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Some Facts About LJ

PERSONAL

It’s easy to forget how hard this post-partum stage is.  In my book it is harder than pregnancy…but then again, I get 9 months into pregnancy before it stinks a little (dang sciatica) where as some folks deal with morning sickness, bed rest, etc…so others might be pshawing at their computer right now.  But for me…yeah…post partum is rough.  Like nails on a chalkboard.

This post partum has probably been my easiest…(watch out now…here comes some details that may or may not gross you out more than gas station sushi)…I tore less, I didn’t fracture my tailbone, I didn’t take any drugs, all in all, pretty good.  I do have some non-fun stuff…I had PUPPS (I get it after delivery every time), I had a little first degree tear, I had a lot more clotting this time around which was more scary than anything (yeah, you can bet I was googling “am I going to bleed to death?”) and I had a hormonal imbalance which was causing me to be constantly in the bathroom (TMI sorry!).  Also, I always have a touch of those baby blues the first few weeks but I’ve been getting lots of help so that helps up my resting time which helps me stay a little more balanced.  But I think in general, those side effects are past now…which is cause for celebration 🙂

LJ had a backward schedule at first but I think we may have worked past it now…which is pretty awesome.

Oh and for those of you that didn’t know…LJ did have a moderately anterior tongue tie at birth.  At one day old, we had the doctor at the hospital clip it.  So far breastfeeding has been pretty good….once I got past the uber-fun engorgement stage.  Note the sarcasm.

I did a bit of newborn photos.  The kid has weird angles.  Sometimes he looks like the lovechild of a hobbit and an elf…sometimes he looks like a baby….sometimes he looks like a little boy.  I think the one below looks most like him right this second…

Will and Weston are somewhat obsessed with him.  I love that.  They constantly want to hug and hold and kiss him.  Weston has this idea that LJ is a perfect wrestling partner…so we have to make sure we don’t lay LJ anywhere within Weston-reach to avoid Weston tackling the baby.

Will on the other hand has been darn near perfect with him.  You know…if perfect means not wanting to smother him alive with a sumo-style elbow to the head.  His favorite thing is to lay down next to LJ and get ‘kisses’…and to tell me what LJ is saying…which usually involves Will needing candy.  Who knew that newborns were so generous?!

It’s pretty ironic that Leonard means ‘brave as a lion’ because this kid was born with the best hair…aka mane.  My friend called it ’30 year old man hair’…which is a perfect description.  It’s not super full (like in your 20’s), but it’s well coifed with highlights and a bit of style.  Some folks have been saying that it looks identical to Jeremy’s hair.  That’s true.  Except only identical to Jeremy’s hair now…because when Jer was a baby, he had white blonde hair.

The thing that strikes me most different about LJ is that he pulls his feet up under him.  He ‘tucks them in’ all the time.  Both of my other boys never did that.  They stuck their legs out straight like pool sticks.  The tucked legs are so ‘newborn’ to me.  Also…he is a horribly slow burper.  It takes FOREVER…and he cries the entire time the little bubble is stuck.  Also…his belly button hasn’t fallen off yet.  We followed the directions from the doctor to a T about the darn thing but it’s still clinging on by a thread.  I can’t wait to have it come off so I can give him a proper bath…sponge baths are just not my favorite baby task.

And my favorite little things about him are that he is noisy all the time and that he is a hand holder.  He LOVES holding onto people’s fingers.  He often has his little hands up near his face and will pull your hand up there and rest his little cheek on your hand while clinging to your fingers.  And the noises?!  OH THE NOISES.  He is such a squeaky little guy.  Constantly making noises when he is awake or sleeping or eating.  The nurses at the hospital were concerned about him (I guess the snoring can be an indicator that something is wrong?) but after three different doctors checked him out, they just ruled him a ‘noisy little guy’…maybe that means he’ll be a musician or something?

Let’s just hope that he’s not tone deaf like his mommy 🙂

p.s.  these three pics are already in my bedroom….my boys…my heart 🙂

   

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Comments

  1. He is so precious!! Just wondering why you can’t give him a bath? In the UK they say to just carry on as normal – normal baths are fine from the word go. Neither of my boys had a problem with their cord stumps (which fell off at 9 days and 4 days respectively).

