Newborn Photoshoot

I hope you enjoyed Caleb's last post with all of his updates. I am thrilled to share his newborn photo shoot with you guys. My sister has a budding photography business in Santa Barbara (hello beautiful place to photograph!) and was kind enough to do our newborn photo shoot and some candid shots of us around our home. Check out her new blog, hopefolio or like her facebook page, Hope Photography, to check out some more amazing photos!

This week has been a lot better than the last one for me. I am still pretty tired but I feel like Caleb and I are finally getting the hang of nursing and we are figuring out what his rhythms are and little cute quirks. I went to a nursing support group yesterday at Nature's Whisperer, the same place I did prenatal yoga. It was really fun to get to know some other new mommies and their beautiful babies! I learned a few new tricks and was able to try out a nursing pillow that I am going to be able to get from a friend tomorrow. I have been very intentional about enjoying the mornings he and I have together because those are my favorite part of my day with him! He is becoming very alert when we change his diaper and let him air out. I tacked up a black and white photo from our wedding on the wall next to his changing table and he loves to stare at it. Last night when John was changing him Caleb started to figure out that his hand can move the picture a little bit. For 10 minutes we watched him try to figure out how to coordinate his hand to hit it so it would move. He is starting to arch his body towards things and twist his body as well. I know that aren't supposed to roll over for a very long time but he makes me nervous.

My mom has been nourishing us with amazing food, a clean home, and clean laundry for 9 days now! She leaves tomorrow and I am really thankful she is coming back in a few weeks with Grandpa Danny to visit again when my sister plays in a water polo tournament down in San Diego. John is excited to start the 24 Day Challenge soon to clean and clear out some of the 2013 gunk that we consumed over the holidays. I can't wait to do a modified version in a few weeks since the last time I did the Herbal Cleanse was the week we tried to conceive (and we were apparently successful as evidenced below!). I ate fairly well during my pregnancy but I am pumped to give my insides a reset after having a baby inside for 9 months. My goal and intention would be to NOT lose weight since keeping fat on after baby is key to continuing to breastfeed. I want a clean tummy guys!

Caleb had his first doctor appointment today and I felt like quite the circus act. He had his first ever blowout poop in the only pair of clothes I had brought up to the doctor office. So I changed him as the nursing assistant was asking me all of these questions about his birth, his habits, and our family health history. I was super frazzled. John had to meet us at the office as opposed to going with us, and thankfully he walked in just when I was starting to feel overwhelmed juggling changing a baby with poop everywhere while fumbling through my diaper backpack and answering very important questions. The nursing assistant asked us to take off his diaper so she could weigh him. On the way back into the room (the scale is outside) Caleb peed in his swaddle blanket, all over John's shoe, and all over their table! John had thrown away the diaper I had just put on him out of habit and that was the last one I had in my bag. Disaster!! The doctor office had scented pampers but after the angry red bottom I got the previous time I used them I decided to have John go get more 7th generation diapers from my car. At this point Caleb was alert, happy and butt naked in a peed-in swaddle blanket. Finally we got a diaper on him and Dr. Nakahara came in. She was great and Caleb was very alert and enjoying the new things to look at in the room while she examined him. Caleb has surpassed his birth weight an is now ALMOST 9lbs (1oz away!). He is gaining weight well, healthy, and he has absolutely stolen our hearts. I had been pretty fearful of taking home to the doctor because of all the unpredictable things he might do. Hmm, I guess God gave me the opportunity to just laugh at myself, which I did as soon as we left the appointment.

Alright, here are those scrumptious photos Hope took! He was 8 days old here in these pictures and is now 12 days old! The last one might be my favorite, it is an "out take".

I had to include this little out take. Caleb gets frustrated when he isn't in a comfortable position. Don't we all!

Hello World! It's me, Caleb!

Hello World!

