The whole fam on the 4th of July!

010, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Gimmie that Chicken Leg!

Gimmie that Chicken Leg!, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Maybe I will be a firefighter someday!

IMG00440-20120610-1547, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

My two boys!

001, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Here is Jonathon at tummy time!

044, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Worms!

021 a video by ajgould on Flickr.

Here is another hilarious video...J went fishing for the first time but worms weren't his thing!

Jonathon in the water for the first time!

039 a video by ajgould on Flickr.

Poor little J...he didn't like the water but now he loves it!

Jonathon is 4 months old now!

I can't believe my little J is 4 months now. We took him in for his 4 month appt and he weighs 14lbs and 6 oz and he is 24 1/4 inches long. He is now in the 25th percentile as compared to the 50th last time we checked him at 2 months. He is still a healthy boy! Jonathon is "talking" to us constantly and really starting to grab for objects to put in his mouth. Jonathon has also rolled over! Yay good job little man! He is such a good baby and is very low maintenance. He sleeps all night with the exception of getting up once and we put a pacifier in his mouth and he goes back to sleep. He is still drinking breastmilk (yes I am pumping at work) and I plan on feeding him until he gets teeth or just decide to be done, but my goal is 9 months old for Jonathon. He has been ok'd to have rice cereal and we have started it but he doesn't know if he likes it yet. We try it about every other night. He has also tried bananas and seems to like those. My pediatrician told me that really he doesn't need solid foods right now because breastmilk is really all he needs until he is 6 months old.

We have been taking some fun trips this summer like going to Yankton camping with the Gould's, we have been camping with my parent's in Okoboji twice this summer, once on memorial day and once on my b-day. Jonathon loves being outside and Jamison has a blast camping too!

Jamison has his 3rd b-day coming up and we will be doing a "Cars" theme along with a pool party at Steve and Roxanne's house.

Jamison is doing really well with Jonathon and he gives him kisses good night and plays with him. Jonathon also laughs at Jamison and they just keep eachother entertained for a little while. We love spending time with our boys!

Jonathon is 2 months old!

Well I realized that I haven't written for awhile and I better post something soon about our little bug. We celebrated Jonathon being one month old on April 19th with Steve and Roxanne coming over and we made supper and even topped it off with some cupcakes (which Jamison loved) Jonathon weighed about 10lbs according to our baby scale and was eating every 2-3 hours day and night.

I took Jonathon in for his 2 month appt a week ago and he weighs 12lbs and 6 oz and is 23.5 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for head circumference, height, and weight.  He is so much bigger than Jamison and we love having our chunky baby! He is eating every 3-4 hours now and only gets up once during the middle of the night which makes for one happy mommy! My mom (grandma) will be staying with Jonathon until he is 12 weeks old so he doesn't have to go to daycare until then. We love having Grandma around! Also Jonathon is starting to coo and smile a lot and he even rolled from his back to his tummy twice when we were outside..but I haven't seen it since.

We also got Jonathon baptized on Mother's day and it was the best Mother's day present ever. Then we had all of the family over for some fried turkey with the fixings. Also recently we have been camping in Okoboji with my parents and have gone to the zoo twice. We have had so much fun. I will be posting pictures soon!

Jonathon is almost 2 weeks old!

036, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Wow I can't beleive almost 2 weeks have gone by already. Andy has been off the whole time and is now going back to work. He has been a big help with taking care of Jamison while I am breastfeeding Jonathon. Jonathon eats about every 2 hours to hour during the day and sometimes 2 hours to 3-4 hours during the night if I am lucky. = ) We had taken him in for his first well visit the day after we were discharged from the hospital and he was a little jaundice so I went to the hospital and they did a bilirubin and it was 11. 5 which the normal for 3 day old baby. His weight at the Dr's office was 6lbs. We had a follow up visit on Tuesday of this week and Jonathon weighed in at 6lbs. 10 oz. He had gained 10 oz already and he didn't need his bilirubin rechecked. We also got the newborn screen back and it was negative. We were so excited for this because with Jamison he was positive for the CF gene and we had to do further testing.

