The Holidays

All the cousins!

Everything was wonderful for Liam's first Christmas and his Baptism. It started with a visit from cousin Lindsay who came a little early and helped make cookies for the Baptism. Then the rest of her family arrived and there was lots of festivities. It was great to see the kids growing up so much! Ashley has her learners permit so she drove me around the neighborhood. Christmas eve was at my Mom's and the Ordways joined us (which is wonderfully nice of them). Then Christmas morning was at Marcy's, followed by lunch at the lake, and then back to Mom's to greet Tim and family. There we watched old home movies- which was really funny. Liam was passed around to all and really did quite well (as did all the cousins with taking care of him). Pictures will follow of all the Christmas shots (when i find my camera).

Then the 26th was Liam's Baptism where Karen was Godmother and Miller was Godfather. I was so thrilled the Ordways found Jonathan's outfit so Liam was able to wear that!

In other highlights- Liam is getting a lot more control of his hands and is really enjoying sucking on them! He is still constantly standing. But a new trick is his ability to constantly drool!

Three Month Photos

Down in Cocoa Beach

3 Months to the day!

Liam and cousin Olivia

Three Months Old

Liam is now over three months old and life is amazing! Some highlights- in the last two weeks he has started to sleep anywhere from 4 to 7 hours at night at a time and sometimes it is even in the swing in his room! He is also smiling and a lot more communicative. He still prefers to be standing (with a little help) or laying on your shoulder as his favorite positions. And last we weighed he was a little over 13 pounds! He is also doing a lot more on his own (I did not realize how much more until we went and visited a friends adorable 3 week old- Madison)- like playing with his little gym and we are finally able to set him down for 15 minutes or so and he can entertain himself. Which means I am finally getting some laundry done (in 15 minute increments at least). Basically Jonathan and I are still thrilled and loving every minute with the little man!

In other news- we bought a defaulted loan on a 24 unit apartment building in Toco Hills and are in the process of foreclosing on it. Instead of going back to CBRE we have decided that i will manage that. Very exciting!! It is an amazing property and we think we got a great deal! It is very strange to all the sudden not be going back to CBRE- but my coworkers were really nice about it and I am sure we will stay in touch.

Also in the last month Liam went on his first car trip down to Florida to see Gram and Grandpa for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful. We saw lots of dolphin and a manatee swam up to the dock that Jonathan and his Dad were able to pet. All in all it was a wonderful and relaxing trip and Liam did great in the car.

So now we are getting ready for Christmas- Lindsay is going to stay with us for a couple days beforehand which should be fun. And then we have Liam's baptism so that will be nice.

Some quick phots

Lounging around...

our house now- and if you zoom in Dakota is sucking on a passy...

Two Months Old

So I am terrible at this blogging. Maybe once Liam gets on a better schedule I will get better. So far though life is wonderful!! Liam weighs 12 pounds 3 ounces and is starting to smile (especially for Daddy- although it takes a lot of work to get the smiles even for him). He has slept for a record of 6 hours at night- although we now average at least one 4.5 hour stretch a night. He is still in our bed- sleeping on me... It is just so easy that way and he sleeps so much longer that we have not been able to throw him out. I am still amazed at how little I get done with the little man around. I used to be quite efficient and now i think i have only done dinner three times since he was born!

Jonathan has been amazing at this. The baby thing is sort of hard for guys i think because they want to play more than cuddle and coo- but jonathan has made games up for cuddling and cooing and Liam is just loving it!

Other than that life is great. Tracey and Stuart got engaged- and we are in the wedding which should be in the spring at the beach which will be wonderful! Jonathan received his first Alta bag tag- along with about 6 other bag tags for every league he is in. Tracey and I started doubles tennis- and it is fun (although i don't see any bag tags for us this season). I am just so glad to be back outside. Speaking of outside- we have been getting to know the neighbors better and Maria and I have been taking Liam and Zorra walking every day. We have even carried them to the top of stone mountain- twice! Sadly though this baby weight does not seem to be coming off. They said give it six months but at two months and little progress I am frustrated to say the least (although since the only way i know how to diet is atkins and i am not allowed to diet while breast feeding there is little i can do about it).

