Conversations with Daddy

Hey, You with the Face

Seriously...just look at this kid.  Way too cute.

A little worried about what that little black thing is that's being held in front of my face.

 I have found my fingers, and I enjoy eating them.

Ian's Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

The Croup Monster

I really wish I knew, as a mommy, all the ailments my little boy might face.  Sure, we've mastered the sniffles and gassy tummy. However, I was not prepared to be woken in the middle of the night to my baby boy sounding like an old man suffering from emphysema.  This is for those new mommies who have never yet fought the croup monster off.  Take heart, you can make it through!

I woke up to Ian coughing around 1:30 a.m.  It wasn't a typical cough though; it was dry sounding and had almost no power behind it.  I went in to pick him up and I was terrified at the way he was breathing. It sounded so horrible, like he was congested, but about 10x worse.  It also didn't help any that it seemed he was fighting for every breath.  And his cry...oh that sad little cry...he knew something wasn't right with his body.  But his cry sounded so weak, I was sure there was something very wrong with my son.
Ryan tried to calm me, but just listening to Ian breath...I had to take him to the E.R. if for no other reason than my peace of mind.  Fortunately, the ER doc couldn't tell us what was ailing Ian. He did tell us that he was getting plenty of oxygen though, so we left with that and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Julie in the morning. 

Oh Dr. Julie.  I love this woman. You can really tell when someone likes their job. If you are in the Janesville area, I highly recommend her. Anyway...I digress.
She looks at Ian for about 30 seconds (no kidding) and says, "Sounds like he's got croup."  Well, there you have it. Problem is identified, which means a solution is near at hand.  Ian is given some steriods and a breathing treatment from this cool dinosaur breathing mask.

Granted, Ian did not much enjoy the cold vapor coming through the said mask, but it was awfully cute even in a distressing time.  

Now the assignment is to get a filter for our humidifier, as I am told that helps a lot.  Also steamy rooms, or taking the child out in chilly air.  Again, I just want to be helpful for any of you new mamas who might stumble across this monster.  

So thankfully, with the help of a cool pediatrician, a little dinosaur mask, and some helpful tips and tricks to try at home, I expect The Croup Monster to be defeated.  Whew...

2 Videos

Just thought I would post a couple videos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

                                          

7/22/2010 - Ian on his first trip on an airplane. Headed for Family Camp in Wisconsin!

7/22/2010 - Ian giving his update after his two month check-up.

2 Month Update

Can you believe it?  Ian will be 2 months old tomorrow!  I would save this post for then, but we will be leaving for Texarkana tomorrow for the weekend, and I didn't want to forget to get all this great info up here.

So yes; 2 months!  We went in for Ian's well visit today.  The little guy did great. There was the typical measurements of weight and length. You won't believe this!

This is Ian's growth chart for his weight. I don't know if you can see the bold, red line, but that's where he is at for 2 months.  He shot up from about the 50th percentile at his 2 week visit to about the 95th percentile today!  So help me, if one more person makes a comment about me having a starving baby...well, I'll just show them his chart!

                                                                         

These next two are his charts for his head circumference (he's a tad over 50%) and for his length (he's pretty much right at 50%).

What all that breaks down to for those of you who don't understand the percentile thing (don't feel bad, I don't totally get it either) is that Ian now weighs 14 lbs, 4.5 oz.; he is 22 inches long, and his head circumference is now 40 cm (I think it was 40 anyway...).  Basically, he's a big boy.  It's funny hearing everyones comments about his rolls. He certainly has plenty of them.  Good pinch-able cheeks too. :D

This has been a big month for Ian though. Ian experienced his first major holiday (July 4th).  We went to a family friend's house and shot of fireworks.  Ian was quite intrigued.  Here is a picture of him though beating the heat at the July 4th church picnic.

                                          

The biggest thing probably is that we went on our first family vacation to Sky Lodge Christian Camp in Montello, WI.  That's a long way from Albuquerque, so we got to fly.  Yes, Ian has his wings.

                                              

He did so well! From Albuquerque to Wisconsin, he pretty much slept through both flights. On the way back, he was awake for most of the trip, but he just looked around like the curious little guy he is. Mommy and Daddy were proud of their little man.

Family Camp was a ton of fun, and Ian got to meet (and be held by) lots of great people; friends we love and miss dearly.  He got to see Grandpa Doug and Uncle Kevin again too. We think he enjoyed the whole experience.

If you want to see our pictures from that week, you can check out Ryan's facebook page.

                                     

First family photo taken at Sky Lodge Christian Camp. We hope to have more taken in the future!

I think that's about all for my update right now.  I do try to post more pictures on my facebook page, so if you're getting antsy to see pictures, or if you want to see the wider collection of them, please check in there often.  

As always, thanks for checking in with us.  'Til next time!

