Sunday, December 11, 2011

5 months!

Ace,

Time has gotten away from me! I have not had a chance to write about little you at five months and your sixth month birthday is creeping up on us! Luckily, I keep a journal all and write in it everyday to help me remember.

Your fifth month was quite an adventure! It included your very first Halloween (you were a duck), a visit from your Grandma Sharon, two Citadel football games, the Rock and Roll marathon in our neighborhood, the suprise arrival of Aunt Biz, a bad upper respitatory infection and the arrival of not one but TWO teeth!! You are are incredibly social and adaptable and so much enjoy conversation and spending time with people. It makes taking you places so easy and so much fun. At 5 months, you weigh 17lbs, 14oz. This means you have gained ten whole pounds since you were born! You can also roll from your belly to your back.

Your daily routine consists of waking up between 6-6:30. You are all smiles when I pick you up out of your bassinet. At five months, you were still sleeping in the bassinet in mommy and daddy's room. You take a bottle in the morning then hang out in your seat in the bathroom to get some steam to help your never ending conjestion and then play in your jump jump while mom gets ready. We leave for the Y around 8:00 or so and you always fall asleep as soon as we turn into Kensington Park. I carry you and your HEAVY seat into my office where you usually nap for about an hour. Next you head to your classroom for the day. I always come and spend some time with you right after lunch. We head home around 4:30 and just like our way in, you fall asleep as soon as we turn on DeRenne. You sleep in your carrier for about another hour in the evening while I clean your bottles and get chores done. You usually wake up around 6 or so to eat dinner which is cereal and a 6 oz. bottle. Dinner is followed by a bath, some play time, story time and cuddle time with mommy. Then as if you are a timer, you are sleeping by 7:00-7:30 at the very latest. I pick you up for a bottle around 10 but you stay sleeping all the way until the morning!

The night you got your first tooth is one for the record books. We were in Charleston at Dan and Stef's for Citadel homecoming. You were your normal self during the day and ate your dinner like a champ. I put you to bed with no difficulty and you were off to dreamland. When we got you up for your late night bottle, you fussed a lot before laying back down. You were up again at midnight. Daddy and I thought you were hungry so we fed you again. Then at 1:30, you were up again....screaming! Not knowing what was wrong, we tried a smaller bottle to see if that would pacify you. It worked until about 4 when you got up again! We prepared yet another bottle, you drank the whole thing but then just would not calm down. Finally, daddy put you in your seat and drove you around so you could sleep. It wasn't until we got home to Savannah and touched your gums that we realized we had mistaken hunger for a tooth!!

We enjoy your giggles, your smiles and your super sweet personality! You are such a happy baby and we so enjoy being your parents!

Love,

Mom

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

i love you stinky face

have you read the book, "i love you stinky face"? my mom gave me the book after ace was born and we brought it back to savannah and stuck it on the book shelf. the other night i found it buried back behind a few other  books and remembered that we had not read it yet. the book is about a little boy and his mom. as the mom is putting the little guy to bed at night, he is asking her all kinds of "what if i were a..." questions. for each question she has a sweet and loving response to reassure him that no matter who is or what he is, she will always love him and take care of him. such a wonderful message. needless to say, it is my new favorite book and i have read it to ace for the last few nights straight.

see here is the thing, being a parent will rock your world. there are so many ups and downs in a twenty four hour period that sometimes your head feels twenty steps behind your body. ace is a buddy of many personalities. he laughs, he screams, he laughs, he doesn't want to be put down, he laughs. etc. but, in any of those scenarios, i love his stinky face so much. i love him so much it isn't even funny. i love him so much it scares me. afterall, he is the only person in this whole world who knows what my heart beat sounds like from the inside. i would do anything for him. comb the snarls out of his hair, build a house by a swamp if he turned into a swamp creature, give him a bath and brush his teeth if he were a smelly skunk. i love his stinky face so much!

being a parent rocks my face off! it is the the most awesome rollercoaster that i was afraid to ride but now that i am on it, i never want to get off. i can't thank God enough for Ace and all of my blessings. i find myself completely overwhelmed to the point of tears when i think about all of my blessings and the amazing things in my life. how did Aaron and I get so lucky?


Sunday, October 23, 2011

4 months

Ace,

As I sit here trying to remember all of the wonderful highlights of your fourth month, I can hardly come to terms with the fact that four months of time have passed since you entered our lives. You continue to amaze me everyday with your evolving little personality.

Sadly, you have been sick for most of your fourth month of life. You had a cold and we thought it went away. Then, you got sent home from daycare because your eyes were a total mess and you were extra fussy. I took you to see Dr. Stone and he determined that you had a sinus infection. We got you some meds and you started to get better. Then, the meds caused you to have thursh so we went back to Dr. Stone. You also got new symptoms of a new cold! More medicine! I have to say though, you remained quite happy through the whole process and being sick didn't really seem to bother you.

Ashley, Lyla and Neil came to visit us at the house one afternoon. You loved all of the attention! You also started a new daycare at the Y with mommy this month. Now you come to work with me everyday and your little classroom is right down the hall. This last week was the first week that room was open and you LOVE it! You came home so tired every night and were in bed before 6:15! Your teachers, Miss Krista and Miss Andrea are great and I am so happy that you are in the building! I even rocked you to sleep one afternoon and then went back to working on my reports. We are really blessed.

You are still nursing and taking a bottle at most feedings. Your bottles are 6oz now though! You are a very hungry little boy and you are not afraid to tell us! You are even beginning to try to hold your bottle on your own. Your sleep schedule is AMAZING. We put you down around 7:00 pm each night and you sleep straight through to the morning with just a little wakeup for a late night bottle.

