Week 37 Pregnancy Update

Nothing much to report this week. I had my 37 week appointment, which is exciting since it means I'm officially full term now. At the appointment, I had my vitals taken, listened to the heart beat, and found out that I tested "negative" for the strep b test (great news). The doc confirmed the baby is still positioned with his/her head down - which is also super. I don't have an appointment next week due to a scheduling mishap & the doctor's planned vacation, but the doc and I discussed it and she isn't worried since she trusts that I will call if something unusual and worrisome occurs. My next appointment is on Monday the 11th and at that appointment, she will measure me again to see how many cm I have dilated (if I have in fact not already delivered the baby). Depending on the stats and situation, we may "pencil" in more appointments for the week I'm due and the week following. For now, it's a waiting game. Kris and I are hoping for the baby to wait at least a few more days before he or she arrives - we're still working on names!!

Christmas 2009

I love Christmas and this year didn't disappoint. We normally travel to visit with our family over Christmas, but this year, with my due date around the corner, we stayed home and had a quiet holiday. We had a lovely Christmas morning and enjoyed watching Owen open his presents and talk about Santa and the reindeer and all his toys and gifts. We skyped with Kris' family and spoke with all my family throughout the day. We also enjoyed a delicious late breakfast and had a good time making a traditional turkey meal for the three of us. We spent the day playing games, eating yummy food, snuggling with Owen, and just relaxing. In the late afternoon, Kris and Owen went for a long walk in the neighborhood and played at the park while I hung out on the couch resting and reading. While we missed our families, it was nice to have such good quality time together - especially as we prepare for our family dynamic to change dramatically in the coming weeks.

As Owen loves to say... Ho, Ho, Ho Merry Christmas! & Happy New Year!

P.S. Thanks to everybody who helped spoil Owen (again)! He received so many cute, entertaining, educational, and fun gifts! We are so lucky - thank you!



Owen about to have a late night Christmas Eve snack with Mommy.




















Owen with his new musical instruments
























Owen "playing" Super Mario Brothers with Daddy.

Sledding Trips - December 2009

We've had two great sledding trips with Owen and friends/family. We first went with our friends the Chandrapal Family on Christmas Eve and then we went with my Dad, lil' bro Gianni (12) and nephew (almost 8) this past Monday.

Both trips started out rough with Owen. He needed time to adjust after waking up from shorter than normal/earlier than normal naps. He also needed food and had to come to terms with wearing a jacket which took some effort. Luckily, we were able to get him out on the snow both times and he ended up loving the experience. He laughed so much, it definitely made the rough moments worthwhile.

Both Kris and I had a great time, too. Kris seemed to enjoy sledding as much as the kids and I enjoyed watching the action from the sidelines and appreciated the scenery and fresh air. We were even blessed with a special treat on Monday...while we were packing up the car, it started to snow! It was just perfect. We drove to a nearby lodge for hot chocolate and lunch so we could watch the snow fall a little more.

Here are a few pictures from both trips and a couple videos of Charles, Gianni, and my Dad sledding (we didn't capture any videos of Owen or get any pictures of the twins/Deepak/Sarayu on our camera).

Week 36- quick update

In a few days, I will officially be full-term! I had my 36 week doctor appointment today and found out that the baby has dropped and the doctor actually felt the baby’s head!! I am about 70% effaced and 1-2 cm dilated. Next week, I’ll find out the results of the Strep B test I took today. If it’s positive, I’ll have to have antibiotics during labor just so the baby is exposed to as little bacteria as possible during delivery. To date, I have gained about 26 pounds.

Nesting = Kitchen Update & Home Organization Projects

Over the last two months or so, I’ve been on a mission to improve our house organization. We have changed our office into a baby room, moved our original office into the nook in our bedroom, reorganized the closet in the baby’s room (all of my craft/sewing supplies are now very organized and I even have a wrapping paper dresser), and updated our kitchen with new counters and some new appliances. Kris has labeled this “mission” nesting and hopes I stick to cleaning for the remainder of these urges. The endeavor has been tiring, but also lots of fun and productive, and we both definitely feel it has been well worth it. Now, I just have to keep it organized after the baby arrives. We’ll see how well that works out for us. Ha!