Growin' On Up

Ian is 5 weeks and 1 day old now. I can't believe it!  Time certainly flies.

Here's a picture of our little guy at 1 month.

At 1 month old, Ian was 11.8 pounds and 22 inches long.  He's definitely getting bigger, and giving me a workout whenever I hold him. :)  He's getting stronger though too.  He's holding up his head so well. You can see it in the picture.  

He's starting to grasp things too.  The other day, Ryan was changing his diaper, and Ian reached out and picked up the bottle of hand sanitizer that was on the changing table.  He usually gets a pretty good grasp on our shirt collars too when we're trying to put him in bed.  It's like he doesn't want to go to sleep or something...

Speaking of sleep, things are going pretty well most nights.  He's gotten to the point when he will sleep for about 4 hours at a time.  On Father's Day, we started putting him in the nursery for the night instead of in our room.  It was kind of a rough adjustment for me at first, but I'm getting used to it.  I think it helps both him and Ryan & I sleep better.  And I now know that I can definitely trust our monitor.  Actually, I have learned that I can trust Ryan to hear Ian on the monitor, go to the nursery to get him and bring him in to our room so I can feed him. :)  It's a pretty good system.

We're having lots of fun as he grows up though.  He sat in his Bumbo chair for the first time today. He did so well!  See for yourself...

Hopefully I will be better about posting on here. With family here and just getting adjusted to having a baby, I haven't wanted to spend a whole lot of time on the computer, so I haven't.  But now with a new video camera (thanks again, Dad) hopefully we'll have some fun videos to post. And of course there will be lots of pictures.

We created a site on Shutterfly that I can upload all my pictures and videos of Ian to. If you want the website, please leave a comment or contact me and I will give you the site and the password.

Oh, and the nursery is done now. Dad helped get Ian's name on the wall. (I had them painted a few weeks ago, just never hung them up.)  I will do my best to get pictures of that up soon.

So there you have it.  Our boy is growing away.  I keep telling him to slow down, but he doesn't listen. :)  It's ok, we still love him.  And actually, we are really enjoying watching him grow, but it really is going by fast.

A Birth Story

Now that Ian is one week old, I suppose it's about time that I update with details about his birth.

I guess things really started Saturday night.  Ryan, Janet and I were playing Scattergories; having a good ol' time.  I was having some cramps, but nothing unusual. However, when I stood up to get ready to go to bed, I found I couldn't bend over at all.  I finally made it into bed, but it seemed like as soon as I laid down, I started getting contractions.  They seemed regular enough, so I had Ryan start timing them. It was just after 11 pm.
We went into the hospital at 1:30 am after contractions were consistently 5-6 minutes apart.  Unfortunately, all those contractions weren't really doing anything. After several hours at the hospital, they sent me home until I got into more active labor.  So at 5:30 we went home to try to get some sleep.  Unfortunately for Ryan, he had to get up to be at church, so he went the rest of this adventure with practically no sleep.

I was able to sleep a couple of hours without waking up from the contractions.  Then at 9:30 my water broke, and we knew we were in active labor.  This was it.  Back to the hospital we went.
Honestly, I can't really give too many details as to what happened the rest of the day. It was pretty much a blur.  I got checked in, had lots of contractions, tried to sleep in between them, and the day just sort of went on.
I do remember having lots of back labor because Ian was a little booger and was turned face forward.  He finally turned around before making his appearance, but it wasn't until almost the very end of labor.  I did ask for some pain medication for my back, but other than that Ian came all naturally.

I have to say though, there was no way I could have done it without Ryan and Janet.  Poor Ryan went all day with no sleep, and Janet didn't have much either. But there was never a time when at least one of them wasn't with me.  They were both my heroes though and I was so thankful for them for sticking with me through 8 hours of active labor.

But yes, finally, at 5:29 pm, Ian Gabriel was born and I got to hold him for the very first time. It was sweet relief to finally be done, but even sweeter to see my boy.

Now he is a week old, and I have loved every single day we've had with him so far. I really have not minded getting up in the middle of the night several times for feedings or diaper changes. I love being a mom. I love just watching my son.  I love to see Ryan with him. I love that this little boy is so loved. He is a miracle and a joy in our lives.  We are truly blessed.

I'll leave you with a few pictures. There are much more between Ryan's and my facebook pages. You can also look at the grandma's pages (Becky Traxler and Jayme Barry) for other pictures.  Enjoy them!

He's Here!!!

I don't have pictures at the moment, but they are coming soon.  But...

Ian Gabriel Klein is here!
We welcomed him at 5:29 pm on Sunday, May 23rd.   He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long.

He's a beautiful little boy and I can't wait to show you all pictures.  Be looking for some soon. :-D

Nursery!

So the nursery is 99% ready, and I have pictures to post!

