One Month Old!

Happy Birthday to Lincoln! I am amazed that he's been here for one month, and I don't know how we ever lived without him. He keeps us entertained and keeps us laughing, sometimes makes us crazy and occasionally makes us cry (good and bad!). Here's what's going on with Lincoln at one month:

*Weight: 9 pounds 4 ounces (That's two whole pounds gained since birth! We definitely don't have a milk problem around here. He's a healthy eater, and at each feeding he acts like he hasn't eaten for days. I try to make sure I'm eating the right things for him: lean grilled meats, lots of veggies and fruits, and plenty of water. A few desserts but still no caffeine.)

*Height: 21 inches (He's grown one entire inch since birth. I professionally measured with a yard stick a few days ago. He seems to stretch longer every day.)

*Diapers: 14 per day (I know, I know! It is amazing that I change 14 diapers each day, and they are all wet and messy! According to the books and doctor, this is perfectly fine . . . even good. They say his digestion is superb.)

*Skills: He smiles! It has really only happened twice, and I know it wasn't related to gas! His diaper was clean and there was no tooting! I tickled his toes and feet and got a big smile. It wasn't a fluke because Kevin got the same reaction to tickling him later that night. It was wonderful.

*Development: He is quite a BobbleHead! He loves holding his head up and looking around when I'm trying to burp him. He only bobbles around after a few minutes. He doesn't get too upset about tummy time, and we know its working. His arm and neck strength is very impressive.

Here are some recent pictures. I had a little photo shoot this afternoon to celebrate his birthday. He was so good . . . until the fourth outfit came out. He'd just about had it so we called it quits. Enjoy!

This weekend we put together Lincoln's swing, and he's been enjoying it a couple of times each day. It's nice to have another item to add to our repertoire of activities. I never know if he's bored of the same things, and he doesn't speak English yet! He is making more noises, but I don't speak baby so we're not communicating well. It took a few times in the swing before he understood what was going on, but I think he likes it. One thing: I always wait at least 10 minutes after he eats before I let him in the swing. I don't want him getting motion sickness! (You know the saying about waiting 30 minutes to swim . . . think along those lines!!)

Stay tuned for a one month old post soon - can you believe it?!?!

What a bad blogger I've been . . . but it's not exactly my fault. Well, it actually is my fault. Let me explain. On Tuesday, I crashed our computer. Kevin changed my wallpaper to the CUTEST picture of Lincoln, and I wanted to delete some of the icons so I could better stare at his precious face. In my deleting haste, I apparently did quite a bit of damage. On Wednesday, I was on the phone with "Nick" in India who works for Dell. He was sure we had a fix and overnighted me some CDs to run to correct the problem. When I spoke with "Steve" in India also with Dell on Thursday, the situation got worse. The CD installation further fried the machine! After a chat with The Geek Squad on Friday and a diagnostic test, I learned it was unrepairable . . . and our stuff was unretrievable! So now I'm blogging on a cool, new laptop with lots of perks. Wireless Internet, large screen, updated software - we're finally up with the times!

Lincoln has had a good week. We did lots of playing on our favorite mat/gym, we visited with Nana and Pops a few times, we spent some time outside listening to the exciting sounds of birds and wind, and we went out to eat and shopped. Lincoln is a regular now at Mi Cocina, and he got to meet the girls at Cindi's as well. They thought he was too cute! He also got to meet Uncle Matt, who came to visit from New York. We're on such a good schedule, and it works well for everyone. He eats about every 3 hours during the day, usually at 6, 9, 12, 3, and 6. We have a bedtime routine around 9, then he usually lets me have a few extra hours before we start all over again. Friday and Saturday nights he slept for 5 hours before he woke to eat again. I really enjoyed the extra sleep! Kevin asked this week if I thought people just told us we had a cute baby even if they didn't think so. In true Mom fashion, I responded that everyone must be telling the truth because he is in fact the cutest baby ever. Here's a picture of us getting ready to go out for breakfast on Saturday. We were Razorback-ed out . . . Kevin had on an Arkansas polo, Lincoln had on the Arkansas onesie, and we carried the Razorback diaper bag. No question who we support! Enjoy.

