Scheduling baby

My neighbor recommended a great book for me to read called Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. It is a very helpful book when it comes to how to live with a baby. I have learned over the last few weeks that it can be very difficult at times, like right this moment. It is Dallins nap time but he doesn't seem to want to sleep and so he is up in his crib crying until 12 when I will feed him again... I have gotten better at it but listening to him cry the first two weeks was killer... Once my mom left and I had to deal with Dallin all day on my own I learned how to take the crying a bit better... still not too good at it but I am better!

Anyway, the back of the book reads:
"How to get baby to eat, play, and sleep on a schedule that will make every member of the household's life easier and happier."
" How to interpret what your baby is trying to tell you (so you don't try to feed him when he really wants a nap)"
"How to identify your baby's type - Angel, Textbook, Touchy, Spirited, or Grumpy - and then learn the best way to interact with him"
"Tracy's Three-Day Magic - How to change any and all bad habits (yours and the baby's) in just three days"

I really like the book because she is an advocate of putting baby on a schedule from Day 1. When my mom was here she told me to do the same thing because there are so many people out there who do on-demand feeding and just don't have time to enjoy life and baby because they are feeding him all the time! Babys love to have a routine because it helps them to know what to expect. I believe she says to put the baby on a 3 hour schedule, that way you get a while to yourself. The baby eats for 25 to 40 minutes, then has 45 minutes of activity, 15 minutes to fall asleep (unless your baby decides to cry the whole time like Dallin is doing right now) and a nap of 30 minutes to an hour.

Now, a 3-hour schedule lined out like that sounds nice but at the same time it is still tiring so my mom suggested a 4 hour schedule. The book said that after a eating a baby can go 2 1/2 to 3 hours till the next feeding. Dallin has been a star and even when I do feed him (about 3 hours later) he doesn't seem all that hungry. So, a 4-hour schedule works for us. He stays awake longer than 45 minutes though. Usually an hour and a half. It is so hard to keep that baby entertained at his age because I just can't seem to find enough things to do but he loves to be active and to jump around. I can't do it for that long but when Chris comes home in the evenings he plays with Dallin, jumping him around and playing with him and Dallin loves it.

So, I highly recommend the book for anyone expecting a child. I won't do some of the things that the book says to do because I feel silly... but I understand why she says to do them. The one thing I didn't like about the book is that she never once said that sometimes babies just cry, and nothing seems to help them... she doesn't give advice on that but that is the one thing I would love to get help on!

The other thing I want to get help on is something to do with me. I have been reading online on how to produce more milk. Lots of websites say that many mothers are afraid they don't produce enough milk to meet their babies needs but I think that I am really one of those mothers. It is really hard for me to keep up my milk supply. Last night I fed Dallin and after he ate I tried to pump to see if there was anything left in there and there wasn't! Apparently he gets like no milk from me and so I am trying to do different things to increase my milk so he will have more to eat. The part that I don't understand though is that he never seems overly hungry when I finally do feed him! What is up with that! Anyway, if anyone has any ideas on how to increase milk supply, I would love to hear them. He has a doctors appt. on Monday and we will see how his weight gain is and if the doctor thinks that he is thriving. If he isn't I will probably have to do supplemental feedings or switch to a 3 or even a 2 hour schedule... I hope not... Any advice?

My cute little baby!

Here is an update on Dallin! He is the cutest baby there ever was. I think I am a little biased though... Life has been very different since he arrived but not so different at the same time. As most of you know, I wasn't working really, only two days a week, so I was already spending lots of time at home. Now I have a constant companion to spend time with! Unfortunately he doesn't talk much except for squeaks, burps and cries. But I still love him!



Dallin was a very happy baby at this point and he kept "smiling" at me. I know he didn't realize he was smiling but he was and so I kept taking pictures in hopes that I would get one of him finally smiling but I never quite got it. Oh well! There are years ahead of me that I will be able to get smiling pictures of my baby boy.


Dallin had just finished eating and he and I were snuggled on the chair and he was so cute. He kept making squeaking noises. I love to hold him close and listen to him and feel him move. It is so neat to finally have him out of my belly! He was a bit easier to take care of when he was in my belly though... no frequent diaper changes! He likes to dirty his diaper about 10 minutes after I change him which can be sometimes a little frustrating.