I have one more week of work before my medical leave begins and really the timing is perfect. All of this “nesting” + playtimes with Owen + work has me craving a few days of major R&R on the couch. However since it’s Christmas time, I am realistic enough to know that my craving for homemade coffee cake and my desire to test out our new oven will trump all else.

Here are a few before and after pictures of the kitchen:

Thanksgiving Family Photo Shoot

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the family photo shoot. Thank you Ryan & Jamie!

It's December Already?!

Monday marks the start of my 35^th week which means I now have only 5 weeks until my due date. I went to the doctors a week and a half ago and the visit went well. We heard the baby's beautiful heartbeat and chatted about the options of pain relief that will be offered to me, if I so desire during labor. Unless this labor is unbelievably quick, I expect I will seek some type of help. With Owen, I aspired to do without drugs, but it was such a relief once I caved. I still felt like I achieved my main goal, “healthy mom, healthy baby”. If in need this round, I will happily and much more quickly embrace the idea.

My next doctor appointment is in a couple weeks and then I will be seen a bit more regularly over the last four weeks. We are still working on baby names and don't really have a narrowed down list yet. We have a few names we're testing, but I'm pretty sure we'll be choosing a name at the hospital. For the last short while, I have been saying that I think the baby is a boy. I've felt that way primarily because the pregnancy has been so similar and it's really all I have to go on but we're excited to find out and meet the lil' one.

Because I was curious, I pulled out an old photo from my pregnancy with Owen, when I was about 7-8 weeks from my due date. It's not a great profile shot, but conveniently, I am wearing the same shirt in a photo from this Thanksgiving (which was about 7 weeks shy of my due date). Check out the photos below.

As for Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful long weekend in Orange with my family. My brother-in-law, Ryan happily agreed to take a family photo of us at a nearby park. Owen was not into the photo shoot at all- he only wanted to play with Charles and Gianni on the playground and run around the grass, but we managed to get a few nice shots of the three of us anyway (albeit they are without Owen's usual big grin).

November Doc Visit + Owen getting to know his baby bro or sis

Here is a quick update on my recent November doctor’s visit. I’m now at 30 weeks, my belly measures to 30 weeks, and I’ve gained 19 pounds. The best part of the appointment (as it is every time) is hearing the baby’s heart beat - it's so beautiful. The baby continues to be VERY active, but I'm enjoying this part as feeling the baby move is my favorite part of being pregnant. I also had my H1N1 flu shot to help protect me and the babe during the rest of the flu season.

We're not too sure if Owen really understands that a baby is going to arrive soon, but he regularly pets and kisses the baby/my tummy and says goodnight and such. Just now, he walked over to me, patted his belly, and said hi to "his" baby. Here is a picture from the other day when he was especially cuddly and into kissing the baby.

Halloween 2009

Happy Halloween!

We hope you all had a really fun and special Halloween. Our weekend started out with a bang with a Trunk or Treat event at Owen's day care. We decorated our trunk like a jungle and dressed accordingly. I may look like a black cat, but Owen will tell you that I was a black panther. Kris is dressed up as a jungle/safari guide - just in case it's not obvious. We don't have any pictures from the actual event because at the end of the night we realized that there was no memory card in the camera. So sad! Luckily, a few other parents were snapping up pictures so we're hopeful we'll get a few of Owen's friends too. Owen wasn't into the trunk event very much this year - although there was a good thirty minute period when a bunch of his classmates were there at the same time and they had a lot of fun together running around, dancing to music, and playing together. It was really cute to watch them all playing in their costumes.