Supposed to be going back to work in a few weeks and getting nervous about that. Not about leaving him for the Mondays but about being able to get things done. Honestly as hard as i try to accomplish things in the day- my walk seems to be it aside from cooing and cuddling (and changing diapers). However, Jonathan and I came across an apartment building and we are talking about purchasing it and then my whole career would change to property management- I am really excited but who knows if it will work out.

Okay the little man is waking- just wanted to say hi. Later this week i will upload some photos- hopefully!

One Month

So yesterday Liam turned 1 month old! It has honestly been the best month of our lives. He is a fantastic baby! Our sleep of coarse is limited- generally he sleeps in about two and a half hour stretches... And I will admit that I have broken down in tears a few times when sleep is low and he is cryimg in the middle of the night but even then I would not give those moments up! As far as his development- well they are things that one month ago I would have never appreciated but now they are my highlights! He is lifting his head (his neck is remarkably strong), seems to know Jonathan and I's voice, will stick out his tongue if you stick yours out (silly but amazing to have him mimic us), is enjoing Jonathan's games (such as bouncing baby and flying baby), and miraculously is starting to enjoy his swing (only in small increments but that is a major step in being able to set him down). He is still sleeping on Jonathan and I and as I hinted does not like to be set down much! Jonathan and him together are amazing- watching them play at tummy time makes my heart melt! Oh yeah- as of Monday (around 3 weeks old) Liam weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces.

In other news Jonathan & I celebrated our three year anniversary- we went out to dinner (Grandma & Grandpa Ordway babysat). Liam has also been to his first UGA football party (although UGA did not look so good), met my coworkers and numerous friends and family (by the way thank you to everyone who has stopped by- we love seeing you all), . It is amazing how our days seem to fly by- I cannot explain it- but some how playing with a baby makes 5 o'clock arrive before you even have your teeth brushed!

P.S. It is going fabulous with the dogs!

1 week old

Sorry i have been so behind- as you can guess a newborn requires a lot of time. Not to mention one that refuses to be set down even when he is asleep! However, i am not complaining! I guess i should start with the beginning. Last Wednessday I went to the specialist and since my protein numbers had gone up- he said they should induce- that day!! So jonathan met me at the house- we packed and headed to the hospital. That night they started some medicine to get my cervix open- however they did not like its affect on Liam's heart rate so 7 am the next morning (there was no pain that night- just anticipation) the doctor came in broke my water and ordered pitocin. she said it would still be an all day process so Jonathan ran home to feed the dogs- about 10 minutes after he left i had my first contraction (naturally since thye had not started the pitocin since my nurse went to help on another delivery) it was not fun. I called Jonathan (not the nurse since i am stupid and felt bad since i knew they were dealing with a difficult delivery) and he came back- at that time i was just so scared about what was to come if this was just the beginning... So they started the pitocin AND the epidural and life became wonderful!!!

so for the rest of the day we just saw family (both sets of grandparents drove in the night before) and waited. a little after 4 they said we were ready and jonathan pushed really hard (i am not kidding- i could not feel my left leg so he was in charge of it- as well as he pushed my back to sit up for every contraction- the nurses all laughed that he was working harder than me) and then out came Liam. It was amazing! I have to admit my first thought was not about the amazing child- it was I survived!!! Then they handed me Liam (whose head was quite an odd shape) and everything stopped- he was amazing and precious and instantly i was in love.

We stayed at the hospital that night (which meant very little sleep)- i loved dekalb medical (the lactation team is fabulous as well as everyone else) but they check on you so much that we decided even with a new born we would get more sleep at home so we checked out when Liam was 24 hours old. and since then we have been at home with this amazing child! I won't lie- brestfeeding hurts and he does not let us set him down (hence that i need a shower really bad)- but i would not trade one minute of it! Jonathan has been fabulous! Honestly i have fallen in love with him all over. I hoped and figured he would be a good dad- but i could never even have hoped he would have been as good as he is. He is right there helping and holding and enjoying every step with me and for that i truly thankful and very happy.

Okay Liam has had enough sitting- i will add a couple photos and try and get back to you sooner!