This was the first day we started doing tummy time and he liked it to a point... He enjoyed it and then after he started crying for a little while I stuck his plug in and got this very cute picture of him. All of the other ones he was crying in. Chris has gotten Dallin to roll over from his belly to his back twice already and he has great control over his head. His eyes still don't seem to be all that focused but he gets better and more advanced with every day!



When Chris leaves for work in the morning he brings Dallin to bed with me so I can continue sleeping. He sleeps a lot better in bed with me, even if we are on opposite sides of the bed. This was taken one morning when I got up in time to take a shower before Chris left so he could take care of Dallin if he started fussing. Chris went and got the camera and took his picture and he looks so peaceful.


This is our second family picture and it turned out quite a bit nicer than our first one. Dallin was cold and sleepy while we were at the park with our neighbors and so this was him trying to fall asleep. He didn't like it when I would hold him because he would try to eat. Apparently I smell like food to him... haha. It was warm in the sun but kinda windy and I couldn't keep his hands in the blanket so he was pretty miserable by the time we started for home. It was very nice to go out though and it was good for him to get out as well.

All in all, life has been good for us. I am kinda tired most of the time since Dallin is on a 4 hour schedule. He sleeps from 9:30 p.m. to 12, when I wake him up or he wakes up about 10 minutes before 12 and then at about 3:45 a.m. he wakes up again and I go and get him at about 5 till 4 a.m. and then back to sleep again and then he wakes up around 6 a.m. or so. After 4 though, he is Chris' responsibility and so I can keep sleeping. Unfortunately I keep the baby monitor on so I can hear Dallin frequently in the mornings, which is why Chris just brings him to me and sticks him in bed with me. I get the best sleep that way!

Our days are on the 4 hour schedule as well, with him eating and then me waking him up and trying to keep him up for at least an hour, letting him sleep for two and then waking him up for another feeding. Its a good thing babies love routine... it has made Dallin be the best baby in all the world and we love him lots!

Dallin Thomas Davenport

I have had a couple of requests to post some pictures of Dallin and so while he is sleeping right now I thought I would do that. He has a tummy ache though so he wakes up, cries, and sleeps. And there are little toots through out the crying. Anyway, Chris wound up taking more videos than pictures so I don't have many pictures of Dallin. I have to figure out how to do the videos so that everyone can share in our hospital experience! My moms camera has better pictures but she went out shopping and has her camera with her so you have to settle for the two good pictures I do have of him.




This is after Chris got back from the nursery with Dallin. I think that we had moved into our recovery room at this point. He looks so cute with that yawn! He has been a perfect little angel so far and hasn't really cried much, unless its time for him to eat or his tummy hurts. Even when he needs to be stimulated he doesn't really cry, he kinda coughs which is enough warning to move him so he can look at something else.



I thought a close up picture of his face would be nice but as most of you probably know, new borns change a lot, and quickly and so he doesn't really look like that anymore. His cheeks aren't so pudgy... Anyway, tonight or tomorrow we will get an updated picture of him and then you can compare for yourself what he looks like!

As for me, I am doing really well. I am not in pain and I am moving around almost like normal... not quite though. Chris and I went on a walk last night while Dallin was sleeping. My mom was around for him, so don't think we are negligent parents! The worst part so far is the breast feeding. I have trouble latching him properly on one side but hopefully with more practice he and I will be able to get it right.

This part is about the labor and delivery, so if you don't like details, just ignore the rest!

My water broke at 6 in the morning, Sunday, May 17th. I called the hospital to ask if I should wait or what to do and they said come in. I wasn't in a hurry because my contractions hadn't really started yet. Just a very slight discomfort. So we got ready, finished packing my hospital bag and left and were there by 7 a.m. We got there and went into triage where they determine if I really am in labor and going to have the baby and check my cervix and all that. The nurse determined that I was at 3 cm and all the other tests she did showed that I was going to have the baby that day so they admitted me and we moved into a birthing room.

