Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted 3 children. So when I finally convinced my husband to have baby #3, I was elated. And it didn't matter to me what I "got"...I always pictured 3 children in our family photo. It wasn't going to be right until he or she got here.
Again, I suffered from preterm contractions but this time, I didn't dilate early. I tried to take it easy as much as I could but with a 5 year old and 3 year old, who can take it easy? I'd contract, complain, drink some water and keep going. If I did start to dilate, I would have happily done whatever the doctor ordered. Thankfully, it never got to that point.
Since baby #2, otherwise known as "Moe", was a shoulder dystocia delivery, the doctor watched the size of baby #3 very carefully. I had 7 sonograms with the last pregnancy...and each time, someone thought it would be funny to not be able to tell exactly if it was a boy or a girl. At the first sonogram, the technician said, "Oh, I'm sorry, it's another boy." I thought something was wrong...little did she know that there is nothing to be sorry about in having 3 boys! But then every other sonogram, they changed their mind. "Oh, I think it's a girl", "no, it's definitely a boy." Even the sonogram I had the day before his birth, I was told not to be surprised if they said it was a girl.
Since "Moe" was so large and this baby was measuring larger than expected, I was offered a trial of labor or I could opt for a scheduled C/Section. I could feel that the baby was huge..I just wanted him (or her....could they ever tell???) out safely. I took the scheduled C/S. Two weeks before his due date (he was due on July 4!), I was wheeled into the OR and delivered a healthy 10 pound baby boy. The doctor kept saying, "this is a big one", as he was pulling him out. Duh..I could have told him that.
When I knew he was born, I asked if they could finally tell what "it" was. They said, "It's a Boy!" I couldn't have been happier. Of course, I had let me imagination run away with me when they couldn't tell what "it" was and assumed that the baby must have had ambiguous genitalia. When Tyler was born, it was obvious that he was a boy. Let the party begin!
Now, I wish I could say I remember everything about my last baby boy but to be honest, I was a little swamped caring for 3 sons under the age of 5! You know what it was like? Did you ever see the Cliffhangers game on The Price is Right? The little yodeling guy marches up the mountain for every dollar the person misses the price of the toaster or the CD player or the whatever. Then, if they miss all 3 within a grand total of $25, they win the grand prize? Well, I was the yodeler whose person missed the prices way over $25!! Over the cliff I went...
How can just one more person create so much more work? The laundry...it seemed to reproduce on its own in the basement. The toys....easily overtook the living room like an invasion from an enemy army.
Baby boy #3 was a piece of cake, really. He went along to kindergarten and preschool when it was time to drop the "brubbers" off. He held off eating breakfast or getting dressed for that matter until the other boys were off to school. One time while we were playing (I probably was cleaning and pretending it was playing...), he asked what the phone number was to 2nd grade because he wanted to talk to his older "brubber". To this day, he's a pretty laid back kind of kid.
Another handsome boy, he has dark hair and stunning blue eyes. He also got the athletic gene (I wonder where they got it from....I of course assume all the good stuff came from me!). He plays basketball and has tried his hand at volleyball, tennis and bowling. This fall, he's giving football a whirl. And he's smart. But his problem is his lack of organization. He's like his oldest brother only worse. That mind of his works in a different way and that way doesn't exactly make the middle school teachers happy.
If there's one thing about baby #3, it's that he would fish all day, every day if you'd let him. It's remarkable, really. My husband, son #1 and the little guy (ok, he's only just turned 13 and he's 5'9" already....) can fish all day. "Moe", well he just wants to know when it's time to go home (my husband said when they were little and they all went fishing because I worked the night shift, all Moe wanted was to know when it was time to go to McDonald's!). But my Tyler...he's an outdoorsman for sure.
So that rounds out the 3 boys...the joy of my life and the reason I do all the crazy things I do. One thing is for sure...boys will make you laugh until your side hurts. They'll eat every morsel of food and still complain they're hungry. They'll leave their clothes all over the place and ask where, oh where, is their jock strap (interestingly, I don't know....hmmmmmm....) Above all, they'll make you see the pure joy in being a mother. While I'm sure being a mom to all girls has its rewards, I argue that there's absolutely nothing like being the mother of 3 boys! Now, onto th stories.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
And then there were 2....
Two years and one month to the day later, our family welcome baby boy #2 into the family. Again with that pregnancy, I had to know what gender the baby was. And again, around 16-18 weeks gestation, I was told, "it's a boy".
