More pics

Normally I don't take pictures of the backs of people's heads, but admit it - this is pretty funny!

This is what I call the "Dominic campaigning for husband of the year" shot. Vacuuming and caring for Cohen at the same time! Move over June Cleaver...

Pictures!

Here are pictures from the past few weeks.

Silly smile

Big bro and little bro

Not a newborn anymore!

Playing Superman with Mommy

Posing with his bear from Grandma Moll

Bathtime is serious business

Back to work

Last Thursday we took Cohen to his daycare, Little Endeavors, for about 4 hours for a trial run. Being the anal person I am (control freak as Dominic would say), I left a two-page document with his caregivers on how to take care of him. He's sometimes tough to get down for a nap, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to provide documentation of how we do it with as little fussing as possible. To my surprise, they were able to put him in the crib and get him to sleep with no fussing within 10 minutes after his arrival! It left me feeling very positive and worry free.

Monday was his first full day at daycare, and my first day back at work. I thought I could hold myself together based on Thursday's success, but I was a blubbering mess. It hit me that this is our new life, and that Cohen will be spending more waking hours with his caregivers at daycare than he will with us. I miss him so much when I'm at work! I avoided everyone at work because I knew if someone asked me about him, I would start crying again. He seems to be doing fine at daycare (except for a few bugs we need to work out with the gals who care for him in the late afternoon). He's happy and seems to be getting plenty of stimulation.

Dominic and I have talked a great deal about ways to reduce his time at daycare... one of us going part time, one of us quitting altogether, stuff like that. For now, we're going to keep it as it is. I changed my schedule so I'm off work at 3:30 so Cohen and I have more quality time together. Plus, my boss said I can work at home from time to time. We'll see how this goes for a few months... how Cohen is doing in this environment, how our budget is looking, etc.

Baptism

Cohen was baptized on Sunday, November 18. Grandma Alice made him an adorable satin outfit to wear. He only wore it for a couple hours, but we'll definitely hang onto it as a keepsake. Grandma and Grandpa Moll made the trip from Missouri (the second 8-hour trip on a month!) and aunt Alexia came too. Celestine is such a huge help around the house. Whenever I need to take care of Cohen, she jumps in to finish whatever I was doing - cooking, cleaning, dishes, you name it. She even did some yard work for us. Anyway, aunt Gail and uncle Doug are Cohen's godparents. Seeing how great their boys are turning out, we know we made a good choice. Aunt Elaine, Sarah, Chris, Lauren and Troy were also here. We're grateful to everyone for coming and for being so nice to Cohen!

Itsy bitsy spider

He hated wearing this costume!

Smile? Me? On camera? Forget it!

2 months

Last week was a special week for Cohen - he got to meet his brother Kraeton and Grandma and Grandpa Moll. Dominic and I were so pleased and impressed with Kraeton's interaction with Cohen. He has great instincts and is very patient and helpful with the baby. It was so great having him here! Grandma and Grandpa were helpful too, helping cook and clean (Celestine even asked if there were any closets that needed cleaning!). Unfortunately, it rained the entire time everyone was here, so we were cooped up inside. Cohen was having an extra fussy streak those few days too. Anyway, Kraeton left on Friday and Grandma & Grandpa on Saturday, and our house seemed very quiet afterwards!

Luckily, we think we turned a corner in terms of Cohen's fussiness. For the past several weeks he's been unpredictably crabby in the late afternoon and evenings. It wasn't uncommon for Dominic and I to battle him for a few hours at nap time. He just cried and cried, and fought any notion of sleep. We read the book Baby Whisperer and are following some of their suggestions, and the results have been amazing! Now we can put him down for naps and bedtime in 10-15 minutes with very little fussing. Turns out we were letting him get too tired. Not rocket science, but we needed to be educated. He's so much happier, and so are we!

Cohen had his 2-month appointment yesterday. He had 4 shots which he didn't like a bit, but recovered quickly. He weighs 11.5 pounds (50th percentile) and is 24" tall (90th percentile).

Developmentally, he's doing great. He continues to coo nonstop and smiles easily. His hand motions seem to be more purposeful, and he swats at the swinging parts of his play gym. It's so much fun getting him up from a nap and being greeted with that ear-to-ear toothless smile!

