Question and Answer

This blog is providing me some good food for thought when I am up and about with Tristan. So I posted the last post at 2:30am, and while up again at 5am, I started to think about this past year and how many changes there are and how most people think the first year of marriage is the hardest. Well I dont think I would disagree with them, but I started to think of a variety of questions I wanted to ask Jonathan when I was hanging out with the boy. So Jonathan this post is for you...Im writing the question, and you can answer k?

Our first lunch date was at the Aves Bakery. What was your first impression of me when we met?
Since that first meeting, what has changed if anything?
What has surprised you about marriage?( good or bad)
Tell me the most difficult thing about being a parent so far?
Where is the first place you want to go on a "No kid vacation"?
Favorite memory or experience of our first year together?

Thats all for now....

Day Out and about

Elijiah sitting in the helicopter
Loo0king cute!

Double trouble!

There were several things that I wanted to do while on maternity leave, and one of them was taking Elijiah to the childrens museum and body exhibit at the gateway. However when we got there the body exhibt wasnt included in the 8.50$ admission price and to spend another 3$ for each of us seemed quite a rip off. So my cheap butt decided we could make due without it. It had been years since Ive been to the childrens museum- infact I hadnt yet been to it since it moved to the gateway, and I was very disappointed! It seems to be geared to much younger kids than Elijiah, and the activities that would've been more age appropriate were trashed. Most of everything thing there was that way and so I didnt think it was much fun. I think the highlight was sitting in the helicopter(see pic above) for Elijiah.

Well after we that we decided to get some lunch and lo and behold ran into my friend Monica's hubby who mentioned that Monica was on her way to meet him for lunch. I was super excited to see her and so we got our lunch and waited. While we didnt hang out for long it was great to see her and the kids. She looks fantastic, and it made me realize just how long its been since Ive seen her and how I should get myself up to Layton more often!

(sorry all for the disjointed post-im typing with one hand - without my glasses, feeding Tristan in the other, and its now 2:30 in the AM....)

My first run post pregnancy

Today I decided to go for my first run. While I have decided to try and train for a marathon, I havent felt well enough to get out there and actually start running, but neither has the weather cooperated either. Since going to the gym at this point is out( too much time away from the kids and I cant take Tristan there) Ive been waiting for the warmer weather. Anyway this morning was the perfect temperature and I was excited to get out and get moving. You know those new comercials from New Balance? The ones that talk about running and how its a Love/Hate relationship? Well that is me with running. I hate doing it, but I love how I feel afterwards. I have to admit that today my feet felt like lead, every step was agonizing, and the 3 miles felt like eternity. (Even though I only ran for a half hour) Dang Im out of shape! But here I am typing away and I feel great! Tomorrow we will see if I am still able to walk, as I think I might have over done it for the first time out.

While the veil is still thin...

Tristan less than 10 minutes old

and some of dad's very basic photo editing skills...

MY last night...

Honestly folks, I don't know how Amber does it. Over the last couple days, I noticed that Amber's health and sanity was declining due to lack of consecutive hours of sleep. As such, I decided to play the hero and see if I could do something that would allow her to sleep for 5 or 6 hours.

Yesterday started at 7 with me chillin' with Tristan on the couch for an hour, feeding him for an hour, then passing him off to Amber at around 9:00AM. I then worked until 5 then ran to class until 10:00. When I got home Amber had little man in his basinet in our room so I sat in the living room studying until I heard him start to stir on the baby monitor. I got him up, forced some baby-zantac into his belly then tried to feed him. He dorked around with the bottle for about 30 minutes before I realized that all he was going to do at that point was fill his mouth with white gold (Nutramigen is EXPENSIVE) then let it dribble all over his PJs so I went and changed a poopy diaper then stood rocking back and forth with him for about an hour until he APPEARED to start falling asleep.