  3. Katie he is so so beautiful! Congratulations! His hair is adorable. Hopefully the cord will fall off soon- they arent the nicest things to look at. My youngest (who will be 1 in only 2 sleeps 🙁 ) hers fell off really early I was shocked-it was like day 6 or something crazy! I’m in Australia and they don’t make us do anything to them at all and they bath normally from day 1. I know in the days when Mum was having us that they had to clean them with metho though!

  4. I have never heard anyone else say they got pupps after birth? I had it too and it was awful!! Is yours gone?

  5. Beautiful pictures Katie! I love when babies pull their legs up and curl up on your chest! Enjoy it because it doesn’t seem to last long. I’m glad you got his schedule worked out and feeling better. Enjoy your beautiful family 🙂

  6. He is seriously cute! I love his hair (reminds me of my first baby boy). I have a 9 month old upstairs right now, but these gorgeous newborn photos are very much making me ache… LJ is a beautiful baby. Congratulations Bower family!!

  7. I have the worst case of baby fever and this didn’t help at all 😉 Enjoy your sweet boys. They are precious.

  8. Perfection! The photo with him all propped up on his elbows? LOVE it!

    When my second was born, my oldest kept trying to play that game where you touch the forehead, eyes, nose, and then tickle the chin. Only she was WAY to rough and I was terrified she as going to poke my baby’s eyes out! 🙂 Disclaimer: They are 5 and 7 now and all is well!

  9. Oh that sweet sweet face! And that hair. I want to run my fingers through it.

    So I know that this sounds nuts. I also know that you probably receive a ton of unsolicited advice [but that’s not gonna stop me]. I’m so not a baby nurse but I did recently stay at a holiday inn. I mean… read this article. It sounds soooo hippy but the post partum results speak for themselves. And since you plan on having more kids I would totally consider it especially when it comes to the blues.

    http://www.fortheloveof.net/placenta-encapsulation/

    Enjoy your adorable and sweet babies and feel better!

  10. Katie, Those are simply adorable photographs. Congratulations on a beautiful trio of boys. Try to make yourself a priority & look after yourself.

    Barb

  11. Oh man, you guys make cute babies! 🙂 I noticed with my second that she was a lot noisier than my first (both girls). She’s now almost 5 months old, and super talkative. LJ is pretty close to perfect! Glad you’re healing well!

  12. I love it! Postpartum was difficult for me also. Glad you’re feeling better and thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. I love that you have the three b&w photos of your boys in the same pose.

  13. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I love the pictures of your babies. Makes me just want more babies now that my youngest is 15months.

  14. The last set of photos. I’m dying. And so jealous I didn’t do something similar!!!!

  15. My 2nd daughter’s cord took 2 months to fall off! I was going crazy. My two boys Wafter that were both 7 weeks I think. LJ is beautiful!

  16. Aww…those pictures are precious! I love the 3 at the end of the post. I just had a baby in February, but I think I missed the sleepy newborn stage for photos. It’s just so busy with two! My almost 4 year old also tells me all the time what his little brother is “saying”. Must be a universal preschooler thing. And a devious plot to get candy 🙂

  17. My son held on to his umbilical cord for FOREVER!!! We joked that he had a hard time letting go of the past. We used hydrogen peroxide and alcohol and that helped it along. I really worried that he would be taking that thing to kindergarten! LJ is just adorable! His man hair is fabulous!

  22. Adorable!!!

    Hope you’re recuperating well, Katie. The first few weeks are so hard. I’m amazed that you have time and energy to continue to post to the blog.

    God bless your family.

  23. LJ is just precious. Love all that hair. My 16 month old has slept with his knees under his chest his whole life. My favorite moment is sneaking up on him sleeping to see his butt high in the air with knees underneath. LJ may do it for longer than his baby stage.

    Congrats!

  24. He is so precious!! I love his hair! I had those hard couple of first weeks with both of my babies too but it eventually passes once you can get a few straight hours of sleep. My daughter’s stump never did fall off on it’s own even though I did what I was supposed to do. It ended up that our pediatrician just got it out for us at a regular visit. I miss when they squeak when they eat. So sweet!

