Per usual, Scarlett spent most of her first week sleeping. She was a bit fussier than our other two boys, but maybe we're just more tired because we are busy chasing after two big brothers now?
Case in point - swim lessons for the boys when Scarlett was exactly 1 week old. We watched from the windows outside because the chlorine smell was a bit too strong inside the pool area. She passed out in the car afterwards.
The struggle..
...to stay awake...
...is real!
Bryon is allotted 2 weeks of paternity leave, which is such a perk. It's nice to not need to ask him to take vacation time off of work. However, it's not really paternity leave if he spends all of his time working from home, right?! In all honesty, he's a HUGE help and I'd be drowning if he wasn't around as much as he is. We made it through the 2 weeks with him only leaving to fly out of town on ONE trip (and it only lasted 24 hours). However, during that 24 hour trip, Scarlett became irritable and increasingly fussy. I just knew something wasn't right. Each time I would nurse her, she would fall asleep and I'd rock/bounce her in my arms for a good 15 minutes afterwards to make sure she was sound asleep. I'd put her down and she'd be screaming within 5 minutes. This would go on round the clock. One time it took me 5 hours to get her to sleep! On top of that, she would want to nurse CONSTANTLY. Within 5 minutes of finishing a long nursing session, she'd be thrashing about looking for more milk. For the first time ever, I was cracked and bleeding and in a lot of pain - while nursing & afterwards as well. Nursing is always tough the first few weeks, but this was beyond what I remembered enduring prior.
We took her into the pediatrician for her 1 week checkup a day later and I expressed my concerns. She was back up to her birth weight and doing well in all areas. We did notice thrush in her mouth/tongue/cheeks, so quick prescriptions to clear that out (for her any myself) and the pediatrician thought we'd be set.
But things just continued to get worse. I was unable to nurse and resorted to pumping (which I've never done in a cumulative 3 years of nursing my boys). I called up some of my midwife and doula friends and explained the situation on the phone. Every single one of them would ask me if Scarlett had been evaluated for lip/tongue tie. And, of course, she had. The pediatrician at the hospital cleared her when she was born, as well as our primary care pediatrician who cleared her just a few days later. My friends all suggested that I have someone other than a pediatrician evaluate her mouth, just to be safe (a lactation consultant, for example). Too many of my symptoms suggested that the thrush and pain with nursing - as well as the fussy behavior and wanting to constantly nurse - pointed towards a lip/tongue issue.
I went ahead and pulled up some photos online and then took a peek in Scarlett's mouth myself. I noticed that neither doctor had held Scarlett while sitting knee to knee with me and placing her head in his/her lap. As soon as I looked at her upper lip, I knew she was lip tied.
I called the pediatrician and made an appointment for first thing on Monday morning specifically to evaluate for lip tie. Sure enough, when we went to the appointment the pediatrician agreed that she thought Scarlett was lip tied, and possibly tongue tied. She referred me to an ENT asap. Cue my midwife/doula/lactation consultant friends. They all told me to skip the ENT and take her to a dentist instead. I found a local dentist who specializes in lip/tongue ties and had Scarlett in her office by the end of the week. On Friday, Dr. Rosenberg diagnosed Scarlett with a total of 4 ties!!! Her upper lip was tied, she had 2 upper buckle ties and she had a posterior tongue tie. I had the ties cut (with a laser) on the spot and within minutes we were on our way to recovery. We stretch Scarlett's mouth/lips to keep the frenulum from reattaching every 4 hours, round the clock. This will continue for at least a month. We also discovered that there's a genetic component to these issues and Bryon had an upper lip tie. I checked out both boys and the dentist believes they also have lip and/or tongue ties, so those may be getting fixed in the relatively near future as well.
Deklan's heart shaped tip of tongue. BUT LOOK AT THOSE EYES!!!
Deklan's tongue.
Maksim's upper lip.
Here's to hoping we are on the mend. Call us crazy, but we have our first trip to Florida as a family of 5 in just a few days!
