Christmas Tree Hunting

Off to the tree farm to visit the trees. 

Let the Christmas Tree Hunt begin...

It was especially fun since everyone was in town. 

Dad was determined to find a tall tree. So he was the leader. 

Sydney fell in love with quite a few. 

And we had three votes for this one!

But Dad was determined to find just the right one. 

Dean enjoyed a snuggle and rest. 

Finally Dad made a decision!

Just right.

With the hunt over, and the song sung, we started cutting. 

Dad gave everyone a turn. 

Then while Dad tied the tree on the car we visited with family before we headed home for cocoa. 

4 Months

Weight: 14 lbs (13%)

Height: 24 3/4 " (17%)

Head Circumfrence: 42.5 (63%)

Likes

Rolling over all the time either way. 

Is really liking toys. And bringing them to his mouth. His elephant, and Oreo. 

Likes Bathtime. He loves playing in a little water. But also won't last forever. When he is done it is pretty evident. 

Loves mirrors! 

Starting to like the bumbo especially when entertained; by the mirror, people, or the bath... We even started using the bumbo in the tub, which helped encourage him to like bathtime evenmore. His siblings can even splash around with him now, and Mom doesn't have to worry as much. I also love using the bumbo to have him off the floor so I can get him away from siblings who play a little too rough sometimes.

This is my favorite outfit. It is one of the new things
 I bought before he was born and I love seeing him in it.

Still drooling, but no teeth thank goodness!

Dislikes

He doesn't like getting squashed. I know shocking! But his sisters forget sometimes that when they roll over he doesn't get out of the way and he doesn't like it. 

Doesn’t seem to like the baby wrap as much

Pacifier days are gone. There is no point now... he is a binky hater. 

Doesn't love getting out of the bath and being cold and changed, but who can blame him. 

Sleeping?!?! Bad sleeper= Sleep training (It is the big development this month.)  Much to Shea and Dean's dismay we had to stop letting this kid and his dad snuggle each other to bed each night.  It was hard enough to consider training a baby but now I have to sleep train my husband too.  I do understand though.  It is so hard to give up those sweet, sweet baby snuggles.

First night- Nursed, laid him down awake at 10 no fussing slept for 3 hours 

Second night- Nursed, laid him down awake at 8 slept for one hour fussed for half hour Shea picked him up and then snuggled him with the binky to sleep, laid him down but woke no fussing slept from 11-4 (5 hrs). Nursed, 4:45-7:15. 

Third Night- Nursed, laid down awake at 7:50 cried for an hour! Shea picked him up put him to sleep laid him down at 10 asleep no fussing slept till 3 (5 hrs). Nursed, 3:30-6:30 (3 hrs) Nursed and slept in bed till 7:15

Fourth Night- Nursed, laid down asleep 10-10:15 fussed for 15 mins 10:30-2:30 (4.25 hrs) Nursed laid down asleep 3-7 (4 hrs) 

Fifth Night - Nursed and laid down woke up and fussed 8:30-6:15 (9.75 hrs-woke and stirred twice but fell asleep within five minutes)

Sixth Night - Nursed and laid down 8-2 (6 hrs) Nursed fell asleep, laid down asleep 3:30-7 (3.5 hrs)  This is an improvement so we will take it. 

(*Part of what led us to sleep training is not just his hate for sleep... It was his pinching when nursing. Frequent nurser. Snacking a lot DR says not getting enough of the fatty hind milk to stay full or gain weight. With a real routine/sleeping and eating schedule he will be a better eater and sleeper.)

Surgery?!?

This process has made me all the more grateful for our Sydney and her innate happiness. She is tough and smiles through it all. Daddy can always get her to laugh and she always puts on a brave smile for Mom. I am continually impressed by her.

When we got home from VA we eagerly awaited her early morning appointment. I had looked it up and made sure she was with a pediatric orthopedist and from what I read a very good one. We were praying there was no nerve damage or lasting damage of any kind. This was our first break, it seemed like a foreign part of parenting that was utterly terrifying. 

We were embarrassed we had left her urgent care shirt on,
 after they easily showed us how to change her and
recommended it. 

After some updated X-rays we were told things were not as good as they would like since it was such a bad break we were warned that she should have been seen earlier. Fortunately, there would be no lasting damage but she would need a "surgery" (really it was a manipulation of the bones that would cause severe pain so she would be put under, but no cutting would be needed). Her bones needed to be reset to prevent it growing into a deformity. All nerves were intact and that was a huge relief and we were assured that we were very lucky. 

The "surgery" was scheduled and to be performed at the hospital we were assured since she was so young we would both able to attend, despite COVID, we were both very relieved. She was nervous upon hearing and not understanding it all but elated to hear she would be asleep. Then she would be casted after swelling went down. We were told it would be a long casting period with xrays in between to keep an eye on things. 

The doctor was so kind and informative while being so upbeat it put all our fears at ease.

 

We couldn't wait to get it all done and over with. I was especially ready for her to be casted so she could return to daily activities. 

The day came quickly after and with my family able to watch the rest of the kids we were ready to sneak out in the wee hours of the morning with our brave SYDANATOR. Of course she lost her special stuffy Dad had gotten her (she left it back in VA) she was heartbroken and we had ordered another one and a back up in case it didn't arrive. She was pretty bummed about not having "kitty mae" but she was glad to have something. She had picked out a penguin and named him "Blue sparkles". 

