THREE!

Three boys! Three S's! Third time's the charm!  Three might be my new favorite number!  

I would like to introduce...

 Steele Samuel Sullenger

Born October 1, 2019 at 6:43 pm.   

9 pounds 3 ounces

21.5 inches long

15 inch head

Apparently his little ear had been folded during utero.  It has unfolded now into a normal looking ear.

Penny caught a similar picture with all three boys moments after they were born.  Something about Gunnar's hand on the baby's head melts my heart a little bit.  

Apparently my body likes to grow jumbo babies!  We were all surprised with how big he was.  If I had had to guess before he was born, I would have guessed in the mid 8s, and my midwife said she was guessing high 7s.  And then came Steele in all his big head, fat roll glory!!

 

My last pregnancy picture with Monte on the left and my last one with Steele on the right.  I don't know where Steele was hiding but I certainly didn't look or feel as big as I did with Monte!

He was one ounce lighter than Monte, but much bigger skeletally which is what counts in the whole birthing process!   But even though he was my biggest it was our smoothest birth by a mile!! Pretty "text book" actually if there even is such a thing. 

He came out with big feelings and honestly screamed a lot right at first.  Finally he burped a whole bunch then calmed down and we got to snuggle for a long time.  He latched pretty fast and hasn't stopped since.   During all of labor but especially at the end I kept saying "I just want to hold him!  He's never going to come out and I just want to hold him!"  So after he settled down and I got all cleaned up and settled, getting to just snuggle him while he looked around was pretty wonderful! 

 

Gunnar's favorite part of having a newborn is getting to nap with them.  When I saw this, I knew that his dreams were officially fulfilled!

 Just so much squishy goodness!

He looks quite angry when he gets sleepy or when just looking around.  We often comment how much he looks like Monte.  As he's gotten older, I definitely see more Kit but those cheeks just make us think of Monte so much!  

My Dad got this camo outfit for us for Christmas when I was pregnant with Monte and Monte and Kit both wore it as their coming home outfit. Since Steele didn't need a going home outfit, we used it as his first going out outfit.  

Steele seems to like a pacifier which I'm actually kinda grateful for.  Since he's the third, having a "just give me few more minutes" tool seems like it will be wonderful.  We actually got my brother to go to walmart the night Steele was born and pick us up some because I hadn't bought any.  With three boys needing me, having a pacifier feels like a good way to help keep him happy for a moment longer while I'm finishing whatever else I'm doing before I can feed him.  We'll see if he continues to like it...

More Daddy snuggles.  

He's been quite the spit upper so far but I think it's because my supply is just so great right now.  He's often gulping to try to keep up and I think he just gets so much so fast sometimes that he can't handle it.  Some days aren't bad and then others he's like a fountain! haha He also gets some mean hiccups!  Regularly.  He got them in the womb a lot and they were so hard they almost hurt me.  I get it now, they are pretty strong.  I feel bad for him but he doesn't seem to mind them.  Kit got them really bad too as a newborn and quickly outgrew getting them on a regular basis so hopefully Steele does too. 

He dream smiles quite a bit and I promise that he has smiled at me twice on purpose.  Gunnar doesn't believe me and I actually am not sure about the first one but the second one he totally smiled in response to me talking to him! 

At the 24 hour mark, he had lost 3 ounces.  At his check up at 9 days old, he had gained a whole pound and was up to 10 pounds even.  I think "thriving" is a great word to describe him! He's mostly doing 2-3 hours stretches at night but often does a four hour stretch at some point.  He has done one 5 and one 6 hour stretch too.  That was nice!  He's been kinda gassy a few nights too where he was just uncomfortable but didn't want to nurse.  That was kinda hard and exhausting.  Hopefully I'm figuring out what I'm eating that his tummy doesn't like.  

In his stars!  Aunt Sara bought this outfit for Monte when I was pregnant with him.  I am pretty sentimental and love the special outfits we have that all three boys have worn.  Also the animals on the window were mine when I was a baby and so was the bank on the left.  Two of the books were mine when I was a baby, one is Steele's gift from Aunt Sara, and the last one is one my grandmother read to my dad when he was a baby. 