Daddy and I bought you a jump jump this month and you LOVE it. You love to jump up and down and get quite excited when the music plays. I noticied the other day that you are now noticing how the different toys on the jump jump operate too! You also love your play mat and play very nicely on your own for quite awhile when we put you down to play. You can grab toys and shake them too!

Ace, this was the month that you started to laugh out loud and what a joy that brought to Mommy and Daddy. You laugh at yourself in the mirror, at the funny faces mommy and daddy make and often times at nothing! You are such a happy little boy! Everyone at the Y comments on how social you are too! Daddy and I call you the Mayor of the Y. Dad thinks you are going to be a politician because you like to give little speeches to anyone who will listen to you talk.

This month you have been in LOVE with your hands. They are always in your mouth and you are always chewing on them. You love love love your hands. Your feet are also becoming a favorite. One night in the bath tub you were sitting leaning forward trying your hardest to figure out exactly what your feet were. So cute! You can roll from your back to your side but are not quite rolling over yet. Ace, you still really hate tummy time but we do our best to get some in everyday. Your teachers at daycare have been working on it with you too. Sometimes we fly you around the house like an airplane and do tummy time that way.  You blow raspberries and bubbles and are generally happy all day long.

You are learning and changing more and more everyday. I love to watch the world through your eyes because you are seeing so many things for the very first time. I feel so lucky to be your mom and thank God for you every night before I close my eyes.

I love you little buddy!

Love,

Mommy

Sunday, September 25, 2011

3 months = 1 year

Ace,

You are three months old! I can't even believe it. I feel like I just blinked my eyes and time flew by. You are getting bigger and bigger by the day. Putting you down to sleep at night I find myself wondering if you will look different in the morning.

At three months old you are more talkative then ever. You spend a lot of  your time awake talking away. Sometimes the sounds are more like cooing and sometimes they have definite meaning and purpose to you. Robert at my office has a granddaughter who is two months older then you. He has a video on his cell phone of her talking in her crib and when he plays it for you, you talk back! I guess you get the drift of what she is saying.

You are a very social little person. I can hand you off to anyone at work and you don't cry or fuss. You especially love Susan and she spends a lot of time talking  with you. I suspect this social behavior comes as a result of your time at daycare. I want you to be aware of strangers but not be afraid of other people and we seem to be headed in the right direction on this.

You have a little yellow blanket that you have grown very fond of. You love to pull it up to your face and then pull it back down over and over again. It is the only "toy" that you are playing with. Your eye and hand coordination are really starting to develop now and I don't think it will be long before you are shaking toys and holding on to things. In the morning before we leave you do like to grab on to my hair and my clothing while you are laying on your changing table.

Sleep is one thing that you are very good at and we could not be happier. We have you on a pretty good sleep schedule and I think that helps. You go down for the night every evening between 7:30 and 8:00. Most mornings I have to wake you up between 5:45-6:00 and I usually have to go in and wake you up. The only time you don't like to sleep is during the day. We struggle with you to to take naps but the teachers at day care get you to sleep for close to 3 hours most days. You really are a puzzling little person.

You got sick for the very first time this month too. We took you to the doctor for a checkup on your neck and you were running a little fever. That was on a Thursday and then over the weekend you developed a cough. The cough was terrible and when you cough it effects your whole little body. It has been about three weeks since the cough first started and it is just now starting to get better. You were a little trooper through the whole illness which  Dr. Stone said was just a little cold.

Ace, you  had a really great third month. Spencer and Aunt Stef came down from Charleston for a sleepover. You went over to Lila and Duke's for a cookout. We watched the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th attacks on television. I hope you never have to experience something like that in your lifetime. We went on walks because the temperature is finally starting to cool down. And, you spend a lot time smiling.

My favorite part of your third month was the smiles.When you smile, you smile with your entire face. You open you mouth really wide and even smile with your eyes. I find you smiling in the morning when I go to get you out of your bed. I find you smiling when I check on you after I get out of the shower. You smile when I pick you up from daycare, change your diaper, and put you in your car seat. You are such a happy baby!

We celebrated your three month birthday with a little birthday party. We adopted and adapted a Korean tradition to celebrate because you are not technically a year old. I can't believe that a year ago you were the size of a grain of rice and growing quietly in my tummy. We took three envelopes and put money, ribbon and paper each in an envelope. We let you choose with your little hands and the envelope you picked had a ribbon in it. This represents a long life. What more could a mama ask for!

I love you so much, Ace! Here we go to month 4!

Love,

Mom

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

my little guy

my little guy is so sweet! this morning i got him out of the car when we got to the Y and he was sound asleep. i took him inside to his little classroom and he was still sleeping. i handed off his bottles, diapers, bag, paci and instructions for the day. i looked down at him and he was staring up at me and smiling. MELTING MY HEART!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

two months old.

ace,
time is getting away from mama so quickly. it seems like i blinked my eyes and here you are, 10 weeks old. your second month of life was so much fun and i want to make sure that we take a second to remember all of the little things about two month old you.

you are an all business baby. from smiles to serious faces, you change in the blink of an eye. you really started to smile while we were on our trip home to Michigan and Indiana. I can't think of a better time for you to have started with your extreme cuteness. you greet mommy in the morning with a face full of smiles but are all business when it is time to eat or hang out in your swing.

we spent two weeks up north when you were five and six weeks old. you were such a trooper! the car ride was your favorite part and you travelled over 2500 miles in a two week time period. mountain pressure change didn't even bother your little ears. you slept the majority of the trip waking only to eat or have your diaper changed. you were so lucky to spend time with all of your great grandparents, hang out with lots of aunts and uncles, meet your GRAMPY and aunt biz, take a big over night trip to Mackinac Island and have two parties that were all about you. daddy and i decided that we will try hard to take you home every summer because summer time in the Midwest is the place to be!

