3-5 month Schedule

So apparently I am a fan of schedules ...who knew?

As a pre-baby adult I never followed a schedule...and I liked it ..

Being my mother's daughter, I am not good at being on time (love you, mom) and therefore just embraced the free feeling of the antischedule...

But now having a baby, I am kind of obsessed with a good schedule ..and I want to document it so that the future mommas can have an idea of what a schedule can look like..and also for me to look back on whenever I have more little campers :)

8:00-8:30 Wake Up and cuddle with momma (or daddy on the weekends)

8:30 Play in the jumparoo or roll on the ground over and over and over.. (play time)

9:00 Eat (right now he's at 7oz/bottle...no solids yet)

10:00 Nap ...let me stop here and explain how we got Asher to nap without help

So from birth to about 3.5 months, I held Asher for every single nap. I am talking every single time that child fell asleep during the day, he was in my arms (or my mother in law's when she was watching him).. and he liked it that way!..

The weird thing was ...he did not mind sleeping in his crib at night for 6-9 hrs at a time..but it was necessary to be in someone's arms during naps.

So we began to nap-train. Nap training consisted of me singing and rocking Asher or bouncing on an exercise ball for a few minutes to get him a bit drowsy and then laying him in his crib. At first he did NOT appreciate the change, so he would fuss and sometimes full out have himself a fit...I would watch the clock for about 15 min, and then I would go in his room, replace his pacifier and then leave...at first I did this up to an hour.. (yes ..an hour!..it was horrible) but usually it just took about 30 min...It took several naps for him to fully comply with sleeping in his crib, but now he sometimes fussed if I hold him too long..he wants to be in his crib MORE than in my arms.. and so the leave and cleave process already begins! :(

11:30 Play time

12:00 Eat

12:30 Errands with mommy/playdate time

2:00 Eat

2:30 Nap (for this nap he usually falls asleep when he is eating..so he is pretty drowsy when I put him in his crib)

4:30 Play time

5:00 Eat

6:30 Bathtime

6:45 Eat (last bottle)

7:00 Bed

He usually sleep until about 5 am and then wants to eat...we feed him and then he sleeps for about 2-3 more hours

This schedule really works for our family and Asher is VERY happy with it! I did read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" to help me with sleep training..and I highly recommend it.

Anyways...if any new mommies have any questions let me know! The perfect schedule is one that works for you AND your baby..

LOVE LOVE

Asher Update

A few new things about baby Asher...

He was dedicated to the church! :) ..this is a picture of the day.. and the preshy outfit that mommy got him for the occasion

This day was very emotional for me...and I totally did not see that coming!

I started weeping the second Roger asked for the families to come up on stage....because this is the ONLY spiritual decision we get to make for our baby.

We dedicate his life to our church family...we vow to raise him in the way of the Word ...we vow to lead a home where scripture is evidently lived out and upheld...but that's all we really can do.

..ultimately, it is his decision to believe and follow the Lord. There is just not a thing I can do about it if he doesn't (other than pray my little heart out)...I guess what I mean is that I cannot control it..and that is so hard!

All these thoughts raced through my head as Pastor Roger introduced "Erich Asher Gaulke" and told our church family how Hunter and I chose his name (which just reminded me of my love story with him..and made me even more weepy) and that the name Asher means "happy"...

I just LOVE my boys!

Other things Asher has been doing:

Obsessing over my red nalgene..loves to look at it and try and chew on it

Loves to play in his jumperoo and watch Regis and Kelly with mommy

Loves daily Target runs ..and how every check out clerk wants to talk and play with him

Loves bathtime with daddy

Sucking on his thumb, index and middle fingers on his right hand

Grabbing mommys hair and earings

Being in his bumbo so he can see us on "adult" level...he LOVES to be talked to and smiled at. He is an extremely social baby and unless he is super tired or hungry...will hardly ever fuss if he is with tons of people.

Loves the sound of his voice...he is constantly squeeking and squaking at the top of his lungs..just for fun

He is stubborn.. dangit! It is not surprise..his parents are two of the most stubborn people on the planet...it comes out most concerning sleeping. He LOVES to be playing, cooing, and looking at new things..and so sleep really just gets in the way...

I have been gradually sleep training him and he is now down to two naps a day: a really short one in the morning (hopefully that one will lengthen)..and a really long one in the midafternoon..

I really thought that I would never get him to nap in his crib (up until two weeks ago he was sleeping in my arms for most of his naps)...but he is now sleeping in his crib for both! and he is sleeping from about 7pm-8am every day with one feeding at about 5 am. YAY!

My little boy is growing up so fast!..

Asher- mommy LOVES the smile that you give JUST to her...she loves that you are a cuddle bug...she loves that you are so easy to please with random things around the house..my waterbottle, a coaster, a mini dorito bag...etc., she LOVES how curious you are!..she loves that "you are showing signs of intelligence" according to your doctor :) She just LOVES you!

We had a BOY!

So this is old news...

Pregnancy and motherhood has made me a sorry excuse for a blogger...BUT! nevertheless..

WE HAD A BOY! and he is the BEST!