My name is Caleb John Sorenson and I was born into the Sorenson family last Friday! I wanted to update you guys on some highlights on my first week of life. I have been a very busy boy and though you all might like to take a glimpse into my little world. My mommy is going to write out her birth story of how she and Daddy brought me into the world,  and my Auntie Hope took newborn photos of me, so stay tuned for those posts in the next few days!

Thursday January 9th
I was very excited to make my entrance into the world. Mommy started having regular back surges at 2:30am (sorry mom, I know you didn't get much sleep that night). I was still kicking and moving and enjoying the perfect little environment inside mommy. I could hear my parents debate weather or not I was going to be born soon and I smiled inside and said "Yes guys! I'm coming to meet you face to face real soon!"

Friday January 10th 12:43am
I was brought into the world! I weighed 8lbs, 10oz and was 22 inches long. I was born with my right arm next to my head and my shoulders were sideways. What a silly way to be born! My mommy and daddy were so excited to meet me. Miss Vickii, Miss Nicole, and Miss Wendy were all present for my birth as Mommy and Daddy's midwives. I am a very special baby because I was born at home in Mommy and Daddy's bed. I really enjoyed not being poked and prodded by Dr.'s and bright lights for my first hours in the world. I was delivered skin to skin onto mommy's chest and was able to stay naked and free for about 2 hours before they put a diaper on me. Darn it. My mommy is so funny, some of the first words out of her mouth were "O sweetie! I love you! It's a boy! I can feel his balls!" Mom, you are so embarassing! I was famished and decided it was time to do the breast crawl with mom's help (the "breast crawl" usually only happens if mom and baby are skin-to-skin). I finally started nursing 10 minutes after I was born. About 45 minutes after I was born I got to snuggle skin-to-skin with Daddy. His hairy chest was so funny! We both fell asleep for an hour while Mommy got some sutures. She was gripping Daddy's hand SOOO hard but daddy and I slept right through it all! After a few hours all our midwives left and we got to spend the most precious moments together as a family in our own home. No interruptions, no visitors, no nothing but family time. Mommy and Daddy took my temperature every few hours and I was always within the normal range. Phew!

Friday January 10th Day 
Mommy didn't change a single diaper for a while. Daddy was the expert! He calms me down so well and I love to listen to his voice when he "shushes" me. It reminds me of being inside mommy! This day I stayed skin-to-skin with mommy and daddy as much as possible and I know that they enjoyed it as much as I did because they cried a lot and were smiling at me. Mommy was SO hungry today and was eating every 2 hours and drinking gallons of water. I was a very hungry baby and kept mom busy with frequent feedings. Daddy learned how strong I am because I can squat crawl all the way from his belt line to his collar bone to try to find his nipple. I definitely tried to nurse Daddy a lot today and he kept laughing at my bobbing head trying to find food.

Saturday January 11th 
Daddy went to workout at CrossFit today. Also, my first visitors came today. Auntie Stephanie came and helped mommy clean up our home and set up my changing table. I also got to meet Scotia. I think Mommy and Steph want us to be BFFs. Scotia tried to smack me lightly, I guess I had my first experience with a girl flirting with me. Hmm, Mommy doesn't know what to think about that. Papa and Drea (my daddy's parents) came to visit me in the evening. They brought soooo much food and it was so nice to meet them! Drea didn't want to give me to Daddy when it was time to leave because she loves me so very much and thinks I am as cute as a button.

Sunday January 12th 
I have yet to wear any clothing, save my diaper. Glorious freedom! My parents kept me skin to skin and close to them during the day and night and I was so comforted to know that this big wide world has people that will take care of me and listen to my needs. Today was a hard day for Mommy because the sleep deprivation kicked in when the adreniline rush subsided. Auntie Janelle, Uncle Richard, and my cousin Brody came to visit. They brought Mommy and daddy Chipolte! It was so fun meeting Brody because he and I are only a few months apart! Mommy has a feeling we will get into a lot of mischief when we are old enough to play together. Miss Vickii came to check on me, Mommy, and Daddy. Everyone checked out just great and Miss Vickii suggested we go for a walk to help mommy stretch out her sore muscles. Daddy carried me in the Ergo for my first adventure out into the big wide world! Daddy enjoyed this so very much and I slept like a champ. Mommy's milk came in today and I kept on choking trying to figure out this whole new way of eating.