SHE'S HERE! And we're all in love. Scarlett Abrielle Kroger, you've stolen our hearts.
Hello, Baby Scarlett! So glad to see you!
Our family grew by another 2 (tiny) feet on the morning of September 16, 2017. Things were unpredictable and spontaneous, which has kind of become our thing. So, it was perfect in its own unique way! Scarlett Abrielle Kroger 9/16/17 @ 6:31AM 8# 13oz (a full pound less than Deklan...and 2#5oz less than Maks!) 19" long (2.5 full inches shorter than her brothers) 14" head (same as Deklan, 1" smaller than Maksim)
Just a few hours old.
Talk about a waiting game. 40 weeks came and went. I was a bit surprised as I was only pregnant with Deklan for 39 weeks, but I was also glad to have both boys get into the groove of full day school before adding a newborn to the mix. Additionally, Maksim was born at 40 weeks and 5 days, so passing my due date didn't make me blink an eye. But before I knew it, 41 weeks passed by. As did another day. And yet another. And even part of a 3rd...
Self explanatory.
41 weeks and (still) counting...
The struggle is real...
41+ weeks pregnant, 90+ degrees, no A/C.
At 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant, I drove to the hospital associated with my birthing center to have an ultrasound to check baby's growth, amniotic fluid levels and the health of my placenta. All was well, and the ultrasound estimated baby #3 to weigh in at 8#13oz (plus/minus 1.5# - so basically anywhere from 7#5oz - 10#5oz. Anybody could have estimated that range without having even seen me!). I continued on with my day and drove to pick the boys up from school. There were only 2 remaining obstacles for me to get through. The first was to go into labor naturally, prior to 42 weeks. Failure to do so would require me to resort to some kind of induction as well as a hospital birth as opposed to labor/delivery at the birth center. The second hoop for me to jump through was to get from 7pm this evening to 7am tomorrow morning. The birth center midwives were short staffed during this particular evening and the working midwives were all scheduled at the hospital for this 12 hour shift. Well, I successfully jumped through ONE of those hoops. Around 10:45pm that evening spotting let me know that my labor was somewhere in the near future. I wasn't too optimistic that I'd have much time, but also knew that labor could be a day or two away (unlikely due to how far along I already was). However, contractions started relatively soon afterwards and I knew this was it. There was no chance that I'd be making it until 7am before needing to be at the birth center, so hospital birth it was. Fortunately for us, it was the middle of the night and Bryon had a friend who was willing to come over and watch our (sleeping) boys for us through the remainder of the night and next day. Had Nick not been available, I'd have had to labor/deliver at the hospital solo as we had no childcare arrangements for Maksim and Deklan (the birth center is basically a house with full kitchen, living room, toys, beds, etc. so it's family friendly - unlike the hospital at 1am). Nick arrived at our house around 12:15am and after an hour drive to the birth center, I met my midwife in the ER lobby at 1:15am. I was dilated to a 4 and 50% effaced, but needed to be at the hospital early enough time to get 2 full rounds of antibiotics (as I was GBS+) - with 4 hours between doses. I finished the first round at 2:15am, labored for 4 hours and finished the 2nd round at 6:15am. Scarlett's labor wasn't nearly as easy as Deklan's, but the travel/environment/atmosphere for her delivery wasn't nearly as quiet and relaxing as laboring in the comfort of your own home either. A few minutes (and pushes) later, and we had a beautiful baby GIRL in our arms. All 8lbs 13oz of her (hey, that ultrasound was 100% accurate!). We had to put her in the same outfit that both of her brothers took their birthday photos in.
Hello, world!
And just for comparison purposes...
Scarlett
Maksim/Deklan
Scarlett and I were both healthy and doing well, so we made the decision to forego the postpartum stay and checked out of the hospital just hours after she was born. She had 2 very excited big brothers anxiously waiting to meet her back home! Maks had been certain that he's getting a little sister (he's been asking for one since his 4th birthday and due to a miscarriage last summer, baby #3 took a bit longer to arrive than expected), while Deklan's guess was for another little boy. I knew that Maksim would be ecstatic but also SO disappointed that we didn't take his advice and name his little sister Beautiful Cupcake. We'll settle on that for a nickname instead!
