The Life and Times of Dolton Craig

Happy Birthday to The Boy!!!

2008-04-13T01:22:00.014-04:00

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday Dolton Craig,
Happy birthday to you!

On April 8th, 2008, Dolton Craig turned one year old!!!
Such a big boy now! Check out his one year pics...

Sick Sick Sick

2008-02-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

With the rush of the holidays over, hopefully I will be better able to keep up with this!!!

I'll get the Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures posted soon...

Right now Dolton is a sick little boy. He's running a fever, projectile vomiting, and has horrid diaharea. Poor little guy! Apparently there's a virus going around - Emily had it a week ago. If you or your children get it, be warned. It's awful. And my poor poor baby doesn't understand what's wrong. I feel so bad for him! He's totally miserable. The only upside to all of this is that with his frequent naps, I've been getting a lot of crocheting done. I finished several WIPs, and compeleted a bunch of new projects. I love love love the new site I found (new to me, at least) at http://www.theanticraft.com/. It's great! I'll be posting pictures of my FOs as soon as I remember what I've done with my camera.

Oh, the boy is up. Better go see how my sick baby is doing...

Long Time, No Update!

2007-11-17T02:02:00.001-05:00

Wow! I have been oh so remiss in posting lately! So many things have happened, so many firsts have occurred, that to include them all this post will be extraordinarily long. Get your reading glasses, settle in, and enjoy the show! As always, you can click on the pictures

to see a larger version.

...

On October 20th, Dolton had his first trip to Chuck E. Cheese! We went with Grammie, Aunt Kelly, and cousin Emmy. The boy had so much fun! He didn't ride the rides so much as just sit on them and look around,

but he had a blast.

I took baby food with me to the restaurant so Dolton could eat with us, and he was making the strangest faces!

Emily had a blast, as well. She really liked the Whack-A-Mole game!

Dolton liked the School Bus, and had fun playing with Grammie.

I think the Monster Truck was his favorite! Emily liked it, too.

Everyone had a good time at Chuck E. Cheese!

...

Papa likes to teach Dolton how to play the piano! Too bad Papa doesn't know how to play...

...

For Halloween, Dolton and I went to Providence Church. They had a Treasure Hunt called "The Search for the Pearl." It was really fun! We got a treasure map, and had to complete several different games to get a sticker on the map. Then we were able to get a 'pearl' and solve the hunt. There was a Cakewalk (pictured below), Simon Says, Soccer, Pluck-A-Duck, a fishing game, and Basketball. We had a blast!

Dolton's favorite game was Pluck a Duck. The object of the game was to pick up one of the rubber ducks, and see what number was on the bottom. You then would receive that many pieces of candy. The boy was having so much fun, I quit accepting the candy! We played that game at least ten times!!!

We also had fun fishing for candy. It kind of reminded me of the game at the fair on Pollyanna. Does anyone remember

the doll she won?

Basketball was not Dolton's strong suit...

Yay! We found the pearl, and got our picture taken with Jesus!

Once the Treasure Hunt was over, we went Trick-or-Treating at Anissa's house. We got to see Anissa, her sister Angela, and LeeAnn.

After Anissa's, we went to see Adreanne.

She looked beautiful!

For his first Halloween,

I gave Dolton a Tootsie Roll.

It's just not Halloween

until you have chocolate!

All in all, I think it was a great first Halloween.

...

Dolton can really get messy when he eats a Biter Biscut! Just look at that face!

...

On November 4th, Sandy invited Dolton and I to Bricktown for the afternoon.

We had so much fun!

We went to Bourbon Street Cafe for lunch.

Then we went for a walk on the canal.

Dolton liked looking at the ducks!

We decided to go for a boat ride on the canal.

The Miller Jackson building is the oldest building in Bricktown.

Here are some random views from the canal...

There are several bridges over the canal,

and each of them have names.

This is the largest waterfall on the canal.

It is over 8 feet tall.

The Oklahoma Land Run Monument is not yet

completed. When it is finished, it will be

the largest bronze monument in the world.

It is based on the Land Run of 1889,

and will have 46 heroic-sized pieces,

stretching more than 300 feet.

Toby Keith has his own resturant, where you can order a fried bologna sandwich. Somehow, that just does not seem appetizing to me.

This is the Sonic World Headquarters.

The Block 42 Condos are the most expensive condos in Oklahoma.

The Bricktown Mural was painted by the students and faculty of OCU.

The Centennial Mosaic was sponsered by Devon Energy.

It was a really fun day!

...

Dolton is in Jail!

And here is the proof that I really DID NOT put my child in the dog's crate...

...

Dolton and I went by the Morningstar office to say hi to Anissa on the seventh. They have large buckets for charts, and Dolton had a lot of fun playing in one! We took a picture of the lable that warned against just such activities...

...

Here are the boy's seven month pictures. I took him to MotoPhoto in Crossroads Mall to have them done. They actually let me take the dogs into the mall to get their pictures made with Dolton! I was so excited. I'm glad they came out as well as they did!!!

...

Aunt Kelly gave Baby Dolton his first haircut on Thursday, November 15th. He was actually a pretty good boy during the cut! He got a little mad by the end of it, and really didn't want to get his picture taken anymore. Which would be why he's screaming in the final pic. But it came out great! He looks so grown up! All he needs is an earring, a tattoo, and a motorcycle now, and he'll be ready to go!

...

I'll try to keep up with this blog better, but no promises. There is just always so much to do now that the boy is so active! I do pledge to get the Thanksgiving pictures posted in a timely fashion. We're leaving on Wednesday for Kansas, and will be back on Friday. I can't wait for everyone to see how much Dolton has grown! Happy Turkey Day, everybody!

