The Fricke's Are Now a Family of FOUR!

Lane Matthew Fricke joined our family on November 14th at 12:28 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 10 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Jason and I went to the hospital for our planned and scheduled c-section at 11:00. I was immediately hooked up, poked, and prodded and Jason seemed to immediately gain nervousness.  I could tell by the look on his face that he was feeling anxious.  It was actually quite comical. We weren't supposed to have the c-section until 12:30 but they took us early (noon). This time around was soooooo much less nerve racking and more enjoyable (as enjoyable as major surgery can be anyways). Dr. Audet joined the OB and surgery staff by telling a joke and humming songs! He was in an exceptionally good mood which made things a bit more entertaining while I layed on the table numb from the waist down and juiced up with meds.  I remember the moment Lane arrived and I heard his little cry.  What a relief! I seriously think it is the best feeling in the world...to know that this 9 month journey of being pregnant ends with the joy of hearing with your own ears that your child is alive and well enough to cry. And not just cry but wale!  Beautiful music it is!  He looked so perfect! No cone head this time since no pushing was involved and he looked just so small and sweet! Instantly I thought he looked a lot like his big brother but now that I am around him more I can see several differences.  The most notable difference between the two is there temperament. Grant was a wreck! He cried (literally) all of the time!!! He seemed to be upset all of the time and always wanted something but we never could figure out what. Lane (since day one) has (so far) been the complete opposite. He is very content and seems to be more laid back and calm. He sleeps and eats well and only fusses during the obvious times (when he is dirty, cold, hungry).  It's been so much more enjoyable this time around.  Grant was a blessing (don't get me wrong) but he was soooo challenging as a baby.  And maybe some of it is my increased confidence and being more prepared and calm this time around. So maybe that can be factored into the equation too.  Lane instantly latched on and took to breast feeding at the hospital.  However a few days after being home he seemed to have "forgotten" what he was doing when breastfeeding. He had me so chapped and sore that I was bleeding. Thankfully I think we are on the down hill side of things in that department..I am just rubbing cream on the girls after every feeding and praying that I "toughen up" soon.  Lane is a great sleeper. Not so great sleeping in the bassinet but perfect when sleeping on me or by me.  Longest stretch during the night was a few nights ago when he slept 6 hours straight. I even tried to wake him to feed him but he was so not interested and continued to sleep. The only concern we had with Mr. Lane was his bellirubin levels. We were able to leave the hospital on Wednesday afternoon but were told by Dr. Lillipop that we would have to bring Lane to his office that Friday to get his bellirubin tested again. At the hospital his level was at an 11. Two days later (at the doctor's office) it was 17.6 so then we were told that we had to take him to the hospital the following day to test again. So we did and it was still at a 16.  Thankfully we did not have to continue to take him in and get his little foot stuck with a needle again. That was not a fun thing to watch. Poor little buddy.  Today Lane had his first doctor's appointment. He has grown quite a bit in the past two weeks.  He is now 8 lbs 4 oz and is 21 inches.  He is a healthy little man and loves to eat! For a while it seemed like he was going to be on a two hour feeding schedule but now it seems it is every hour (unless he is sleeping-which he does often). He sleeps several times a day and for several hours at a time...which is nice. You'd think I would be able to get more done around the house but nope-I love to cuddle him too much and it's hard to put him down. For fear he will wake up and also for fear that I will blink and he will be Grant's age and I will be regretting not holding him more!  The #1 most challenging thing we have had to deal with is Grant.  He is really having  a difficult time with everything. He has been so used to us giving him our undivided attention (probably too much actually) and now he is had to be put off quite a bit. It's really sad for me to watch and deal with because I want so badly to give him all the time he needs from me -I want to play and snuggle and read books just like we did before but it's impossible to do now.  Lane needs fed and diaper changed so often that it's difficult to give Grant the time he needs. He is well aware that Lane is taking up a lot of our time and he has started to become defiant and act out a bit here. He's gotten better the past few days but oh boy did we have a time there for a while. Lots of melt downs...lots of anger...lots of bitterness...lots of sad faces.  Ugh...so hard on a Mom to watch because I am very well aware of where this behavior is stemming from -Grant is and always has been such a sweet boy and never acts this way!!! He is very sweet with his brother and gives him lots of hugs and kisses (probably too much) actually it's almost nauseating for me how gushy he is with him. Jason took him to the movies the other day to try to get him out of the house and make him feel special but I think want he really wants is ME to do those things with him...so hopefully I will be able to pump soon and be able to spend a MOMMY AND ME day with him soon! I have so much more I can type and add to this blog post but I feel guilty spending my time doing this when I have a billion other things to be doing that should take precedence.  Needless to say you probably won't see a weekly post from me anytime soon...my postings will probably be scarce and shorter.  Sad but I gotta do what I have to do.  I will post pics of our little man when I get to it.  Bare with me please.