7 weeks

Cohen is talking! Not really, but he knows 3 consonants and 4 vowel sounds. His favorites are "g" words (goo, gah, geeh, and guh). He also does variations of l and b words (la and buh, to name a couple). His favorite thing in the whole world is partying on the changing table. There, we explore his entire vocabulary, smile, practice bicycling, and enjoy frolicing with his naked bottom. He is also becoming a tummy time champ (see video below). He holds his head up like a big shot, and scoots around when we give his feet a base to push off.

Yesterday Grandma Alice came to visit for a couple hours, Then last night, aunt Gail and cousin Luke came over to babysit and gave Dominic and I the luxury of having a date. We went to HuHot for dinner and got a new digital camera at Target. Woo hoo! It was awesome getting out of the house alone together (no offense, little man) and Cohen was in excellent hands with Gail.

This week Cohen finally gets to meet his big brother Kraeton and Grandma and Grandpa Moll! They'll be coming on Wednesday and staying a few days. We're all excited for the visitors.

The cats Buzz and Rudy have finally accepted Cohen and permanent fixture in the family. At first they wouldn't even be in the same room with him, but now they actually cuddle up next to me when I'm holding him. They're not crazy about the lack of attention they're getting, but somehow I'm sure they'll survive!

Enjoy the video and photos!




Little man is trying to roll over!

1 month old!

Last week aunt Bev came from KC to help out at the Moll house for a couple days. It was great having her here! She helped prepare food that we froze, did laundry, helped care for Cohen and much more. We're still enjoying the lasagna, burritos, cookies, etc. that she made.

Cohen had his first professional photo shoot. I took him to Portrait Innovations in West Des Moines. Unfortunately he wasn't in his most photogenic state (just woke up and just finished crying when it was time to be cute), and his tired, sad eyes are pretty evident on the finished product. There were a few keepers in the bunch.

On Saturday, Deb went to her friend Kathy's shower and bachelorette party and was gone for 6 whole hours (the longest she'd been away from Cohen). No worries, he was in good hands with Daddy, and Deb had a really great time with the girls.

On Sunday, our friends Mike and Kristi came to visit. They brought Cohen an awesome crib toy. It looks like a piano keyboard with only 5 keys. When Cohen gets a little older he can make music by kicking it with his feet as he lays in his crib.

Cohen continues to change physically. His hair continues to thin and he's battling a bit of baby acne on his cheeks and chin. He's getting longer by the day, and filling out a little more. Of course, we still think he's the cutest kid ever. Developmentally, he's right on track for 1-month old babies. It won't be long until he's "officially" smiling. He tries so hard! His mouth distorts into an almost-smile shape, his eyes twinkle and he makes happy little cooing noises. After seeing this a number of times, we're pretty sure it's more than just gas.

Here are a few recent pics. Thanks for visiting and check back again soon!

Check out the little frog body! This picture cracks me up.





















This outfit is from aunt Vicki.












He LOVES this play mat and is just starting to swat at the butterflies dangling overhead.

Almost 3 weeks old

Here's his typical awake and alert pose. His eyes follow us around, and he loves looking at light fixtures. We swear he tries to smile sometime (usually when he's playing with Daddy, go figure).

Also, he's a poop machine! And when it's time, he proclaims it to the whole world. Or at least everyone within earshot. We can't figure out how such a tiny bottom is capable of that kind of noise!

Uncle Joe came to visit this week when he had business in Iowa. It was great seeing him and hearing what's going on with the Springfield Moll clan.

Week 2

Cohen had his 2-week doctor's appointment today. He weighs 8 lbs 3 oz (4 oz. more than he did at birth) and has a clean bill of health. We can tell he's gaining weight. His little face is filling out and looks notably different than he did at birth. He still has chicken legs and a cute little bony bottom, so no worries that someone traded our baby for a plumper version!

His hair is thinning. Or maybe it's just spreading out on a bigger head. The back is still think and dark, but the top is sparse and has a reddish tint to it. Even with less of it, I swear it's the softest hair I've ever felt!

He's also not quite as laid back as he was in week 1. He's not afraid to let out a blood-curdling scream when he's hungry or dissatisfied. Luckily, it's easy to pacify him and he quickly reverts back to the sweetie pie that we know and love.

