{partners in crime}: June 2015

Remington's Rundown

Hey Doodle Lovers! It's Remington Bear here!

As you probably know I am the proud big brother to a new baby!

His name is Roarke and I love him dearly!

He smells funny, makes lots of messes, and keeps me up at night... but he's mine.

One of the coolest things about Roarke joining the family is that we have had lots of visitors stop by to meet him, which means I get lots of love too! You can beat that!

One of my favorite visitors came last week. She is Roarke's cousin and I fell obsessively in love with her almost instantly!

Meet Mae!

She smelled and tasted so good!

I couldn't help but kiss her...

...and kiss her...

...and kiss her some more!

I overheard Mom and Dad say they have never seen me go so crazy over someone... especially a baby!

I hope when Roarke gets bigger that he likes my kisses as much as Mae did!

Time to sign off... WIGGLES!

~Remington Bear~

Mae & Roarke

Roarke's older cousin Mae stopped my to visit this week.

Of course there was a photo shoot that took place while they were together.

Enjoy!

Can you see the love :)

Thanks for coming to visit Mae! We'll see you again soon!

(take a look at Remi... he was madly in love with Mae!)

Sleep is an important commodity in our household. I have always had a hard time functioning without getting at least 6 hours of decent shut eye everyday. For Dan it is even more important that he gets good sleep because I want him to be alert and have a clear mind while he is at his job. And Remington... well he is use to sleeping at least 16 hours a day... usually 8 hours at night with me and 8 hours during the day with Dan. I know... he leads the toughest life of us all!

Anyways, before I had Roarke I had started researching the best techniques on how to get your baby to sleep well at night almost right away. The one I continued to run across was the Baby Wise Sleep Schedule. Several mom's online seemed to swear by it when "sleep training" your baby. Since I'm brand new to this whole baby thing I decided that I might as well give it a try. What did I really have to lose beside more sleep :)

So, after we brought Roarke home and had our first few bad nights of a baby crying ALL night long we decided to put the sleep schedule into action. And guess what! Almost immediately we had a baby that was sleeping 3-4 hour long stretches throughout the night and probably would sleep longer if I didn't I have to wake him up to eat every 3 hours. I've read that this type of "sleep training" is looked down on by some because you are physically waking your baby up for periods of time throughout the day and most people say if your baby is sleeping let them sleep... but if you think about it, if you have a baby that is sleeping all day why will he/she sleep well at night? So, here is what an example sleep schedule would look like. For different ages the sleep and awake times would look a little different, but this helps you get the picture.

Doesn't he look teeny tiny in his crib!!!

BABY WISE SLEEP SCHEDULE

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Daytime

7:00 - 8:30 AM : wake baby, change diaper, feed (remember the goal is to keep baby awake for entire wake time)

8:30 - 10:00 AM : nap

10:00 - 11:30 AM : wake baby, change diaper, feed

11:30 - 1:00 PM : nap

1:00 - 2:30 PM : wake baby, change diaper, feed

2:30 - 4:00 PM : nap

4:00 - 6:00 PM : wake baby, change diaper, feed (these two hours are the most important time to keep your baby awake... you might cheat on any of the other times, but don't on this one if you want baby to sleep well at night.

------------------

Nighttime (during nighttime hours once your diaper change and feeding is done you put baby directly back to bed... no awake time is needed)

6:00 - 9:00 PM : bed

9:00 - 9:30 PM : wake baby, change diaper, feed

9:30 - 12:30 AM : bed

12:30 -1:00 AM : wake baby, change diaper, feed

1:00 - 4:00 AM : bed

4:00 - 4:30 AM : wake baby, change diaper, feed

4:30 - 7:00 AM : bed

A lot of what I have read say that by 8 - 12 weeks old babies will be sleeping clear through the night. Lord knows that is an exciting thought! After doing our own version of this schedule we have had good nights and some really bad ones. That is to be expected of course as you establish your sleep schedule. Everything takes time and right now I have all the time in the world to work on it.

Mileage Monday

Throughout my pregnancy I slowly started to slow down as I got farther and farther along. Now that I have finally delivered I have come to a complete stop. I have received orders from the doctor that I need to take it easy for the next 6 weeks until I'm cleared for activity! Good Lord! So for now my "Mileage Mondays" will be put on a little hold since honestly I'm not doing anything at all that is even remotely noteworthy... except for taking care of a baby of course. However, once I'm released I am so excited to slowly start working my way back into my exercise routine! Maybe I will be able to run a 5K by late August or early September? Sounds like a good starting goal to me ;)

Until then I'll spend time with these two!

Blueberry Croissant Puff

One weekend I decided I was going to make breakfast for Dan and I. I always seem to be finding recipes for dinner time since Dan usually comes home from work and heads off to bed right away so there really is no point in focusing my energy on breakfast time. However, making dinner dishes all the time gets kind of boring after a while so I decided to switch it up. The breakfast dish was easy and makes 10 servings. I think it would be good for a family get together or something since Dan and I were eating on it for several mornings to come.

Blueberry Croissant Puff (www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com)

Ingredients

3 large croissants, cut up (about 5 to 5 1/2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh)
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place croissant pieces in a 9 inch square pan. Sprinkle with blueberries.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add milk, beating well after each addition. Pour evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes or soak overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until set in center and golden brown. You might want to cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top is getting too browned.

Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar.

** This can easily be doubled in a 9X13 pan**

Dan rated this breakfast a 3.5 stars... but like I said he isn't a huge breakfast eater. I would have rated it a 4 stars at least.

Week #1

#52weeksofRoarke

Introducing Roarke Michael Rhoton

BOY oh BOY do I have news to share with you!

Yes... here he is, the newest addition to our family!!!

Please welcome... Roarke Michael Rhoton... we have fallen in love all over again!

As you know, I went in on Tuesday morning for a scheduled induction. However, after 28 hours of being in active labor I could not get dilated enough to have a natural delivery.

I was scheduled for a c-section in the afternoon on Wednesday and our baby boy was born at 1:05 PM on June 10th!

(Don't let me kid you... this pic was taken at the beginning of the induction... I wasn't all smiles later in the game)

Roarke weighted in at 8 lbs 2 oz and measured in at 20 inches long!

The past few days since he has been born has been an adventure and some of the best of our lives. It is shocking how something so small can take up so much of your heart. Dan and I are learning what this "parenting thing" is all about, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how easily we have taken on our new roles.

Speaking of Dan... he has been my rock through this entire thing. Everyday all I can think about is how lucky and thankful I am to have married him and get to live the rest of my life enjoying our family together. He has stepped up as a husband and father so much these past few days... I could never repay him for all he has done for me... I love him so much!

And of course... you are all wondering how the other love of our life is getting along!

When we finally came home with Roarke, Remington really didn't give him much attention. But it didn't take long for him to figure out that this little human was quite interesting and LOUD! Remington enjoys laying close to Roarke and visiting him in his nursery every night before bed. And if Roarke begins crying in the middle of the night, Remington races in there to check in on his baby brother. I have a feeling they will be best friends for a lifetime!

A big THANK YOU to all my friends, family, co-workers, etc. who have shown their love and support to us these past few days. We are very blessed to have you in our lives and are excited to share Roarke with you in the years to come!

Remington's Rundown

Hey Doodle Lovers! It's Remington Bear here!

There I was taking a nice little snooze with my Mom when her cell phone rang!

"Who is it Mom?"

Mom was really surprised to hear that the call was from Paws and Think, the organization we do our volunteer work through. Last month they had a volunteer appreciation event that Mom couldn't attend because of her work schedule. Much to her surprise we had been honored during the event!!! During the phone call they told us we were recognized for our outstanding service for Therapy Dog visits at senior living facilities in Greenwood and for completely over 75+ hours of service in 2014! Who knew!

They were kind enough to stop by during one of our visits and give us our gifts we were suppose to receive. A Paws and Think pen, lanyard, and blanket! Pretty cool!

I love doing visits with all of Mom's residents and feel really proud of this accomplishment! Sadly, once Mom has my new baby sibling I know that we are going to have to take some time off from my work. Mom says the most important thing to her now is making sure that the baby and I adjust well to one another.

Luckily, my girlfriend Bella will be holding down the fort while I'm gone!

Time to sign off... WIGGLES!

~Remington Bear~

40 Weeks - Scheduled Induction

Well, we are only one day shy of 40 weeks.

I had my last doctor appointment this past week and didn't get the best of news. My blood pressure has steadily been on the rise for the past couple of weeks. When I went in for my last check up it was 140 which was pretty unusual for me since I'm often lower than 110. The doctor voiced concerns about preeclampsia and started asking me if I had noticed any swelling, headaches, etc. I really hadn't and even though I feel crappy I can't complain about much. He said that was a good thing, but that the baby is probably putting a lot of stress on my body at this point and the only way to get my blood pressure down is to deliver. I have been scheduled to be induced today at 8:30 in the morning. He said he will first give me some Pitocin and after a while break my water. The baby will come at any time after that. I could deliver in the afternoon... or much later into the evening.

Right now the baby is the size of a watermelon and weighing in between 7-9 lbs. The baby is still measuring on target, the heartbeat was 143, and head is still down. After my appointment last week I was still 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I haven't made much progress in that department.

I really wanted to go naturally if possible, but with my personality I also like to be able to plan so I'm taking the induction as a blessing. Right now my attitude is just "go with the flow." Basically, I don't have much control at this point and Baby Rhoton will come when it's ready :) Next time we chat hopefully I will have someone new to introduce you to!

Mileage Monday

Stats for the week of June 1st - June 7th... I slowed down even more this past week. I have spent a lot of time laying around, watching TV, and just not doing much of anything. I'm really tired, uncomfortable, and much more irritable than usual. Sadly, I know that when I have the baby I will probably be even more tired than I am now, but I'm hoping I can get back to my old self soon enough or at least as much as possible.

Monday, June 1st, 2015 - 2,579 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 31 calories

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015 - 2,603 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 38 calories

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015 - 4,139 total steps / 1.5 total miles / 58 calories

Thursday, June 4th, 2015 - 2,174 total steps / 1.2 total miles / 20 calories

Friday, June 5th, 2015 - 2,499 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 27 calories

Saturday, June 6th, 2015 - 3,104 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 46 calories

Sunday, June 7th, 2015 - 3,004 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 42 calories

Totals for the week : 20,102 total steps / 9.4 total miles / 262 calories

Mileage Monday

Stats for the week of May 25th - May 31st... This past week has probably been one of my worst feeling weeks so far in pregnancy. My body aches so badly I just don't want to do too much. I did get a little pep in my step on Wednesday and decided to take Remi on a 2.25 mile walk, but boy did a pay for it afterward. My body hurt so badly once we got home I could hardly waddle around. I've been scolded by Dan that I just need to chill out and rest, but that is hard for me since I feel like I'm being lazy.

Monday, May 25th, 2015 - 3,206 total steps / 1.4 total miles / 73 calories

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015 - 4,287 total steps / 1.5 total miles / 78 calories

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015 - 2.25 mile walk with Remi / 12,955 total steps / 3.3 total miles / 179 calories

Thursday, May 28th, 2015 - 2,629 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 43 calories

Friday, May 29th, 2015 - 5, 118 total steps / 1.8 total miles / 81 calories

Saturday, May 30th, 2015 - 4,034 total steps / 1.5 total miles / 77 calories

Sunday, May 31st, 2015 - 2,572 total steps / 1.3 total miles / 42 calories

Totals for the week : 2.25 mile walk with Remi / 34,841 total steps / 12.1 total miles / 573 calories