Jamison is really good with Jonathon and likes to hold him, however he has been more naughty than normal. He is just adjusting to the new life with his brother. I hope the adjustement doesn't last too long. ; )

Also last week we bought a new car. It was a big day for the Gould household. We went to the Inifinit dealership in Omaha and bouth an Infiniti G37x. We love it and Jamison calls it his "race car".

Here are some recent pics of our new family of 4! http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegouldfam/sets/72157629621513925/

We welcome Jonathon Edward Gould into our family of 4!

021, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Well on Monday March 19th, 2012 at 1007 am we had a beautiful baby boy and we named him Jonathon Edward Gould. We loved the named Jonathon and wanted to stay with the J names since our first boy is Jamison. Jonathon also means "A gift from God" and he truly is just that. We named his middle name Edward after my dad. He weighed 6lbs 8.7oz and was 19.5 inches long.
The labor started when we went to the hospital, Bergen Mercy in Omaha, NE at 5pm on Sunday March 18th. We went there to be induced but once I was hooked up to the uterine monitor I started having contractions so I think I was in early labor at that time oddly enough. The first thing that was ordered was a foley bulb catheter that would dilate me to a 3. It took 3 times for them to be successful since I was only 1 cm dilated at that time and it was successfully put in by a resident that funny enough was from Sioux City. It was started about 7pm and I started to have a little stronger contractions. Around 3 am (10 hours later) the catheter fell out and I was 3 cm dilated! I was so excited that it had worked! At that time they started pitocin and then the contractions were really coming on...so much so that I decided to get the epidural. I was told that I may not be able to have one for awhile as there was a possible c-section next door and the anesthesiologist may have to be in for the surgery and I thought Oh NO! R u kidding me?! Finally at 5 am I got the epidural and it was such a relief. I also have to tell the story of what happened to daddy when I got the epidural...So for an epidural you have to sit on the edge of the bed with your back hunched and someone has to be standing there so you don't fall of the bed...well anyway Andy was my support person and he almost passed out! LOL! He started to turn pale and the nurse had to fill in while he went to go get a drink of water. (I think he might've been dehydrated) It was quite entertaining but I am glad that he didn't pass out. =) The next time they checked me was at 6:15am and I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced and they broke my water and nothing came out, but later on The contractions were stronger but I couldn't feel them as I had the epidural. My water did slowly leak out later which I was thankful for because that was the major problem we had with Jamison's delivery. I was then checked again at 8 am and I was 7 cm dilated and 90% effaced! Woohoo! 30 minutes later I was dilated to a 10 and ready for the delivery room to be set up. As they set it up I sat on the bed at a 90 degree angle and the nurse said that this would help so I wouldn't have to push as much and gravity would bring the baby down. At 9:15 I started pushing and around 9:50 my Dr., Dr. Barsoom, came in and he gave me an episiotomy and I pushed 3 more times and Jonathon arrived into the world at 1007! Daddy cut the cord and Jonathon weas wiped off and handed to mommy and put on my chest! Jonathon was crying and had APGARs of 8 and 9 which were perfect. It was the most amazing experience and I am so glad that we were able to have a normal delivery. Jonathon was perfect in every way and we were so happy to have him in our arms...

Am I in labor?

This last weekend I was having contractions all weekend but they were irregular. Monday morning I was having a lot of contractions but was unable to time them since I was working. I scheduled an appt with my office and saw Dr. Hunt to see if I was in labor. (My Dr. is on vacation this week = (    I wasn't dilated or effaced so it was pretty disappointing. I still kept my Thursday afternoon appt with Dr. Holtz to check me again.

