Best Buddies

When Corin was about a month old we went to Build-A-Bear and bought him the Shamrock Bear, named Seamus, which is his best buddy; he sleeps with it and it goes EVERYWHERE with us, if we don't have him it is a tragic day. Seamus is a well loved bear. The bottoms of his feet are permentally dirty, he has gone through 3 shirts and 2 pairs of shorts, his fur is flattened and has been washed multiple times.

1/10/08

6/26/08 (Corin was sick too)

So, today we went to Build-A-Bear to get Declan a best buddy and got him this cute frog. Hopefully Declan will come to love his frog, Connell, as much as Corin has come to love Seamus.

Same Outfit

Corin is a bit older, but oh well. I thought it was fun to find the pictures of Corin in this outfit and then put Declan in it as well.

It has been such a blessing to our financial budget to have 2 boys and for them to be born close to the same time of year so the clothes I had for Corin work for Declan as well.

Corin vs. Declan

I thought it would be fun to blog about comparing my boys when they were infants.
This was probably more fun for me to write about than for others to read.

Stats:

Corin: 6lbs 14oz, 19in
Declan: 7lbs 8oz, 19 1/4in
Labor:

Corin: 8 1/2hrs

Declan: 11 1/2hrs

I think Labor with Corin was worse because I waited til I was 7cm to get my epideral while with Declan I was at 5cm. Contractions with Corin were constant while Declan was inconstant. The pain for each was different and of course uncomfortable, who likes labor pains anyway?

Delievery/Pushing:

Corin: little less than 1hr

Declan: 20min
I had to be on MagSulfate with Corin, so that was not a great experience.

Each of the boys had to be put in the NICU for a while, Declan stayed longer, however.

Burping:

Both boys are stubborn at burping

Spitting Up:
Corin was constantly spitting up, no matter how much he was burped. Shane would ask when he got home how many shirts I went through and how many outfits Corin went through that day, or he would say "That is different shirt than you had on this morning" and most of the time my response was "You missed the ones inbetween"

Declan was spitting up quite a bit in the hospital and I thought he was going to be like his brother. Declan's spit ups seem more like milk drool than the yucky, stinky spit ups that Corin had. Until recently he hasn't had many spit ups, but we have had a few and some big ones at that, where I thought all of what he just drank came up, but it wasn't the stinky kind since it came up so quickly after he ate, where as Corin would wait a while than spit up so the milk would be sitting in his stomach. I haven't had to change clothes, yet, with Declan, up he has had to have some outfit changes and so far not more than one in a day. So, as I wrote this about Declan's spit ups, he did spit up a big one that I had to change his sleeper and onesie and it was 1 1/2hrs after his last feeding. Of course, it always seems to happen that way; they prove you wrong. (3/31) But, I'll have to say that it was more a watery consistancy than the thicker kind that Corin would always have.

4/6: Declan seems to be spitting up more lately. He is on a mix of breast milk and formula, so that could be it (Corin was also) He'll spit up with a burp, after a burp and later on. You never know. Corin did a lot better when having straight formula than Declan does, but it's going to happen at some point; I'm going to have to ease him onto it more gradually than with Corin. Declan will drink it fine, it just seems to give him a lot more tummy bubbles than with Corin.
Sleeping:
Corin actually went for longer lengths of time inbetween feedings than Declan is. He is up about every 3hrs to eat. 4/6: Declan is getting better at sleeping, we are going at least 4hrs in between feedings at night and during the day he seems to be up more, but as with the night needs to be put completely asleep with cuddling before laying him down.

Declan has to sleep swaddled in blankets because he gets cold and uncomfortable more easily. Corin was content to sleep just in a onesie and sleeper with no blanket at times, but I would wrap him up and he didn't mind that either. Corin also hated his arms to be swaddled next to his body, they had to out. At first Declan didn't mind his in, but he has been wiggling them out so he can have them close to his face, so if you swaddle him with his hands close to his face, he is better off.

Declan is quite noisy when he falling asleep, sometimes when he is asleep and when waking up. During the night I'll hear him through the monitor and think that he is waking up, but he isn't just making noises. One night I heard him and thought it was about time for him to eat, but he didn't actually wake up til an hour later to eat. Corin was quite when he slept and since he would go for longer periods of time, which could vary day to day, I would wake up in the middle of the night to check on him to make sure he was alright (still breathing) because I hadn't heard anything.