The only reason I say 99% is that we got the letters in Mooner's real name to hang and put right above the crib, but we can't put those up until he's here, lest we spoil the surprise.

So, without further ado...  Mooner's nursery.

View from the doorway

 

This wall is Ryan's pride and joy. Lots of baseball stuff. :)

Sitting space. The futon also makes this our guest bedroom. (Don't worry though, we have a play pen so our guests won't have to stay up with a crying baby. So please come visit.) :)

The crib.  His name will go between those two pieces of wall art, and it's going to be super cute. 

If you want to see more pictures, and a few from different angles, you can check out Ryan's facebook page. He's getting pretty excited about having Mooner here too, as you can tell by the fact that he's much better about getting the pictures up than I am.  

A quick update on me and Mooner:

All is going well. We're having weekly dr. visits now, and so far everything has been pretty much routine. He's still getting bigger, and though he's not doing the flips in the womb like before, he's still pretty active.  

I know he's not due for another couple of weeks, but I keep telling him that especially since I'm done working and the nursery is ready, Mommy and Daddy really wouldn't mind if he came any day now. :)  Soon enough, I suppose. We're just really close and I can't wait!

I will try to get at least one more belly bump shot for you all.  If not though, be tuned in here because he's coming in the near future. So hopefully soon you'll get to see some photos of Mooner himself. :)

Showered

Admittedly, I've been pretty bad at updating this lately.  So sorry, but hopefully this post will make up for it. There's quite a few pictures to share, and a few exciting things to tell.

Since I haven't posted one for almost a month, here are the most recent belly bump shots.

This is what I see every time I look down.  No feet and a growing belly bump. I know it's not the typical profile shot, but I thought at least one from a different perspective would be fun. This was at 34 weeks and 3 days.

Here is your profile shot at 35 weeks.  Mooner is getting bigger and bigger all the time. Just so you know, that belly of mine is 11 squares of toilet paper all the way around. (I know because of one of the shower games, to be discussed later)

On to the nursery! It's a work in progress, but I do have pictures of our crib and changing table at least.  As we get sheets and things put on, I will post more pictures of what the room as a whole looks like, but for now you can admire the furniture. :)

Fortunately, our birth coach noticed that the mattress we borrowed was not quite big enough for the crib. Honestly, I hadn't taken too much time to look at it closely, so I'm glad she did. We now have a new mattress (with the correct measurements) on the way. We do have sheets to put on the mattress to, but we figured we should wait for the mattress to put them on.  Anyway, more nursery stuff will be coming soon, as Mooner is only 5 weeks away from arriving!  

Ryan and I have been doing birthing classes for a couple weeks now. We have a great lady from our church helping us out. It's nice that it's a more personalized experience and we can move at our own pace since we're not in one of the hospital classes.  

Anyway, I've now got some breathing techniques down (well, I'm practicing anyway) and some other coping mechanisms. It's helped take a little of the edge off as far as me being nervous about this whole labor thing goes.  

On a different note, here is the latest update from our midwife. *Fresh off the press, I just got back from the appointment about 20 minutes ago*

Baby is healthy. He is currently in the head down position which is a good thing. We got a really strong heart beat at about 141 beats per minute.  I'm measuring well, at 36 cm. I also asked her about a weight estimate, and she is guessing that right now he's just under 5 pounds.  He'll probably gain 2 to 2.5 pounds over the next month, so it sounds like he'll be a pretty average size baby (at least from all I've heard).

I had my first baby shower this past Saturday. Although the turnout was somewhat small, we really had a blast.  Kelley throws a great shower. Here are a few pictures and tales from that day.

Minus Conee's daughter, Ashlee, here are the people who were in attendance. Kelley (the hostess) is on the far left. I'm the one with the big belly and the "Mom to Be" pin. Beside me are Conee and Kathy.

First game - Memorize the 20 baby items in the tray. Write down as many as you can after looking at them for 1 minute.  I did pretty good with 16. Kathy took the prize though, remembering 17. It's harder than it sounds people. 

Next was "Baby Ailment Pictionary." Fun game, and also helped create a handy resource book of sorts for my future use. Isn't that clever? (P.S. - I won this game.)  

Guess my belly size. (Ok, I already told you above)  I came in at 11 t.p. squares around. Not too bad. Especially since I sometimes feel more like double that. 

Guess What Baby Ate Game.  6 diapers - 6 different candy bars melted into the diapers. Whoever guesses the most right wins. I may or may not have tasted one of the chocolates in this game trying to get a firm conclusion. However, Ashlee didn't even want to look at the diapers. Between me and her, I'm pretty sure we were all crying from laughing so hard.

End with a bottle chugging contest. 4 ounces through what I'm pretty sure is the smallest nipple in existence. Conee won this one, but I was a close second. However, my lips felt indented by the bottle for the rest of the day. Very weird.

