One Week

A couple pictures from yesterday of my little cutie....

And a few more from today. I can't believe it's already been a week. We are LOVING this sweet little boy! And doesn't he have great hair?! We styled it today! :)

The light was a little bright in his eyes, but our dumb flash isn't working on our camera, which means the room has to be FULL of light for the picture not to turn out dark! Time for a new camera!

Dress-Up

The girls were so cute yesterday playing dress up together. Maddie's pretty good about helping Chloe put her clothing on, and Chloe's very good at accessorizing herself! Chloe's outfit is pretty random, Maddie picked it out "special for her".

Sammy- Day 5

Little Sammy and I had some quiet time together this afternoon while the girls were off playing. He was so sweet, and so alert. I even got a few smiles out of him!

I love the little monkey feet!

Samuel Michael Dudley

The Story...

as well as I can remember it! :)

We went in at 8am for our scheduled induction where I signed my life away... and his life away! I was all hooked up and my doctor came and broke my water by about 9:45am and they started me on pitocin. By about 11:00 I was only dilated to a 3 1/2, and thought this was going to be a really LONG day... I went into the hospital with both girls dilated to a 6 before I was even admitted. I got my epidural around 11:30.
My epidural was definitely strong, I couldn't feel a thing. They checked me again around 1pm and I was up to 5cm, made a little bit of progress. About 1:45, I started to feel something weird. Not pressure, it didn't hurt, just a strange feeling. The nurse came in and checked me, I was 9cm. So she called the doctor. She came in again at 2pm and I was fully dilated, ready to push... but had to wait for the doctor to come. So we all sat around the room, ready for this baby to come, until the doctor got there around 2:40pm. It took a few pushes to get him out because he was "sunny-side up"... they had to turn him during the contractions. Thank goodness I couldn't feel a thing, it was a piece of cake for me! Baby "no-name" was born at 3:10pm. He weighed 7 pounds, 7.3 ounces and was 20 inches long. Mike and I hadn't yet decided on his name, but had either Daxon or Samuel in mind. Before delivery day, I was leaning more towards Samuel and Mike towards Daxon. After he came out, and Mike was holding him, he said, "I think he's a Sammy." I said, "Really? I think he's a Daxon!" But after I finally got to hold him, I decided Mike was right... Samuel he is! :)
Everything went really well at the hospital. He looked great and sounded great. I still couldn't believe the size he was. My girls were 6.10 and 6.14 when they were born! I loved telling my sister that I actually gave birth to a baby over 7 pounds... and well over 7 pounds! AND he was 5 days early!
The girls couldn't come visit, the hospital (as most others around the country) have a rule that under 12 years can't visit. They also had a rule that only 2 visitors could be in the room at a time. We broke that rule when my aunt Karen and cousin Tyson came to visit (Mike counts as a "visitor".) But the nurse didn't seem to mind.My doctor, the pediatrician, and the nurses were shocked when we told them we wanted to go home that next day. They were really pushing us to stay a 2nd night. Are people crazy?? I wanted to get home to my girls. We were bored out of our minds at the hospital. You can only watch so much TV! Up in Washington, it was a different story. If everything goes well, and mom and baby look good, you check out after 24 hours!
Sammy didn't pass his hearing test. This kind of freaked me out a bit (and still does, but Mike keeps reassuring me he's fine). Both girls passed. I've never heard of someone not passing before. But I read that it does happen, and he very well could pass at his rescheduled test coming up on the 27th. They said his ears could just be filled with fluid, that's a common reason a baby will fail. We're pretty sure he can hear. He does get startled at loud noises.
We have loved having Sammy here at home. It's been so fun having a newborn around again, and so fun having a boy! We think he's the cutest boy in the world!

Maddie can't get enough of her brother. She drives me crazy all day long, constantly asking if she can hold him, feed him, burp him, help change his diaper. The questions don't stop... all day long! She checks on him throughout the day to "make sure he's still sleeping" and will come back and report.

Chloe is very curious. I'm pretty sure she thinks he's a baby doll to play with, so we keep him out of her reach! I caught her the day after we brought him home.... She heard some funny sounds coming from his bed and thought she should check it out!



