Holding Head up & winner

Well Nolan has been holding his head up since a week old. He has always whipped it around and just held his head up. My mother and mother in law both kept saying he had the strongest neck ever. Well he still holds his head up but for a longer amount of time. We placed him in his jumper and he leans to one side but he is getting better and he almost touches the ground. Where has the time gone???

On june 9th he rolled over three times from his back to his belly. He has not mastered the other way around but he will. He babbles like no other and it is so adorable. The first time he did it was two weeks ago on the weekend and nick and i woke up to him babbling to himself and i swear i have hear "mum" and mommmmm several times but Nick just laughs. He smiles up a storm in the morning and he absolutely still does not like to have his clothes changed. I cannot help but laugh sometimes because he makes the silliest faces.

Similac Sensitive has been working so far for the last week *knock on wood*. We weighed him after his bath last night and he is 12 lbs 5 oz. He has a four month appointment next week so we will see where that takes us. He has always been between 12-18th% for weight so hes low. At first the doctor was concerned but he seems to be less worried now. His length is around the same percentile and his head circumfrance is 58th percentile. He gets that from his daddy for sure!!! Even when i was pregnant they always commented on the size of his head. He is having one side effect from the similac so i will talk to the doctor about it.

Also I read a wonderful blog Life with B&A (&D) and she did a giveaway for Kool Kids Legs and I was the winner. I was ecstatic to see that I won. I feel so lucky!!! Thank you Abby your a sweet heart!!! So i cannot wait to post a picture of Nolan wearing them.

Scratches and Formula Fail

So nolan's finger nails grow like crazy and we clip them constantly. He must scratch his face in the middle of the night because i wake up and find a new scratch. We bought a nail file from Target that vibrates. I have to say it obviously does not work and I even tried it on myself. Not only does it not help but you have to hold the button down the entire time. So i do not recommend this product. I believe it is by Safety 1st.

So Nolan has Acid Reflux and even went through several medical tests to prove he didnt have a hole in his stomach. He has been on every type of Enfamil possible and had several side effects. He has now been on 3 different types of similac. He also has taken Zantac and Prilosec. I really hope something works because he was so uncomfortable the last few days. Any other suggestions fellow parents??

Summer Time!!

It has been 90 degrees here. That is pretty much unheard of in Minnesota. Our summers in july and august usually top off at 80 degrees. So this is quite unseasonable. We are debating on where to take a vacation right now. We would love to go home to Ohio but that really isnt a vacation for us. So we are trying to think of a place to take a 4 month old. I keep looking at swim trunks for him and i am bound and determined he will have some even if he cannot swim! Since I love to swim i think it is so hard to think that he cannot swim yet but i know he cant.


He has been holding his head up for weeks but its to the side. I have to literally hold his head up straight. We have the bebepod so we are working on it. He still is having problems with reflux and now they want to try soy based formula. I just pray that something will work for him!


Gymboree has the cutest new outfit and im determined he needs it. He is lacking on shorts anyways! I think the crab is so cute!!!! I also have a latest addiction of pirate clothing for him. Here is the latest picture of him. His hair is red in the back and blonde on top so i do not know what he will end up with. I hope the red!!!!

Things we like or have needed

It always helped me to read what others like or needed when they had their babies and many of my friends are due soon or just found out they are expecting including some of our family members :) So here is what we have liked!!

Nolan really loves the bassinet part of his pack n play. We have a regular bassinet with a mobile, music, vibrations etc but he will only sleep in it for an hour at the most. In the pack n play he sleeps in the upper part 6-7 hours at night!! So that is sthe one we have from Babies R US. It is the Graco Hamilton Pack N play.

Next, the beloved seahorse!! Of course in blue. He fell asleep with him at first and lately has no problem doing it on his own. They do have it in pink also!!

Then the soothie pacifier!!! He did not like pacifiers until he was 6 weeks old and now this is the only kind he will take. Its just like our bottles, the Doctor Brown bottles are the only kind that he really cares for. We tried the playtex with liner bottles and he does not like those maybe he will when he is older but why force him to change.