Asher Gaulke weighed in at 7lb 9oz and 22 inches long!! On my favorite day of the year : March 3rd (3/3/11)...

The number 3 truly is my favorite number so this was very special to me!..I mean he had no choice..we induced him..BUT! his due date was March 1st..so he did wait patiently for Mommy's favorite day!

Now for the delivery story:

I had been having some contractions in the days prior to the 3rd...but nothing regular and painful enough to be considered lets-book-it-to-the-hospital worthy. But actually the night before I was scheduled to be induced, I was contracting pretty regular and semi painful but we waited..because we were scheduled to be induced in the morning anways..

So we did wait until our scheduled time of 5:30 am to report to the hospital and we were in our hospital room by 5:35am...they were ready for us.

I got checked in, hooked up, and poked multiple times in the arm.. :( (that was not fun and I am not a baby when it comes to blood anymore after my time drawing blood for MD Anderson.)

What stunk actually the worst was that I had to have my blood pressure taken every 5 min (standard when in labor) and it was pressing on the same arm the nurse busted my vein putting in the IV the first time. Honestly, it was more painful than the contractions sometimes!

They told me I was 4 cm and 100% effaced and pretty much in labor already!

They still decided to start pitocin on me because my contractions were not strong, just consistent. After an hour or so, I could feel the contractions getting stronger and coming about 3 min apart consistently..and I definitely had to breathe through them..but I was making it...

At about 9:30, my OB came in and broke my water ..and at about 9:35 I could feel the contractions WAY more and they started to be way more painful. I lasted about half an hour of that and then asked the nurse for the epidural...I felt like such a wuss!

...of course...the anestheiologist was in another room with another patient..

..I literally was crying and telling Hunter I couldn't make it...the contractions were coming about a min apart at this point and they HURTTTTTTTTTTTTT. People say you won't remember the pain...um..I remember the pain like it was yesterday. It felt like someone was ramming a truck into my abdomen and back over and over and the same glorious truck was running over me and staying there for a minute at a time, reversing and coming back for more.

After 45 min, the anesthesiologist came in and I have never been so glad to see a man with a needle in my life.

They kicked Hunter out (apparently husbands have died watching epidurals being administered) and got down to business. I bear hugged my nurse Wai Wai (...pronounced Why Why) and thought I was going to be paralyzed for the rest of my life because I couldn't stay still during the contractions...I mean HELLO! how do they expect you to do that? ..but before I knew it, the pain was getting more dull..but still hurt. I told my Dr. that I could still feel the contractions pretty strongly ( I may have stretched the truth...but I didn't want to feel a thing!) and he gave me some more meds in my epidural line. After that, my legs were dead weight and I was in hog heaven!

I remember people coming in and out of our room and me just being so jovial! I was just happy to not be in pain anymore. I probably seemed a little drunk..but honestly I was just so relieved!

Then, at about 12:15pm, I felt the feeling that I needed to poo. Now I couldn't "feel" anything..but I could feel pressure...and there was definitely pressure in that area..

My nurse was on lunch, so I paged the other nurse and she came in and checked me...not really seeming to be in a hurry..and SURE ENOUGH.. I was a 10! That baby could have popped out of me and no one would have known!

My nurse came in...we practiced pushed..and she told her superior to get Dr. Z over here ASAP..this baby was coming!

I pushed 3 times when the Dr. got there and BAM! Asher arrived at 12:45! :) I remember his little pitiful cry...it was so adorable..I still think his cries are cute sometimes..and his little frowns..OMG that little boy has got me wrapped around his finger.

I will admit, I remember seeing him on the table as they were checking him out and it did not click to me that he was mine. There was just a baby on the other side of the room now. But yet, I teared up at the same time..and was very emotional..it was extremely strange. I also remember my love for Hunter exponentially increasing. I was so smitten with Hunter for the next month..I felt like all the love I was supposed to be having for the baby..was being directed towards Hunter..it was strange!

So all in all, my labor was 6 hours..and it flew by. I just remember being really hungry and the blood pressure cuff hurting..and the 45 min of pure torture of pitocin-induced-no-aniotic-fluid-to-soften-the contractions-labor...and then a baby boy!

It was worth it...but next time, if I am induced, I will have an anesthesiologist waiting in my room when my Dr. wants to break my water :)

First Trimester...check

So I promised that I would update on my pregnancy...even the weird stuff....and there were some weird things that happened to me..

...apparently because of the hormonal tsunami that was occuring in my body.

So here we go:

• I started to shed worse than a golden retriever...it was insane. I would literally pull handfuls of hair from my head at any point in time throughout the day. Eventually it became like a really disturbing party trick...


• My sense of smell increased 1000%. I began smelling things that no human should be allowed to smell. This is actually one of the HUGE red flags that made me even take a pregnancy test to begin with. I am not a good smeller normally at all...and to be honest I don't know if that was really all that bad ;)


• My gums became SOO sensitive. My toothbrush became like barbed wire to my poor gums. My whole mouth would just throb for hours after I brushed my teeth.