Obsessed.
Full house.
Big brother duties. He's not the youngest anymore!
I just LOVE Deklan in this video. "You can hold that side."
And Maksim is so honest about how long he's been waiting to meet her.
Both boys have been battling colds, so we've been cautious to let them too close to Scarlett until those have run their course. They soak up every chance they get to see her when she's awake (and they're not either away at school or sleeping themselves) and cannot wait to teach her everything they know about the world!
And then there were 3.
We've been waiting for you, Scarlett. And we're so glad you're finally here!
Our kids don't believe in the Easter Bunny, but they do know that Easter is a time when Mommy hides eggs around the house (and Daddy *kindly* obliges). A quick trip to Target (for gifts) and Whole Foods Market (for some treats) on Saturday afternoon and I was armed with all the supplies I needed!
Close-up of each kid's stash.
On Easter morning Bryon took the boys on a backyard hike and I got to work hiding eggs throughout our house. When everybody returned, I gave a bucket to each kid and they went straight to work on finding each and every egg. It worked out well that I hid half of the eggs upstairs and the other half upstairs. Maks went upstairs with Bryon while I stayed downstairs with Deklan. It worked perfectly, as they ended up meeting in the foyer. We let them open the eggs and eat a bit of candy - pooling the remainder back into the original containers that they came in. I don't think the kids have remembered to ask for candy more than once or twice since (although it's still disappearing!).
Finding eggs hidden in the Train Station Roundhouse.
Collecting.
This was Deklan's first ever Easter egg hunt!
After wrapping up the egg hunt, we headed outside to the deck where I'd set up their springtime gifts. They each received a clay flower pot with decorating paint, a watering can, a grass growing kit, an aqua shot pool toy, chalk and a bath bomb. Deklan received some brand new crayons while Maksim was given some Splash Bombs for retrieving in the swimming pool. Everything was a hit!
He thinks it's so cool that these animal pots can grow long hair (grass) that you can trim! ("Just like me...but I don't want to trim mine.")
After lunchtime, we decided to skip naps and take a quick trip to the garden store so that the boys could pick out flowers to plant in their clay pots. Maksim ended up choosing white flowers while Deklan preferred pink ones. The weather was SO nice (87 degrees and sunny!) that we decided to pack up the bikes and head to the park. I found a little park in a neighboring town that has a skate park, which Maksim has been dying to try! We played on the playground for a bit and then headed to to ramps. Lucky for us, we had the entire skate park to ourselves. Maksim thoroughly enjoyed riding as fast as he could throughout, and Deklan held his own learning to glide for longer periods of time on the balance bike. He even asked to try Maksim's pedal bike! Before we know it we'll have two cyclists on our hands!
Once home, we painted the clay pots and planted flowers. Then the boys hit the bathtub - making sure the try out a bath bomb! - followed by bedtime stories and some much needed sleep (for us all, as Daddy is off to San Francisco again for the week).
At the first break of warmer (relatively) weather, we put on our rain boots and went for a hike in the woods to get a closer look at the thaw.
The snow's melting and our backyard stream is flowing! It was the perfect time for stick races under the bridge.
Not green yet...but not all white either!
A few days later and these boys were ready for a backyard adventure with Daddy!
Wanderlust.
Proof that I'm not the only one who has been waiting for warmer weather!
We take them on one or two hikes and now it's the only thing they want to do! We ventured a little bit beyond our property and headed to the adjoining Environmental Center for a walk to the Beaver Pond.
On the lookout for bears. (Utilizing the buddy system??)
Onward to Spring (please!)
Still not too old to hold Mama's hand.
I love this little human. Always time for smiles and laughter.
I haven’t been since I was a kid, and it’s gorgeous.Palm trees, ocean views, sunshine, warmth…and no humidity!I’m in love!