it was when we were home that you started sleeping through the night too. you take a bottle and nurse around 9:00 pm and then sleep all the way until 6:00 am! the parents of your other little buddies are jealous. you are such a good sleeper! you are still sleeping in your little bassinet but i think you will be heading to your crib soon. i am just not ready to let you go yet!

one of the biggest adventures of your second month was going to work with mommy! after eight weeks of mama and ace time, we had to venture out and rejoin the real world again. you go to mother's morning out in the morning from 8-1 and then hang out with mommy in the afternoon. you have been such a trooper! you hardly ever cry and are very social. two to three days a week i have been taking you to full day day care at the west chatham ymca. i miss you terribly while you are away but you seem to be adjusting well. you were to tired the first few days i took you out there that you could barely stay awake to eat at 6:00!

we went to your two month appointment last week with Dr. Stone. you now weight 12 pounds 10 ounces and are 24 inches long! Dr. Stone said you are very healthy and growing nicely. You are in the 66% percentile for weight and the 80% percentile for height. When Nurse Lynn came to give you your shots you were just talking away. As soon as she jabbed you with the first needle you let out a huge scream but she was quick. As soon as she finished, I picked you up and you were all done crying. So brave!  I think it might be from the orange socks I put on you to give you super powers.

ace, you are such a joy! daddy and i love you more and more and more each day. we are eating up everything little thing you do. you get more and more independent every day but you still love to snuggle and love on us whenever we want!

month three will surely be packed full of great adventures!

i love you!

mommy

Thursday, July 21, 2011

ace..how are you a month old already?



ace,

how can you possibly be one month old? you are growing up too fast already! every day we learn more and more about each other. not knowing this kind of love was even possible, my love for you grows bigger and bigger with each passing day.

you are so independent! you want to help hold your bottle, put your paci in and hold it by yourself and even try to get your arms through your onesies. i see so much of my independent spirit in you already! i love to watch you figure things out and take charge considering that you are still so brand new and teeny tiny!

temper and impatience are also two words that describe your one month old personality. if there is something that you want but are having a hard time getting, you have no problem screaming and grunting to let us know. you have a distinct "i want something and i want it now" scream. same goes for when you need your diaper changed. the minute the deed occurs, you scream bloody murder until you are dry.this includes turning completely red and gasping for air. your lungs are FULLY developed and work very well! i guess you get that from both mommy and daddy.

you have a million faces. there is that adorable little bird face you make after eating. the wide eyed good morning look. the sweet little smiles during bath time and tummy time. gosh, there are so many. don't worry though, mommy takes about 60 pictures of you a day so i am sure all of these faces are documented. your sweet little personality is really starting to shine through. as much as i don't want you to change and grow, i can't wait to watch this personality evolve. i wonder so much about what you are thinking.

you love to swing right now more than anything. the first few weeks of your life you loved to sit in your lamb seat with the vibrations. i am sure this will continue to change but the second you get in your swing, you fall asleep. you are also a great night sleeper. you will even go down in your bassinet and fall asleep on your own. such a big boy!

you eat between 2-4 ounces each time you eat. lately that has been almost every 1.5 hours. you have been going through a growth spurt for a couple of weeks! but, you are boy and i guess later in life you will be eating us out of house and home! you are nursing and taking a bottle at each feeding and do a great job going between the two. when you are hungry you let mommy know!

when daddy comes home from work, you hear his voice and turn to look for him. it makes me remember being little and waiting for my daddy to get home from work. you love your daddy! he can get you to do anything!

ace, you are such a wonderful little boy! your first month of life has been such a treat for us. i have enjoyed every moment of being home with you and watching you grow. i will miss your first month of life now that it is over but i am working so hard to cherish every moment, the quiet ones and the the moments you are screaming! basically, you rock my face off! here we go to month two!

i love you!

mommy

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Baby B is Wallace Rudolph





i need to spend some time writing about baby b's arrival. the wonderful care we received at candler hospital in savannah, ga, the tremendous support from family and friends, baby b's entry into the world and the first wonderful days of life. but, i am afraid i am going to forget all of the other things that have happened in the past month. so, i want to write down all of the things i want to remember from baby b's first month of life.

i want to remember...

-the moment my water broke in the hospital and i thought i wet the bed and didn't know what really happened.
-the granola bar i threw at aaron during a contraction when he was snoring.
-the benadryl nap...best nap ever!
-the patience and support of aaron while i labored. he sat at the foot of my bed and watched me sleep. i would open my eyes and he was there just waiting.
-the moment the nurse said "you are complete" and i asked, "now what?"
-those final moments with aaron. just rachel and aaron. you know, before our lives changed forever.
-the songs that were playing on the ipod when it was time to push...world on fire, how to save a life, grace is gone.
-asking the doctor if i was actually pushing.
-the moment when dr. smith said "ok,one more half push"
-the hand squeeze from aaron.
-dr. smith pulling out baby b...and aaron announcing..."Its A BOY!!!"
-the first time they laid the baby on my chest. the proudest moment of my life.
-the moment baby's looked into mine and his little hand grabbed my finger. breathtaking.
-the excitement in aaron's eyes as he became a daddy.
-our first moments as a family.
-telling dr. smith that the labor and delivery wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be.
-breastfeeding for the very first time.
-the ride down the hallway in the bed because my legs were so numb and heavy from the epidural
-the first few hours in the hospital, so full of excitement.
-the wonderful support from family and friends on ace's birth day!
-the diaper incident with stefani
-our first night together as a family. watching aaron rock Ace to sleep.
-watching aaron watch ace. he waited so long to meet him!
-holding my sweet baby close to me. listening to him breathe. the shallow little breaths he was taking almost like sighs of relief that his delivery was over.
-the look on my mom's face when she got to the hospital door.
-the moment we got ace home.
-the first night. sleeping in our monster of a bed with such a tiny little person in my arms.
-the second night....the long long second night.
-the first time we realized little boys pee a lot!
-the devastation  of knowing that i have chronic low milk supply and can not exclusively my son . the victory of knowing that i still have a nursing relationship with my baby and the victory of pumping two ounces up from just 1/4 of an ounce the first week.
-the sweet little faces ace makes after he eats and when he wakes up. kind of like a little bird.
-how curled up ace is when i get him out of his car seat and how he stays in a little ball for awhile afterwards.
-watching ace stretch out completely, arms and legs, like he is going to do a pin drop off a diving board.
-the quiet moments when we rest together in the afternoons.
-our first day home together when i had no idea what to do.
-the first time ace really noticed my face and locked in on it.
-the independence of ace at two weeks old. holding his own bottle with his hands cupped around the top. holding his pacifier with his hand.
-the sweet sounds ace makes while he is eating and when he is falling asleep.
-the lump i have to swallow every time i look at my son and realize that he is the miracle that aaron and i made out of love.

