Sheldon and Growing Up

SHELDON, AT 18 MONTHS OLD!
Such a happy little man!

I just wanted to update a little bit on our littlest, little man! Sheldon turned 18 months on August 10th. I decided that this would be the day to wean him from breastfeeding, which we have done exclusively. I have been trying to gradually wean him and it did not go well, and actually stressed me out more than did any good. If he nursed even once, whenever he wanted, he thought he could try to nurse whenever he thought about it. I knew he would have to be weaned cold-turkey. I decided to do it on a Sunday, and realized that his 18-month birthday was a Sunday. I chose Sunday because, he would have a full-week until the next Sunday, to be weaned. Nursing was a comfort for him in church and was becoming quite embarrassing, as he was signing for it, saying words such as "nurse" and "bah" (his made-up word for it), and also pulling down the necklines of my shirts, suddenly. So, yes, it was becoming more embarrassing with each passing Sunday, than it was worth.

I nursed him once at church this past Sunday and that was his last! It was a very sad day for me. As much as I love breast-feeding and am an advocate for extended nursing (past 12 months, at least), I knew it was time! I am down to 95-97 pounds right now, and have been trying to gain weight with no success. I know I was just not getting enough calories! Sheldon would nurse 6 and 7 times a day (sometimes more). It was only a few minutes at a time, but I know it was taking lots of needed calories and I was just so tired of being bomb-barded by him each time I would sit down!

Well, soon I will be on to potty-training. He has become very interested in what his brother and sister, do in there. Soon, I will not have a baby, anymore! He has already grown up quite a bit in the last week, and it is quite sad, but time for me to officially declare that, after 6 years of pregnancy and nursing (with a grand total of exactly 48 months spent in just nursing), we are done breast-feeding! Sad as it is! :(

Sheldon has quite a few words right now...to include "horse, ball, doggie, dada, juice, please, mama, Zane, etc." He is not as efficient, as Abbie was in talking. He is more like Zane was, and I expect him to stay this way until he is past two, just like Zane did. He may surprise us and take-off in the vocabulary department, though. We'll see, I guess.

Well, I just wanted to write a little tid-bit about Sheldon tonight. He is definitely growing up and he is at that point where he understands most things you say and our household runs smoother because of it. He laughs at funny things and is starting to show his own goofy character traits (so much like his Daddy). It is a special time! :) And one that is quickly fading.....Mommies and Daddies, don't ever take that time for granted. You hear old people always telling you to cherish the baby years, and I know at the time, when you are in the midst of them, it is hard, frustrating and sometimes there are lots of trials. They ARE really short! Just take that to heart. And remember, that even what you do with your baby from birth to 2 years old, does make a humongous difference in the life of your child. I was extremely stressed out when Abbie was between 12 months and 3 years old, and she is sometimes despondent, disobedient and rebellious, more-so than the other two. So, I know I made bad mistakes with her and know I wasn't a very good mother. Sometimes I feel it is already too late with her, but I know it's not. I have been making changes since she turned three and it is getting better. She has her moments and so do I. That time is oh-so important in the health, mind and life of your child, so don't think that just because he/she is "only" 18 months or whatever age, that it doesn't really matter how good or bad of a parent you are. It starts at birth and the first 4 years actually are more of a "clay and potter- molding time" than you think.

Well, I hope you are all doing well! Blessings ~ Rachelle

Sheldon Walter's Birth Story

"SONS ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD. CHILDREN A REWARD FROM HIM. LIKE ARROWS IN THE HAND OF A WARRIOR ARE SONS BORN IN ONE'S YOUTH. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE QUIVER IS FULL OF THEM." PSALM 127: 3-5

ME PREGNANT WITH SHELDON IN
THE CAMPER ~ WINTER '07/'08

SHELDON WALTER
FEBRUARY 10th 2007
With Grandma Sue

WHAT A GORGEOUS LITTLE BABY

OUR FAMILY IN 2007

In 2006 we moved to Idaho, and James was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA helping to start a new battalion for the 160th, there. The kids and I stayed on my parents property, helping them to start an organic cattle farm. The kids and I would visit James at Ft. Lewis quite often and he would come home on weekends. I became pregnant in May 2006 (Abbie was 13 months old) and in October we bought our camper. The picture of me pregnant with Sheldon was taken in it the day before I had him.