Happy Baby, Messy Face!

2007-10-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

Baby Dolton is eating more and more different foods now. So far he's had rice cereal; baby food sweet potatoes, squash, prunes, bananas, and applesauce; frozen bananas; and mashed fresh bananas. He doesn't particularly care for prunes or squash, and he wasn't sure about the mashed bananas (although he loves the frozen and baby food versions). His favorites are by far the sweet potatoes and applesauce. My boy definitely likes to eat! Here he is after a big bite of sweet potatoes...

Isn't he a happy boy? Too cute!!!

Six Month Pictures

2007-10-15T01:01:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are the boy's six-month Halloween pictures! We went to Picture People on the 11th with cousin Emily to get them made. Emily was Cinderella, and Dolton was her pumpkin. We also had a lobster costume for the boy to go with Emily's Ariel (The Little Mermaid) costume, but he was not happy in it at all. There wasn't a single good picture of him in the lobster outfit! But we did get plenty of great pumpkin shots. Actually, once I took him out of the lobster costume, he was pretty happy. We got a great shot at the end of him in just his diaper! But here they are, in all their Halloween-ey glory...

Five Month Pictures

2007-10-12T01:40:00.000-04:00

Finally! The only thing I don't like about getting pictures made at Wal-Mart is the slow turn-around time. It seems like right when I get his pictures back, it's time to get them done again! And then, of course, it takes me awhile to get them scanned into the computer and sent into cyberspace... Anyway, here are the long awaited five month pictures of my boy.

The first one is with his Grammie!

Classic Pooh

Such a smiley baby!

So precious

Isn't that a mischievous look?

I think he's adorable, but I'm probably biased. Let me know what you think! We actually got his six month pictures taken today with his cousin Emily at Picture People. They are much more expensive than Wal-Mart, but you get your pictures back the same day. Mom kept one of mine, though, so as soon as I get it back I'll be posting them. Hint, hint, Mom!

I also updated the August 8th post with better quality pictures. Enjoy!

Arts Festival Oklahoma!

2007-09-03T16:05:00.000-04:00

This Labor Day weekend brought the Arts Festival Oklahoma back to OKCCC. Dolton, Ryan, and I were joined by my dear friend Mary Ray, along with my next-door-neighbors Tanja, Jessie, and Larissa. We all had a wonderful time! Of course, it was so hot that we didn't stay too long - the boy was getting a bit cranky by the end of the two hours we spent out there. All we had time to do was eat fair food (yum!) and play in the Children's Tent. Ryan was most excited by the prospect of a funnel cake, and didn't even complain about being dragged to one of my arty-farty things. Seemore Art, the Festival's mascot was there, and I got a great shot of him eating a random child's head! We also ran into Cheryl Humphries and her family. My little monkey had a great time, until he dropped Cow on the ground. I wouldn't let him have Cow back after that because he was filthy, and shortly after the boy started fussing to leave. But all in all it was a great day.

Ear Infection!

2007-08-28T01:43:00.000-04:00

I took the boy to the doctor today (because of his cold), and found out that he has an ear infection! Poor little guy! Dr. Harvey said that it wasn't a bad one by any means, and that I probably wouldn't have known about it at all if he wasn't sick with a cold virus and had come in to get checked out. He gave me some antibiotics for it, which baby boy hates, and the ear should clear up in a few days. The cold, however, will probably take 10-14 days to get over. My poor, sweet little boy! I feel so bad for him. He's sleeping a lot, and doesn't want to eat very much. I can't say that I blame him - when I'm sick I like to sleep a lot, too.

We have colds...

2007-08-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

Well, the boy made it to four and a half months before getting his first cold. Ugh. We're just miserable over here! I don't feel well, either, so taking care of a sick baby is doubly hard. The poor little boy has a stuffy nose and has been running a low-grade fever. The worst problem is the fact that it is very hard for him to nurse right now, since he can barely breathe though his nose. Lots of tears and sad faces in my house at the moment.

I did finally get some pictures taken of my latest FOs - Moldy Cupcakes! I made half a dozen of these cute little things. Notice the fuzzy mold patches that match the green moldy icing. The ribbing turned out nicely on the bottoms - almost looks like the paper baking cups!

Again, you can just click on the pictures for a larger view. I finished these up last month, but just recently got the pictures taken. It seems like there's always too many other pictures to take with the boy! My current WIP is a giant crab for Ryan. I got the pattern for 'Crabius Maximus' from Lady Linoleum at Monster Crochet. I love her patterns! She is my crochet hero. You can view her blog here. Now all I have to do is decide what to do with all of these cupcakes...

Four Months Old!

2007-08-08T20:59:00.000-04:00

Today is Baby Dolton's four-month birthday! We had his pictures made with Papa today, and these are the ones we decided to get. The boy was a little bit cranky, so we ended up not getting a lot of them. By the time we got to the last picture, he was screaming! Not a good look for him. Anyway, here are the pictures. Notice the 'boys' are both in Hawaiian print shirts! Too cute!

This one ended up being my favorite - I love the expression on his face!

These are just the proofs ... When I get the actual pictures in, I'll update this page with the better quality ones. Check back at the end of the month - they take forever!
*These are now the actual pictures 10-11-07*

Baby Dolton goes tomorrow to get his four-month check-up and another round of shots ... I think I'll tell him we're going for ice cream or something. I'll be sure to post again tomorrow to let everyone know how he's doing.

Divorce

2007-08-01T01:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations are in order, it finally happened! I'm officially divorced. Hooray! I'm glad it's over. It feels so nice to be Lindsey Askins again.

