Owen Ellis

Sorry this post has taken almost 3 weeks to write. I am sure you all know how crazy things can be with a newborn. First, we are all doing great and are trying to get into a groove...slowly but surely :)

Owen Ellis was born July 16th at 7:04am weighing 8lbs 5ozs and 20.5 inches...WHOA! A bigger baby than we ever thought.

Birth Story

I want to share this with you all because I had such a positive experience and feel like you only hear the bad stories. Wednesday night around 9:45pm I started having cramps but didn't think much of it since they didn't have a start and stopping time. Just all over crampy with some more intense than others. Around 11:30pm, after the cramps had not let up we decided to call my doctor, well the doctor on call. I had just been to my doctor earlier that day for my 40 week checkup and during the appt I lost my "MP" so she said that he should come any day now but not that night because she wasn't on call. My luck he decided to come the one night that she wasn't on call :)

Dr. Wolf was on call and after talking with her about the crampy feeling and if we had to time them we would say they were 5-6mins apart but again, nothing that hurt too bad that I thought they were labor contractions. She thought that maybe I was having contractions from my doctor's appt because sometimes that can bring them on. So she decided that she would call the hospital and let them know that I may come in. Chris and I decided that if they didn't go away in the next 30mins that we would head in. I of course didn't want to go AT ALL because I was for sure that it would be false labor because, in my opinion they were not strong enough to be labor contractions. Needless to say after 20mins I still felt crampy and the only thing that felt good was to walk around. So we headed to the hospital.

When we arrived we were sent to triage where they check you to see if you are going to be admitted. I was so sure that I wasn't in labor I apologized to all the staff for having to do a ton of paper work for my false labor. They all laughed and said it happens all the time but they would be able to tell when I was checked. I even made Chris park in the garage and I walked in with him...no way if this was false labor I would be seen being wheeled in a wheelchair...ha!

I was checked and found out that my contractions were indeed real and were 1-1.5mins apart and I was 5cm dilated. So I was admitted to Labor and Delivery and waited for the doctor. This was close to 2am. Dr. Wolf asked if I wanted my epidural and I decided that since I was breathing through the contractions easily that I would wait a bit. I thought for sure that I would be there forever and wanted to be able to walk around for a little longer and not stuck in my bed. Next Dr. Wolf decided to break my water to see if the contractions were still strong and every few minutes. She said most people need pictocin to keep them constant and we would be able to tell after my water broke how I was progressing. Note to self with the next child MAKE SURE TO GET THE EPIDURAL BEFORE THEY BREAK YOUR WATER!! Needless to say contractions are 100x's stronger after your water has broken so within 30mins of these contractions I was getting my epidural :) I was very scared to get the epidural because I have heard stories of how women lose feeling completely and can't move their legs after. Those of you know know me well know that I have a HUGE fear/anxiety of my legs and arms being held down and not being able to move them. I freak out! I talked to my good friend Jennifer Conde about what should happen with the epidural done correctly and she assured me that I should be able to feel and move my legs. If not, there is a problem. I talked to the doctor and told her my fears and she assured me also that I would be able to feel my legs. I also talked to her about turning down the epidural close to time so that I could feel the contractions and know when to push. She was great and listened to all my fears and requests and the epidural was a breeze! Didn't hurt one bit and I was able to feel and move freely. This was around 2:30am-2:45am and Dr. Wolf said she would be back in a few hours to check my progress for me to get some rest. Yeah right! Rest when I am so excited that Owen would be here soon...rest when the nurses were coming in every 30mins to check my contractions and the baby's heartbeat. Needless to say, Chris slept for a few hours and I just watched the monitor and chatted with the nurses when they came in. My contractions held strong and I didn't need pictocin to keep the contractions steady so that was good news for us.

Dr. Wolf came in and checked me around 6:45am and told us that I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. OMG, we had no clue it would happen so fast. Less than 20mins later and just a few pushes, Owen was born. One thing about pushing that helped a lot, although was somewhat traumatizing at the time is that Dr. Wolf had me watch when I pushed in a mirror at the end of the table. It freaked me out a bit but I was really able to see when I was pushing correctly. So, I saw Owen's birth from the minute I started pushing until he was completely out (sorry a little too much info). I am thankful and think that this is one big reason that I had a great experience and didn't have any tearing.

