Wordless Wednesday

Week 1 - Postpartum

 Baby:

- He is just PERFECT!!
- I can’t believe he is already 1 week old!!
- He’s eating every 3 hours, or so.
- Pooing/peeing more than that. (Stay away from Babies R’ Us brand diapers!!!)
- He’s sleeping most of the time (during the day that is). He doesn’t seem to like sleeping in his bassinet though, he prefers…well, anywhere else actually!
- Up until last night he seemed to have his days/nights totally backwards (apparently that’s normal with newborns though). He is wide awake between 11pm and 3am and sound asleep during most of the day light hours. Although yesterday/last night he slept for most of the day (really, he was only awake for maybe an hour total not including feedings) AND most of the night! He ate around 11pm and we were ready for a wide awake baby but he went right back to sleep. We tried to lay him down and he wanted nothing to do with that but he did stay sleeping while we held him so we waited and watched an episode of ER and tried again to lay him down and this time it worked, he stayed sleeping! He only woke up to eat around 2am ish, then again around 6:30am. Woo Hoo! Now I know this could have just been a fluke so I’m not getting too excited about his days/nights switching around that easily.
- He has had a few belly aches the past few days but we are working through it pretty well.
- So far he likes his bouncer seat, swing and play mat as well as just being held and we love holding him because he’s just so cute, cuddly and adorable!!
- He had his 1st check up on Thursday (9/23) and they said he looked perfect.
- He was already back up to his birth weight of 8 lbs 4oz and was 20 ¾ inches long.
- His umbilical cord fell off on Friday 9/24.
- He attended his very first soccer game yesterday (9/25) to watch his big brother WIN! Ok, he slept for the entire game but still, we were there!

Mom:

- Recovering pretty well.
- Trying to rest and “take it easy” but it’s hard when there are things I want to do! Although the more I try to do the more pain it causes so I know I should really just stop.
- We are breastfeeding and so far it seems to be going pretty well. I had prepared myself for a long challenging road ahead with this but it hasn’t been as bad as I was expecting…so far. We did have some trouble with it in the hospital until one wonderful nurse introduced us to the greatest invention ever. lol
- My weight: 145 lbs (according to the wii), rapidly dropping!

Wordless Wednesday

He Has Arrived!!

2010 Fair Photo Entries

Landscape Black and White

Portrate Black and White

Still Life Black and White

Flower Color

Landscape Color

Still Life Color

Portrate Color

Unfortunately none of them placed this year but I am happy with they way they came out and that’s all that really matters!

Due Date Doctors Appointment

So as I mentioned yesterday I was given two different due dates (9/14 and 9/15 – wow, big difference right) well today was/is due date #2 and my doctors office insisted I schedule an appointment on my due date for a nonstress test, ultrasound and weekly check up.

We arrive and get started with the ultrasound, it was just a quick, maybe 10 minute long, ultrasound to check the baby’s heart, kidneys, stomach, bladder and amniotic fluid level – everything checked out perfectly!

They didn’t print pictures of this ultrasound but Alex took one with his phone. It’s a little hard to make out because it’s so zoomed in on the ultrasound screen but it’s a picture of his head.

Next we moved on to the weekly vitals check.

- My weight: 167.6

- Blood pressure: 120/80
- Baby’s heart rate: 140 bpm
- Dilation: 2 cm

After that we went in for the NST (nonstress test). It was a tough test let me tell you! I had to lay there for 20 minutes AND drink a strawberry juice box! LOL!

NST photo and description

Finally we had our visit with the doctor (midwife this time). She went over all the test results and said everything looked perfect! She measured my belly and checked my cervix. She said I was dilated 2 centimeters (so pretty much no change in the past 2 weeks). Then she did a procedure called membrane sweeping. So far I have had no signs/symptoms/side affects that the membrane sweep worked/will work, I haven't even had any of the uncomfortable side affects she said I would probably have weather it worked or not, guess I'm lucky...or not, I'm not really sure. lol She did say that the tests I had done today were scheduled too early and that they don't normally do them ON your due date so I'm not sure why they had me schedule this appointment in the first place. She wants the tests re-done on Monday, IF I'm still pregnant, I told her I would be. lol So my next appointment is scheduled for 9/20, just one day shy of 41 weeks, we will see what the next 5 days holds for us.

Wordless Wednesday

A nonstress test is a simple, painless procedure in which a baby's heartbeat is continuously monitored for 20 minutes or more and the details are recorded for evaluation. The logic behind the test is, that like adults, a baby's heartbeat should accelerate when it is active i.e. moving and kicking.

40 Weeks

(All photos are clickable) (Above photos courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

Baby:

- He has now reached his due date!! He can really come ANY time now!
- The average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long.
- His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

Mom:

- Yes, we are STILL waiting. After months of anticipation, our due date rolls around, and...I’m STILL pregnant.
- I was originally given two due dates (at two different times), the first date was 9/14 - today, (later confirmed by ultrasound) and the second date was 9/15. I didn’t really think much of it because they were just one day apart, no big deal. I had been considering Tuesday’s as the day my weeks “switch over” so today, Tuesday 9/14, is the original/official “due date”.
- I have an appointment tomorrow (9/15) for another check up, an ultrasound and a nonstress test to see how things are doing in there and weather I can/should continue being pregnant or if it’s better to be induced. My doctor’s office will let me go 10 days past my due date before inducing as long as everything is happy and healthy with mom and baby. So in theory I could still be pregnant up until September 25!! Ahhhh, that’s seems so crazy!!
- He’s still squirming around in there, as much as he can anyway.
- Still swollen but still no signs of preeclampsia.
- The skin on my stomach is sooo stretched out that it actually feels like my skin is ripping in order to accommodate his ever growing body, very painful!

 



Soccer: 1st Game 2010!

September 11, 2010 the first soccer game of the season! The weather was so nice, not too cold/windy and not too hot, it was perfect! The kids all seemed to have a great time and ironically, Tim played against the team he should be playing for! LOL

39 Weeks

(All photos are clickable) (Above photos courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

Baby:

- Baby measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.)
- He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth.
- The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Mom:

- Not much has changed here…still waiting.
- He’s still trying to move up a storm in there although now he seems cramped up when trying to do his bigger movements.
- Still swollen but still no signs of preeclampsia.
- I’m officially finished working for the next 10 weeks!!
- My weight: 165lbs at my last doctor appointment on 9/10.
-Blood pressure: 121/82
- Baby’s heart rate: 145 bpm
- Dilation: No change, still between 1-2 cm
- Will we make it to our 40 week appointment???

38 Weeks

(All photos are clickable) (Above photos courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

Baby:

- Baby weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek).
- He has really plumped up.
- He has a firm grasp, which we'll soon be able to test when we hold his hand for the first time.
- His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Mom:

- We are playing the waiting game. Waiting, waiting, waiting…
- I still have a cold that’s making it difficult to breathe…and sleep!
- He’s still moving up a storm in there!
- The swelling in my feet/legs/arms/hands/face is still going on. The doctors assure us that it’s quite normal and there are no signs pointing to preeclampsia.
- This coming week is my last week at work! Woo Hoo!
- My weight: 164lbs at my last doctor appointment on 9/2.
-Blood pressure: 113/68
- Baby’s heart rate: 138 bpm
- Measuring 39 weeks
- Dilation: Between 1-2 cm – I was excited to hear this news until the doctor told us that people can stay at this stage for a month with no change. At least we know we won’t be waiting another month before the big arrival!

 For Fun: 

 

Wordless Wednesday

So it says I’m OBEASE instead!!!! LOL