Baby boy met his father for the first time today. It went better than I expected. The visit was at the folk's house. Robbie was really good with him. Except for when I let him change a diaper by himself... When we got home, I realized that he'd put one of Emily's diapers on him - it was three sizes too big! Ha ha. Strange the things men don't seem to notice. Like the fact that diapers shouldn't come up to a baby's armpits...

The Monkey is growing in leaps and bounds - at his last weigh-in he was up to 14 pounds and 24 inches, and that was two weeks ago! He really likes to stand up, and can totally support himself when doing so. He just needs help balancing. We've now discovered our feet, and the fact that toes are fun to play with. Unless you try to take your hand away without letting go first. That makes us cry. It's the old cause-and-effect thing rearing it's ugly head again. Oh well. I'm sure he'll grasp the concept one of these days! The boy also likes to blow spit bubbles, suck on his fingers, and watch his Baby Einstein videos. It is too cute seeing him sit in his Bumbo seat, watching Baby Beethoven or Baby Noah, totally enthralled, laughing his head off! We also have My First Signs, but as he's still a bit young for it yet, we haven't watched it. Actually, I should probably start watching it now myself, so I can begin using the signs as I talk to the boy. For now, though, we're enjoying the other two. It's kind of nice to go around with classical music stuck in my head, as opposed to the crap that's usually in there. Last week I went around humming the Band-Aid Brand theme song to myself - "I am stuck on Band-Aid Brand, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me..." It was awful!

Baby boy also likes to play games now! We have several - Fly the Baby, where I hold him horizontally in the air and swoop him around; Don't Lick The Baby, which we play with Sabrina - I hold him out to her and say "lick the baby," she does, he laughs, and I then pull him away saying "don't lick the baby!" (they both love this one); and Horsey, which is rather self-explanatory, with the addition of me singing the theme-song to Bonanza during it. Speaking of singing, that child loves to be sung to! He'll watch you intently as you sing, and smile and laugh while you do so. His favorites seem to be songs by either Alabama or the Oak Ridge Boys. Although he did rather enjoy his papa's version of "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys"... Sometimes I think he laughs because the singing is so bad! Ha ha.

Baby Dolton's Children First nurse, Nancy, comes again tomorrow, and he's got an appointment with Dr. Harvey on the 9th for his four-month shots. I'll let everyone know how he's doing after those two check-up! Bye for now...

Dolton goes to Kansas...

2007-07-09T01:39:00.000-04:00

Baby boy had his first road trip! We left Thursday to go to Pittsburg, Kansas to see the family and introduce my little man to everyone. Of course, getting ready to go was a feat in and of itself! Military strategists have an easier time than we did trying to figure everything out.
.
The first issue was the fact that I had to take my car in to the shop that morning before we left - still not entirely sure what was wrong, but supposedly it's fixed now. The second issue was getting all four, count them, FOUR Great Danes up to the Lucky Dog Lodge (also known as 'camp') to be boarded. The third issue was the fact that Dad needed to drive separately as he needed to come back earlier than Mom and I, and the last issue was doing all of this with the boy, who needed to ride in either my Jeep or Mom's Nissan, as they have the car seat base.
.
After much debate, it was decided that Dad would drive the minivan to my house with his two dogs, put them in my yard, and take my car to the dealership. Mom met him there, and took him back to their house to get the Hummer. They both returned to my home, to load up my one suitcase and the baby's twenty-eight-million things (amazing how much one little tiny person needs), and to get the Danes loaded into the van. Poor Dad drove the dogs to to LDL, with Mom following in the Hummer and the boy and I in the Nissan. This took more time to figure out how to do than it did to get accomplished!
.
Once the pups were dropped off - Dad had been 'dog-ed' on the way and was covered in paw-prints and dane-drool - he took over the Hummer and Mom and I took the boy in the Nissan for the rest of the trip. I had fed Baby Dolton just before we left the house, and my angel baby slept all the way until about ten miles outside of Tulsa. We stopped at a fast food joint and I fed and changed him, and then he slept till about five miles outside of Pittsburg. Baby boy is such a good traveler!
.
When we got to Bopper and Birdie's house, my aunt Sandy, cousin Todd, and his wife, Amy were there waiting to meet the guest of honor. This baby wasn't left alone for one second the whole four days we were there! Not that I leave him alone for hours on end, but I do put him in the swing to go to the bathroom or shower or whatnot. Not this weekend! There were oh-so-many hands waiting to hold the boy! It did get a bit confusing around my mom's folks - I call my grampa Papa, and that is now what my dad is going by as well. Mom and I tend to refer to Dad as Papa when we're talking about the baby or Emily, and I'm sure you can imagine how it went with two Papas!
.
My little Monkey discovered his hands while we were up there! It is ever so much fun to play with your hands. He likes to pull on his fingers, and chew his fists, and he is now trying to grasp things. Baby boy has grabbed things before this, but always on accident. He would also hold small objects, but only if I put them in his hands first. Now he's starting to reach for things on his own! This morning he sat for quite awhile regarding his feet. Well, actually just his right foot. Lefty apparently held no interest for him. It was too cute!
.
The best part of the whole trip was when the boy exploded all over his Grammie! She was holding him, and he let out the loudest fart... only it wasn't a fart. When Mom went to change him, poo squirted out the leg hole of the diaper all over her hand! She was hollering down the hall for me, and when I got to the bedroom, all I could do was laugh! We ended up having to give him a bath, but it was still freaking hilarious!
.
He did almost as well on the way home - I did have to pump a little to feed him in the car seat once. But it wasn't the tenth level of hell I was expecting. It wasn't even purgatory! Now I sound like I'm Catholic. Well, it's late, the boy will need to be changed and fed, and I need some sleep. I'll put up the pictures that go with this post as soon as I get the chance.

