First Christmas

Gosh life is moving so fast. I feel like I just can't keep up anymore. I remember the days of pedicures and magazines and evenings of highlights and cocktails.... now, if I can find the time to read one article out of a magazine I'm doing good and usually it's when August is in the bathtub and I look up and I see the magazine sitting on the backside of the toliet and I think the thought briefly passes through my head that I wanted to read an article in that magazine so I start to read it only to get distracted again by a splash of water. I'm enjoying these days so much, but gosh they sure are moving fast so freaking fast I can hardly catch my freaking breath.

Christmas came and went today and I by that I mean, I feel like I blinked and it was here and gone. I know he is only 5.5 month's old and he truly doesn't appreciate it, but geeze... I just expected a little bit of magic. It did snow a crap load, maybe that was the magic this year? Who the heck knows.


So, the little guy is grabbing stuff with his hands, eating oatmeal, cereal, 6 month foods and is typically eating an 8 oz bottle. The only thing that is concerning me is that he HATES the highchair or anytype of chair when he eats his food. For the life of me I can not figure this out. I just don't know why he hates it so much. He screams, he cries and he yells... So, he goes back to the doctor next month for his 6 month shots and of course we wil ask why and what we can do about this fear of the chair problem. Ugh.

We has some holiday pictures taken and I think they turned out pretty good. He's turned out to be a pretty photogenic little dude. The day we had these taken he wasn't feeling too great, but I still think they turned out pretty good. I think he will be getting tooth any day now... between the drool and the runny nose I'm guessing that's what is about to happen.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving and more

I have so much to be thankful for this year. What an incredible year it has been. I was certianly blessed this year. I was given a healthy, happy and beautiful little boy, I've reconciled with my biological father, my family has stayed healthy, I've stayed healthy and we've all kept our jobs.

My son has grown so much in the past 5 months. He is 17 pounds of all boy. I just have to look at him lovingly and he smiles at me - which is so freaking awesome. He doesn't giggle for me, but he does giggle for Chris. He apparently loves Chris' facial hair and he thinks it's pretty funny when Chris rubs his facial hair on his neck. Chris gets almost a belly laugh out of him.

He is eating his rice cereal like a champ and we have tried a variety of veggies and fruits. He seems to like everything but squash. We will try the squash again later, he didn't spit it out at me, he just gave me a very strange look and then didn't open his mouth.

We are still working on rolling over. He is just about ready to roll from back to belly, but he nowhere near ready to roll from belly to back. He is doing much better at tummy time, but he still fights it a bit. I wish that we could get him to stay on his belly more. I'm hoping the older that he gets the more he will realize that he needs to be on his belly in order to go places!

4 months old, a little late.

Sorry! I'm a little late on this post. I've been so busy with work and family that I just haven't had time to make this update! AJ turned 4 months old on 11/6 and we went to the doctor on the 9th for his check up and his vaccinations. His stats from his appt. are: weight - 16 pounds, 75%, height - 25 1/2 inches, 75%, head - 16 inches, 75%. He received 3 shots and drank a yummy drink - he screamed, I cried and Chris turned away. This time when we got home he was fine for a while, but he spiked a fever later in the evening and it carried through out most of the next day. Ugh.

He started cereal. If anything, it's helped with the sleeping situation - his belly is full and he can sleep when his belly is full! For the last few nights he is sleeping all the way through. The funny this is - I'm not yet :) I'm so use to getting up with him at his regular "times" that I actually wake up at those times still. I'm sure that I will start sleeping through those times evetually....

So, the little dude is growing, eating and just hanging out. Oh and I'm sure he's heading for rolling over next.

Busy...

I think I'm going to have to evaluate exactly what type of activities August is going to be involved in. So far, he's in Kindermusik and Parents As Teachers, however every time I get offered to do something I think we should join. My mom was never a "joiner" so I think I'm trying to compensate for that. I've also joined the Parents As Teachers PTA. I'm not sure what that's all about, but I just want to be involved and meet other mom's. So, I'm sure I will have more to blog about on that topic later... good or bad :)

So, the little guy is smiling, giggling and just growing. We go back to the doctor next week for his 4 month check-up and we are hoping he can start eating cereal. Not sure why that seems so exiciting to me other than it just seems like the natural progression of life that he will start to eat... however I'm sure it's going to be messy and I hate a mess!

