Big bro/little bro updates

Please excuse my lack of blogging lately.  This is due to many reasons.  

1. A new baby who seems to have his days and nights mixed up.  With the exception of last night, Asher feels that he needs to eat every hour. 
2. Lighting hit us on Monday morning and took out our phones, desktop computer and our internet.  Grrr...

With that being said, let me get you up to speed on Landon.  Landon is taking his big brother job very seriously.  On several occasions, I have said, "You are such a big boy."  Only to be corrected with, "I'm not a big boy Mom, I'm a big brother!"

Landon is super helpful, grabbing a bottle, paci, diaper, even grabbing his step stool to talk to Asher when Mommy is changing Asher's diaper.  Landon does not like to hear Asher cry.  

Last night, Landon and I got haircuts.  Asher was a good boy and slept through them. Landon got a big boy cut, complete with a faux hawk.

Asher is really doing awesome.  He is an eating machine.  The first week, he was up constantly.  Let me say that he is not fussy at all.  He is just eating.  Well eating and pooping.  Last night, was much better.  Asher only woke up two times after settling down at midnight.  He seems to sleep better when he has a bath at night.  After his bath, he is so alert and just wants to be up and looking around. 

Asher and I went in for our post-partum chiropractic adjustments yesterday.  Oh that felt so good.  Asher must not have minded it as he slept right through it.  The chiropractor did say that there were a couple places where Asher was out of alignment, so she fixed him up.  Maybe that is why he slept so good last night?

Asher's Birth Story

On Tuesday, July 5th, Jeremy and I were to be at the hospital at 6:30 am.  As much as I was trying to avoid it for weeks, I was 41 weeks pregnant and going in to be medically induced.

I was feeling pretty confident.  "I got this!" I told Jeremy. 

I was actually having contractions (didn't know it), that were 5-7 minutes apart and I was dilated between 2-3 cm.  Dr. Schilling came in a little after 7 am, and inserted a little pill that would get things going.  For the entire morning, things were going way to easy. 

Dr. Schilling came back around noon to check me again.  I was dilated to 4 cm, so she decided that instead of another round of medicine, she would break my water.  The next contraction was a little more intense, and they only picked up from there. 

From 2-3 pm, my contractions were back to back.  I was checked at about 2:15 pm, and was still only at 4 cm.  That's pretty much when I lost my confidence.  At 3 pm, I felt the need to push.  Needless to say, they checked me and was ready to go.  How did that happen so quickly?  I was really hoping to have some drugs, but there was no time.  Asher was ready to join the world and be scooped up in my arms.

Love at first sight!

Asher weighed in at a whopping 8 pounds 13 ounces.  I was also a week overdue with big brother Landon who weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces, so I was not expecting this big of a baby.  Asher is healthy and absolutely perfect and we are head over heals in love!

Big brother Landon was super excited to go to finally meet Asher.

Daddy and his boys

Well, we were discharged on Thursday, and were ready to head home.

I forgot to get a pic of Dr. Schilling and Asher, but did manage to get one with one of the nurses.  Her name was Carol, and she was my delivery nurse.  Despite her not giving me drugs, I really like her.

And one more photo of Asher's cute little face.  My future brother-in-law Mike snapped this photo, and I stole it from him.  Thanks Mike! 

Asher Sam Merrill

Gift from God

I give thanks to You alone
Who sits on the throne
To loan me this precious gift
And to call it my own.

May I always see, Lord
In every waking hour,
Your majesty and grace
In this delicate flower.

Help me, O God,
To guide and preserve,
This wonderful blessing
to love and to serve.

-Doran Richards

 

Happy 4th!

I suppose by my lack of posts lately, you may be thinking I have had a baby or something?  Sorry to disappoint, but he's still in there!  My lack of blogging is due to, well, our lack of activity.  That's right, not much going on for the Merrill's right now.  Just waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more...

We did venture out this weekend to partake in some Independence Day celebrating!  Yesterday afternoon, we attended a party at my Brother and Sister-in-laws.  Despite forgetting my camera, we had a great time.  We ended up staying out later than we usually do, and had one tired little guy when we got home.  Landon slept in until 7:30 this morning.  I had to check on him a couple times to make sure he was still breathing. 

This morning, we headed over to Festina for the annual 4th of July parade.  Here are a few shots of the kddos enjoying the activities. Eryn, Landon and Nolan wait patiently for the parade to start.

How about this little cutie pie.  I could just pinch those little cheeks all day long.

The Grand Marshalls of the parade.

Waiting for more candy.

And of course, Grandpa Sabelka passing out his Mr. Freeze's.  

Happy 4th!