Also I received a phone call from my Dr. in Omaha Dr. Barsoom. He wanted to talk about options for us and recommended that we come in on Sunday to Bergen Mercy in Omaha, NE at 5pm and he will do a foley induction. They will put what they call a "long straw" with a balloon in my cervix and inject sterile water to fill the balloon up and this will dilate my cervix. They can't use cervical ripening medications due to my previous c-section, but the foley induction is perfectly safe. They will leave the catheter in until I am dilated to a 3 and then the catheter will just fall out. At that time they would start pitocin to initiate labor or break my water or do both. I am super excited to meet our little boy next week and it will be nice to not have to worry about when to drive down to Omaha and if I am in labor, etc,etc. With induction there is still a chance that I may have to have a c-section but I am hoping that everything goes well and we don't have to think about that.

 We all have our bags packed just in case and I am going to finish cleaning my house this week and doing laundry so it is all done when we get home. I may have to repack for the baby and myself as we are having 70 degree weather and I definitely didn't think that would happen in March. What a crazy winter?! Well my next post may be after baby is born so wish us luck!

Dr. Barsoom phone call

Today I contacted the Dr. that could be delivering me in Omaha to find out what the plan is if my cervix doesn't progress. If it doesn't progress then I will be have a C-section in Sioux City with Dr. Eastman probably on March 19th, which makes me sad but at least I tried. =) If my cervix does dilate before the next appt (which I moved to Thursday at 2pm) then I can wait until I am 40 weeks to see how things progress and may be able to be induced/go into labor during that week. I am hoping for the 2nd option as I would really like to try a VBAC. Dr. Barsoom does not want me to go past 40 weeks so if I have not had labor/induction after 40 weeks then I will have a c-section. It will be interesting to see what happens. I am really excited to meet our little boy and hold him for the first time. I know that Jamison will be a great big brother to our new addition when he arrives. Please pray for a safe delivery and healthy baby for us.

37/38 week appt

Well I had my appt today and everyone is healthy which is a plus, however I am only 50% effaced and no dilation of the cervix at this time. : ( Well I guess baby Gould just wants to stay in there a little bit longer. The baby's head is down which is still a good thing. My next appt is next Friday so hopefully that will give baby G some time to get ready. I have been doing a lot of walks and eating spicy foods lately. Also I have been cleaning and baking like crazy so I am thinking that I am nesting. Andy is pretty anxious too and he has been occupying his time by planning a basement remodel. It does seem like the end of the pregnancy takes awhile compared to the rest of the pregnancy. It has gone by super quick up until now. Well I guess I will just enjoy my last few weeks of being pregnant and hope for some improvement next week.

37 week appt.

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks. Woohoo! My baby is considered full term now! I had my appt on Tuesday and My Dr. said that the head was down more than last week but no effacement or dilation. =( That is ok I guess he just wants to stay a little longer. The baby's HR was 142 and my BP, HR, and urine came back fine. I am glad that everyone is healthy! I also love feeling the baby move during the day and in the evenings. I know that I will miss this when I am not pregnant. I have noticed that my hands have a little bit of swelling but my ankles are doing pretty well with not a lot of swelling. I do think that I have more amniotic fluid with this baby than I did with Jamison. I am also going to the bathroom a lot more so I think baby is starting to move his way down.

Also yesterday was my last day driving out to Nebraska for my job. I will still be working in Sioux City but my Dr. said that I shouldn't be driving that far in my last month. We are all anxiously awaiting baby J's arrival and are really excited to meet our little boy! I will update you next week as my 38 week appt is next Tuesday.

36 week appt

I had my appt with Dr. Eastman on Thursday and baby and I are healthy. Baby's hr was 145 and I was measuring 35 cm which was right on track. He checked to see if I was dilated or effaced and he said it was closed. I didn't expect to be dilated yet but hopefully I will be soon! We are so excited to meet our little boy! Jamison keeps saying I want to see the baby and it is so cute. I have my hospital bag packed and I am planning on packing Jamison a bag as he will be going to Omaha and staying with my parents while we are induced. I have my 37 week appt next week and I will keep you posted!

Week 36!