Amazing

On September 10th, 2009 Liam Ronald Ordway was born at 5:24pm. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Below are some first pictures- more information and pictures to come!

BED REST- I am not kidding...

So today starts bed rest. Apparently my test results were not as good as i thought and the Doctor got in touch with me today to say extreme bed rest (the only activity this allows is getting up for the restroom). So at 34 weeks and 4 days- I am stuck in bed! Honestly besides looking up preeclampsia (which it turns out they know very little about) i am stuck doing nothing. I am going to try and do work as well- but until some things come in later next week even that is slow.

Such a hard spot to be in since I feel 100% (last night i joined a gym so that i could do swimming) yet i know i should listen to the doctors and of coarse i want what is best for Liam- but me standing just does not feel like it is bad for him. Of coarse though i will lay here happily if it means a healthy baby in a few weeks (if they are putting me on bed rest they will also likely be inducing me at 37 or 38 weeks).

Expect a lot more blogs as i sit around and search for things to write about...

Week 34

Only 6 weeks until the due date!! Little Liam should be almost 5 pounds now and is moving quite a bit. This past week they did have me do some extra testing since I have been swelling up like a crazy blob and my blood pressure has gone up (i started with really low bp- so fortunately with it going up 30 points i am still in the normal range) but they have some fear that if it continues to rise we might have to induce a little early. That of coarse sent me into a tailspin of all the things we need to do! 6 weeks allows for a lot more procrastination than 3! So over the weekend we finally got closet doors and stained them etc (Jonathan even polyed the ones for Liam's room) and they are being installed this week. I also hit up babies r us- because i could just envision being put on bed rest and sending jonathan to get the remaining items we needed and i just did not see that going well (Liam would have the new playstation yet no diaper wipes)... Not to mention that being a first time mom- i am super picky- so even if he followed my list- there would have been no way to satisfy me...

Also, last week I went to one of those baby church sale things with my Mom, Melissa, and Jennifer. The deals were not as great as garage sales but it was a lot less hit or miss- and of coarse i was happy to buy up lots of stuff (thanks Mom for splitting it with me)! I was really glad to know about it though since it will be a great way to get rid of some of this baby stuff when that time comes. Of coarse this was the night before i went to the doctor and that long night on my feet (by the end my feet, hands, and face were double there normal size) might be the only reason for the added bp.

The nice thing about the extra testing (collecting my pee for 24 hours and sitting in the hospital sunday for baby monitoring and blood draws) is i now do not mind waking up 3 times a night to pee since it was so much worse when i had to pee in a jug and then take it downstairs to put it on ice. Nice huh!?! Plus now they are monitoring me closer and in truth that is really nice. It is so scary to have him inside me where i cannot really check on him- so the added doctor attention lets me relax a little. It is such a mix of feelings at this point- part of me wants him out as early as possible (37 weeks would be ideal) since at least on the outside i can watch and monitor him- but in my mind i know it is better for him to 'cook' as long as possible... Strange to think how much i already care about this little guy and i have never even seen him.

Frustration

So everything with little Liam is wonderful- however, i am spending my time going crazy for the future i see us (as Americans) setting up for him. As most everyone knows i care about politics. Currently this health care thing is scaring me. Last night Liam went to his second rally type thing in utero- crazy considering a year ago i had never even been to one! It is a sinking feeling to be welcoming a child into a world that you see going down hill. We have already signed up for enough debt that the next generation is screwed and there seems to be no end in sight to the spending... that all bothers me but the healthcare is just scary. he is coming into a world where very few people seem to feel the responsibility for themselves anymore and that is not the value i want instilled in my child (or the world i think he should have to deal with).

from the town hall last night my favorite line (that is of coarse not being covered in the main stream media) was by Hank Johnson (the congressman)- when someone expressed concerns over the cost of the plan- he stated that 99% of people would pay nothing for it- when the crowd jeered and asked how would it be paid for- he said TAXES! as if we are not the ones paying the taxes! honestly that was his responce. scary huh! i understand there is a need to fix some issues in regards to health care- but having a government run system (since they run everything else so well) is insane. oh the other bothersome thing about the rally was that a police officer was telling my Dad that it was stagged- the officer had seated all the supporters before we were even allowed in the door (disgused as Dekalb county employees were given priority seating)- therefore the room was full and the rest of us were put in a seperate over flow room...