We needed a ton of wash cloths so i always recommend those. I was one of those people who think they can just use regular washcloths so then we would not have to buy baby ones. Buy baby ones!! Trust me on this!! Its not the same fabric or softness that a baby needs.

Lastly, the gas drops are a lifesaver!! So i always will recommend those. We even ran out of them which seems impossible but until we figured out his acid reflux problem, they saved our lives.

One more thing i forgot was the swaddle me blankets. Some babies do not like these so they are a hit or miss with babies but it really helped Nolan go to sleep.

So far from 0-3 months, those are the things we have used the most of. We do have a moby wrap and have used it but now that he is getting longer i just dont wear it but i forsee it coming out again soon!! Also, when he grows out of the bassinet he will move into his crib. We also are just starting to use some teething items but only a few are acceptable for his age. So i will review those when he is older. Lastly if your baby gets baby acne i would definatelly recommend cortizone cream with cooling. He loved this and it helped it heal up a lot faster!! He still has some but its not nearly as bad!!

Two months later and a long update~!~

Sorry everyone!! Between the new house and Nolan, I have been quite busy. I have been sick recently and really unmotivated to work on the house. Slowly but surely we are getting there. We basically live on the top floor. We painted all of the rooms we wanted to paint right now. There is an almost complete nursery. We just need curtains really. Our room is complete and the living room is almost complete. We worked on the picture wall this weekend and finished that and we just need curtains in there as well. I am procrastinating because of the price of them really.

We met the two neighbors across the street and they are both really friendly, i just wish our house was done so we could go over and be social! Nolan really does not care for his bassinet anymore so he is currently in his pack n play in the bassinet seat on the top and he loves that!! He is getting long but is still a little guy. Hes just now 11lbs and will be 3 months old tomorrow! He is only in the 17th% for weight. His head and length are in the 58th percentile. Hes got a big head like his daddy!!

He's been having some troubles with Acid Reflux and we have tried zantac, prilosec, and are now on enfamil AR for spit up. If it doesnt work this week he will move on to Similac Sensitive. This pedi gives me bad vibes and i thought the whole time he should be on another formula so we are switching to the pedi we saw right when he was born. She was wonderful and i feel like i need to be comfortable taking him to his doctor because i am the one who is home. He smiles a lot at me when i make silly faces or i just Oooh and ahh at him and he cracks up and starts flirting :) Since Ive been sick, he and nick have had some good daddy time. His only nick names seem to be Baby boy, nick calls him double B all the time lol, and dude. One of the main reasons we picked his name other then we really love it is because it really cant have a nick name which i like. I really cant stand it when someone has a name and they give some random nick name like for Richard how they use Dick. That makes no sense to me. My sister in law calls him Noley ( and i cannot stand that!!) His name is nolan for a reason (sorry small vent).

Anyways i hope that i can utilize this blog more to document things that he does and etc. I will be starting my last internship hopefully this summer and then i will be done!!! So i cannot promise how many updates i will do but i will do my best. Have a great day everyone!!!

Nolan is here!

My birth story won't copy and past so heres a short jist of the story. I went in on Wednesday night and tried 2 medications to induce labor. After 20 hours i needed a c-section. Nolan was born on February 18th at 4:53 pm. He was 7 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long. We stayed in the hospital for three more days and he lost too much weight so we had to supplement with formula. Hes slowly getting back to birth weight and just barely passed it now and he is three weeks old. He is still wearing newborn clothes and diapers and he is more alert now during the day. His hair is strawberry blonde and in sunlight looks just pure red like mine. We will see if that stays or changes. He is now over three weeks old and we love him more than anything. Sorry for the delay but a newborn keeps me quite busy along with a new house that we are closing on the 31st of this month! Lots of new things all in one time. Im healing alright it is slow going and everything they say is true. You cant be superwoman and be expected to be 100% two or three weeks later. It takes time and dont overdo it!

Induction tonight!

Im terrified and nervous. I of course cannot wait to meet our little boy but i did not expect my doctor to only give me one choice in the matter. Im not happy about it but i have no other way around it. At 630 pm i will be admitted to the hospital because my fluids have gone from a 12 to a 4. My doctor said anything under a 5 requires that the baby come out soon. She predicts he will be here by late tomorrow at the lastest Friday morning but i really hope its tomorrow! I want quick and painless which i know is asking way too much. Thoughts and prayers are welcome!

Overdue

Well my due date came and went. Im just trying to get through day to day until our baby boy is here. Tomorrow i have a 40+ wk appointment and my doctor will decide what to do with me next. I really hope she says your going to have him Thursday and then we know when it will happen. I think he decided its far too cold and snowy outside to come out and enjoy the winter weather. I know everyone is so excited for us and they want to plan trips to come and visit but the phone calls have got to stop. Everyday is a challenge to get through but at this point im so close to the end i just have to relax. Sorry i havent updated in a while i just had a bad spout where i had no energy and wasnt feeling well. Updates to come after i go to the doctor! Wish me luck!!

Its February!!

So its the first of the month and so far so good. No contractions so far that im aware of and baby is very active. He has been really giving his mommy some good hard kicks!! I have my 38 wk appt on weds and i seriously have some things to get off my chest with my doctor. She is amazing and wonderful but i need to let her really know how this anxiety is effecting me. I even have a feeling i will be crying during the whole appointment. That is how bad the anxiety is now.

I cant believe i will be someone's mommy this month! I noticed nick is doing a lot of busy work around the house lately, packing up boxes and cleaning the cars and just remaining that way. Call me crazy but i think someone is nervous! Which i am too so that does not help me. People had warned me how i would get phone calls and comments saying 'is he here yet? is your water broken?" These people are very close to me and im sorry but your going to be one of the first ones to know so please stop asking. That will get old really quickly i can see it now. Thats all for now just wanted to say happy February to everyone!

No induction needed!

As of right now i do not need an induction unless i go a week overdue. This was excellent news. I did not want to be induced because of all of the bad things i heard about medications and etc. I also tested negative for my swab test so that is also good news so i can labor at home until its 3-4 minutes apart. His growth is still ahead as always and so far no contractions as much as im aware of at least.

I will need some intense prayers over the next few weeks. Im highly anxious about the whole process and i need to trust my body but i just cannot seem to. Im dreading the pain and everything involved with checking me. Trust me ive known all along what is involved but chose not to worry too much ahead of time. People may laugh and think oh please everyone does it. Please dont compare my body to another persons when you have no idea what its been like to go through this pregnancy with such intense pain. I really hope that someone is watching over me and blesses me with an easy delivery and labor. I just want to see him and not worry about the pain.

37 weeks!!!

Sorry for the late recap on my 36 week appointment. Baby boy is 6 lbs 11 oz!! I just cannot believe it. That places him in the 73rd percentile. The midwife did my appointment and said that i need to speak with the doctor about the size. Sometimes they consider that to be large so they induce early. Induction is not what i wanted to hear. I cannot wait to meet our baby boy but i have heard of all the effects and things that happen. I honestly wish for a c-section for multiple reasons. Many people do not understand that and even some women feel bad if they have a c-section, I on the other hand would not. I have had far too many pain problems and I am extremely concerned about what my body can handle. He is head down and just chillin. They gave us a picture of his face and he so has nicks big cheeks!!!

I cannot wait to squeeze them :) At this point in time, we are stalled on two different houses. One is about a 30 minute commute for nick to work while the other is just down the street. They are so drastically different in looks and price so that is why we are so torn. To live here where we have everything at our fingertips costs more money for location wheras the other house is further and there is basically no stores, doctors, etc. I grew up 30 minutes from everything so for me it is really no change other then i am now accustomed to having conveinances. The baby and house stress has my anxiety at an all time high but i know that in the end things will work out the way they are meant to. The big scary "swab" test i had was not so bad as they let me do it myself and was pain free just a bit awkward was all. I find out the results this week at my doctors appointment. I can honestly say i cannot believe that 3 weeks from today is my due date!!!!! Time literally has flown by for me. All of these other women in my life say it will drag and you will be wishing it was over. I have yet to feel that way at all. So for now no news is good news :)

Hospital tour, anxiety, and getting closer!!

We went to the hospital tour and of course Nick was bored because he see's that everyday. The rooms are nothing special at all and quite small but in all honesty what will i care at that moment in time. It didnt increase or decrease my anxiety. It was extra funny that my OB was sitting up there when we toured. I told the baby he better not get any ideas :)

My anxiety is at an extreme level. I had a melt down the other day. As i stated before it is not because im nervous about becoming a mommy because i have all the confidence in the world that i can do that. Im worried about the labor process, the pain, the length and the what ifs. If i hear "Women do it everyday" one more time i think i may go off. I have been in complete silence about the overwhelming anxiety i have. I have an upcoming GBS test this week as well as a growth ultrasound. Im terrified of the GBS test and i cannot really get into detail without including too much information. Sometimes it would be comforting to know that im not the only one out there who has all of these physical barriers and pain problems.

Tomorrow i only have four weeks left. I cannot believe it literally. I love feeling him kick and move around in there and the aches and pains and sleepless nights are so worth it right now. I cannot wait to meet him but he needs to stay put until February for sure. Nick is more then excited to meet his little boy. Im excited and terrified all together and just overall concerned about the day i have him. My one and only support will be Nick and it will be that way until family starts to arrive the following week. Thats all for now until my appointment on Wednesday.

I need to whine, complain, vent!

I have done pretty well keeping a lot of things to myself lately including any mild complaints but now i just need to release them and what better way then here. Im at the point where bending over no longer exists, in fact its painful so why even do it. I experienced my very first dose of braxton hicks last night. Nick has me laughing so hard and my stomach was so tight i could barely breathe. Both signs that it was BH.

I have had a tremendous amount of anxiety on my mind the last few weeks and it still continues. Please dont anyone respond and say "thats normal." because this isnt in the least. Im expressing all of my concerns to the doctor and hoping she will tell me what i would like to hear and we can schedule a c-section. More then likely i will not know for another 3 weeks if i have c-section or not. The dr also had me stop my nausea meds which is not going well. Im still feeling constantly sick, im just one of those women who have it the whole pregnancy.

For those who dont know, Nick and I are avidly looking for a house, yes perfect timing right. We know that we probably wont move until after our little boy is born which is fine with us but at the same time i dont get to set up a real nursery. The slightest thing seems to get me down and i cant really express that to anyone because i dont want to hear well your just emotional.

Finally, people always seem concerned or at least ask how things are going but then once i get used to updating them on a normal basis, they dont even respond which im sorry makes me furious. You wanted to know the information but dont care about it now. So i guess from now on i will only update through the blog to relieve my stress. I feel like an invisible wall who is unable to be heard at most times. Lastly, there are things going in my personal family life that no one is aware of that cause some considerable amounts of stress and before people start assuming it has nothing to do with Nick. Family is one of the most important things and i prefer to keep some of that private and it weighs heavily on my shoulders. So please do not assume that you know what is going on. It made me realize that some problems are so minute compared to what happens in life so do not take it for granted at all.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!!

Well Christmas is basically here and i cannot believe it. My mom arrived this past weekend and will be with us until the 2nd of january. Then i hope time slows down a bit. Were getting a huge snow storm, even for Minnesota this is a big one. Were expected to get 20+ inches by tomorrow night and saturday. Were going to be cooped up i just hope our plows stay on top of it!

I had my 32 week appt yesterday withe my Doctor's midwife. Im still measuring 2 weeks ahead and his heart beat was strong and loud and he moved around a bit from the midwife lol. Were still unsure of how the birth will go. I will be evaluated at 36 weeks to find out if its natural or a c-section. There are several notes on my chart due to the previous history with this pregnancy. People are still saying January and im sorry but please stop telling me when hes going to come. Im not even due until the middle of february and since im 2 weeks ahead, the doctor says that really doesnt mean anything. He may be a big baby or hes just laying funny everytime im being measured. However, it does not indicate that he will come that much earlier. I will take guesses on his hair color though LOL.