  25. Congratulations! I’m getting ready to have my 2nd son soon, 10 weeks and counting! Love all of the “gory” details. Not because they are fun to read, but because it’s real, and for the most part, no one talks about that stuff, but it’s stuff that happens and really, has a big part on the woman after the baby is born. I also get the baby blues afterwords, (thanks hormones!) and also get PUPPPS. Ugh. PUPPPS is the WORST, so I feel for you! I get it though around 34 weeks and have it for about 4-6 weeks then it starts to taper off after delivery. Hoping I don’t get it this time around!!

    Congrats again to you and your family. LJ looks like a sweetie! 🙂

  26. Oh my gracious he is so adorable. I LOVE his hair and his sweet little face.
    My daughter had tracheomalacia (nothing really major and it fixed itself) and she snored worse than a grown man for the first year of her life. She would squeak so loud while eating too. Most people it freaked out but I LOVED all her little noises. So glad you are recovering well. Congrats on your beautiful family!

  27. He is gorgeous! My oldest hung onto his umbilical stump for FOUR WEEKS! I don’t know why he liked it so much, but it drove me crazy!

  29. My goodness you two make beautiful babies! I am envious of your baby bootie pictures! My little guy wanted nothing to do with being naked even with the room at 90 degrees so our newborn photo shoot was a bust. Whomp whomp
    Congratulations again on a healthy baby boy! Many blessings for you, LJ and your family!!

  30. Oh Katie, he is so beautiful and I am SO JEALOUS of his amazing hair. I’m glad this post-partum stage has been easier for you. Congratulations to all of you!!

  32. I love seeing all your pics! So beautiful 🙂 I hope you begin to feel much better soon. You and Jer make such beautiful babies!

  33. These pictures of LJ are just …..for lack of words….so delicious……mouth watering kind……can you tell I am on the last leg of my pregnancy with the third and its a boy too :)…can’t wait to met him.

    enjoy those chubby hands and those squeaky noises!

  35. Okay 1. I love LJ. 2. His hair is perfect. 3. Congrats Bower family! 4. The photos of your 3 boys is absolutely wonderful!!!!

  39. Hang in there Katie! Such a pretty baby to get you through the postpartum blues! Great photos, and thanks for all the cute (and not so cute!) details 🙂

  40. What a beautiful little boy!! All three of them are so handsome! Congrats again and glad you are getting past the postpartum stuff!

  41. He is so handsome!! Can’t wait to see more of your beautiful family, but we can wait… rest up momma!

  43. Katie – we are all so happy for you. As the mother of three boys, I’m glad you are recovering well. It takes 9 months to make our bodies crazy and we have to remember that it takes about 12 weeks before the yo-yo stuff is really over. Every new mom can remember bursting into tears (and then the nipples go off!) over something small – maybe for happiness, maybe not. We are all praying for your family during this happiest of transition times.

  44. He is such a cutie, thanks for sharing! Also it’s fine to give baths with the cord still attached. I always did and had no issues. Both girls lost theirs by 3 weeks old.

  46. Those 3 matching pictures of your boys! Oh my heartstrings! That is the sweetest, most perfect thing I have ever seen <3

  47. What a handsome little man! You grow some cute babies, ma’am. And I love the 3 identical poses with their flat little newborn booties. So adorable! Congrats on the beautiful baby.

  48. Congratulations! He sure is a cutie pie! He also makes my 13 month old look humongous. Enjoy all these wonderful moments, you already know they go by so fast!

  49. Awww, what a sweetie – his hair is amazing! So cute! How is your PUPPS? It’s the absolute worst, in my opinion. Mine showed up in my third trimester and didn’t go away for several weeks after birth.

  50. My daughter’s fell off on the 52nd day! It’s because she had lower number of neutrophilic granulocytes in her blood. Later the level turned to normal by itself and it’s all ok.

  53. Postpartum is so hard. And I feel like when you have already had a couple kids sometimes people forget you need even more help (not less)
    My first tucked his legs under so much we had to keep him in. Gowns or huge sleepers, he won’t give them up!

  54. The nurses wee probably wondering if he was “grunting.” This basically refers to when the lungs aren’t opened up all the way, so they make all sorts of noises. They had a legitimate concern… sounds like you got great care!