So Late!!!

2007-07-03T21:03:00.000-04:00

I know I have been rather remiss in posting lately, and for that I apologize. It seems like there is always too much to do! I rarely even have time to return phone calls anymore! I'm either nursing or changing diapers or rocking... Ahh, the life of a mother.
.
Here are Baby Dolton's two-month pictures. He is such a doll baby! He did really well until the end, when he started to lose patience. Notice the last picture in this set - poor little boy has tears in his eyes and the saddest look on his face! That one ended up being my favorite.

As I was oh-so-late in updating my blog, I also have his three-month pictures for you! These were taken July 3rd, so they're a bit early for his three-month birthday, but that's okay. Cousin Emily went with us, and they have the cutest matching outfits! The second picture of baby boy is my favorite, and the last one of Emily is my favorite of her. She looked so BIG next to my little man! And with their big blue eyes and shining round faces, they look like they could be brother and sister instead of cousins! So adorable.

Picture Time!!!

2007-05-30T02:46:00.000-04:00

Here are Baby Dolton's one-month pictures! I know it's late, but I had to wait for them to come in from J.C. Penny's.

Seven Weeks and Counting...

2007-05-29T00:07:00.000-04:00

Baby Dolton is now seven whole weeks old! As of last Thursday, he weighed 9 1/2 pounds, and was 20 3/4 inches long. All in all, he's gained 6 pounds, 3.5 ounces, and grown 3 1/2 inches since he was born. Way to go baby boy!!!
.
My little guy is finally in size 1 diapers - no more newborn diapers for him! He can also wear all of his newborn sized clothing, and some things that are size 0-3 months. All of the preemie sized clothes are too small. He's getting so big! Well, I say that, but we saw a seven week old baby at Walmart today who was about twice his size - and last week there was a seven day old baby that was just a tiny bit smaller than him. He's still at the bottom of the growth chart, but he's gaining weight fast, and his nurse thinks he's doing great. She's always impressed with how much weight he gains each week!
.
Mom and Dad are in Mexico for Sara Lovelace's wedding this week... When they get back, I'm going to take Baby Dolton over there to see if he likes to swim. I just don't feel comfortable doing it by myself... Not that I think I would drop him or anything, but I do want another adult present! Ha ha.
.
Nancy (Baby Dolton's nurse) comes to see him again on Wednesday - I'll be sure to let everyone know how much he's grown since last week. Hope everyone's Memorial Day was great!!!

Dolton Meets Dolton & Mother's Day

2007-05-16T01:50:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, Baby Dolton is named after my grampa, Dolton Askins, whom I (and the rest of his grandkids) call Bopper. Last weekend Bopper and Birdie were able to come to Oklahoma for a visit, and to meet Baby Dolton. Bopper sure was proud of him! Baby Dolton really looks small in Bopper's big hands...

.
Baby Dolton loves his Papa, and Papa loves him!

Sandy Kimberlin brought over a dozen beautiful red roses, a card, and a cheesecake for my first Mother's Day - she even signed the card for Baby Dolton! Thank you Sandy! (sadly, the cheesecake is absent in the picture as it had already been devoured by the cheesecake monster, also known as Ryan. I did get a couple pieces, though!)

Look at the flowers my sweet baby boy sent me for Mother's Day! They came in a beautiful Lennox vase with a matching picture frame. Notice the card - does anyone know who actually sent them? While I'm sure my child is a genius, I seriously doubt he was able to order the flowers and pay for them on his own...

.
Bad Babysitting! Know why you don't let an eleven-year-old babysit? They tend to fall asleep! I had asked Ryan to hold Baby Dolton while I took a shower - This is what I found when I got out of the bathroom! Notice that the cat seems to be the only one still awake...

I'm One Month Old!

2007-05-08T03:22:00.000-04:00

Baby Dolton is one month old today! He is growing so much - as of last Wednesday he was up to 7 pounds, 3.5 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. He actually has outgrown one outfit! This is a big deal, since none of his clothes fit when he was first born. We had to go and get preemie-size clothes because he was swimming in the newborn-size!

Wednesday also saw another milestone... He rolled over for the first time! He was on his tummy on the couch, and sure enough, over he went. It scared the crap out of me, since I'm so used to him staying where I put him! He's also started reaching for things, and can occasionally catch the bunny that hangs over his bouncy seat. Dolton doesn't really like to be on his tummy, but can lift his head to a 45 degree angle when his is. He's also getting better at holding his head up when being held vertically, but still favors the cradle-hold.

My Grandma, Birdie, sent Baby Dolton this adorable outfit in the mail. It was his first piece of clothing (that wasn't pajamas) that actually fit! It took a few tries, but I finally got a couple good pictures of him in it. He was not happy about the photo-shoot!

May 3rd and 4th was the Annual OOA Convention, one of my all time favorite things to do. Baby Dolton sure had lots of fun! Everyone there just adored him - as you can see from all the pictures! Everyone wanted to hold him, and he received lots of new "toys" - random pharmaceutical company give-aways. He did really well, seeing as how this was his first all-day outing. It was also my first time breast-feeding in public. (Thank the Lord for large blankets!)

Notice his badge - it's almost as big as he is!
.

My child's hair is a constant source of amazement to me. Everyone comments on how much he has, and they want to know what I used to style it with. The answer is nothing! No matter how much I brush his hair, it just gets bigger and bigger. I told Mom about it, and she had to try for herself...