A little background with my hair color, my moms dad had natural red hair and it skipped a generation and went to me. My dads side of the family has some auburn but no red heads except for me. So whats the guess?? Nicks hair is brown in case people forget but when he was born and up until he was 2 he had white white blonde hair that ended up being brown now lol. So any guesses? Id love for him to have red hair but am concerned that since it skipped a generation it may do it again. So what are my chances for red hair :)

I hope everyone has a great holiday/Christmas!!! Stay safe and warm and really enjoy your time with family. I wish we could be back home with everyone but Nicks vacation is being saved for when baby boy is born. Im happy to have a piece of my family here though :)

Lately--31 weeks

This is me via the cell phone and thats just one of our three trees :) 31 weeks and growing!

Bending over is becoming a task and a half and sleep is just not comfortable with a head in your side, or at least thats what im assuming is in my side lol. These are all typical things that i expected to happen and dont really complain about because its just part of the process. However, i think my husband has failed to recognize that this is what im going through. He recently had two teeth pulled a wisdom tooth and the one right next to it. While i give him credit and that it was painful, try handing your body over for 9 months and being worried every day. At the same time you dont see me walking around complaining about that every second of the day. That was my small vent for the day!

On the other hand, i will hit 60 days tomorrow and i just cannot believe it. Its going by so fast still. Im starting to wonder when this slowing down occurs. I go to the doctor next week and then start going every two weeks! I will find out when im 36 weeks if its a c-section or natural birth. I am also curious as to what he will measure this time. Im hoping not large still! Lately, he really kicks up for orange juice and even caught it on video for Nick and our parents. The doctor also has me monitoring and timing his movements and so far so good but if i get stressed out it takes him a bit more to move around which I am not surprised. I do very well at maintaining a low stress level but there are occasions where it spikes.

Lately, i have been researching freezing meals and hope to have my mom help some when she comes up next weekend. Since we have no family around at all and the only people we know are Nicks co-workers, we have to rely on ourselves which is perfectly fine but i know when it comes down to it i will miss having lots of people around who would think to bring over food or just to sit with us for a chat. Its going to be so different and i just hope we handle it well together. Im off school now so i have the change to blog a bit more when i think of more to write.

Charley Horses!

My oh my!!! I have had them the last four nights in a row and finally had them in both legs at the same time last night and i woke up screaming. Luckily nick is on a business trip, otherwise I would have scared him so bad. So im drinking tons of extra water and eating bananas. A friend of mine suggested orange juice but this little boy becomes super awake and hyper and i dont think that would help me right before bed. I will see how it goes tonight and let you all know.

With the upcoming holidays coming so fast I am so excited to have my mom here for two weeks but at the same time I am so worried about February being even closer!! Im not really worried about becoming a mom, I am just nervous about the birth process. My doctor is waiting until im further along to tell me if its a c-section or natural.

On this last note, i am so so so TIRED of hearing that my relatives think im going to have him in january!! Im not due until Valentines day. I need to at least go to Feb 1st, i want to get that amethyst birth stone plus i need him to stay in as long as possible!!! Some of my friends are surprised that people are saying early since this is my first child id be much happier if people thought id be overdue. Please people at least give me until February 1st!!

Update & Baby Shower

I wish i had pictures but sadly our camera is broken. Were waiting for a replacement piece. It was wonderful to see friends and family come together. We wish we could have stayed longer but nicks vacation time wouldnt have allowed for it. My mom is coming up in a few weeks to stay for Christmas and I cannot wait since I feel like i only got a blip of time with her. It was very odd to say goodbye and we'll see everyone when we have our baby in our arms!!!

My Gestational Diabetes test came back normal so yay! Luckily the drink wasn't even bad at all. I think some people make more out of it then it really is. I think the quote of the day at the shower was " Your not really that big at all" LOL. After a few times i was like okay i hear ya. Of course according to my husband im huge :) I do have a picture from my cell phone at 29 weeks 1 day. We received a ton ton ton of clothes! I was expecting it but not really to this level. Some larger things were purchasing with the gift cards we received, so needless to say we have no where to walk at the moment.