3 Months Old!

Time is flying! My baby is 3 months old! He's smiling, giggling a little bit (it's kinda a backwards deep breath). He's growing like a weed - just over 14 pounds. I can't wait to see what the next 3 months will bring!

His sleep pattern is suffering... we thought he was headed to sleeping through the night -which he did for a few nights, but we are now back to sleeping until about 2:30a and then waking again at 4a. Not so much fun. I'm not too sure what the problem is. We've tried adjusting his naps, adjusting the time he goes to bed, adjusting the temperature in his room, changed what he sleeps in - you name it, we've tried it. Nothing is working. Further more, we are exhausted.

Back to work

Since this week is coming to a close I thought I would post about going back to work. The week started out bad. The nanny we hired came on Monday and I had second thoughts about her once she arrived. She just seemed too old and actually Chris thought the same thing. Normally Chris is my level headed voice, so I knew when he thought the same thing we had to do something about it. So, by Tuesday I had already lined up 5 interviews.... but by Tuesday night Chris had called his mom and offered her the option of watching the little 5 days a week. We couldn't be happier that she said yes. So, grandma is now watching him and we feel so much better. The worst part of this whole thing was that I had to call the nanny today and tell her we didn't need her services anymore. Ugh. That wasn't easy.

August is growing like a weed. He weighs a little over 13 pounds, but just today we think he is getting a bit longer. He still has chubby little cheeks, which I love. I think we need to work on laying on his belly more - he loves to lay on his back and look at toys and stuff, but he's not a big fan of laying on his belly at all. His best friend is the fan in our room. He LOVES to lay on our bed and look up at the ceiling fan. Every morning while Chris and I are getting ready for work he lays on the bed and talks to his friend the fan. He seems to have grown tired of the swing... not sure what that is all about.

It's getting a little bit cooler out, so I've pulled out a few of his cooler weather clothes - which makes me happy. I have to say I love to dress him. :)

Heathy Little Boy

Everything went well at August's 2 month check-up. The Dr. called him a healthy and chunky little boy. Both Chris and I were very happy about that considering how very small he was when we brought him home from the hospital. He was given 3 shots and an oral and screamed bloody murder. It was the first time we had ever seen his little tongue quiver like that - I shed a few tears and Chris even got a little misty eyed. It was pretty uneventful though. Below are the stats....

Weight - 12 lbs. 10 oz, 75%
Height - 22 1/4 inches, 20%
Head - 15 1/4 inches, 25%

We go back again in 2 months and at that point we should be able to add a little cereal to his diet - so looking forward to that!

Other news... He FINALLY met his Aunt Kelly and Uncle Andrew. That was super exciting for him. They are moving from NYC to Denver and they are driving - so they stopped in KC for a short visit on there drive out there.

2 Months Old!

It seems like he knew that he was turning 2 months old, because literally in one day he's hit like 3 milestones. He's smiling, cooing and giggling. Everyone kept saying it was going to happen and yesterday, it did. It is amazing and it makes me so excited to see what's going to happen next.


Chris was out of town for his annual guys trip this weekend and I'm so excited for him to get back to see his son, so he can see how much he changed. I know he's going to be amazed at what a difference a few days makes in a little persons life. My friend Beth came up from Tulsa to visit this weekend and she thought it was interesting that Auggie hadn't been doing this type of stuff yet.

In other news, I'm trying to get everything planned for the nanny and Chris' mom to watch him when I go back to work. I'm working on a list of just tips, tricks and thoughts about things they need to know. We also had to have a land-line put in the house because Chris and I only had cell phones and that wasn't going to work with the nanny any being in the house and needing to call out if there was an emergency.

Wish us luck, he has his vacinations on Thursday, I'm so not looking forward to this at all. I hope he makes it through like the champ I know he is!

Chunky Monkey

My baby has fat legs and I love it. He finally has rolls on his little legs and his little cheeks are pudgy and you are able to pinch them. I'm so happy about this. I've been waiting for this day for a while. He was so tiny for so long and it seems within the last week or so he has put on a bit of weight and you can really tell. You can see the rolls in this picture.

Also little Maci seems to have really taken a liking to the little one. Every morning the 2 of them lounge around together. Usually, August is suppose to be working on his neck coordination - which is better known as tummy time, but it usually turns into a nap. They are such a good pair together.