Monday January 13th 
Ruby, my grandma, came into town today! She and Mommy were sad Ruby didn't make it to my birth. Ruby has been gobbling up my cute little cheeks and enjoying spending time with me. She is amazing because she is cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry for my family. Mommy appreciates her so much and can't imagine what our days would be like with out her! Today was also the day that daddy went back to work. Daddy cried on his way to the office because he missed me so very much. I have big plans to visit him though. This evening Rob and Jodi came by to see me. They are having a baby in August!

Tuesday January 14th 
I stared cluster feeding today. I wanted to nurse every hour or two because I was so very hungry and wanted to put on some chubby cheeks. Mommy and me spent some quality time together for a few hours while Ruby was swimming and Daddy was at work. We loved the alone time, it was so special and precious! I wore my first ever clothing today. A hat and a onsie. I think clothes are silly and I made some funny faces when Mommy put them on me. By the afternoon my mommy was a little worn out. She had a really big breakdown and cried a lot today because I wouldn't take one of her boobies. Everything was just fine, but it's hard being a hormonal new mommy. Auntie Belle visited me tonight as well. She was on her way to work to help new mommies in the hospital.

Wednesday January 15th
 Miss Nicole and Miss Wendy came back to do our 5 day check-up. Mommy is healing nicely and her abs are only 1 finger apart instead of 4 when I was born. Maybe she will wear a bikini this summer? Today I had my first experience with inflicted pain. I was pricked for my newborn screen. However, Mommy forgot to tell Miss Nicole that she and Daddy wanted to get the screening done through Baylor University instead of through California state so that my genetic information is not permanently on file with the government. Miss Nicole had to come back on Thursday to re-prick me and get another blood sample. Both times Mommy held me and I sucked on her finger so that I knew I was safe. When Miss Nicole weighed me I was already 1oz away from my birth weight. I also peed on her scale. Haha, gotcha! Today was the day I tried out my first cloth diaper. Mommy botched it three times and finally got the hang of it. Mommy and Ruby took a walk in my Ergo to Auntie Stephanie's house. Mommy was very weak and felt a little light-headed on the walk. She had to go very slow because her body went through a lot to bring me into the world. Tonight Mommy and Daddy went on their first solo date to CVS to get me more wipes and to get daddy some allergy medication. Hot!

Thursday January 16th 
Mommy had her first adventure out of the house in a car today with me and Ruby. I had my first adventure in a carseat. I was very upset for the first few minutes and then fell asleep after mommy told me where were were going and why we needed to go in the car. I was going to see daddy at work for the first time! I slept the whole time and today was the day Mommy decided she hated taking my carseat in and out of the car. We went to target and Mommy didn't feel safe putting my carseat on top of the cart so I went inside it. None of the stuff we got could fit into it! Mommy vowed to use her ergo and moby from here on out.

Friday January 17th 
I am now one week old! I love to sleep in my rock-n-play or on someone's lap during the day. Auntie Hope came into town today to visit me for a few days. She is just the best because she takes amazing pictures of me! Check out her blog, hopefolio. Mommy, Ruby, and Auntie hope went out to Babycakes for some gluten-free cupcakes. Mommy was a little tired and started to not feel well so we went home. Today Mommy and I finally feel like we have got the hang of nursing. I communicate with her that I am hungry by rooting around and sucking my fingers. Sometimes I wake up screaming because I had a dream there was no more milk in the world. Mommy always comes and takes care of my hunger. I am starting to trust these parents of mine! They actually listen to me!

