On our own

After my parents left that Sunday June 2nd we had a little less than a week before Brandon's Mom, Grandma Huntsman and Ty and Vandy and their kids were coming. I was glad to have about 5 days before they all showed up. I was mostly nervous about having 4 other kids in the house with a brand new baby. So I was glad to have a few days before they got there. With a new baby and 3 other kids to take care of we didn't do very much. I tried to get the kids to start reading again and work on their summer homework packets so that they didn't backtrack on what they learned that past year at school. I also let the boys play outside a lot with our slip n slide and our blow up pool. There was now way I was taking them all to our pool with a new baby. I was too worried something would happen to one of my other boys while I was watching and taking care of Kayden. So when Brandon was at work we just hung around the house. Thankfully, we had people from the ward planning on bringing food that week. So I didn't have to worry about that. I just worried about keeping my 3 older kids alive and somewhat happy and nursing and taking care of our sweet Kayden. Which by the way was working out really well. I was having a little bit of a burning feeling in between feedings but not too bad. So I figured I could handle it. It had been going on for probably close to a week by that point but it wasn't a strong burning feeling so I figured I was good and maybe it would just get better and not worse. So that week was spend sitting outside a little bit to watch the kids play and napping inside and nursing and just enjoying my cuddles with Kayden. It really wasn't too bad that first week on our own. Probably because I was too worried about Kayden and healing that I didn't stress too much about the other stuff. Plus the boys had fun playing outside. I know there were fights to break up and things like that but for the most part I believe it went pretty smoothly that first time being on our own. Kayden was still having reflux issues and would swallow a bunch while sleeping and then gasp for air. That was not fun to listen to. I would run over to him and try to lift him up to help him. It made me so nervous. He was just so tiny and for him to be gasping for air quite often was unsettling. He was also spitting up after burping him for like 20 minutes. As soon as we would lay him down to change his diaper he would start to spit up and choke and I would have to turn him over. He also kept choking while nursing. I think my let down was too fast and he would breath in at the wrong time and start coughing like crazy. He had a couple really bad times where he wouldn't breath for probably a full 10 seconds. It scared me so badly and I cried a few times after he would do that. One time Ethan came over and then said he got scared that Kayden was going to choke and die. When he said that I had to try to not repeat it but I about lost it. When I told Brandon that night about it I started sobbing. That newborn phase can be so nerve wrecking. They are just so tiny and seem so fragile. I kept thinking the same thing when he would choke while nursing. I would get so scared every time. I was excited that nursing was actually working but when he choked like that I almost thought it wasn't worth it. A slow flow bottle would be better because he would control it a little bit better. But, I thought I would try to pull through and look up ways to help my flow not be as fast. Which worked a little bit. It was pretty stressful though. Other than that he was gaining weight and just such a sweet little baby. His little cry was just so stinking cute and I loved that every time he heard my voice he would smack his lips together like that voice meant food. It was so cute!! At his newborn check up when he was 8 days old he was back up to 7lbs 2 ounces I believe. Which made me very happy because the doctor said that he didn't need to come in for a weight check. He said he seemed to be gaining weight just fine. I was so excited about that! That was our first baby that we didn't have to go back in for a weight check when they were so little and I was nursing. So I was ecstatic! So we were truly just enjoying our sweet little baby boy! Here are some pictures from that week!! 

Seriously!!!! Look at that cute little face!! I love how wide eyed he was being that week!! 

After the boys read and did their work books one morning I decided to reward them because they didn't fight me on doing the work. I was fully expecting Ethan to put up a big fight because he didn't want to read but I mentioned that if they were good that I would take them to get a treat! So they didn't fight me at all and got all their work done that I asked them to. So I took them to sonic to get slushies! It was our first outing with just me and all 4 boys! It went pretty well. Kayden slept the whole time we were in the car and the boys were so excited to get a cold sweet treat on a hot summer day. 

So sweet!!! Sleeping away in his carseat! 

More cuddle time! Truly my favorite thing to do with Kayden! 

Such a tiny body! 

Fun in the sun. 

Kayden really seemed to like sitting outside. It was so warm and he would just lay there on my lap and fall asleep. 

Nothing better than sprinklers under the tramp. 

Trying to get a good picture of how tiny he really was. 

Love love love this picture!!! 

Emmett really loves being a big brother and holding Kayden. He was so excited that I let him hold him up like this instead of sideways in his arms. 

We all can't get enough of this cute little bundle. Ethan kept saying, "I just don't want him to get bigger. I want him to always be little like this." haha Emmett would just come over and say, "I just love him!!" And Wyatt would come over and say, "He is just soo cute I can't even handle it!" haha It has been great how much they love their new baby brother!