He is also really enjoying his bath these days. He LOVES to have the water splashed onto his belly and onto his head. He is really getting his bedtime routine down and I think the bath really helps to sooth him before his bottle and then bed. He is such a good little boy.

Other news, Chris' sister and her husband are moving from NYC to Denver. I think everyone is thrilled about this. We are going to be so happy to take trips in to Colorado anytime of the year to visit - in addition to Kelly and Andrew both Chris and I have good friends in the Denver area to visit.

Little August has also received a bunch of great gifts from family friends in the last couple of weeks. People are so giving. In addition to gifts, Grandma/pa Reeves have been babysitting a bit and so has Aunt Brenda. Little Auggie is usually pretty good when he is being watched by family, but last weekend he did get a little fussy for Grandma/pa Reeves, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. Every now and then between 7-8p he gets a bit fussy and on that particular night he gave them a run for their money. Chris and I usually plop him into his swing when he does that to us, but they didn't have that backup method :)

Back to work?

Time seems to be flying by these days. I keep looking at the calendar only to realize how close September 28th is getting. What happens on September 28th? Well, I go back to work. Ugh. If you had asked me a year ago - I would have said I would never would want to be a stay at home mom. I really didn't think I was cut out for it. Honestly, I don't think I would want to stay home full time, but I really wish I could go back only part time and stay home part time. It's just not in the cards for us right now.

I'm lucky that my boss is allowing me to "work from home" on Fridays, so August will be home with me on Fridays. I'm hoping this will work at least for a few months. I'm guessing that eventually he's going to get to a point where he's going to be too "busy" to be around and work at the sametime. A nanny will be coming 2 days a week and then Chris' mom will be watching him the other 2 days. I hope this schedule will work for at least 10 months and then we will likely transition to day care.

This past weekend, Auggie met my grandma and his great grandma. She was so happy to meet him. Her mind isn't what it use to be anymore - and she frequently forgets what you say to her usually about 5 minutes after you say it. She kept asking Chris and I if we needed to do any shopping - if so, we could leave the baby with her for a while for a little babysitting. How sweet is that of her to offer? We obviously didn't, but it was nice of her to offer.

Auggie is starting to smile a bit more, giggle a little bit and today he slept until almost 8:00. I really can't stand the thought of him doing stuff while I'm not here (like while I'm not at work). So, I'm really hoping that he learns to crawl, walk and talk all in the next month :)

One month old

I really can't believe one month has past. So much has happened and he's grown so much.

Where to begin? He weighs a little over 8 pounds now - we are so happy about that. Considering he was a little over 5 pounds when he came home from the hospital. He is such a good eater so I'm guessing he will be over 10 pounds in no time. We had to change his formula from the regular Similac to the less gassy formula... our little guy was struggling too much and the new formula seems to be making him a bit more comfortable.

Every now and then I seem to be getting a smile out of him and I don't think it's gas. I think it's a genuine smile. I hope those increase day by day. He's so handsome when he smiles :)

We are starting to get some routines down... mostly at night though. He gets a quick bath, a bottle, we rock a little and the he's wrapped all snuggly and then he goes down for the "night". The "night" lasts a few hours and then he wakes back up for a bottle - a few times through out the night. I really can not wait until he sleeps through the night!

So, life is good, we are just plugging along being a family.

So in love...

I'm so in love with my son. Watching him grow, watching him become a person, learning so much about him and enjoying the creation of his personality. I never thought I could be this interested in another person like this. He amazes every single day and every single moment.

We are starting to get a routine down.... He sleeps most of the night, only waking 2 times to feed and then he goes right back to sleep. He takes 2 or 3 naps during the day and he's awake a good portion of the morning. The most amazing part is how peaceful he is. Everyone that meets him comments about what a happy peaceful baby he is. We have completely been blessed.

Maci is tolerating the little guy. They are not best friends and Maci really doesn't appreciate AJ taking over part of the bed, but like I said she is tolerating him and really that's all we can ask for at this point. Someday soon, AJ will be pulling her tail and annoying her even more, so I'm hopeful she will continue to tolerate him.

Life is good right now and I can only see it staying that way. :)

Happily tired.

Well, I was considering not updating this site any longer, as I'm not really sure if anyone reads it, but then I thought even if nobody reads it... I still enjoy writing down my thoughts and in general I just like the idea of keeping a journal of August's first year of life. So, I'm going to continue to update this thing, even if nobody reads. I'm sure one day August will appreciate it.

