2009 Christmas at Aunt Beths house

Danes enjoyed his first Christmas at Aunt Beths house this year. Below you see him relaxing after enjoying way too much egg nog. His wardrobe is compliments of his Aunt Pam (Thank you). We had a great time in Nebraska but luckily we went last weekend before all this crazy snow came. Dane received some really cute outfits, a blanket, some nice lotions and oils for a long baby massage and a really cool sound machine from Graco. That has to be one of the coolest things so far. The sound machine has a night light, an mp3 player jack, nature sounds, music, and white noise. Now what more does he need to sleep...................

Here is Dane having a good conversation with his grandpa.

Work Begins on the Basement

Well Brion (our friend) and I have begun working on fixing up the basement. We have the framing all done, electrical ran and insulation in. Work is coming along at a fast pace and all the things I just mentioned were done in two days with about a total of 10-12 hours of work. When it's all done we will have a large room to entertain, watch movies, play games and room for Dane to run around. Tonya and I decided to fix the basement after we realized that on top of the fact that we have no room to entertain in our house babies toys take up a lot of room. When it's all done I will post some pictures.

As a side note Lowe's offers a 10% military discount so to all my military friends get on it.

-Jake

2 months old

Well Dane is now 2 months old. Times seems to drag along when you are not getting any sleep but then all the sudden you turn around time is flying by. I am already getting sad at the idea that he is growing up on me. He is talking more and more these days. He is also starting to get on a better schedule. Last night he slept from 10pm till 7am. I feel so blessed to be getting that amount of sleep already. Dane is also starting to nap better. The schedule is really helping. I have started putting him down awake and usually only have to comfort him a couple times before he goes to sleep.

A couple days ago we went and got a family photo and his two month pictures. I have posted some of them below.

Dane smiles and his cute hat.

Hangin with daddy

Sorry we haven't posted anything recently but we have been busy. As you can see Dane has been having a great time with dad.

Hardcore training on the xbox.........
Jammin to music and looking cute......
Then we exercised......

Then daddy was tired.



All in a hard days work.

6 Week Check Up

Well today was Dane's 6 week check up. He received 3 shots and he was a trooper. More than that, I was a trooper. I just knew I was going to cry my eyes out but I didn't shed 1 tear. Yeah for me! Dane is in the 95th percentile in the weight category. He is weighing in at a whopping 12 lbs and 6 ozs. I just don't know how much longer I will be able to tote him around in his carrier. At the rate he is gaining we are going to need a new carrier in a few months. I am trying to get around to getting his pictures done this week but not sure if that is going to happen or not. Jacob is working days this week so I am not sure I am up for the challenge alone.

This last week Dane has really been smiling a lot. It is the best thing ever when he smiles at you. I just want to squeeze him to pieces. He is also really good at holding his head up. Now if he would just start sleeping for longer stretches in the night I would be ecstatic. There have been a few occasions where he has slept 4+ hours in a row but not enough to brag about. The doctor said that he should start sleeping for longer since he weighs 12 lbs and eats about 4-5 ounces at each feeding.

Also this last week Jacob had to go back to work. It was so nice having him home for 6 weeks. This week he is in training so he is working M-F 8-5 but next week he will return to his normal schedule of 3pm to 1am. It is nice having him home during the day because if Dane doesn't sleep at night I have him here to give me a nap before he goes to work. The down side is that Dane is much happier during the day then he is at night. I guess it is common for babies to be fussy at night but it is a little difficult since Jacob is at work at night. I just have to get everything I need to get done during the day because Dane wants me to just sit on the couch with him at night. Well laundry is calling......

Hematologist and visit with Aunt Court

Well on the 17th Dane had an appointment with the Hematologist to make sure he did not have a blood disorder since he had issues in the hospital with bleeding too much. When we got there they weighed him and he was 11 lbs and 11 oz. He is really getting to be a big boy. They drew some blood which I had to leave the room for. They were mainly looking to see if he had hemophilia. I received a call from the doctor yesterday and his tests came back normal. He gets his first round of shots next week so the doctor wants me to keep an eye on the bruising and report anything that looks out of the ordinary. He also wants to see him again before he sees the urologist to get circumcised because he wants to test for a few more things before they actually do the procedure.

This last weekend Court came to visit Dane for the first time. I think she got to see a pretty good all around view of him. His new nickname is Dane Dane Crabbypatty. He is actually starting to be a lot more fun these days. He has times now where he just sits and smiles and is quiet. These moments are new to us. He is much less fussy these days. Well gotta go he is ready to eat.