Both boys had to be put completely asleep at night, by rocking or walking around before they are able to lay down in their bed.

Corin used to sleep with his hands at the side of his head. Declan's hand are near his chin and cheeks.

Corin; he always slept with his mouth open too.

Declan

Declan; so maybe he is going to start sleeping like Corin did. At least, so far, he sleeps with his mouth closed.
Or maybe not...guess he has more traits like his brother than I thought. But this is actually more of a rarity for him to sleep like this.

Diaper changes:

Both boys hate diaper changes. Parts were exposed and they hate those getting cold.

So far, Declan has not had any blow outs, just a few leaks, where as Corin at this age did.

Declan has only peed once,which was today (3/31) when I have changed his diaper and I don't think it's all because I'm used to changing a little boy's diaper since there have been times I have left him uncovered as I was wiping , if it was Corin I would have been peed on, I always had to have him covered.

4/6: The little watering hose has gone off more lately. Have to be more conscience of keeping it covered. Shane was changing Declan's diaper a few days ago on the dining room table and he sprayed everywhere!

Eyes:

At birth Corin's eye color was charcoal and turned brown. When I look at Declan's eyes I think of more of a blue-charcoal color, if that makes sense compared to when Corin was an infant and I looked at his and thought charcoal color. we'll see what color Declan's eyes become.

Corin hardly every opened his eyes when he was tiny even when he was awake. People used to think he was always asleep, which yes, infants sleep a lot, but even when he was awake his eyes would be mostly closed and he would occasionally open them to peak out to see what was going on, than close them again.
When Declan is awake his eyes are, most of the time, open looking around. Maybe its because there is more noise with an older brother.

Corin

Declan
It's hard to tell eyes in pictures and from looking at these pictures, the boys eyes seem to be more similar than I discribed, but I still think they have different eye color as infants. Declan's seem to be looking more on the blue side lately.(4/6 is when picture was taken)
Hair:

Corin basically had fuzz for hair at birth and it was much lighter than Declan. Declan came with hair and it's dark. Corin's hair is the color of mine and Declan's is the color of Shane's.

Corin is about a month old in his picture. It was hard to find pictures to show off

Declan; it's hard to tell from these pictures, but the amount of hair Delcan has is far greater than what Corin had.

Back of Declan's head to show his hair. Corin had a thin layer of hair that barely covered his head, nothing was sticking up like with Declan's hair.

Corin hair now has curl like Shane (not as curly though, when there is no gel in Corin's hair it is mostly flat and only a few up curls on the ends. I think this is due to the fine texture of his hair) and has my color and texture. I wonder if Declan is going to have Shane's color and my straightness.
Cuddling:

Declan is definitely more of a cuddle bug. He will sit by himself for a while in his swing or bouncy chair and than start fussing to get out. Once you get him out and he cuddles into your shoulder and chest, he is perfectly content.

Corin would cuddle, but would be content to sit in the bouncy chair or swing for longer periods of time. In the early AM Corin would wake up and the only way for him to go back to sleep after he ate was to sleep with him on the couch with him between you and the back of the couch.

Pacifier:

Corin took to a pacifier right away and liked it. Declan, on the other hand, took a while to take to it and still isn't all that fond of it. It is inconsistant as to when he'll take it and when he'll make a face and not want it. Sometimes he'll take it when he is tired and when I am trying to make a bottle. Not even when he is fussy will he take it either. Just depends on his mood and if he wants it or not, unlike Corin who would take it whenever you offered it to him. When Declan gets hungry he sucks on his fingers and fist, but I don't think he'll be a finger sucker because he only does it when he is hungry and not at other times.

Declan; I was trying to give him a pacifier (hence my hand in the picture) and this was the face he made.

He liked it this time and took it to fall asleep with.

Lately (4/6) it seems that Declan is getting more into his pacifier, but still doesn't take it nearly as much as Corin did and sometimes even when he is tired he doesn't want it and at other times gets really into sucking on it and wanting it. Who knows...