It was a good time though. Probably one of the most fun baby showers I've ever been to. So kudos to Kelley for being awesome and helping us all have a really fun time.

Sorry they're sideways. I couldn't get them to rotate. However, these were the super cute cookies Kelley had made for the shower.  Little baby hands and feet. Loved em. And they were really delicious too. So if you want to know where to get good cookies in Albuquerque, go to the ABC Cake Shop. 

I think that's it as far as this post goes. I hope the length of it made up for the long time in between posts.  

Overall, I'm feeling good. Just a little more uncomfortable than usual, but it's only for a few more weeks. I can't believe how close we are.  Unbelievable.  

Stay tuned. May is sure to be a whirlwind month, and hopefully we'll still have plenty to post before Mooner arrives.

What to Say?

Sorry it's been a couple weeks. I feel like we're sort of getting to the point where there isn't much to report. We've been going in for our bi-weekly appointments, and everything is right on track and healthy.  Next time I'm going to ask and see if our midwife has a rough weight estimate for us.  According to measurements, my uterus is on the large side of normal at 35 cm at 33 weeks.

I feel like Mooner is getting bigger every single day. I see this week, it's entirely possible that he's grown a whole inch!  And he's supposedly gaining 1/2 lb each week from here on out.
Unfortunately, I still have no outie to show for any of this growth, but I feel like my stretch marks have stretch marks.  I'd rather have a popped belly button, but oh well.

I have to get some pictures taken. Sorry I'm a little behind on that lately.  Hopefully the next post will come with and updated belly bump and some nursery pictures.  We will at least have the furniture up.
I'm excited because next weekend I get my first baby shower! I'm pretty pumped to start getting stuff to fill Mooner's room.

Personally, I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to be done being pregnant. It's harder to move, sleep, breathe, etc...  Don't get me wrong. I have loved this experience, but I'm ready to carry my son in my arms. So, for my sake, please be praying this little one doesn't come late!

31 week update

As promised, here is the update from our Monday check up.  It really was a quick appointment, so there isn't much. But, Mooner is still growing. My uterus is measuring almost 33 cm, so he's on target.  We had a heartbeat of 134 bpms, which is slower than it has been, but is also right where it should be.  I only have 3 more appointments before we start going every week.  That means we're getting super close!

I'm looking forward to getting our crib. We're expecting it sometime next week, so be looking for nursery pictures soon.  I'm excited to start getting Mooner's room ready. I know it might seem late on that, but we didn't see much sense in starting before we had the furniture.

That's really all I have for now.  We'll be back soon though with more updates, pictures, and things of that sort. See you soon!

Belly Bump - Week 30

Just a picture for now. We have an appointment on Monday, so I'll update you more then!

Do the Wave!

I only have 10 weeks left to go! (At least until the due date) I think Mooner is celebrating his soon coming freedom by doing a little dance.  Dad would be proud, especially since it's a dance common to sports arenas.  Yes everyone, Mooner's practicing the wave.

Look at the right side of my belly around 11-14 seconds and you can see it.



Just some other, only slightly related news. I started a nanny-ing position today. I am watching an 8 week old baby girl. So I guess I get to be warmed up a little to the whole baby thing before Mooner comes. Of course it's different since she isn't my baby. But the practice of consoling a crying baby, diaper changes, and safely strapping her in her car seat will be helpful once we have our own little one.

I'm really excited. I still am in awe how close we are to meeting our baby boy. Can't really believe it at all. There seems like there is still so much that will happen between now and then. Lots of prenatal appointments. A couple baby showers. 8 weeks of nanny-ing. I'm pretty sure it's going to fly by really fast though.

Ready or not, he's coming!

Testing, Testing

It seems like the biggest things I have to update on are test results.  Several of you have asked about them, and I'm sorry I've neglected the blog for so long.  Things have been semi-crazy, but in a good way. In any case, it has kept me away from my computer.  I don't want to keep you waiting any longer though, so here is what we have found out.

I went in to do my glucose screening a couple weeks ago. At my last appointment on Monday, my midwife said everything came back clear.  So, no glucose tolerance test (which is a follow-up to the screening if results are inconclusive) and no gestational diabetes for me. Hooray!
They were also supposed to test my blood for antibodies when I went in, but they ended up checking my liver instead with the blood draw.  So, I discovered I have a healthy liver. :)  I had to go back in to do another blood draw so they could check my anti-bodies, and I just went in this morning for a my RhoGAM shot.  (For those of you who don't know what that is here's the story)  I have Rh negative blood (laymen's terms - I have a negative blood type) and it's pretty likely that Mooner's blood could be positive since Ryan has a positive blood type.  This could be bad for both Mooner and I if our blood was to mix at all because my antibodies would fight him off.  RhoGAM is a shot that I get that will prevent my antibodies from doing that so that we're both safe and healthy.
So anyway, all tests (plus some) are clear. (And mom, because you've asked a few times before, my iron is also very good).

