Levi is 2 weeks old today so I figured that I should post an update. We saw the midwife yesterday and he had already increased his weight 10 oz from his birth weight. That's right, they said that they wanted him back to his birth weight by 2 weeks and he had already made it to 9lbs, 8oz. I think I'm going to have another big kid on my hands!

In many ways Levi's temperament seems to be much like Caleb's:
1) He likes to sleep - Levi has slept all night every night (8-10 hours) since he was born - except one when I didn't wake him up for his last feeding before I went to bed, so I consider that my fault.

2) He cries only for specific reasons - Caleb would only really cry when he was cold. Levi seems to cry when he's hungry or occasionally when he wants his diaper changed. He does seem to be more temperamental when other people (other than me) hold him (particularly Grandma... lol), however, which is also how Caleb was.

3) He loves the sling - Caleb lived in the sling until he was about 8 months old.

4) He eats every 3 hours for about 30-45 minutes at a time, hence the weight gain. The kid basically stocks up on food and then sleeps. - Caleb followed this exact same eating pattern.

Caleb has adapted pretty well to the addition to our family, though he has not made it this far unscathed. Caleb is very aware that our attention is divided now and has therefore become that much more clingy and attention seeking. In turn, this is very draining on me because I don't want him to feel left out or feel like we're forgetting about him. Caleb loves Levi and will give him kisses and always wants to help when changing his diaper or by giving him his pacifier or covering Levi with a blanket. However, anytime Levi cries, Caleb will complain that Levi is "too noisy" and he'll try to shush him. On one occasion, I was reading a book to Caleb and Levi began crying so I went to the other room to get him. When I returned to the couch with Levi in my arms, Caleb very noticeably rolled his eyes, though he did not make a comment. I'd say that pretty much sums up his feelings about the attention that Levi is getting right now.

All in all, however, we are adapting pretty well. Caleb, Levi, and I have made several trips out on our own already, including a full grocery shopping trip, and we are currently surviving on our own because Scott is in North Carolina for 3 days for work. Hopefully we'll all have our sanity when he returns.

For those of you who aren't friends with Scott and Facebook (where he has uploaded some photos of Levi), I figured I should post a few pictures here so you can see them. Levi was born at home on Wednesday morning, June 10, at 6:43a.m. He was 8lbs, 14ozs and 21 inches long. My labor was only about 5 hours (as opposed to the approximately 36 hours I had with Caleb) and I pushed for only 10-13 minutes (as opposed to close to 2 hours with Caleb). Needless to say, it was a much better experience. We are all doing well. Caleb loves being a big brother and Levi loves to sleep - it's working out well for all of us. :)

Labels: Levi

Some have asked for an update, and I have withheld because I currently feel like a walking ball of negativity - an attitude that I do not wish to share with everybody else. To say that going past your due date is frustrating is an understatement, especially as it seems that everybody around me has their babies earlier - either naturally or by induction (except poor Andrea).

I do not regret choosing to go into labor naturally and not be induced, but I am becoming weary of waiting. I fully believe I would be weary no matter what because 40 weeks is just a long time, but I'm just so tired of being sick. I envy all those people out there who love being pregnant and who are giddy at the idea. I am not one of those people. Pregnancy and I are enemies from the beginning to the end. Why do I subject myself to it then? Because I adore my son and I couldn't imagine my life without him. I just hope this next one is as good as the first one! :)

In any case, I have been contemplating how I can make this update a bit more positive when I'm just sitting here day after day very aware of the GROWING child inside me (that I have already been informed is pretty large) and attempting to calm my anxieties about that. I decided that I would share 10 random truths I have learned about pregnancy (at least mine).

1. I get more earwax when I'm pregnant - Not gross amounts oozing from my ears or anything, but I do find that I have to clean my ears MUCH more frequently... a fact that I find extremely random.

2. I sneeze a lot more and my sneezes are HUGE - This may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but if you know me at all you know that I typically have very small sneezes (which EVERYBODY always teases me about). When I'm pregnant, they are giant and they hurt. I look forward to no longer being pregnant so that I can get my regular sneezes back.

3. I get sick every morning while getting ready for the day (usually within an hour of waking) and every night around 11:30 (whether I've already fallen asleep or not). There is MUCH sporadic sickness throughout the day and night as well, but those are the two times that I can always plan on, no matter what. I have learned that two of the best things to vomit are Raisin Bran and Chocolate Chip Muffins. Trust me, I've had just about everything come back up, but these two are so sweet coming up that, though it's not pleasurable, it's not a horrible experience.

4. I cannot lay on my back for more than a minute or two, otherwise I get very light headed and nauseous. This has proven to force my chiropractor and midwife to be creative at times. This issue starts very early in my pregnancy and is quite inconvenient at times.

5. By about 36-37 weeks, my shirts no longer fit over my tummy. This happened to me with both pregnancies. You can imagine how difficult it is to get dressed each day when I'm at 40.43 weeks of the ever growing belly. It just gets freakishly large and it doesn't seem to matter what size maternity shirts I try to wear.... they are stretched to the max.

6. If you stretch your calves by flexing your heels instead of pointing your toes, you don't get those horrible Charlie horses that can plague pregnant women. However, since this most often happens in your sleep and you're not always aware of what you're doing in your sleep, it can be difficult to train yourself to unconsciously stretch differently. Somehow I've found a way after nights of waking up in agony, though.

7. Chiropractors during pregnancy are WONDERFUL!! I definitely would say that any pregnant woman should see a chiropractor that specializes in prenatal care, but the difference is absolutely amazing. Not only does he help with the back pain AND round ligament pain, he also lines the baby up for a smooth delivery - so I'm told. (I'll vouch for this latter benefit whenever Levi decides to make his arrival.)

8. There is an herb or homeopathic remedy for EVERYTHING. It's amazing how much I have learned about these different substitutes this time around. The effects are the same and I definitely feel healthier and much more comfortable taking something that is natural vs. putting medications in my body. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti all medicines all the time, but I am VERY weary of them when pregnant.) Ie: Papaya mint or aloe juice for acid reflux are pretty handy.

9. I have learned what life will be like when I'm in menopause, and I have to say that I don't look forward to it. I feel like a walking ball of fire all the time. Though I'm normally extremely cold natured (and Scott is very warm natured), we definitely have role reversal and I freeze him out every night while I'm laying there sweating to death. It seems no amount of cold can ever make me cool enough. It's oddly unsettling.

10. Natural labor inducers are all a myth. NONE of them work - trust me, I've tried. Either that, or my children have freakish abilities to withstand them all in the womb because they're so stubborn and determined to come in their own time.