I didn't want to have another baby under the circumstances and always told James that I wanted to celebrate by becoming pregnant after we had built or bought a house. God had other plans for us, though. It was a hard pregnancy, mentally and emotionally. Physically, it was an okay, pregnancy, though I had a very hard time gaining weight, because I worked too hard.

That winter was hard and cold. I was feeding 7 horses by myself twice a day and caring for the other two kids, as well as trying to lug all my laundry everyday up through the snow to my mom's and haul the propane tanks each week into my car, to town and back down to the camper for our main source of heat. I also had to trudge through the snow up to my mom's to attach the hoses and fill our camper water tank up. I was very frustrated with our current situation and did not feel that now was a good time to have a baby, nor did I even want my baby, until about my third trimester. During the first 15 or 16 weeks of my pregnancy, I even hoped that I would miscarry. I was severely depressed like I had never been before and hope to never be again, until December 2006, when I finally snapped out of it and felt more normal. James was not home much, as he was very busy with the Army, and sometimes we would go 2-3 weeks without seeing him.

I was due February 20th, 2007 and I gained only 17 lbs with Sheldon. I had a wonderful midwife/OB GYN who tried very hard to help me with my depression without putting me on anti-depressants. She delivered Sheldon for me, as well! I remember that I could not stand to look at, smell or taste Ketchup...but I LOVED mustard this time around, (so weird). My biggest craving was raw spinach and vinegar straight out of the bottle. I would actually drink it straight! :)

James did not make it to my ultrasound this time, either, and I really had no clue as to if it was a boy or girl. The doctors saw him pee on the ultrasound and he was not shy at all in showing that he was all-boy! :) Having a boy and a girl, already, if mattered not what he was...only that he was healthy!

On the morning of the 9th, I pretty much knew that I was probably going into labor. It was the same as with Abbie....just hard, painless contractions for most of the day. I called my husband at about 4 o'clock in the evening and told him to go ahead and start for Idaho, so he would have enough time to make the 6-hour drive and not miss his baby being born. I think he left about 2 hours after I called him.

At about midnight, I called up to my mom's and told my sister, Naomi to go ahead and drive me to my sister, Sarah's, house. She did, and then I went with Sarah to Newport Community Hospital, in Newport, WA. When I got there, I was only at 2 cm. I got into a warm bath-tub and never felt my contractions, but know they were doing what they needed to, because when I got out I was at 4 cm. I had become restless in the tub, so decided to just go ahead and get back up in bed. Sarah and I talked and watched CMT until my contractions became too obnoxious. They weren't going anywhere at this point and I was still a 4 when I decided to just go ahead and get my epidural. Emotionally, I do not think I was even anywhere close to successfully having a natural birth. I got my epidural before I was even in that much pain. I just didn't want to think about it, and even though at this point I wanted my baby, I still didn't want to have him in the circumstances that my family was in. I wish I could have done it all over and stayed in that tub and had a natural birth, but I didn't and I can't go back. My husband wasn't there and I just didn't have the support I needed, I think.

My husband arrived around 1:00 am or 2:00am right after I had gotten my epidural and we talked and I rested. They checked me regularly, and I progressed at a pretty normal speed, and was ready to deliver Sheldon, at about 8:30 am on the 10th. Like with my other two children, I pushed about 5 times and he was out and hollering. I cried in my husband's arms, for the love I had for this new beautiful baby! He was born at 8:42 am. He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19 inches long. He was gorgeous and nursed right away (he will be weaned at 18 months and has never had formula!). I didn't have any tearing with him or Abbie, and only a tiny bit with Zane, even though my babies come "flying" out!

I went home to 2 feet of snow and my husband was there with me for a week and I was back to my old routine. My postpartum period was pretty bad and it took 9 weeks for me to recover from having Sheldon, unlike the 5-6 period with my other children. It was hell, but gladly it is over and we are in a regular house again.

Sheldon is the joy of my life! He is beautiful, 100% all- boy and is full of go-getting life. He came at a horrible time in our life and marriage but I am thankful he is ours! :) He looks just like his Daddy and has a free-spirit, just like him, too! ;)