Saturday January 18th 
Mommy wore her self out today and over-did it today. Poor mommy has Achiever as one of her top 5 strengths and it is hard for her to rest and let people take care of her. The whole morning we rested just me and Mommy because I wanted to see Daddy compete in his CrossFit competition. Ruby and Hope left for the morning to go swimming and Mommy read me a bible story. Mommy and Auntie Hope took me to go see Daddy! He did really well and I slept through the loud music and flury of activity like a champ. Mommy's tummy must have been PRETTY loud for me to get used to all the loud noises in this world. After we got back mommy rested so that she and daddy could go on a date night. I did something very silly today. I did a projectile poop when Ruby was changing me. It flew about 16 inches when she was putting coconut oil on my booty. RUby was squealing and nobody could finish changing me for a few minutes because they were all laughing hysterically. I don't know what the big deal is! After I was changed mommy and daddy went to Zpizza and got yummy gluten-free dairy free pizza! They were able to bless a homeless mom named Pamela feed her two teenage boys by buying her an x-large pizza to take back to their camp. God always reminds mommy that he provides because in the car ride over to pizza she had been telling Daddy that she was worried about trusting God with finances. And here they meet another mommy who has lost everything and is trying desperately to provide for her boys. Mommy told Pamela about the Monarch School, a school that serves families impacted by homelessness.  Hopefully her boys can start going to school again (they dropped out when they became homeless).

Sunday January 19th
That's today! I am currently fast asleep with Daddy (he is snoring). Auntie Hope left today and Ruby is spending some time out of our home so we can have some special family time and Mommy can blog (you didn't think I was typing all this did you?) Our big plans for today are to take my very first bath. I am stinky from spit-up and milk. Our biggest plan is to rest, rest, rest. Mommy realized she is over-doing it and wants to make sure she is focusing on her job of being a well-rested mommy. No more crazy outings. No more flurry of activity. Mommy, slow down, because time will fly by!

With Love,
Caleb Sorenson

P.S. Here is a sneak peak at my newborn photo shoot!

Operation: Date Night Bucket List

I truly can't believe that the last few weeks of this little guy being inside me are coming to a close. I start to panic when I think about it, not because of fear or anything but because it doesn't seem real! How did almost 9 months fly by so very very fast?

I started doing prenatal yoga at a new studio and absolutely LOVE it. I am obsessed. It is super fun to practice with other mommies who want to have healthy pregnancies and bring their babies into the world more naturally. The best part of class is when we hold a semi-sumo squat with our hands above our heads for 1 minute (AKA "the goddess pose"). It's super tough but the instructor has us all breath together like we would through a labor surge and say "Ahhhhhh", "Ohhhhh", and "Wowwww" for three breaths for each sound. It was so hard the first time to breath through the shaking legs and quads-on-fire but I feel like a pro now! The biggest benefit I have seen is that I have less hip pain, my low back feels much stronger, and my hips are more open. I love that I sweat and stretch in the same workout and leave feeling refreshed.

OK! On to Operation: Date Night Bucket List. One thing John and I decided to do after I was inspired by my friend Jamie's blog was to do a date night bucket list. Jamie was due on Christmas day and did a post titled "10 Dates Before Baby". Her little guy was born on NYE! We decided to make out own list too. So far we have only done a few of the things on it but it has been fun to have a list to work off of instead of sitting around wondering where to go for a date night. Scroll down for pics!

-See a movie in the theaters

-Walk around the Hotel Del

-Go to Julian and get gluten-free apple pie

-See Christmas awesome lights

-Go to mount Soldad (where John proposed)

-Walk around UCSD (where we met)

-Get dessert at Casa De Luz (vegan gluten-free dessert place)

-Go to wind-n-sea at Sunset

-Walk Mission Beach at night

Playing chess at the UCSD library

Seeing Christmas magic at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point

Hotel Del in Coronado

Christmas lights in Dana Point

Wind-n-Sea Sunset (bad yoga attempt)