i almost wish i could have video taped the whole first month. i never want to forget these days. the love that i have for Ace is unlike anything i could have ever imagined. i love him more with every passing second. my tummy feels so strange without him in it and i still can't believe he was actually in there for nine months. the shock of his gender has still not worn off!

my life is truly blessed. i have never been happier in my whole life.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

our last weekend as two

it's our last weekend as two. seems weird that we know we will be having a baby on monday. i hoped it would just happen because the schedule is a bit tough on me. but...so is life.

so it is our last weekend as two.

we went out to dinner at 7:30 last night. got home at close to 11. stayed up watching tv until after midnight.

slept in until 11:00 a.m.

sunbathed and read trash magazines in the backyard all afternoon. swam in the little pool.

took a nap in the middle of the day.

went to a movie.

wasted time walking around the store.

let's put it this way. this mama is somewhat of an emotional wreck at this point. i am all over the place. i can't stop cleaning. how am i ever going to be able to sleep tonight? what are we going to do until 2:45 p.m. tomorrow?

goodness!

Friday, June 17, 2011

baby b...we are waiting for you!

well, june 16th came and june 16th went. not surprising for a first child, i know. i have been to the doctor twice this week. on monday, i had not dilated at all and baby b had not had made any progress from the week before. our favorite nurse practitioner, leah, decided it would be a good idea to an ultrasound to check the size of the baby. good thing she did. after fetal monitoring and an ultrasound we learned that baby b weighs 7 pounds and that his or her amniotic fluid levels were low. this meant bed rest for this mama. not just bed rest but laying on your left side most of the day bed rest. bummer!

fast forward to yesterday, june 16th. baby b's official due date. we had to go back to the doctor for a repeat BPP (ultrasound, fetal monitoring and check). this time the ultrasound showed that the fluid level had not gotten any worse but, it also had not gotten any better. baby b was too sleepy during the ultrasound to be a star student. this meant that he or she did  not pass the fetal breathing test. i never knew this but a baby's breathing in the womb is a reflex and not something that they do all the time. during the test the sonographer needs to see at least 30 seconds of constant breathing. baby b just couldn't be bothered. dr. smith checked my cervix and found that i had dilated 1cm. yes, 1cm is progress but not quick enough progress for him to be comfortable with. he was not too concerned with baby b being delivered immediately, but, he did tell aaron and me that we would need to help baby b along by the beginning of the week if he or she did not decide to exit on his or her own.

so, it's friday at 5:06 p.m. i am not officially on maternity leave. thankfully i have a very flexible job that allows me to work from home which i have been doing all week. we are still waiting for baby b. i would love for my little angel to decide to come this weekend. we are totally ready. our house has never been cleaner. the guest room is ready for guests. there are towels clean and folded for our out of towners and 24 rolls of toilet paper in the closet. all of the laundry is clean and put away. the base boards have been scrubbed, the shelves dusted, the floors vacuumed (i do this once a day anyway). baby b's co-sleeper is prepared and ready to slide next to our bed. the camera batteries are charged. my hospital bag has been packed for weeks. the ipod with a special play list for baby b's birthday is ready to go. i have never been so prepared for something i am so unprepared for!

if baby b is not here by sunday at 2:45 p.m., we will be checking in to the hospital for an induction. while this isn't exactly how i wanted everything to happen, i know it is best for our baby. i want our little angel to come out and breathe with his or her beautiful lungs which we got to see fully developed and ready to go this week. they will start my pitocin drip at 4:00 a.m. on Monday and if everything goes as planned, baby b will be here on Monday afternoon. seems weird to know the date but so is life. daddy hopes baby b comes on monday since it is the last day in the zodiac calendar for baby to be a gemini. for those of you who know my aaron, you know he is a true gemini. and for those of you who know my aaron, you will know where the hard head our baby already has comes from!

keep our little family in your prayers as we travel through this exciting time in our lives. i get tears in my eyes just thinking about what the next few days are going to be like.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Thursday, June 2, 2011

hurricane season opener and happy birthday aunt biz!

june 1st is the first day of the month. it is also the first official day of hurricane season. june is the month that baby b is due to arrive. i have stated that i hope there is no correlation between the two. i would be an unhappy mama if baby b arrived like a CAT 5 hurricane.

that being said...baby b out on quite a little show last night. not sure if he or she felt the pressure to perform on the first day of hurricane season or what but, this mama was uncomfortable. i know now for sure what contractions feel like and we are on high alert at the bowman house. everyone, even daddy, was nesting last night. even dixie doodle could feel the excitement in the air. we wonder when this baby is coming....

in other news, today is aunt biz's birthday! she is the most fantastic little sister on the planet. you might recall reading about her last year on her birthday. baby b is going to be the luckiest little one on the planet to have aunt biz. she pretty much rocks my face off all the time! if you go back and read my entry from last year you will learn that the day lizzie was born was my first childhood memory. i can clearly remember going with my daddy to the hospital to visit my mom and liz. she has been my best friend through thick and thin for 26 years and with each passing year i think she is even cooler then the year before. so cheers to my awesome, wise, beautiful, fearless, sassy little sister! i love you sooooooooooooooo much!

Monday, May 30, 2011

37 1/2 weeks

june is one day away.

our baby is due in the month of june. june 16th. plus or minus.

all we need is the rocking chair from the upholstery place. aaron will install the car seat base in my car this week. he was going to do it today but i felt a melt down on the way.

i danced the night away last night. baby b danced too. he or she loves music just like mama!

my mom took my pregnancy photos to show my papa today. he is the best guesser of the sex of the babies in my family. he has not been wrong yet. his guess...a boy.

i did a poll on facebook to see what day people think baby b will arrive and what sex he or she will be. it seems to be split about 50/50 with most people thinking the little person will arrive a bit early.

hospital bags are almost packed. i need to add a few small things. our camera has a fresh memory card and the camcorder is ready to go!

our names are set in stone but the final decision for each will not be announced until the baby gets here.

all we need is a baby. the anticipation is killing us!



Thursday, May 19, 2011

35 weeks

baby b!! you little buddy garrett thompson made his grand entrance into the world today. this means you are the next baby in the docket. are you getting ready? all of the websites say all you are doing now is gaining weight and your lungs are maturing more and more by the day. i can't believe you will be here in about 28 days. daddy and i are so excited!

last night i had  my first real craving. watermelon. i asked daddy to go to the store at 11:30 p.m. to get watermelon for me. i don't really even like watermelon. i finally got the watermelon after work today and it was so yummy and so sweet!

we can't wait to meet you! i wonder so many things about you every day. i wonder what your little feet look like as i see them move across my tummy. i wonder if you have hair. i wonder what your gender is. will you look like me or like daddy?

this weekend i need to get everything ready in the hospital bag and finish the final touches in your room. we are next baby, and we better be ready!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

baby b and me

i had my 34 weeks doctor's appointment today. baby b did not hide from the doctor today...thank goodness!

i have gained a total of 10lbs to date but did not add on any more since my last visit two weeks ago. the doctor told me i will most likely be smaller after baby b gets here then when i started. that would be a miracle! swimming has been my best friend during this pregnancy. i have had no swelling and very little aches and pains. she complemented me on my positive attitude and outlook. i told her that i have tried to be very positive about pregnancy for several reasons. the first reason, we chose to have a baby and this is part of the deal. the second reason, this whole situation is temporary. and the third reason, many couples try very hard to have a baby and experience trouble and sadness in the process. i feel so blessed that God has chosen Aaron and me to be parents. this child is such a blessing and will be worth minute of this process. she also told me that if my labor were to start in the next week or so that they would not do anything to stop it. eeeeekkk!! time to get the hospital bag together and get everything at work in-line.

speaking of work, i am planning to work up until the day baby b comes. luckily, my office is very close to the hospital and very close to my house so there should be no problem. the girls at work will be on high alert.

baby b's room is almost done. we just have a few finishing touches to take care of and we will be ready to go! aaron re-finished an old dresser of ours and it looks amazing! we hung a mirror, some pictures, a shelf and did a few other things over the weekend. i like to go in there and lay on the floor. aaron has been going in the room a lot too so i think he likes it as much as me.

baby b is still very active. my tummy is constantly moving as he or she rolls about in there. aaron got to feel baby b's foot last night and then as soon as he touched it, it was gone! it is neat to see his reaction to all of the little movements. i went almost 31 weeks with out a belly of any sort. now that my belly has popped and i look pregnant, i think it is more real to aaron too. i had not thought about how the visible belly would effect aaron before.

i was watching saturday night live in bed the other night and they showed the line-up for next week's show. the date on the screen said May 14th. our baby is due June 16th. i can't believe it is almost time! i scheduled an appointment today for May 23rd. where have the last almost nine months gone?

Friday, May 6, 2011

Monday, May 2, 2011

hospital tour. the good, the bad, the ugly

aaron and i went on a tour of the hospital where baby b will be born in just a little over a month. i am the type of person that has to research everything before i do it. i also feel much better about going into something once i know what to expect and what things will look like. this is why google is my best friend. i check for images, reviews, maps, etc. basically...the more information the better. matter of fact, i had to order a regular book to read the other day because for the last 8 months, all i have been ready are books about pregnancy, child birth and parenting.

so, the good:
  • we know where to park, what to bring, when to pre-register, where to get the car seat inspected to make sure it is installed properly, and not to being the car seat into the room.
  • we know that exactly what the bathrooms look like and when i can take a shower. (this is one thing i was very concerned about.) towels and shower shoes added to the list of things to pack.
  • we got to see the labor and delivery room, the recovery room, the OR rooms, the nursery, and the post partum rooms.
  • a baby was born while we were on our tour and a lullaby played. i had to choke back tears.
  • a brand new baby was going home while we were on our tour. i had to choke back tears.
  • i feel MUCH better about the entire hospital process and what to expect.
  • aaron held my hand the whole time and i felt such a huge sense of relief knowing that i will have a supportive partner to help me through the process. i had to choke back tears yet again!
the bad:
  • i am not scared to death about the fact that in just over a month this little buddy in my belly is going to want to come out and i am going to have to help him or her with that.
  • i am terrified that aaron will be on the road and not be able to get back in time to get me to the hospital or be there for the delivery.
  • i am pretty sure the phrase, "i want my mommy", is going to come out of my mouth.
  • back to the first point...i am going to have to help this little one make his or her grand entrance. isn't that going to hurt?
the ugly:
  • we had some SERIOUS characters on our tour. ghetto fab barbie and know-it-all-birthing ball-skin to skin contact-yes,please i want to watch the birth in a mirror-first time mom were both on our tour. when the nurse said that the birth could not be documented with pictures or video, i thought the know it all mom was going to cry. she did however get really excited about the fact that there was going to be a mirror available for her to watch the birth and that a tub and shower were in the room for her and her husband to use during her labor process. she did however get really upset about the rule that states that the support person needs to be dressed properly (shirt, shoes, etc.). she really wanted her partner to be shirtless and have skin to skin contact with the baby right away. ghetto fab barbie actually asked the nurse if her skinny jeans would fit right after delivery. she also wanted to know if it was going to be ok for her to reach down and help deliver the baby and if the hospital bed was going to work for her since she is so short. at this point i was not choking back tears but about to bust out laughing with the rest of the people on our tour.  as the tour wrapped up the nurse asked if there were any other questions. ghetto fab barbie raises her hand and asks and i quote, "do all women have to get cut?". the look on the nurse's face was priceless. she, the nurse, said, "do you mean have an episiotomy?". she admitted that was the information she was looking for but did not know how to pronounce it! at this point the know-it-all mom chimes in that she, ghetto fab barbie, needs to find someone to massage her perineum with oil. wow. we got on the elevator as fast as we could and made it to the car before busting out laughing. at least we got a good laugh out of it!
so, the hospital tour was well worth the time and full of entertainment. i am sure the actual real trip to the hospital is going to be an entirely different story but at least we are prepared!

Friday, April 29, 2011

i forgot a first!

I realized this morning that I had left a few very important firsts off the list. Everyone's experience with this might be a little different though. Perhaps one of the most special firsts in my life was on my wedding day.

The first chord of "Here Comes the Bride" heard standing with your daddy in your carefully picked and carefully tailored wedding gown.

Follow by...

The first time you make eye contact with your soon-to-be husband at the end the aisle.

Followed by...

Your first kiss as a wife. (It was the best kiss of my life for sure!)

Followed by...

The excitement of celebrating your first anniversary!

Ahh....these last two posts might be two of my most favorite that I have ever written. I want to print them so I can remember all of these wonderful firsts on a more frequent basis. Makes my heart smile!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

the excitement of firsts

This morning during my morning swim, I was doing some thinking. My swim time is normally the time when I work a lot of things out. My plan for the day, ideas for my department, prayer, conversations I need to have or should have had are all worked out during my mile swim through the pool. This morning was a little different though. I was thinking about the fact that I am eight months pregnant for the first time. Also, for the first time, I am starting to get really tired from regular activities. As my pace started to slow down, I tried to thinks of things that are are firsts that are full of excitement and energy to help me get through the workout.

I started to think about:

The electricity of a first kiss...You know the way someones lips feel when then press against yours the first time. ELECTRIC.

The thrill of putting the car into drive for the first time when you first got your driver's license. Should you turn on the radio? No one will know how loud it is right?

The last 25 meters of a championship race when you are finger to finger with the girl in the lane next to you and you touch the wall first.

The accomplished feeling you have after you conquer something difficult.

Travelling alone to a foreign country for the first time. No language skills required.

The euphoria you feel when the person who you have fallen in love with, but haven't told yet, says they love you too. (I had to swallow a lump just thinking about that.)

The awesome feeling you get when you see the positive sign on a pregnancy test. You know, the butterflies, the tears, the fear, the excitement, all at once.

The first time you see your tiny miracle.

The first time you hear your child's heartbeat.

Every time you hear your child's heartbeat.

The first time you realize the tickle in your tummy is really a tiny foot or a tiny hand making their presence known.

The first time you see your tummy move and wiggle.

So many wonderful firsts. So many wonderful feelings. I wanted to write them all down to remind my self how I felt when each one of them happened. Also, to remind myself that every time I experience something not so pleasant for the first time, (which, I really have not had that much of), that there is one major first still on its way.

Holding your newborn, pink, created out of love, brand new and so innocent, baby for the very first time. (BIG GULP)

I bet it tops it all! That is enough excitement to keep me dragging this heavier by the day belly through the water for seven more weeks!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

31 weeks

my belly finally popped this week.

i wore my first full maternity outfit (top and bottom).

my belly is getting pretty heavy and sitting up i bed at night is getting difficult.

baby b hasn't kicked me in my right side this week so his or feet are in another location. when we go to the doctor on monday, we will find out where.

i am wearing glasses. my vision has changed a lot since this little one moved in. at first i did not notice but now i can hardly see without my glasses. i usually wear contacts. matter of fact, these are a brand new pair with a brand new prescription because my astigmatism has changed by .25 in each eye!

the final countdown is on! we can't believe there are less then 60 days left until we meet our little miracle.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

strong legs

i had my 30 weeks doctors appointment this week. baby b has been super active and i was so curious to find out where he or she is hanging out these days. the doctor shared with me that baby b is totally head down in the "i'm ready" position. his or her little feet are all the way over on the right side of my body. i can feel very strong kicks in my side all day these days. this kid has some strong legs! both aaron and i have really strong legs too so this little person is just like his or her mommy and daddy.

i have gained a total of 7 pounds to date. my mom jokes with me that she gained that much in one week with me! all of that weight is the baby and his or her little habitat. baby b weighs close to 3 pounds already! i did have to give in and wear maternity pants to work today when the skirt i had chosen wouldn't button. but, hey, i am 30 weeks into this journey and still wearing all of my regular clothes. big money saver!

my belly was measuring 31 weeks on monday so a little ahead of where we actually are. the doctor recommended we go ahead and pre-register at the hospital and meet with the pediatrician. ahh!! this is all becoming so real! every time baby b kicks or turns in my tummy i am reminded that in just 10 or so weeks, this little person is going to be here and will mean business!

29 Weeks



My mom and lizzie were all last week visiting! It was awesome because they were here for two of our baby showers. Baby B is so blessed to be surrounded by such tremendous love already!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

first day of the third trimester

well...the 7th month of pregnancy has arrived. the first day of the third trimester has started. the countdown is on. sometime in the next 12 weeks...and by sometime i mean in 12 weeks, our little one will make his or her grand entrance into the world! his or her kicks are getting stronger by the day and by now the baby weighs about 2.5 pounds. so crazy! i read today that brain grows like crazy during the third trimester. last night i cracked open baby b's copy of charlotte's web. its time to start working on the vocabulary.

i have my 28 weeks appointment on monday. this means the dreaded glucose screening is on the way. after this appointment, i start going every two weeks. again, so crazy! i have been having some trouble with leg cramps and sciatic nerve issues. i imagine this might get worse. but, the pain will be short lived because there are just 12 weeks to go!

my belly is growing and my bathing suit is getting a little small. i need to order a larger size this week. the best part about swimming with a baby in your belly is when he or she is kicking along at the same time. its so neat and special and weird all at the same time. i am so glad that my stamina in the pool is still pretty good. i am swimming at least a mile 3-4 days a week. additionally, i have added workouts at the Y to add some extra cardio to the mix. this helps a lot with my energy.

the highlight of week 28 so far happened this afternoon. aaron got home from work in brunswick. he was gone for a full week this week minus the one hour we had together for lunch on wednesday. dixie and i were in the backyard reading when he got to the house and baby b had been pretty still the entire time we were out there. as soon as aaron got close to me and bent down to talk to dixie and the baby, baby b started kicking. it was almost like he or she heard aaron's voice and got excited. i know that might sound crazy and like a random kick at a random time but i am going to take it like baby b listening to his or her daddy! so sweet!

so bring it on third trimester...this mama is ready for you!

Friday, March 11, 2011

the tiny dancer in my tummy

so i am 26 weeks today with baby b. this little person is quite the mover and the shaker. we were at an event for work tonight and there was a live band. following in in his or her mama's foorsteps...my tiny dancer was kicking away to the live beatles music. he or she is currently taken up position right behind my belly button :)

i heart baby b!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

lumpy throat day

today, well, not just today but lots of days lately, i have done a lot of lump swallowing. i am sure that some of it is the hormones that have control over my body. but, i know that a big majority of the lumps are coming from the overwhelming love and excitement i have about this little baby. i am so in love already.

most you know that i am a very emotional person who wears her heart on her sleeve. i am frequently moved to tears, extremely passionate about life and the work that i do and very devoted to my family. i am so excited to add be adding "mama" to that list very soon.

today on the way to work i was jamming to one of my favorite dixie chicks songs. as i loudly sang the words felt the lump in my throat. little baby b was kicking away, i was singing away and just thinking about how i couldn't wait to drive around with baby b in the backseat singing right along too. *GULP* big lump. then i thought about the words to the song. the song talks about not being like everybody else, exploring the world, trying new things and someday settling down. *GULP* big lump. these are all of the things i want for baby b. things are all of the things my parents watched me do and supported me through. *GULP* big lump while typing this.

i can't wait to meet this little baby in my tummy. i can't wait to dance it out in the living room with him or her after a bad day at school. to open the windows of the car and sing on the top of our lungs. to take the long way around. i just love this baby so much already.

Monday, March 7, 2011

checking in...

baby b and i have reached the 25 week mark. it is hard to believe that our little one will be here in plus or minus 15 weeks. we still have a ton to get done at the house, dixie needs to go to the vet, i have to figure out my maternity leave, etc. etc. etc.

when we went to the doctor of our 24 weeks appointment he told us we would come for one more monthly appointment and then start going every two weeks. every two weeks? this is becoming more and more real every day. wow! i had gained two pounds since my last appointment and considering that the baby weighs at least 1, i think i am doing pretty good. my mom told me that i have to be the skinniest mom in the history of our family. if you know me, you know i have to think about everything i eat, all the time, so this is a small personal victory. i think it must be from the miles i am putting in at the pool.

baby b is active all the time now. last weekend i was sitting on the couch looking at my tummy and i saw it jump and wiggle. it was so cool! i couldn't take my eyes of my stomach...first time that has ever happened in  my life :) the next morning when it was really quiet in our room, i told aaron to put his hand on my tummy since baby b tends to do some stretching when i first wake up. we shared a very special moment, the three of us, as aaron felt our little miracle kick for the very first time. he said "is he over here?", talking about the spot where he had his hand. that was exactly where the baby was! his smile stretched from ear to ear and i had to swallow the big lump in my throat. i feel so lucky to have my little one with me all day long and to be able to share that with his or her daddy was so special to me. i don't think i will ever forget that moment!

the nursery is starting to come together. it's funny, when people know you are not finding out what you are having, they are so concerned about what color you are going to paint the nursery. aaron painted 5 different shades of the color we have chosen and i think i have it narrowed down to one. i will share photos when i get the room all finished. believe me, it will be a cozy little gender neutral heaven.

in the meantime, we are just getting ready for our little one. just yesterday i looked at aaron in a moment of fear and anxiety and said "how in the hell am i going to ever get this baby out?" aaron, in his most serious self, said, "i am going to hold the bottom of your foot and you are going to push." he is going to be such a good coach and daddy. i am enjoying every quiet moment at our house just the two of us because i know that before we know it, our family of two plus dixie will be a little family of three.