One Month Update

Well Dane is now a month old and getting more and more cute. I weighed him last week and he is up 2lbs from birth and weighs 10 lbs and 4 oz. This week has found his hands, particularly his right one. He is constantly pulling my hair, scratching me or putting them in his mouth. On occasion he will use them for something useful like putting his pacifier back in his mouth. I can't wait until he learns to do that on a regular basis. The other new thing is that he has decided that naps are just not really for him. There are days where he will stay up for 6 or 8 hours at a time. I thought newborns slept 16 + hours a day? Like most people when he doesn't sleep he is really cranky. I hope he doesn't develop Jacob's high maintenance sleeping problems. I can sleep anytime and pretty much anywhere but for Jacob the moon and stars have to align for him to sleep. The nice part of that is that he does actually sleep decently at night. I usually have to get up with him around 2am, 5am, and 7am.

So the question everyone is asking is how are the dogs doing with him. In the beginning Valkyrie would pout and give us the cold shoulder. Ariel was very interested and followed me everywhere I went. Neither of the dogs were eating very well either. My mom takes them occasionally to give them extra attention which they love. They are not happy not being the center of attention. Ariel never was terribly needy but Valkyrie as most of you know was my baby and can't stand me having Dane in my lap all the time. Now that he is a month old they are starting to ease up and are handling things much better. Ariel is mother hen like I knew she would be. Valkyrie is becoming more of a watch dog. She barks a lot more than she used to and seems to be on the look out all the time. When we get on the floor with Dane they love it. They just want to sniff him and lay right next to him. I think when he gets to be a couple months older and more interactive they will think he is just great. Well that is the latest in the Sapp household.

1 Month Canadian Cuteness

Dane's First Bath Pictures

3 Weeks Old

This is Dane in his first bath. He did suprisingly well with little to no tears. Also Dane now weighs 9lbs 9oz.

hiccup....hiccup....hiccup

Go ahead and melt.....

Yah Growth Spurts!

Well Dane is going through what seems to be the his first big growth spurt. He is feeding constantly and is very fussy. Both Dane and mom seem to be worn out by it...dad is getting pretty tuckered out by it too. Still from what I've read this is completely normal at his current age. Two weeks seems to be one of the common growth spurt points.

Dane also had a great two week doctor's appointment yesterday. He is now up to 9lbs even and Dr. Swords said he is looking healthy and all is well.

Last night the family went and had dinner with the Wolters. Our friends child, Sadie, was very upset when her mother, Lindsey, held Dane. We had some awesome white chili and it was good time spent with friends.

As of this current moment Dane is lying down in his swing, content, and mom is trying to catch a nap to recoup for when he gets hungry again.

-Jake

Sapp Family Update

Well folks here is the latest of what has been going on with the Sapps. The dogs came home from their Grandma's house 5 days ago. It would appear that Ariel (German Shepherd) is very curious and a bit skittish around Dane while Valkyrie (Black Lab) is jealous to no end.

Dane slept great last night sleeping between 4 to 5 hours in between feedings. Napping however has become a bit touch and go. We have to let him lay in the crib and cry sometimes. It's not that he's not tired it's just that he wants to sleep on us. We are trying to train him to self-sooth as were are trying to follow the BabyWise philosphy, it's been hard on both Tonya and I. His crying tugs on both our heartstrings. It's fine when it's someone elses kids to say, 'just lay him in the crib and let him cry' but when it's your own it's hard. Still Tonya and I have been strong and we haven't given in to him yet. I have no doubt that we will give in every now and again but so far so good. We got a mobile for him today to help him calm down and hopefully curb his long periods of crying.

Tonya and I have watched a lot of CSI:Miami and we watched all of season 8 of Scrubs yesterday. Despite all this the house still seems to get cleaned and laundry is getting done so the Lord has really been blessing us there.

We are all doing great and we appreciate all the prayers and meals you guys have been great. God truely is good and he has blessed us so much with such a wonderful family.

-Jake

Some More Photos

Home Nurse Visit

Well today the home nurse came to visit from Liberty Hospital. It's nothing major the hospital just has a nurse come to you house to check up on you and the baby. It was nothing but good news. Dane is back up to his baby weight with 1oz extra bringing him up to 8lbs 5oz. The breastfeeding is going great and we are not having to supplement with formula anymore. Also Dane had his first tummy time today. That went as well as we could have expected he did not really like it but that's usual I'm sure.