• Brushing my teeth made me throw up...honestly, because of this and the aformentioned incident, I contemplated not brushing my teeth for a while. My doctor said I had to ...but it was horrible. Even to this day I throw up every single morning when I brush my teeth. EVERY MORNING. It has become part of my morning routine. I think that it will just be how it is for the next 6.5 months...but really I hope not.


• I had INTENSE food aversions to anything considered meat: poultry, beef, pork...anything. If you even said the words: steak, hamburger, chicken breast...I would gag...and possibly throw up on the spot...I am not kidding..it happened. THE WORST! was stupid food commercials...grossssss. Like especially Burger King..or Dairy Queen..I would have to mute and look away if any of those commercials came on and displayed their gross meaty meat sandwiches..Luckily, this symptom is getting a little better.


• If I did not get 8 hours of sleep or more...I would be sick all day. It did not fail. Thank goodness I had several weeks this summer to sleep as much as I wanted. On the rare occasion that I would have to wake up early or not get as much sleep at night.. I would feel awful and throw up a lot.


• I threw up a lot...sorry if that is gross. But I did....my sweet Hunter would hear me and just rub my back. I told him that was gross to be in the bathroom with me...but he insisted..saying "if you have to be in here, so do I".. LOVE that. On one occasion, after we went and spent a weekend at a bed and breakfast (I did not sleep well at all), we were driving away and I told him that I was NOT going to make it to a gas station and the he needed to pull over. He did...and that poor poor side of the road didn't know what hit it. As I was completely emptying my tummy, I heard Hunter chuckle beside me. ..When I was finished I managed to ask "what the heck could be so funny right now"...and he then proceeded to tell me that my "throw up sound was cute"...Now that ya'll is love.


• I became an idiot. Sometime people would talk to me...and I had no idea what they were saying. It's like my mind was not allowing their words to stick. I would forget what I was saying in the middle of my sentence. I would get severe ADD...oh yes, and Hunter's favorite...I would make up words. I would take a word and just add or subtract some letters...and make a new word. For instance..instead of "pigeon hole"...I would say "pin hole"...Instead of "surging"..I would say "sorging"...and Hunter never let me slip one past him ;)

But with all of those things that made me miserable...or made my husband laugh hysterically...we are truly blessed so far with a healthy little bean :)

I call it a bean because of our last ultra sound experience...the baby moved the entire time! Just back and forth and moved its head up and down in a nodding motion. We got to see all of the little body parts: brain, spine, heart, arms and little hands, legs...and little face!

We are hoping that they will be just as mobile at my next appt so that we can see the gender :) I cannot wait for that!

I will try to keep you update on more of the happier things from now on...but if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms...you're probably pregnant ;)

love love.

"THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!!"

Sometimes, making people happy is pretty simple:



Thank you Cinnamon Toast Crunch for making this all possible... also thank you to the person who invented mini-desert cups and/or cream dispensers. Thank you Ashleigh for hours of laughter!

Love, Hunter

Camp Gaulke

Camp Gaulke is now in preparation for March 2011! Pre-registration has already begun and we got so excited about our first little camper that we took a picture!

On the right side you will see the head :)

We are SO excited about what God has done ..in HIS timing ;)

I will update more on my pregnancy stories soon...they are full of hormones and throwing up and made up words...enough of a cliff hanger for ya?

Love Love.

Grandpa Bob

After a really hard battle with lung cancer, one of the most treasured men in my life passed away today.

The story behind this picture reminds me of things I loved about him. My grandpa couldn't wait to see me get married. He loves Hunter and has told me over and over that he admires our relationship.

But first thing he said when I asked him to escort my mom down the aisle.. was a sweet and genuine question..." Do I have to wear a tie?"

"No grandpa, you wear whatever you want. :) " No tie it is. (What a handsome man!)

I loved this man like a father. When we were at the hospital around 2 am this morning, my amazing Uncle Kevin was intentional about discussing the things we adore about Grandpa Bob:

His laugh. As my cousin Bailey reminded us, his whole upper body shook when he laughed. It came from deep inside him. And he didn't laugh at just anything. He was very authentic when he laughed at something and it made you feel special when it was with you.

His hugs. Oh my gosh how that man could hug me. Honestly, sometimes I would have to hold my breath because my lungs were too squished. He showed his love through those hugs. And let me tell you, my grandpa loved the heck out of me.

His protectiveness. I went to Africa in the summer of '06 for 30 days. My grandpa worried constantly about me every single day. At the time there was a civil war going on around the area that I stayed and I know he watched every news clip there was and called my mom over and over to make sure I was alright. He would fight a bear...lion... or hormonal teenage boy for me or any of his grandchildren any day of the week.

His snarkyness. My grandpa was snarky until the very end. His entire left lung had collapsed and would make a little bit of a wheezing noise as he breathed. The doctors offered to give him medicine that would reduce the sound and classic Grandpa Bob responded: "Why? Does the sound bother you?"

He died about 24 hours later.

Grandpa Bob was extremely loved and respected. When we found out that he had cancer, the whole family put their game faces on. God knew the exact time to take him, and He did.

We love you, Grandpa, and we will miss you every day.