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Meet the Newlyweds

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Life doesn't get much better than this.

I just stopped in the hall at the sound of my husband's boots tapping the floor and the his voice in a near-whisper. He was in Lincoln's room, rocking him and reading a Dr. Suess book before naptime. I just stood at the door listening with a big smile on my face. He's a wonderful daddy.

Splish, Splash!

Lincoln loves bathtime. He wasn't too fond of it the first time, but after that he decided it wasn't so bad afterall. Now he never makes a sound when it's time to get in the tub. We are quickly running into a space issue though. He's getting too long for the sling in his infant tub!

Here are some pictures from his first bath.







And one from last week...

The Lip

A Sneak Peek - Lincoln's Birth Story in Pictures

When I first found out I was pregnant, one thing I knew I wanted was a photographer present at the birth. I didn't want to chance leaving the picture-taking up to a family member on such an important occasion. (My sister-in-law tried that with her first daughter and the memory card got erased before they even left the hospital. I could not have handled that.) Through Facebook I found Emily Cottingham. She was great! Here is a slideshow she put together of a few of the images.

We've been busy having fun!

That would be why I haven't been posting much lately. Our little guy is growing fast, and he keeps me rather busy.

After being home from the hospital a few days the visitors started pouring in!
Here are just a few of Lincoln's first visitors.








One of his proudest visitors - his great-grandpa!

Lincoln's Christmas List

I think this shirt says it all.



And Santa, please don't forget the hay and oats. :-)

I'd like to introduce you to our son

Meet Lincoln!

He arrived on Nov. 21, 2009 at 5:26 p.m., weighing in at 6 lbs. 13 oz, and measuring 20.5 inches.

39 Weeks

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? ugh. Do we have to talk about that?

Sleep: It depends on the night.

Best moment this week: I did what is probably going to be my last photo session for a while with a sweet little girl named Becca.

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Just lots of random contractions.

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm all out of wisdom this week. Sorry.

Baby's Development:


"Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath." -babycenter.com

Ice storm babies

Everyone joked and said there would be a baby boom.



Dear Peanut,

When all your friends have October birthdays, don't feel left out.
Your a lineman's ice storm baby.

Love,
Mommy

38 Weeks

Well, I'm still pregnant! We started the weekend with a doctor appointment Friday morning. My doctor was a bit surprised to see us! She said she figured our little one would have arrived already. No such luck. We're still waiting. After our appointment, we grabbed some lunch and headed to the Lil Bit'a Christmas Arts & Crafts show to do some walking and shopping. We ordered a Christmas gift for our Peanut! After that we pretty much just walked all weekend - Joe Mac Campbell Park (twice), Wal-Mart, and up and down our road.




How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? ugh. Do we have to talk about that?

Sleep: Pretty good.

Best moment this week: Putting up the Christmas tree!

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: None this week.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Another lovely round of 2+ hours of contractions that came to an abrupt halt. Good thing we aren't the type to rush off to the hospital at the first sign of a contraction because our kid apparently has a sense of humor. At our appointment last Friday, we also learned that I'm now dilated to 3 cm and he is "very, very low."

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: Walking miles and miles will cause a few contractions - and really sore legs.

Baby's Development:



"Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)" - babycenter.com

Another conversation from Mr. & Mrs.

*last night*

Mr: "Do you have your bags packed?"
Mrs: "Everything except the phone chargers and stuff I use everyday."
Mr: "What are you wearing to the hospital?"
Mrs: "Heels."
Mr: Pause. Giving me his exasperated/trying to deal with a 'redhead moment' look...
Mrs: "I might even dig out my pearls too..."
Mr: "Have you thought about anything other than shoes?"
Mrs: "Yeah. It just depends on what I have on at the moment and what shoes I feel like wearing."

37 Weeks - Full term!

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no desire to know.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep: Not so good the last couple of nights.

Best moment this week: Getting to stand with my best friend on her wedding day.

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: This week it was grapes.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: At my 37 week appointment on Tuesday I was already dilated 2 1/2 cm. We also had one short round of false labor Saturday night. (No, we didn't go to the hospital!)