Owen definitely enjoyed the actual day of Halloween more. We played outside most of the day- before and after nap and he really loved jumping in leave piles and playing in dirt piles (both activities were repeated for a long time on Sunday). Then we dressed up, had a photo shoot to capture the trunk memory, and started off in the neighborhood at dusk. He was a big hit with our neighbors and liked trick o treating at the non-scary houses. After we walked around our neighborhood for a bit, Owen helped his Daddy pass out candy and really enjoyed eating his chocolate. There is no more denying that the words chocolate and candy are a part of his vocabulary now.

A few pictures of Owen, the trunk, me in my costume - WK 28, and Owen playing in the yard are below. We also made another Picasa album. Some of the pictures below are in the album, but there are more of him in his costume and playing in the yard, too.

Halloween 2009

Test results

I found out today that I do NOT have gestational diabetes! WOO! I'm still a bit skeptical and probably will be until my next doctors appointment, but there are no other tests scheduled. I'm feeling rather lucky that somehow I beat the odds. Maybe I should play the lotto this week!

I’m happy not to have to drink the super sugary drink one more time, happy not to have to maintain a very STRICT diet, happy not to have to prick my fingers multiple times a day for the next few weeks, and mainly very, very happy that there is less risk to the baby during the remaining weeks of the pregnancy and during labor. I knew this time around I’d be less worried and less concerned since I knew I could manage it, but it is still a BIG relief.

I am officially in the third trimester now and the baby weighs something like two and one quarter pounds and is probably around 15 inches already. I now need to monitor kick counts; every day, I need to make sure the baby kicks at least ten times during one hour (the doc recommends checking the same hour every day). So far, measuring kicks won't be a problem. This little baby of mine is one active kid!

Pumpkin Patch Trip #2 and Random Pictures

Most Sunday mornings, we try to spend time at a park to give Owen a chance to play and run around. Today, we decided to go to the"pumpkin patch park", aka Zittel Farms, to pick out a second pumpkin to carve and give Owen another chance to enjoy the season. He had a blast. The farm is just perfect for kids- it is set up with tractor rides, pony rides, a great layout, and a crazy "gym" for a couple of goats. Owen was quite impressed with the goats and laughed as he watched them run around on their platforms. He also really loved the tunnels they have set up. We have some fun pictures and decided to post them to a picassa web album (link below) so you could see a few of the different photos in sequence. There is one set of him laughing at the goats, one set where he's running through a tunnel, and others of him just playing around.

We also took some photos of him this evening. He just received one of the softest pairs of PJs we've ever felt for his birthday (thanks Aunt Donna), and he loved them! We couldn't resist a photo shoot... and luckily, Owen was in the mood play along.

Pumpkin Patch + Other

Enjoy!

P.S. We want to welcome into the world Colton's little brother - Jacoby More. He was born on Friday and is just precious.

October Pregnancy Update

Today, I had my October pregnancy check up. I am now in my 26th week and the baby is very active and his or her heart beat sounded healthy and lovely. In the last four weeks, I have gained 7 pounds. On average, the doc generally likes to see a pound a week at this stage, but given the low weight gain during the first trimester, she's happy that I am catching up. All in all, I have gained 17 pounds to date. She thinks it is unlikely that I'll double my weight during the last trimester but she won't be worried if I do. This is nice to hear given the Holidays are just around the corner.

Of course my dreams of enjoying the upcoming dessert season may soon be a distant memory. Next week, I have to take the 1 hour gestational diabetes test. Since I had gestational diabetes during the last pregnancy, I am more likely to have it again. If I fail this first test, I'll have to take a second – three hour test the next week. If I fail that, the strict diet police will arrive and I'll be watched like a hawk! I'll keep you posted.

Here is a picture from a couple of Sunday's ago – my belly has popped out quite a bit in the last few weeks, but I'm guessing I look even bigger now because strangers no longer hesitate to ask me about the pregnancy and baby. I'll try to take another picture this weekend with a tighter fitting shirt.