Veggie Eating

In some of my previous posts I have mentioned the fights I have had in getting Corin to eat some veggies. Its not that he dislikes them, but he only eats a few of them; green beans is his primary veggie and if we call peas beans than he'll eat those as well. But, I think we are progressing in the area of veggie eating, at least for now, we'll have to see later on if he fights it since it seems he goes through stages. A few nights ago with dinner we had a salad, which is the salad that came with our take home meal from the hospital (frozen lasagna and garlic bread). Corin has been talking about tomatoes, so I thought I'd put just a few small pieces on his plate as well as cucumber. Well, he ate them with ranch dressing, but he ate them! I was SO excited!! This past week cantalope was on sale at King Soopers, and it sounded really good to me, so Shane went out and picked me up a few. When he was out I asked him to get some tomatoes (Romas) and cucumber (English), which also happened to be on sale. Corin has also been eating the cantalope like crazy, he is much more of a fruit boy than veggie. So, I have been giving Corin some with lunch, just small amounts so it doesn't get wasted, with lunch and he has been eating them, still with ranch, but not too much of it since I get to control the quantity. He actually asked for more today, which thrilled me as a mother!! Both times he ate the cucumber first, so maybe he likes them better. Shane did comment that he thought so. I agree with Corin that ranch with veggies make it much better, however Shane would disagree. He isn't as good as his cousin Eric, but maybe one day he'll get there.

St. Patrick's Day

KISS ME, I'M IRISH!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

LOVE, CORIN AND DECLAN

Grandpa Pat (Grandpapa, as Corin calls him) brought Declan this onesie in the hospital. Of course as I was about to take a picture of him in it he spits up in it (hence the wet spots), it seems like that is always how it happens.

It was a beautiful day today, but still had to put Delcan in something warmer than a onesie since he gets cold.

We didn't do anything special for St. Patrick's Day, not even corned beef and cabbage for dinner (I don't like it, maybe its because I'm not irish, I just married an Irish man), but I had fun taking pictures of them in Irish outfits, which I had the forsight to purchase early. Even if Declan wasn't born before St. Patrick's Day, I still needed the outfit since he is an Irish boy.

Our Newest Family Member

Declan Morgan O'Berry

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

3:06pm

7lbs. 8oz 19 1/4in.

So, here is the story of how Declan came into the world.

My water started leaking at about 3:00am, but we didn't leave for the hospital until about 5:20am. I wanted to start timing my contractions at home, since they hadn't started when my water was leaking and I wanted to be sure it was time. We called my parents and my dad came over to watch Corin when we headed for the hospital. I was 4cm dilated when we got to the hospital. When I was 5cm dilated I decided to get my epideral. I'm a whimp when it comes to pain. The pain was uncomfortable and different than with Corin, so I decided not to wait any longer for my epideral. Labor about 11 1/2hrs, but with an epideral I didn't feel much of it until at the very end when it was time to push. I pushed for 20min and Declan was here! Great for me that pushing was only 2omin, however it wasn't so great for Declan. It didn't give him enough time to get the fluid pushed out of his lungs, so he had to go to the NICU for about 2hrs to make sure everything was alright and to "dry" out. Apparently, grutting isn't a good sign when they come out and he wasn't crying loudly at all. He did great in there, his oxygen level was at 98.

Declan has the cutest chunky cheeks! So many of the hospital staff commented on them.

Declan is a fairly noisy sleeper. The nurses were always checking on him as to what kind of noises he was making since he was grutting at birth.

He loves to be in blankets, he seems to get cold easily or at least doesn't like to be cold, his little lip quivers. One night he was having a rough night and we couldn't figure out what was wrong, but once he got another blanket wrapped around him and calmed down he feel right asleep.

Having a cold wipe on his bum seems to be far worse than his circumcision surgery.

Corin loves his Declan and to point to all his facial features. He wants to hold Declan on his own without help. He is trying his hardest to be gentle and soft. Corin asks about Declan throughout the day, especially if he can't see him and will also tell you what Declan is doing, which the common answer is sleeping.

The Snowiest Month??

Usually in Colorado March is known as the snowiest month of the weather.
Well, here is what Corin did today....

It was in the 70s today, so we went into the backyard to play.
He had a great time with his bubble machine.

After the bubbles were all gone he found his bucket and shovel, which he has been asking about for the past few days and dug in the flower beds. Since there is nothing planted in them it is fine, but this spring I will be planting so I better break him of the habit now.

He was SO dirty, that we had to change clothes before lunch and nap time,

but he had so much fun.

I tried to get a picture of his dirty face, but this picture doesn't do it justice.