He was NOT asleep however so at about 12:30AM I tried feeding him again and gratefully most of it went into his belly. By the time he was finished with the bottle it was about a quarter after 1:00 and at this point I would typically wait until he seemed to be dozing off then put him in his basinet and go to bed. HOWEVER, I wanted to make sure that he really was asleep so I kept him out in the living room with me. The next two-and-a-half hours were REALLY interesting!! They consisted of me rocking him standing until my upper back felt like it was being injected with molten steel, rocking him sitting until he started flailing his arms and legs so voraciously I thought he might be having a seizure, rocking him in the rocking chair, wrapping him tight in his blanket, completely removing the blanket, bouncing him in his bouncy seat, changing a REALLY wet diaper (and PJs because he somehow fired his hose through the diaper all over himself), holding him this way, holding him that way, laying him on the couch on his back, on his side, on his belly, and finally authoritatively telling him that as the boss of the house, he needed to sleep... At about 3:00AM, on the verge of losing my marbles and passing him off to my sleeping wife, he suddenly zonked out. I put him in his basinet, crawled into bed and died.

Thankfully he slept until 5:00AM so Amber was able to get about 8 hours consecutive sleep but the experience really showed me how strong my amazing wife is. Honey, I don't know if I can do what I did last night EVERY night but I am going to try my hardest to give you that kind of break as much as humanly possible.

Babygirl, you're tough as nails!!!!

Last night...

WOW last night was a winner...I went to bed at 8pm as I was starting to get a migraine from the lack of sleep, and needed to have at least 3-4 consecutive hours of sleep or I was going to be in a lot trouble the next day. Jonathan did the shift until 12-1am and when he came to bed Tristan still wasnt settled or sleeping. I did my best to cuddle him but to no avail - he wasnt going to sleep. I was up and between the hysterical fits of crying for the next hour I did finally get him to sleep by 2am. I laid him in the bassinet next to us and enjoyed a blissful cat nap till 2:30am when he woke up and started to cry again. I feed him, changed him and attempted again to comfort him near tears myself. I thought on more than one occassion that I would truely fall over on my feet from exhuastion, or wondered if it were possible to fall asleep standing up...for you cant sit and rock Tristan - you have to be up moving...
Anyway 4:30-came 4:45am and he was calming down. 5am and he was asleep. I decided the bedroom was off limits (I want Jonathan to sleep) so I put him on the couch and tried to get comfortable with him and sleep myself. Yea! We slept till 7am. While I am tired, I count my blessings I got that consecutive few hours earlier as now both kids are awake and a new day is just starting- yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Warriors

Isnt he cute!

I posted this as its rare that my hair is straight...I got pampered( a new cut and color) and wanted to remember what it looks like.

His first bath!

Okay so while its Tuesday I couldnt let the week go by without some documentation of our weekend. We didnt have Elijiah and had planned to celebrate our anniversary this past weekend...so we decided we could brave an early dinner out saturday. Now understand that with Tristans lovely sleeping ( not much) we were a bit concerned how long we would be able to enjoy our dinner but we had to try. So we did a 5 pm dinner and Tristan lasted just long enough to finish our main dish...no desert for us! He started to cry and become agitated, so we quickly paid the bill and came home. However I must mention that Jonathan and I decided long ago not to buy eachother presents. Well what does Jonathan do? Buys me a gift. Not just any gift but a beautiful new watch that I had my eye on for a long time. He totally surprised me and it was great. Just another example of how he often does the unexpected and is always thinking of me. I really dont know what I did to land this incredible guy. Its not the gift, but its the attention to detail. See about a year ago we were shopping at Costco and I showed him a watch that I liked... and we realized that the cost for the watches we both liked were way out of our league. However a few months ago Jonathan got a bonus from work and I told him he needed to buy something for himself. So he purchased a watch- which was great as he had wanted one for a long time. Anyway this past weekend he gave me not the exact watch we had seen before, but one just like it... I guess he had been saving over the past year to purchase this item for me. I was so touched and speechless- really- and that doesnt happen too often! I absolutely love it!