I was relieved. I wouldn't have to buy many new clothes and we already had enough baby stuff to take care of a hundred babies. How bad could one more baby be?
That pregnancy was complicated by preterm labor severe enough to warrant continuous medication, frequent monitoring and complete bedrest (in those days, that meant one shower a day and as many trips to the bathroom as necessary but that was it!). I was dilated almost 2cm at 26 weeks gestation. I remember being checked by the resident on the labor wing when I noticed the contractions then and sitting up telling him, "You know he can't be born yet, right. You know he can't be born." Like he didn't know....
Thankfully, the interventions worked and I carried that pregnancy to 37 weeks also. By that point, the contractions had completely died down and I wasn't even having cramps let alone good contractions. I was induced halfway through my 37th week of pregnancy. Unlike the first labor, this one took only 3 hours. This baby was not like his big brother...he wanted out and he wanted out now.
His delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia needing forceps for delivery. He either came down too quickly or was yanked out too quickly because he was bluer than a smurf when he was born. He didn't cry right away. I remember looking over at him and asking why he wasn't crying. The neonatal team was hard at work on him and then....he cried. And he didn't stop crying until one week before his first birthday! At just over 37 weeks, he weighed in at 9 pounds, 1 ounce. No wonder he got stuck!
What experiences we didn't have with our first son, we most definitely had with baby boy #2. He had terrible colic...cried most of the day....and seemed inconsolable. I spent most every night wandering around the living room with him trying to calm him down. Oh, the nights we spent driving around the neighborhood because only the motion of the car would put him to sleep. If I could have slept-driven, I would have!
Then, miraculously, one week before his first birthday, he slept all night. As any mother will tell you, the first time the baby sleeps all night, you aren't relieved. You're certain something terrible has happened. I jumped out of bed faster than I ever have in my life and raced to his room. I found him sound asleep among his Mickey Mouse sheets, comforter and bumper pads.
Whenever I asked any of my family to babysit for me, they'd say, "Oh, no, we can't watch the Ryan Monster" (his name is obviously Ryan, not monster!) It would take 3 or 4 of them to try to entertain him all night. My father shortened that name to Ry-Mo and now, my amazing 16 year old son goes by the nickname, "Moe". It suits him and it's a reminder to how far he's come (thank God!)
I sometimes worried that I was too busy with 2 boys to pay any special attention to Ryan. But whether it was by osmosis or by luck, he has turned out to be a great kid. Unlike his brother, he enjoys doing well in school. He's never misses the honor roll. I tease him all the time that it's fortunate he had a tough delivery (and only a 4 for his first apgar) because had he been born without trauma and didn't kill off a few brain cells, he would have been one of those nerdy kids who walked around with a pocket protector in his shirt chest pocket!
He's very good-looking but the opposite of his older brother...Moe has brown hair and golden brown eyes.
He also inherited the athleticism gene...he is a standout basketball player. He tried football but he doesn't really like the cold weather so that game was out!
Moe is the comedian of the family. Ever since he was a little boy, he's come out with the most interesting things. For example, one time during our family Christmas gathering, he leaned over to my 80-year-old grandmother and said, "Hey, Nanny, last night on MTV, I was watching a show about transvestites". He was all of 9 or 10. Yikes....God love my grandmother, she just said, "Oh, yeah, honey, tell me all about it."
There's a reason we call him "Moe"...I think my father picked the perfect nickname for him!
I was relieved. I wouldn't have to buy many new clothes and we already had enough baby stuff to take care of a hundred babies. How bad could one more baby be?
That pregnancy was complicated by preterm labor severe enough to warrant continuous medication, frequent monitoring and complete bedrest (in those days, that meant one shower a day and as many trips to the bathroom as necessary but that was it!). I was dilated almost 2cm at 26 weeks gestation. I remember being checked by the resident on the labor wing when I noticed the contractions then and sitting up telling him, "You know he can't be born yet, right. You know he can't be born." Like he didn't know....
Thankfully, the interventions worked and I carried that pregnancy to 37 weeks also. By that point, the contractions had completely died down and I wasn't even having cramps let alone good contractions. I was induced halfway through my 37th week of pregnancy. Unlike the first labor, this one took only 3 hours. This baby was not like his big brother...he wanted out and he wanted out now.
His delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia needing forceps for delivery. He either came down too quickly or was yanked out too quickly because he was bluer than a smurf when he was born. He didn't cry right away. I remember looking over at him and asking why he wasn't crying. The neonatal team was hard at work on him and then....he cried. And he didn't stop crying until one week before his first birthday! At just over 37 weeks, he weighed in at 9 pounds, 1 ounce. No wonder he got stuck!