Monday, January 31, 2011

baby b at 20 weeks

aaron and i got to spend a little face time with baby b today! we had our 20 week doctor's appointment this morning. this appointment is a big deal for a couple of reasons. first of all, it is the halfway mark of my pregnancy. it's hard to believe that the journey is halfway over and that the major changes are still ahead.

secondly, at 20 weeks, the doctor does the big scan of the little one to see how things are growing. i have been anxiously anticipating this scan for awhile because all we want in the whole world is a healthy baby. they check the heart, the liver, the spine, the stomach, the bladder, the brain, the fingers, toes, bones, lips and length and weight. they also check for gender but we opted out of that part of the scan because we are keeping it a surprise.

the very first view we got of baby b today was of his or her very strong heart. all four chambers of it. this mama let out a big sigh of relief to see that little muscle in all of its glory, beating away in our little one's chest! matter of factly, i am still smiling about it. as the scan progressed we saw the most adorable little lips, the cutest little feet and hands and what is shaping up to be the most adorable little face. baby b is in the 50% percentile for length and weight which was a relief. we have an average size little human on our hands! the thought of delivering a little giant is pretty scary! i personally think that baby b's nose looks like mine but we will have to wait and see in person in just 20 more weeks!

as for me, things are progressing nicely. still no weight gain which also makes this mama quite happy! my "bump" is what i would have complained about before as just my regular ol' chubby tummy is getting firmer by the day. you can't see it if you look at me but i let aaron take some shots of it this weekend for the record book. i am not rushing the bump because i am happy to still wear my regular clothes and the baby is just fine so all is well in that category.

aaron and i are going to begin working on the nursery very soon. we have lots of creative ideas and can't wait for it all to come together. 20 weeks might be a lot of weeks to some people but i know they are going to fly by!
baby b at 20 weeks

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

me and baby b

i have been itching to blog about baby b since we found out about our little miracle back in late september. where does the time go? i was just thinking last night that i can't believe i have been pregnant for 18 weeks, 4 1/2 months. it's crazy!

so here i am, 18 weeks and a few days pregnant, just now sharing my thoughts about this journey. i have been keeping a weekly notebook for baby b where i write down things i am feeling and changes we are going through so at least my thoughts are somewhere.

aaron and i first got to see baby b when our little one was just five weeks old. i was having a lot of problems and the doctor wanted to see us to make sure that we were both ok. i will never ever forget the moment when the sonogram tech looked on the screen for the heartbeat. not breathing, i was overwhelmed by the amount of love i already had for our little miracle. the second she showed us the beating heart, i felt tears running out of my eyes. there it was, a real, live, heartbeat. something that aaron and i created. it's so amazing!

baby b at five weeks...so tiny

that appointment was followed by bed rest...five whole days of it! wow...that was interesting for someone who has a very hard time sitting still!

we have obviously gone back for appointments regularly. 8 weeks...12 weeks...16 weeks...

baby b at 12 weeks

then last week...trouble returned. i had a really rough week with a lot of pain. the doctor recommened i try to wear a maternity band. this is basically a fancy word for girdle. that was attractive! it helped with some of hte round ligament pain but not all of it and it kept getting worse. finally on friday, i had to go into the doctor to check on baby b. aaron is working out of town and will be until the end of march which made me even more nervous. luckliy, we have a wonderful group of friends here in savannah and my friend susan was able to come along to the appointment with me.

we had another sonogram and everything checked out great with baby b. our little one is growing nicely and weighs 8oz. already! he or she has REALLY long legs and REALLY big feet. not sure where that is coming from. the doctor checked me next and ladies...if you have never had a baby before, let me tell you, OUCHEEEWAAAWAAAA! but the good news, everything was fine. just a little infection that some meds would clear up. the best part of the whole appointment was being able to see baby b on an unexpected friday afternoon.


here is the thing...i know many people will disagree but being pregnant is so amazing. in the quiet moments when it is just me and baby b, i am in complete awe of the fact that a little heart is beating inside me. a little person growing and growing. God is so amazing! two people who love each other can make a little miracle. it's just the most amazing thing in the whole world. i looked at aaron over lunch on saturday, tears in my eyes and said, "i just love him so much already!" (we call him, him even though we don't know if it is a girl or a boy yet because it is easier. we are not going to find out until baby b makes his or her grand entrance into the world. we just hope for a healthy brain, a healthy spine and all of fingers and toes in place!)

at 18 weeks pregnant, i feel amazing! i have not gained a single pound and i am still swimming at least a mile most days of the week. i am healthier then i have ever been and besides being a little tired, i really have nothing to complain about. i have not really started to show and i am still wearing all of my regular clothes and still have to wear belt on my jeans from all of the weight i have lost over the past year. i spent a lot of time preparing my body for this monumental task.

last night when i was getting ready to go to bed, like i do everynight, i thanked God for this amazing experience. what a blessing aaron and i have been given. we are going to be parents and we can't wait! there are so many things we want to teach baby b and so many places we want to show him or her! but, until the time comes for baby b to meet the real world, i am happy to keep our little miracle nestled safely and to enjoy the quiet moments when it is just me and baby b.