We pulled up and got out as the chill of the early hours set in on us and we hurried inside. After going through check in we awaited her pre-op bed.

When they called her I could see the fear start to set in, but she clung to her new stuffy and Dad and her swapped jokes as she got dressed and ready, while we waited we did everything to keep her mind off of the unknown of it all.

Who can touch their nose?

Dad jokes...

Up high Down low games

 Dr came and was all smiles and Sydney was ready. Sydney picked Daddy to come back with her as she feel asleep so he stepped into a blue onesie and booties and adorned it with a matching cap. Sydney loved matching Daddy and Dr made sure her stuffy matched too. 

Dr even explained everything to her and assured her that after Dad left her stuffy could stay and be with her and watch everything while she slept. She squeezed that guy so tight and beamed, I felt like supermom and was so grateful that this stuffy had eased her in ways Mom and Dad couldn't. Watching her go back was scary. I was glad Dad was there but it felt wrong. 

To make sure she was ready to get rolled out with Dad she had to hold up a thumbs up. But the laughing gas they gave her seconds before was already taking affect and she couldnt help but giggle because she kept holding up her finger instead of her thumb. So since she couldn't get her thumb up they held up their fingers, ""Ready!"

Shea met me in the lobby soon after. So we began our wait. We hadn't eaten anything as Sydney couldn't. So we were starving. Shea wanted to go out and get us something but was afriad to miss her coming out so he raided some vending instead and we made do. 

We were told that the procedure would only take an hour.  The hour came and went and we were startgin to worry.  After a little over an 2 hours the doctor came out to tell us the manipulation was done. She said she got the bones alomst perfectly into place but she had a lot of trouble keeping the bones in place since she had the bayonette break. The bone kept shifting from one side to the other and wouldn't stay perfectly aligned for long. Fortunately since Sydney is so young the bones have a lot more growth to do and although they will form together with a little bump since they arent exactly in line the bones will grow over the bump and be unoticeable. 

We were lead to Sydney who was groggy and upset, she woke in a lot of pain. I wish I was there when she awoke, to comfort her. But I did what I could and held my baby. My heart broke for her. I couldn't wait to bring her home and spoil her. 

She was so relieved to go home and snuggle up with treats and the tv remote. When she started feeling better Dad had snuck off to get some work hours in and we decided to go over and see everyone at the Martins (where they were being babysat), she enjoyed visiting and especially drawing with Amberlee. She started working on her left hand creativity. It was a little frustrating for her but will be interesting to see what she does with it. 

First Trip to the ER

We took a trip to Virginia to visit our favorite cousins; we came to play and celebrate their cousin Addie getting baptized. After a fun Halloween with a whole bunch of Stanger's we started prepping for the baptism. 

All the cousins were loving playing together and Sydney had a little too much fun but decided the plans were just not eccentric enough for her. So while everyone jumped on their trampoline she decided to crawl around the edge of the trampoline and got bumped off the edge and landed on her wrist trying to catch herself. We would soon learn that it is one of the most common ways to injure a childs wrist. Grandpa was out there thank goodness and rescued her right away and when he brought her in he said, "She may have broke her arm." He lifted her arm up and her hand literally flopped down as her arm was brought up (it was literally the real life version of the Harry Potter scene where he broke his wrist in Quidditch). I knew it was an obvious break and a severe one so we immeadiately decided to go to the ER. 

Dad was almost as scared as Sydney, he felt so bad for his baby. And he wanted me to stay home with the rest of the kids who were scared and felt bad, like they were all some how responsible. Fortunately the Stanger women offered to tend to the rest of our babies and make sure they got settled and happy, so I could go too. Shea's brother drove us to a local ER that was specifically for children. We waited for a short time with our brave but in pain little girl. They gave a quick and painful examination and then a trip for X-rays and they were back to tell us it obviously broke both bones in her wrist. A complete ulna and radius fracture. 

She was a champ through it all.

To make things more complicated we were not home. Not much could be done right away, due to the need for swelling to go down so after a good wrapping we were asked to keep it very still and call ortho and schedule an appt asap, which ended up being Monday. If her bones displaced enough they did say that there could be nerve damage so we held our baby as she slept (uneasily), Daddy even went out and bought the hugest stuffy he could find (which was a mermaid), she was in a lot of pain when he came home and she said "its too big and weird" so out he went again and found a sweet gray  kitty she loved and she named her "kitty mae".  We watched movies most of the night while she lay propped up between us (we tried to keep her comfortable but it was impossible in the limited position she had). 

The next day we attended her cousin's baptism as planned. The wrap and endless amounts of rotating ice packs helped immensely. 

We were so grateful we got to still be a part of this little girls special day, Sydney especially did not want to miss her cousins baptism. 

We were so scared to injure it more, or cause nerve damage that we didn't even remove the ER shirt they had put on her. We just put clothing over it. Mom sat next to her on the long drive home and we just prayed everything would be okay till Monday. 

Piper was somewhat oblivious and Sammy was her favorite distraction. 

The other kids were worried about their sister, and were the sweetest. Connor felt resposible because he had been the one to accidentaly bump into her while jumping. 

But we made sure everyone knew it was no ones fault, it was an accident. 

Accidents happen.