"Grammie, leave my hair alone!"

Here are a few pictures of Baby Dolton's "milk-drunk" look - after he eats, he's so tired he can barely stay awake! Notice the milk running down his neck...

"Auntie" Adreanne came to visit Baby Dolton last Sunday... They had a fine time together!Adreanne barely put him down the whole time she was here!
Baby boy was hungry... He didn't know those boobs don't have milk!
Dolton sure likes his Auntie Adreanne!

Milk Mustache

2007-04-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

Sunday was Baby Dolton's two-week birthday! He's growing like a weed, and was up to 6 pounds, 2 ounces at his checkup on the 23rd.

We've had a few bumps along the way - like the time that I accidentally squirted him in the eye with breast milk, or when I spilled half a can of Dr. Pepper on him (no more drinking while nursing!), but for the most part it's been really good.

The cats love him to bits - they sit on the bed and watch him while he sleeps, and if he cries Smokey runs to him and Henery runs to me. They're like little parents! As for the dogs, Thunder could care less, but Sabrina think he is her baby. She always checks on him, sniffing his head to be sure he's okay. Thunder just totally ignores him.

Emily Paige loves her little cousin - it is so cute how she says Baby Dolton! Of course, she does get jealous of all the attention he gets. Kelly was holding the baby yesterday, and Emmy made dad hold her like a baby. She would watch Dolton, and do whatever he was doing - waving his arms, sucking on his fist, etc. My new favorite thing to do, however, is to say to Emily, "Tell Mama you want boobie milk!" Emmy will run to Kelly with her mouth wide open and try to lift up her shirt!!! It's hilarious!

Baby boy is such a messy eater - this is what he looks like after most meals!

Well, gotta go change a poopy diaper. Hope to post again soon!!!

The Full Story

2007-04-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

Okay peeps, here's the whole story...

I went to the O.B. on Friday, April 6th, for a routine checkup... all was going well until Dr. Robinette looked at my chart and saw that I had lots of protein in my urine (gross), my bp was 168/98 (way high), I had 'gross swelling' of my feet and hands (I couldn't even make a fist), and I had gained 8 pounds in one week. All of these are symptoms of pre-eclampsia, so he sent me to Southwest Medical Center with the words, "We need to find a reason not to deliver this baby today!" My first thought was, "I have nothing packed," and my second thought was, "Oh my gosh, my sister is going to be pissed!" The one thing she's kept saying throughout my pregnancy is "Don't have the baby on Emily's birthday!" Which is, of course, April 6th.

I ran home, threw a bunch of crap in my suitcase, took a shower, cried over the laundry basket for 10 minutes because I couldn't find the pants I wanted to pack for the baby, finally got his bag packed (with said pants), and had Adam drive me to the hospital. My dad met me at the door, and we went up to Labor and Delivery. The CEO of the hospital stopped by to congratulate dad, but of course didn't come in to say a word to me... Dad was cracking jokes about how lucky I was to be escorted to my room by the Chief of Medicine of the whole hospital - his new post as of January. He thinks he's a laugh riot! The nurse came in and shot my arm full of lidocaine - I'm a hard stick in the first place, and with massive swelling it's just that much harder... She ended up digging in my arm for quite awhile - I'm really glad it was numb! Then the lab tests came back. Apparently they found a reason not to deliver him, and sent me home. I was to be on bed rest, and if I had any symptoms, such as seeing spots, dizziness, headaches, etc., I was to come back to L&D immediately. I also had to do yet another 24 hour urine collection.

Once at home, I cried my eyes out - I had been soooo close to seeing my baby! I felt like I had failed. I called mom, and she laughed and said I should be grateful he's able to cook a little bit longer - famous last words...

Saturday night, by the end of the 24 hours of the pee in a bucket test, I was so miserable and had such a horrid headache that I took the pee in myself instead of having Adam take it in for me, and asked them to check my bp just in case. They admitted me as soon as they did a stick test with my fresh cup o' pee (why they didn't just use the huge jug I'd brought them, I don't know). Dr. Robinette was called, and he scheduled my c-section for 7:30 that next morning. He said it was getting to dangerous with the pre-eclampsia to wait any longer. So no more cooking for Baby Dolton!

I spent a miserable night in the hospital - uncomfortable and feeling like crap. They gave me a sleeping pill, which worked for all of 20 minutes, and then I was up the rest of the night. I'd forgotten how bad late night T.V. is when you don't have digital cable! The next morning, Mom and Dad came before I was taken to surgery. I was hungry, thirsty, and more than a little scared. Dr. Robinette let both of them come into the O.R. with me, which was really cool. They gave me a spinal block, and then we got the show on the road... Dolton was born at 8:18 Easter morning! Dr. Robinette held him up over the curtain for us to see, and he was beautiful. Then they took him away to get him all cleaned up, and after what felt like hours (but was probably more like 3 minutes) brought him over to me so I could see him close up. I got to kiss his tiny head before they whisked him off to the nursery so I could be put back together.

I'm kind of iffy on the rest of the details since I received more pain medicine once Dolton was delivered, but once I was back in my room, Sandy and Adam were waiting for me with Mom and Dad. A nurse brought my precious baby in to me, and it was the best feeling in the world to look into this tiny face that I had grown for the last (almost) nine months. He had ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes (I counted), lots and lots of light brown hair, big dark blue eyes (we think they're going to turn brown like mine), and I fell totally in love.

Many people stopped by to see him, but as I was in a haze of percocet most of the time I'm not sure exactly who! Stephanie, Anissa, Wendy, Beth and Mydia, and Donna and Britian all left gifts and cards, so I know they were there, and Mom, Dad, Kelly and Emily, Adam and Ryan, and Sandy were there often. Liz told me she and her sister Mary came by, but I'll have to take her word on that! If I'm forgetting anyone, I'm sorry!