What experiences we didn't have with our first son, we most definitely had with baby boy #2. He had terrible colic...cried most of the day....and seemed inconsolable. I spent most every night wandering around the living room with him trying to calm him down. Oh, the nights we spent driving around the neighborhood because only the motion of the car would put him to sleep. If I could have slept-driven, I would have!
Then, miraculously, one week before his first birthday, he slept all night. As any mother will tell you, the first time the baby sleeps all night, you aren't relieved. You're certain something terrible has happened. I jumped out of bed faster than I ever have in my life and raced to his room. I found him sound asleep among his Mickey Mouse sheets, comforter and bumper pads.
Whenever I asked any of my family to babysit for me, they'd say, "Oh, no, we can't watch the Ryan Monster" (his name is obviously Ryan, not monster!) It would take 3 or 4 of them to try to entertain him all night. My father shortened that name to Ry-Mo and now, my amazing 16 year old son goes by the nickname, "Moe". It suits him and it's a reminder to how far he's come (thank God!)
I sometimes worried that I was too busy with 2 boys to pay any special attention to Ryan. But whether it was by osmosis or by luck, he has turned out to be a great kid. Unlike his brother, he enjoys doing well in school. He's never misses the honor roll. I tease him all the time that it's fortunate he had a tough delivery (and only a 4 for his first apgar) because had he been born without trauma and didn't kill off a few brain cells, he would have been one of those nerdy kids who walked around with a pocket protector in his shirt chest pocket!
He's very good-looking but the opposite of his older brother...Moe has brown hair and golden brown eyes.
He also inherited the athleticism gene...he is a standout basketball player. He tried football but he doesn't really like the cold weather so that game was out!
Moe is the comedian of the family. Ever since he was a little boy, he's come out with the most interesting things. For example, one time during our family Christmas gathering, he leaned over to my 80-year-old grandmother and said, "Hey, Nanny, last night on MTV, I was watching a show about transvestites". He was all of 9 or 10. Yikes....God love my grandmother, she just said, "Oh, yeah, honey, tell me all about it."
There's a reason we call him "Moe"...I think my father picked the perfect nickname for him!
How it all began....
It seems like only yesterday but really it was almost 19 years ago when I first found out that we were having our first child. I was excited but when the pregnancy test turned positive, I admit I felt a sense of dread. What did I get myself into? I didn't know the first thing about babies and I certainly didn't have a clue what it meant to be a mother of a toddler, school-aged child and, God forbid, a teenager! But I figured I had a pretty supportive family and they'd fill me in (or at least not let me ruin the child for life!)
I was just about 16 weeks pregnant when I had a sonogram to check the baby out. My AFP test came back elevated (I never had that test again) and gave me an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida. I was really petrified then! The options were to have a sonogram and then an amniocentesis to determine if the baby really did have spina bifida. The sonogram was perfect.. no markers of anything wrong.
As anyone who knows me knows, I HATE surprises! I had to know what the baby was... if I didn't, it would be like carrying around a Christmas present for months and never taking a peak. I told the sonographer that I really wanted to know what the baby was and she said she'd do her best. She didn't have to tell me a thing for as if almost pressed up against the screen was the very clear image of male genitalia! Now, mind you, that was almost 19 years ago and sonograms were good but nothing like the 3-D or 4-D sonograms they have today! I was thrilled (I guess I would have been happy that the baby was healthy regardless of its gender).
It didn't hit me at first but it was awe-inspiring to know that I was carrying around a little boy in my body. I had no experience with little boys as I am one of 3 girls. I suddenly made grand plans for him. He'd certainly be an athete. Probably he'd be pretty smart. Of course, he'd be good-looking and charming. And he'd go to one of the private all boys' schools in our area. Even before he was fully developed, I had plans!
I remember just giggling when the sonographer said, "I'm glad you wanted to know what it was because that was pretty obvious!" My next comment surprised even me. I said, "Well, at least I don't have to pay for his wedding!" The sonographer, my mother and I cracked up. What a peculiar thing to say.
The pregnancy progressed pretty smoothly except for a bout of preterm labor. Bedrest cured that and much to my dismay, I had to be induced at 37 weeks gestation. They started the pitocin at 7am on a Friday; my little boy didn't meander his way into this world until nearly 1:15 on Saturday afternoon! Even then, he wasn't in much of a hurry!