One thing the nurses said and Dr. Wolf said was that with my second child that when I first felt contractions that I needed to run to the hospital! I guess since I had less than 9 hours of labor from the first contraction to his birth, that was pretty quick and with the second child, things tend to go a lot faster. So, note to self, next child it's probably not false labor...get to the hospital ASAP :) Can you imagine if I didn't listen to Chris and tried to make it through the night until I could talk to my doctor the next day??? Gosh, Owen would probably be born at our house.

That's the story of Owen's birth and we are loving every minute we have with him!

Owen will be 3 weeks old tomorrow and it's amazing how much he has grown and changed in such a short time. Just in the past few days we can tell he has grown. He weighed 8lbs 5ozs when he was born, left the hospital weighing 7lbs 12ozs and by the time he was 2 weeks old, he was already past his birth weight...he's a chunky monkey :) I can't wait to see how much he weighs tomorrow at my breastfeeding support class.

Breastfeeding...this has been our biggest challenge. Let's just say that mastitis is the WORST infection ever! I think we have gotten past the hard parts but I can honestly see why women give up on breastfeeding. It's a test to your patients to stick with it. I was determined and still am to breastfeed, even though I am still working through some challenges. I met with a lactation consultant last week and she assured me that he was latching on correctly and encouraged me to stick with it. Our hospital offers a weekly support class that's free and the lactation nurse that I met with runs it, so I am going to go weekly with my long list of questions to make sure I get it and correctly! Also, they do weight checks so I will be able to tell how much Owen is taking in when he nurses. They weigh him before feeding and after and we can monitor this weekly. Makes me feel better because my biggest fear is that he's not getting enough to eat since I have no way to measure how much he is taking in. Wish us luck that we make it the next week or so with success!

I will post updates weekly on Owen...promise not to go this long without an update :)

The Waiting Game

This week marks 40 weeks for us and yes, we're still waiting. Even though at my last appointment my doctor was still sure that she would see me at the hospital this past weekend...we're still here. Anxious and ready plus uncomfortable makes for a moody pregnant lady :) I know baby boy will come when he is ready so we're just trying to be patient.

This weekend was pretty busy for us even though we didn't plan for it to be. We have been walking like crazy and trying every old-wives-tales to make baby boy come soon and well, let's just say they are all tales...nothing worked for us. We ate eggplant parm, spicy buffalo wings, spicy Thai food and nothing. We have also been walking several miles each day which has been great for Sadie, she's in such good shape right now :) Chris has this hunch that women that work out and stay in shape during their pregnancy are the ones that go to 40 weeks and even after, oh well. Saturday we cleaned the entire house, baseboards and all the things you never think to clean. I did the vacuuming of all 4 levels and stairs and all the hardwoods, still nothing but sore arms. It was a workout lugging the vacuum up and down the stairs.

We did get to enjoy Saturday and Sunday workouts and going to the pool which was nice for us to spend some time together, just us before baby boy comes. This week we plan to take it easy and get some nice walks in at night. Maybe a few more date nights before baby boy comes :)

Some exciting news, our stroller came in today! I can't wait to pick it up and see how it works. We have waited soooo long for it and I am excited to test drive it. Isn't it funny how a stroller can get you so excited :) Maybe we will stroll Sadie around the neighborhood tonight...ha!

Some exciting news, my friend Jennifer Snee Urban had her baby this weekend! I can't wait to see pics of baby Cole. She was due the week after me, yes that is correct, after me and she had him a bit early. We have gone through our pregnancies together and shared updates and changes daily and it's so exciting to hear that she had him. We were hoping that we could have our boys on the same day but she beat me to the punch. So happy for them!

That's about it for us, nothing too exciting in these last few days. Here is an updated belly shot, hopefully my last. Nothing really has changed, actually lost a little weight because I have no appetite and no room for very much food.

38 Weeks, Feeling Great and Excited to Meet Baby Boy!!

We had our 38 Week Appointment Thursday and we're well on the way to meeting baby boy soon...maybe sooner than we thought :) Without going into too much detail, things are progressing, baby boys' head is VERY low and easily felt and I am dilated. My doctor has told me all along that she thinks he will come early and she is sticking to her instincts...we can't wait! But we're hoping to at least make it for another week b/c Chris is working a HUGE proposal at work and it just so happened that his two employees are both out next week. So we will just have to wait and see.