-Jake

Great Night

Well folks last night was a really good night. Dane slept and ate on a fairly regular basis and Tonya and I both got really good amounts of sleep. Last night around 8-9 PM Dane was very awake. He was looking around not only at mom but as dad held him. He smiled at me which rates as one of the top ten moments of my life...and no he was not pooping. We both are really appreciative to God for this as the night before he didn't really sleep much at all. The doctor's appointment went great Dr. Swords said his privates are looking great and in 6 months time a urologist will attempt the circumcision again. He has lost some weight and now weighs in at 8lb .5oz which is normal for a baby. We also got him added to my insurance which cost us a pretty penny but won't cost us anymore if we have more kids. Still we have great insurance so I'm not complaining. Tonya is still recovering great and only had to take her pain medicine once yesterday supplementing instead with ibuprofen instead of the heavier stuff. She has been such a trooper through this whole ordeal and I love her so much. Well today is a new day lets see what blessings God can give us today.

-Jake

We're Home

Well after much ado we were able to come home yesterday. Their were complications with the circumcision so we had to wait a little while to come home. We stopped by Tonya's Uncle Mike and Aunt Diane's house for dinner on the way home last night. There we were treated to grilled steak, baked potatoes and rolls. It was really good food and they got to see Dane. Dane was very cooperative because he was on some Tylenol still from the hospital and was good and drugged. When we got home he was still really tired we were able to run around the house and get stuff done. We took turns watching him as we showered and after I read him a book he decided not to sleep. Tonya stayed up with him most of the night so I could get sleep. So, today my job is to watch him while she gets sleep. We also have a follow up doctors appointment today and I need to run to HQ and drop off the insurance paperwork for him but other than that we will just be spending it getting to know our son.

-Jake

We Have Dane

It's a celebration people rejoice! We have Dane in the room with us now and he is out of the NICU. He was able to come off the IV last night and they took him out from underneath the Billi-lights this morning. So far we have had two successful feedings and in-shah Allah that will continue. I couldn't be any happier and for those of my Facebookers you know just like I posted that this is one of the happiest days of my life! As I sit here typing this Dane is sleeping on Tonya while she takes a nap. And I would be remiss if I didn't correct and earlier error in typing. When I stated in an earlier post that our labor nurse was Karen I was incorrect it was Kerri. Our first three nurses were Kaylee, Kerri and Karen so you see how I could get confused. Kerri was wonderful and I want to give her the credit she rightfully deserves. As it stands now, and that shouldn't change, we will be going home tomorrow. We are grateful to be here one more day so we can soak in all the expert knowledge and advice we can. It's nice getting all the help from the Lactation Consult...and I only put this in here to annoy Kelsey if she's reading this. Thanks to everyone for your offers of support, your prayers, breakfast/lunches/dinners brought and to BJ and Lidnsey thanks last night for the company and the sweet tea.