When they handed him to me for the first time, I commented to my husband that he didn't have an instruction booklet dangling from his toes. What the *!~# were we going to do now??
As luck would have it, he was a pretty easy baby. He slept all night by the time he was 6 weeks old (which was good because I went back to work full time at that exact time!) He was easy-going and charming. His bouncy blonde curls and vivid blue eyes reflected his personaity. He was our baby boy....
Well, that baby boy has now turned 18 years old and will graduate from high school in just 2 weeks. I look back to that day in 1991 and I can't believe the time has flown so quickly! Did my dreams for my first born come true? For the most part, they did.
He was born healthy and at 3 weeks early, weighed in at 8 pounds. He was smart in elementary school but then middle school hit and he was suddenly not that interested in good grades. He comments to me to this day that there's nothing wrong with 80s and I guess he's right.
He didn't go to the private all boys' school although he did get accepted there 4 years ago. He chose instead to go the local public school and that has been the wisest decision of all! He has grown into a remarkable young man. He did become an athlete, a football and basketball MVP. Amazingly, he hated playing hockey (even though my husband and his family love to play the game...one cousin even played professionally).
He is a handsome young man and more importantly, he is a respectful and respectable young man. Teachers like him. His fellow students like him. Most importantly, he likes himself.
In the following posts, I'll share some of the funny stories and experiences we've had with him but now it's time to post about the next son in the line of 3 boys.
I was just about 16 weeks pregnant when I had a sonogram to check the baby out. My AFP test came back elevated (I never had that test again) and gave me an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida. I was really petrified then! The options were to have a sonogram and then an amniocentesis to determine if the baby really did have spina bifida. The sonogram was perfect.. no markers of anything wrong.
As anyone who knows me knows, I HATE surprises! I had to know what the baby was... if I didn't, it would be like carrying around a Christmas present for months and never taking a peak. I told the sonographer that I really wanted to know what the baby was and she said she'd do her best. She didn't have to tell me a thing for as if almost pressed up against the screen was the very clear image of male genitalia! Now, mind you, that was almost 19 years ago and sonograms were good but nothing like the 3-D or 4-D sonograms they have today! I was thrilled (I guess I would have been happy that the baby was healthy regardless of its gender).
It didn't hit me at first but it was awe-inspiring to know that I was carrying around a little boy in my body. I had no experience with little boys as I am one of 3 girls. I suddenly made grand plans for him. He'd certainly be an athete. Probably he'd be pretty smart. Of course, he'd be good-looking and charming. And he'd go to one of the private all boys' schools in our area. Even before he was fully developed, I had plans!
I remember just giggling when the sonographer said, "I'm glad you wanted to know what it was because that was pretty obvious!" My next comment surprised even me. I said, "Well, at least I don't have to pay for his wedding!" The sonographer, my mother and I cracked up. What a peculiar thing to say.
The pregnancy progressed pretty smoothly except for a bout of preterm labor. Bedrest cured that and much to my dismay, I had to be induced at 37 weeks gestation. They started the pitocin at 7am on a Friday; my little boy didn't meander his way into this world until nearly 1:15 on Saturday afternoon! Even then, he wasn't in much of a hurry!
When they handed him to me for the first time, I commented to my husband that he didn't have an instruction booklet dangling from his toes. What the *!~# were we going to do now??
As luck would have it, he was a pretty easy baby. He slept all night by the time he was 6 weeks old (which was good because I went back to work full time at that exact time!) He was easy-going and charming. His bouncy blonde curls and vivid blue eyes reflected his personaity. He was our baby boy....
Well, that baby boy has now turned 18 years old and will graduate from high school in just 2 weeks. I look back to that day in 1991 and I can't believe the time has flown so quickly! Did my dreams for my first born come true? For the most part, they did.
He was born healthy and at 3 weeks early, weighed in at 8 pounds. He was smart in elementary school but then middle school hit and he was suddenly not that interested in good grades. He comments to me to this day that there's nothing wrong with 80s and I guess he's right.
He didn't go to the private all boys' school although he did get accepted there 4 years ago. He chose instead to go the local public school and that has been the wisest decision of all! He has grown into a remarkable young man. He did become an athlete, a football and basketball MVP. Amazingly, he hated playing hockey (even though my husband and his family love to play the game...one cousin even played professionally).
He is a handsome young man and more importantly, he is a respectful and respectable young man. Teachers like him. His fellow students like him. Most importantly, he likes himself.
In the following posts, I'll share some of the funny stories and experiences we've had with him but now it's time to post about the next son in the line of 3 boys.
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