Aquarium Of The Pacific

This is Ryan's last week of paternal leave and we're all really sad that he has to go back to work on Monday. It's been nice being able to all be home together as a family, we definitely haven't been taking it for granted. We haven't really gone out and done much as I'm sure any new parent knows how hard it is...especially when you're breast feeding. When my parents were here we were able to go out and do a few things, but it's easier when there's 4 adults instead of just Ryan and I. We knew we wanted to do a few day trips, but this week is full of appointments so we knew we were limited to only a few days. We planned on Wednesday and then another over the weekend. Unfortunately, this weekend is carmageddon II and we will not be going anywhere. The traffic in Los Angeles on a normal day is awful so we couldn't imagine a day during carmageddon.

Anyways, on Wednesday we decided to head to Long Beach and go to the Aquarium Of The Pacific. We were able to get discount tickets on base and so we ventured out. It's kind of far from us, but it was a fun little trip for us and it wasn't too much for Dominick. All in all we were a little disappointed since they didn't have any large fish such as whales or dolphins, BUT we were able to touch jelly fish, starfish and we were able to watch a shark feeding which was kind of cool.

We are glad to be able to do little trips like this with our baby man (even though he'll never remember this one). It was actually Ryan AND Dominick's first aquarium trip.

Dominick: Week 3

Dominick actually turned 3 weeks on Monday (9/24), but I wanted to wait until after his appointment on Tuesday to get his stats. In 1 week he gained 1 lb 4 oz! Such a big boy!
Weight

Birth: 7 lbs 13 oz

Week 3: 10 lbs 2 oz

Length

Birth: 22 in

Week 3: 21.5 in

Diapers

newborn 
You've actually had a couple of blowouts this week which have lead to some fun diaper changes.

Clothes

newborn and some 0-3 (the smaller ones)

 Eating

You are still an exclusively breastfed baby. You did take about 1 oz from a bottle for the first time this week. You eat every 2-4 hours and are the messiest eater!

 Sleep

You still don't really care to take naps. You will wake up around 7-8 most days and be up until afternoon with an occasional cat nap. You will take around a 2 hour nap in your pack and play and then be up until 7-8 before going to bed for the night. At night time you'll sleep around 4 hours at a time before you wake up eat for about 5-8 minutes and go back to sleep again. I am so, so thankful you're doing so well.

 Likes
Going for walks
Car rides 
Your swing
Eating
Your activity mat
Cuddling and being held by your momma
Playtime with daddy

 Dislikes
Sitting in your car seat (you just get too hot)
Getting dressed
Falling asleep
Getting hungry 
Choking because of momma's "forceful" let down
Dirty diapers

Dominick,

I cannot believe that you're already 3 weeks old. It seems like time is just flying by and before we know it you're going to be a month old. Could you please slow down?

This week wasn't all that exciting. We stayed home most days, but we did get out to go for a few walks and be around friends. You also got to witness the last mission of the Endeavour as it flew over base and stayed a night here. Even though you slept for the entire fly over, you still were "there".

 We got your results back from your second testing from the newborn screen that you had initially failed. When I first talked to the genetics office at UCLA they said that both of our levels were low (barely low, but low). She said that the doctor that was on our case needed to go over the information that came back and they'd get back to me. She called me back that same day and she said that he will not need supplements, vitamins, further treatment and most importantly no more tests! It was a huge sigh of relief and answered prayers!

You are still such a good and happy baby and I am so thankful for that. We are becoming quite the team and working through all the kinks. Having you has taught me what it's really like to love another human being; it's like no other. Your daddy and I sure are in love with you!

Love,
Momma

Dominick: Weeks 1 and 2

Since Dominick will be three weeks on Monday, I should probably post his first two weeks so I don't get too far behind.