The boys and I flew to San Diego first thing Friday morning. Our flight was about an hour delayed due a backlog of flights that had been cancelled the day before because of high winds. It wasn't a big deal to me whatsoever, because I knew once we landed in San Diego we had more than a handful of hours to wait for Bryon's late afternoon flight to arrive.
Airport regular.
The flight was quick and painless - it was less than an hour long, so it passed in the blink of an eye. Once we arrived in California we headed straight to the San Diego USO and made ourselves comfortable. I didn't fly with any bags, so we didn't have any swim suits or changes of clothes. I had no idea where a torlley/shuttle could take us, and I wasn't about to try to Uber with 2 carseats in tow. Plus, we wouldn't have been able to check into a hotel at 9:30am anyhow. As a military family, we've benefited from the USO organization on multiple occasions. I believe it would be a wonderful place to volunteer once I have a bit more free time on my hands (assuming we live close to an airport with a USO at that time).
They ALWAYS have room for donuts.
The Neil Ash Airport Center USO was more than accommodating! They had a kids room where the boys could play with toys, read books and watch movies (while not disturbing other visitors). Donuts, snacks, sandwiches and refreshments kept them content throughout the day as well. Plus, I was surprised to find a large outdoor patio area - perfect for letting the kids run around and burn off some energy (and sugar). USO wifi gave me the opportunity to stream some shows on my laptop and relax/tune out without worrying about my kids disappearing in the airport! Most of all, we were able to rest up from a few days of jet lag and walking the Vegas Strip.
Tree climbing at the USO.
7 hours later (which was about over my sanity limit) and Bryon picked us up curbside and we drove to our hotel in La Jolla. We arrived in just enough time for the boys to take a quick dip in the pool before bath time and calling it a night! After lights out at 6:30pm, Thai takeout for-the-win (picked up by Bryon and eaten in our dark hotel room - our previous suite in Las Vegas spoiled us a bit!)! We surprised the boys the next morning with a day at LegoLand California! They had no idea what LegoLand was, but their excitement picked up as soon as they walked through the gates to the park.
They had the time of their lives! We started off together with a carousel ride and a helicopter ride for both boys.
He picked a black horse - just like Aunt Katherine's!
Trying to convince me that he needs a horse at home.
Racing his brother/Daddy to the top!
Trying to take the wheel from Daddy.
The weather was perfect - sunny, but not too hot or cold - and the lines were relatively short/non-existent for the majority of the rides. It was great that we were able to visit LegoLand on a Saturday so that Bryon could come with. This enabled one of us to go with Maks (who is tall enough for some more intense rides) while the other explored with Deklan. Each child enjoyed himself and Deklan did a great job understanding that he was too short to participate in some of the rides that Maksim was able to try. What a fun day! Deklan's favorite ride of the day was BY FAR the Beetle Bounce. Little man on the right rode 12 times in a row and never pout those hands down!
All smiles!
Hands up!
Woo-hoo!
Being too short for a ride had it's perks, too. When we met back up Deklan kept BLASTING these two on the Aquazone Wave Racers ride!
On repeat!
Got 'em!
Our final adventure was Skipper School, and each boy was able to drive his own boat!
I'm seeing power struggles with learning to drive a car already!
Captain Deklan ("I'm just like Uncle Norm!" ssshhhh...don't tell Nick!)
During a lunch break, Bryon had told me about taking Maksim on a "big kid" rollercoaster. Maksim told me that it was "scary." Bryon mentioned that I NEEDED to take a look at the photo from the ride before we left the park. He also said that he burst out laughing when he looked at the photo himself and Maksim took it personally. He had to explain to Maksim that sometimes we just have to be able to laugh at ourselves! At the end of the day, I stopped by the photo kiosk and took a look. YOU GUYS!!! This is blurry (I wasn't about to pay $20 for the actual snapshot, but was able to take a photo of the dirty/sunshine drenched computer screen with my phone), but SO GOOD!
