Bishop // 6 months

6 MONTHS OLD

weight: 18 lb 2 oz
length: 28 1/2 inches

clothes: 9 months

diaper: size 3

eating: rice cereal, oatmeal, green & orange veggies, fruits

teeth: two! (bottom left on 9/13, bottom right on 9/19)

Happy half birthday little man! You bring so much joy to our family. Hudson & London are still so excited to see you every day (... sometimes a bit too excited.)

Bishop is starting to be more vocal and has his own little way to get our attention- "Eh!" like he's trying to say hi. He is the smiliest kid around. He loves his jumperoo and is starting to get up on his knees to crawl. He's a great eater & so far has liked everything he's tried, although he seems to prefer the veggies (specifically the orange ones) over the fruits. He loves squash, but makes a face when I give him cherry-flavored pain reliever. Go figure. 

Sleep has been a bit off due to teething, but I'm hoping now that the bottom two teeth are in, we get back to sleeping through the night. 

Bishop // 5 months

5 MONTHS OLD

weight: over 17 lb

clothes: 6-9 months

diaper: size 3

eating: rice cereal, green beans & carrots

How has it been 5 months already?! Bishop is doing great and is such a happy baby. He's back to sleeping through the night (for the most part). He's still drinking primarily breastmilk, with a formula bottle usually only on Sundays while in the church nursery (because it's easier to pack). He's doing great with food so far. I'm sticking to veggies for now, but will add in fruits next month.

He's rolling all over the place, trying to crawl, and jabbering quite a bit. He's also chewing on his hands like crazy, so I know those teeth are getting ready to pop through. I'm just hoping they don't cause him too much pain (or us too much disruption at night!)

We took Bishop into the pool for the first time this weekend, and although it was a little cold, he seemed to really like it!

Bishop // 4 months

4 MONTHS OLD

weight: 16 lb 6 oz
height: 27 inches

clothes: 6-9 months

diaper: size 3

eating: rice cereal

Bishop is now 4 months old and growing fast! He's actually the biggest of all my kids at this point. He has turned into a really happy and easy-going baby!! I never thought I'd say that after the first couple months we had. I think his reflux has gotten much better and causing him less discomfort.

He is eating so much!! Amanda told me he drinks 8 oz at a time, and I didn't believe it until I gave him a bottle a couple days ago. It's been hard for me to keep up with his appetite, so we decided to introduce him to rice cereal a couple weeks early (I was planning to wait until 4 months). He has done amazingly well with it. I also gave him his first formula bottle so we could slowly get his body used to that. I'm hoping to nurse him until 6 months but, honestly, this pumping business is not fun. Between pumping 4-5 times a day, carrying my pump around, and washing bottles and parts every night... it's tiring! I'm just glad I've been able to keep up with him this long.

Bishop has been waking up a couple times a night for the last few weeks. I remember London doing the same thing... she slept through the night for a couple weeks, and then started waking up multiple times again! Just when you get used to a full night's sleep. I know I'm reinforcing the waking up by feeding him in the middle of the night, but when you're exhausted and your baby is crying, it's easiest just to nurse him back to sleep. At some point I'll have to let him cry it out or self-soothe but it's tough, especially with his room being attached to ours!

In other news, he's now rolling both ways! He started rolling tummy to back a few weeks ago, and yesterday he rolled back to tummy. It's funny because I never even saw him trying to roll back to tummy until yesterday, and then he was just doing it! Quick learner. ;)

Brandon & I are still tired all the time. It's seriously so much work each and every day. It feels like there's never enough time in the day, and we don't even have the kids in any activities! I'm not sure how families do it when the kids are in sports during the week... but maybe both of those parents aren't working full-time. Anyway, we just take it a day at a time!

Bishop // 3 months

3 months: 15 lb // 26 inches

Well after a couple challenging months, Bishop has become kind of a dream! For the last few weeks, he's been on a good routine & is overall just a happy guy! (Thank you, Lord.) Of course that happened right before I returned to work... but I'll take it. He's also been sleeping great at night- usually 11-12 hours! My best sleeper yet.