His sleeping habits are about the same. He typically goes to bed the same time as us (10:30) and wakes up twice during the night. Usually he goes back to sleep within an hour. Since Dominic is working, I usually handle the nighttime duties, and so far I can't really complain about sleep deprivation. Sometimes he refuses to nap during the day. He loves, loves, loves falling asleep cuddled up with (or being held by) Daddy or Mommy, and we're trying to figure out when to draw the line and establish better long-term habits. Aren't the first few weeks of life exempt from spoiling a child?

Developmentally, he's making strides. He seems more alert during wake time and his eye contact is improving. I slowly moved my hand in front of his face and he followed the movement! Dominic has been "exercising" with him and his strength amazes us, especially his head/neck control.

The first week

Cohen is such a good little boy. Hopefully I'm not jinxing anything by saying this, but it really hasn't been difficult at all. He only cries when he's hungry or if he lost his pacifier. He sleeps up to 4 hours a night. He's just a pleasant, lovable, cuddly little guy. I realize that his temperament can change in a flash, but we're definitely enjoying the first week of life with a perfect little baby.

Here are a few milestons of his first week:

Monday: home from the hospital
Tuesday: Neighbors Kelli, Kevin and Mitch come to visit. They bring pot roast, brownies, etc.
Wednesday: Daddy went back to work. Mommy was a little worried, but it went just fine for reasons described above.
Wednesday: first outing (walk to Crestbruck park in sling. Neither Mommy or Cohen liked the sling very much and it may be going back to Target.)
Thursday: second outing (walk to the park in stroller. Mommy and Cohen liked it much better than the sling!)
Friday: 1-week appointment at the doctor. Cohen gained 3 oz since being discharged.
Friday: Mommy felt like crap and was diagnosed with mastitis and given antibiotics.
Friday: Cohen has mysterious rash on his chest, neck and face. Possible culprits: 1) baby acne 2) reaction to Mommy's antibiotics 3) another common baby skin issue that Mommy read about online. Can't think of the name right now.
Friday: Cohen loses his belly button stub.
Friday: Cohen's first bath sitting in water (the others have been sponge baths). He hated it.
Friday: Deb's friends Kelly and Elliott visit, bringing lasagna, cookies, and other goodies.
Friday: Cohen meets grandma Alice
Friday: Cohen, Mommy and Daddy go to Acorn Valley to join the Langel family at their annual camping trip. Cohen was a huge hit among his aunts, uncles and cousins.
Saturday: Cohen's aunts Vicki and Elaine and Vicki's family come to visit.
Saturday: another evening at Acorn Valley with the Langel clan.

Birth story

Cohen's birth was free of serious complications. Here's the long and detailed story...

I woke up on Friday, Aug. 24 (one day after due date) having mild contractions. I had an already-scheduled OB/gyn appt at 9:15 a.m. I called and asked if I should go to the hospital instead, as the contractions were about 6 minutes apart. They said no, come to the appointment. There, Dr. Gisi informed me that I was dilated to 3 and that I could very well have the baby that day. He said I should go to work (yeah, right) or just hang out at home. I chose the latter.

Throughout the day, the contractions got more intense, but their frequency was all over the place (from 3 to 10 minutes apart). Dominic and I toured a day care center that we just learned had an opening, and then Dominic went to work. At about 3:30, I concluded that I didn't feel safe being home alone with such horrible contractions, so I called Dominic and told him he better come home. I think my exact words were "This sucks. Come home or I'm going to the hospital alone."

About these contractions. I didn't know what to expect. People described them as intense menstrual cramps. I was afraid I'd miss them because my cramps have never bothered me much. Well, these geezers were nothing like cramps. It felt like someone was taking a crowbar to my pelvic area and slowly prying my bones apart. I felt it in my hips, back, thighs, the whole region. I seriously thought I would die!

We got to the hospital at about 4:45. In triage, they determined that it was true labor and I was dilated to 5. They admitted me and everything started happening very quickly. Dr. Hoegh was on call that day (YAY!! He is my favorite.) He broke my water and they started giving me drugs. First, a narcotic administered through my IV that made me feel loopy but didn't help the pain. Then, after waiting what seemed like forever for a very elusive anesthesiologist, the wonderful, God-sent epidural. Let me just say that whoever invented this stuff deserves a Nobel prize.