His first, real big kid roller coaster and he was clearly (and unexpectedly) terrified on the first fall. As you can tell, Bryon was SUPER consoling...
We decided to transfer hotels that night and move from La Jolla to downtown San Diego. We ended up at the Marriott Marquis (per recommendation of my brother) and it was such a wise choice! I was sold on the pool set-up for the kids alone. The location couldn't be beat, either!
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
On Sunday morning we walked across the street to Richard Walker's Pancake House. They don't take reservations and the line was down the street when we arrived. However, they were pros at shuffling patrons in and out and quickly serving meals. And THE FOOD! So, so good!
Baked Apple Pancake
Strawberry Pancakes
San Diego French Toast
Santa Fe Omelette
We spent the rest of Sunday exploring Coronado Island and hanging out at the beach. It was chilly and a bit windy (65 degrees), but I’d take that weather over the 12” of snow that New Hampshire just received any day! The boys didn’t mind the cooler temperatures whatsoever and even ventured into the 55 degree saltwater - I volunTOLD Bryon that he was the saltwater exploration chaperone for the day!
Sand everywhere!
About to help bury his brother. Don't mess with him.
Move over, Waldo. Sneak peek of "Where's Maksim?" Available for pre-order now!
Found him!
Sandman takes a rest.
He's happiest at the beach!
1, 2, 3
Sea breeze, saltwater babes & sunshine.
Sprinting toward adventure!
For an evening expedition, we rented a "deuce coupe" bike and rode it up and down the boardwalk and Harbor Drive, stopping for ice cream (of course) along the way!
Kids in the back almost made if feel like a date night (minus the audible fighting).
Monday meant that Bryon returned to his conference and the boys and I were on our own. We decided to lay low and spend the morning/early afternoon at the hotel pools. Daddy surprised us by coming back at 1pm! We quickly took showers and met his co-worker, Carlo, in the lobby a short hour later. Carlo is originally from SoCal/San Diego area and his family asked to host us for an authentic Vietnamese dinner at their home in Temecula that evening. We were lucky to get on the road early enough to beat traffic and really take in the beautiful views of mountains, vineyards and more along the way! The food was great and the company was even better! I love opportunities to meet new people in a low key & comfortable setting (such as this). Much more my vibe than going out and mingling with strangers!
"I just want to pet you!"
I don't know why, but this picture cracks me up. He's still trying to play with that duck (flying overhead).
No more kiddie pools for this kid.
Double trouble. Because why just swim in the pool???
We could get used to this kind of lunch every day.
Tuesday was the last day in California for the boys and me. We got up and played at the park directly across the street from our hotel. Deklan enjoyed watching the tram drive by on the train tracks each time he heard the whistle/bell “ding.” After the park, we continued walking down the street and through the shops and restaurants along the boardwalk. I sweet talked the kids into letting me roam around by loading them up on some special treats from an Old Fashioned Candy Store. Since I’d been unable to tour much of San Diego itself, I decided last minute to join a Seal Tour that departed from the marina outside of our hotel. It was a 90 minute tour of San Diego by land and sea - short enough for the kids to stay entertained and see some seals/sea lions and a nice little break for me to keep them contained and also learn a little more about San Diego and see a few sights beyond the few blocks surrounding our hotel. The kids loved that the “bus” they were riding on could drive straight into the ocean and become a boat! They also think that sea lions are stinky!!!
Can't pass up a park!
Spotting sailboats.
WHAT is this??? I caught a rare moment!
A bus that is also a boat?! Let's get one!
Maksim becoming one with marine mammals:
Dinner with Daddy and a 5.25 hour direct flight home the next morning for the 3 of us (Bryon doesn’t return until Saturday evening). I’m thankful for the opportunity/ability to pack my children up and tag along to different parts of the country when the scheduling works out. I was ready for the change of pace from East Coast to West Coast. And, of course, the sunshine was good for my soul. Fingers crossed that springtime actually rolls around once we touch ground in New England!
