again and we had a good time together. Recently we've all gone to a wedding together and survived, as well as our first Applebee's outing and grocery store trip. We've made it to church twice.

I'm going to make some general milestone marks for both kids:

Blaise: current favorite words include: Tomorrow: Why: Babies Eyes are Open: County Fair
He is scared of Kitty's in his room at night. He has actually done a little better eating this past week. He would live outside if he could. He loves his "neighbors" Brady and Maycie. He potties on the potty every once in a while, knows where we are going on car rides, pretends to count. He tries do sing and do patty cake with Sutton's feet.

Sutton: likes to cry. a lot. She has a little bit of baby acne right now. She usually sleeps without a swaddle at night, and has lots and lots of gas we are trying to figure out. She has been constipated, and finally some prune juice worked for her. She still has all of her newborn hair.

Sutton Renee

It's been a whirlwind past few days. We have lovingly welcomed our gift from God, daughter Sutton Renee into our family. She is perfect. I'll share the story as quickly as I can.

Wednesday I had my regular OB appointment. Mike and Blaise tagged along so we could go out to eat afterwards for a belated birthday supper for me. My birthday was Tuesday the 8th. Dr. Devries said all looked good at the appointment, checked me and said the head was very low and could cause uncomfortableness.  We met my mom and brother at Texas Roadhouse that night, and they took Blaise home with them so that he could spend the night and day Thursday at Grandpa and Grandma Sudmann's house- the last time before he was a big brother. I had a C-section scheduled for Tuesday July 15th at noon. At my appointment Dr. Devries also made a few comments that he was on call this weekend and he would see me Tuesday for the C-section if not before. I kindly told him I'd see him Tuesday. Thursday I came home from  work and the plan was to head to the Blair/ Mo Valley area to meet my parents and get Blaise back. I got home from work and felt kind of miserable. I cried to Mike that there was no way I was going to make it until Tuesday and I was going to call into work and say I couldn't come in on Friday or Monday. I had gone to the bathroom, but kept thinking I was wetting my pants. I never had a big pop or gush of water like my water was breaking. I figured the head was low enough I was having bladder control problems. I called into Dr. Devries and he agreed telling me to just watch it for awhile. Well, it kept happening. It was after-hours by now and I called the nurse hot line and they suggested coming into the hospital to have it checked out. Mike and I decided to do this since we kind of had to go to Omaha anyway to get Blaise. The whole way in I was convinced I was just wetting my pants and that my water hadn't broken. We got to the hospital and yes, my water had broke and I was in labor.  They called Dr. Devries and he said he would be there in 45 minutes to do the C-section.

All went well with the C-section. When the doctor held up the baby to Mike and said "what is it" Mike responded with oh s#$%, and I said it must be a girl!  Sutton weighed 6 lbs 6 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long and was born at 9:02 p.m. We both did well through the whole thing.

The next day Blaise got to meet his new sister and he loved her right away giving hugs and kisses and could say her name and sister very well.

To make things even more exciting my sister Jenna had her baby less than 36 hours later, on Saturday, a little boy named Everett William. Her water also broke. Crazy that we were due 3 days apart and we both had our water break two weeks early and they ended up so close together!

We are adjusting quite well at home. She had a follow up appointment on Monday at her pedi and had gained back 2 ounces of the birth weight she lost. She is a very easy-going relaxed baby that sleeps ninety percent of the time. Blaise is doing okay adjusting, he wants to help with everything related to the baby, refers to the baby as a puppy or monkey when asked, and does not want mom or dad to leave his side. He is pretty clingy.

Sutton had a little bit of jaundice right after birth, but after having her blood tested on Monday, they have decided she is doing fine. She is also having trouble regulating her body temp, as it is always low- running in the 97 or lower range. We have kept her bundled up like an eskimo with hats and multiple blankets.  Today after checking her temp, it was at 96.6 again, so the pedi requested we got o Fremont hospital for blood tests. We just heard they came back normal! Praise the Lord! We are just working on getting her to stay awake for longer than 15 minutes during feeding. 

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!