I wanted to share or at least note August's birth story. So here are the details, some of it may be too much information, so read with caution:

Anyway - on Monday 7.6.09, around 5:30 a.m. I woke up and used the bathroom... didn't think much about it and it was still dark in the house so I really couldn't tell if I had any problems at that point. And by that I mean, I couldn't tell at that point that I was bleeding.

So, around 6:45 Chris got up and got into the shower. I went to use the restroom again... at that point, I saw that pajamas were stained with blood. Panic set in (as you can imagine). I went to tell Chris that we needed to get to the emergency room... he got out of the shower and dressed as quickly as possible. He was so worried.

We headed to OPRMC and went up to L&D (as an FYI - their emergency room is so freaking confusing and they weren't helpful - they didn't even get me a wheelchair at first!). Once we made it up to L&D they hooked me up to the monitors and got all my information. To my amazement, I was actually having contractions at about 2 minutes apart and didn't know it. The longer we sat there, the stronger the contractions got.

So, they decided to monitor me, fill me with fluids to see if the contractions would stop. After about 30 minutes... it was decided that Baby Reeves would make his appearance that day. We waited about another 30 mins. to get everything set up and also gave time for my OB to arrive - so he could do the c-section procedure. August arrived at 9:04 a.m. on Monday weighing in at 6 pounds 3.7 oz., 17 1/2 inches long. Healthy and crying!

He lost about 10% of his birth weight prior to us going home. Everyone seemed confident that he would gain the weight back soon. Everyone was right - we weighed him today and he's just a little over 6 pounds.

I can't believe how much he has changed already. He's starting to control his head a bit more and he keeps his eyes open longer and seems to be tracking things in the room.

We visited the pediatrician the first time this week also. She checked him over and said he was beautiful (of course!). No shots this time, just a basic look over. We have to go back again on Monday for a weight check and then we go back for our first round of shots in 2 months. I'm dreading that appointment. I told Chris he's going to come to that one, because I can not stand the thought of my sweet pea getting stuck with a needle!

So, the one thing I'm really having problems with is the night time. He sleeps too much during the day and isn't sleeping well at night. So, I've bought several books and I'm bound and determined to get this under control. This may mean a night worth of crying (or maybe several nights), but in the end I hope we can finally get a few un-interrupted hours of sleep.

We had our pictures taken this week - I'm including a few from the session within this post. Josh Solar took the pictures and there are so many good pictures from the session that I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to narrow it down for a sensible purchase!

August Arrived

Happy to announce that little August arrived on July 6th at 9:04 a.m. 6 pounds 3.7 oz. 17 inches long. He's so perfect. More details to come, but for now here are a few pictures.

Baby Stuff

I really can not believe how many baby things our house now has in it. Stroller, carrier, swing and bouncer - just to name a few. I'm wondering if he's ever going to use any of this stuff... well, I'm certain that he's going to use the stroller and the carrier, but the other stuff I'm just hoping he sits in it at least once.

Chris spent last night and today putting everything together - of course, Maci had to help again. Chris got everything done and didn't even have any extra parts left over :)

So, I'm thinking we are ready to bring little AJ home... but then again, I've been wrong before. I hope we are ready - if anything I know we are emotionally ready to have the little guy in our lives. I know that each of us have waited for this moment for a long time and I only wish it would hurry up and get here.

July 13th

The date has been set, little August is going to arrive on 7/13/09. How freaking awesome is that? How wonderful that we know when our baby boy is going to arrive?! Life really can't get much better!

I had 2 showers last week/weekend. Yolanda hosted the work shower. I got so many great things. I'm especially happy with all the bath items we got. I didn't have have any wash cloths, towels or toys for the bath - and we got all of that! My family/friend shower was hosted by Jen Messer (my ex-roommate), Yolanda, Kelly (my SIL) and my MIL. Everyone was so generous! Seriously, I am so grateful for family and friends. We received the travel system (stroller and carrier), bouncer, swing and soooo much other stuff. GRATEFUL is the only thing I can think to say.

I had a doctor's appointment today - everything went well. He's measuring at 35 1/2 weeks - just a few days ahead of schedule. Heart rate was 135. Dr. Arroyo said everything looked/sounded well. Happy baby!

Sciatic what?