Fun Weekend Visit

What a fun weekend we had! Minnie, Grumps and Ally came to visit, and we all had a great time. They hadn't seen Lincoln in two whole weeks, so we all couldn't wait any longer. They were, of course, amazed at how much he's grown and how cute he is. I text and e-mail pictures, but in person is so much better! He was so good while they were here. We went to the mall and out to dinner, and he didn't make a peep. He did get a little fussy so Minnie could hold him for an hour or so. She was in heaven! Kevin, Allyson and I took the opportunity to go get ice cream. I know the kids at Mel's wondered what happened to the pregnant lady who used to come in every other day, so I thought I owed them a visit. Luckily the peanut butter ice cream with mini chocolate chips was just as good as ever. I got a little (ok, a lot) teary when it was time for them to leave. Kevin says if I'm going to cry so much every time they leave, we'll have to keep them away! Whatever!!! Hopefully they'll be back soon. (Besides, I cried much less at them leaving this time than last time.) Kevin's Aunt Joanne and Julie also drove down for a visit this weekend. Lincoln loved the stripes on Julie's shirt; stripes and polka dots will have him staring for hours. Julie is getting ready to have a baby of her own, and we think she did a great job holding Lincoln.

Hanging out with Minnie, Grumps and Ally

Here's what's up with Lincoln: He has gained 1 whole pound since birth! We weighed him (on his new, high-tech baby scale) last night before his bath, and the scale said 8 lbs 5 ozs. He's really filling out and not looking like such a newborn. He has begun "tummy time" and doesn't seem to mind it. He even pushed up a little with his knees and feet. Kevin immediately called his parents and said, "Lincoln is crawling!" That's a definitely an exaggeration, but he was squirming and moving his legs. The gym mat is one of his favorite toys. He loves looking at the lights on the music box, and he even swings his arms reaching for the hanging toys. What a great kid!

In awe of his favorite toy!

Quality time with Mom - what a silly face!

Two Weeks Old!

Lincoln is two weeks old! (Sorry for the late post!) We celebrated his birthday with a visit to the pediatrician on Tuesday morning. Kathy was able to accompany us, and boy was it an adventure. My first check-up was first, and all went well. Dr. Milstein said I'm doing great and can go on with life as normal. I began working out this week, much to the dismay of my muscles. My new workout DVD is quite a challenge for my arms, legs, and abs. (Oh, and I'm definitely in need of a better sports bra. Things need much more support when filled with milk!!) Lincoln's appointment was next and let's say he'd gotten a little impatient waiting for his turn. By the time we got across the street to Dr. Karam's office, he was definitely mad. Of course they made us wait a bit and the wailing increased. In his defense, he missed his nap and had gotten hungry. I had it timed to nurse immediately after the appointment, but he'd gotten restless. Here's Lincoln yelling at the nurse:

The results from our visit were great, and we really do like Dr. Karam. He checked out perfectly, but we already knew that! Then the mean lady had to come give him a shot and draw blood for his PKU test. Of course that didn't calm his crying any, and it even made Mommy shed a tear or two. (What?! My baby was in pain, and it hurt my feelings!) Lincoln's two week stats:

7 lbs 10 ozs - he gained 6 ozs! They just wanted him back at birth weight, but Mom's super milk and Lincoln's super appetite did way better than that!

20 1/4 inches - he grew 1/4 inch! He looks like he grew more, and Mom's not sure about the "technical" way they measured him. I think she kind of guessed!

Kevin gets to give Lincoln a bottle each night before bedtime, and I enjoy their bonding. Kevin is so funny when learning new baby things. He is so cautious and worried that he's doing something wrong, but they are doing great each night. Here's a pic from their first feeding:

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. I thought a lot this morning about all the blessings I've received. Baby Lincoln is such a miracle for us. We just stare at him and marvel at how perfect he is and what our life would be like without him. I have a wonderful family and in-law family that is always there for me: tears, laughs, long drives, whatever I need. My health and my home, my job and my friends, my heart and my soul make life just great!

Our First Easter

My two favorite boys!

What a kid!