 Weight

Birth: 7 lbs 13 oz

1 week: 7 lbs 12 oz (at 4 days you went down to 6lbs 13 oz)

 2 weeks: 8 lbs 14 oz

Length

Birth: 22 in

1 week: 20.5 in (we're not really sure, but the hospital and the clinic on base sure are different)

2 weeks: 21.5 in

Dominick,

You've had quite the first 2 weeks. You were a labor day baby and we sure weren't expecting that, but we were glad that mommy didn't have to be induced. We spent 1.5 days in the hospital. You were tested for jaundice and your levels were high, we had to take you to the clinic on base to be tested again and your levels had doubled. You were pretty yellow and looked like you were glowing. We left with a biliblanket and you had to be under it pretty much 24/7 for 3.5 days. Mommy took you out to feed you and we would take you out a couple times a day to cuddle you. You did so good.

On your 1 week birthday we received a call from UCLA Children's Hospital saying that you tested positive for 1 of your newborn screens (the carnitine transport disorder) and that we would have to take you to the lab so they could take more blood. It was pretty awful since they took it from a vein in your arm. You were quite the champ though and barely cried. We have to wait 2 weeks to find out the results.

In your 2 short weeks of life you've been to the Los Angeles Farmers Market, Calico Ghost Town, outlet shopping, to many restaurants, the doctors office more times than we care, mommy and daddy's work and dropped of your Grandma and Grandpa at the airport (this part was the worst).

You are so long and skinny! You are still in newborn diapers and mostly all newborn clothes. We've had to put you in some 0-3 months because the newborn are just too short. And your cheeks...oh those cheeks! They're just so kissable.

You are such a good eater and eat about ever 2-4 hours. During the day you will eat closer to 2.5 hours, but at night time you will go 3.5-4. You are such a messy eater and we go through multiple bibs a day and you burp like a champ. Grandma was the official burper, but you really haven't been too hard on mommy and daddy since she left.

I really think if we let you, you could sleep 5 hour increments at night time. Since your newborn screen was positive you cannot go anymore than 4 hours at a time without eating (until we get good results back) so I have to wake you up to eat. It's always a fight and you'll only eat for about 5 minutes before you just refuse to wake up. You've been sleeping in your pack n play since you were 1 week old (pretty much as soon as you were off your biliblanket (prior to you were sleeping in your swing so we could keep the blanket wrapped around you easily).You also are awake so much during the day, I don't think you care to sleep. You're so alert.

You hate getting dressed/undressed and always cry but you quickly get over it. You also don't love bath time, but I think you're starting to like it a little bit more...or are at least tolerating it.

You rarely ever cry, you're such a good baby! When you do cry you sure make mommy and daddy pull out all of our tricks. Most of the time you are just a little gassy or tired. We don't mind cuddling you the least bit.

You are so strong. For quite some time now if we put you up on our shoulder you will push back and hold your head up. You love to look around. You really enjoy riding in the car and going for walks. You will fuss a little when we first put you in your car seat, but you soon get over it and normally fall asleep when we're driving. Another favorite of yours is being in your swing. You've started watching the mobile and really like it.

We are so thankful for you and love you more and more each and every day. We hope you never question how loved and wanted you are. You are a blessing and we cannot wait to see the little person that you become. I love you, baby man!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

To My Parents

My parents were here for 3 weeks, they arrived a week before Dominick's arrival and were here for 2 weeks after.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you so much for coming and spending those three weeks with us. During that last week of pregnancy you made our days so much easier. Even though I worked, it was nice to be able to spend lunches and the evenings with you. I hope you enjoyed exploring the desert and going to different places.

I am not sure how we would have survived the first couple of weeks after Dominick was here without you. You made our transition to parenthood that much sweeter and so much easier. Knowing that we could count on you to love on our boy, answer new parent questions and reassure us that we were doing things right meant more to us than you'll ever know.

We loved our few day trips that we took even though the Farmers Market was nothing like we expected and our original plans {San Francisco, San Diego and Catalina} didn't pan out, maybe your next trip.