I have a few updates this time, but unfortunately I don't have a birth date yet. I'm 33 weeks, the baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and he's doing great. I think I mentioned last time that he's 10 days ahead of schedule - which is great considering we are going to have a c-section within the 37th week. That means, sometime around July 13th we are going to have a little baby! How exciting!!!

With that being said, I have a new problem... my sciatic nerve. It pretty much hurts 24/7. I've tried sleeping straight up, in the recliner and even with pillows between my legs. Nothing, I repeat nothing... works. So, I had to make an extra trip to see Dr. Arroyo because of it and unfortunately the pain and problem won't go away until I deliver this little guy. All in all... it's the only "pregnancy symptom" I've had to deal with, so I'm truly not complaining... however it freaking hurts!

On the fun side.... I have my work baby shower on Friday and I have my friend shower on Saturday. I'm so grateful that my friends and family have chosen to help me with something like this. I only wish my mom was around to enjoy this - I know how much she would have liked to do something like this for me.

So, I saw this quiz or update thingy on another pregnancy blog. I thought I would join in the fun:
How far along: 33 weeks, 3 days
Weight gain: too much in my opinion
Maternity clothes?: A lot. Matter of fact I had to go buy 2 more work shirts tonight. I really am enjoying wearing dresses though.
Stretch marks?: None so far!!
Sleep: between the sciatic nerve issue and the heartburn, sleeping is not really something I'm doing anymore
Best moment this week?: Getting some sciatic nerve relief with a heating pad and some approved meds from the doctor.
Movement: It's no longer kicks, but more re-positioning and an uncomfortable foot in the rib every now and then.
Food cravings: It goes back and forth between sweet and salt. I've been eating a lot of yogurt though.
Gender: still a boy
Labor signs: I think I've had one or 2 braxton contractions..nothing major though and I'm very hopeful it stays that way.
Belly button status: flat to my belly
What I miss: my size 4 pants that I worked so hard to fit into over the last couple of years, rum and diet coke and walking without a limp.
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting my son.
Weekly wisdom: If you have a backache don't bend over so much... hmm, you think? :)
Milestones: We completed birthing class and breastfeeding class!

C-Section

On Tuesday, I had an appointment with the perinatologist. Everything went well, but the placenta previa is not going to resolve itself.

The baby is still doing good, actually he's doing better than good - he's about 10 days ahead of schedule. The doctor said, for having placenta previa... I'm doing the best as possible. He gave me a high-five :)

Anyway, we go to the regular OBGYN on Friday and we should find out the exact date for the c-section. It should be around July 12th or so.

AMA

I'll be 36 on Sunday, which means I'm AMA or Advanced Maternal Age. I love being referred to as an acronym. For 36, I think the pregnancy is going very well. According to every web site I read, the complications after 35 increase. Everything from birth defects, low blood pressure to chronic health problems. I love how they try to scare you with everything. Regardless of my age, I am happy and healthy. Actually, I feel great to be 36, my life couldn't be better.

Also, on Sunday I will be 32 weeks. This is just about the time that I've heard many women experience a shift in the placenta if they have previa. So, I go to get another sonogram on Tuesday and then back to see my OBGYN on Friday. I'm really hoping that the darn thing has moved.

Chris and I completed a 2 week child birthing class... I really hope we can put some of it to good use. They also covered the c-section procedure, so we are covered either way. Last week, Chris really didn't have any questions during the class, then this week he was Mr. Question. Not sure if it's that we covered c-sections today or if it's his nerves.

I thought I would share a picture from our engagement session that was done about this time last year. When I saw this picture, I really didn't like it because he was holding my belly and it almost made it look like I was expecting. It's funny what a year can do. I truly, madly, deeply love my husband and I really can't wait to see how he reacts to seeing his son for the first time.

30 weeks, 2 days

Well, the nursery is just about done. I worked on it this weekend and today. I'm really happy with how it looks. We need a few more things to put on the shelves and I ordered a print to frame - which hasn't come in yet... other than that I think it's just about done. Note: the valance above the window looks funky... it happened when I resized the picture. The valence just has thin baby blue stripes on it - you really can't tell on the pictures.



I think the "bubbles" or "circles" on the walls really make the room cool. I hope he likes them. They were super easy to put up, so as he grows I'm thinking I will change them out for other styles. I ordered them through Dali Decals.


I went to the doctor today. Everything went well (as usual). She said I had a bit too much protein in my system and asked that I drink more water. I have been drinking a few soda's, so I'm going to try and not do that anymore and drink as much water as I can. I've now moved into having appointments every other week - I do that until 36 weeks and then I switch to every week. It's getting so close!

