Goodbye, February 2005
The month of our son's birth is ending. Tomorrow will be the start of a new month. I'll never forget this month for the rest of my life, because a new life came into this world, and a new journey has begun for Landon and I. We are so excited about Samuel, and look forward to each new day as we watch him grow & develop into the person he will become.

Karli

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By late this afternoon, I was dying to get out of the house. Mike & Susan were going out for Thai food, and my first thought was "there is no way we could go." Then, I made it happen, because I just couldn't stand the thought of staying indoors a minute longer. I fed Samuel, then we left right after. Samuel slept through the whole meal, just as he did at Newport Bay. Afterwards, Landon wanted to go over to Mike & Susan's for an hour or so. We did so, but I spent most of the time nursing Samuel in the back room while Landon, Mike, & Susan watched Globe Trekker.

I was more than ready for bed by the time we got home, and am feeling pretty happy, because Samuel is starting to sleep for 3 to 4 hour stretches at night. His pediatrician is okay with this, because he is gaining weight so well, and is obviously consuming enough calories.

Karli

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Saturday already--where has the week gone!?? We wanted to get out of the house today, but it just didn't happen. We were thinking about visiting some friends on the east side, but that didn't work out with their schedule. The weather this month has been beautiful, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to be outside very much with a newborn. Most days are a blur, and it is more than enough just to get through feedings & diaper changes. It is hard to believe that more than half of Landon's paternity leave is over. I'll really miss him when he goes back to work--he's been a BIG help!

Karli

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Today went by so quickly! In the evening, Landon and I watched Alias episodes while I fed Samuel and got him to sleep. He continues to sleep for 3 to 4 hour stretches at night, for which I am SO grateful! It's nice to get some sleep, even if it is only a few hours! Karli

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2 Weeks Old
Samuel is 2 weeks old today, and is a big boy! He has his 2 week appointment today with his nice pediatrician, and weighed in at 10lbs. 10oz. This proves breastfeeding is going well, and he is getting the calories he needs. All those feedings have accomplished something after all! He is in good health, and will be seen again when he is 2 months old. We are proud of our growing boy!

Karli

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Today was a blur...between feedings, diaper changes, and comforting Samuel when he just wants to be held, there is little to no time for anything else. We didn't have any visitors or appointments today, which was good, because last night was a hard night. Samuel was up quite a bit, and I am exhausted today.

Karli

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Barbara wanted to come and visit today, but we had to say no, because last night was another sleepless night. Samuel still thinks day is night and night is day. In-utero, babies tend to be more active at night, and sleep more during the day when the mother is active. The mother's activities lull the baby to sleep. It will take time, but Samuel will start to sleep more at night. We do not believe in the "cry-it-out" approach. It goes against the laws of nature, and breaks down the lines of communication. A baby's only way of communicating its needs is by crying, and when a parent does not respond to its cries, it cannot trust or depend on that parent. Dr. Sears advocates for co-sleeping, and this is something Landon and I are practicing. We do not let Samuel cry for long. We are quick to respond to his needs, and by doing so, Samuel has learned he can depend on us to be there when he needs us.

Karli

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We met my Mom, Dad, Tracy & Mike at Newport Bay. My parents are leaving for Hawaii bright and early tomorrow morning. I was stressed out about going to the restaurant with Samuel, and feared he would wake up and cry, but luckily, he slept through the whole meal, even during the times he was passed around as different people were holding him. I was so relieved! This was my first time dining out since he was born, but it went much better than I expected.

I'm really happy my parents are going to Hawaii. They need to get out of town and enjoy some time away!

Karli

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Damien & Laurie brought us a lunch from Wendy's today when they came to visit Samuel. They brought Samuel 3 new outfits, which look great on him! They were super cute. It was nice to have them come over to visit. While it is tough to time breast-feeding around visitors sometimes, I really like having people come over. It is surprising how much you miss socialization when you don't have a way to socialize easily.

After Damien & Laurie left, my friend Jen Williams came over to visit. She brought Landon and I Starbucks, which was super nice of her.