okay i have vented enough...

so on the liam and family front everything is going well. he is now 33 weeks- which means 7 to go! the nice thing is we get to start preparing more in the next couple weeks by getting the car seats installed and packing for the hospital- so all that will be fun. of coarse we are hoping he stays his full time inside- but just in case it will be nice to be prepared (and of coarse i am now anxious so it is good to have something to do with my time baby related). i am getting a little more anxious about the whole birthing process- and honestly i think the needle in my spine is scaring me most since right now in the way back of my mind i am thinking about going natural. of coarse i fully expect that first contraction to send me running to the hospital begging for the spine needle!

The room

Jonathan and I hung the shelf and my mom and sister came buy to decorate it- check out the photos!!

31 week 4D ultrasound

Very quick post but we did one of the fancy ultrasounds again Saturday (31 weeks and 6 days) and Liam is coming along wonderfully. They had a difficult time getting photos since he is so big now and his face is stuck up against my insides. But we did get to see his face some. Plus he is in the heads down position so so hopefully he will maintain that!

Also, over the weekend we had our friends Robyn and Davids wedding which was beautiful! It was really nice to see everyone (have to love inter-pius weddings). Very strange to think that for the next wedding we go to we will have to have a sitter!

Okay more later this week- today we are hanging the shelf in Liam's room and doing general house stuff so i should get back to helping...

Quick Post

This is just a quick post to tell you we survived the birthing class. I think it scared me more than Jonathan... I always want to remember the instructor (around 70) sitting on the floor pretending to be in labor and pushing. Of coarse Jonathan and I were the only ones laughing out loud so it was a little embarrassing. I am really happy Jonathan went (especially with a good attitude) but wish he had not learned some of the things he did. Oh well the good things he learned outweigh the gross ones- maybe...

Other than that Sunday I actually talked to one of my pregnant neighbors (she is due a week earlier than us). And it turns out on our street there are 5 pregnant woman- and 4 of the 5 are having boys! I am so happy for Liam (and me) to have playmates. Also, it sounds like some of those ladies are stay at homes so at least when i am part time i will be able to have some playdates.

Week 30

Life is still going wonderful! Currently 30 weeks so Liam is over 3 pounds and entering a rapid growth period (he almost triples in size over the next 10 weeks). I had my first back cramping pain- so of coarse i worried. Being a first timer I went to the doctor though and learned pain is normal in pregnancy (fortunately it went away though). We also toured the hospital and meet the doctors and all that went great. The hospital is super nice. Honestly the bathrooms are nicer than any hotel i have been to. I am getting really large- but what else is expected. Plus in the last couple of days Liam's movement is so much stronger- i think he is trying to make more room for himself as he pushes and pushes in the same spot!

Wow i just realized i have not posted since my first shower- here are some pics. But it was wonderful! It was all the friends and we received some amazing stuff! It was great to see everyone and it really made Liam feel official to me! Plus we played win lose or draw which was quite funny- since the topics were about me (examples: electric fence and boob job).

Jonathan and I also did our 'babymoon' and went to the lake for a couple days of relaxing. It was fabulous! Nothing too fancy just some nice dinners and casual time hanging out. Then for the weekend friends came to the lake- it was great. Also, we learned that Dakota will be a great dog for Liam- Noah (Joe and Jennifer's son) came up to the lake and Noah was standing on Dakota's face and Dakota never even flinched. Seriously if i were Dakota i would have at least moved- but all he did was lay there and take it. Of coarse from them i learned some more things i need to do (another book- this one on vaccines) so we are truly getting ready. It was nice though to see a kid up at the lake and get to picture our lives next summer with Liam on the water. And going by the fact that he falls asleep in my tummy every time the boat starts up i don't think we should have any problems!

Third Trimester- maybe...

Seriously someone needs to sit down with a doctor and a calender expert and figure out the pregnancy schedule... According to some books and websites today is the start of the third (and final) trimester. Of coarse other books and websites say it starts next week- however i am more than 2/3s done so i am going with the 27 week marker!

