Happy Birthday, Titus!

It is hard to believe that my oldest is now SEVEN.  There is just something that seems so old about that...like a different stage or something.

This is one of the few pictures I have of me pregnant before I had Titus.  This was just 5 days before he was born.  I was on pretty strict bedrest from 33 weeks to 36 weeks, and he was born only 6 days after I got off.

 5 lbs, 11 oz and 19 inches long!

My water broke at home around 7.  Since I wasn't having any contractions, I got a shower before we packed up and headed to the hospital. The doctor assumed I would have him around dinner time. I wasn't really having any contractions until about 9 or 10, but when I did it was all in my back, which was not fun.  They gave me a half dose of some medicine to relax me, and that about knocked me right out and an hour later they were yelling for the doctor - it was a good thing he was there on his lunch hour!!  I pushed about twice and out Titus came.  I honestly don't remember a lot because of the medicine that that gave me.  I was not very happy about that.

He was technically considered "premie" by one day, but regardless, his lungs were not developed enough to breathe on his own.  So they set him on my chest for just a second and immediately whisked him away where we would not be able to hold him for two days!  That was soooo hard, especially since this was our first baby!

 Being very closely monitored

Stephen got to hold him for the very first time - on FATHER'S DAY.  How fitting!

 No more tubes!!

We ended up being discharged a week after he was born, but turning around and being readmitted the very next morning because he was VERY jaundice.  His levels were at a 19 and 21 is a blood transfusion.  It was pretty scary, and he was incredibly orange.  He was in the hospital several more days.

 1 month old 

His butt looks huge because we used cloth diapers!

 Fitting since it is father's day :) 
Titus at 2 months

Titus loves to read and he reads very well - his teacher said he is at a second grade level.  He loves to build with Legos and K'Nex, and pretty much anything.  He makes tracks for his cars, and loves cars and trucks.  He also is a technology junkie, and if we let him, he would be on the computer, Wii, or watching movies all the time.  He is very good at games, and even though it takes him longer, he plays the games Stephen and I play on the Wii like Mario Galaxy and Super Marion Brothers.  He just discovered www.lego.com and wants to play that all the time now!  Titus is very sensitive.  When Damaris was getting her cast redone and she was crying because it was hurt, Titus cried the WHOLE time, sometimes harder than she was.  He is a HUGE help around the house.  His chores include feeding the dog and fish every day, clearing and wiping the table, and probably the most helpful: gathers all the laundry and sorts it for me so I can wash twice a week.  It is fun as he is getting older and getting more independent.  It just makes me swell with pride the more I can see him do on his own. 

Happy 7 years, Titus!!!