Once in the birthing room, it was about 8 in the morning and I was hooked up to the monitors for contractions and his heart rate. I had to be monitored for 20 minutes out of every hour. After my 20 minutes were up we walked the halls until I had to be monitored again. During this time my contractions started to grow stronger and I was getting more than a little uncomfortable. Unfortunately from 7 to 11:30 I did not dilate at all! I was still at 3 cm and so they started me on pitocin at 11:30. At this point I wasn't allowed to get up and walk the halls, since I had to constantly be hooked up to the monitors. I could walk around the room though. It was annoying to say the least.

Time passed and we hit 4 p.m. and the nurse checked my cervix and I was only at 4 cm... Now, I had been here for 9 hours and on pitocin for 5 and a half and I was starting to hurt quite a bit so I got an epidural. So now by 5 p.m. I was feeling a bit better. I was sick and really shaky but I didn't hurt anymore and that the whole point of an epidural. The doctor finally came in at like 5:30 and checked me and I was only at 4 and a half cm and she punctured my other water sack that had not broken yet. When she did that, she noticed that the amniotic fluid was green and so they now had to take steps towards making the baby safe as soon as he came out cause he probably breathed in some meconium. So they got that all set up and the doctor left.

So now I just sat there and watched The Rookie, talked to Chris and my mom and waited for things to progress. At about 8:30 p.m. I was checked again and I was finally dilating and so now I was at a 7. I was very happy to hear this and when the doctor heard I was at a 7, she looked at the clock and figured an hour per cm, so 3 more hours and then 2 for the actual delivery would put us at 2 in the morning for when he would be born, roughly. When she said that in the back of my mind I said no way! I ain't taking that long! But she seemed very certain that it would happen that way.

40 minutes later I told the nurse that I was continually having the urge to push with every contraction. Not just once in a while but all the time! So she checked me again and I was at a 9 and a half! I had finally started to go at a good pace. About 10 minutes later she checked me again because my mom said that with a really huge contration I was probably now at a 10. So when she checked me I was at a 10 and she said okay, lets start some pushing!

So now it was 9:33 p.m. when I started to push. We took it pretty slow at first, when I felt the urge to push, let them know, push for 3 breaths and then rest. I took lots of rests and this went on for about 15 minutes or so. Then my contractions started coming much more frequently and the doctor showed up and everything got finished being set up. I kept pushing and you could finally see part of the head. I have no idea how much... I just know my mom kept saying that he was getting "close". That doesn't always mean anything but it did this time! So for probably the last 10 minutes of pushing, the doctor was there and dressed to deliver and mom and Chris and the nurse switched holding my legs (like when Chris got light headed) and we kept going! After 35 minutes total of pushing, Dallin Thomas Davenport came out!

So now I am a mommy and sometimes it seems really scarry but at the same time, I am really happy about it.

Belly pics

My neighbor Jen is something of a photographer (among many other talents) and so she offered to take pictures of me while I had a huge prego belly and I said yes! Carolyn got some when she was pregnant with Catheryn I think and I thought they were really cute so I was happy to have this done.

Its a huge belly! Isn't it amazing how I don't have any stretch marks? They are there. We used makeup! Just kidding! It was photo shop cause I didn't want everyone to see how much my belly had to stretch to fit this little bugger!

There were lots of different poses but I just chose a few of my favorite pictures to put up. The lighting was not cooperating that day and so it was difficult to take lots of the pictures because her camera would switch lighting features and auto focus and such.

I like this one and Chris and I thought the exact same thing when we saw it the first time. I look like my sister, Jennifer! I don't mind because I like Jennifer it is just that in most pictures I usually resemble Becca or Carolyn and this was the first picture I had seen where I look a lot like Jennifer!

I think this one is my favorite out of all the pictures though. I look so cute! Chris was not here for these pictures since we did them while he was at work but we went back a while later and she took a bunch of pictures of me and Chris together and I can't wait to see those ones because I think they will look very cute. Plus, Chris and I haven't been together in any pictures in a long time so it will be nice to finally have a recent picture of the two of us. Granted, I am sure we will get a few pictures of us with our baby, but these are nice ones that I don't mind sending out and letting people see. So, keep looking and hopefully Jen will get those pictures finished soon so that you can all see how Chris and I look together!