It was a great weekend....lots of time to hang out together with our little guy. While we are exhausted and totally spent, Ive never been happier and I know how blessed my life is.

( I just re-read this and I cant believe my grammer--however I am too tired to do any editing or changes --sorry !)

Colic!

The last 4 days have been horrible...Tristan didnt sleep for any longer than 20-30 minutes at time, crying within an hour of eating, diaper rash, had to be held 24x7, wouldnt sleep at night longer than 4 hours total, and in general was miserable...so needless to say his parents have been overly tired, sad, at our wits end as there was seemingly nothing we could do to make our little one comfortable, and sleep. Well today we took Tristan to his 2 week appointment and here are the stats:
8lbs 10 oz, 50% in weight, but 22 3/4inches- 98% in height...so he is at least growing and gained a bit from his birth weight.
After discussing our concerns with the Doctor and all symptoms we have been dealing with over the last few days, he suggested that Tristan has colic. This was a relief to have some reason he has been so upset and in pain. We have switched him to some ridiculously expense formula now especially for Colic and already seen some improvement. For the first time in days he has slept for several hours and its made my heart jump for joy. As minor as this has been for us - not knowing what was wrong and knowing he was upset, in pain and not happy has been hard for Jonathan and I. I hope the pattern will continue and this switch in his formula will be an answer to my prayers uttered in the wee hours of the night.

Tristan Week II

His parents think this one is cute... ;-)

The crib he has YET to sleep in!

Custom Onesies from big bro!

One week old

My my how time flies...one week!!! The first night we brought Tristan home he developed a cold and couldnt breathe-- needless to say it scared both his Daddy and I. However after sucking his nose and running to Walmart at 1am to get a humidifier things were a bit better...We took him to the doctor on Monday morning for a routine billyrubin check up and to get him circumsized. We are such whimps when it comes to putting our kids in pain....we both didnt want to be there when it was done. But the good news is that the Doctor told us he didnt even cry with all the sugar water they gave him! So that is over with. Yea! My mom came down from Ogden to stay a day and it was great...she sewed some blankets and spit up cloths and in general hung out and it was great to have her spend some time with me.
Tristan did develop a bit of an eye infection- residual I suppose from his cold so we have been working to get that cleared up as well. We havent quite got him sleeping in his crib the whole night....as he hasnt been feeling good both Jonathan and I want him close so hes been in bed with us. For some reason this doesnt bother me as much as I thought it would. He is eating well, typically 4 oz every 3-4 hours so we are taking shifts at night so we both can get some sleep. Overall its been a very relaxing and great week home with my boy.

A few more...

ARE YOU SERIOUS!?

Perfect little man...

New baby brother!

A mother's love...

Happy Birthday Tristan

***Just a couple of pictures- lots more to follow I promise!!!***
So the stats:
Tristan Elias Bechtold
Born April 4, 2008 @ 2:54am
8lbs 4 oz
21 inches

The story:
Well as many of you know my worst nightmare did actually come true for the labor and delivery. However I am home now and while not something I want to do again(natural childbirth), it was worth every minute to have our little man here!....