Initially I was really concerned about having someone else take care of him when I went back to work because he was so fussy. (Do babies get expelled from daycare?) We decided to have Bishop go to Amanda's a few times before my maternity leave ended, and from the first day Amanda & Guillermo commented that he is such a good baby and rarely cries. I was shocked. But obviously so relieved. I've been back at work for a week and a half now, and he's doing awesome. We are so blessed to have such amazing people to take care of him... it really makes things so much easier.

However, EASY does not really describe life right now. It's crazy how much work is involved every day, before we technically start working. Since I start my job at 7 and commute 30 miles, I have to leave by 6:20. Which means I'm up at 5 to shower, get ready, pump, pack lunches, pack Bishop's bag and help dress the kids. Brandon has the fun job of loading up the kids and dropping them off at Amanda's and school. So far everything has gone smoothly, and all but one day, Bishop slept until it was time to go. I'm so grateful to have such a great partner. Brandon does so much & I couldn't do all this without him! Anyway, aside from all the work before and after work, it's good to be back at work and back in a routine. And once I'm at the office, it's actually kind of relaxing.

Hudson & London are still so in love with their brother. Every day they are excited to see him. Hudson just graduated from kindergarten this week & had a great report card and perfect attendance! He's learned so much this year & I am so proud of him. London finished her first year of preschool. She started in the 2-year-old class, and was moved mid-year up to the 3-year-old class. She is as stubborn and sassy as ever... never a dull moment with her. But the girl is definitely smart.

Bishop // 2 months

2 months: 14 lb

Man, time is flying & this boy is getting so big so fast. Bishop is definitely the most challenging baby we've had so far. I've been trying to get him on a schedule (like I did with Hudson & London) and he's just not taking to it. Every day is a little different. But luckily, nights are pretty consistent. He goes to bed around 7:00 & sleeps until about 1:00 am, then wakes up one more time around 4 or 5:00.

I go back to work in less than 2 weeks, so it will be a challenge getting back into the routine- getting up early, picking up the kids, getting dinner, doing baths, etc. but I'm sure it will get easier as we go. It's been great being home the last 14 weeks, and I've been pretty emotional about leaving Bishop. More than before, I think. But he's had a couple "trial runs" at Amanda's house, and he's done great. I know he's in good hands.

Bishop // 1 month

1 month: 11 lb 8 oz

We've made it a month now as a family of 5. Honestly, it's been a bit crazy! The first 2 weeks seemed to go really smoothly, with Bishop eating & sleeping a lot. Week 3 was a bit different. He was really fussy & wanted to be held constantly... which is difficult when you have 2 other kids and a side business to attend to (not to mention a husband & a house!) Luckily Brandon has been off work and has been a HUGE help. He even packaged all my bridgeBOX orders during that crazy 3rd week. 

Thankfully, the last week has been much better, and we've been able to get Bishop on a little more of a routine (Eat, Activity, Sleep). Nights are okay, with him usually waking up 2-3 times and going 3-4 hour stretches. He's obviously a great eater, as evident by his 3+ pound weight gain!

Hudson & London are still so in love with him, and they constantly ask if they can kiss him and hold him. I'm wondering when the excitement of a new baby brother is going to wear off, but so far it hasn't. It's really sweet to see.

Bishop Dean Myers

After my 41-week appointment, we went home and prepared for my induction at midnight that night. We picked up the kids from school, got them in bed, and had Brandon's mom come over to stay with the kids while we were gone. Around 7 or 8pm, I started having contractions that were stronger than before. The hospital called around 9 and asked if I wanted to come in early for the induction. Since we were already wondering how we were going to stay awake until midnight, we decided to go in.

We got to the hospital around 9:30 or 10, by which time my contractions were getting stronger and more frequent. When I got into my room, I was dilated 4 centimeters with contractions every 5 minutes. The nurses were pretty pleased with the fact that I was already in the early stages of labor, and optimistic that things would start moving quickly once the pitocin was administered.