Samuel slept a lot while we had visitors, so was in no mood for sleep afterwards, which was a bummer, considering I was exhausted and had to stay up with Samuel until the wee hours of the morning.

Karli

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Mike & Susan came over for a visit and brought us some gifts for us and for Samuel. They brought Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs & Ham for Samuel, some flowers, a cookbook for us, as well as a digital photo viewer for the TV.

We went for a walk with the stroller. It was our first time doing this, and I enjoyed getting some fresh air, exercise, and liked pushing Samuel in the stroller. He slept the whole time.

In the evening, we relaxed as much as possible in between feedings & diaper changes.

Karli

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Gay came over this morning to visit Samuel, then Sharla & Jen came right after that. By 3:30pm, I was feeling pretty exhausted. I nursed Samuel, then fell into a deep sleep. Landon took care of Samuel, and I woke up 2 hours later feeling much better. After a dinner of mashed potatoes & pot-pie, we packed up little Samuel and headed to Babies R'Us for some diapers. Samuel has already gone through a 40 pack! He slept the whole time, and we even stopped at Starbucks for a treat. Landon was feeling pretty good, so decided to go to session tonight. First time away from Samuel! He wanted to print off some pictures to show his friends, so burned about 8 pictures onto a CD, then went to Fred Meyer's to get them printed off. He has called me twice already, and has only been gone for two hours. I know his thoughts are primarily with us, but I am glad he went to session, so he can play music and show our friends pictures of the baby.

Here we are--Samuel is already 8 days old, and almost half of Landon's leave is over. We're treasuring each day and each moment, because time passes so quickly. Samuel will only be 8 days old once, and today is almost gone.

--Karli

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Samuel passed his bilirubin test today. I cried during his test, because the first lab tech. messed up, and they had to do the test a second time. I hadn't seen Samuel scream so hard, and I felt frustrated that they didn't do it right the first time. Luckily, though, they called later to say he did not have to undergo any more tests, and we could discontinue the phototherapy treatment. We were able to rest a lot more this afternoon.

I've been having some really strange dreams, but I think it is because I am so overly tired. I'm hoping to feel much better by tomorrow, since we don't have any appointments or anything going on for the rest of the day.

--Karli

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Samuel failed his bilirubin test again today, although his levels had gone down from 16 to 13.5, they want him to remain on the phototherapy lights for another day. I cried when they told me this. The thought of him going through another bilirubin test was more than I could take, not to mention the fact that I am skating on thin ice with sleep deprivation. With these appointments, I haven't been able to sleep at all during the day, so it has been difficult.

This afternoon, we went to the lactation clinic and received some helpful suggestions for breastfeeding. By the time we got home, it was about 5pm, and we had been gone most of the day between the bilirubin test and the lactation clinic visit. Landon and I stopped at Pizzacato for pizza & salad to-go, came home & ate, then fell into an exhausted sleep for a couple of hours until Samuel's next feeding.

--Karli

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We were able to get some more rest today. Samuel slept pretty well last night, but does wake up every 2 hours to feed. I'm getting used to this, especially if I've been able to take a nap or two during the day. It really helps my stamina during the evening if I've been able to rest at some point during the day. Usually, I'll feed Samuel, then Landon will burp him and put him back to bed. This means that neither of us are up for more than an hour at a time, which is helpful.

Samuel had his first appointment today with his pediatrician, and it was determined after he failed his bilirubin test that he should undergo phototherapy in our home. Samuel did great with the phototherapy lights, but we now have to take him in daily for bilirubin tests until he proves that his levels are coming down. This test is painful for Samuel, and emotionally hard for me to see. Since I'm so tired, these extra appointments really cut into the time where we could be sleeping during the day. This jaundice is a challenge right now, but we'll get through it just like everything else.

My friend Amy's daughter was born today--Alexandra Caitlin Peahl. Congratulations!

Karli

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It's been four days since I gave birth to Samuel, and I've lost 30lbs. already! Landon called this morning and made Samuel's first appointment with his pediatrician, and our appointment with the lactation clinic. Last night was difficult. Samuel was up almost all night in discomfort from gas. At about 2am, Landon called the advice nurse, and she gave us some hints. Since we had visitors all day yesterday, we were up all night tonight on no sleep. It was really hard to stay calm with a screaming infant when your body feels like collapsing. Somehow, though, we made it through, and by about 5am, Samuel fell asleep, and Landon and I did also.

Throughout today, we took advantage of every hour that Samuel slept to sleep ourselves. Somehow, our bodies are coping extremely well during this time of sleep deprivation. It has been a big help with my Mom, Tracy, and Miriam, who have all brought over meals. Landon has been a huge help, also, by keeping the house in ship-shape order, keeping a bottle of water by my side at all times, and getting our meals ready. We are enjoying being parents, and working together as a team to help make this transition go as smoothly as possible.

This is Valentine's Day--the day that Landon proposed to me three years ago. Now, we have a little son--Samuel. Valentine's Day will always be a happy time of year for us, because it is the day we got engaged, and now the time of year we will celebrate the birth of our son.
--Karli

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Our first night home went pretty well. I got up every 2 hours to feed Samuel, and Landon took over after I fed him to burp him and get him to sleep. We slept with Samuel in our bed most of the night, but put him in the bassinet for a couple hours in the early morning so we could get some R.E.M. sleep. I felt like I couldn't sleep soundly with him in the bed, because I kept waking up to check on him.

Mike & Susan came to visit Samuel in the morning, then my Mom, Grandma Edmonds, Robby, and his girlfriend Karmen came to visit, then Kristi & Zac visited, then Tracy, Mike, & Haelie. I was so exhausted by the end of today, and was now going on four days with about 6 hours of sleep total. Landon and I decided to decline any visits until the end of the week so we could get used to Samuel's schedule and try to rest during the day. It was nice to have all the visitors today, but now we have to get some rest so we can be the best parents for Samuel!

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Another night of little to no sleep. I am surprised at how well my body/mind are holding up. I've felt frustrated by the nurses during my hospital stay, because many of them say different things to me about breastfeeding, and it is hard to get a grasp on what is normal and what is not. I cried today more than yesterday, and I think it is because I am so tired--also, I just want to go home at this point. Samuel is doing great. Landon is a big help.

By 5pm, we were set to go home, but Samuel was hungry, so I fed him before we left. Then, Samuel messed his diaper, then wet on his outfit, so we were delayed until about 5:30 before we could leave.

It was a happy memory when we brought Samuel home. At the hospital, the lady that wheeled me out to the car took a small video tape of the three of us. Samuel slept all the way home. When we got home, there was the futon with the blankets still in place from the first night I labored, the nail polish on the coffee table from the night I painted my toenails so I would look my best for delivery, the pregnancy books laying beside my bed from the hours I spent reading about pregnancy & childbirth, and the nursery with all the love and care that had been put into it for our baby. And, now he was here--with pregnancy behind me and motherhood ahead of me, I felt happy and fulfilled. --Karli

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We didn't get hardly any sleep at all last night. Landon got a little more than I did. We spent a lot of time today getting to know our little boy. We are so happy to have him here, and held him almost constantly today. It is hard to picture life without him.

He was circumcised this morning, which was a difficult experience emotionally for us. Samuel did not cry at all, but was feeling painful afterwards. I ordered some tylenol for him, and he rested soundly after the first dose. Later in the day, I had the nurse give him a second dose.

We're so happy that Samuel is a part of our family, which has now grown from two to three!

Karli

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The Birth of Samuel
By 6am, the nurse told me that overnight my contractions had really started progressing, and were occuring about every 2 to 3 minutes. I was only 4 cm. dilated, but things were looking like they were progressing. By 10am, I was 6 to 7 cm. dilated, and by 11am, I started feeling extremely painful pelvic pressure. I asked the nurse to check me, and I was fully dilated and ready to push. I started pushing, and before long, the doctor came in and took over for the nurse. After two hours of pushing, I agreed to an episiotomy. The doctor said it might be another hour of pushing if I did not go ahead with the episiotomy. Shortly after this procedure, our son Samuel Landon Kuhn was born. He weighed in at 9lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long. We were so overjoyed--it was a moment I won't forget for the rest of my life.

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By 9am, my contractions had not grown any closer together--still 15 minutes apart. After talking to my Mom & my sister Tracy, I decided to call the doctor to find out what I should do. They asked me to come in for a non-stress test. The test came out fine, and they asked if I could get some rest if they sent me home. I told them there was no way I could sleep through these contractions, as they were painful enough that I could not even talk during them! So, the doctor said I had the option of being admitted to the hospital for therapeutic rest. I took them up on the offer in hopes that I could get some sleep, and that maybe my labor would begin to progress. I was admitted to a birthing suite, given some morphine to help me sleep, and before I knew it, I was sound asleep. I drifted in and out of sleep for about four hours, and then the doctor came in and checked me. I had gone from 2 to 3 cm, so they decided to admit me. By 6 or 7pm, I was still 3cm. dilated, and my contractions were still 15 minutes apart. The nurse talked to me about starting pitocin to try to regulate my contractions and bring them closer together. I agreed that this was the direction we should go. By 1am, I was in so much pain with contractions that I began to feel like I was losing control, not to mention the fact that I was incredibly exhausted with only 4 hours of sleep in 2 days. So, I requested the epidural to try to get some rest. I had not dilated any further, so felt I should try to rest since my labor was looking like it would be a long one. The epidural did help, and I was able to rest off and on until about 6am. --Karli

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I went into labor tonight! We were at House of Teriyaki having dinner with Damien, his sister-in-law Marla, brother-in-law, and their son Solomon. Towards the end of dinner, I started getting contractions. At first, I ignored them, thinking that it was another false alarm, but when we were at Fred Meyer's afterwards getting some groceries, and I was stopped in my tracks with a contraction, I felt these were different than the other contractions I had experienced before. They were painful enough to stop me from what I was doing. When I got home, I started to time them, and they were every 15 minutes apart, and continued throughout the night. I was up ALL night long, and got little to no sleep. Landon slept soundly in the bedroom, and I was tossing and turning on the futon, which is the only place I could sleep semi-comfortably the ninth month of my pregnancy. Finally, at about 5:30am, Landon woke up, and I told him I was in a lot of pain from the contractions. We began to feel excited that our baby would arrive soon. Karli

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40 Weeks Pregnant--One Day Past-Due
Woke up this morning feeling congested with a cough. I'm pretty upset about this. Don't know where I could have picked it up, as I am hardly out of the house these days. I've been drinking apple juice all morning, and have hardly been out of bed, because I feel weak and under-the-weather. I can't be sick for labor & delivery! I have to get better! I'm not having a very good day because of this, and there is no sign that the baby is going to arrive any time soon. So, mentally and physically, I'm feeling pretty low. I'm now over-due, so growing a little impatient. I've had light contractions all morning, but they haven't built up, and continue to be irregular. I see my doctor tomorrow morning. I'm not expecting any changes, and I still have another week to go before we'll discuss inducement. I really don't want an induction, so I'm hoping for labor to occur naturally. We'll see--right now, I can only take things one day at a time.

Karli

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Both Landon and I took a two hour nap this morning. We were both SO tired after getting hardly any sleep last night. After we woke up, we got dressed and went to Starbucks for about 30-40 minutes, had coffee, and talked. It is nice to get out of the house, even if it is just for a half-hour or so. I left my purse at Starbucks, so when we pulled into Fred Meyer, we had to rush back there. Luckily, it was right where I left it. We went back to Fred Meyer's and got supplies to make BLT sandwiches, then came home. Landon wanted to rest for awhile, so I watched When Harry Met Sally--an old movie that is fun to watch every time. Landon ended up watching the 2nd half of it with me. Then, Landon worked on a program he is writing for a screensaver for awhile, and I went to Fred Meyer to get some ice cream. We watched the 2nd half of The Office Special, then Landon went to bed at 8:30!!!!! So early!!! He didn't wake up again until 7am this morning, so he got about 10 hours of much-needed sleep. I, however, could not sleep, so watched Law & Order for about four hours before I fell asleep out on the futon. Another typical night of waiting for the baby--Karli

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I had a rough morning. Had a hard time getting out of bed, and was feeling overwhelmed by the pregnancy and wondering when it would ever end. Mike & Susan came over in the afternoon, and we went to a Bento place nearby, then went to Gabriel Park and went for a short walk with Gay. I thought I kept up pretty well on the walk. Gay had her dogs with her, so that helped keep everyone at a slower pace as well. For the rest of the day, Landon and I stayed home. Landon fell asleep when we got home, and I went for another walk by myself around the neighborhood. I experienced some sharp pains, and some irregular contractions. I was gone for about 40 minutes, and when I got home, the pains & contractions stopped. Landon and I watched The Office. We got to bed pretty late. Both of us had a lot of trouble sleeping. I probably only got three hours of sleep, and Landon didn't get much more than that.

Karli

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Landon, 2 years old (1981).
Landon was one of the cutest babies I've ever seen.

Well, here I am--still pregnant a week after Dr. Morris told me I had an 80% chance of having the baby last weekend. Still plugging along. I feel pretty good overall, considering I am 9 months pregnant and almost to my due-date. Super Bowl Sunday is my due date. Actually, there are two due dates. OHSU has me down as due on 2/6 based on the ultrasound, and the MD office has me down as due 2/8 based on my LMP. By my calculations, which are the most accurate since I was using FAM at the time, I agree with OHSU that I am due 2/6. Due dates are only estimates--hardly ever are they exact--and, babies always arrive on their own schedule. SO...here is another day of waiting for this little one to arrive. Cindy will be here in about an hour, and we are going to go to Starbucks before she goes to work, so that will be nice for me to get out of the house for an hour. Better get going--Karli

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Picture of me as a small infant with our dog Peppi.

Taxes, 2004
So excited to have our taxes done! Capital gains were a nightmare to figure out this year! We'll know where to get the necessary information for next year's taxes, though. Glad to have them done and processed before the baby gets here. It was a big relief to me. After I got them all done, it was about 7:30pm, and I told Landon I wanted to go to Kinko's to print out all the documents & get a caramel apple cider from Starbucks as a treat for getting them done. So, we did that, and everything looked good on the print-outs. We stopped @ Safeway on the way home to get some more groceries. We're always running out these days.

Although we went to bed at around 10:30 or 11pm, both of us did not sleep well last night. We were both up at 3am. Landon got on the computer, and I ate a bowl of Golden Grahams. I ate two bowls, actually, during the night, because I was waking up hungry. And, when you are pregnant, hunger pains don't go away if you try to roll over and go back to sleep. You have to eat when you are hungry or you get hungrier and hungrier, then the baby starts kicking in protest. Anyway, cereal makes for a good midnight snack, because for me, it does not cause acid reflux.

Looks like the baby's birthday will not be February 3rd. Every day I wonder, will this be its birthday, but every day passes into the next. Hope I don't go too much past my due-date!

Karli

Karli

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39 Weeks, 2 Days
Just arrived home from my doctor's office, and nothing has changed since Friday. My blood pressure remains low, which is great. It is a guessing game as to when the baby will arrive. Some women don't show any signs of being ready for labor, then go into labor that day, while others (like me) show a lot of signs, but continue to hold on for another week or two. Regardless of what happens, we will probably have a baby for sure within the next two weeks, because they don't let you go more than a week or so overdue before they'll schedule an inducement. I'm really hoping I don't go that long, though, because I'd like for my body to go into labor naturally. I really am against inducement unless medically necessary. So, I'll hope for the best. In the meantime, I'm trying to stay active & positive.

Karli

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First day of February--still waiting for the baby to come. It is nice and sunny out today. The cats have been in and out this afternoon. I moved some more plants out to the back porch from inside the house. Trying to keep busy. I scrubbed down our bathroom. Landon is going to get some groceries tonight. I'm too tired to do a major shopping trip right now. I took a long nap this morning, but other than that have tried to keep active. Karli

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