for the love of july

whoa. to date this has been thee fastest month of.my.life.

if this is the pace in which Tanner is going to grow up, he'll be 17 in no time... and that would then make me... 44... yikes!

let's just slow on down please :) in the meantime we are cherishing every moment of every phase.

bringing a newborn home is just as heartwarming as it was the first time with Harper. we have overflowing love this little guy. I've said it before, but he fits just so perfectly into our family. we couldn't have asked for a smoother transition from a family of three to now four. and I am ever so thankful for that!

we most certainly have had our challenging moments where I'm home alone and outnumbered by two kiddos who both need their mama (and the toddler finds her way into everything she's not suppose to while I'm pinned to the couch nursing). but we get through it. and overall we have all adjusted better than I could've expected.

there are some differences I've noticed with baby number two. with Harper, as she grew month by month I often found myself so sad about it. and it's true, they grow way too fast and the baby stage FLIES by.

however, this time around I'm less sad about my baby growing. of course I would love my baby to stay a little newborn f o r e v e r. BUT I also know just how great each a every phase is. I know how much fun we'll have in the future with our little man, and how in the world can I let myself get sad about that?!!

so I'm living more in the moment. and enjoying all of our moments.

because I know it's going to continue to fly by and feeling sad isn't worth my time.

we just had Tanner's one month check up this morning, and boy has he grown!

age: 1 month

stats: birth: 8lbs 2 oz -- 21 inches
2 days: 7lbs 11oz
12 days: 9lbs 1oz
**1 month: 12lbs 4oz -- 23 1/2 inches

clothes: 0-3/3 month

diapers: size 1

Tanner name sign // Quincyjeanart
banner // hooray everyday
shorts // lulu + roo

F I R S T S

everything this month is a first for our little man, being that it's his first month of life :)

first pool day. first bath. first time matching outfits with big sister. first trip to Target.

first time at a Seattle Mariners game. first walk around the neighborhood. first trip to the zoo.

first snuggles- with many, many more to come!

E A T

nursing. nursing. nursing.

this little guy has taken so well to nursing and has really become quite efficient for a one month old. I really don't watch the clock during the day, but just feed him on demand. it's been a bit irregular as he's gone through a couple grown spurts. and his stats show for it!

P L A Y
we've started doing some tummy time for very short periods of time. his little neck is getting so strong. sometimes he thinks he's stronger than he is and will whip that head back a little too quickly and if you're not watching it he'll about whip himself out of your arms. I am so excited for this next month as he continues to become more alert and playful. I just love (and Harper does too) getting a smiley reaction out of him by kissing his sweet face.

S L E E P

he falls asleep around 8:30/9, then hangs out with Brandon and I downstairs until we head up to bed around 10:30. then it's a quick diaper change, into the swaddle, and a dream feed to get us a little longer stretch before he wakes again from a hungry belly. he wakes to nurse every 2-4 hours. nurses, and then it's right back to sleep. we started using the noise machine and swaddle during the night a couple weeks ago and it really seems to help him to fall asleep and stay asleep.

**things I don't want to forget:**

the way you quiver your little chin. even when you're not sad
how you love having your hands up by your face. always. since the moment you were born. and especially while nursing. and sleeping too.
those little piggy noises you make are priceless. and the way they intensify when you're hungry
such a snuggly little boy and you do not like to be left alone in the room. you want to be with the rest of us where ever we are
how your tiny forehead wrinkles up when you're upset
you're a gassy little thing! burps and toots for days :)
you have the absolute sweetest grin and show it off most if I kiss your lips or stroke above your eye

happy one month, my baby!!!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross Hjelseth

born Wednesday, July 13, 2016

3:19 pm

well.. tomorrow my baby will be four whole weeks old. and though every detail of his birth is still so vivid in my memory, it's about time I get his birth story written and shared.

a lot took place before the moment we actually welcomed him into this world :)

of course I know babies come when babies are ready and there's no way to determine when they will be born (especially without any interventions)... but baby Tanner really caught me off guard.

being that I was a whole eight days over my due date with Harper, I was absolutely certain that I would reach and pass my due date with Tanner as well.

so from the beginning :)

MONDAY

all was well and nothing out of the norm when I went to bed that night.

in the middle of the night though I woke a few times from some braxton hicks contractions that were just a bit more uncomfortable than normal. but nothing alarming.

TUESDAY

I had 9:30am chiropractor and 10:30am massage appointments scheduled.

I had still been noticing my braxton hicks like I had in the night, but they hadn't changed and were by no means regular in any way. as I was busy with my day I half noticed them due to other distractions of the morning's busy-ness.

my massage therapist (who knew I was just a couple days from my due date) pressed on some pressure points and used cleary sage essential oil during my massage. both of which are suppose to help in getting labor started if your body is ready for it.

after my appointments (which felt so great!) I headed home to carry on with the rest of my day.

Brandon was working from home that day. I mentioned to him how I had been feeling more braxton hicks. by late afternoon I wasn't only feeling them in my lower back (which was typical throughout my pregnancy) but also some here and there on the sides of my lower abdomen.

but all was bearable and I was certain it was nothing and that it would eventually just go away.

around 6:30 that evening we were home eating dinner and I started noticing contractions happening more often. I made a few glances at the clock and they seemed to be like every 8ish minutes and a little more uncomfortable. but again, still manageable.

still, I was certain it was nothing and that it would eventually just go away.

we carried on with the evening. dinner clean up. Harper's bedtime routine- bath, milk + bubble guppies, brush teeth, books, and then lights out.

--it was a little extra special that night as it was her birthday eve and in the morning she was going to wake up a big two year old!!

Brandon was taking work off for her birthday (Wednesday the 13th) and we had a fun day planned to celebrate her. the zoo. finding dory. birthday gifts. and cupcakes.--

it was now about 8:30pm and I was still having the same contractions. Brandon and I changed into our sweats and went downstairs to blow up balloons for Harper's birthday in the morning, watched a little DVR, then headed up to bed around 10:30pm.

as I was trying to go to sleep, my contractions had become just too uncomfortable for me to lay through them in bed. as each one came I had to get up out of bed (every 8ish minutes) to move and work through them. at that point Brandon thought we should really start tracking these better to see what's going on. he was feeling pretty certain that I was in labor at this point.

but still, I was certain it was nothing and that it would eventually just go away.

to fast forward a little and to not bore you with all the details (if I haven't already, that is) ;)

the night continued on like this. I was in and out of the tub a couple of times, had music going, and my hubby by my side as I worked through each contraction. this all continued until about 6am Wednesday morning with contractions coming and going every 4-6ish minutes.

WEDNESDAY

6:00am

since the time between my contractions was moving around from 4-6 minutes, we thought it'd be a good idea to contact my midwife to see what she thought. I was still in doubt that labor had really started because of the contractions (which yes, at this point had certainly gotten more intense) they however could go 4 minutes between then slow down to 6 minutes.

and in my mind (as referenced earlier) it was near impossible that this baby was going to be born BEFORE his due date- let alone on Harper's birthday! it was all just going to stop and go away.

(as I look back on it, who was I kidding!)

we checked in with my midwife each hour to give her an update on where things were. she encouraged me to rest when I could since I had been up all night long. and I most certainly would need my energy as this progressed.

with the slow down between some contractions, she figured that the cause could possibly be that baby may have gotten out of position.

11:00am

we loaded up the car, Brandon's mom had already come over to be with Harper at this point, and we headed in to The Birthing Inn so that Susan, my midwife, could check me and see where we were with things.

contractions were strong. it took a lot to work through each one. and they most certainly were NOT stopping.

I was dilated 4cm. I was shocked!

as Susan had predicted, baby had flipped to the other side and was out of his usual position. we decided to do what was in our power to get this labor progressing. Susan stripped my membranes and turned baby back to the position we wanted him in.

now it was go time!

Brandon unloaded the things from the car while I settled into the room. we weren't going to be leaving without our baby in our arms. ahhh! it was really happening!

though I had finally accepted the fact that labor was happening and baby was coming, mentally I was a little unprepared since I had never, ever, EVER expected this to be happening on this particular day.

11:30am-3pm

labor. labor. labor.

contrations. contractions. contractions.

with as much rest, fluids, and food in between as possible!

somewhere during all this (I wasn't watching the clock) Susan had given me the option of breaking my water.

well... my hesitation here was that I remembered that point when Harper was being born and once my water bag was broken, contractions really intensified as I went straight into transition phase.

mentally, I wasn't so sure I was ready for this... I knew how intense it was at the moment, and knew it would only intensify.

I took some time, ate some food, prayed, and got to the point where I felt a bit more refreshed and ready to push through this last stretch.

3pm

it was time for Susan to break my water. she checked me and I was at 9cm! she said baby was going to be coming soon. and by soon that meant by like 3:30/4ish! tears just started flowing. I can't put into words how much relief I felt in this moment. I knew it was about to get tough, but to know that we were so close- it washed away all of the worries and stress I had been feeling prior to this moment.

3:05pm

we went ahead with breaking my water bag. the next contraction was so intense. but to know I was so close!! that helped me through every bit of it.

3:05/3:10pm

I got into the tub.

had the feeling I needed to push and began pushing.

3:19pm

our sweet baby Tanner was born.

relief. so much relief. labor was over and I had my baby boy in my arms.

the emotions, the feelings. it was all so much.

I could feel God's presence so well and I felt I had the greatest reward from Him.
that reward was a perfectly healthy 8lb 2oz, 21 inch baby.

this perfect baby boy decided to come on the day we least expected.
and gave his sister the greatest birthday gift :)
we have birthday twins born exactly 2 years + 30 minutes apart!

I felt it all. I was present in it all. in the end I had the moment I was waiting for and my baby in my arms. it's all worth it. every moment of it. every bit of pain and discomfort was completely gone the moment my baby landed on my chest.

this guy right here. I could not have done it without him by my side. he was there with me for each and every contraction. birthing our babies has been two experiences that have brought us even closer together. it's indescribable.

I did it. we did it. and we now have our perfect, healthy baby Tanner.
he's everything we had dreamed and prayed for.

.
.
.
may seem like a long birth story (then again, this is what birth stories are about). for me there's even so much more to it than this.

birth is a topic I just love and love to share about. any questions- ask me. I am so willing to share. especially when it helps another mama out.

...another piece to the story. all of these amazing pictures. when we first arrived at The Birthing Inn, my midwife offered us the opportunity to have a birth photographer (if we wanted and were comfortable, of course). I was in from the moment she said the words! she had a photographer Linenko Photography to do some "working" photos for her and she thought we'd be a good family for it. I can't begin to express how blessed we felt to be given this priceless gift.
memories and photos that I will forever cherish.

"When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:21