Mooner is healthy too. He's moving around a lot.  Here is a video. It's harder to see the movement on here than it is in real life, but I think if you look really closely near the end of the clip (like around 31-33 seconds) you'll be able to see a little bit of movement.


We got to hear his heartbeat again. It's been consistently in the low 140s, which seems like it's pretty normal. He's getting bigger too. I actually lost a pound which was a little weird, but nothing to worry about. My uterus, however, is getting bigger and is now 30 cm.  We're getting there!  Here's the most recent belly bump.

I was just thinking to myself the other day, "Holy cow, I only have 11 weeks left!"  It's hard to believe how fast this time has flown.  I remember being only 11 weeks into it.  Mooner is going to be here before we know it.  

Sometimes I wonder if we're ready.  Mostly, will the apartment be ready? Will everything be baby proofed like it needs to be?  How much stuff am I going to have to get rid of to make room for this little one?  Will I be able to keep up with all the new things that will be required?  

There's just a lot to think about. Really though, I couldn't be more excited to have Mooner with us. I know he's got a little while to bake yet, but I'm ready to meet him.  I hope you all are too. Just a few more weeks! So keep coming back for the last few "in utero" updates, then it's on to fun stories and pictures of our little boy. Can't wait!!

Taking Care of Business

I've mentioned previously that I feel a little overwhelmed at the amount of things I have to consider in preparing for life with Mooner.  Although that is still true, I also feel a little bit accomplished every time I get to cross something off the list. Today was one of those days.

Ryan and I have been thinking about the "Great Pediatrician Search" lately.  We did have a couple doctors recommended to us, so we started there. I went in for a visit to the office today and got to meet one of the doctors. I think I really like them.  The 2 doctors are with High Desert Pediatrics.
They have a cute little office that has a bright waiting room, themed exam rooms for the kids, and the friendliest staff I think I've ever encountered in a doctors office.  In the time I was there, it seemed like they were getting patients in and out of appointments at a good rate.  It certainly wasn't overly busy. I appreciated the small-ness and quite atmosphere. It was pretty cozy.

So anyway, one more task to check off the to-do list. Not that there still isn't lots to do, but hey, it's one step at a time, right?

Things are going well otherwise. I went in for some lab work this weekend.  I have yet to hear back about it. But I did drink the flat orange pop stuff to check my glucose tolerance. I think Mooner is a big fan of sugar because he started kicking around like crazy about 10 minutes after I got it in me. As for me, I just got really tired after about 45 minutes.  I guess that's what happens when you spike your system with sugar then let it crash.

More updates coming soon. We're officially in trimester 3!

Goodbye Trimester 2

It's hard to believe, but on Monday, I will officially be in my third trimester.  Mooner's going to be here so soon!
I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed. It just seems like there is so much to do. I know it will get done, but in the meantime I'm freaking out just a tiny bit.  At the same time, I'm so excited to meet my son.

Anyway, to bid farewell to this middle trimester, I have a couple pictures.  I'm not sure if I can get much bigger in these last few months. I'm sure I will, but I'm already stretched pretty far as you can see.

Nicely enough though, I don't have any really visible stretch marks. I'm sure they will come, but for now they're not here. Unfortunately, I don't have an outie yet. I'm still holding out hope though.  It's funny; sometimes when I'm sitting down I can push the area around my belly button in, and it pops out...at least until I let go.  Oh, the things I do to amuse myself. :-)

I also thought I would mention, there is a new poll over on the right hand column.  Since we got some pretty clear pictures, I think it's easy enough to venture a guess as to whether Mooner looks more like me or Ryan. I have my own thoughts, but I'm interested to see what you all think.

There isn't much to update really, since I just did a couple days ago.  But, we will be having more frequent prenatal appointments, which means more things to talk about here.
Be expecting pictures, maybe some videos...I'm hoping to get some nursery pictures up eventually, at least once we get the furniture.  Anyway, stay tuned because I have a feeling these last 3 months are just going to fly, and I know I don't want to miss it! So I'll do my best to make sure you all don't miss much either.

Next Appearance: Mooner's Birthday!

Our sonogram today was a little bittersweet. Mostly because it will be our last one.  But that is a good thing because it means that Mooner is healthy and all is normal.  But without any further ado (especially for you anxious readers)  here are the pictures of our baby boy.

And here are some of Mooner's stats:
    Weight - 2 lbs. 7 oz.  He's a big guy!
    Heart rate - 141 bpm
    Growth measurement puts him anywhere between 27 weeks 3 days and 28 weeks.  That puts his growth faster than my progression (since I'm technically only 27 weeks today). He had a growth spurt since last month!