Top 10 Confessions of a Pregnant Girl

During this pregnancy there are some things I read and decided to do and not to do. My hope for posting this is to free some ladies from either judging themselves or a friend who has done these things while pregnant. Think me weird or strange but these confessions are me coming clean about not being the perfect pregnant momma you all thought I was :-)

1. I eat raw/undercooked eggs

I love over easy eggs. Seriously. A handful of times early on I made over-easy eggs and felt so bad about it. "what if I get salmonella? What if I get sick and throw up and go into early labor? What if I I die?" I decided that since I need me some protein and started hating scrambled eggs, a solution had to be discovered. I found these amazing eggs called "Safe Eggs" at Sprouts. They are raw but pasteurized eggs still in their shell! I technically could eat them without cooking them at all but that is a little much for me. I would feel like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Now I can eat my over easy eggs without fear and with confidence! About every other day I enjoy my runny yolks and smile with glee. Mmmm.

2. I went off-roading
This was NOT my choice. I definitely wouldn't have chosen to go on a off-roading adventure while 7 months pregnant but someone in my family (who shall go unnamed) decided we would go see a a beautiful sunset that was 30 minutes up a mountain. A very hilly and bumpy mountain. I am so thankful that I had my pregnancy belt with me because I used it for support. I sat in the back seat holding either side of the support bars, and bracing myself in a semi squat to lessen the impact.  I survived and the view was beautiful, but I felt like I could have gone to Magic Mountain, gone on every roller coaster, and had the same effect. My baby is fine and I suffered no ill effects, but this is a big pregnancy no-no activity that I definitely did.

3. I can't stay away from the hot tub

I get a lot of looks for this confession. I have craved baths throughout this pregnancy but our tub is too shallow to stay comfortable in while pregnant. My belly sticks out and I need to put a cup of water over it ever minute to stay warm. Blah! I didn't go in a hot tub for the several weeks because of a Mayo Clinic article I read. After that I followed the same article's guidelines and have LOVED each time I have gone in the hot tub! I get out after about 10 minutes or when I start to sweat. However, I have been asked to leave the YMCA hot tub twice.  I checked with the pool manager and he told me that lifeguards are only trained to advise people with medical conditions the risks of remaining in the hot tub, they can't ask them to leave. Stretching and easing sore muscles is a must so I am very glad I decided to do my own research and plop in the j-cuz. Now I smile when the judgement comes and say, "Thanks for your concern".

4. I am obsessed with birth videos.

I think I have watched every home birth video available on youtube.  And, this obsession started before I was pregnant and I wanted to become a doula. After I was pregnant I wanted to normalize the process for myself so I wasn't freaked out when I started mooing like a cow or broke down crying in labor or did something I would later think was embarrassing. My favorite births are the ones that are super raw and real, where the mother has abandoned all "politeness" and she is as primal as it gets. I think it is so beautiful to see someone working so hard, allowing their body to do something that will later amaze them. I also watched a lot of hospital births online. It feels very unnatural to me to birth in a bed where you are pushing your baby uphill, up your sacrum, in a position that makes your hips more narrow. We don't poop lying down, why in the heck would I want to take the biggest "poop" of my life lying down? Birth videos have opened my eyes up to what is normal and HOW women bring their babies into the world.

5. I'm not getting a crib yet

No, our baby is not going to sleep on the floor or in a dresser drawer. He will be in bed with us! I have heard a lot of people tell me they secretly do this but don't tell anyone for fear of judgement. John is very excited to cuddle our son in the mornings and I am excited I won't have to get out of bed to go nurse a screaming baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that babies sleep in the same room as their parents for AT LEAST the first 6 months, the peak SIDS time, because it is simply less safe to keep them elsewhere. I have read three separate books that all advocate having your baby IN BED, not in a crib or co-sleeper. I am currently reading  The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by the La Leche League. The authors cite several research studies that not only is it safe to have your baby sleep with you, it actually lowers the risk of SIDS (not to be confused with suffocation). It helps your baby regulate their breathing and heart rate and they rouse more easily, key factors in preventing SIDS. Babies sleep more deeply when they are stressed or when they are formula fed, which might sound amazing but is actually problematic because waking themselves up more frequently to feed is safer. Breastfeeding success is linked to bed-sharing with your baby at an even higher rate than if they are in a co-sleeper. It is important to note that I am not a drug user, we do not smoke, or have pets or other children in bed with us, all of these increase risks for accidents. A friend of mine who sleeps with her baby said "I get WAY more sleep and so does my husband!" SOLD. Read more here if you aren't convinced.

