Konlen - 2 months

2 Months old already!! :(

I went back to work on May 3 and you went to daycare. You transitioned like a pro! I think it might help that big sister was there to help you along the way. Also, with big sister you go to Aunt Amy's house so that might make things a little easier as well.

We learned in between month 1 and month 2 that Dr. Serk left so we switched to Dr. Gallagher and this was our first time seeing him.

I didn't mention in your 1 month post but your heart murmur was back and they wanted to keep an eye on it, so switching doctors made me nervous just because of this.

You weight 13.2 lbs and were 24.5 inches long. And thankfully Dr. Gallagher did not notice a heart murmur! He said if things were wrong with your heart, then we would not be seeing good results in your growth and things were going well with your growth and development.

We also feel your reflux is getting better.

You are starting to smile and "talk". Definitely think you will be a momma's boy because you smile a lot for mommy. Big sister is also pretty good at making you smile and loves to help with you. You have also discovered your hands and like to suck on them occasionally. Also, can't complain because you started sleeping through the night at around 6 weeks. I don't know how we did it but got lucky that both our babies started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks.

We are loving every minute with you and you are still not missing a meal! :)

Konlen - 1 month

Just like that Konlen is 1 month old!!

Nothing really excited happened during the first month. We did have about a week span where Bria didn't like Konlen. Bria also came down with the flu which she hasn't experienced before so wasn't quite sure what was going on and why she kept throwing up. But we got over the flu and she liked her bubby again.

At your 1 month appointment you weighed 11lbs and were 22.5 inches long. Big boy! You don't like to miss a meal. Unfortunately, we discovered that you have reflux. You were throwing up a lot, all the time and it was started to get frustrating. However, we switched to Dr. Brown's bottles, started sitting you up in a more upright position and burping you more often during feedings.

We did have to go back to the dr the Saturday after you came home because your circumcision wouldn't stop bleeding, so they had to tie it off again. I thought your dad was going to pass out when they did this!

Breast feeding again didn't go so well. You would eat well from the left side but seemed to hate the right side. I was pumping after feeding just to get some relief from my breast. I didn't find it so much this time as I did with Bria, because I knew even if I was just pumping you were still getting breast milk and it was easier on me as well!

At 6 weeks we also started noticing you wouldn't look to the left, so I started doing some research and found chiropractor care could help. Luckily, Brian's chiropractor is a high school friend and I called him up and discussed what was going on. He said he could help but we could also wait and see if it worked itself out. We ended up going in to him and he realized you had torticolis and that is why you weren't looking to the left and a good possibility why you wouldn't breast feed on the right side. I only wish we would have realized this earlier!

Time needs to slow down. 1 month went by way to fast!!

Introducing Konlen William Sturges

Baby Sturges #2 is here!!!

Things were a little less eventful in the beginning this time around. Since Bria was delivered via c-section, Dr. Gros advised that we deliver the same way this time as well. He said if I tried to have it naturally, then I could risk ripping my previous scar and potentially bleeding out before they would be able to save me and the baby. Enough said, we will do another c-section. It was fine with me, at least we knew when the baby was coming and could plan ahead of time!

Again, we found out that Baby Sturges #2 was a boy!!! Brian was thrilled and since this was our last kid it was nice to have one of both. Bria was excited, we took her to the sonogram at 10 weeks to just confirm I was pregnant and that we only had 1 baby in there. We also took her a long when we found out the sex of the baby. I thought the more we involved her, the easier it would be once he got here.

She was excited to have a little brother, told us she would change his diaper, feed him, and teach him things. My original due date was March 7, but we decided to have surgery set for March 1. I am sorry, but I am not one of those people that loves being pregnant. The sooner we could get him out, the happier I would be. This pregnancy was a lot different as well. I had a lot more "morning" sickness, even though it lasted all day. Eating was about the only thing that would really make me feel better and some nights I think I beat Bria to bed! I believe I ended up gaining 30-40lbs, like I said, food was all that made me feel better. We luckily didn't have any complications again and was an easy pregnancy. I did miss sleeping on my side or stomach so I didn't get a lot of sleep.