We were discharged on Wednesday, April 11th, but were told to come back the next day because Dolton was a little bit jaundiced. His bilirubin level was 13.5, which is a little bit high. The Thursday test came back with a level of 14 - Dr. Harvey said that if it didn't go down by Friday, he would have to have photo therapy, where they shine special lights on the babies to get the bilirubin to go down. Luckily, his Friday test came back with a level of 13.2, so no lights for this baby!

We're home now, and things are going well - we're both doing better with the nursing, and while we aren't on a schedule yet, we're at least on the same page most of the time. Dolton is really a very good baby!

His first check up was on Monday, and he's doing great. His umbilical cord came off at the doctor's office - Dolton's first milestone! All of his reflexes were good, and he weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. He's gained 3 ounces since Wednesday! I was so proud. He had also grown taller, and was up to 18 whole inches! My little Easter Egg is growing so fast. We're supposed to stop back in next Monday to check his weight, and our next appointment is on the 30th of April. I'll let everyone know how he does!

Picture Time

2007-04-13T00:02:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures of my little easter egg... it's about all I have time to do right now!

He's Here!

2007-04-12T01:57:00.000-04:00

This one is a quickie - I think I can get 5 minutes in before I have to nurse...

Dolton Craig Askins was born at 8:18 A.M. on Easter Sunday, April 8th, 2007. He weighed 6 pounds, 4.5 ounces, and was 17 and 1/4 inches long.

Dr. Robinette delivered him three weeks early because I developed pre-eclampsia last week - what all the tests and bed rests were supposed to avoid! But that's okay, Baby Dolton is perfect.

I will post pictures and a full account of the events tomorrow, right now my little Easter Egg is hungry!

37 Weeks

2007-04-05T01:35:00.000-04:00

Thirty-seven weeks! I am officially full term! Hooray, hooray! If I have Baby Dolton today, he should be fine! I didn't realize what a relief it would be to know that.

I have been swelling and swelling lately... My feet, my hands, my face - even my nose and lips are bigger! Here is a picture taken last Saturday - I'm huge!

My second shower - a diaper shower - was on the 31st of March. It was given by my dear friends Adreanne Hoggard and Beth Freeman. All of the guests brought diapers as gifts! It was great. I am diaper-rich at the moment! I'm sure that won't last long once the baby is here... We played lots of fun games - guess what's in the diaper (different melted chocolate candies), how big is my belly (cut a piece of yarn that is the same circumference), what kind of baby food is in the unlabeled jars, etc. We had a blast! The food was great, too - I think I ate half of what was there! I had my camera sitting next to me the whole time, and failed to take any pictures. As soon as I get copies of the ones Adre took, I'll be sure to post them.

My niece, Emily, will be 2 years old tomorrow! Sweet baby girl is getting so big! Here are a couple of pictures of her... Isn't she a cutie? The pic with the white dress is one of her Easter pictures, and the one in the pink is her two-year-old picture. She's a doll-baby!

A friend of mine is having a hysterectomy on the same day as my c-section - April 13th. I decided to make her a 'replacement uterus' as a get-well gift! Here it is, in all it's yarn-ish glory... I know, I know, its really odd, but I'm proud of it. It's the first softie I've made without a pattern! I just printed off some pictures of uteruses (uteri?) online, and started hooking. I even wrote down the pattern - also a first for me. It's the first Lindsey original! I'm seeing an army of crocheted organs in my future...

It's that time again! From the Baby Center website:

"Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full term — meaning your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel.

"Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children are born blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

"The next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps and catch up on your reading while you can.

"Have you noticed an increase in the frequency or vividness of dreams lately? Anxiety about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange pregnancy dreams.

"You may be getting a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions now, and they may last longer and be more uncomfortable. Sometimes — when they start to come frequently — you may even think you're in labor. You might also notice an increase in mucus discharge from your vagina. If you see some "bloody show" (the mucus plug tinged with a tiny amount of blood), labor is probably right around the corner! (If you have other spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.)"

This is getting more and more gross as the weeks go by...

It is 1:35 A.M. on April 5th, so I have 8 days, 5 hours, and 55 minutes left of this pregnancy!

36 Weeks

2007-03-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

Okay y'all, I finally figured out how to adjust the settings on this blog (Anissa, you should be so proud - I didn't even have to call you!) and now it is possible to leave comments without signing up for anything! Happy days are here again... Anyway, please leave comments! I feel so lonely... Just kidding. But really do start leaving comments. I had the wonderful Becky Milam test it for me, and joy of joys it actually worked!

My C-Section has been moved up - I am now scheduled to have Baby Dolton on April 13th! Of course, that is also Friday the 13th... Maybe I should name him Michael? Just kidding! My lovely Aunt Sandy reminded me that April thirteenth was my great-grandmother's birthday - Gramma Askins was born in the year 1900. There's got to be something lucky about being born exactly 107 years after your great-great-grandmother, eh? So let's see, it is currently 7:43 am on the 29th of March, and my C-Section is scheduled for 7:30 am... I have 14 days, 23 hours, and 47 minutes left of this pregnancy! Nothing like counting down the time... Wonder if I should figure up the seconds? Ha ha!