Kick-Off to Fall Adventure

To kick-off our Fall adventures, we went up to Apple Hill on the first Sunday in October. The skies were blue, the air was chilly, and the leaves had started to turn. We visited a petting zoo, made our way through a kids hay maze, picked out a couple of pumpkins, ate yummy hot apple donuts and drank delicious hot apple cider, and Owen even had the chance to ride his first pony. We’re planning to go back soon for more delicious desserts and apple picking. After arriving home, we decided to put out our Halloween decorations. Our decorations have a long ways to go before we’ll really be excited about them, but Owen gets a kick out of them – which is all that really matters. As a couple of the pictures show, Owen was a big help and if you can’t tell, he was quite proud of his work.

Owen's 24 Month Well Visit Check-up

Today we had Owen’s 24 month well visit check up at the doctors. He doesn’t seem to mind the doctor’s office at all and was happy and easy going for the entire check up. The doctor and nurse really seem to enjoy his visit and they are both very good at keeping him entertained. He had to get one shot at the end, but we had him laughing so hard right before the shot that he barely cried once he felt the shot. He was then easily distracted with the snoopy band-aid and stickers that followed.

We found out that Owen has a bit of an ear infection but that it is on its way out so she didn’t need to treat it. We’re hoping this is the reason for an increased level of tossing and during the last few nights.

The doctor shared that APA still recommends that we wait until age 3 for Owen to have any peanuts. The risk is low since we don’t have history of allergies, but it’s still safer to wait. We’ll probably follow her recommendation – especially since he seems to be content with soy peanut butter. She also prescribed Fluoride drops since Folsom does not have fluoride in the water, and recommended that we take Owen with us to the dentist too. She thinks he’ll do great there so we should expose him now before he gets scared.

The doc gave Owen a great bill of health and was happy to see him so happy.

Owen’s measurements: He’s back on the charts for weight!
Weight: 23 lbs and 13.3oz – 7%
HT: 32.5inches –9%
Weight for his height ratio – 25%
Head circumference- growing right on track for Owen’s specific trend line – 21%

Owen's birthday weekend- part 2- The Little Gym

This year, in addition to the family birthday parties and Skype sessions, we decided to have a small party for Owen and some of his friends at the Little Gym. We had a few kids from Owen's day care, one of our neighbors, the Chandrapal girls, and Aiden join us. The kids were SO cute together. The party is structured for parents to be included and to be there to help their kids with the different activities. We spent most of the party in the gym- enjoying a mix of free time and organized time with a couple of moments focused on Owen - where we all sang to Owen for his birthday. The kids had the chance to tumble, run around, and play on the various gym equipment and also participate in the "organized" activities such as a bounce track, parachute game, ball time (imagine a dozen kids chasing, kicking, stumbling over, throwing, running with, and falling over two dozen different size bouncy balls) and of course, a toddler favorite- bubble time. After gym time, we moved to the party room for some cupcakes and brownies. All the kids seemed to have a really fun time, and there is no doubt in our minds that Owen loved every minute of it. It was a very special day.

We ended up with great photos of all the kids, but we've only posted a couple shots of some of the other kids since we're not sure if all the parents are in favor of internet photo posts. We did include a couple blurry shots/back shots so you could see some of the activities!

Owen's standing on the deflated bounce track - making up his own dance

Parachute time

Colton and Owen playing together

Owen and a pal on the gym mat

Owen and Colton playing around

Aiden on the low beam

Owen really enjoying his cupcake

Owen's birthday weekend Part 1 - visit with cousin Aiden

This past weekend, my cousin Danielle, my Aunt Cheryl, and Aiden (Danielle's son - 3 weeks younger than Owen) drove up to visit and celebrate Owen's 2nd birthday with us. We had a wonderful time watching the boys play together and we're happy to report that most of the time, the boys shared and played very well. Of course, they weren't perfect and there were definitely times Owen was territorial, but all in all it was better than we could have hoped for a weekend-long "sharing" session. On Saturday, we took the boys to a nearby park with a water feature and on Sunday, we had Owen's birthday party, other than those activities, we mainly just hung around playing with the boys. There were so many great moments, but here are a few highlights: