Santa Claus is coming to town

We took Noah to the mall a week ago to see Santa for the first time. We thought for sure he would cry. He did look like he might but in the end silly mama made him smile. It's funny the things you do to make a baby smile or laugh. He is sitting with 2 of his cousins, Ethan and Ashton. He loves them and so do we. This picture turned out so cute. I'm not sure what Noah told Santa he wanted for Christmas though. I guess I will have to wait until Christmas morning to find out. :)
Then brilliance shown and thanks to www.picnik.com I realized I could crop the picture perfectly so I could print (yes it's legal if you bought a cd of the pictures which my brother and sister-in-laws did) pictures of all 3 boys for Jason's family and the one with just Noah for my family. Totally awesome program!!

We are all doing pretty well. Noah will be 9 months on the 20th and I can't believe it. Still no crawling although he is getting pretty close. He is hilarious and makes funny faces sometimes because he knows it makes me laugh. He's a pretty funny little guy. He is finally sleeping in his crib at night. He's done it for almost 3 weeks and it is awesome. I finally got tough and made him cry it out. It was really hard for a little while but now he goes to bed usually with little crying and he usually sleeps about 10 hours. He's a tummy sleeper apparantly. I wish I had done this a long time ago. Live and learn. I guess that's why they call the first child the practice child. :) I am enjoying the Christmas season although it is going by so fast.

I have been going to get IV iron for the last 5 weeks and I have 3 more weeks to go before being tested again. Apparantly even with extra iron it has still been very low. Add one more medical problem to the mix. But 2012 will be here soon and since I have decided that I won't have any more medical problem past this year then I should be okay. Right??

I am sure I will not get back to post anything before Christmas. I sure wish I had a computer/internet so I could post more often but then you wouldn't get the thrill of the surprise you get when you discover I have posted. I'm just thinking of you. :) If you still are checking my blog. I sure hope so. Anyway, I hope you have a very

Merry Christmas!!

Updating

Well my mom has been here for a little over a week (will explain in a minute) and is leaving this morning so I figured I'd better make a post before she leaves and takes her computer. It's so hard to decide which pictures of Noah to put on here because I think they are almost all adorable. I don't think however that everyone is interested in seeing every picture ever took of my son. Wierd as that is. :) The top picture is Noah just a few days ago at 5 months.

Noah is learning to sit up. He can probably really do it but he feels the need to reach for his toes and goes face first most of the time. He does a lot of leaning forward still. He also has discovered here lately the joy of being upside down and has also learned how fun it is to fall backwards while sitting up and have me catch him. He's only done that a few times but oh what fun. All fun and games until Mommy doesn't catch you in time. But, that day is not today. He has rolled from his tummy to his back a few times but is mostly content to lay on his back and roll side to side. He is in no hurry to roll, especially since he hates being on his stomach. HATES.

I love this picture. He just looks so adorable sitting there. I know he's my kid so I am a bit biased but I just think he is such a little cutie. Love my boy. He loves to be kissed and loves to kiss. I even realized the other day that he understands the word kiss and sleep. He doesn't like that last word. It's a 4 letter word to him you know.

When I feed Noah baby food I tend to make mmmm noises and say num num a lot to keep him interested I guess. I have noticed before him making lots of mmmmm noises as he is eating but it wasn't until yesterday that I noticed him saying or trying to say nums in there too. It happened a few times during one feeding and then a few times the next feeding. One time very clearly. CUTEST. THING. EVER. My mom noticed this too so it's not just me. :) Poor kid probably thinks that's what you are supposed to do when you eat. It'll be my fault when he comes home from kindergarten crying because the kids teased him at lunch when he kept saying mmmmm and num. :) No, but seriously. Adorable right. The kid is 5 months old.

Okay so why my mom has been here. I had a large ovarian cyst that wouldn't go away so last Thursday I had surgery to remove it. The surgery went well and I even got to keep my ovary and I am healing well. My doctor is amazing. I seriously recommend him to anyone living in this area. It has been a bad medical year for me. I had never been in the hospital before or had any surgeries before and this year I have been hospitalized twice and had surgery twice (or maybe three if you count my incision being opened again). I don't think I posted about that.

I mentioned the blood clot I had while pregnant with Noah and about the need for an emergency C-Section. Well two days after getting home with Noah my incision started bleeding out a lot. We went to my doctor who said that because of the blood thinners it created something like blood pockets or something to that effect. He drained it and we hoped it would work. That night it kept bleeding out several times so the next day (yes the doctor told me I should have gone to the emergency room) the doctor had to open the incision to let it heal from the inside out. Crazy I know. I got an infection in the wound and had to have IV antibiotics for about 10 days. It took 3 months for that stupid wound to completely close but it finally did. It has been a long year but a good year. One I would do over and over again for my boy. Which is a good thing because those things may happen again with another child since I will be on blood thinners from the time I find out I am pregnant.

I am off blood thinners now and only take a baby asprin a day. So that is my crazy medical year in a nutshell. Thanks to my mom again for selflessly coming and helping me.
We are doing well. Loving our Noah and getting ready for Fall, which even though it's not officially here and still occationally gets warm, it still feels like it's here and I love it. I can't wait for fall and Noah's first Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas (hello - way exciting).

So I must end this crazy long post so that my mom can pack up and go which makes me sad. I really enjoy her help and more honestly her company. I wish all my family lived closer together. I love my family. I am now rambling so I am ending this now. :)

One more for the road

I leave to go home today so I thought I'd better make another post with cute pictures of Noah before I go back to not having a computer/internet available.

Here he is with his worried expression.
Here's his GQ cover. Pouty lip and everything. Every model needs his pacifier you know.

Noah actually does have hair on the top of his head now but from farther away all you can really see is is old man do.

Totally cracks us up.

Sweet little man

Noah's new little friend

Sorry I'm not better at blogging. I wish I was but it's hard with a little one, no computer, or internet. :) I'm at my sister Karen's right now because she had her second little baby. Emily Amelia Jacobs. She's a cute little sweetie and we are so happy to add her to the family. Welcome sweet one.

Here is me holding Emily and Noah (who seems pretty happy about this arrangement). :)
Noah (who just turned 3 months) holding his little cousin.

I love his little smile.

Noah on the floor talking to Emily. He talked to her for awhile and then he started complaining. We think he was telling her the ups and downs of life.

Noah and Emily - best little buddies (or so I hope). Emily was almost exactly the size Noah was when he was born. It's amazing how much he's grown. For the record - Noah does have 2 legs even though I'm not sure where his left one is in this picture.

I'm so happy that Noah has cousins so close to him in age. He has 2 cousins 6 months older than him and now 1 3 months younger. I so hope they all grow up close to each other. Life has been such an adventure with my sweet little guy. Noah is a good baby. He's usually pretty mellow unless he's very tired. He is a snuggler who doesn't like to sleep anywhere but my arms although during this visit to my sisters I've got him to sleep in his bouncer seat with it laid back a bit. He's even sleeping in there right now in the middle of the day. This makes me very happy. It doesn't always work but when it does it gives me a little bit of my freedom back. I think he might have some reflux or something because he sleeps so much better this way where he isn't laying completly flat on his back. When he lays on his back he spits up a lot. He's not a great eater. He doesn't even come close to the amount of ounces normal for a baby his age but despite that he still is growing strong and big so I guess he is getting enough for him. I took him to the doctor a little over a week ago and he weighed exactly 13 pounds which means he's doubled his birth weight. He's such a little sweetie and I can't imagine my life without him. I sure love my baby guy.

Just Cute

I don't have much time here so I'm just going to post some cute pictures of Noah for your viewing pleasure. :)

Day 1
1 week old

um.....3 weeks I think. His pants crack me up in this picture.

3 weeks again....I think

Once again........who knows but I think 3 weeks. :)

4 weeks. A little cross eyed but ADORABLE!

Cracking me up

Here are some pictures that make me laugh.

What am I doing? Trying to eat him?? Noah even looks scared. :)
Getting weighed at the doctors. He looks like E.T. here. Sorry Karen. Just funny.

We saw this look a lot in the first few weeks.

Noah and his Mommy

Noah turned a month old yesterday and I realized I haven't really posted many pictures of the cute little guy. Partly because there are so many cute ones that it"s hard to pick and choose, partly because I am busy and this guy won't let me put him down (notice the lack of make-up and the fact that I am usually still in pajamas), and partly because of my health problems (will post about that later - I am getting better day by day though). So, I thought I'd start by posting pictures of us together.

Me holding Noah after I got back from recovery.
Yes....we are cute.

Cute little guy staring at his Mommy.

I'm tired.

I am grateful to have this little guy. He is such a sweetie and I love him to bits.

Noah

I was going to write a post. However, as soon as I added the picture Noah started fussing to eat. Sorry - that trumps my blog. :) At least you get to see the sweet little angel I have for a son.

Introducing.....