After my O.B. appointment last Friday (March 23rd), I once again had to get a non-stress test, and collect my urine for 24 hours. I'm starting to think my doc has a pee fetish... Anyway, the test results were fine. They said the baby looked great - I looked like crap, but the baby looked great. The nurse was saying how bad my ankles looked, but they were actually better than they had been! I did, however, get put on modified bed rest. Ugh. I have to lay down (not sit) for four hours throughout the day - morning, lunchtime, afternoon, and evening. So not looking forward to this! I also was told no shopping, be it for the baby or even just groceries; no exercise; no house work; and no sex (not a problem there!). I'm only supposed to drive when absolutely necessary, such as getting to the doctor's office. I guess Ryan will be walking home from school from now on!

I'm having another shower this Saturday - its a diaper shower! Everyone is just bringing diapers as gifts. Way cool, right? I'm pretty excited about it. Adreanne and Beth are throwing this one - they were worried about having it at my house instead of one of theirs, but since I'm on stinking bed rest now, it has totally worked out for the best. I was happy to have it here anyway, just so I didn't have to lug everything home again!

Once again, from www.babycenter.com:

"Your baby is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that covered and protected his skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will stay in his bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become his first bowel movement.

"At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 is post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if he isn't in the next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position manually, by manipulating him from the outside of your belly."

Ouch! That last part makes me glad I'm having a C-section! As for what I'm experiencing now, it goes on to say:

"While your baby continues to grow and crowd your internal organs, you may find that you're not as hungry as you were a few weeks ago. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to drop down lower in your pelvis. This dropping — called lightening or engagement — is more likely to happen before labor if this is your first baby. When it does, though, you may feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, making walking increasingly uncomfortable. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs, or as if the baby is going to fall out (Don't worry, he won't!).

"You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are a little more frequent now. Be sure to review with your practitioner exactly when and where to call him when you think your labor has started. As a general rule, you should call when you start having regular contractions coming every five minutes for about an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you're not yet 37 weeks and have signs of preterm labor. You should also call without delay if your water breaks (or if you even think you're leaking amniotic fluid), if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, severe headaches, abdominal pain, or changes in your vision.

"Even if you're enjoying an uncomplicated pregnancy, it's best to avoid flying during your final month, when you're more likely to go into labor. In fact, many airlines won't let women on board who are due to deliver within seven or sometimes 30 days of the flight."

The official countdown has now begun - T-minus 15 days and counting...

35 Weeks

2007-03-20T23:16:00.000-04:00

My shower was wonderful! Thanks to Patti Deiter, Robin Lovelace, Debbie Harper, Kathy Neher, Denise Clary, and Jane Ford for hosting it, and extra thanks to Patti for having it in her beautiful home. Here are the pictures I promised last post... (click on any image to enlarge)

Many thanks also go to everyone who attended. I know I am blessed with the most wonderful friends, but was still surprised at the generosity that was poured over the baby and me. Once I got everything home, it looked a bit like Babies 'R' Us exploded in my living room... I actually sat down and cried at how much love was given with each gift!

Putting everything away was so much fun! All the tiny onesies, socks, toys...

Lots of adorable outfits and hats from Adreanne Ethridge, along with days of the week onesies and a beautiful metal picture frame with magnetic booties;

A stuffed classic eeyore from Anissa and Mrs. Core;

A wipe warmer, diaper wipes, and a hand and foot print set from Beth and Mydia Freeman;

A set of puppy dog clothes, a baby einstein outfit, and a rain forest car mirror from Bob and Stacey Golden;

These beautiful picture frames and a car seat from Bopper and Birdie;

Puppy dog onesies, a hat and booties set, an adorable baseball outfit, and a baby einstein video from Cheryl Humphreys;

Diapers, onesies, toys, washcloths, diaper disposal bags, and a winnie the pooh blanket from Cindy, Nate, and Nikolas Harmer and Pricilla, Mike, and Lauren Tubbs;

A Diaper Genie II and Sounds and Lights baby monitor from the Deiter's;

This soothing spa and shower baby bath tub from Jana Atchley and her mom Carol Dutton, and the diaper cake, mum, onesies, washcloths, and towels from Jana as well;

A classic pooh outfit with matching socks, a boppy cover, and baby einstein blocks from Julie Shahan;

Two cute onesies and a pair of camo pants, along with a baby einstein toy from Kelly and Emily McCaskill (soon-to-be aunt and cousin!);

This baby einstein block set from Kiki Short;

This stroller, baby soap, baby powder, and no more rash ointment from Patti Deiter, Robin Lovelace, Debbie Harper, Kathy Neher, Denise Cleary, and Jane Ford; the hand-made diaper bag from Kathy Neher along with the diapers, wipes, and teething toys; and the bibs and baby's first silverware set from Denise Cleary;

A stuffed classic tigger and winnie the pooh hat and socks from Lauren Warmack;

This vibrating bouncer from Marja McCart;

This exquisite hand-made baby afghan from Mary Ray James;

A cute giraffe outfit with matching hat and socks, along with Baby Dolton's first pair of sandals, from Melody Gevaza;

This co-sleeper bassinet that attaches to the side of my bed, and later turns into a play yard from Nana and Papa;

A baby einstein play mat and first aid kit from the Prochaska's;

Baby Dolton's 'coming home' outfit, complete with hat, mittens, and blanket, from Sandy Kimberlin;

An overall outfit, giraffe blanket, onesies, diapers, and ball rattle from Sandy and Chelle McCaskill;

Two outfits, a blanket, and a musical stuffed lamb to go with the check Aunt Sandy and Uncle Greg had already sent;

A set of cloth diapers and a Mommy Bear (with womb sounds) from Shelia and David Simpson;

A stuffed classic pooh from Tanja, Jim, Jessie, and Larissa Detwiler;

And a onesie that says 'baby shower', washcloths, and a bath set from Wendy and Mackensie Knapp.