Welcome to the family Steele.  We love you and already can't imagine life without you.  You are our answered prayer.

Pregnancy Post - 39 Weeks

38 Weeks and 2 days

My first and third babies!

Monte actually wanted to take a picture with me!

Weight Gain - 23 lbs.  During our remodel I didn't gain a pound.  The baby was growing and I was at a healthy weight gain so my midwife wasn't worried about it.  We finished the remodel and I literally gained 5 pounds in one week!  Yikes!

Kit showing me his baby! (Also yes, I wore this same shirt last week to church, I have like 3 shirts that aren't t-shirts or tanks tops that still fit)

Cravings - None to speak of really. 

Name - WE HAVE ONE!! Like the first AND middle name!  We've had the first name since we found out he was a boy but could not come up with a middle name.  Today at church it just suddenly seemed like the middle name became "the one."  It's a name we have tossed around before but never really settled on just like all the other options we had, then today, it suddenly just became him!  

hehe Kit and I comparing bellies!

Kit loves giving the baby a hug.  Most nights before bed he has to give me a hug goodnight and then the baby a hug too.  

39 Weeks, 2 days

Symptoms - Besides my hand, all my symptoms are pretty typical. Just large and uncomfortable.  Slight swelling in my feet at the end of the day, hard to move without grunting.  The other day I was trying to roll over to get out of bed and Kit turned to Gunnar and asked, "Daddy, why is Mama growling?" because I was grunting so much.  My thumb and first two fingers on my right hand are totally numb and now my middle finger on my left hand is numb too.  

Who knows how accurate this is, but I think they're fun to look at! 

Can't wait to meet this sweet boy of ours!!

Pregnancy Post - Week 37

Today I am 37 weeks, 3 days.  If I have this baby when I had Kit, I'll have him this coming Sunday.  If I have him when I had Monte, I'll have him in a month... soooo who knows! ha!

37 weeks

Weight Gain - 18 pounds.  Much less than the other two but I was already at a higher weight so it all evens out I guess. 

So while pretty bump pictures are nice, most of my pregnancy since the last post has looked like this.... I still haven't decided if doing a major remodel right before having a baby was the smartest or dumbest idea I've ever had....jury's still out...

 

 

 

Nursery is officially completely done construction wise as of yesterday and the bathroom just needs some finishing work (caulk and paint trim, hang mirror, add a couple pieces of trim around cabinets, etc.) but is completely functional and cleanable so I'm stopping in there until after baby.  Gunnar may work in there some more in the evenings but our main goal now is to get everything clean and put away! (tools, trash trailer, random stuff that was stacked everywhere to get it out of the way, lumber scraps etc.)

36 weeks and 26 weeks ... We had to document it at least once...

 

Symptoms - My right hand is basically totally numb now.  Feels similar to the nerve damage you get in a surgery scar or something like that.  You know how hard it is to cut in with paint when you can't feel your hand and it hurts all at the same time?! Trouble sleeping because my hand goes to sleep even more and wakes me up.  Minor leg cramps but not bad thankfully.  Definitely hit the "Oh my gosh I can't breathe!" point of pregnancy!  A few emotional meltdowns...  And an aversion to people... I feel bad but nice people being nice to me is just irritating right now!  oh hormones... just keeping it real.  

Gender - boy

Name - Still only have a first name... Man, we should really work on that middle name!  We just can't come up with something we both love! 

 

 Cravings - Carbonation.  I'm not sure this counts as a craving or is just because I often get hot and tired but I am drinking quite a few Topo Chicos these days and feel the need for those throat burning bubbles!  

 Movement - Little guy has definitely slowed down his movements the last week or so.  He still moves just as frequently but they are more like rolling, pushing type of movements versus sharp kicks and jabs.  He is head down thankfully and hopefully stays there!  He gets hiccups quite often at random times all through out the day,  

37 weeks, 3 days

Can't wait to meet the little guy... Maybe give me a few more days to finish getting all the sheetrock dust cleaned up and my house clean again.  I did buy diapers though!  So technically we're ready... I mean what else do you really need with a new baby?! ;)