Life is still really great. It was a crazy weekend. Saturday night we went to a friend's 30th birthday to find out that his wife is 6 weeks pregnant and then one of her friends showed up and exclaimed she was 12 weeks- so it was interesting (and yet not nearly the craziness the last party at there house was)! It was kind of nice to not be the least experienced one in the conversations (they actually thought i was knowledgeable i think). Of coarse that got us onto conversations like circumcision- which totally has me frazzled (the worst part was one of the ladies there told us they had botched her sons so he had to go back in later- yet it is still not 'right'). Okay too much information- but seriously this decision is the first of many more hard ones to come- and it is stressing me out!

Emotionally i am a little more shaky than i have been. It is strange to want extra love and attention and not know if it is legitimate (like should Jonathan have already thought of a date night) or if it is just my emotions out of whack so i should give him fair warning that i need some romance. And of coarse it is not just one Jonathan things- it is all things.

Sunday was another big feat- I wore a bathing suit!!! We went to the lake with Stuart and Tracy to just enjoy the day. It was wonderful!

I might be out for a little while- we are going with the family to Savannah for the 4th and then taking a week off to head to the lake so I doubt i will be on the computer much. Next time I post- i might have already had my first baby shower!!! Wish me luck as life gets more and more uncomfortable!

98 days to go and the room is coming along!!

So we have 98 days to go until the 'due date' and only 7 to third trimester!!! 98 days probably sounds like a ton for those who are not pregnant but it means we have survived 182 and we are 65% there.

Other than that our life is going pretty amazing! Ellie, Carl, and Olivia were in town this weekend for my Grandmother's memorial service (which turned out to be exactly what she would have wanted- a party at a pub). It was great to see them and to have a baby around the house to kind of wake us up to the change that is coming in our lives.

Saturday night we went to a friend's birthday party and had a great time. It was very interesting since one of the other ladies there is 17 weeks pregnant (and has an 18 month old) and the other has a one year old and Jonathan and I just sat there in conversation with them about their experiences. Jonathan had never heard of SIDS and seems thoroughly disturb about it (I tried to rationalize it is super rare- but he seemed deaf to that). It was neat to seem him just as into the baby conversation as i was though. Plus it was good since a number of times this weekend i heard the first three months are not the greatest- so at least i feel warned that when we are exhausted and the baby is not giving any positive reinforcement to our endless actions that there is an end in site and it will be worth it...

Sunday was Father's Day at the lake house- which was wonderful. The boat works fantastic (always the highlight of my summer when the boat cranks with no issues). Marcy, Kevin, Miller, Harris, my folks and Jonathan's folks all came up there. I am so excited that Liam will have those lake experiences like I had as a kid! We are just so fortunate.

Well here are some pictures of the room- and as crazy as i feel since we already have so much of the baby stuff- it was very handy this weekend for Olivia! And thank you to my Mom for the bed skirt and quilt- aren't they perfect!!!! We still have to put up the shelves around the top of the room and a lot of other details- but the base of the room is coming together.

Here is my status update report:

How far along? 26 weeks

How big is baby (new to the survey): 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches

Maternity clothes? Exclusively

Stretch marks? Nope (thank the heavens...)

Sleep: Is officially getting uncomfortable! When i have to get up to pee in the night it is this roll off the bed action to then heave myself up.

Best moment this week: The week was great! Jonathan saw Liam kick from the outside (no hands on belly) which is fun.

Movement: Tons. Mainly at night though which has us scared this child is going to be a night owl and keep us up all hours!

Food cravings: Everything! Fruit, reeces pieces (something that would have made me gag 26 weeks ago), ice cream, chocolate (another thing that would have made me gag), peach juice...

Gender: It’s a boy!!!!

Labor Signs: No. In the book they do say I might experience Braxton Hicks contractions anytime now- I can only imagine the panic attack that will cause me!

Belly Button in or out? In but it’s kind of crazy to think it will poke out at one point- especially since that point is coming soon. I know another lady who is just a week ahead of me and it is already out- super yucky!!

What I miss: A cold mixed drink on these hot days.

What I am looking forward to: Third trimester in one week!