March 1 quickly came and we had to be at the hospital that morning at 5AM, surgery was set for 7:30. Bria went and miller went and stayed at my parent house the night before so that we didn't have to worry about waking her up early in the morning and meeting up with my mom. Again, I didn't sleep much the night before so I was up and ready to go.

We got to the hospital, got checked in and they started the IV and everything I would need for surgery. The anesthesiologist came in to meet us and kind of go over the game plan once in the operating room and now we just wait. It surprisingly went quickly and before I knew it we were walking back to the operating room. They had me climb up on the table so they could start the spinal tap.  Since Brian hates needles he hid behind the nurse while she held me up and talked me through the injections. Wasn't bad, few stings and they were done and ready to lay me down. Laid me down and started the rest of the medicines and at this time Dr. Gros came in to make sure we were all set. Dr. Priddle was running behind but that was fine because as they were laying out all the utensils and checking them, they found a hair so they had to start all over! While we were waiting on that and Dr. Priddle I got really nauseous and they ended up sitting me up a little bit just in case I threw up, but never did!!!

Finally, Dr. Priddle arrived and both doctors were ready to wash up, utensils were all ready to go again and we could start surgery. They warn you that you will experience some tugging and jerking, I didn't really remember this with Bria but was aware of it this time!

At 7:51AM on March 1, 2017 Konlen William Sturges arrived!!

Dr. Gross initially thought he would be about 8.5lbs, but he was way wrong! Konlen weighed 9lbs 8oz and was 21 inches long. The anesthesiologist said "you just gave birth to a linebacker!

Dr. Gros showed me Konlen, then took him to the warmer so he could be cleaned up  and ready to brought over to me while they finished sewing me up. Brian went over and saw him, took some pictures and then brought him over so I could meet him. I loved meeting baby Konlen, but I was also not feeling the best as they sewed me back up. I again got very nauseous and felt short of breath. They warned me this would also happen while they were putting me back together and I again didn't remember this with Bria but it was very uncomfortable. The anesthesiologist kept an eye on me just to make sure I was ok. Konlen ended up getting taken out as they discovered he had a heart murmur and because of his weight they wanted to make sure everything was ok. We finished up and I got moved into recovery, again we couldn't start feeding him right away because they wanted to make sure everything was ok with his weight.

After about an hour monitoring me, they were ready to move me back to our room. Konlen was still being watched at this point but would meet us in our room soon enough. After we got back to our room Brian went and got mom, Bria, Bill and Jennifer. Bria was excited to meet baby Konlen but was scared of me since I was in the hospital bed and wanted nothing to do with me. Brian and mom went to watch while he had his first bath. While they were gone, I again got nauseous and almost got sick. The nurse brought me in some medicine and crackers to see if we could get my stomach to calm down.

Finally Konlen was bathed and brought back to our room, about an hour later the Pediatrician came in and spoke to us about his heart murmur and explained that they were going to keep an eye on it and may eventually end up doing an echo on his heart to make sure everything was fine. While in the hospital we didn't end up doing an echo thank goodness!

We stayed until Friday and finally got to bring him home around 2PM on March 3. It was nice to be back at home and start our new normal with 2 kids!!!

Bria's 2nd Birthday!

July 2, 2016 Bria turned 2!!!! It doesn't seem possible but she has been such a joy.

By the time Bria turned 2 we were living back in Manhattan at my parents house.

We had her birthday party at the KSU Alumni Center. Both grandparents attended, Uncle Dustin, Aunt Jodi, Connor, Julia, Uncle Jordan, Aunt Amy, Colton, Marlee, Aunt Megan, Lamonte, Dustin and Ashley Delehantey, Travis and Lauren Chard, and Megan and Morgan Hood all attended your party.

You of course were loved and got all sorts of fun toys and clothes. You couldn't wait to get back to grammy and papa's so that you could start playing with everything. With you having a birthday in the summer comes lots of time at the pool so you and your cousins got to go swimming after nap time.

It was probably a given but you had Mickey/Minnie Mouse decorations/cake and we brought in food from Cox Brothers.

Update!

Well it seems I fell off the blogging train! I would like to get it started again so that the kids have something to read when they are older.

Last blog I wrote was about Halloween 2015. I of course missed Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2015. Then all of the holidays for 2016. I will write a separate blog for Bria's second and then all of the changes since then.

The last blog I wrote we were still living in Wakefield. In January 2016 Brian and I made the decision to move back to Manhattan. Brian was not enjoying his job as principal at Wakefield, and I did not like living in a small town again. We spent every weekend we could in Manhattan and it just made us happier. With that decision came the decision that Brian was going to leave education, with the way it was headed in the State it just seemed like the better idea. So, Brian ended up getting a job as the Loan operations Manager at Community First National Bank and we moved back to mom and dads house in Manhattan until we could find a place of our own.

We made the move in May and found a house, closed and moved in September. While living at mom and dads we found out Baby Sturges #2 was on his way (that will be another blog post).

Again, after working at the bank for 6 months, Brian realized how much he hated working a desk job and wanted to get back into education. He resigned from the bank in January 2017 but thankfully they kept him on until he found a teaching job. As of April 10, 2017 he will be a science teacher at Junction City High School. Huge relief off our shoulders and I will be glad when he gets back into education and out from behind a desk job all day!

I think that is a brief update of our life so far and now I will continue to write separate blogs on the kids and other changes. Hopefully I can keep this up in 2017!

Halloween 2015

Once again I am a little behind but that is OK better late than never!

Anyways, for Halloween this year we hung out in Manhattan again. Brian went to State cross country that morning in Wamego and then played in a golf tournament that afternoon. Once we was done we had dinner with Grammy, Papa, Aunt Amy, Uncle Jordan, Colton and Marlee. After that we put on our Halloween costumes and got ready to head out around Grammy and Papa's Neighborhood.

Marlee wore her kitty kat jammies, Colton dressed as Chase from Paw Patrol and Bria was a little pink Monster. We won't talk about Jordan's costume, you can just see that for yourself!

We got lots of goodies and the kids did better than I expected.

Enjoy the photos!

Bria's 15 month check up and Pre-Halloween Fun

Hello,

Not a lot of time has passed since my last blog but that's how it should be.

On October 14 we went in for our 15 month check up. Crazy how fast time flies but she sure is getting into a fun stage!

You love to dance and put on a show, but usually just for mom and dad. You become shy when anyone else is around so they don't get to see. Still fit into some 12 month clothes, but can also wear 18 month clothes. Still sleeping through the night except when those darn teeth are cutting. If I'm counting correctly, which you don't like me to do we only have 4 left and you will be done!!

Anyways, are your check up you had 4 shots :(. But a cookie made it all better. You were 31 inches tall (61%), 20 lbs 15 oz (43%) and your head is 46 1/2 cm (73%). Big ol head to store all the brains and smarts you have. The doctor was especially impressed because they had a picture of Willie the Wildcat up on the wall and you looked up and in the cutest 1 year old voice said Willie. Even when the doctor or nurse asked you told them who it was. This was the first time you had said it so I was impressed as well. Now you say Willie and K but you let mom and dad do the S and the U, then you finish it off with Wildcats. When you see Willie you tell us who he is and even give him kisses. We are now interested to see what you would do when you see the real Willie. Other than that the doctor was happy with everything and said you are tracking more like a 2 year old with your speech and what not.

Finally you drink your milk, it takes awhile to finish a cup but you drink it. You also do not shy away from the table, I'm not sure where you put it but you stuff it all in that little body somewhere.

Also, today 10/25 we got out some paint and let you paint your pumpkin. We were surprised with how well you did and how little of a mess you made. You only tried to eat it once and after that you didn't try again. Next blog will be about Halloween and your absolutely adorable costume! :)