Empty House

Grandma Johns has to go back to North Carolina today.  I wish we lived closer, it has been so helpful and nice having her here.  Thankfully though, my Dad will be coming out in a week.   Vigo goes back to the co-raisers today and then our house will be empty except for Alex, Matthew and I.   What a strange feeling that will be, no dogie tag jingle, no grandma chatter.  Who knows, maybe we will like the quiet.

Vigo loves to snuggle up against something when he sleeps.  Last night he wedged himself between a pillow and the couch.  Silly puppy.

Just some pictures

Not much new in the Kaplun household, we're still learning how to be parents and the baby is still sleeping, eating and pooping.  Below are a few pictures I've taken over the past few days.

Vigo Shows Matthew what he thinks of "Tummy Time"

Yesterday Vigo decided that his tail was yummy and despite corrections he kept wanting to chew on his tail.

I just think Vigo is such a beautiful dog, he lays at my feet while I snuggle with Matthew.  He knows that when Matthew goes to sleep it's his turn to get snuggled.

vigo loves his doggie

So when you first get a GDB puppy they are allowed to chew on stuffed animals for a few weeks.  Once they hit about 4 months you are suppose to take them away as they now have teeth strong enough to destroy them.  Vigo is now about 4 1/2 months but he still loves to carry around his pink doggie and his lambie.  He can occupy himself for an hour just throwing it around and playing with it.  I always watch him when he has one to make sure he doesn't destroy/eat it.

I hesitate to post this next picture as it requires me to share something embarrassing about myself.  Ever since I was little I have slept with a stuffed animal.  And even though I am well into my 30's, I still can't sleep without a stuffed animal in my arms.  Silly, I know, but true.  Last night I was getting ready for "bed" and when I came out of the bathroom  I found that vigo had snuggled up with MY current sleeping stuffed animal.  Thankfully he didn't chew it he just snuggled it.

"what?.....I'm not chewing on him.... we're just snuggling, Can I keep him?  Please!?!"

Today he got to snuggle in a sun beam with "His" pink puppy, he seemed very happy and content. 

The Three of US.

Our friends Jeff and Laurie came over the other day to take some pictures of Alex, Matthew and I all together.  We had a lot of fun taking the pictures but quickly found out that taking posed pictures of babies is  a lot harder than I thought.

Proud Grandma watches the "shoot"

Vigo rejoins us.

About a week after becoming parents we decided we were ready to try having Vigo join us again.  We are so very thankful to our co-raisers (Brianna and Rob) for watching Vigo so much over the past few weeks.  Vigo is the most laid back and calm puppy I have ever meet.  He has jumped right back in with no problems.  He loves to sniff Matthew and tries to sneak in a lick/kiss or two.  

Vigo in an early morning sunbeam.

Yesterday I was trying out some "tummy time" with Matthew.  As you can see...  he can't hold his head up for long yet.  I kept trying to get one of him looking at us but he kept wanting to snuggle the floor with his face.  Vigo found this all very interesting and came over and laid down and just watch Matthew.  

When I say Vigo is laid back,  I mean that he is super super laid back.  Sometimes on outings he will lay down and not get back up when it is time to go.  He just wants to sleep in the check out lane.  We ran out yesterday and he wouldn't get out of the car.  I gave him several minutes to come out but no luck.  I checked the pavement, nope not hot.   So finally I lifted his front paws over the edge of the car to help him down, and he just laid there and looked at me.   "I'm comfy here why would I want to get up and go somewhere else?"  

What a cuttie.

I will be the first to admit that not all newborns are super cute.  In fact a lot of them are a little funny looking until they grow a bit.  I've learned though that when it is your own baby, it appears to be the cutest thing ever.   Below are some more pictures of Matthew and coming tomorrow are some pictures of Vigo meeting Matthew.... so stay tuned.  

Matthew absolutely hates to lay on his back.  So changing and bath time usually results in him screaming bloody murder.  So in an attempt to make him enjoy bath time a bit more.... we flipped him over, and then he seemed to enjoy his bath.  Can't wait to show this picture to his prom date some day.

I thought this was cute.  He looks like he is checking himself out in the mirror.  "Who is that handsome fella over there?"

I stepped in front of Alex to take this picture and in order to get him to smile I took down the front panel of my nursing bra before he could see me.  So this was his surprised face of seeing two boobies and a camera lens.  

Once he got over the initial shock I was able to get a cute shot.

Matthew really does have eyes, and they are staying open more and more these days. 

Since he won't sleep on his back we have been trying everything to get him to sleep.  His favorite is his bouncy seat but while we are sitting next to him we often let him snooze in his boppy.  He will sleep for hours like this.

One good thing about being up all night is getting to see the sun rises in our back yard.  There is so much beauty in the world and I am so thankful for my family and my life. 

We haven't forgotten our GDB Puppies

We sent Anthony off to GDB college the day before I went into full labor and he is already showing up on the phase reports.  I sure do miss him.  I keep finding his hair on Matthew's clothes and it makes me think of the Goofball.  I bet he is having such a good time though.

Vigo is doing well too.  He's growing up so fast.  He is staying an extra week at our co-raiser's Brianna and Rob to let us adjust to the baby before we have both a baby and a puppy.  Brianna is a great photographer and has taken some great pictures of Vigo that she said I could share on my blog.  Here is a link to her blog in case you want to see other puppy pictures and stuff she has taken: http://briannaandrob.blogspot.com/

Vigo - 4 months old. 