Crib

Chris put together the crib this weekend, just wanted to share a few pictures from the process. Maci of course had to help again. More and more she likes to spend time in the nursery. I really hope the baby and Maci can be good friends. The crib and the dresser both look great and I'm hoping to have everything done with the nursery by the end of this month.

A July Baby

I have several updates and way too many pictures to add. I may have to do 2 updates to get everything in. So, this post will be about the doctor's visit today and the next post will have the nursery pictures.

Anyway, I'm just at 28 weeks and 2 days today. We visited the perinatologist this morning and found out a few things. First off he weighs about 2.5 pounds. He's growing great and all of his parts are good and working well. So that was great news.

What was a bit dissappointing was that my placenta hasn't moved at all! Damn thing. Anyway, I haven't had any issues related to this problem, other than the fact that it means I will more than likely have a cesarean at about 37 weeks vs. going full term and having him the good ol' fashion way. We will find out more in a few weeks when I visit my regular OB.

I'm sure everything will be fine and I've already heard stories of women that have had their placenta move really late in the process. When it comes down to it... I don't care how he gets here, just as long as he's healthy and happy. So, we will see.

Lucky

I have had a pretty easy pregnancy. I can't say that it's been perfect, but I have been lucky so far.

I went to the Dr. today and had another good appointment. I took the glucose test and it came back negative for diabetes. Also, I received the test results back on the Spina Bifida test - which was good as well. Overall, I just feel blessed to have been given the chance to have a child and blessed because things are going so well.

I'm measuring at 27 weeks - which is right on track. I don't expect them to ever move my due date, but it would be really great if the placenta would move. I would love to be able to have this child the good old fashion way, but unless that placenta moves I'm on my way for a cesarean. I just want a happy, healthy baby boy!

I love to watch my belly move. It's one of the best things to watch and feel. I also love it when Chris places his hand on my belly to feel the movement. I can tell he is amazed and it just makes me feel so happy inside.

Holy Hell, I'm on fire.

It's not even May yet, and I'm already wondering if it can get much hotter than this. That's right people, I'm pregnant, I'm large and I'm hot. Really, it's only about 80 degrees, but I think my body believes it's around 100. I can not stop sweating and I seriously feel like every piece of clothing is sticking to me. Why would I even bother to blow dry my hair? I would like to shave it off at this point.


I also wanted to share with everyone my most favorite comment from last week... "wow, you're big, man you are going to be huge by the time August gets here". Really? How do you respond to that? This charming comment was made by one of Chris' co-workers. While I'm sure he didn't think it was mean... it certianly hit home.

Although I'm getting larger, I still managed to be able to fit into a seat at the "K". We had a wonderful night watching KU beat MU at the Royals stadium. The weather was perfect and the company was great. We went with Chris' friends - John & Susie Pennington and their little daughter... we also had the in-laws and Chris' Aunt and Uncle. It was such a good time. I hope to make it out for another game - maybe when we know for sure it's not going to be hot :)

He really is a boy!

Had a super doctor's appointment this week. I visited the perinatoligist office and of course had another sonogram. You can surely tell on the new picture that it's for sure a boy. I hope this picture doesn't end up embarrassing him some day!

He weighs in at 1 pound 7 ounces. The doctor said we are just a few days ahead of schedule, but everything looked great. I can't believe how big he is! He's almost 2 pounds! How crazy is that!?



The doctor didn't seem as concerned about the placenta previa as the last doctor. In fact, I don't have to go back for another month. The last time I went to the perinatologist he mentioned coming in every 2 weeks. So, that gives me some hope that the placenta is moving up on it's own. I'm really hoping that is what happens!

I'm heading to my regular OB on the 28th... should be a regular appointment other than doing the glucose test. I can't believe how fast things are moving along!

Making Progress

Just a quick update. Things are starting to happen with the nursery, so I thought I would write a short note about it.

Since all of the furniture is out of the room, we were finally able to get a few things done. We ordered a lovely red shag carpet from Walmart.com - it arrived last week and we put it down. It looks so good in the room. We also ordered a glider with an ottoman from Walmart.com a few weeks ago and Chris put it together today.


I think Chris thought it was going to take longer than it did to put the chair together... it really only took him about 30 minutes. Maci had to help with the installation - as you can tell from the picture.