Almost time

 Its a girl

 Welcome to the world

 Holding my baby girl for the first time

 First bath

 Blaise meeting Sutton for the first time

 Our family

 Time to head home

Appointment update and baby two prep

Blaise's cardio appointment went very good. He acted very good during it and the worst part was probably having his blood pressure and pulse oc tested, neither of which hurt, he just cried during this. He sat extremely well during the echo. He weighed in at 24 lbs , so still a small guy. His pulse oz ranged from 77-90 and I think they settled on 82. Im guessing when he is calm it runs 84. I always hope for upper 80's though. Dr danford thought he looked good and gave us another nine month pass before the next visit. It sounds like he will have a heart cath next spring and his Fontan surgery next summer. I'm. Not. Ready. Time will fly this next year. We will continue living day by day and try out hardest to not think about it.

We've been busy busy lately. Blaise chats up a storm and is such a copy cat on anything you say or do. He is the light of our lives. He loves giving big hugs and telling you he loves you. He has slept great in his new bed. He loved to be outdoors and help mow or swing or go in his slide. We've been to the pool a few times and he does great. He takes his watering can and fills it up in the pool the goes and dumps it out of the pool. 

He can "tell" stories now too. Lately we've been to treynor to help replant, to denison for a baby shower for Jenna and Mitch and pent last weekend in treynor celebrating grandpa and grandma sudmanns 40th wedding anniversary. Blaise loves going with papa to feed horses , ride horses , see pigs and ride in the tractor . His cousins from Aberdeen have each spent a week with grandpa and grandma Hartwell and he had loved playing with Ashlinn and cooper. 

We've set a c section date for July 15 at noon . The date is coming fast and we are definitely not ready. I'm trying to soak up every moment with just Blaise and am not ready for thst part to change. No turning back now - let's hope we are all ready! We will update the blog with news as soon as we have any!

Upcoming appointment

Nine months has passed in the blink of an eye . Blaise will be going to see dr danford  his cardiologist for the first time since last September . These are the hardest appointments any parent should ever do. It's like waiting for the ball to drop it seems . We have no reason to believe as his parents that this appointment shouldn't go great. We pray for great news, that his heart looks as good as last time . We ask everyone to join in our prayers. 

May pictures

Two new May posts! I couldn't save it all in one!

Third Mother's Day with mom!

Helping dad now

Zoo with mom and dad

Butterfly at zoo

May

Nighttime story with dad

Side by side at Jenna's shower. Due three days apart

May Day baskets

Swim lessons with dad

Outdoor snack

Riding missy with uncle Adam

Easter egg hunt

Chores got my bucket hat and boots

Easter bunny

Mike was home every night the past week, and let me tell you all three of us LOVED it! Great family time!! 

Blaise digs constantly in the dirt and also mows the yard lots. He likes stroller rides and being on the go. Always ready to get in the car and go somewhere. He knows what building or store is what in town. He got to ride in dad's semi and go out to the truck shed quite a bit lately and loves it. He is great at doing cow chores and not afraid at all . He finally came up with a name for his grandmas- maw-naw. Bath time is a favorite too. He has officially wrapped up his swim lessons and did so good. He blows bubbles in the bath now, and in the pool would stand on his own, kick his legs and float on tummy and back. He is obsessed with the farm, riding in tractors, the pigs, feeding hay from the barn to the horses and more. He now has his own horse named moonlight. He can say all the horses names. 

Lately he has spent some time at the farm, did some shopping with mom and aunt Jenna and grandma. Easter was lots of fun and he liked the Easter bunny. He sat on his lap for pictures at the mall. He did the treynor Easter egg hunt and insisted on using his tractor loader to pick up and dump each egg into the bucket. At grandma pegs he likes to cling in her bull flower planter and ride it and get bucked off. He knows that monkeys are at the zoo and we made our second trip there this weekend for Mother's Day. He loved all of it. 

I passed my glucose test for baby two, but have low hemoglobin so am on iron pills and low platelets so will have blood drawn again at 36 weeks. Hoping this all goes away or gets better. The countdown is on- we better start thinking about getting stuff ready!