14 Weeks

Zoey is 14 weeks old!!

She was a little crabby after her night time bath, and the only time I could take a picture without her complaining was when she finally went down for night nights.

She's growing up so fast- she is already in a size 2 diaper!! As of her last Dr. appt, Zoey weighs 12 lbs. 8 oz. and is 25 inches tall!

During one of her naps, she fell asleep holding Mr. Sheep's foot.

She's grasping her toys more each day, as well as trying to put them in her mouth.

She likes her green owl Daddy got her :)

She also thinks her purse is a phone!

And she was just hanging out with her friends in the swing. Love her sooo much!

13 Weeks/3 Months

Two days ago, Zoey turned 13 weeks old!

And yesterday she turned 3 months old!

11 & 12 Weeks

Last week's photos:

Love her smiling face! She was having fun during this photo shoot!

This week, Zoey is 12 weeks old!

 She was a little wiggle worm during this photo shoot, so she was blocking the chalkboard! 

 She has the cutest scowl! Looks just like her daddy did! She's still trying to figure out what exactly the camera is.

And here she is eating her fingers. Still cute as a button. My guess is that she is starting to teeth since she does this and also drools a lot more now.

She's talking (babbling) even more, and sometimes you can get a good laugh out of her by being silly. She particularly likes it when I stick my tongue out at her, and she is starting to fancy whistling sounds! At her last check-up on August 9th, she weighed 11 lbs. 10 oz. and was about 23 in. long. 

It is truly wonderful to watch this little peanut grow!

9 & 10 Weeks Old

Zoey's 9 week old picture:
(She wiggles and throws her arms around so much that she smudged the chalkboard!)

Zoey is beginning to babble/coo more, play/interact with her toys and mirror, and is giving really big smiles! She may even start rolling over very soon. Almost every time I get her from the crib after a nap, she is laying in a different spot/position than what I put her. It's exciting, yet a little scary since we won't be able to leave her laying places without barriers.

Since I have procrastinated on the blog (sorry!) I'l have to update with Zoey's 10 week old picture as well. Although I haven't been consistent with posting, I am still taking her photos. 

She's getting so big and growing so fast! It truly is a blessing to be able to watch your children grow. 

8 Weeks Old

Our little Zo-Bug is 8 weeks old!

She wasn't very interested in being awake for this photo shoot! 

It really is amazing/shocking/tiring at how fast/much a baby's schedule can change... and how much they grow!

From dealing with number 2 issues, to gunky eyes, and cranky nights, sometimes it feel like we take one step forward into a great routine and then the next minute two steps back. Regardless, she is still WONDERFUL. But after having some stomach issues, her eating and sleeping habits got out of a good routine... or just one where I preferred where I was getting sleep at night. However, with pumping and constant comforting, we will get back on track!

She continues to surprise us everyday by doing something new! She's cooing a lot, trying to swing or kick at her toys (especially Mr. Monkey and Mr. Elephant), and she also tries to mimic you when sticking your tongue out!  

I've been meaning to post about breastfeeding and pumping and my experience with it all. The information that I've found when I had worries and struggles was really mixed and didn't help me much, but I hope for it to be beneficial to another new nursing mother who needs advice and is looking for a positive outlook on breastfeeding.

That will be my next post... but for now, here is a picture of Daddy and Zoey during the late night shifts.

7 Weeks OId

Zoey is 7 weeks old.

It has been a tough couple of days for this little girl.  Right now we are battling tummy aches and sleep deprivation. It was even difficult to get a picture of her not crying, hence the next photo that required her paci to keep her calm. 

Some new things this cutie is doing: smiling a lot while awake (especially when you make fart noises with your mouth, of course), giggling at Mr. Elephant and Mr. Monkey, and sleeping almost 5 hours at night, waking up once to be fed/changed, then sleeping almost another 5 hours (with the exception of the past three nights due to belly aches). Hopefully our little angel will feel better soon. 