The crib and dresser were suppose to be in at the end of March, but unfortunately, Nebraska Furniture Mart is on a different schedule. I called last week and they now said it will be the end of April. Oh well, we still have a bit of time :) I'm really in nesting mode, so I really do hope it is the end of April.

22 weeks and 1 day

I had a very good dr. appointment today. Chris went with me and we both came out of the office similing... so that was very good.

Dr. Arroyo said that I needed to stop worrying about the placenta previa - that more than likely it would go back to normal on its own. He said that if it didn't he would likely want to deliver the baby at 37 weeks to avoid any complications. That's fine by me! I'm still not allowed to travel and in general I'm just suppose to take it easy. So far, I think I've been doing pretty good with that.

My only complaint so far is the heartburn. It seems like I can't eat anything these days without having to chase it with a Pepcid or a Tums. I'm sure that won't get much better.

This past weekend Chris moved all of the furniture out of the babies room and down to the "new" office area. Both of us are very happy with how everything looks. Also, Chris and his dad replaced the fan in the babies room - it looks really good! Now if we could just get some furniture in there!

So, I have another appointment with the perinatologist on April 14th for my next sonogram and then another check-up with Dr. Arroyo on April 28th. I will be doing the glucose test - to check for gestational diabetes at the appointment on April 28th.... so not looking forward to that. From what I hear the syrup stuff you have to take before the test is disgusting.

Growing...

I have several things to update this time.... although not that earth shattering, but none the less fun.

The first is a photo of myself. I'm a little over 5 months, so I thought why not take a picture of myself to remember the progress. I'm sure I'm going to get much bigger than this. I have to say that I think at this point I've gained the right amount of weight. Dr. Arroyo stated that he thought I could have put on a few pounds before I got pregnant - so at this point, I think I've put on that weight plus the right amount of baby weight. I still feel a bit large and I'm sure it's only going to get worse.

In other news, we have just about all the main parts ready for the baby's room. My sister-in-law was so nice and gave me a brand new bedding set for the crib from Pottery barn. Both Chris and I are very grateful... and we are thrilled with how it's going to look.


Also, we bought a replacement ceiling fan for the baby's room. The current fan wiggles and makes a lot of noise, so I decided I wanted to update it... and Chris just went along with it. Chris' dad is going to be really good at installing ceiling fans - this is the second one that we've asked for him to install. Oh well... that's what grandpa's are for!

IT'S A BOY!

As expected, we were able to find out what we are having at our appointment today! And well, it's a healthy baby boy! We are both very happy and excited. Chris believes he's already a pitcher in the making by the picture we got this morning. Look at that throwing arm!

Unfortunately, we got a bit of scary news. I have what they call placenta previa. While it was scary, we are hopeful that it's manageable. The doctors are going to keep a close eye on me and I've got to take it pretty easy, but we think everything will be just fine.

So, it was an exciting day... and we are just hoping for a very calm next few months. Please pray and wish us much luck.

Yeah to shopping!

I am so excited, we made our first major baby purchase today. We went out to Nebraska Furniture Mart (where else would we go?) and bought the crib and a chest of drawers. All in a pretty cherry wood color. We got a super deal! (note: picture of crib shows girl accessories..this is the only picture I could find and does not indicate what we are having)

The crib wasn't in stock, so they are going to deliver both items when they come in at the end of March. Chris declined to add the $10 installation... which means they are going to bring it out and drop it off. It should be fun (and picture worthy) to watch him set it up. He said it would be a bonding experience :)

We also purchased a lovely car seat off of www.woot.com a week or so ago. It was a great deal and we were very happy that it didn't sell out as quickly as it did the last time they had it on woot.

So, I'm still on the look out for a rocking chair - that should be my next purchase.

In other news, we should find out what we are having on Tuesday. Both Chris and I are VERY excited about this!

"You're Showing"

I'm 18 weeks and 2 days today. I'm starting to showing and I'm starting to feel fat. None of my clothes fit!

We had our regular doctor's visit today. Everything is going fantastic. The baby is growing and he/she had a very strong heartbeat at 145bpm. It's still unbelieveable to hear the heartbeat. It's truly one of the amazing things I've ever heard.

In other news, I'm starting to buy things here and there... everything is not gender specific, so we have a lot of yellow. We've also started stocking up on diapers - heck when you get a good coupon, why not use it?