I am feeling great! Was a bit uncomfortable last week but now that he has completely dropped I have found more room for me :) Yoga has been my life saver and doing the elliptical a few times a week has really helped with my hip pain. Since we are so close to having him she has given me the ok to work out as much as I want...this is very exciting! I am still not doing too much but being able to work out has given me so much more energy these past few weeks. Hopefully it will give me more strength for delivery :-)

Belly Update:

I have gained a total of 20 pounds as of today. I had an afternoon appt this time so I think it's a little less since I had breakfast and lunch before getting on the scales, but I am still happy with this number. I actually feel a bit smaller but think I look the same. Still feeling big rolling movements and he kicks the heck out of my right ribcage. But he's moved more in the center so he's not killing my right side like he usually is. I had a few BH contractions this week, mostly at night and on Sunday. Still wasn't sure they were contractions but my doctor told me they definitely were. She said some women don't have any contractions until just a but before they go into labor, so that may be the case for me. Plus she said that because I am keeping hydrated really well and my AF is perfect, that helps a ton with contractions. I bet as time gets closer I they will get stronger and stronger but for now, it's nothing I can't go about my day with.

I think we're ready, but I don't think we will every be 100% ready. We washed all baby boy's clothes, blankets, sheets, etc today to get him through the 0-3 month stage and will wash the next set as he gets bigger. He has so many onesies, it's crazy! Not many little outfits but I guess with it being July when he's born he will not need layers of clothes.

We installed our car seat bases and got the snap-n-go stoller in place so if baby boy does come early, we're all set. We can't wait for our Bumbleride stroller to arrive but until then, the snap-n-go will do. We tested it out and it really is handy and super easy to use...not the best looking thing but who cares, right?!? I got an update and our Bumbleride shipped on the 29th so hopefully it will get here soon. I know Chris is eager to see how well it works while jogging.

Camera update...WE HAVE A CAMERA ON ORDER!!! It shipped on Friday so hopefully it will be here in the next week. We have been struggling with our old camera to get weekly belly pictures and that's why we haven't posted updated nursery pictures. I promise as soon as it arrives I will post the finished nursery pictures.

This weekend was very relaxing for us. We had a great 4th and went to the pool on Friday and Saturday. Reston has so many pools but we were told that the nicest one was walking distance to our house. The pool was super nice and we spent several hours there. Not too long though b/c pregnant skin tends to burn easy...so I went with loads of sunscreen in hand! We had a lunch date on Saturday and got a few more errands taken care of. We grilled out for the 4th, burgers and hot dogs of course and then ventured out to see the fire works. We parked about a mile from where we sat to watch them and had to walk. Chris was so funny b/c he asked about every 2 minutes if I was feeling OK...I think he was afraid I would go into labor walking that much :) We followed the rest of the group and got our seats about 30mins before the fire works began and really excited (we both love fire works). Only to realize that they were shooting them behind a row of trees...needless to say we couldn't see anything but the tops :( So we decided to walk back to the car. On the way back we saw another group of fire works and even though they were at a distance, we could see them clear as day. So there we sat, on the side of the road watching the fire works...romantic huh? Baby boy liked them and was super active when they went off.

That's about it for us, just relaxing today and anxious to see what next week brings...maybe baby boy!

We're in Trouble!!

The pictures below say it all! This past weekend we caught our adorable little Sadie walking around the house with baby boy's paci's in her mouth...oh no! We should have been good parents and immediately take it away from her but it was soooo funny we just let her run around sucking it for a bit. I know, not the smartest thing to do but you had to be there to see this ;-) Not only did she walk around with it in her mouth, the correct way she was actually sucking it...so unlike our destructive little Sadie. We took it away from her and then a few hours later she had another one and had chewed open the package and was laying on the floor sucking it...Oh boy, we're going to have our hands full!!

37 Weeks & FULL TERM!!

FULL TERM!

I can’t believe it but we are now full term! Where did the time go?!?! I am feeling very full term now as I have dropped completely so baby boy is sitting very low; which makes it impossible to tie my shoes and bend over. Thank goodness yoga has kept me slightly flexible and stretched so I am able to squat for long periods of time i.e. when playing with Sadie or picking anything up. I’m still the same size and haven’t gained any more weight but I can tell that the baby has grown because there is simply NO MORE ROOM! I am stretched to the max and even though the baby has gained weight, I have stayed the same mainly because I don’t have much of an appetite and did I mention, there’s no more room!!

This past weekend was very successful and we got everything done off our check list…hard to believe since there were at least 20+ things that we had to do. My mom was in town Saturday – Monday so the 3 of us went out both Saturday and Sunday to get everything done…and we did it! But I feel like I didn’t sit down for 2 days straight and was so exhausted on Monday that I could hardly stay awake at work. Went to yoga after work and that made me feel so much better but I was still pretty pooped. The nursery is pretty much done! Custom art came in and we put everything up over the weekend. We are going to hang shelves this week but other than that, we’re ready to go!

We celebrated Chris’ first Father’s Day and it was so much fun! I took Sadie out all weekend so he could sleep in...she’s an early riser and gets us up at 6:30am every morning. On Sunday Sadie and I went and got bagels for breakfast, everything bagels which are Chris’ favorite, to surprise him. Then he opened his gifts, sunglasses from me and a cute little outfit from baby boy! Of course it was for the baby but said I love Daddy. Mom took us to his favorite place, Monterey Bay Fish Grotto and we had an amazing dinner. I think he had a great first father’s day!

One of our tasks was to take inventory on everything we needed before the baby comes and exchange things that we had too many of. Baby boy will sure have his pick of bottles and paci’s! We also purchased our Medela breast pump and got all the accessories that we need and also made sure we had all the correct size diapers. We found that we have a ton (almost #400) newborn diapers but since we don’t know where they all came from, we can’t exchange them. We also have lots of swaddlers for newborns and for 8lb+ babies. So I think we’re all set for a while.

I ordered #2 Miracle blankets after searching 4 stores for them and no luck. Apparently the knock-off brands do not even compare to the real thing so we just decided to order them online from the company to make sure we were getting the real deal. We also ordered a CD that is supposed to help the baby sleep better. It has sounds that mimic the womb, so hopefully that will help too.

We also bought baby boy several outfits for the hospital and to come home in…I couldn’t decide what I liked best so why not get them all. And of course, my mom is getting them monogrammed this week…you all know me and my love for monograms! My mom also got baby boy 2 blankets monogrammed, one for him to come home with and another for his Christening. They are both too cute and match so well with our little color plan.

We also got a new camera, thank goodness right? But unfortunately it's not really good and we are so disappointed in the picture quality so we're going to return it this weekend. We tried to get a cheaper one but looks like we're going to have to pay a little more to get good pictures. So we got one pic of me today and will add pictures of the nursery over the weekend.

Last on the list was to swing by Pottery Barn Kids to pick up our lamps and a few other things on our registry. We got the lamps, love them and were surprised that several of the other items had been purchased. So maybe we have a few more surprises coming for baby boy!

This weekend we have no plans, you heard me right! Jon and Lauren are coming over Friday and we’re going out for pizza and then Saturday I have a prenatal massage scheduled…my poor back and hip are killing me! But no other tasks for the baby other than washing his clothes, towels and sheets. We’re so excited for a weekend without a “to-do” list...it’s about time we get to rest a bit! Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can go to the pool on Sunday.

Oh and BAG IS PACKED! Baby boy, did you hear that?!?! Feel free to come any time now, we’re all excited to meet you!

Less than 28 Days to go!

Less than 28 Days to go!!

Belly Update:

Since not much has changed from last week so I will keep this short and sweet. I gained another pound and a half this week, up to 18.5 total…with 4 weeks or less to go I am hoping to keep it at a pound a week and under 25, which was my goal. I haven’t really grown much more so the belly shot looks about the same but I can tell that he is running out of room as his movements are becoming less and less each week and more like shifts from one position to another. Had my weekly doctor’s appt yesterday and he’s still head down so let’s hope he stays that way. He’s also measuring perfect with 36 weeks, which is around 5.5-6 pounds. I have dropped a bit so my doctor thinks that’s another sign that he may come a bit sooner than our due date…we shall see. Just stay in there for at least another week and we’ll be FULL TERM! But now that I have dropped, I am breathing so much better. He still kicks me in the ribs and lungs all the time but at least there’s a little more room for me!

Swelling – It’s finally happening to me. I thought this whole pregnancy I was doing so great with watching sodium and nothing had started to swell yet. But this weekend I got a taste of what the next few summer weeks were going to be like. Rings are still on but my ankles, not a pretty sight! I keep my feet elevated as much as possible but I have a feeling they are going to be “puffy” for the next few weeks…oh joy! I have always had swelling problems, thanks mom for those genes but I had done so good…we’ll see. Going to buy some comfy closed shoes to keep the swelling down so that should do the trick. I have been wearing my converses on days that are low-key at the office but they are not really appropriate for work…ha!

Bring on the baby showers!

My best girls threw me a shower at Mel’s house on Saturday. It was so great to see everyone and we got a ton of adorable clothes and lots of great gifts. My friend Crystal Keen came up for the weekend and it was so great to see her! Alicia and Neal and Anna and Justin also made the hike up from NC to host the shower with Mel and Andrea…I am so thankful to have such amazing friends! They boys golfed while we were at the shower and then we all grilled out after. I miss these girls and it was great to spend some time with them this weekend. Also, Stella (my flower girl) and Lydia came with Isabelle, I can’t believe how much they have grown up! Now we are making our lists to decide what’s left that we need to get before the baby comes.

We hope to post pictures of the completed nursery next week. Still waiting on some custom art to be framed, putting up shelves and some other little things. After that, I will be sure to post pictures! I have had so many people ask to see the completed nursery…wish it was completed :)

We hope to get a new camera in the next week or so (if the budget allows for it) so I should be able to post more pics soon!

Anxiety – for all that know me well know I have horrible anxiety and I thought that I had done well this entire pregnancy without one little freak out. That was until my friend Renee had her baby boy last week and Marybeth had her little girl this past weekend. Talk about freaking out…I AM NEXT!! Not only have I been a basket case thinking about these two women that were just “pregnant” with me for the past 9 month or so, but now they are moms! It seems so unreal that in a few hours their whole world has been changed and did I mention, I AM NEXT! Renee and I have kept up with most details of our pregnancies through email and it seems so unreal that she now has baby Asher home with her…every time I think about her and baby Asher, I get teary-eyed! I am having feelings from excitement; that I can’t wait to meet him to feelings of sheer panic; where I don’t have everything ready for him to come. I guess this is all normal but as I have less than 4 weeks to go, I can’t help but to freak out! Chris has been so great and has taken on the list-maker task…again one of my OCD’s. We have a bunch to get done but hopefully we can take care of it this weekend.

First list item – PACK MY BAG! So many people tell me that after 36-37 weeks anything can happen…that’s this week! So mark this off my list, bag will be packed this weekend (provided that I have time to buy hospital pj’s, outfit for baby to come home in, etc...haha) it will get done!

My mom is coming this weekend so hopefully she can help me mark off a few more items off my list. I am determined to get as much done this weekend as possible so I can rest and enjoy these last few weeks before I become a mom. I already have a list of to-do’s for her, sorry mom, it just comes with the title.

35 Weeks and 35 Days to Go!

I have been very slack on the updates but promise to update the blog better for the next few weeks! We have been very busy with getting things ready for the baby, such a busy and exciting time!

Belly Update:

Here's an updated picture at 35 weeks and 1 day. Not much change but I am sure the baby is growing by the day.

Weight Gain: 17 pounds...creeping up on me :)

Contractions: None so far and not sure if I have had BH contractions or not...everything has been pretty normal so far.

Labor signs: Nope and hope it stays that way for at least 2 more weeks when I will be considered Full Term.

Cravings: Still eating a ton of avocado and have been eating fish like crazy but no "real-gotta have it" cravings. Space is getting very limited in there so I can't eat very much at a time. I have had ice cream, well frozen yogurt for dinner several nights...so guess I am craving ice cream a little more than usual.

Best/Worst Moment: Baby Showers!! I had one in PA last weekend that was wonderful and my bestest girls are throwing me a shower this weekend in MD. Love these girls! The only thing I would consider my worst moment is the hip pain and pain from the baby kicking me in the ribs constantly! He does love my right side and as much as I try and push him over to the left, he kicks me and moves back under my right rib. Painful but funny :)

Movement: Constant rolling and sudden kicks. I feel his hiccups every night before I go to bed and can tell that he's still head down. I think he's ready to come...but little one, stay in for a few more weeks!

Sleep: Still getting up 4-5 times a night...this baby boy must sleep on my bladder. Which makes it hard to get to get back to sleep after I get up. Oh well, guess he's preparing me. I am trying to stay hydrated like crazy b/c my doctor says that dehydration can bring on contractions and labor signs early so I am drinking water like crazy. I try to stop drinking around 9-9:30pm each night but that hasn't helped...still up at least 4 times.