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: regular clothes

What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy!

Weekly Wisdom: Do not go on a bumpy hay ride at nearly 38 weeks pregnant.

Baby's Development:




"At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life. " -thebump.com




"Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz." -babycenter.com

36 Weeks

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have no idea.

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Well they aren't going away that's for sure.

Sleep: Decent.

Best moment this week: Getting to see our baby boy on the ultrasound again and finding out that he isn't breach anymore!

Movement: Lots

Food cravings: fruit

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton hicks are occurring more and more

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: seeing my best friend this weekend


Baby's Development:



"Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly." - babycenter.com

Just a picture - from week 35

A few weeks ago my sweet husband took a few shots of my belly. This is one of my favorites.

What does a stay-at-home wife/mom get excited about?

Throughout the year I have kept a running list on my phone of things I'd like for Christmas. There is lots of good stuff on there. Purses? Nope. Funky nail polish? Nope. No, by "good stuff," I mean really cool things like a bread knife and a rolling pin, dishes, flatware, and a travel coffee mug (mine all leak). Yeah, I'm asking for good stuff this year.

Lately I've had several "conversations" on facebook that have made me question my own sanity. A few weeks ago, a friend's status lead to 12+ comments from myself and other ladies about the pro's and con's of hardwood, tile, and carpet. Today, a friend posted she'd gotten a new vacuum and loved it. I asked what kind it was. I've also shared and learned lots of stain-removing and cleaning tips through facebook conversations.

Last week I had lunch with a friend, and we spent at least 10 minutes discussing the cleaning of carpet and couches. Sunday I realized my husband had cleaned the ceiling fan in the living room. That was definitely a happy moment for me. And did I mention that I went to Target yesterday? For storage containers that were on sale?

a good place for a cowboy to bed down for the night

Last week we were able to pick up the last of Lincoln's bedding. Oh how in love with it we are! I can't thank Lori and Amy enough for the awesome work they do and the amazing talents they possess. We picked it up Saturday morning before my baby shower, and I could hardly wait to get it home and put in his crib. As soon as the gifts were unloaded from the car, the very excited daddy-to-be made a bee-line for the nursery, bedding in hand. As soon as it was finished we just stood there hugging each other and staring at it. (I might have even had a few tears in my eyes.) Then, of course, Daddy-to-Be insisted on taking some pictures.


This is the comforter.





And the full set...

Catching up - Pregnancy portraits

A few weeks ago Steven and I were able to meet up with fellow (and rather fabulous) photographer, Kendy for a fun pregnancy portrait session.

Here is some of her awesome work from that day.

35 Weeks

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. I'll find out tomorrow morning and report back. :-)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Stretch marks? Not nearly as bad as they could be.

Sleep: Mostly good. Lots of crazy dreams though.

Best moment this week: Getting Lincoln's bedding and getting lots of hugs and kisses from my sweet nieces, Hanna & Kaeleigh while they were here visiting.

Movement: Lots

Food cravings: today it was apples

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton hicks are occurring more and more

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: our next ultrasound on Friday

Weekly Wisdom: Do not tell a pregnant woman she "needs to" or "really should" get an epidural and then state that yours didn't work.

Baby's Development:



"Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight." -babycenter.com

Bedding sneak peek!

Today we got the comforter! We love, love, love it.
I'm just a little excited about it. Can you tell?

The rope fabric was Steven's must-have request. I honestly wasn't really crazy about it when I saw the sample online, but once the actual fabric came in, I liked it. Now that I've seen it in use, I love it.





Want your little one to have custom bedding? Contact Lori at Institches. She's super talented.

34 Weeks

Ok, this pregnancy stuff is catching up with me and I'm getting super lazy with my blog posting. Sorry! I'm really trying not to neglect it. The above picture is not the only one from this week, but it's the only one I like. :-)

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 25 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? Let's not go there.

Sleep: Well I go to sleep, and I don't wake up all night, but I'm still super tired the next day.

Best moment this week: Getting to see our pregnancy portraits and getting Lincoln's comforter. I love them!