6. I sleep on my back
Another one that is not my choice. I always wake up on my back and have no idea how long I have been there! I freaked out the first few times and then a midwife told me "don't worry about it, you were not created to harm your baby". I always go to sleep on my left side with a massive king-sized pillow between my legs and don't understand why my body tells me to roll over to my back! The only reassurance I have is that when I move our dear son starts playing and kicking so I am assuming he was just fine and was patiently waiting for me to wake up.

7.  I work out hard
Yeah, this one is something a lot of pregnant women have misinformation about. Apparently it was assumed that most women would not be working out as hard as they did before they were pregnant. Doctors put a ban on getting your heart rate over 140 for no good reason.  Not evidence based! One guy told me when I was doing TRX that I would make my baby dizzy. Someone else told me I should take it easy and put my feet up while I can. I have been very mindful of my body and stopped doing CrossFit when my back told me "No thanks Ebey". I always try to make sure I can catch my breath within 10 seconds and can carry on a short convo while exercising. TRX has been amazing because I know all those squats with help me pop my baby out and open up my pelvis. Yoga limbers up all of my ligaments that need to stretch to accommodate the bowling ball that I am going to birth next month. I have had a relatively easy pregnancy and feel really blessed to be able to stay healthy and keep my body feeling great. Working out has played a huge role in making this happen!

8. I am going to do placenta encapsulation. 

This one might be the one that takes the cake for the weirdness factor. Let the thoughts come, go ahead, "YOU ARE DOING WHAT?! GROSS!" I've heard it before when I have told people, you aren't the first. I have several friends who have swallowed their own placenta pills and loved the benefits postpartum. The yoga studio I go to, my midwife, and our birthing instructor HIGHLY recommend doing it to help with bleeding, milk production, and to ward off postpartum depression and sleep disorders.  I have done a lot of reading up on this one and am excited that the University of Nevada, Las Vegas published a research article! They published an article recently detailing some of the findings of their study. One of the things they said was that women who were likely to practice this were "American, Caucasian, married, middle class, and college-educated and were more likely to give birth at home". Guess I fit the description perfectly.

9. I am not getting a diaper bag
 I refuse. Not doing it. Can't make me. After talking to many second time moms I have heard repeatedly, "For the second you just get a big purse, throw in some diapers, a few clothes, and a snack and call it a day". I cannot carry anything over one shoulder because my chiro told me it will pull on my neck and cause my atlas to go out of alignment more quickly. I have to either carry a bag/purse in the crook of my elbow or wear a backpack. In the interest of not being a bag lady carrying three bags and a baby, I wanted something that would be a purse/diaper bag combo. There are some cute diaper bag backpacks out there but they are way to big to be a cute "purse" or they are uncomfortable because they have thin straps that dig in to my shoulders. I finally found this amazing backpack purse at REI and am obsessed. I plan to throw a few baby essentials in my new "purse" and keep another backpack with reinforcements in the car.

10. I am nervous about how my relationship with John will change 
This one is a confession I think most normal couples go through. I am worried that I will give more attention to our baby than to my husband and he will feel "left out". I am anticipating that when John spends time with our son at home I will feel neglected. Mostly I am very content with our relationship right now and didn't feel like anything was "missing" or that a baby would "complete our relationship". I have heard from several people that everything changes but everything is better. I guess this next season of life with be a great opportunity for us to find a new stride and to trust God with the rest.