Weekly Wisdom: The thing i heard at the beach party by strangers, from Ellie, from Jennifer and everyone else this weekend- the first three months are hard. But super worth it!

Milestones: Liam will be opening his eyes this week, his lungs are getting strong, and he now recognizes Jonathan and my voice (and even the dogs barking)! Time to get out the classical music!

The weekend

We had a wonderful weekend in Savannah. We went down there to hang out with the family and see my niece and nephew in Narnia the play. It was really great. One amazing thing was that my folks had some other friends down there as well and one of them asked my Dad something about his childhood and my Dad got into some growing up stories. It was really neat. Everyone knows my Dad is one to tell a story- but for some reason now that i am on my way to being a parent it meant so much more. Just hearing about his childhood was really amazing.

The other amazing thing is my youngest niece Abby Kate- who is growing up super fast. It actually shocked me to realize how quickly Liam will be here and then be on his way to growing up. It was really great though to see Jonathan and her playing together- so funny how what you find amazing in your partner changes as your life changes. Jonathan just sitting on the couch playing some random game (that involved torturing the dog) with Abby while everyone else was in adult conversation confirmed for me for the millionth time that i married the most wonderful man!

In other big news- today is officially 24 weeks! Which is wonderful since scientifically Liam is now called viable (meaning he could live without me- although it would not be ideal obviously). He is kicking up a storm in there and sometimes now has big enough movements you be able to see him from the outside! Plus Friday we had a doctor appointment and heard his wonderful heartbeat- so everything is good there as well.

In very sad news my Grandmother passed away this past Thursday. This was not a surprise- and in all honestly was a relief. I know that sounds terrible but she was miserable and getting more so by the minute so really we are all happier for her. My Grandmother was not perfect as a mother but as I spent time with my Mom this weekend I realized that how my Grandmother was formed who my Mom is (even if some of that formation was the choice my Mom made to not be like my Grandmother) and that i am incredibly appreciative of that because my Mom could not possibly be more wonderful. Please say a prayer for her- I know she is in a better place and finally with my Grandpa which i know is what she wanted.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Funny Story

So I totally forgot to log my very funny story about Liam's wonderful father to be! So last week I was showing Jonathan some diaper bags making sure it would be one he was willing to carry and he looked at me dumbfounded and said- 'i am going to have to take diapers places with me?'. i almost peed my pants! seriously- being an only child and not having a lot of family around he just was not around babies much so we are in for an adventure. so after that comment we have signed up for a 'how to babies' class with some friends. it should be very helpful!

The first time....

Today was the first time a stranger addressed my being pregnant!! Although I think i look obviously pregnant- people are always really careful since they don't want to get it wrong and today was the first time someone did not hesitate when they asked about the baby!!! It is so real now it is fantastic.

The other wonderful thing was last night as I was laughing/complaining about my belly (it was making it impossible to sit comfortably with a laptop on my lap while slouching) Jonathan said 'yeah but it will all be worth it'. I know it is a simple phrase- but it is wonderful to know that he thinks so and that he is just as excited as I am (not that i had any doubt- but still it was wonderful to hear).

Pictures this week

Sorry I forgot to post these in my other post today. Both of these are from this week. Seriously amazing how big I am getting huh?!?

Jonathan felt Liam!

Sunday night (May 24th) Jonathan felt Liam kick!!! Since then he has felt him kick more- but that was the first official time he felt his son!

Other than that everything is going wonderful. We went to Decatur's Art Festival and the Grant Park Jazz Festival this weekend which were fun despite the raining weather. The whole time we were at these events i was scoping out strollers (pathetic i know but apparently my nesting instincts have manifested in the baby gear department). Other than that it was a very lazy long weekend- except Friday my Mom and I cleaned out the attic to make room to store all the plastic stuff. My Mom is the most wonderful woman on earth. By about noon i was ready to give up- but she kept me going and we actually have it cleaned and organized and lots of space now!

Speaking of strollers after much debate between the Bumbleride and many other silly named strollers we ended up with the Bob Revolution! It is wonderful. I found it on craigslist (after i accidentally came across a bumbleride for a good deal it sent me into a tailspin trying to figure out if that was the stroller i wanted since i would not find that deal again- then while searching came across a great deal on a Bob and the rest is history). Seriously though that might be the only real strong side affect i have so far from this pregnancy- is the nesting and constantly looking at all the gear that babies 'need'!