I think we have finally settled on the boys name - it sure did take us a while. I think we both compromised a little bit, but we are both very happy with the selection. We just can't wait to meet he or she!

Cravings - cantelope and salads. Funny, even though I'm eating healthy I'm still gaining so much weight :)

15 Weeks

I don't really have too much to blog about today. Things are moving along as expected. As of today, I'm 15 weeks and according to babycenter.com the baby is about the size of an apple.

This past week was a bit tough on Chris as he lost his grandmother on his mom's side. She lived a good life and I can only hope that I live as long as she did. Although I didn't know her when she was in her prime, I will be forever impacted by her. You could truly tell how much she loved Chris and she would smile and light up everytime he walked into the room. I love that she loved him so much.

The death of his grandmother reminded me a lot of my mom's passing. I wanted so much for her to meet her grandaughter or grandson. She loved babies and I know she would have spoiled this child more than anyone. I've decided to make a book on Shutterfly about her and have it in the nursery. I don't want our child to grow up not knowing her. It's hard to look back on the past 2 years - we've had so many blessings and so much heartbreak. I know that everything has made us stronger.

Well, enough about that - my emotions are crazy these days and I'm sitting here in tears!

First Pictures

Several updates this time. First off, we were finally able to see the little cashew. We had an appointment with our pernatologist...we had the ultra-sound and we heard the heart beat. What a completely amazing moment that is - especially for first time parents. Chris and I sat there is complete amazement.

The nurse joked that that maybe there would be 2, but there was only just one - we are just so thrilled. The heartbeat was 163 beats per minute. I thought that was crazy fast, but it was perfectly normal. The doctor also changed my due date to August 2.

Besides seeing the baby, I can also tell he/she is growing like crazy - I'm still too small for maternity clothes, but I'm too fat for my regular pants. So, I had to do a little shopping this week. I'm not even too sure how long these new pants will fit.

In other news, I have a tooth that needs to be pulled - which is causing me some concern. I'm going to need a sedative for the procedure and the dentist isn't too sure if the doctor is going to allow that. We see my OBGYN on Monday, so I'm sure that will be a topic of conversation.

10 weeks

I can't believe I'm 10 weeks already. I feel like we just found out a few days ago. Things are going very well and my nausea seems to have subsided a lot. I think I'm one of those few girls that barely gets any morning sickness. I've pretty much breezed by with little or no sick feelings. I'm truly taking that as my first blessing that this child has given me :)

We had our 2nd check up on Monday and all went well. He said there is no reason that I won't have a happy and healthy pregnancy. I think that was music to our ears. We tried to hear the heartbeat, but Dr. Arroyo thought we were a bit too early for that.

We are going back for a 1st trimester screening on 1/23 and we will for sure hear the heartbeat and get a lovely portrait. I'm so excited about that!

Today in the mail came my first piece of clothing for the little bean. I couldn't resist a little pair of white tennis shoes that I saw at oldnavy.com. I was out there looking for some maternity pants when I saw them, so I had to get them. Anyway, they arrived today and I was looking at these little shoes thinking I can't believe I'm going to have something to fill those little things, they were so cute and tiny!

We are off to visit my step-sister in Minnesota tomorrow... we are making the 8 hour drive, so wish me luck that we don't have to stop every 30 min to go to the bathroom... that would make for such a long trip!

Happy New Year!

Being pregnant on one of the biggest partying nights of the year - is in one word, boring. Chris spent the first part of the night at some friends house watching the KU game and I spent the entire night on the couch watching some movie on Lifetime. We both ended up in bed at around 10:30, not even making it to midnight. So, Happy New Year.

I said I didn't make it to midnight, but I'm sure I must have been up around then during my one of 7 trips to the bathroom I seem to be making every night. I really don't get how I can pee this much. It seems during the day I don't go that much, but then all of a sudden once my head hits the pillow and my eyes close I'm up almost every 30 minutes or hour heading to the bathroom. I really don't understand how I could have that much fluid in me?

I am getting really good at seeing in the dark though, that is for sure. I also am under the impression that our dog Maci loves it when I get up, because upon my return from the bathroom she is almost always resting her head on my pillow.... like she's glad that I'm gone because she now gets to lay next to Chris and on my pillow.

So, as I mentioned on my last post we are off to the doctor again on Monday. I'm so hoping to hear the heartbeat and see the little bean.

Happy 2009!