Well we have our little guy. These pictures are ones my sister Amy took when she came up to the hospital to see him the day he was born. There are others I will put on here that my mom took but the computer won't let me upload them at the time. So I went in at 10:00 at night on Saturday to be induced. They put this tablet in me to help ripen the cervix and sometime around 1:00 am contractions started as a result. I spent the rest of the night and the next morning with bad back labor. *NOT FUN* Then in the morning I was only a 1 but the doctor broke my water to try and get me to a 2 at least because I wasn't progressing and I was having a lot of pain so they wanted me to be able to get my epidural. An hour later the nurse exaggerated my dialation to a 2 and I finally got my epidural. Front labor had also started along with the back labor by this point because they had started the pitocin. Epidurals are AMAZING!! Unfortunatly shortly after I got the epidural the contractions got stronger and the baby's heartrate dropped with each contraction. The doctor came in and said they were going to watch it over the next 45 minutes and see what happened. Then after the next contraction the doctor and nurses came in and stopped the pitocin and the doctor told me they were not going to wait the 45 minutes. He said they could watch it but the baby was not tolerating the labor and it would be bad for him if they let it go so I ended up with an emergency C-Section. I was really disappointed, sad, and scared (I've always been afraid of surgery which I had never had before). My dad and Jason gave me a blessing and off we went. It wasn't what I had imagined but in the end we got our sweet little baby boy. He was worth every second and we love him so much. He is so sweet, loving, and so darn adorable. My mom is here still with me helping out and I am so (a million times over) grateful for her. Just being here is making it easier. I am exhausted beyond believe, extremely sore, and amazingly happy to have such a beautiful wonderful gift.

Noah Alexander Beasley

20 March 2011

3:02 p.m.

6 lb. 8 oz.

20 in

The big day

I am being induced on Sunday!! I'm excited and oh so nervous.

36 Weeks

I am now 36 weeks! It still seems like a lifetime away but I know it really isn't much time. This is an ultrasound of our little guy at 33 weeks. Cute, huh? I can't wait to meet him. They did a growth test at Thursday's ultrasound and he was weighing around 5 lb 3 oz. One more month and he will be here. I am so excited even though in a way it doesn't seem like it is really going to happen. It almost feels like this is all a fantasy. But, it's not and soon we'll have our son here and life will be so different. Which is kind of scary but so exciting.

This weekend our friends Nick and Karissa came and painted the baby's room. It turned out really nice. All my sisters and my mom were here also for a girls weekend. They also helped clean and organize his room. It's not totally finished but it is looking good. Thanks again to everyone. My mom has been here for several weeks now helping out her invalid daughter. :) I really am so thankful for her sacrifice. She is amazing.

And the baby is once again pressing down on my bladder. Thank you sir. Now please stop. Actually my mom made chocolate chip cookies and I ate a few. Now the baby is bouncing around in there like it's his own personal fun house. He must have liked them...............I did too.

Bedrest

So I'm not spending the last few months of my pregnancy the way I had expected or would like but I'm very grateful that at the end of it all I will have a healthy baby boy. Ready for the story?

So, for a week or two I was having really bad back pain. It really got so bad and sometimes moved to my bum (thank you sciatic pain). I was miserable and cried during my doctor appointment about it. He sent me to the physical therapist. The pain also traveled down into my thigh (little did I know that it was because of something much more serious). I got pain pills. All that jazz. I had noticed for a few days that my left thigh looked tinted a little purple while I was up but it wasn't bad and I had no idea. Then on the night of Jan. 27th I asked Jason if he noticed a difference in my legs and he said the left one looked puffy and redish purple. So the next morning as soon as I woke up I called my OB office and said I thought I had a blood clot. They sent me to the hospital for an ultrasound right away. By the time we left for the hospital my leg was very swollen, very purple, and very painful.

We went to the hospital and got the ultrasound. They had to do both legs so she started with the right leg first. She did that one for awhile and I asked her if she saw any there and she said no but she had just started. So then she did the other one (which I was positive there was one). She got done and I asked if she found one and she said, "I can't talk about it until I talk to the Radiologist. Get dressed, stay in this room and do not walk around any more than you have to." Oh crud. Yep, I have a large clot from my groin to my knee. Lovely.

So I spent the next 5 days in the hospital (missing my baby shower which was the next day - however we did have it here at the house this past weekend so that was nice and thanks to all who came.) I have now been home for 2 weeks and am on bedrest the rest of the pregnancy. I have to give myself blood thinner shots in the stomach twice a day to keep more clots from forming while I wait for this lovely one in my leg to disolve. It is some better. It still gets a bit swollen and purple when I am up to use the bathroom or take my quick shower but not nearly as bad and the pain is slight most of the time as long as I stay down. Bedrest totally stinks but I am so grateful for everyone who has been helping me.

My mom is here now with my brother Aaron who just returned from his mission. We discovered that their laptop picks up someone's internet if you are in the kitchen so I am reclining in the recliner in my kitchen with the laptop on my lap and it is so nice to be on the internet doing something normal again. :) I'm not sure how long it will take the blood clot to disolve. I am really hoping I'll be able to be back up and taking care of my guy after he is born. He is doing well. I have to have 2 ultrasounds a week and a doctor's appointment every week. He is doing well. A week ago they did measurements at his ultrasound and he was weighing about 4 lb 8 oz. I'm so excited for him to come (when he is ready).

So really I am doing alright. Just doing a LOT of laying around with my leg propped up on pillows. It's boring, uncomfortable, and disappointing but I'm doing it for a really good reason. Yay baby! Now if only we could get him a name. :)