.
Thanks to everyone!

.
Adam and Ryan are still in Disneyworld, having the time of their lives. I must say, it has been nice being here by myself... I can walk through the house in my underwear again! Ha ha. Of course, the day after they left, two lightbulbs in the livingroom blew out, and I'm not about to get up on a ladder! It may get rather dark over here by the time they make it home... I do miss having people in the house. The dogs aren't great conversationalists, and the cats just kind of do as they please. Also, I really miss having little Ryan around - "Honey, go get me..." or "Sugar, will you..." He's such a good kid, and I have a feeling I ask way too much of him. Not having him to help pull me up off the couch has sucked! Here is a picture Adam sent me of Ryan and Britian on Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella's castle in the background...

I finally got the jellyfish hung up! I think it looks really cute in the baby's nursery. I also got the eyes sewn onto the cat. Ahh, two WIPs turned FOs! Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside... My current WIP is a blue Totoro softie. I think he's actually sort of grey in the movie, but I like my anime monsters to be blue... I'm using RHSS in delft blue for the main body and in white for the accents on the face and belly.
.

Wow, another week already! Here's what the Baby Center has to say about week 35:

.
"Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

"Your uterus — now up under your ribs — has expanded to about 15 times its original volume, and you may feel like you've run out of room! If you could peek inside your uterus, you'd see that there's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your internal organs too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and have heartburn and other digestive problems. If you don't have these problems, you're one of the lucky few.

"Your doctor will probably want to start seeing you every week until you deliver. He may ask you to count fetal movements, to track your baby's activity level. Between now and 37 weeks, he'll also do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). This is done by swabbing the lower end of your vagina and your rectum — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all. Group B streptococcus is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during labor and birth, it can cause complications (like pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection). Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's important to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll be given IV antibiotics when you're in labor, which will reduce your baby's risk of infection by 70 percent.

"This is also a good time to fill out your birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who will be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and how long you want to stay in the hospital. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Labor and delivery are unpredictable and you probably won't follow your plan to the letter, but knowing ahead of time what choices you have to make can take some of the anxiety out of the process."

By the way, I hate the lucky few. Note to self - washing down antacids with Dr. Pepper will fizz so much it comes out of your nose.

34 Weeks

2007-03-17T15:43:00.000-04:00

Well, my baby shower is this Sunday! Here is a picture of the invitation...

Isn't it cute? I'm really excited. I keep seeing things in stores that I want to get for the baby, and have to make myself wait to see what Baby Dolton receives at the shower first! I've already gotten a few things in the mail... A card and check from my wonderful Aunt Sandy and Uncle Greg, a Target Baby gift certificate from my cousin Todd and his wife Amy, and this cute suitcase from Mike and Melody Gevaza...

It even comes with it's own matching blanket! I think it's adorable. Thanks to all, and expect your thank-you notes soon!!!

Hopefully I'll post pictures from the shower next week... Depends on how long it takes me to get them downloaded.

Adam and Ryan left yesterday for Disneyworld - I so wish I could have gone!!! Oh well. They're driving out there with Adam's folks, Donna and Randy; along with his sisters Aubrey and Angelique, and his nephew Britian - all in a Ford Expedition. Maybe I'm glad I'm not going... Ha ha! I did request Mickey Mouse ears for the baby, though.

I passed the non-stress test with flying colors... It took a long time to do since Baby Dolton was so active. They had a hard time getting his resting heart rate! He moves all the time now. They say to make sure the baby moves at least 10 times a day - I don't think 10 minutes go by without him kicking me!!!

Well, I've finished the cat I was making in the last post... I don't have any beads for the eyes, though - I'll have get some later this week. I guess being an eyeless cat isn't as bad as being an earless cat! Poor Smokey. Anyway, here are some pics of the toy...

I took them on my couch, if you're wondering about the weird paisley background. He's not exactly appropriate for a child's toy, since the arms and legs are just sewn on with yarn, but I still think he's cute. I've also made a crocheted jellyfish to hang in the baby's room out of that same yarn. Once I get it hung, I'll post pictures of that as well. It didn't photograph too well laying on it's side!

With all the boy stuff floating around here, I decided to get something girly for myself. I ordered a Little Dead Ragdolly from Pandora's Button Box. Her name is Lucinda LaGrippe, and she is beautiful! I love the fact that she's dead, since I was never that into dolls growing up. It just seemed to fit!

Note to self... Make Ryan tell all his friends that he will be gone the next time he goes out of town - I just answered the door for the sixth time today for a kid wanting him to come out and play!

The Baby Center website has this to say about the 34th week: "Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which he'll need to regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His central nervous system is still maturing and his lungs are well developed by now. If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies this age can survive outside the womb — and most have no major long-term problems related to prematurity.

"You may be feeling a little fatigued lately, and that's perfectly understandable. Let yourself slow down and save some energy for labor day. If you have to spend a lot of time on your feet, try wearing a maternity belt that supports your abdomen and helps redistribute some of the weight. And if you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, which may cause a temporary (but rapid) drop in your blood pressure and make you feel dizzy when you get up.

"You may notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly (they might even spread to your thighs and buttocks). This is usually a harmless condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short), but let your practitioner make a diagnosis to be sure. Also be sure to call him if you feel itchy all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem."

I came to a sad realization today... I am too big to do laundry. I can put clothes into the washer and get it started, and I can put clothes in and take clothes out of the dryer, but I can no longer get the clothes out of the washer. My belly is too big for me to get close enough to reach the bottom! Either that or my arms are too short... Ah, the joys of pregnancy!