I also want to thank you all for you prayers.  Everything the doctors wanted to double check turned out normal.  They were able to get all the view of his heart they needed, and it is looking good.  The kidneys checked out too, so he got a clean bill of health on that one.  And thankfully I got my own bit of good news. *Readers beware, this is a pregnancy semi-weird thing, so if you want to skip it, go to the next paragraph*  Last time I had a sonogram, the placenta was down pretty close to the cervix which was a little bothersome.  But, it traveled up the uterus, so there isn't any concerns about placenta previa, which means if all goes to accordingly, I will be able to have a natural birth.  Praise the Lord!

That's pretty much the update for now.  I have to go in for some lab work to make sure my blood work is good and that I don't have gestational diabetes. Just a routine thing, so nothing to worry about.
We're also pretty excited for the great pediatrician search.  We had a couple come highly recommended to us, so we are going to tour the office/interview the doctors next week.  I'm praying that goes well because it would be great to have this little guy taken care of once he's here.

Oh, and I guess there is one more thing. Keep an eye on the blog, because I want to try and post a video pretty soon.  See, Mooner has been kicking and boxing pretty hard lately, even to the point where you can visibly see my stomach move.  I haven't caught it on video yet, but I want to try, and I think that might be something fun for y'all to watch. :)

Another belly bump picture will be coming later. I haven't had the chance to get one today, but I promise it's coming soon.  And for those of you who have asked, still no outie... Oh well.  I'm sticking out far enough anyway. :)
Thanks again for your love and prayers. See you back here soon!

Belly Bump - Week 25

I feel like I'm getting bigger every single day.  Here I am at 25 weeks.

I think Mooner is really going to be quite a huge baby. At this time, I've gained about 18 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  And based on average measurements, he's probably somewhere between 13.5 and 15 inches long.  He's getting big!  I guess getting bigger is most of what he'll be working on these last few months. I can hardly believe I'm almost to my 3rd trimester.  My how this time flies.

Everything is going well though. I've still been feeling really good, and I haven't had any heartburn for about a week now. Praise the Lord!  Besides the slight discomfort that can come with getting bigger though (I pretty much have no choice but to wear my maternity pants now) I've felt great. Thanks everyone for all your prayers.  We're so thankful that God has given me a smooth pregnancy so far, and we know that your prayers are huge part of that.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you from all 3 of us. :)

Heartburn, anyone?

So my story for the last 2 or 3 days is horrible indigestion.  I've heard that hairy babies cause this.  So, if this kid comes out bald, I'm not going to be a happy camper.  (Ok, ok. I'm only kind of kidding)
But just so you know it's fair (Mom), I've been getting it no matter what I eat or drink...and yes, that includes water.
Oh the joys of pregnancy. I just have to keep reminding myself of the fantastic little miracle we'll be receiving when I can't sleep at night because my chest is on fire.

On another note, I was reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting" today, specifically the Labor and Delivery section.  I have to say, I'm a little bit terrified.  In my head I know everything is going to be ok, and millions of women have gone through it.  But still...  I'm just praying it will go relatively fast.

So these are my pregnancy thoughts for the week (so far). It's really not all bad though.  I still love the feeling of Mooner kicking me.  I love that my husband puts his hand on my belly from time to time to feel his son.  And I really love that God has been so good to us through this gift of a little baby boy.  It really makes all the not so fun stuff completely worth it.

Big Baby Bump

As promised, here is the most recent belly bump picture.

I'm starting to get out there quite a bit.  Some days I don't feel as big as I am, and other days I definitely feel bigger.  Fortunately I'm not quite waddling yet, but I have a feeling if Mooner keeps growing at this rate, I will be in no time.

Well, there you have the belly bump picture. I hope to make another side by side collage soon so you can track the progress.  Until then...

Starting Month 6

Wow! I cannot believe that I am starting my 6th month.  Where has this time gone?  Unfortunately for this post, I don't have an updated "bump" picture.  I guess that just means I'll have to update again much sooner. :)

In honor of reaching 6 months, I'm just going to do a different and fun format that one of my friends has done with her blog.  I won't do it all the time since it is her idea, but I thought it would be fun for a milestone kind of thing. So without further ado, here is the most recent update on Mooner and me.