Until then, we will just hold and comfort her as much as possible. Which I've gotten great at doing things one handed when she allows. 

Here's her and daddy in their Sunday best relaxing on the couch. They are my whole world <3

6 Weeks Old

Zoey is 6 weeks old!

She is so amazing. She has already started smiling, and every once in a while she will let out a little giggle!

She has been getting stronger and can hold her head up pretty well. 

Since settling back home in Michigan, we've been spending a lot of our time relaxing and visiting with friends and family. 

It's unbelievable that she has already outgrown all of her newborn outfits and newborn diapers! Sadly, there were a few outfits she never got a chance to wear. 

It's hard to think back at how small she was; it seems like so long ago. But it really is amazing how big she is getting, and how fast she is developing in so many ways. Her personality is showing so much more, and is stealing our hearts everyday. 

5 Weeks Old

Our little sweetie is 5 weeks old!

Zoey is 4 weeks old!

3 Weeks

Little Zoey is 3 weeks! (as of yesterday)

It has become quite tricky getting things done when you have a newborn. Something as simple as getting a picture when she's not sleeping or crying can be difficult, but we got one!
Our cute little strawberry.

Delivery Story

As promised, here is our delivery story!

At my last prenatal appointment on May 22, my doctor scheduled for me to be induced on Tuesday May 28 at 5:30am. There weren't any complications or a major reason why, it was only that It would be 40 weeks and with how big my belly got and how tiny I am, I was just miserable and ready for our little girl to be here! 

The weekend prior to the 28th I cleaned like a maniac! I'm not sure if it was the nesting feeling I had, the packing we had to get done to move, or a just a combination of both. But I spent a good day packing, organizing and getting things ready for Tuesday. 

Since the school year had just ended that previous Friday, we had a going away party to attend on the Monday the 27th for a friend. As usual, I barely got any sleep and decided to start the day early with more cleaning. As I was in the kitchen getting my breakfast ready around 10am, I thought I had peed my pants! I thought maybe my water could have broken, but with being that far along and peeing your pants almost on a daily basis (no joke!) I just figured it wasn't time because there were no contractions, and hopped on the shower. 

Throughout the day there were still no signs of contractions or any slight cramping, I only had to deal with the very annoying (and gross) slight leakage I had going on. With this being my first pregnancy, I didn't want to be one of those women who go into the hospital multiple times with false labor and sent home, since I've never experienced these things before. So I ignored it the best I could. As we were about the get ready for our friends going away party, I finally decided I had enough with the leakage and called the hospital around 3:30pm to get some suggestions. When I got to a certain point of the pregnancy, I gave up on being embarrassed about how often I had accidents, so I had no problem telling the nurses "I'm not sure if I peed myself or if I'm in labor". I'm sure they have gotten that before anyway! They told me to just come in and they will check. To avoid having Justin make multiple trips back home to get our bags if I had to stay at the hospital, we just go everything together and headed to the hospital around 4:30pm. 

Right when we got there, they said they hoped I had already eaten because it could be a long night. That wasn't something that crossed my mind, but I really didn't worry an think we would have to stay since I still didn't have any contractions. They got us into our nice, big room and checked me while getting things ready in case I was staying. Around 6:00pm they finally came back on and told me my membranes did rupture, and that we were definitely staying! I was still not convinced it was really happening, so I stayed pretty calm, and then I started thinking about how hungry I was and how it would be a long night...

So we began our long night of waiting and excitement while we called family and friends. At this point I did start to worry about my doctor not being there the deliver Zoey because she had went out of town that weekend and was coming back sometime that night. Since I was progressing slowly, it actually ended up working itself out! From about 6:00 to 9:00pm I was only dilated to just under 3cm, still with no contractions, and the doctor that was on call had only given me Pitocin around 8:00pm. Finally, between 9:00 and 9:30pm I started to have some slight cramping, and thankfully they allowed me to eat something after 6.5 hours, so Justin being the amazing husband he is got me food. 