From this point on, I felt like a million bucks, completely relaxed and comfortable. I think I even logged onto MSN games and played a couple games of Zuma. Hey, I never denied that I'm a geek. The nurse encouraged me to sleep but I was too wound up, mentally.

Dr. Hoegh kept coming in to check me. Initially, he was sure I'd have the baby that day, but sometime around 9:00 p.m. he changed his prediction. The epidural made me a little TOO relaxed and my progress slowed down. The contractions spread out from 4 minutes to 6 minutes, and the dilation stopped. They pumped a little pitosin into the IV to get things moving again. It was just a matter of waiting.

At about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, I was fully dilated and it was time to start pushing. Christi, the awesome nurse assigned to us, gave me a little refresher course on what I needed to do. Whenever a contraction came, I'd lift up my legs and give it my all. Since my legs were mostly numb from the epidural, Christi would help me lift my left leg and Dominic my right. It wasn't bad. The contractions were still about 3-4 minutes apart, so I had plenty of time to catch my breath and re-energize myself between pushes. It was a great team - Christi and Dominic said all the right things to encourage me on. "A little harder, you can do it!" It made a huge difference.

Early in the pushing, Christi noticed the baby's heartbeat was dropping at the end of each contraction. They decided to use an internal monitor (those awful things that are attached directly to the baby's head) to keep a closer eye on it. Me being me, my mind raced to the worst possible case scenario, but it ended up being fine. Apparently Bean got used to what was going on, and his heartrate stabilized.

Fast forward 2 hours. I was getting a little discouraged - not to mention exhausted. Whenever I asked how progress was going, they'd use words like "little by little" and "millimeters." I thought this would be an all-night ordeal. Dr. Hoegh even mentioned using the vacuum device, which I was adamantly opposed to. Maybe it was the incentive I needed to work a little harder, because from then on it went quickly (the episiotomy may have helped too). He called in the delivery troops. Finally, little Bean's head emerged. Dr. Hoegh told me to stop pushing so he could remove the cord wrapped - not once, not twice but THREE times - around Bean's neck. Once that was resolved, one final push and Cohen was born at 3:44 a.m.

Dr. Hoegh put him on my stomach and Dominic cut the cord. It was an amazing moment. The physical relief of being done with labor, the emotional euphoria of looking into my baby's eyes, the pride of seeing what a perfect little miracle Dominic and I created, the gratitude that he had 10 fingers, 10 toes and perfect health. I tearfully said something corny like "Hi Bubby, I'm your mommy." What are the appropriate words at such a life changing moment?

Cohen had an excessive amount of fluid in his nose, mouth, lungs and stomach. They removed as much as possible with an aspirator, but his cry was weak and mucous-sounding. They ended up inserting a tube into his stomach and lungs to remove the rest. At last, he was able to cry hard and "pinken" up.

By now it was nearly 5:00 and I'd been awake for nearly 24 hours. They took Cohen away for a bath, and we asked them to keep him in the nursery for a few hours so we could get some sleep.

And that's the story of Cohen Joseph Moll's birth!

Pictures!

First family photo

Little baby conehead weighed 7 lbs 15 oz (excuse the pornographic details)

Sleeping beauty

Little legs a-kickin!

Sleepy head

Eyes are open - grab the camera!

Cohen's most handsome shot.

I'm exhausted!

Typical sleeping pose - hands to face.

39-week appointment

Still dilated to 1 cm. and 50% effaced (the same as 3 weeks ago). Dang.

Why I like pregnancy

With the increasing discomfort and sleepless nights, I'm finding it easy to focus on the negatives of being in the final stages of pregnancy. There are definitely positives...

Dominic has been a saint. I'm getting totally spoiled by his amazing back rubs every night. He does such thoughtful things, like fills my car up with gas, cleans, cooks, and takes care of me. Plus, he's patient and understanding when all I want to do is spend my entire Saturday laying on the couch doing nothing. He always reinforces that I'm doing a good job carrying our baby.

Having thick, lucious hair is kind of nice. My fingernails have never been stronger and healthier.

I haven't had one single migraine the entire time I've been pregnant.

A revved-up metabolism rocks. Even after all the ice cream I've been eating, my weight gain is on the low-end of what's advised for pregnancy. I haven't even been trying that hard.