How far along? 23 weeks, 2 days

Due Date:  May 31, 2010

Total weight gain/loss:  12-15 lbs. (I know that's kind of weird, but it really depends on when I weigh myself.  At the dr. though, the consensus is 15 lbs)
Maternity clothes?  Some days I wear them, some days I don't.  Thanks to Bella Bands that my mom got me for Christmas, I can still get into my jeans if I want to.
Sleep: It's getting harder.  I like to lay on my back alot, which isn't really good at this point. I find myself waking up a lot, or tossing and turning. Also, I've been getting some leg pains that make it a little difficult to sleep too.  I've heard this will prepare me for when Mooner is here, and he probably won't be letting us get much sleep then either.  ;)  

Best moment this week: Hearing Mooner's heartbeat.  Still gets me every time.  Also, I'm pretty sure we've decided on a name!  (But we're not going to tell you yet.)
Movement: Lots of moving.  I feel him a lot after meals when I'm just sitting around, and surprisingly, almost always when I wake up. It's like he's kicking me out of bed so I'll go get him some food. :)
Food cravings: I think I had my first real craving (as I had the urge to go get it since it wasn't in the house) Pepsi and bananas.  It was only a one time thing though.  I haven't had really any strong or lasting cravings.
Food aversions: Again, can't really think of anything.  If I didn't like it before, I still don't really like it.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None so far. Hope it stays that way for at least a couple more months!
Belly Button in or out? I still have my innie. Ryan teases me about it, but I'm really looking forward to the tell tale pregnancy sign of an outie.  Maybe this month.
What I miss: Things caffeinated.  Mostly chai or sweet tea.
What I am looking forward to: an outie belly button. :)  Also, things like baby showers, getting our crib, and getting the nursery all ready for Mooner.  
Milestones: 6 months! We're almost 2/3 of the way there.  He's just growing a lot now. Oh, and after my next dr. appt, we'll be moving up to appointments every 2 weeks instead of monthly!

Other: I feel like there is a lot to do in preparing for Mooner. We're going to start interviewing pediatricians soon, taking hospital tours.  It's kind of dizzying to keep up with everything, so I just hope we're getting it all done.

Also, just in case you haven't yet seen, we're up to papaya week, with Mooner's face fully formed. And I'm pretty sure he's over a foot long now.  This little guy is just growing away.  

Just a few extra things, then I'll be done.  We went in for a check up on Monday.  Mooner is healthy.  The midwife measured my uterus at 24 cm, which is on the big end of things for this week, but still normal and good.  He has a heartbeat of 148 bpms which is also healthy.  All is going along smoothly. I've been feeling really well even though sleep and getting bigger slows me down a little.  

I do have to say that sometimes it's hard to believe that it's a real little baby growing in me.  It's just something really incredible that I've never experienced before.  I'm just excited for when I can hold my little baby boy in my arms instead of in utero. :)

It's a Boy!

Congrats to those of you who guessed boy on the poll.  You were right!  And just to let you know, that's what Ryan and I were thinking too.  For those of you who guessed girl, maybe next time. :)

Mooner was definitely more shy at this appointment, but we finally got him to show us his little self. We probably tried for about 10 minutes. I had to roll over like 3 times, cough... oh man. I was worried this little one was going to keep us guessing.  But then he finally moved his hands, rolled over, and let us see him.  So exciting. We're having a boy!!

Here is Mooner from the belly shot. The lighting is a little weird, but you can see my face this time. (just for Janet) :)  At 21 weeks (banana week this week) it's hard to believe we're over halfway there.  Speaking of that, the due date according to the ultrasound ladies is May 31st.  It's going to be here faster than I know it. Time has already flown by.

Here are a few more ultrasound pictures for you.

The first one is a nice up close shot of Mooner's face. He's a handsome little thing if you ask me. Maybe I'm biased. The 2nd photo is another face shot. It's not 3D, but it's still pretty clear. The last one is a couple shots of his little feet. So cute!
Everything is healthy. Mooner has been growing really well. We have a good heartbeat at 142 bpms.  There are a few very minor things that the ultrasound doc is wanting to check up on again in a few weeks. So we go in again on March 1st for another ultrasound just to make sure all is still going well. I'm just happy to have another chance to see Mooner.

For those of you who may be wondering, Mooner is not going to be the baby's name, but we're leaving it as a nickname for now.  You can blame it on me, since I want to keep something secret. So, we will not be revealing the name until Mooner is born.  So I guess you'll just have to stay tuned. :)

We did set up registries today at Babies R Us and Target.  You can find them online if you want to check them out. I know I mentioned before that we were thinking about doing a safari theme for the nursery. Well, Ryan really liked the idea of a sports theme since we're having a boy.  I'm happy to say, we found a perfect compromise.

We found the "Team Safari" theme at Babies R Us and got pretty excited.  I get my safari, and Ryan gets his sports.  Good deal.

Big day today. I'm glad to have some things done and taken care of.  And I'm really glad to know about my baby boy.  We're just praying that everything continues to go smoothly. Can't wait to meet him!

Milestone!

Short post, but it's a fun one.