-Jake

photos to go along

The Tale of Dane's Delivery

"Call me Ishmail. Some time ago never mind the year..." Oh wrong story you wanted Dane's Delivery not Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Just sit right back in that chair right there and I will tell you the tale of Dane's Delivery. It all begins on October 15th 6:00 P.M. in the year of our Lord. We came in and got checked in to room 304. They started the Cervatul (not sure how that's spelled) at 7:00 P.M. and we sat and watched CSI: Miami as we waited. Tonya began to lose her water shortly after 7 and would for the rest of the night. I felt the urge to eat and since Tonya wouldn't be able till after 9 I struck out for McDonalds. After eating as fast as I possibly could while still relaxing I made my way back. We finished CSI around 11:00 P.M. with the general consensus that it was a poor ending to season 6. Neither of us would sleep much because Tonya's IV hurt her constantly, the machine's alarms kept sounding and neither of us were comfortable. At 2:00 A.M. they started Tonya on Petocin which is designed to get her uterus to contract. She began contracting shortly thereafter. Tonya would contract and attempt to get Dane to labor down until around 12:00 when the Doctor Kramer came in and said she could have and epidural since she was now dilated to a 3. The anastiseoligist (Dr. Feelgood) came in to give the epidural but it was a challenge and Tonya endured quite a lot of pain like a pro. I went out to eat lunch and let Tonya rest only to be disturbed by the nurse telling me I needed to come back to the room. Right when I got back to the room Tonya told me that the new shift doctor, Dr. Olehausen, wanted to do a C-Section. He felt that due to the fact that Dane was still a -3 and hadn't moved down any at all he felt he wasn't going to come naturally. We felt that since he was the expert we would let him make the decision. Everyone was shocked by the this Tonya's nurse Karen asked, "what happened I went to lunch and I come back and you're having a C-Section?" We were a little worried but none more than Becky, Tonya's mom and Dane's GiGi. Becky knew all to well that her side of the family produced women that had problems with labor. I think everyone was a little nervous but the staff here at Liberty Hospital is top notch and gave us the up most confidence. I had to wait in the room as they prepped Tonya for the surgery. I offered up a lot of prayers for her, Dane, the doctors and the procedure. Karen, the nurse, came and said she was ready so I shuffled off in my scrubs, booties, hairnet and mask entering a new chapter in my life. I entered into the surgery room with multiple nurses, Dr. Olehausen (who I hadn't even met yet), Dr. Feelgood and his two assistants. I sat next to Tonya's head which was separated from the rest of her body by curtain. My knees knocked and I continued to pray all the while the staff was cracking jokes and trying to set us at ease. Tonya seemed so relaxed it calmed me down and as Dr. Feelgood gave her a shot of the good stuff she looked over at him and said, "you are my best friend right now." One of his assistants made the comment that more people name there babies after there own Dr. Feelgood's that they do the doctors that deliver their babies. Dr. Olehausen laughed at this and his expert hands continued to work. After they delivered him we would later find out that his cord was wrapped around his head twice. This explains why Dane hadn't moved down. I feel that Dr. Olehausen was a blessing from God because he made the decision to do a C-Section much earlier than he normally would for what seems like a hunch. I firmly believe that this hunch was from God. Still I digress, the surgery went off without a hitch and Dane was born at 3:58 P.M. on 10-16-09. I had to resist the urge to ball I was crying so hard. I was so excited to be a father! There isn't adequate words to express the elation I felt at seeing him. The nurse referred to Dane as a young John Stamos and though he won't know who that is I felt honored. Awaiting Dane's arrival were his Grandpa and Nana (my dad and mom), Gigi and Aunt Kaybay (Tonya's mom and sister), Great grandma (my Grandma),Uncle Jason and Aunt April (my brother and sisiter-in-law), Great Uncle Mike and Great Aunt Diane (Tonya's Uncle and Aunt), The Hausners (-Stefanie), Linda Knappenberger and Diana Dobson (Tonya's friends from CDC). Everyone came back to see him and hold him except Linda and Diana. It wasn't long after all the holding that he had to be taken back to the NICU due to some low blood sugar. The IV is taking care of that and he should be out of there by tomorrow.

That is the story of Dane's Delivery I know it is hard to capture the true emotions of it but that's the best I can do.

-Jake

Dane and Tonya Update

Here's the latest update on Dane. His blood sugar is a little low so our family doctor decided to err on the side of caution and place him in the NCIU. He will remain in there for up to the next 48hrs while he is given the needed glucose through an IV. He's also enjoy a nice tan under some warming lights so maybe he will get just a little bit darker. As it stands now the only visitors he will be able to have during the next 48hrs is the Grandparents. Sorry to everyone else. If there is a change and he can have more visitors we will update you guys and let you know. Keep him in your prayers. Oh and by the way the nurse said he looks like a young John Stamos, BOO YA!

Tonya is doing great she finally can move both legs now...well really only the right leg. The pain medicine is working wonders and I quote her telling the anastieligist "you are my best friend right now." She was amazingly strong not only while he was getting the epidural (which she didn't need thanks to the c-section) but also during the c-section as she made jokes just like her regular self. The "best friend" comment was actually made while they were making an insicion. She is keeping jello and water down and if all goes well she will be eating the biggest cheeseburger she can get her hands on tomorrow.

-Jake

Welcome to the World Dane

Dane is born on 10-16-09 at 4:30 P.M. 8lbs 4oz and 21 inches long!

Hospital Status Update

We arrived at the hospital last night at 6:00 P.M. Due to uncomfortable beds, painful IV and odd beeping neither of us got any or much sleep. At 2:00 A.M. they put Tonya on Petocin and she has been on it every since. Her contractions have increased but last time they checked she is only dilated to a 1 and Dane is at a -3. We would be going home except last night Tonya decided it would be a good idea if she let her water broke so one way or the other we will be leaving here with a baby. The way things are going we would appreciate if all visitors could refrain from coming today. We know you all care very much but Dane is being diffucult right now and we appreciate the privacy.

-Jake

Time is up....

So today was my 40 week appointment and I had an ultrasound to see how big he is. It appears I am birthing brutis beefcake because he is approximately 8lbs 7 oz. We are scheduled to go to the hospital tomorrow night at 6pm and they will start the pitocin on Friday morning. If all goes well we will be holding baby Dane by Friday night. Everyone say a prayer for Jacob because he is a nothing short of a basket case. I think I should have kept this all a secret :)

Danes Room

So here are some pics of baby Danes room, we finally finished putting up all the decorations. A big thank you to aunt Pam for all of her help.