I was supposed to be induced Friday morning April 4. But all day Thursday at work I wasnt feeling well so I left early. Took Elijiah to soccer practice and came home- did the normal bedtime routine and went to bed around 9. Jonathan came home from class at around 10 and I was still awake. I had just a couple of contractions here and there--nothing to painful or long just enough to make it so I couldnt fall asleep. As another hour went by, they werent going away, but neither did they get much more intense and they were only lasting about 10 seconds or so. Around midnight I called Khory and let him know that either way, being induced the next morning I should probably get Elijiah to him as contractions were still happening and who knows what was going to take place. In hindsight it would have been smart to head to the hospital then, however my contractions still werent that big of a deal( or so I thought ) As Jonathan dropped Elijiah off, I called the hospital and let them know that I was having contractions about every 5-6 minutes but they were still about 15-30 seconds in length. The nurse said that they wouldnt suggest me coming down until they were 60-90 seconds in duration, but if I did they wouldnt turn me away as I was due to come in the morning anyway. Well after that call, I decided to wait just a little while longer, take a bath and go from there. About 1:30am or so my contractions were 3 minutes apart and around 45 seconds long, and I thought it was time to go. We got things together and were in the car by 1:45am. By now I was really worried. My contractions were about 1-2 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute. As we RACED down the freeway to Provo, our normal 45 - 50 minute drive took Jonathan 30 minutes. As we passed IHC hospital close to us, I kept thinking perhaps we shouldnt drive down, just go to the nearest hospital...but again I thought NO- plenty of time, it cant happen this quick. I made the comment to Jonathan, "Im sure its too late for the epidural" and he of course was trying to be encouraging and said it will be ok. We will get there in time for the epidural.
The ride was miserable...I was hardly out of pain for a second and on my mind was "dont have this baby in the car!!" We get to the hospital, Jonathan races to get the wheelchair, and Im in so much pain I can hardly move. We get to Labor and Delivery and here is where things get fuzzy. I remember checking in and the nurse rushing through questions, Im in hard labor now and just wanting to get the pain meds. She quickly gets us to the room and tells me to get undressed...Im barely able to stand. Within a minute of getting on the bed and the nurse checking me my water breaks, and she tells me Im at an 8. I beg for the epidural and they page the doctor. I see a rush of activity around me, nursing staff running around calling for my OB as he is on call in the hospital. The doctor comes in to give me the epidural and I can tell its too late..as soon as I am on my side I need to push. However the OB is still not there and I cant move...Jonathan later tells me that he had to pick me up and put me back on my back so they could get me in position. I am literally so scared as this is happening so fast, I cant breath right, Im screaming in pain and it felt all wrong. This was not what I planned, expected or wanted. I didnt know if I could do it, the pain was the worst I have ever experienced and technically it was just beginning. I am starting to push, and the nurses tell me not to as the Doctor was still not there. Finally he walks in and says to push...Now of course all you women out there that have done this naturally - I applaud you. Hands down this is the worst pain in the history of man kind. I dont know why anyone would CHOOSE to do this. REALLY. So Tristan comes out after a few pushes. However I must say, that never did I feel ok, get focused on anything but Jonathan or the lights above. I offered a hopeful prayer that I would make it as I have never felt more panicked by any experience...I really dont think I could have done it without my hubby. He kept me from oblivion by his calming voice, letting me pierce his hands with my nails( sorry! ) and say things I never thought I would say- poor nurses!
From the moment we arrived in the hospital entrance to the time our boy was born, it was a half hour. I am grateful that the time in pain was so quick, that was a blessing in itself. I cant imagine doing that for hours or having trouble during the birth itself feeling every thing that I did. I wish I was like some women who say its not that bad, or feel euphoria afterwards. Yes it was good not to be so numb for a while afterward, or be able to get up and walk around- but never will I want to experience a natural birth again. I cannot truely explain here how I was feeling, how scared I was and how panicked everyone around seemed to be....I am just incredibly grateful things turned out ok in the end.....
All in all we are doing great. I feel really well, Tristan is my new love, and its amazing. The ability of the heart to expand so quickly and so completely for another human. My boys are my everything and Tristan - well words just cant describe the amount of love I have for him. I am already mourning the passing of each day as it is one less day that I will have him just to myself. These next 6 weeks will pass all to quickly and I will have to adjust with returning to work-- A day that I will not think about till then. I will enjoy my time, savor and drink up his amazing presence and be stingy with anyone taking him from me( and Jonathan ) during my maternity leave.

a loss for words...

Today my world was torn to pieces

and remade into something

so absolutely wonderful that words escape me.

All I know right now is that I will never, NEVER

be able to repay my Father and wife

for the unspeakably wonderful gifts they have given me.

I only hope that I am blessed to live

for years and years to come

so that I can try my best to be worthy

of this life I live...