Bonding with other mothers and mothers-to-be is definitely fun! I feel like I'm part of the "club" now.

People have been so wonderfully thoughtful, kind and supportive. We are so blessed.

Last but not least, we'll have our very own baby very soon!

Baby shower #2

Here's a better belly pic. This was taken before my baby shower hosted by Gail, Kathy and Kelly. It was a great shower! (More about that in a sec.) Dominic thought we should get a decent shot of my full-term voluptuousity when I was looking all spiffy and cute (as opposed to my normal look, wearing XXL elastic-waist faded shorts and an oversized t-shirt). Seeing photos of myself is always a little suprising. For example, when I first saw this one my reaction was "since when has my face been puffy?" Apparently the pig-face side effect came along when I wasn't paying attention.

Anyway, back to the shower. It was funny because the attendees weren't directly connected, but everyone knew each other. For example, my friend Kathy knows my sister Gail through work, and Kathy knows my sister Carol through church. My friend Cheri knows Carol through former jobs, and my friend Denise knows Cheri because Denise used to work with Cheri's husband. (You get the picture.) I kept wanting to introduce everyone, only to hear "we know each other already!" It made it very fun. The planners came up with great activities (collecting advice on baby names and motherhood, an incredible video that Kelly made from photos submitted from all the invitees, not to mention wonderful food and drinks). I had a great time and am grateful for my sisters and friends for putting the event together. Plus I scored on awesome gifts! I think we're truly ready now.

A little progress

At my 36-week appointment on Thursday, I was told I'm "a good 1 cm dilated." I guess that's better than a "bad" 1 cm? Baby's head is down and he's putting pressure where he needs to for continued progress. I have this image of Finding Nemo when all the fish were in the net and Dory got everyone to chant "SWIM DOWN!" So, everyone together now: SWIM DOWN BABY BEAN! My next detailed exam isn't for 2.5 more weeks, so I probably won't have much to report till then.

Dominic did a day of Ragbrai on Friday with the same group we've gone with other years. My hometown, Dyersville, was the overnight town, and Mom was gracious enough to host the entire team in her basement and yard. Dominic had fun riding and I enjoyed observing the town being taken over by tens of thousands of bikers and visitors. I also enjoyed spending time with Mom, Elaine, Gary and Bev's family. Saturday it was back to Ankeny for a block party in our cul-de-sac. It was fun and we're grateful to be blessed with great neighbors!

Baby pictures (pregnancy)

Deb's one and only pregnancy belly shot. 36 weeks.


Baby "Bean" at approximately 17 weeks.



Bean's profile shot, 17 weeks.

Kraeton's summer visit - July 2007

Kraeton was with us visiting from July 1 to July 24. (For those who don't know Kraeton, he's Dominic's 9-year old son who lives with his mom and stepdad in Algonquin, IL, a NW suburb of Chicago). It was a great visit! Highlights include visiting grandma and grandpa on their farm in Missouri, tons of trips to the Ankeny Sports Complex to play baseball and football, going to an I-Cubs game, playing with the neighbor kids (especially his best buddy, Mitch, who lives next door), and seeing Transformers - not once, but twice! Kraeton always brings a lot of joy to our house during his visits. His silliness and spirit help keep our perspective on track, and he constantly amazes us by how smart and responsible he's becoming. He's definitely growing up!

He starts football season soon after his return. He plays for the LA Falcons featherweight division. (LA stands for Lake In The Hills and Algonquin).

Kraeton, if you're reading this, we love you!

Family photos

Dominic and Deb hiking outside of Sedona, AZ in April 2007.
Kraeton and Dominic, spring of 2007.
Dominic, Kraeton and Deb at our rehearsal dinner. 4/28/2006.

36 weeks and counting

Tomorrow will be the 4-week mark till Baby's due date. I must say, I'm ready! My comfort level is decreasing and my irritability is increasing (as Dominic could attest... sorry honey). Based on the size of my tummy, I think he'll be a big boy! It's hard to imagine four more weeks of growth fitting in there. People have told me I'm a "classic basketball" - carrying all the weight in my tummy while the rest of my body is the same as before. Personally, I feel like a fat cow everywhere! But it's not about vanity at this point. The main thing is keeping Baby well nourished.

Anyway, welcome to my blog. When Baby arrives we'll post lots of pictures and information.