The Zorio Family: August 2013

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Nora Kate is Two Weeks Old

It's hard to believe, but our precious Nora Kate is already two weeks old!
Nora Kate has gotten to be a better sleeper this week. She usually goes one long stretch that is 3 or 4 hours during the night and then will go a couple of 2 hour stretches after that. She has improved on going back to sleep after eating, but there is usually still one feeding each night (around 4am usually) that she has trouble settling back down after. Usually she settles down after this 4am feeding at first and then gets the hiccups and is wide awake. Since John has been home we have been taking turns getting her to go back to sleep at this time, and honestly I think he has better luck than I do...maybe she just associates me with eating, and so she thinks if I have her she should get to eat?! I'm not sure, but I'm so happy that her sleeping is improving!
Although we were not scheduled to take her back to the doctor until she was 1 month old, we had to take her Monday morning because we thought her umbilical cord was beginning to get infected! Thankfully we were wrong, but her umbilical cord did need some attention. Dr. Booher put silver nitrate on it to help it keep sealing off (because it kept bleeding) and healing. He said sometimes this happens, but it really had John and I worried since we had not experienced anything like this with the boys. The good news was that it wasn't infected!! Of course, they weighed her while we were there and she had gained 6 ounces in 6 days! She was up to 7 pounds 5 ounces. Her umbilical cord should continue healing on its own, and we won't have to go back until the one month check up.
This week our friends Alana and Colt came to visit, and Dawson had a blast getting to play with his friend while I enjoyed getting to visit with Alana. Then on Saturday our friends the Grimms brought us dinner and met Nora Kate. It was great to see them as well and introduce them to the kids! Carter was a ham the whole time they were here and kept asking for them after they left! Silly boy! Sunday afternoon, Nora Kate attended her first party. Our friend's daughter, Olivia, turned one, so we took Nora Kate to Olivia's first birthday party!
Monday morning we took Nora Kate to meet some of John's coworkers! Then on Monday evening, Nora Kate attending her first sporting event-Dawson's soccer practice and scrimmage (pictures of this in the soccer blog post).
Today (Wednesday) Nora Kate is TWO WEEKS OLD! Unfortunately not only does that mean that time is passing way to quickly, it also meant that it was time for John to go back to work. :( John has barely taken any vacation since we moved to Tennessee, so he had a lot of time stored up. We knew that he would need to help me a lot after Nora Kate was born especially since Carter still has to be lifted and carried so much, I didn't want to overdo it too early-especially since my recover has been going so well! John took two full weeks of vacation, and it was AWESOME! It was so nice to be able to relax and nap when I needed to and have his help day and night. It was especially nice because it helped keep the boys entertained and happy while they got to enjoy some special time with Daddy. It was also nice just to have the special time of the first weeks all at home as a family. I'm very, very glad that the did, especially now because he found out that beginning next week he has to go back to working nights which we are all very, very disappointed about. But I'm now even more grateful for these past couple of weeks he had off. Although he went back to work today, he is scheduled off a couple of more days before he fully starts back on Monday. So far today, my first full day with the kids all by myself has gone well.
It's unbelievable that Nora Kate is already two weeks old. We are loving our precious newest addition to the family!

Nora Kate wide awake after a nap and eating!

Dawson helped with one of Nora Kate's baths this week. He loved helping and was so sweet with her!

She still loves bathtime!

Sweet kisses from brother!

On Sunday we went to our friend, Olivia's first birthday party which was pool party! Of course, Nora Kate and I decided to watch from the side of the pool, but Dawson had fun swimming around. (Carter spent some time with Lolly and Pop while we attended the party.)

Dawson swimming with Charlie at the party.

Nora Kate all dressed to attend her first party. Thanks for inviting us to your party, Olivia! :)

Nora Kate dressed and ready for her first (of many) visits to the Knoxville Zoo.

Nora Kate's first visit to the Knoxville Zoo.

John and I took Dawson, Carter, and Nora Kate to the zoo when Nora Kate was 13 days old! Our first zoo trip with THREE kids!

Carter has been really sweet with Nora Kate this week. Here he is one day after nap with his paci, trying to give Nora Kate her paci too!

Nora Kate's birth was one of two births ran in the paper on Friday, August 23rd.

I always think kids look so sweet in their pajamas. So I wanted to get a picture of all three dressed for bed.

Dawson Plays Soccer

This fall Dawson is old enough to play soccer. We asked him if he was interested in playing soccer a while back, and he has been talking about it and looking forward to it ever since! We took him to registration back in July, and we have gotten all of his gear (shin guards, soccer socks, soccer shorts, and cleats) over the past few weeks. Last Christmas he got a soccer goal and ball, so we have been doing a little practicing in the backyard too. He says his cleats help him run really fast! :)

He is playing for AYSO in the munchkin group which is U5. The way it is set up his team will meet each Monday night where they will practice for half of the time, and then the second half of the time they play their soccer game. Monday was his first practice, and a lot of the time was spent organizing the teams and learning basics. Then at the end they did a little scrimmage to practice. The real games and practices start in two weeks. There are 7 boys on Dawson's team, and they have two coaches! Dawson wanted EVERYONE to come watch his first practice and game, so he had his own little fan section! :) John, Carter, Nora Kate, and I were there in addition to Nana, Grandad, Lolly, and Pop!

Dawson listened really well to his coaches, and he is learning about the game. Watching four year olds play soccer for the first time is really entertaining! :) The biggest issue was that they all kept forgetting that they couldn't just pick the ball up! :) It was cute!

Dawson had a blast! And he's already been asking when he plays soccer again!

Carter and Nora Kate did great on the sidelines. Luckily we packed lots of snacks for Carter because he basically ate the entire time, haha! Nora Kate napped the whole time until we got back in the van then she decided to wake up!

I'm looking forward to practicing with Dawson some before his next practice and game and watching him play this season!

Look how big Dawson looks all dressed for soccer practice!

Action shot of Dawson kicking the ball!

I think he looks like a little soccer player! :)

The boys during the scrimmage with one of their coaches.

Carter enjoyed snacking most of the practice and game. Here he is enjoying a fruit leather. :)

Dawson's fan section.

The scrimmage.

For the U5 age group their jersey is a t-shirt. Here he is in his munchkin jersey.

He's very proud of it.

Dawson's number.

Miss Nora Kate napped the entire practice and scrimmage.

Nora Kate's First Week

Nora Kate's first week flew by! We checked out of the hospital when she was 24 hours old, so we got to enjoy the majority of her first week at home which was nice to be able to rest, recover, and relax at home!

The first night home from the hospital, Dawson and Carter spent the night with Nana and Grandad so that John and I could both take care of Nora Kate and get as much rest as possible. She didn't sleep great, but we managed. She was eating every hour-or more, and unfortunately she wasn't super content at night in between feedings either. With this being our third though, we knew after she was getting more milk this would improve so we weren't too worried.

Friday morning we took her to see Dr. Booher for her first visit. She was 2 days old, and, of course, had lost weight, but not enough that they were worried. Dr. Booher checked her out and said she's very healthy, but he wanted her to come back the next morning for another weight check.

Friday night Lolly stayed with us to help with Nora Kate, and it was so nice because Nora Kate did the same routine of eating frequently without being very content in between feedings. Mom attempted to keep her happy in between feedings so I could rest.

Saturday morning we took Nora Kate in for a weight check, and she had not lost or gained since the previous day...which was good. They wanted us to bring her in for one more weight check in a few days.

Saturday night my mom stayed to help again, and Nora Kate kept the same hungry and fussy routine. By Sunday afternoon though she seemed to be getting more content after her feedings which is great!

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights Nora Kate's sleeping really improved. Each night she slept either a 3 or 4 hours stretch and then a couple of two our stretches of time. John and I felt A LOT more rested with our sleep interrupted less, and we were happy that Nora Kate started feeling more full and content after eating.

On Tuesday morning, at 6 days old she had her final weight check and was just one ounce under her birth weight. The doctor said this was perfect and she was gaining over an ounce a day which is great! She does not have to go back until her one month check up!

Other than her visits to the doctor (which I wont' really count as her first outings), Nora Kate's very first real outing was to take her big brother Dawson to preschool on Monday morning. We all went to drop him off because there was a short parent orientation meeting after drop off that we wanted to attend. Dawson was happy to show off his new sister to his teacher too. I guess it's the life of a third child that her first outing would be to a preschool orientation meeting. After the meeting, we were determined to go somewhere else since we were all dressed and out of the house, so we stopped by Foothills Mall to walk around for a little while. Nora Kate and Carter both rode happily in the stroller, and, of course, Nora Kate slept through most of her first outing.

In her first week, Nora Kate also got to meet more family and friends. She got to meet her Aunt Emily, Eric, Cousin Drew, Great Aunt Arlene, and Great Uncle Wayne (who she almost shared a birthday with had she arrived on her due date!), and our friends the Gibsons!

Dawson and Carter had fun getting to know their baby sister this first week too! Dawson is a wonderful big brother, and he knows just what to do. He gently pats her, fixes her blankets, and kisses her. Carter is very curious about Nora Kate. He talks about her constantly saying "bebe" (baby). We are working on teaching him to be gently with her. When we first came home from the hospital, I felt horrible because Carter seemed jealous of Nora Kate. He was saying, "Mommy, bebe. Mommy, bebe" over and over looking really sad that he wasn't on my lap or that I wasn't carrying him around. He really has adjusted quickly though, especially now that we are adjusting and he's started getting his "mommy time" again! Nora Kate is very lucky to have such great big brothers, and we have loved all the precious moments with Nora Kate and her big brothers as we are adjusting to life as a family of five this first week!

On to the pictures!

Of course, Nora Kate had her first bath at home during her first week. She got so calm and relaxed for bathtime. She loved it! Look how relaxed she was...she crossed her ankles!

She kept trying to get her hands in her mouth the entire bath time.

One more bath picture.

Snuggling with Daddy on the couch after bath time to warm up.

(This was the night she started sleeping a lot better, and she slept in this hat all night...SO we have put her in this hat every night since just in case it helps her sleep!)

I have had SO much fun dressing Nora Kate each day!!

This is what she wore for her first outing...a little black dress and a cardigan!

Girl clothes are SO fun!

Sweet sleeping faces.

Must be having good dreams!

Nora Kate meeting Aunt Em, Eric, and Cousin Drew for the first time.

(And Dawson said he needed to be in the picture too!)

"little sister"

Sweet Nora Kate.

The Gibsons came to visit and bring us dinner! It was great because Dawson and Carter were thrilled to play with Charlie and Olivia. Olivia is almost exactly a year older than Nora Kate! Now Olivia won't be the only girl at our play dates!

Carter's First Haircut

On Wednesday, August 21st, we took Carter to get his first haircut. Carter has these sweet curls in the back of his hair that I absolutely love, I just think they are so sweet. I've been putting off his first haircut because I didn't want him to loose these curls, however, over the past couple of weeks the curls have gotten a little long and have been frizz more than curls (especially since he likes to play with them...especially when he has food in his hands!). So I finally agreed with John that we could get his haircut!

Carter's Pop has always gotten his haircut at Johnnie's Barber Shop in Knoxville. This is also where Uncle Logan and Dawson got their very first haircuts, so it was only fitting that we take Carter to see Johnnie for his first haircut.

First, Carter sat on my lap and watched John get a haircut. He was completely fine with this. Then when we put Carter in the barber chair, things went downhill. Carter cried the ENTIRE time! We tried to bribe him with candy, yogurt covered raisins, a sucker, and pretzels, but he wouldn't have any of it! The poor boy just cried and cried the whole time. Thankfully Johnnie was very patient. After he got out of the chair he stopped crying and then decided he would eat his sucker. I felt so bad for Carter, but I think he looks adorable with his hair trimmed up...he looks like a little boy now more so than a baby!

So her are some pictures of his first haircut, and I'm reminding myself that we will look at this pictures and laugh one day...I hope!

One last picture of Carter's sweet curls!

Carter watching Daddy get his haircut before it was his turn!

Before.

And it begins. Daddy held Carter while Johnnie cut his hair.

I felt so sorry for the poor little guy!

But look at this adorable haircut he got!

Handsome boy after his first haircut!

And of course I kept his sweet curls to put in his baby book!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Welcome to the World, Nora Kate!

On Tuesday, August 13th-the day after Nora Kate's due date, I played with the boys all day while John worked. We had a fun day playing and going to the library. By Dawson and Carter's bedtime I was feeling really tired, so we made every effort to get them in bed on time. The boys got to bed right at 8, and by 8:20-SURPRISE!-I started having contractions! After having had regular contractions the previous week that went away after a few hours, I was skeptical. However, they were stronger than the previous week, so I was hopeful! I didn't want to tell anyone-other than John-just yet in case the contractions stopped.

John and I relaxed and watched tv. At 10:30 when I was still having regular contractions that were about 6-7 minutes apart, I suggested John lay down and rest while I did a few things I wanted completed in case this was the real deal and we would be going to the hospital. John reluctantly went to bed, and I promised to wake him up soon if the labor continued or if anything changed. Meanwhile, I busied myself cleaning the playroom (yes, this would be the ONE night that I was too tired to have Dawson clean the playroom before bedtime). I washed Carter's cloth diapers, did a second load of laundry, showered, painted my finger nails, made Dawson's lunch for preschool (Wednesday was his second day!) and got his school bag ready. During all this time, my contractions were still getting stronger and closer together, but staying busy was great for me because it kept my mind off of watching the clock waiting on the next contraction. Around 11:30 my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and were continuing to get closer together.

By 1:50 my contractions had been about 4 minutes apart for 2 hours and were getting stronger, and I decided to wake John. John called his parents to come over and stay with the boys (with Carter it was my parents who got the early morning call that we needed someone to stay with Dawson so we could go to the hospital)-what can I say, I guess I like to go into labor at night?! While John called his parents, I called my doctor and was put in touch with the midwife who was answering the calls-she said I needed to come on to the hospital and she would call my doctor. John's parents got to our house quickly, we kissed the boys who were sleeping, and got in the car to head to the hospital!

I was put in triage where I was checked and told I was only at 2.5 centimeters?! I was really frustrated by this because the previous Friday I was at 2cm, and after having had contractions for hours I had only progressed 1/2 a centimeter! The nurse said that I needed to stay at the hospital though because my contractions were registering as so close together and so strong. She hooked me up to monitors where I could move around and suggested I walk the halls to see if it would help get things moving faster. John and I walked the halls for about 2 hours, and it worked! Around 5am I was at 4.5cm, and I got a room. We laughed because Carter was born in room 27, and the room we got for Nora Kate was the next one down the hall...room 26.

Things were going great. My plan was to have the saline lock, but not have an iv. I have horrible veins, and on the third attempt they finally got this in. (As I type this out now-12 days after Nora Kate's birth-I still have huge bruises on my arm from where this was attempted before they got it!) But other than the needle issues, I was still doing good! The nurse said I was welcome to keep walking since it seemed to be working well. She also brought in the birthing ball and a stool so I could move around and try some different things to stay comfortable. She also put the waterproof monitor on me, and said I was welcome to take a shower if I wanted to do so to relax. I did a little bit of everything, and the pain was staying very manageable.

At about 11am, after having been at the hospital for almost 8 hours when I was checked I was only at 6cm. I was a little discouraged because I thought things would have progressed faster than this. The good (or great!) news thought was that my contractions were not right on top of the next (which is how they were with Carter), so I had a chance to rest and relax between contractions. Everything still felt very manageable, and John and I were even talking and I was still up walking around-and I even text messaged a few people back-at this point.

My doctor had been checking on me all day, even though we knew Wednesday is his normal day off each week. He assured us that he was staying nearby working in his office at the hospital when he wasn't in the room with us.

Sometime between 2 and 3pm (11 hours after I had been at the hospital and a 18 hours after labor had started) things really picked up. The contractions got a lot stronger. I still had a break in between contractions though to rest and let myself relax. The next time I was checked I was 7 centimeters, and the nurse said she was going to start setting up the room for delivery because she thought things might speed up a little.

Well, she was very right! Just a few contractions later, I felt like Nora Kate had gotten a lot lower and that I needed to lay down on the bed where as I had been on the birthing ball. I moved to the bed and was checked and I was now 8 centimeters! A few couple of contractions later, and I told the nurse it was time to push. She wanted to check me and sure enough in just a few contractions I had moved from 7 to 8 and from 8 to 10 centimeters! She called for Dr. Brabson, and I pushed through one contraction. She then called for additional available nurses to come in the room. Then the doctor arrived in the room as I pushed through two more contractions, and Nora Kate arrived! There was a small moment of panic when John, our wonderful nurse-Marianne, and I were the only ones in the room and Nora Kate was beginning to make her appearance. The nurse remained calm as she paged for any other available nurses to come, but I John and I were a little nervous that suddenly Nora Kate was coming so quickly and our doctor wasn't in the room yet! (We thought maybe this was just a big deal to us, but the next day one of the nurses commented that she heard our nurse almost delivered Nora Kate on her own...so apparently it wasn't just a big deal to us! haha!) The doctor was really surprised that I went from a 7 to 10 in such a short time, and that it only took pushing through three contractions to get Nora Kate here!

Our precious Nora Katherine Zorio (Nora Kate) was born at 3:42pm on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, at Saint Mary's Birthing and Midwifery Center at Saint Mary's Physicians Regional Medical Center-the same hospital where I was born and where Carter was born just 16 months and one day ago. She was immediately placed on my chest, and John cut the umbilical cord. John, our doctor, and three nurses were present at Nora Kate's birth. We got to hold her for about an hour before we finally weighed her. We could tell she looked smaller than the boys (who were both 7pounds 13ounces at birth), and our doctor told us girls are usually smaller. John guessed her weight correctly! Nora Kate weighed 7pounds even and was 20inches long. Although she doesn't have a ton of hair, she has more than either of the boys had at birth! Her hair isn't as blonde as Dawson's was, but it's lighter than Carter's hair. We are still unsure what her eye color is-but we think they are blue. When Nora Kate was about an hour and a half old we finally quit holding her long enough to let her get a bath. John with the assistance of our nurse gave Nora Kate her first bath in our hospital room while I watched and took pictures!

After Nora Kate was all cleaned up and dressed, it was time for her to meet some family! Dawson, Carter, Lolly, Pop, Uncle Logan, Nana, and Grandad all came to the hospital when she was about 2 hours old and took turns holding her. Carter was a lot more interested in the "bebe" (baby, as he calls her) than I expected him to be. He tried to (not so gently) pat her on the face immediately, and we're still working on being gentle with the baby. He really tries to be sweet, but he doesn't realize how rough he is sometimes! Dawson is a pro at being a big brother at this point. He was interested in Nora Kate and wanted to hold her like everyone else was doing. We had a candy surprise for Dawson and raisins as a surprise for Carter, and we gave these to the boys as they had fun playing around in the hospital room and all the attention of the grandparents. (I'm sure we were the room in the hospital at this point, but the boys were having a fun time!)

After all of our family left, and it was just John, Nora Kate, and I left in the hospital room I realized that I was STARVING! I wasn't feeling very hungry for dinner the previous night before my labor had began so I only had eaten a few bites of the casserole I had made. While I was in labor I had eaten a little, and I had had clear liquids and popsicles, but after not having eaten much in 24 hours and having a baby...I was starving. The nurse brought in a deli wrap and chips which I devoured and sent John after more food! Having a baby makes you hungry!