So I have not done Melissa's status report in a while so here goes:
How far along? 22 weeks

Maternity clothes? This weekend I was excited to fit in a skirt that is not maternity- of coarse it was stretchy material so it really does not count. Definitely needing maternity clothes now other than that. And starting to feel huge. At least three times while dressing this weekend i pouted to Jonathan that i felt huge- he finds this so weird and laughs that i am pregnant and how i am supposed to feel...

Stretch marks? Nope but my skin feels super tight if i don't put lotion on it.

Sleep: I fall asleep great then wake up a couple times either to pee or because both my arms are asleep (I keep rolling onto my back which apparently the kid weighs down on my blood vessels). Tons of dreams- the other night Paula Dean was an additional Mother-in-Law (still married to Joanthan in the dream and his Mom was still his Mom- it was only logical in dream world).

Best moment this week: Jonathan feeling Liam kick! Also, pretty amazing that he is now weighed in pounds and not ounces.

Movement: Loving it!

Food cravings: None to speak of.

Labor Signs: I sure hope not anytime soon!

Belly Button in or out? In but it’s kind of crazy to think it will poke out at one point.


What I miss: It is not bad yet- but when sitting on a low couch or the floor- it is getting much harder to stand up. Very strange sensation to be trying to get up and realize you are still sitting.

What I am looking forward to: Everything! Only 18 weeks to go!

Milestones: Jonathan felt Liam kick and he now weighs over a pound!

Super Love

I supper duper love how much i am feeling Liam today- it is so cool. Apparantly he either really likes salad and gets excited about it or hates it and is throwing a temper tantrum in there- either way i am eating a lot of salad because it is so wonderful to feel him!

Lucky

No real updates- just happiness. Every once in a while i really appreciate how lucky i am so far with this pregnancy. From everything to the beginning happiness when we found out we were actually pregnant (after the doctors said we weren't and i was pretty bummed), to not having many side affects, and then surviving the latest scare that I am a cystic fibrosis carrier (after three weeks of waiting on results- Jonathan is not so Liam is at no risk). It was such an interesting scare while we waited for his results- feeling helpless and responsible for what might be in store for my child. It was definetly the first 'Mommy' moments were I could not explain the worry and the love I already felt. Of coarse poor Jonathan had to put up with me being a basket case while we waited on his results. But it all worked out and now I am just back to being really lucky with how this whole pregnancy is going.

It is so strange- I really am starting to feel bonded to this child. Feeling him move has really added to the reality of him being a real person. The only thing I really want now is for Jonathan to feel him since it made such a big impact on me- I really want him to experience it.

Sorry for such a boring post- but I thought I should remember at one point (probably during the August heat) that this is wonderful and that we are so lucky.

Expensive

So we bought a camcorder today (or ordered it at least). Honestly I am just posting to say that because I am in such pain for the amount of money spent on the thing. But we really want to record this journey so we justified it (and of coarse i feel for the argument to go with HD since then we won't have to replace it in a couple years- yeah right!).

It is amazing how much stuff we will need. Car seats almost have me in panic mode. There is such a price variance in everything kid stuff and you cannot figure out if it is legitimate for safety or just brand name and they know they have over zealous mommies to be to rip off...

Liam is still doing wonderful! And I am still really lucky. Nothing of my old stuff fits though and the belly is real enough that it is a real baby bump- not a large meal bump!

At the half way point

Well honestly the halfway point did seem to make a big difference. I woke up on the morning of the 20th week with my stomach muscles sore from being stretched and i swear i am noticeably bigger! I have felt Liam a number of times now- however not consistently and Jonathan cannot feel him yet. It is a wonderful feeling- except that it is still not clear enough for me that it is him so i am still a little hesitant to get all excited since it could just be my stomach muscles breaking... I am really looking forward to the movement over the next couple of weeks where there is no doubt that it is my son! Plus I really want Jonathan to be able to feel him- right now when I tell him I feel bad since he does not get to experience it.

