He Chunks Up Nicely

One month and eating well!

One Week

My Awesome friend Breanne, took these pictures for me. They turned out awesome! This is only a portion of the photos she took. It's crazy how much he has changed already since these were taken.

Hanalei has mixed emotions about her little brother. She loves to bring him a blanket and a binki. She says multiple times during the day, "Silly Brother" or "Silly My-may-ah" That one melts my heart. She tends to flip out when I need to nurse or hold the baby. She will say, "Grandma Hold the baby." Or who ever else is close, any one but mom hold the baby!!

Waimea is a great baby. He cries when he is hungry, or if we have been neglecting him for too long. He is generally easy going. He likes to eat often. I am anxiously awaiting the night he will sleep more than 3 hours with out needing to nurse. It's amazing us moms don't crash every time we get in the car.

He's Here!

Waimea Lincoln Rueckert

February 20, 2011

6 lbs 7 0z

20 inches

Well, it all started with a pedicure. My friends Breanne and I were pregnant together. So we could whine and complain to each other about all the fun things that happen to you. Also we could justify a much needed pedicure. We got to the salon and the man doing my feet tells me about the last pregnant lady he worked on, and how her water broke right then and there in their shop. I said to give me the same pedicure (haha). We then went shopping for an outfit to bring Waimea home in and had a great ladies day. That evening we went to our land lords 50th party and stuffed our selves full of the biggest crab legs ever and lots of spicy shrimp. So so good. That evening I was getting ready for bed with my usual discomfort at the end of the day. I started feeling a lot of tightness in the tummy. Then again, and again. We started timing my contractions. Every 1-2 min. We decided that was pretty close and better start heading to the hospital. I wanted to shower and rusty scrambled to get things ready. As we headed out the door we woke up Dave and told him we were having the baby and to listen for Hanalei.

We checked in at the hospital just before 2:00 am on Sunday morning. After a few hours I was dilated to a 5, so they said nows the time to get the epidural. It took a few tries to get it. Not fun. Eventually we were good to go and it started kicking in. A couple things happened: One my left leg was dead to the world. You could have cut the thing off and I wouldn't have felt a thing. The other result was that my contractions slowed dramatically. They finally decided to break my water. That helped. Then they started the pitocin. It was go time soon after.

The nurse checked me again and I was at a ten. She told the doctor the baby was ready and I was ready. SO as they all got ready I was just hanging out. It was so nice not to be in pain. I could actually pay attention to what was going on. I pushed with two contractions and there he was. What a miracle. Rusty and I both cried a little and I held my beautiful boy.

About ten minutes after he was born he started breathing hard and they were concerned. After giving him oxygen for about 30 min they decided he needed to be in the NICU and be hooked up to a CPAC. I was devastated. I wanted to love all over him. I wanted to nurse him. I wanted to snuggle him up in a warm blanket and just stare at him for hours. Instead I had to be wheeled to him and hold his little hand while he was hooked up to wires and tubes. I knew he was fine and would be fine but I wasn't. We didn't know how long he would be there, or if we would be able to bring him home with us. I was broken inside. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I just would break down.

After this initial bad news, the rest of the news was good. After a day and a half he was coming to the room with me and nursing and after a LONG checkout process from the NICU he was coming home with us.

He is beautiful. He looks so much Like Hanalei did at this point. He eats frequently day and night, so everyone is tired.

Hanalei is still adjusting to brother. The first few days were awful. If she wasn't freaking out because I was holding him, she was wanting to hold him and count his eyes. We have told her so many times not to touch his eyes that she now scolds her doll and says, "No Eyes!" She tells me when he is sad, wants to climb in the basinet with him, and constantly kissing him with her runny nose and all.

We are so blessed. I feel like life is perfect. We just have so much to be grateful for.

Brother

Well I am so horrible with this pregnancy. I have documented nothing. So here are a few pictures of Hanalei's Brother

Our little space peanut

Baby's got back but no butt

Do all my children have to look like pirates

Keep it clean

So at one of my appointments the doctor was concerned that I was measuring small. So he scheduled an additional ultra sound. I was bumbed that I had to go all the way in to town for yet another appointment but excited to see baby again. They did the normal ultra sound and he was in the 52nd percentile. So then she took these just for fun!

I think he looks like Rusty...Nose and Mouth at least

Our Friend Oly said girls just say the baby looks like them in these pictures because the babies always look so creepy.

Well there he is. I love him already. Can't wait to hold him and kiss him!

For the artists in the family

Ok so that could be pretty much anyone in my family but me. I'll be more specific. These pics and blue print sketch. are for Sallie and my Mom. They are coming to help me with the baby and also paint in the kids room. I am so excited. So the rest of you will have to wait for the AFTER pictures in about a month.

All Girl, Growing Up

First time getting into mom's makeup...

But not the last time.

Some of the other girly things Hanalei loves are:

Picking her clothes

Requesting dresses

Always picks pink or purple

Mothering her baby doll and teddy bear (puts a blanket on, puts them to bed with a kiss, pats their bums on her shoulder)

Funny things she is doing or saying:

Sweeping

Obsessed with closing doors and lids

Being bossy to mom dad and little boys

Shakes her head so her hair flies everywhere then says "your turn"

Points to her self and says "me" then to Mom and Says "you" Then i chime in and we go back and forth

Always wants two of everything

"Bye bye, Later"

"Monkey in the tree" then looks to the side with a surprised look

The other day she grabbed Rusty's face and started mumbling to him as if she was scolding him.

At the zoo with Reiley and Miley Looking at Elephants

Smart things she is doing:

Counting to ten

Identifying numbers 4 and 5

Identifying many letters

The other day she was holding my Olay face lotion and she said "o" and then "y"

She requests the ABC song nightly and can say most of the letters in order

Recognizes when there are 2 of something "2 blankets" or "2 Helicopters"

I just love watching her explore and become more independent.

Back to normal

I have decided that this move is just the beginning. It has been crazy. I feel like every day I either had a Dr. apt i was going to (weekly now), or a cable/internet/fridge guy, i was waiting for. If it wasn't that, I was painting, then moving our stuff back to our old place so they could bomb for termites. Then motivating my self to unpack boxes and clean. The bulk of the move has finished but we are far from normal. Every night we have some project. Well, Rusty has projects. Granted they are usually things that need to be done, but I am ready to have him come home and just be home. As soon as we are done with our projects, this baby is going to come. And we will have to figure out a new normal. That one I am excited about!

As for the new place, I am so happy. Rusty and I finally have a room to call our own. Hanalei loves to play in her room, usually she tells me "come on" then "sit" while patting her bed. Then she will bring over what ever toy we are going to play with. She is such a bossy little thing, but it cracks me up. Yesterday she told Rusty, who was talking on the phone, "all done, bye bye" cause she wanted his attention. Night time in her own room was no problem at all. But naps have been up and down. SOme times it would be 45 mins I could hear her playing or walking around.

So I decided I needed to have a routine. Much like the evening routine, just shorter. Read a few books, turn on the fans. The big thing too was telling her what was coming. So far it is working.

She is so precious to Rusty and I. We are constantly just ohhing and ahhing over her. I can't wait for her to meet brother! We all are so excited to have him with us.