For the next 5/6 hour it was spent having visitors, watching tv, playing with the barf bags while taking pictures, which then progressed into my contractions being very close together (about every minutes and a half to less than a minute), sitting on the ball, walking the hall, and getting very uncomfortable/irritated. Thank goodness for Justin being there and helping me through the contractions! After about 1:30am I gave in and started asking about when I could get an epidural. However, I was only dilated to about 3.5cm, and they wanted me to wait until I was at about a 4 or 5. With both Justin and I very cranky and beyond tired, I didn't worry about the pain of getting an epidural, and around 3:00am I had finally gotten it! The only difficult part about that process was remaining completely still while having a contraction and getting the epidural. But after 10 minutes, I was already starting to feel so much more comfortable, and sleep finally looked like it was going to happen. 

From all the excitement and being constantly checked by the nurses, I may have only gotten about 2 hours of sleep. At about 6:30am I was dilated to 8cm! I was finally progressing a lot faster than the previous 10 hours, and by 8am I was fully dilated. We also got the great news that my doctor was ready and would be there for the delivery! Such a relief! The nurses prepared the room with everything to check Zoey when she arrived, and got me ready to start pushing around 9:00am. There were about 5 nurses/staff in the room during this part, and it was really relaxed and just getting ready to call my doctor in for the real hard pushing. In total, I pushed about 25 minutes with the nurses, then another 20 with my doctor there. It was such a great experience because we were all relaxed, comfortable, and making tons of jokes. I don't mind that at this point there as about 8/9 different staff in the room! 

Zoey arrived at 9:51am and was placed right on me for Justin and I to meet our little girl! The doctor asked of either of us wanted to cut umbilical cord, but we gladly left that to her. Zoey was 7 lbs. and 1.4 oz. and 19 3/4 in. long. Surprisingly, I fed her as soon as the nurses were done checking her and she latched on almost perfectly! Now breastfeeding hasn't been perfectly easy or pain free, but it has certainly gotten better as both Zoey and I learn from each other. 

We spent that night in the hospital to be monitored, but everything was great and we were ready to go that next morning! We (or mostly just me) panicked and had a hard time because she didn't pass two hearing tests (that made for a long few days) but that next week we took her back and she passed her third hearing test! These past almost three weeks we have spent with her by ourselves (as in without family) has provided great bonding time for us three as a family, and we couldn't be happier with our sweet little girl, even considering the la k of sleep. It has all been worth it. 

2 Weeks Old

Our little Zoey is 2 weeks old!

She is just so wonderful. She is starting to smile and look directly at us when we hold her and talk to her. She even has laughed once (while she was sleeping)!

I've been meaning to post about our hospital experience, but between feedings and trying to get sleep and get things done around the house,  updating the blog has been the last thing on my mind. Soon, I will share our story though! 

For now, here is a cute picture of our little peanut at two weeks! 

Introducing...

Zoey Kathryn

Born on May 28th 2013 at 9:51 am

7 lbs 1.4 oz. & 19 3/4 in. 

Our wonderful little girl is finally here!... As of a week ago today. We are just beyond happy and in love with her; she is so perfect.

Week 39

Our sweet little girl. 

You will be here in our arms in less than 4 days. Your daddy and I already love you so much; you're our whole world. I couldn't imagine not having you come into our lives. It has been so amazingly wonderful to watch and feel you grow in my belly, and we are so blessed to be your parents and get to watch you grow for the rest of our lives. 

You make our family that much more complete, and we promise to love you forever.

Week 38+

We haven't had much new going on this past week. At the doctor's appointment last Wednesday we found out I was dilated to 2 cm, and I am progressing at a good pace. We were really hoping to get news to just head right to the hospital, BUT it might be a little while until then. Every day is just waiting around, going for walks, timing the very few contractions I have, packing, and resting. I usually just have contractions at night but they are inconsistent and not intense. I feel like this is going so slow, but I'm actually at a really good spot considering my due date is next Thursday/Friday. We are just so anxious and ready for her to be here!