I don't know if we can really put into words how much your stay meant to us. We know it wasn't much of a relaxing vacation since mom, you cooked, cleaned and did laundry every day you were here and dad you fixed mowers, hung shelves and put together baby products but we hope you had just as good of a time as we did.

After we dropped you off at the airport and we made our way back home and our house was empty, our dogs didn't know where you were and we were left to be parents without help I think for a brief moment we both wondered how we were going to do this without our family and closest friends. Somehow our transition is working and we're all still surviving. We know that no matter how far apart we are, you are always a phone call, text message or video chat away. We all miss you so much and look forward to our visit in November.

Again, thank you times a million. I'm so glad you were able to meet Dominick minutes after he was born.

All our love,
Ryan, Allison, Dominick, Calli and Rocky

Dominick's Arrival

Since it's been over 2 weeks I thought I should write this down so we don't forget.

My parents arrived on the 25th of August and I honestly thought Dominick would be here by then. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks for quite a while and had already showed progress every time I went to the doctors. My due date was the 30th and it came and went. Ryan's promotion ceremony was also this day. My parents were able to go and I'm glad that they were. I think they enjoyed being able to see that and I know Ryan appreciated having them there.

On Saturday (September 1st) we all went into town and ran some errands. I was having lots of cramping and pelvic pain, but at this point I was already over due and didn't think anything of it aside from maybe I over did it. The next day I was extremely uncomfortable. We did some things around the house, had lunch and I told Ryan that I think we should go into labor and delivery because I was in lots of pain and had some spotting. We headed in around 1. They told me I was having some contractions, but nothing to write home about and I wasn't dialated enough to keep me. They said that if I started having contractions that I couldn't breath through or started bleeding like a period I needed to return (it's about a 45 minute drive each way). Needless to say I left in tears. When we got home we had dinner and I laid on the couch feeling pretty miserable until bed.

Around 1 AM I woke up to go to the bathroom and noticed I was bleeding pretty heavily. I woke up Ryan telling him that I was bleeding and was having really bad cramps. He told me to wait for a couple of hours and if it's still happening we'll go back into labor and delivery. I laid in bed with a heating pad and soon realized the cramps were actually contractions. About an hour and a half later I woke him up saying I was having contractions and the bleeding was worse. He got up and got around, I finished packing our bags and woke my parents to tell them that we were going into the hospital. The drive to the hospital is pretty fuzzy, I was just praying the whole way there that I had progressed enough and that they wouldn't send me home...again! Since it was just 12-13 hours prior to that we had been there.

We arrived at the Women and Infants Pavilion around 4 and they took me back to triage. I was in labor, contracting every 6-8 minutes and was 5 cm dialated. They were going to admit me. It took about 30 minutes for me to get my laboring room and about an hour until I could get my epidural. Once I got my epidural my blood pressure dropped and I got really sick to my stomach. They gave me a zofran to help with the nausea. After this point I pretty much slept the entire day aside from when the nurse would come in to check on me. At 8 AM they started me on pitocin so I would continue progressing. It was a SLOW, SLOW, SLOW process. Every 2 hours I would only progress 1 cm. Thankfully I was comfortable and not in any pain.

 Finally around 6 PM I was 10 cm and they broke my water. They wanted me to start pushing, but since I had the epidural for so long I had no feeling or urge to push. They made me continue pushing for about 45 minutes before they decided to turn it off completely. The doctor got there around 8:45 and by  9:10 PM our baby boy was finally here! They took Dominick and cleaned him up and let Ryan see him while they fixed me up (which took much longer than they anticipated).

After they cleaned the room up, my parents were able to come back and finally meet their newest grandson. They let us all have an hour together and then it was off to our post delivery room. My parents and Ryan left to go home around midnight and Dominick and I finally were able to get some rest.

Dominick Thomas

7lbs 13 oz

22 in long

9:10pm, 3 Sept 12