The photos are of me at 19 weeks 5 days (before we went out to celebrate Mom O's birthday). And then also of my Dad and I on Mother's Day- since he is all excited that my belly will be bigger than his one day (and at this rate it will be soon)!

Other than that I have been looking at all the stuff kids these days seem to REQUIRE- it is crazy! But it does get me excited. Mother's Day had a whole new meaning this year since by next year I will have a little one who will be sitting up and maybe even saying Mama.

19 weeks 3 days ultrasound photos

Still 19 weeks

So we went to the doctor yesterday for another ultrasound- everything looks wonderful. Bad news is the technician said this was the most active child she had seen in a while... I am attaching those photos (not as clear as the 15 weeks but this was just the regular doc office so nothing fancy). Also I figured I would borrow Melissa's tracker to keep up with pregnancy- so that is below:
How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: The doctor said I was doing great- so I was not asking questions.
Maternity clothes? I love my maternity clothes. My mother in law took me shopping and honestly now my maternity clothes are nicer than my regular clothes. However, I still keep putting on my regular clothes for around the house- i think it makes me feel more pregnant since in those you can now really tell!
Stretch marks? Nope and I am holding out the prayers on this one since my mom did not get them.
Sleep: Sleep is amazing. Honestly at 9 pm I can fall asleep. Of coarse i do wake once or twice to pee but still 9pm is my bedtime which is insane for me!
Best moment this week: Ultrasound yesterday. Even my unknowledgable self could tell which end was what (and that he is definitely a he).
Movement: Should come in the next week or two- but in the mean time i have tried drinking orange juice and concentrating on movement- still nothing though.
Food cravings: Still not sure i believe in these yet- so far it seems like foods i always liked now i just have an excuse to eat them. But the foods of choice right now are: biscuits (the wonderful big flaky ones- this is the reason i do not want to talk about weight gain), chick peas (which may sound weird but i have always been a weird eater so it might not be pregnancy related), and apples.
Gender: Totally a boy!
Labor Signs: I sure hope not anytime soon!
Belly Button in or out? In (and this disturbs me greatly that at some point i will type 'out').
What I miss: Alcohol on a beautiful day sitting on a porch (pain killers mostly). Also, the ability to stay up past 9:30.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling him move!
Weekly Wisdom: Although registering sounds fun- it is so overwhelming and expensive that it losses its fun pretty quickly (not to mention it is too early for me to be registering but as people are saying 'you must have x or y' i am adding it to the list just so i remember later. so basically do not look at my list yet- it is just a running tally of everything- and i will go through it later.
Milestones: Officially being in mainly maternity wear.

19 Weeks

So far I am still very lucky- and feeling great! The crib is set up and as I turn into my Mom I have pretty much finished buying all the clothes for our little man (I have limited myself to no more garage sales for a month or so since in the past two weekends i have acquired a ton of clothes)! As of today the name of choice is Liam Ronald Ordway after both Grandpas- both Jonathan and I agree on it- but with 5 months to go who knows if it will last. Tomorrow is another ultrasound but i figured i should upload some of the photos from the last one before we get new ones- since i am trying to use this to keep track of the pregnancy (and obviously doing a terrible job considering this is only my third post). But all is going well. I still have not felt Liam kick but that should come in the next couple weeks i hope (and once it comes i am sure i will wish he would stop- but as of right now i am waiting anxiously). Soon i will take some belly shots- but so far i think i just look tubby so they would be depressing.

The baby better love me...

Right now I am eating yogurt and cereal so that i get calcium and whole wheat- this baby better love me! Seriously it turns out my diet is the exact opposite of what a baby needs.

Other than that i am amazed by this experience so far. And incredibly lucky since the only side effect as of today is that by the time i get home from work i am ready for a nap. The heart beat was the most amazing thing of my life and I am just excited that in 10 days we get to hear it again (and see the baby which should be about the size of a green olive by then).

Other than that- I am going through job stuff- but if i think about it I will stress out. So nevermind.

P.S. Is it okay if I use this more as a diary than a blog?

Inspired

So Mackenzie has me inspired to set up the account- hopefully sooon I will be inspired to take the 365 days of posting challenge...