Other updates:

Stroller Drama!!! Mom A bought us a stroller for our shower last weekend...did it come on time, NO! Did they bother to call us to tell us that there was a problem, NO! So, you all know me I jumped on the phone and very nicely, let them have it. Not only b/c we had ordered it 3 weeks ago and it was coming from NY to PA but b/c no one had bothered to follow-up to see if it had shipped. I think I mentioned last blog that we went with a Peg Perego Pilko which we liked a lot but a part of me really wanted another stroller. Of course more expensive and had to be special ordered and we would not get it for 6 weeks. So, to make this a short story since Buy Buy Baby had screwed up our order, they offered us 20% off the stroller we really wanted, which brought the price down to just a little over what we paid for the Peg. This made me very excited! I ordered the new stroller on Monday and although it will not be here for 6 weeks, we are so excited to have the stroller we really wanted and got a nice discount on it! The manager at Buy Buy Baby said that they NEVER, EVER under any circumstances discount this brand but since they made such a big mistake, she would do it for us. Great store to deal with and I am so happy we bought our stroller from them. Even if we had some drama.

New Stroller - 2009 BumbleRide Indie with optional foot muff (we were advised to get it, so we did...at 20% off, of course)!

Nursery Update:

We had a monogram made for over the crib and it looks great! My idea to monogram scrap pieces of material and frame them and hang over the crib with ribbon and cute gingham hangers turned out not to be a good idea after all. I read another mom's blog and she had wood letters hanging over the crib and one night during a bad storm, the vibration knocked one off the wall and it really hurt the baby...so much for my attempt to be crafty :) So we ended up hanging them by the changing table and they look really cute. The monogram is his initials and is oval, I will post pictures when the nursery is complete.

We haven't done too much more as we have a lot of custom items on order. We had a hard time finding art since everything seems to be done in primary colors and that just doesn't work with our blue and tan theme :) So we had custom art done and can't wait to see it! We found a lady on Etsy...if you have never been to the site, you must go! It's where people sell arts and craft items and you can find ANYTHING http://www.etsy.com/ We found a seller that paints children's art and she we fell in love with "Louie the Bear and Leon the Lion." She was great and asked us to mail her samples of the wall colors and she would paint Louie and Leon to match our colors. Also, she had a little puppy painted and we asked if she would attempt to paint a Sadie...yes you heard me correct. We had her paint a pic of Sadie for the nursery :) Sadie is such a huge part of our lives and the baby has to have a pic of her...ha! I think she looks very serious but Chris just loves it. Louie is being touched up a bit to add a little more tan and texture and Leon will be finished tonight. We had custom frames made at Michael's and they are cottage white with a beaded trim. We hope to have the canvas pictures framed and ready in the next few weeks. Pics of the completed nursery to come.

Sadie the Doggie and Louie the Bear below...how funny!

The bathroom is almost done, waiting on Leon the Lion to be hung and it will be complete! We found the perfect size shelves for the bathroom at Ikea. Which by the way is the WORST store ever! They have great things but I do not like to be told which way to walk through the store when I am shopping. Chris and I went there with a plan, get the shelves and get out. Yeah right! We called before we went, got the isle number, shelf number and everything we could to be prepared to get in and get out. Mel had warned me how it's like a maze and you have to walk through the entire store when you go. Just as we thought we had out smarted their system, we discovered that yes, we had found a shortcut to get the items but that we had to walk all the way backwards on the maze to check out. Whoever designed that store had too much time on his hands! I was so grumpy and hungry that I had to stop and get a cinnamon bun to get me through...luckily they had a snack bar right in the middle of the store. This made me super excited and I walked the rest of the store enjoying my bun! Guess it was worth it b/c the shelves look great and they were super cheap. But I have to say that I don't think I will go to that store ever again unless it's absolutely necessary!

Mom A finished up on our drapes for the nursery, custom white and gingham shower curtain and she also made us place mats to match our new decor on the main level. They look amazing and are just what we wanted.

Mom S got us a NICE Sony Camcorder for our Anniversary and for the baby's birth...Don't worry we're not filming the birth...no way Jose! But we do want to capture a few moments after he is born to share with family and friends. She also got us a nice case and extra memory stick should we want to record something and then immediately pop into the laptop to show people. We can't wait to get it!




Chris put together the pack-n-play that my work gave us and it matches so well downstairs. Took him forever b/c the directions were useless. But here's a pic of it all set up.

I think this blog is long enough so I will wait to update more in the next few days.