I though this picture was too cute, so I had to post it. Lincoln was making his "serious" face while napping this afternoon. As you can see his pants are too big again! He doesn't wear pants much around here. I swaddle him for sleeping so he would get pretty hot with pants, and they are all pretty big right now. We joke that he has his dad's skinny legs! He spends lots of time in his Bobby Bouncer. This was heaven-sent, as he gets his best sleep here. Thanks, Aunt Marte! He definitely challenged me today . . . he didn't want to sleep much. We spent lots of time in the rocker and did lots of singing, and that seemed to keep him content. The weather was so nice and warm, so we took advantage and went for a walk. We got dressed and strolled down to the end of our street and back. It was a beautiful day, and Lincoln happily took it all in. One thing: I've never noticed how many bumps there are in the sidewalk. It seemed like there were huge bumps and ridges every few feet. I'll need to use the ATS (All Terrain Stroller)! Luckily, he's been sleeping well at night, and I hope that continues. He and I have agreed on an eating schedule, and it's working out to about every three hours. Things are going as well as expected at our house. We're getting used to the demands of a baby, we're learning how best to calm crying, we've re-prioritized our tv shows (and cut many of them-really, who needs to watch 90210!), and we're more enamored with Lincoln every day. Stay tuned!

I made it back . . . between feedings! So I'll pick up where I left off in Lincoln's birth story. Lincoln joined us at 6:47 am, and Kevin got to hold him just moments later. I'm glad I was awake for that. The nurse handed him the baby and said, "Just hold him like a football!" Here's a pic from our first few moments together.

While we were getting introduced, the grandparents and Aunt Ally were waiting anxiously to meet him. After a bath and the necessary tests, the nurses announced what everyone already knew - he's perfect! The next few hours were kind of a blur, and I'm heard on the video frequently asking for the pain medication button. Luckily, it was very manageable. The nurses took such good care of us at Medical City. We must have had the best baby on our floor because all the nurses hung out in our room just visiting. We had lots of friends come meet Lincoln, and I think he was pretty good for them. Finally, Thursday arrived and we could come home. The doctor kept saying how big he thought Lincoln would be, so I didn't bring his smallest clothes to wear home. Mom, Kathy, Kevin and I laughed so hard when we saw how big the outfit was. He looked cuter than ever! Here's the hilarious result:

Our time has been filled with firsts since then. First nursing session (it went pretty good), first diaper change (I'm a pro!), first little fit (swaddle and swing), and of course love at first sight. We're so lucky that he's a good baby. He eats often, has lots of diaper changes, lets anyone hold him, and really only fusses when he's hungry. Did I mention that he's the cutest baby in the world? Even at 4:00 am when I want to go back to sleep, he makes me laugh with his cute faces. He has so many looks, and I'm never tired of staring at him.

What A Week!

I know what you're all thinking . . . "What happened to Monica's promise to post often?" I am officially ready to keep you all up to date on all things Kuhlman and show off my precious angel with lots of pictures. Because I haven't been able to talk with everyone, here's how it went down:
Sunday afternoon (3-29) I began having contractions while we were running errands and waiting on my parents and Allyson to arrive. I was making brownie cupcakes and blue sprinkled chocolate pretzels to take to the hospital for our visitors when the contractions began getting stronger, so I finally told Kevin about them but we didn't tell anyone else. By 8:00 the pain was pretty severe and regular so we started timing. By 9:00 the contractions were 5 minutes apart so I called the doctor. He said to head to Medical City, so we finally let our parents in on the news. By the time we got to the hospital, they had increased in intensity and were just over 3 minutes apart. I'm waddling in, thinking the baby is about to fall out!! When they check me out, however, I'm only dilated to 3 centimeters - and I'm not happy about that. They went ahead and hooked me up to a monitor and decided since the contractions were so severe, I should stay. The epidural wasn't a pleasant experience, thanks to a crooked bed. We finally got it right on the 4th try, but Kevin lost feeling in his fingers for the rest of the night. Sorry! After monitoring all night, I still wasn't past 3 centimeters but the baby wasn't responding well to the contractions and had climbed back up away from the exit. The doctor and nurses discussed a C-Section, and we all agreed that Lincoln wasn't coming out on his own. Finally, at 6:47 am Lincoln joined our family. I'll post more details about the celebration and recovery tomorrow.