On another note, we've gotten more stuff for baby this past week! 

The new nursing cover:

Purchased from Lilacs & Lollipops on Etsy

A new boppy pillow cover that matches baby G's blanket! I occasionally like to use this at night as I'm shifting to get comfortable with the 4 other pillows I use.

Purchased from Brownies N Butterflies on Etsy

And our lovely friend, Erin, sent us this Eddie Bauer high chair:

 from Target

And the Mei Tai Carrier that Justin is soooo excited to use! :)

Also from Target

I love the designs on them and can't wait to put them to use!!

The carrier will be of great help to us especially while we are down in Kansas since we don't have her stroller here. 

We've already received so many wonderful gifts from friends and family, and are so thankful! Baby G isn't here yet and already she is spoiled, but we are just so happy that we have all these wonderful people in our lives that already love her. We are truly blessed.

Mother's Day & Pictures

It was wonderful to hear people wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. Although we are still waiting for Baby G to get here, I love her with all of my heart and think about her every second of the day, so I think I qualify to be a part of this whole Mother's Day thing by now! Especially since she will be here anytime now in the next 2-1/5 weeks! 

Today we went to church ( I got a carnation! ),

then enjoyed the lovely, yet hot day with our friends at the park to take pictures!

He's going to be such an amazing father. <3

Week 37

How far along? 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: 21 lbs+ Lost a few pounds!
Maternity clothes? Whatever is thin and comfortable... it's getting too hot for my maternity clothes
Stretch marks? None
Sleep: I'm up every. single. hour.
Best moment this week:  Getting good news from the doctor :)
Miss Anything? Sleeeeeeeep. Coffee. Being cold out.
Movement: She's still moving around a lot!
Food cravings: Cinnamon rolls all the time!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of the dissections going on at the high school...
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Just the usually cramping and tightening

Symptoms: Shortness of breath and fatigue like crazy. 

 Belly Button in or out? Outie

 Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Drained, but so excited to get things rolling!
Looking forward to: Our next weekly appointment as usual!

Based on my most recent doctors appointment, I am 1.5 cm dilated! It is such as great thing to hear from my doctor about how good the pregnancy has gone and how the baby is doing. She says she is in the perfect position, and now we just wait for the next three weeks to see when she wants to come!
We're all set on baby stuff that we need while we are down here in Kansas until mid-June. It feels a little weird to be packing up the apartment while we are unpacking and setting up things for baby though. We also got the car seat in the car and ready to go, so it's definitely feeling real now! We just can't wait for her to get here already!

Week 36

How far along? 36 Weeks & 2 days

Total weight gain: 25 lbs+
Maternity clothes? Leggings, t-shirts... I may just start wearing Justin's clothes from now on. Oh wait, I already do!
Stretch marks? Been using lotion and oils everyday, sometimes twice a day! So far there are none
Sleep: Since she still moves around so much and pushes on my bladder, I'm not getting more than two hours of sleep at a time. Neither is Justin. It's just preparing us for when she comes...
Best moment this week: Seeing our sweet little girl again at the ultrasound. She's so big now!
Miss Anything? I miss being able to have a good workout. I can't wait until she's here and I can start my intense workouts again!
Movement: I can still feel her kicking and rolling around in there, which is very surprising with the limited space that's left.
Food cravings: No new cravings, but I really want some iced coffee... if only it would warm up outside...

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smelly people...
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: I'm still having the tightening in my stomach every now and again, and I'm also experiencing soar ribs/shortness of breath.

 Belly Button in or out? Definitely out

 Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time: My emotions have been up and down this past week, but I'm so happy!
Looking forward to: Our little girl's arrival! And for my next appointment to see if I am making any progress. 

I think she may just pop out of my belly button one of these days...