  55. Omg…PUPPS. The worst. I had it and hated myself the whole time BUT I found something that actually helped! I did a little research and Grandpa’s Old Pine Tar Soap helped tons of women. I went into thinking “it’s only three dollars…it won’t work on me but it’s not a waste of money at least.” But it worked! It totally cleared me up in about three days BEFORE I even delivered. You will smell like a campfire a bit but it is totally worth it. You can get it at GNC and other stores like it. Seriously…do it. It’s amazing.

  56. We had a hard burper, too. He’s actually still that way every now and then at 11 months! It takes a lot of patience and you just feel so bad for them. We actually had a couple weeks where it was so bad that at least once a day he’d cry until he spit up (usually about an hour later). Two weeks of that felt like forever at the time, but it wasn’t that long in the end. I hope LJ doesn’t get to that point. Good luck with everything. Your boys are the sweetest.

  59. Adorable! He resembles your nephew in the third photo.

    Glad to hear you’re recovering well.

  60. Thanks for being honest. Those first few weeks are tough and the baby blues are real. It’s refreshing to know I wasn’t the only one. Beautiful baby!!

  64. Disclaimer, I’m pregnant and hormonal. I wish there was a “Squeeeeeee!” button. So freaking cute. I love the idea of the 3 pics of your boys as newborns in the same pose. I’ll have to do the same with one of my first and now my second. I want to hold babies now. Good for your tiny tear btw. I pray for that. lol (tmi, mommy talk)

  65. I love all the pics- so beautiful! Glad that you are feeling better. Nothing like having a baby to make you feel like a stranger to your own body..

  67. Hm, does LJ’s squeaks sound like this?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG09PcXfD1M

    I had the same thing as a baby and my nephew who is almost 2 y.o. had it as well. He grew out of it before he was a year old. It’s harmless and babies eventually grow out of it. How long it takes and how loud the squeaks are depend on the severity. It was kind of hard to figure out what you meant by the squeaking so I’m not positive but this is what I thought of first. The squeaking coincides with the inhale, I think.

    He is so adorable! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  68. Beautiful! I had to comment about the noises – our son (2nd child) was born like that. So. Much. Grunting! All of my research led to “it’s normal and will go away” and he was never checked out by any doctors for it. But man did that grunting keep us from any solid hour of sleep for a few months! Eventually we got the rock-n-play sleeper and that helped him it seemed. No one mentioned lung development to us and he was even hospitalized for RSV at 5 weeks old.
    My point is I feel your noisy-baby-sleepless-parent pain! But he’s a doll and a keeper for sure!

  70. As I read this post earlier tonight, I sat nursing my 4 month old baby boy (our first) and was agreeing with you wholeheartedly. Post partum is so, so hard – physically, emotionally. It’s wonderful to hear other moms say that out loud. I felt so guilty for not feeling like it was “magical” or that I was “in heaven.” Combine the normal physical, emotional hardships of post partum with difficulty breastfeeding, and it’s overwhelming! I’m really thankful to be out of that fog. I can’t even pretend to know what it’s like with two other small children. So all of that to say that I’m agreeing with you in spirit. Your boys are precious, and I pray the tough days of post partum are over soon!

  71. Congrats on your newest little boy!
    You are right, those first few weeks are hard! It’s happy and exciting yet physically painful and exhausting. I think that was part of God’s design. We moms don’t sit…we are super busy. If we felt wonderful after delivery we might not be content to just sit and nurse and stare at our beautiful babies.
    I am looking forward to seeing pics of all 3 of your sweet boys. I hope you feel better soon.

  73. Oh no…I had an epidural. My body doesn’t seem to progress without it. I meant that in post-partum, I didn’t need any drugs (with Weston, I was popping Advil like crazy and wanted something stronger but this time didn’t even need the Advil).
    xo – kb

  74. Nothing better than three boys…I say that in a total non-biased way…okay not really. You will find that you will connect to other moms with three kids, and three boys especially. Its like a club… that isn’t really a club… but you feel a part of something anyways. We are trying for our fourth and finale baby (7 years after the last baby) and I could care less if it is a boy or a girl. I’d love the clothes and everything if I had a girl but boys are so my thing now. Its what I know and what I’m comfortable with. I always thought that I’d be a girl person but as it turns out God really knows what he is doing because I’m totally a boy person.
    For me it was hardest going from 2 to 3 kiddos but once you get the sleep thing down it is pretty smooth sailing. I do have to say people are scared of 3 kids though aren’t as eager to watch them as they were with 2 kids. But that’s okay we are a pretty close knit family and prefer to be together most of the time.
    Congratulations on your sweet new boy!

