Alex is 4 months old

Today was Alex's 4-month well check. I stress about whether I have enough milk to satisfy his needs and to maintain adequate growth. He weighed in at 14 lbs, 8 oz. today so he's right at the 50th percentile for weight so I can calm down now. :) He outweighs what his sisters weighed at this age and I am reassured. And at 25.75", he's in the 75 percentile for height so that's in line with typical Murphy kiddos. :)

He's really growing and starting to pay attention to the world around him. He's cooing and making lots of singing noises. His laugh is hysterical and warms my heart every time I hear it. I'm still waiting for him to start reaching for things but he has mastered the art of shoving his entire hand in his mouth so I'm sure he's not far from grabbing other things.

He loves to watch his sisters play and he's still in love with the ceiling fan (ANY ceiling fan, really) and the big clock above our mantel. He's a very good baby and we have been very blessed.

Keep growing, my sweet son.

Charlotte's big fall

Today during mass, after we returned from Communion, Sarah and I were singing and I heard this LOUD thump sound. I turned to my left to see Charlotte on the floor and realized instantly that she'd fallen backward off of the pew and hit the back of her head on the VERY HARD wooden pew seat in front of us. On instinct, I scooped her up (Andy was holding Alex) and ran out the door into a small vestibule area. I didn't think about it--it was pure Mama Instinct. I had put my hand on the back of her head and it turns out it was a good thing I did...she was gushing blood all over my hand and down her back. I got one of Alex's diapers out of the diaper bag and put it on her head to absorb the blood--there was so much!

Andy came out expecting it to be no big deal so he was very surprised to see me panicked. I knew we weren't going to be able to drive her to the Urgent Care or ER ourselves because I could tell that her head needed some constant pressure to control the bleeding. Someone alerted our associate pastor who called 9-1-1 and we waited for the ambulance. Charlotte was kind of out of it, not unconscious but not really responding so I started to worry. She was aloof and quiet on the way to the hospital but kept repeating that she wanted to go home in the van. (Fortunately our friends offered to take Sarah home with them until we could pick her up. Andy and Alex met us at the hospital.)

Once we got to the hospital, she slowly started returning to her normal self. We read books, played Chutes & Ladders, and tried to keep her spirits up. The doctors applied some kind of numbing paste to her head for 30 minutes and then strapped her to a backboard-type thing to get the stitches in. She did need a few injections of lidocaine to make sure it was good and numb. But once she was numb, she didn't feel the 5 stitches it took to close her wound.

So we have had our first run in with stitches and I'm glad it was Charlotte. She's our more daring daughter and handles this type of thing easier than Sarah. So now if Sarah ever needs stitches, at least we know what to expect and Charlotte can help calm her fears.

The stitches will be in until next weekend when we can see our regular pediatrician to have them removed.

I'm so proud of my little Charlotte. She was a real trooper. Here she is showing off her hospital bracelet. She kept pretending it was a watch. I love that little lass.

Tired

I'm tired. That's why I haven't posted in a while. I just can't seem to catch up on sleep. I know this is the period of my life when sleep is a luxury and someday I'll look back and wish that I was sleepless again. But I'm having trouble cherishing these moments of pure exhaustion.

Alex is still nuring very frequently--during the day he's still nursing about every 2-3 hours and for some reason, that seems to be really frequent at almost 4 months old. I feel like I remember the girls nursing less frequently by this age. Maybe I'm wrong and it's that ability of a mom to forget things like labor, delivery, episiotomies, etc. kicking into gear. But it seems like he should be able to go a bit longer.

We've started all of our kiddos on solid foods at 4 months so maybe if we get him started next week, he'll start to space out his feedings...maybe.

The weather has been beautiful so that helps but it makes me feel like even more of a dud when I'm too exhausted to go out and enjoy it. Today, Charlotte said when I woke her from her nap, "Mama, you can lie down with me." I told her it was time for her to get up and I had to make dinner anyway. Her reply was, "Well, after you make us dinner, maybe you can just go to bed." Ah, wouldn't that be dreamy? But alas, I have other jobs to do after dinner and after the girls are in bed.

Someday I'll sleep, right? And I'm sure I WILL look back on these times and long for them. I'm sure. I think.

Cake and spa

Andy came home yesterday with a cake for my birthday. He ordered it and everything!! That's pretty impressive that he remembered far enough in advance to order a cake!! And after dinner, he gave me a beautiful card with another little card inside. It was a spa gift certificate!!! I've wanted a pedicure for forever and I need a massage in the worst way! So now I get to make a choice and enjoy something just for me!

Anyone wanna come along????

First road trip

Today we're in Cleveland visiting Andy's family for Easter weekend. That means that yesterday was Alex's first road trip. When Sarah was a baby, she'd cry the entire 4 hours to Cleveland. She did NOT like riding in the car. Char always did better than Sarah but Charlotte never, never, never slept in the car. So we were nervous about how Alex would fare.

God smiled down on us again with this little guy. I fed him before we left and he slept until more than halfway. He woke up and yelled for food so we stopped at a rest stop and let the girls play in the grass while I nursed him in the van. He ate quickly and we were back on the road again sooner than we expected. He slept the rest of way to Grandma's and it was a smooth ride.

Now that we're here (with 7 adults and 6 other children in the house), there's no shortage of available arms to hold him. He's been charming everyone with his smile and we're going to see a lot more family later this morning. It's official----he's a hit! :)

We're keeping our fingers crossed for a repeat performance in the car on the way home on Sunday.

12 years

I was going to post about this yesterday but I didn't have time with Alex being cranky from his shots, so it gets here today.

Twelve years ago yesterday, Andy and I officially became a couple. We had had an undefined relationship up to that point, though we both felt a strong connection from the time we met 17 months prior. My friend, Rebecca, and I had ridden to Cleveland with Andy to visit with his friends for the weekend. It was a Sunday and shortly before leaving to come back to Dayton, I approached Andy about his earlier suggestions that we declare ourselves a couple. We had talked about it many times and I was always the one to hesitate. But something about spending time with him that weekend reassured me that what I was feeling was real and I was excited to make this commitment. The ride back to college was thrilling and awkward but I was hopeful for the future.

Just two months later, it was decided that Andy would not return to WSU the following year. Despite the 230 miles between us, we maintained a strong connection and grew closer with time. For more than 3 years, we had a long-distance relationship, seeing each other only about every 8-10 weeks for a weekend. It was very difficult to watch him drive away after only 48 hours of time together and on the weekends I visited Cleveland, the 3 1/2 hour home was not pretty. But we were determined to stay together and look toward the future.

The "future" finally arrived when, in May 2000, Andy moved to Dayton so we could continue our relationship in the same city. It didn't take long after his relocation for us to become engaged in November and married the following August.

On April 6, 1997, I could not have predicted all of the things we'd experience together, both beautiful and tragic. I could not have predicted what a supportive and amazing husband he'd become. I could not have predicted how wonderful he'd be with our children. I could not have imagined how happy and loved he'd make me feel. At the time, what seemed like a somewhat insignificant decision became one of the most significant choices in my life.

And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

2-month well check

I took Alex for his 2-month well check today. Doc thinks he looks good and is growing well. He weighed 10lbs, 11oz. (25th %ile) and measured 23.5 inches (75th %ile). He has been doing a good job eating and sleeping. He's always been a great nighttime sleeper, getting up only once/night. He could use some help in the napping department--but who COULD nap with two rowdy sisters galavanting around the house? :)

I can't believe he's already two months old! Where has the time gone? Before I know it, I'll be planning his first birthday party.