Last week at my appt everything was good and the baby is healthy. His HR was down to 128 and Dr. Eastman said that this was still normal. So far I have only gained 23 lbs and that is normal too according to the Dr. You should gain between 25 to 35 lbs with pregnancy so I hope I gain a few more lbs to make the 25. I have been eating  pretty good. Andy and I eat pretty healthy but I have also been getting the occasional candy bar since Baby J likes chocolate! I mainly crave the same things that I did with Jamison...mexican food, pasta, pizza, steak and potatoes, and chocolate!

Also when I was at my last appt I talked with Dr. Eastman about my job. I work as an Occupational Health Nurse, which means I travel to different businesses here in Sioux City and a few in Pender and Thurston, NE (about 45 minutes away). I am concerned after a certain point that I could go into labor and I wouldn't want to be that far away from home. Dr. Eastman agreed so I told my boss my concerns and she also agreed. Next Wed will be my last day going out to NE but I will still work at my Sioux City companies since they are close. I really love my job and all of my companies but I know that my family will always come first and I am glad that my boss agrees with me.

This week I am now on weekly appts. so tomorrow I will be checked by Dr. Eastman to see if I am dilated or effaced. I have been having contractions but they aren't regular. They have been stronger lately too. I am excited to meet our wonderful little boy soon!

Ultrasound with Dr. Barsoom

Last friday I went to Omaha and had an u/s to check the baby's position. Our little boy is in position with his head down and face towards my spine. That is perfect! They checked his weight and it was 4lbs 3 oz so he hasn't gained much weight since last u/s. The Dr. thought that the baby would be around 7lbs when he was born. Jamison was 6lbs 9 oz so we will see what this little boy will be! Jamison and my mom came with me to the ultrasound and got to watch. Jamison loved seeing his little brother up on the screen. He asks a lot to "see the baby" and I show him u/s pictures so he didn't quite have an understanding of the baby but I think that this helps. He frequently kisses my belly and says, "Hi baby!" It is super cute and I think he will be a great older brother.

Also I got a chance to ask Dr. Barsoom a buch of questions about the delivery. At 36 weeks my cervix will be checked weekly by my regular ob Dr. Eastman and I will e-mail the results to Dr. Barsoom. Dr. Barsoom will decide when it is time to induce since I live an hour and 45 minutes away from the hospital that will do the VBAC. He said that they will be able to induce me by breaking my water, a foley bulb insertion into my cervix, or low dose of pitocin. Dr. Barsoom is on call on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday so we will have the baby on one of those days unless we go into spontaneous labor. If I need to be induced before 39 weeks they will want to do an amniocentesis to check the lung maturity of the baby to make sure he is ready. I don't know how I feel about this so I would like to discuss it further with my regular OB. Dr. Barsoom also checked to see if I was dilated and effaced and I wasn't at this time, but I didn't expect to be either. I have another appt today and it will just be to check BP, listen to fetal heart tones, just a normal visit with Dr. Eastman.

After the Omaha visit Jamison got to go to Target and pick out a toy with Grandma and he got a Thomas the Train rescue set. He loves it! Then we went to Picadilly Circus with gma and had lunch and played games. We always have fun in Omaha! Earlier that week grandma Roxanne took Jamison to story hour at the library and out to eat at Mc Donald's so he had some fun quality time with both of the grandmas. Well I will keep everyone posted on baby J # 2! Have a happy Valentine's Day!

33 Week Appt!

I had my 33 week appt on Tuesday and everything is going great! My BP and urine are all good. I am on every other week appts and will start weekly appts at 36 weeks where they will start checking to see if I am dilated and effaced to where they can induce me in Omaha for a VBAC! I am really looking forward to having a vaginal delivery. I know last time when I had a C-section I barely got to see Jamison after I had him before I was wisked away to recovery. I hope this time is different.

We have the nursery all ready with all of the clothes washed and put away and we have started to buy diapers and wipes for our little bundle of joy. We have also been teaching Jamison how to act around the baby with using a baby doll and I change him, feed him, and burp him. He loves it when I burp the baby! Jamison will be a great big brother and he is excited to meet the baby too. We have a few meals frozen so far to prepare for maternity leave also. This weekend I plan on packing my bags just in case the baby will come early.