  75. Yup…I always get it right after delivery (or the couple days before) but never weeks before and it always lasts about two weeks. It is awful!
    xo – kb

  76. I think they just want it to dry out? So they recommend sponge baths till it falls off 🙂 I’m sure a normal bath wouldn’t hurt but it’s just one of those things that I follow to a T 🙂
    xo – kb

  77. Oh he is so so beautiful! I love reading about your sweet family as it grows, you are blessed!
    xo
    Kate

  80. You don’t finish baby rooms “on time” and you get PUPPS…that right there, is why I want to braid your hair and make you 1,000 friendship bracelets.

  81. As a hopeful soon to be momma, I love hearing the TMI of post partum! I like to know the realm of what could happen to me, my body, and my potential babe.
    Thanks for sharing!

  82. Ok, so I am one of those weirdos who thinks most newborns aren’t the cutest thing. Don’t get me wrong, mine was perfect 😉 but I’m not really ga-ga over the rolls, squishy face, etc. HOWEVER LJ is seriously (SERIOUSLY!) the cutest newborn I’ve ever seen (again, mine would be the one exception). He looks like a toddler boy! SOOO cute!!! I hope things get easier for ya fast and those baby blues go right away. Enjoy your beautiful little brood!

  84. He is so adorable, just like all of your children. We are expecting a baby boy at the end of July/early August and we have decided to name him Leo. Where did you get the amazing lion hat?!? I would love one for his newborn photo shoot. Love your blog by the way 🙂

  85. Love this update! And I absolutely adore the last three pictures. I wish I would have been able to do that with my kiddos. 🙂 My oldest was a micropreemie, and they are notorious for being tough burpers (who knows why?). The Nurses taught me to *gently* rub his soft spot. It relaxes them just enough to let that air out. Worked like a charm! Maybe it will work for little LJ. 🙂

    Your kids are beautiful, and I love LJ’s hair and pouty lips!!

  86. It is a hard time, for sure. My two boys are 15 months apart, and I felt like I was just making it day-by-day till the little one was about 3 months old. Then, the fog lifted a little. Thanks for sharing such honest emotions and making me feel more normal. Your baby and your photos of him are beautiful.

  89. My first was super hard to burp! The only way we could get her to was by sitting her upright on our knee and bouncing her. It sounds weird but it was the only way that worked. It’s a little awkward at first you have to kind of hold their chest while holding their head up with their neck/chin, bounce them and pat them on the back with your other hand. Sometimes just the bouncing worked as long as she was sitting up super straight. Like I said, awkward but it worked for us!

  90. Forgive the late note, but a very heartfelt congratulations on LJ! He is precious and your photos are lovely. Blessings to you and yours.

  92. Wow, he is beautiful! Congratulations! And your photos are to die for of your little ones as newborns. I may need to read up on your photography tips!!

  93. So what I said about this post was “aw they have the same butt cracks”.

    Such a cute post … cute photos as always. 🙂

  94. How beautiful and poetically you’ve written about your newborn and all of your boys. Makes me think a little about having another one. Congratulations on a healthy beautiful baby. And that photo you said looks just like him right now…gorgeous!

  96. Oh he is just so beautiful! I adore those three photos at the end of the post, there are all so alike! I’m due with my third boy in August and my first two are really similar so at the moment I can’t imagine that my third could possibly look any different. Time will tell though 🙂

  97. I had it my last few weeks of pregnancy and went away soon as my son was born! I had no idea what it was until then. It was HORRIFIC. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

  98. What a cutie!! I LOVE the first picture specifically! He looks so perfect, like a porcelin doll. The trio pics of your boys are just ADORABLE! I totally want to copy you when I have my own little ones some day! TOO CUTE!

  100. where did you get that cocoon in the first picture? is that what they call it? a baby cocoon?

  101. I got it off etsy. They are called cheesecloth wraps and are basically just a long piece of thin cheesecloth that you wrap around the baby to create a tight cocoon. Here is the link to the shop I bought it from.
    xo – kb

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