Danes Bedding
Changing table
Isn't his name just adorable?

Officially unemployed

So Wednesday was my last day at Continental Disc Corporation. I was there almost eight years so it was kind of an emotional day. Lets just face it, it is not so much the "job" that I will miss but instead the people. I think back over the years to all that Jacob and I have been through and how my coworkers played a part. They have been there through our wedding, 2 deployments, 2 graduations, etc. No matter how tough the day might be or how frustrating the job can be at times the people made such an impact on us. One thing is for sure, CDC people take care of each other.

So now that I am technically unemployed everyone is asking me how I feel. To be honest I am a little terrified. This is the first time since I was 16 that I have not had a full time job. Even when we moved I had a job lined up. It feels a little strange to go to bed knowing that I do not have "somewhere" to be. Right now is especially strange since I have not started my new job of being a mom. One thing is for sure, I feel so blessed to be able to stay home and take care of our baby. I am so thankful that I have such a supportive husband that is willing to sacrifice the material things to make our family a priority. Lets face it, it is not easy living under 50% of the income you are used to having. So as much as I am nervous I am equally if not more excited. The countdown is drawing near and I am ready.

CDC thanks for all the fun times and happy memories. I will be back to see you soon.

Better late then never...pics from shower #2

Shower # 3

Saturday we had another shower which was hosted by my mother-in-law Susie. We had a great time and received lots and lots of books for baby Dane. I would have to say the highlight was Pam and Susie and their remarkable acting skills. They acted out a fun little skit at the beginning of the shower and then much later taxed our brain about what Pam had in her bag. It was really cute. It was also really nice to see friends and friends of the family that I do not get to see on a regular basis.

Shower #2

Saturday we had another shower hosted by my good friends Allyson, Rachel, and Sarah. Dane got some really cool things. We got a super large Elmo, some clothes including a "Canadian" outfit, plastic dishes, blankets, books, bookshelf, and much more. I can't wait to get all his stuff washed and put away in the proper spot. I will have some pictures to post once I get them from Sara.

We will be 34 weeks this Wednesday. The time is really flying by lately. I have approximately 22 working days left of work and then I get two weeks off to work on the house and REST. I am really looking forward to that two weeks so I can spend some time with Jacob.

This week Jacob's Army buddy is visiting us from Portland, Oregon. He is here until the 7th. It is really nice to meet and get to know him since he is such a great friend to Jacob. Hopefully we can find something fun to do the next two nights before they leave for St. Louis to meet up with a friend.

Surprise Baby Shower at Work

So today the girls at work completely surprised me with a baby shower. I had no idea what was going on. We received lots of cool stuff for Dane. We got his stroller and car seat combo, diaper bag, some clothes, blankets, wipes, and lots of little cute odds and ends. Here is a link for some of the pictures. http://www.askme-marketing.com/Dane/

Thoughts On Dane

So now we have a blog which means I can talk to the universe and no one at the same time about any thought that comes into my head. Since the majority of my thoughts now focus on little Dane let's start there.
For the longest time I didn't really even want kids. The idea to me seemed like I was losing all my freedom. I couldn't get past the financial responsibility required or the maturity I would have to have. Then Tonya wanted to have kids. Thinking I don't know if I'll ever be ready I decided we should take the plunge. When Tonya first told me she was pregnant I felt a lot of emotions namely joy, fear, apprehension and nervousness. The more the pregnancy has gone along the more exited I have become to be a father. I see children in a whole new light now. I see them and wonder what my boy will be like? What will he look like? What will he act like? Either way I really can't wait to find out. I can honestly say next to coming home from Iraq to renew my vows to my wife, and marrying my wife this is probably the most exiting thing that has ever happened to me.

Jake

Today we are 30 weeks along. We started our classes last night with the first one being Labor and Delivery. Lets just say I was a little less enthusiastic after that whole thing. It just seems like the most miserable day ever! I just keep reminding myself that people do this to themselves all the time so how bad could it be right? During the class we were asked to lay on the floor with our coach and practice breathing. Dane was moving the entire time that Jacob was holding me. It was so fun seeing the reaction from Jacob as he felt him move. Later on that night went we went to bed he was VERY active. He was moving as if he was trying to break out or something. Sorry Dane but you have 10 more weeks.....

I forgot to mention that out of 17 babies that 14 were boys, 2 were girls, and 1 was unknown. That is just crazy!