Nora Kate's first night was full of lots of feedings and diaper changes, but other than being tired I was feeling great and only taking Motrin for pain. I was in a lot more pain after Carter's birth and, of course, after the C-section I had with Dawson. The next morning I was still feeling great, so when the doctor came by to visit he said as long as everything continued to go well during the day that when Nora Kate was 24 hours old we could go home if we wanted or we could stay another night. I was feeling great and ready to take Nora Kate home to see her brothers, so I decided we would go home that evening.

During the day Nora Kate was checked out by the pediatrician (very healthy!), she had her hearing screening (passed!), and her blood sugar was perfect (something they had to monitor since I had had gestational diabetes-and along this note I should say that even when I was in labor and they had me check my blood sugar it was perfectly normal-which it can spike or drop when you're in labor. The entire pregnancy I only had a few high readings, and everything was under control which obviously paid off since Nora Kate was perfectly health and so was I). So after checking Nora Kate and I over once more, just 24 hours after giving birth we left the hospital to take Nora Kate home for the first time!

I have to say that bringing each child into the world has been completely different. With Dawson I was induced five days before his due date, and after 14 hours of labor I had a C-section where I was put completely to sleep for the procedure. With Carter I was in labor for 32 hours and he arrived four days after his due date, and I had an epidural. I've said all along that Nora Kate has been my easiest pregnancy-meaning I've felt the best and had the most energy of all three, and this continued through her labor and delivery. I was in labor for a little over 19 hours with Nora Kate and delivered her naturally with no epidural or drugs of any kind (so that IV line that they tried to get three times, ended up never being used-it stayed taped up the whole time). The pain and contractions seemed more manageable than with Carter because I was able to rest between each one. I never reached a point where I felt like I needed the epidural, so I just didn't get it. My recovery has been much, much better with Nora Kate, and I think part of the reason was because I didn't have all the drugs at the hospital. As I've recovered I only had to take Motrin, it really has been completely different! It has been wonderful, because I've been able to play with the boys since we came home from the hospital and enjoy the first few days and weeks more without all the pain of recovery.

We are loving every minute as a family of FIVE!! It's hard to believe that in the short 6 years that John and I have been married we have grown to a family of FIVE! Nora Kate is absolutely precious, and we feel very blessed to have her and our wonderful boys! We all love watching our sweet Nora Kate and holding her. I often find Dawson patting her, fixing her blankets, and kissing her. Carter loves to look at her, talk about her, and attempt to pat her! He has learned that he can climb on the side of the bassinet and see Nora Kate. This makes me very nervous, and we're trying to put an end to it-BUT I think he's so sweet to want to watch her! I'm already wondering what our life was like before Nora Kate arrived?! We love our sweet daughter so much, and can't wait to watch her grow (but not too fast, I love this newborn stage where she's all cuddly and sweet!!!).

Now, on to the pictures...

40 Weeks Pregnant with Nora Kate.

Contractions

We thought it was funny that one of my daily goals was "have a baby!"

My first look at Nora Kate!

A very important job-John cut the cord!

I'm guessing that one of the nurses must have grabbed our camera to capture this shot for us, I had no idea that they did, but I'm so glad they did!

(Notice how the doctor has on a dress shirt under his gown-he didn't have time to even get into his scrubs like usual because when Nora Kate decided she was ready to make her debut, she was ready!)

Nora Kate getting checked out.

Nora Kate being weighed. When the scale stopped moving she was 7 pounds even!

John giving Nora Kate her first bath!

First bath with Daddy!

Nora Kate 2 hours old freshly bathed and dressed ready to meet her family!

Our first picture as a family of FIVE!

Dawson and mommy.

The boys with Mommy. Check out their shirts-Big Brother Carter & Bigger Brother Dawson!

Dawson holding his baby sister for the first time!

Lolly holding Nora Kate for the first time.

We can't take our eyes off sweet Nora Kate.

Carter was REALLY interested in Nora Kate!

One more picture of Mommy and her boys.

Nora Kate meets Pop.

Nora Kate meets her Uncle Logan. It's Logan's first niece!

My mom made this beautiful wreath for our hospital door to welcome Nora Kate! I love how pink and girly it is! We got lots of comments on it from the nurses and doctors too! :)