Around 10:30 they started the pitocin. The nurses informed me that the anesthesiologist was going into a C-section, and that he would be unavailable for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.... so I could either get my epidural now or afterwards. Given my history with inductions (taking 16 and 24 hours) I figured I had time, and my pain wasn't too bad yet, so I decided to wait. Well, things started progressing quickly! Around 12:30 or so, I was in dire need of that epidural! The contractions were getting really intense. Luckily the anesthesiologist was in around 1:00 am and finally I got some relief. The midwife told me to get some rest, and that she would be in after an hour for me to start pushing. I don't think she was gone more than 15 minutes, and I was telling her I felt the need to push. Sure enough, she checked me and I was ready!

As I was pushing, the nurse & midwife had me wear an oxygen mask, and they asked that I not push during some of the contractions. This was strange to me, but I didn't ask questions. It turns out that the umbilical cord was wrapped loosely around the baby's head. The midwife was able to unwrap it before he came out. I'm so glad they didn't tell us what was going on, because that would have added a lot of stress to the situation! After about 20 minutes of pushing, our baby was born! Praise God for another healthy baby!

Bishop Dean Myers

3/19/14 • 2:42 am

8 lb 1 oz

21 3/4 inches long

I was expecting him to be my biggest baby since I carried him the longest, but he was actually a few ounces lighter than Hudson was. The nurses mentioned that his skin was a bit peely, which is typical of babies that go past their due date. He came out with lots of blonde hair! Everyone at the hospital commented that they had never seen a baby with so much blonde hair. Grandma Joan brought the kids to the hospital after school to meet their new brother, and as you can see, they were totally in love!!

41 weeks // Baby #3

Wow, I can't believe I passed my due date by a week! Apparently I have just made a cozy home for this baby. This morning I had an appointment and was 3-4 cm dilated. My doctor said she couldn't believe I hadn't gone into labor yet... but that it could happen at any moment. I had her strip my membranes to try to get something going before my scheduled induction tonight.

I'm officially over being pregnant. Overall, I've had a wonderful pregnancy... but the last few days I have been uncomfortable and cranky. I think the anticipation (and letdown of nothing happening) has started to take a toll. I'm grateful for the extra time I've been able to spend with Brandon before we start this new adventure!

40 weeks // Baby #3

how far along: 40 weeks

total weight gain: 36 pounds

signs of labor: dilated 3 cm, 50% effaced

I can't believe I've made it 40 weeks! Go figure that I would be pregnant the longest with #3. I had an appointment yesterday & have made some progress, but the baby is still somewhat high. My doctor thinks I'll go into labor within 72 hours... but if this baby doesn't budge, we'll be inducing on Wednesday 3/19. I'd really like to go into labor before then.

I feel pretty good and have been staying busy with work, so that's been a good distraction. But I'm definitely ready to have this baby & nervous about how big he might be if he doesn't come soon! My guess is that he's around 8 1/2 pounds right now... based on the other kids' weights. I feel like all 3 pregnancies have been really similar in terms of weight gain, size of my belly, etc.

But overall, I've had a great pregnancy and I'm so grateful to have carried this baby for 40+ weeks! He should be nice & healthy when he finally makes his debut!

39 weeks // Baby #3

how far along: 39 weeks

total weight gain: 37 pounds

maternity clothes: running out of clothes that fit

signs of labor: dilated 2.5 cm, 40% effaced (not much change since last week)

I didn't really expect to still be pregnant at this point. I'm still a week away from my due date, but I felt like since this was my 3rd baby, he'd come a week or two early. Just shows who's really in control... not me! It has been nice being off work and not having to wake up so early (5am what?!) and rush to the office. I've been sleeping in until about 6, having my coffee & taking care of the morning drop-off routine with the kids (which I'm sure Brandon enjoys since that's usually his job!) During the day I've been organizing different areas of the house that have been bugging me, working on some design projects (for clients who are flexible with their deadlines) and trying to rest.

I'm getting more uncomfortable, and sleeping is pretty rough. But during the day I feel okay. Last night I had some contractions that were about 10-15 minutes apart, but after about an hour they stopped. It's such a weird feeling to wake up each day and think, "Is today the day?" especially since I've never experience the whole "going into labor" thing (being induced with both the other kids). My next doctor's appointment is Wednesday, which is my due date, so if I'm still pregnant then, we will schedule the induction for the following week. I'm really hoping to go into labor on my own though. Let's hope this is the last bump picture I post!