We think Sam looks more like Maddie did as a baby, but has hair like Chloe's. But that being said, we think he has his own "look". So far, I think Sam is a definite mix between Mike and I. We're curious to see how he changes over the next few weeks.
So far, our little Sam is the sweetest little thing. He is so calm and content. He eats and sleeps great! This morning I woke him up just before 7am to eat... his last feeding was at midnight. But... I'm not going to get my hopes up. They seem to sleep constantly when brand-spanking new!
Sammy LOVES his pacifier already. He also likes to sleep with his face nestled into his blanket, all covered up, just like his sisters did.

Baby Sam

He's here!!
Samuel Michael Dudley

1.7.2010
7lbs, 7oz
20 inches

Tomorrow...

I do realize it's been a very LONG while since I've posted anything. I still haven't done my Christmas post... maybe that will come later!

But I'm hoping tomorrow is the big day for us! I think I'm ready! Let's just hope I don't get bumped, and let's also hope my camera works properly... it's been acting weird lately and I don't know how to fix it!

So, wish us luck, and watch for, what I hope to be, a big announcement tomorrow! :)

Visit With Santa

My girls are complete opposites when it comes to Santa. Maddie has loved Santa from the first time she's met "him". She has had a smile on her face every year we've taken a picture, and has loved telling him what she wants for Christmas since she's been able to talk. {This year was a piggy bank full of coins AND a real horse!}

Chloe on the other hand, wanted NOTHING to do with him! Last year, she just had a stoned face. More like she didn't know what was going on. She didn't cry, but was NOT going to smile or cooperate for a picture. This year, she screamed when I walked near him and didn't stop screaming until he was no longer in site. But... I love the picture anyway!

Flying To Seattle

This last weekend the girls and I flew up to Seattle. I was really nervous about how both girls would do on a 2 hour plane ride, with me alone. I was worried about me being so close to my due date, and Maddie's small bladder... what if we had to go to the bathroom? It's not like we can fit all three of us in a bathroom. We HARDLY fit two of us... I know from experience! But it worked out in the end!Thankfully, neither flight was full so both ways we got a row to ourselves... which meant Chloe got her own seat... when she decided to sit in it!Maddie loved sitting by the window and looking out.
She was pretty darn excited to take off!
Chloe fell asleep in my arms, and slept for majority of the flight! So nice to have a seat to lay her in, and that's when Maddie and I took our bathroom break. The flight attendant was so nice and actually came and sat with the girls!
After Chloe fell asleep, Maddie really enjoyed the one-on-one attention she got, and it was nice giving it to her!

The way home doesn't include any pictures... or any naps... but the girls were both good anyway! They were so excited when the flight attendant brought them their very own apple juice with a lid and straw! The girls were so excited to see their daddy when we got there, but crashed soon after they got in the car. I think grandma wore them out in Seattle because they slept the whole way home, transferred to their beds, and slept a couple more hours!

Preschool Christmas Program

Maddie's preschool put on the cutest little Christmas singing program! They all wore matching scarves, and most kids dressed up... except mine! Pretty sure I missed THAT memo... we were sick the day before so she had missed preschool. But Maddie knew all the words and movements to the songs, I was pretty impressed... she even stayed focused! More than we can say about her Sunshine Generation performances! The songs they sing are so cute! I love her school!!!After they performed their songs in their "performance room", they went back to their classroom for a surprise visit from Santa! Maddie loves seeing Santa and was sure to tell him once again, that she wanted a piggy bank... FULL of coins! This is the same gift she's told Santa each time she's seen him, but never told anyone else... and her shopping is already complete. Maybe I should pick up one more thing???I recorded each of the 7 songs on just the regular camera so they didn't turn out the best, but it works!

Sunshine Generation

Maddie had a few Christmas performances with her Sunshine Generation performing group. She loves going to practices, and LOVES performing for people. She loved being on stage, and singing in the microphone.Maddie is definitely NOT shy. What she is though, is in her own world! Sometimes we'd catch her zoning out, or just looking around, right in the middle of her performance. She kept us pretty entertained!!She even had her own speaking part, which she knew by heart and did great saying it up in the microphone without any help!