On another note, we are looking at houses. With keeping this in mind, i dont get to set up a nursery :( I really want to but if were going to be moving right around when Im due then its not the best idea. We have a bassinet and other things in the house but the rest will have to move to storage until we have a house. Im hoping to find something soon but im also realistic that im 7 months pregnant and moving does not sound good to me but it would benefit all of our stuff haha.

Finally, at my last appointment i was measuring 2 weeks ahead but she said that doesnt mean anything necessarily so im trying not to get worked up. Today, im noticing my left foot is starting to swell a bit. Oh all the joys of pregnancy :) Did i mention i havent worn my wedding rings since 7 weeks! I had some issues with swelling fingers then and havent worn it since. I miss it!!! Sorry for the long update but its been awhile. I promise to get back to normal blogging.

Aches and Pains

I know that all pregnant women have them but mine have just started to roll in. My back is starting to hurt from carrying around this belly but thats alright. Sleep has been okay but not as great as it use to be. Along with getting up numerous times I also cant fall back asleep because i feel like i have mini earthquakes in my stomach which is the greatest feeling ever, even if it is at 4 am!

I am now able to see my shirt move when hes kicking which is odd but im sure the start of what i will see to come in the future. I definately dont walk fast by any means but then again I never really did. Im enjoying getting ready for the holidays and our very fast approaching trip back home for Thanksgiving.

As everything approaches so quickly it makes me extremely nervous about labor & his birth. Ive had some physical problems along the way which have been discussed with my doctor. My chances of having a c-section are back to normal so I am unsure of what will happen. Since everything that has occurred so far and Im still considered high risk, i would rather opt for the c-section because i still have underlying problems that my doctor cannot figure out until after he is born. As each day gets closer, i get more anxious then before and I know others feel this anxiety but up that by 100% and that is mine. I hope and pray everyday that i just go about the day without worrying about it but no matter what its in the back of my mind. Im hoping for the best for both of us!

Things are coming along!

First of all, on saturday we hit double digits until my due date. I had a panic attack at first because i feel very disorganized and like i want to clean and redo everything. I think this is the beginning of nesting for me. I can't truly fix up or rearrange the guest room into his nursery because its possible that we may move either way whether it be an upgrade at our current place or moving into a house. Im pulling for a house but we will see what happens.

So with that in mind we ordered our crib and dresser weeks ago. Each one was a gift from my parents and Hubbys mom. We purchased a glider rocker off of craigslist and it needs to be recovered because I dont think pink will work for him or I. Which is perfectly fine because we assumed this either way. So now im on the hunt for some fabric. Our crib and dresser is from Baby Dream Serenity line. We ordered it in cherry and it will take 8-12 weeks to come in.

I just scored an amazing deal on our bedding which is Lambs & Ivy Classic Sage. We purchased it brand new for half price off of Ebay which you have to love. I cannot wait for it to come in. When we were out over the weekend we went to Tj Maxx and Home goods and found a lamp for his nursery. However we cannot find a picture online at all. Its extremely similar to the picture above except that the base and trim on the shade is chocolate brown. Otherwise, its identical. So this purchase saved us $40 off his matching lamp.

Once we know if were staying or going we can work around the room to put in some other items and even look for wall art and decals. If you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to leave them below.

No news is good news

Nothing new to report really. Im exhausted constantly! That isnt news i have felt this way pretty much the whole pregnancy. I got the H1N1 shot today. Im glad i no longer have to be irritated to get it or etc. I felt pretty unsure of the whole thing but felt pushed into it so I got it. If i never hear about it again i will be so grateful. Our little boy is more active these days. He definately moves more after I eat but i am starting to feel him at other times too. He especially likes to kick my bladder! LOL. He thinks hes a comedian i guess.

I had a great birthday other than throwing up that morning! I cant believe we will be home in a few weeks and its going to go by so fast cause we will only be home for like 3 or 4 days. Ive started Christmas shopping and im glad since some things i need to take home in a few weeks. My next appointment isnt until the 23rd so I have quite a bit to go yet before any more news. At that appointment i will be tested for GD so well see how that goes. Ive heard that it tastes awful but well see i guess. Ive drank worse things for other tests. Thats it for now!!