"You talking to me?"

What a beautiful puppy.

Introducing Matthew Alexander Kaplun

Alex's and I first child - Matthew Alexander Kaplun was born this past sunday (8/15) at 8:41pm.  I was 38 and 3/7 weeks.    He weighed 6 pounds and 15 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth.  The labor was long but tolerable thanks to an epidural.   Both Alex and I are completely in love with the new addition to our family. 

But first one last pregnancy picture.  This was taken shortly before I went in to labor.  I was starting to swell already, but maybe is was from the ice cream sitting on my belly bump.  : )

Warning:  this is a long post with lots of pictures, but I didn't know when I would be able to post again.

I am now much happier that I have an epidural.  Little did I know I was about to start swelling up like the stage puff marshmallow man.  You won't see many more pictures of me until I look more normal. 

Alex holds Matthew for the first time.

matthew - 4 days old

Grandma flew back out right away and here she is holding her first grandchild.  Needless to say, she is ecstatic.

Matthew - 4 days old.

sleeping after a good breast feeding. 

Grandma helps give him a bath.  We are about to wash his hair.

3 days old

6 days old

Daddy and Matthew catch a few precious zzzzz.

He has eyes!

His favorite sleeping position is with his hands by his face and often with one over his face.

He actually slept for a few minutes so mom and dad could take a much needed shower.

A bittersweet goodbye

On Friday Alex, my mom and I drove to Denver to put Anthony on the GDB puppy truck.  Saying goodbye to a puppy at 38 weeks pregnant, proved to be a bit more emotional than I had expected.  I cried all Friday morning in anticipation of saying good bye to the sweet boy.  Its not like I haven't done this before but for some reason I couldn't seem to keep the tears at bay.  I'd like to blame it on the hormones.  : )  

I may have been tearful but I really am happy for Anthony.  He has been ready to go back for awhile now.  He's been so bored lately and is ready to learn new things.  Anthony is going to have so much fun playing with all the other dogs and learning how to guide.  He is going to love his new life.  

Several of Anthony's litter mates are here in Colorado and they are even smaller than he is.  This is Shawna with Anthony on the right and one of Anthony's litter mates on the left.

Alex, Anthony and I in front of the puppy truck.

Anthony in his kennel on the truck.   He is in a kennel right next to Betsy (Maddie's puppy).

Somehow at the truck I managed to not sob, guess I got it all out in the morning.  I love Anthony so much but I know that he will have a great time at "GDB college" and being a guide.  I wish him all the success in the world. 

Unfortunately, my mom had to head home to get ready for school to start (she's a high school teacher).  So as a final "thanks for all of your help" after the puppy truck we went to Boulder and had lunch at the Med.  It was yummy as always and afterwards we went to the Mountain Sun Brewery.   I had ice water while Alex and my mom sampled some of their beer.  They didn't finish the sample board since their sample sizes are huge but we all enjoyed being out of the house and sitting and chatting.  Alex dropped me off at the door to everyplace and I sat so I really didn't violate my bed rest too much....  but I am still thankful that my OB doesn't ready my blog.  : )

Amniocentesis

Last week my OB wanted to induce me but because I was only 38 weeks the hospital's policy dictated that they do an Amniocentesis to check for fetal lung maturity before they start an induction.  Alex, Anthony, My mom and I arrived early Thursday morning at the hospital for the procedure.  At one point Alex and my mom were out of the room and I had to go to the bathroom..... not wanting to leave Anthony alone in the room, I took him with me into the bathroom.  He came right in with me and went and laid down in the shower.  By the time I got my phone to take a picture of the silly puppy, he had gotten up to see why I laughing so much.   You just gotta love the goofball!!

The amniocentesis was painful to say the least but all went well and there were no complications.  The good/bad news, depending on how you look at it, is that the results showed that our little guys lungs were not quite mature yet.  So home we went and  I get to sit in the lazy boy for another week continuing to contract every 2-3 minutes.  They say to be a good parent you have patience and I sure have been learning that lesson a lot lately.  

Trying everything

So after being on bed rest for 3 weeks I am nearly 38 weeks and I am ready for our little guy to make his debut.  I don't mind be pregnant or even the bed rest (I've got great helpers) but I have been having contractions about every 3-5 minutes for weeks.  They really hurt now and I am getting really tired.

I think the constant contractions is pay back for all of the patients that I have made suffer through similar situation for the health of the baby.  My mom needs to go home soon so we have been trying everything to try and get this little guy to come out.  

One of the things we tried was driving up to Estes park and going for a drive up Old Fall River Road (a dirt road) up to the alpine visitor's center (over 11,000 ft high).  Don't worry we cleared the drive with my doctor before we went.  But alas, the drive didn't put me into labor or make my water break.  But it did pick up my spirits, it was great to get out of the house into nature, even if I just got to see it from the car.

I needed a stretch break (and Anthony need to DYB) so we paused to take a family portrait. 

Anthony poses for a quick picture.

Mom took this picture from the top of trail ridge road.  

Here is just a random shot of me before I went to my doctors appointment last week.  I rarely get to get dressed up and go out anymore .... the whole bed rest thing gets in the way.....

The reality is that this is how I have been spending my days.  I wasn't feeling too great when mom took this picture.