Last night, Ryan was finally able to feel Mooner move!  Woohoo!  It was very cool to see the look on his face. He was very excited and pretty much couldn't keep his hands off my belly after that.  :)

Fun times.

Mooner's Crib

Well, we don't have the nursery completely planned, but we did decide on a crib!  We're pretty excited about the set.

Introducing Mooner's sleeping quarters - The Davinci Parker 4 in 1 convertible crib

You can't see it with the bed skirt, but there is a little trundle drawer underneath the crib for extra storage.  Great for small spaces!
I'm excited to get it and start arranging the nursery.  We're thinking of going with a safari theme (because I heart Africa).  We get to register on Wednesday after the ultrasound and I'm very excited to actually make definite picks.  Times a tickin' so getting some things nailed down will feel good.

3 days!  Come back to find out Mooner's gender.  And if you haven't already, get a vote in to see if you were right.  We'll be back soon.

Movin', Groovin' & Growin'

Just a quick update so you don't have to wait until next week.
This has been a fun week, as I've felt Mooner moving around quite a bit.  Sometimes there's kicks, other times rolls, and a few other things that I'm not totally sure what it is.  Unfortunately for Ryan, he has not yet been able to feel anything, but at this rate, I think he will soon.

In other news, this is melon week (a cantaloupe that is).  Mooner is about 6 1/2 inches long and about 10 oz if he/she is like the average baby.  However, by the beginning of week 21 (which is next week) Mooner will grow 4 inches and gain 2 oz!  That's some pretty significant growth. I can hardly believe it!  But, being that Mooner will grow that much, we're hoping that means we'll be sure to get a good look at the baby when we go in for our ultrasound next week.

In other fun news, Ryan and I went to our first parent-y thing. Babies R Us had this baby shower event with free give aways and such on Saturday.  Ryan was a good sport and decided to go.  He even won us a duffel bag by being the fastest person to diaper a stuffed lamb. But I promised him I wouldn't make him change all the diapers just because of his stellar performance.  :)  And although I didn't win, I did a 4 oz bottle chugging contest and got to keep the bottle.  (Chugging from a bottle is much more difficult than it sounds.  Sore jaw, anyone?)
Anyway, we had a pretty good time, and walked away with quite a few free and fun things for Mooner.

I finally got to making a side-by-side collage of my belly bump shots so far.  It's kind of funny that the 19 week picture looks bigger than the 20 weeks, but I think it's just the shot.  I definitely didn't get smaller.  Anyway, here you have it

I'm definitely getting bigger. But I have to say, I've never been so excited to gain weight and have a poochy tummy. It's a great reason though.

One week till we find out Mooner's sex!  We can't wait, and we're looking forward to sharing the news with you.

Happy Birth Year, Mooner!

And Happy New Year to all of you readers!  We're excited to have 2010 here.  I have no doubts this will be a very eventful and exciting year. :)

Ryan and I were out visiting friends in Texas when we brought in the new year. A nice big bonfire, sparklers and fireworks made a good celebration.  Although there is much to look forward to this year, I think we are most excited about meeting Mooner and starting life with our new little one.  I can't believe it's just a few months away!

If you've not been on the blog for awhile, Mooner has gone from onion size, to sweet potato to now mango size.  This little one is just getting bigger by the week!  Here is what a mango size baby looks like in utero.

It's not the best shot, but I did take it myself.  However, you can tell the belly is getting bigger. I'm going to have to work on a side by side collage so you can see the growth as it's moved along.  Maybe it's weird, but I sort of like getting bigger.  It's like the more pregnant I look, the more pregnant I feel.  It's fun.

Mooner has definitely been moving around too!  Yesterday I felt some pretty firm little kicks.  It doesn't hurt yet, but it's enough movement that I can tell I have an active baby.
Ryan and I went for an appointment yesterday, and the midwife confirmed everything was healthy.  I was glad because at this point I'm getting different sensations and pains that I just kind of worry about, especially since I'm not sure what's normal and what's not.  I've never done this before, ya know?  But it sounds like all is going well.  I'm at an optimal weight, the uterus growth is right where it should be, Mooner still has a strong, healthy heartbeat, and we generally have a good bill of health.  Praise the Lord!  I'm continually thankful for how smoothly this pregnancy has gone.  He has truly blessed us.

In other news, you have just a few more days to submit your votes for boy or girl.  We'll go in for our next ultrasound on January 20th.  I can't believe it's so close to the time to find out!  I'll be over halfway through this pregnancy.  It's crazy how fast time flies.

That's about it for this post. Thanks for following along with us.  We really are thankful for you and your interest in our growing family. So many of you have been a huge blessing in mine and Ryan's lives, and we really love that you continue to love us by keeping up with us. It really means alot.
We hope you all have had a great start to 2010.  I know we have.  We'll be back for an update before you know it!

Blessings.