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: sweet stuff (grrr...not good)

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to: pants without elastic!

Weekly Wisdom: No wisdom this week.

Baby's Development:

"Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies." -babycenter.com

33 Weeks

*Sorry, no picture this week. I put this together with plans to get a picture, and have yet to do it. I don't feel like to today. Oh well, so I'm just going to post it without a picture.


How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? Let's not go there.

Sleep: Well I go to sleep, and I don't wake up all night, but I'm still super tired the next day.

Best moment this week: Pregnancy pictures!

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Jeans withOUT an elastic waistband

What I am looking forward to: seeing our pregnancy portraits

Weekly Wisdom: No wisdom this week.

Baby's Development:


"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month. " -thebump.com



"This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood." -babycenter.com

32 Weeks!

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know and don't feel like finding out.

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? No more new ones.

Sleep: Surprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Taking engagement pictures for my beautiful best friend and her fiance.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: sweets

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: Jeans withOUT an elastic waistband

What I am looking forward to: Our pregnancy photo session tomorrow! Can't wait!

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.


Baby's Development:


"By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth." -babycenter.com

31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22 lbs. (Yes, I did actually just put that on the Internet for all the world to see.)

Maternity clothes? Well yes.

Stretch marks? No more new ones.

Sleep: Surprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Finally meeting and holding Steven's new baby cousin, Hayden last Friday.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: My husband

What I am looking forward to: Our pregnancy photo session next week! And hopefully going to the fair this weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.

Other Milestones: Andrea, you'll be happy to know that the baseboards have been purchased! They haven't been installed though. haha

Baby's Development:


"This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy." - babycenter.com

30 Weeks

I'm getting lazy with my blogging lately. I put the post together, but then am too lazy to find my camera and upload the picture. Guess I need to work on that.

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I don't even want to know.

Maternity clothes? No. Hahahahaha.

Stretch marks? I've discovered a few new ones, but thankfully they are VERY faint.

Sleep: Suprisingly good.

Best moment this week: Spending the day in childbirth class with the husband last weekend.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: more Braxton Hicks, but that's it

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping at the Twinkle Twinkle Sale!

Weekly Wisdom: Nothing profound for you this week. Sorry.

Other Milestones: I'm now going to be going to the doctor every two weeks.

Baby's Development:



"Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)" -babycenter.com

29 Weeks

*Apparently pregnancy brain kicked in during my blogging this week and I didn't hit "publish post." Oops. Anyway, here it is, finally.*

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 18 lbs. (The scale is no longer my friend.)

Maternity clothes? Yep, and I got a few new things!

Stretch marks? no new ones

Sleep: Good, except for that early morning potty interruption.

Best moment this week: Spending the long weekend with my husband.

Movement: Lots, but only when HE wants to.

Food cravings: none

Gender: Boy! Definitely a boy.

Labor Signs: nope

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: I really can't think of anything at the moment.

What I am looking forward to: Our upcoming childbirth class at the hospital next weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: Do NOT get on the Wii Fit board while nearly 30 weeks pregnant. It doesn't recognize pregnancy. It will, however, tell you that you are obese.

Other Milestones: Exciting stuff this week? I can STILL paint my own toes and shave my legs. Heck yeah.

Baby's Development:


"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. " -thebump.com


"Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day." -babycenter.com

Goin' on a treasure hunt!

This morning I finally worked up the courage to brave the bugs and heat in our storage building to look for my children's books. I pulled out three Rubbermaid tubs, and I think there is at least one more out there, that contain my sister's and my books from our childhood. I slid them onto our wagon and delivered the boxes to my kitchen to sort through them there. I'm nowhere near finished, but I thought I'd share a few of the great finds I have come across so far.

These were two of my favorites. I love Little Bear!


You can't see it in this picture, but most of these have a price of $.89 in the top right corner. The last one, Sleepy Bear, has a sticker on it that says $.82.


I can't wait to read these stories to Lincoln.



This next one is actually my sister's, and we still have the Teddy Ruxpin doll with the tape player in it...somewhere. It's in another box in storage.


This one is my sister's too. Remember these guys?