Next friday Jamison and I will be heading to Omaha to Dr. Barsoom's office to do an ultrasound where they will check the baby's position for a VBAC. I can't wait to see the baby again and it will be fun to stay at my parent's house as J loves playing in their basement with all the toys they have.

Andy and I are getting really excited and feel like we are ready for the baby when he is ready to meet us! (Hopefully after 37 weeks) Also I have been feeling great. I haven't had a lot of swelling yet with this pregnancy but I have been getting a little tired at night. I am sure that has to do with having another child to take care of this time. Also sleeping is getting a little tougher as my belly is getting bigger! Well I will update you next week after we have our ultrasound!

30 Week Ultrasound!

001, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

Here is a pic of our little boy at our last ultrasound! Yes it is still a boy! The ultrasound tech also told us that she could see hair on top of his head so it will be kind of fun to see what color his hair is after he is born.

31 Week Dr. appt!

Well I had my Dr. appt with ultrasound today and everything is great! We got to see our little peanut and he weighs 3 lbs 15 oz! They also said that I am about a week ahead of my due date. In the ultrasound we could see that the baby has hair too. I remember when Jamison was born he had a ton of hair so I wonder if this baby will too! Also the baby was in the right position  with his head down but the Dr. did say that could change between now and 37 weeks. The baby's HR was 140 and heartbeat sounded good! Also my amniotic fluid is normal! Woohoo! Andy and I loved seeing our little boy. It was so much fun. We can't wait to meet our little boy soon! I am also now on every 2 week appts so that means I will have to update my blog more often. = )

Jamison is also pretty excited for his brother and he says "baby brother" and then he pulls my shirt up and kisses my belly. It is super cute. I think that he will be a great big brother, although I am not sure if he knows what is coming soon....

30 Weeks pregnant!

Winter 2012 010, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

We are now 30 weeks pregnant with our second little boy! We are so excited for our next baby and can't wait another 7-10 weeks for him to come. I have been busy with washing all of Jamison's old clothes and the new baby's clothes and I have it all washed and put away. Our little boy has so many clothes, balnkets, bibs, and receiving blankets already. We also got another bottle warmer as our old one already died on us. I have also been freezing extra meals for after the birth of our baby so we don't have to cook as I am sure we will be tired.

I have another appt this week and it will be with an ultrasound. Woohoo! We are having an ultrasound to check my amniotic fluid to see if it is low like it was with Jamison. I also can't wait to see the little guy and we will post pics on our blog and flicker.

On a sad note we had our one year birthday for Isabelle as she passed away a year ago on January 6th. We visited her grave and put a single pink rose on it for her. We will always miss her and she is in my thoughts a lot lately. I know she is happy in heaven but I wish we could've kept her here on earth. I hope someday we can have a healthy baby girl.

I will post more later this week regarding the ultrasound and appt!

Merry Christmas 2011!

140, a photo by ajgould on Flickr.

We had a great Christmas last year (as I am writing this after the new year) I received an Ipad which I absolutely LOVE! J also got a lot of really cool gifts like a black and decker tool bench, kitchen complete with stove, microwave, and fridge, and we got him a Thomas the Train set among other toys. He is loving the new toys! Oh yeah he loves the Ipad too and asks for it since we have some apps for him on it too. = )

Also another cool thing is that I am in my final trimester! Woohoo! The home stretch. This weekend I have taken advantage of the long weekend by getting out all of J's newborn through 6 months clothes and washing them and putting them away in the closet. Wow what a feat! He had a lot of clothes. We really don't need to buy a lot of things for the baby as we already have most of it from Jamison (ie bottles, bibs, burp cloths) I do plan on breastfeeding again as long as it works out.

We are very excited for 2012 to have another little boy! I hope everyone has a great New year!