Things I've discovered about being a new mom

1. I become completely incompetent at changing diapers in the middle of the night. (The other night I put the diaper on inside out, but it was after I fixed it that Cash and I were covered in pee. Figure that one out?!)

2. When you're carrying around a baby in one arm, your foot automatically becomes another hand. (Quite handy when loading the washing machine, I might add.)

3. Why is it when I start to sing my son a song, it turns out to be either 80's rock or the Star-Spangled Banner?

4. I am terrified of the bulb syringe. You could suck his brain out with that thing!

5. While a poopy diaper makes me proud, I was totally grossed out by the umbilical cord and eye boogers.

6. If I don't burp Cash after he's fallen asleep nursing, and instead hope to put him in his bassinet still sleeping so I can get some shut eye, those darn hiccups will wake him up every time!

7. It's totally unfair that Mick has to go to work all day while I get to spend my day with the most handsome little boy ever. We miss you, Daddy!

Bath Time

Although Cash generally doesn't like bathtime, he loves getting his hair washed. It's pretty funny to see him fuss through the all the other parts and then just lay there wide-eyed through the grand finale. Soon he will be able to have a real bath and not just a rub down!

Family Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Anderson came to visit Cash this weekend and we so enjoyed having them here! I'm not sure Cash was set down the whole time. We are looking forward to their return visit in November!

Two week stats

Cash had his two week check up yesterday and we can't believe how much he's grown in such a short time! He now weighs 7 lbs 15 oz and was measured at 21 inches. The nurse was pretty generous with the length and we think he's probably closer to 20 inches. The funny thing is the percentiles. Cash is in the 25th percentile for weight and 60th percentile for height. I mean, come on, have you seen his parents? He does have my go-go-gadget limbs, but I still can't get over how little he is. I am grateful, from a laboring perspective, that he wasn't bigger though.

Pictures from our time as refugees

Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are back home in League City. Thank you so much for the prayers...we returned to very minor damage to our home which is incredible considering that we took a direct hit from the hurricane. The news has featured the destruction at Kemah a lot and, to give some perspective, it is literally minutes from our house. My sister and brother-in-law held down the fort and it was nice to have a contact here to let us know what we would be returning to and when we could come back safely.
I'll try to post new pictures of Cash soon. Internet has not been the priorety since we've returned. We've been busy trying to get re-adjusted to being home and I've been under the weather with an infection. Cash is such a good baby. It's ironic that having a child has not been the most stressful part of the last week and a half. He is truly a blessing!

Prayers Please

Just wanted to send out a prayer request. We have had to evacuate from Hurricane Ike and are currently holed up in a hotel in San Antonio. The hurricane is likely to make a direct hit on our general area and therefore it doesn't look too good. We are very blessed to be out safely, however my sister and brother-in-law are having to ride out the storm. Although they are super-star warriors and I'm sure will be fine, I worry about them.

Cash is only a week old, but we already feel like pros. We've had to deal with an eye infection and a major natural disaster. Anyway, we could certainly use your prayers as well as prayers for everyone else who is/will effected by this.

Home Sweet Home

We have officially survived our first 24-hours at home as parents and I must say we were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it went. Cash even slept in his bassenet long enough for me to catch a couple solid chunks of sleep. Much needed as I probably only had a combined total of five or six hours in the previous four days.

Cash is eating well and we're steadily figuring out a little routine of diaper changes, feedings, and naps. Cash is not much of a cry-er yet, however he really doesn't like to have his diaper changed. It is pretty funny just how excited we get over our little boy making a poopy diaper. You'd think he'd just cured cancer or something. My sister got quite a kick out of the fact that he had already pooped before he was born (something that can be dangerous, but wasn't in our case.) I think it just proves how much of a Crawford he really is.

Anyway, all is well here. We are just so blessed to finally have Cash here with us!

NEW DAD TYPES BLOG ENTRY WITH ONE ARM WHILE WIFE AND SON SLEEP

This is pretty wild being a naw dad. I worry about mom and Cash, although both are healthy. When things quiet down and he actually lets me hold him, I just stare at him and almost tear up (I said almost). He is so perfect and I feel such an overwelming sense of gratitude and blessing. I love him so much and he dosen't really even know who I am but I don't care. Then comes the next knock on the door and I hold my breath and hope that he keeps sleeping as another staff member barges in to take or leave something. They're not here for him this time but mom wakes up and offers to relieve me. "Not yet," I say,"he's still sleeping."

Introducing Cash Michael Crawford

Cash Michael Crawford was born September 5th at 12:41 a.m. with a length of 19.5 inches and a weight of 7 lbs 1 oz. We are so blessed that he and Caitlin are both healthy and happy. She made it look easy after pushing for just over an hour. Thank you God!

HERE COMES CASH

So here we are! It feels strange typing this but Caitlin's water is officially broken. The OB just did the honors. Anyway, that was akward. So it will just be a matter of time now. I can't promise that we'll have any minute by minute entries but I may try to do one more before it happens (I'm not confident that I'll actually have a chance to though). They just asked Caitlin if she wanted to have here tubes tied after this???? We made sure they recorded the correct response. Any way, I'm getting funny looks from the nurses so I think I'll go. Please say a prayer for us. Say it now and mean it. Thanks everyone and comment to the blog if you'de like so that I can tell Cash and Caitlin that your thinking of us. Thanks.

Due Date

It's finally here!

That's one BIG belly!

The Daddy and his "dog"ter

It's hard to believe that it's here - the day we've been focused on for the past nine months - and I've been in labor for over 24 hours now...just not "real" labor.

I woke up yesterday morning with a series of painful contractions, and then nothing for an hour or so. That's how it went all day yesterday - the contractions would come consistently, although not at regular intervals, for a period of time, and then I'd go back to being normal. I finally called the doctor in the afternoon, who said that I was probably in "false labor", which can turn into the real thing within hours or days.

So as Mick and I headed to bed around midnight last night and my contractions started up again, we thought we'd be heading to the hospital, but within an hour and a half, the contractions were still irregular and I'd sent Mick out to the couch to sleep. I spent the rest of the night being kept awake by the false contractions.


Now the thing about false labor is, it still really hurts! It just doesn't come regularly so the progression of labor doesn't get underway. Hopefully, they will start to regulate soon, because this all-of-the-pain, none-of-the-progress business is not so fun.

Come On!

I'm going to be pregnant forever.

I know, that's a bit over-dramatic, but I really feel that way today. We just got back from the doctor's office and, once again, nothing to report. I am officially 40 weeks pregnant, two days from my due date, and no further along in the labor department than last week.

The good news is that we won't be inducing this week. However, if I haven't delivered by my next appointment on Monday (four whole days after my due date!) we will likely be scheduling an induction then. All I know is that I really, really, really don't want to have to go to that appointment.

When I step back, I have to laugh at how many demands I'm trying to make on the process: I don't want to miss my due date, but I don't want to be induced; I want Cash to come in his own time, but I want that time to be soon; Please keep us from having to deliver in San Antonio, and, now that we don't have to go, please let Cash come now. I'm a walking contradiction. The truth is, God has already picked out the day and time of Cash's arrival and I'm just along for the ride.