We had another appointment this past Wednesday and found out she is 6 pounds and 1 ounce!!!!! Woah baby! I'm surprised she still has enough room left to do all the somersaults she's been doing, but it isn't stopping her. I'm glad she's in a good range for her weight, but with 4 weeks until my due date, I'm a little nervous with popping out an 8 pound baby if she keeps gaining half of a pound each week. And another good thing, she is HEAD DOWN! I assumed she was since she's been kicking my ribs, but it is a relief to know and not have to schedule a c-section at this point. I use to be nervous of the possibility of a c-section, however, I would be okay if I needed one. It really helps to hear stories from other women and know that it isn't that horrible of a procedure/recovery. 

Now it all just depends on baby Gale. I hope she doesn't keep us waiting longer than the 30th, and at the next week's appointment I will be checked for Strep B, and if there is anything thinning going on. It's down to the last weeks of my pregnancy, and I couldn't be more happier and irritated at the same time. I now understand how frustrating the last few weeks are with being uncomfortable and almost peeing my pants everyday. Oh, to not feel all this pressure on my bladder soon, and to also feel my baby girl in my arms will be wonderful.

Sewing, Packing & Iced Coffee

A lot has been accomplished this past week for Baby G. I wish I could say the same for packing up the apartment, however, I do have the hospital bag packed and ready to go! It's a little difficult for me to officially keep the bag packed since some of the things I use on a daily basis, especially the few comfy clothes I have that I can fit into... but I don't mind living out of it for the next few weeks. 

We are beyond excited for tomorrow... we get another ultrasound! I'm also hoping to have an idea where I'm at (if I'm thinning/dilated at all) and what the doctor thinks about when she may arrive. According to her estimated arrival date (which I know isn't completely accurate), we have 30 days until her due date!

The first thing I'm soooo happy that I made was her baby blanket. From a previous post, I shared my desire of having a pink and grey nursery because I am obsessed with it. And to start off the collection of pink and grey accessories for her nursery, I made this...

I LOVE the soft pink minky dot fabric (which I also purchased a matching Boppy Pillow Cover in Pink Minky). And the grey chevron goes perfectly with it. 
I got the pattern and fabric from Etsy (of course!) from SoTweetFabrics.

The next thing I made was breast pads! Awesome, right?! Since my plan is to only breastfeed - and pump when needed - I figured these would be a great investment. Although there are plenty of brands with disposable and reusable breast pads, I really wanted to put my sewing machine to use and just make my own for free! It was super easy for someone who is a beginner sewist, and I used some of Justin's old white T-shirts that needed to be thrown out. 

 Sewing instructions and patterns courtesy of DIY Maternity :)

Last, I put together some cute burp clothes. I purchased a 10 pack of 6-ply diaper cloths from Target for about $16.99 that are plain white. Totally boring, but a great deal! With my left over fabric from her baby blanket, I made the burp cloths all nice and pretty...

Now, Baby G can spit up in style.

 I used the Burp Cloth Tutorial from The Thinking Closet. 

Aside from sewing and online shopping for our little girl this past week, I've also indulged in some drinking... homemade iced coffee that is. I. am. addicted. Decaf of course.

My Belly has become a very useful cup holder.

Week 34 & 35

 

How far along? 34 - 35 Weeks

Total weight gain: 21 lbs+
Maternity clothes? Mostly leggings and stretchy clothes... whatever is comfortable
Stretch marks? None... which I'm hoping it will stay this way during these last few weeks, and I won't see any when I'm not pregnant. Fingers crossed!
Sleep: I'm not sure what this sleep thing is anymore.
Best moment this week: Getting all of her clothes cleaned and ready, making room for her stuff, and buying more baby stuff!
Miss Anything? Just sleep as of right now
Movement: She seems to enjoy kicking my ribs. It never really bothered me before, but now and again she'll pull some of her ninja kicks on my ribs
Food cravings: Hm let's see, pickles, chocolate milk, sour gummy worms, cranberry/cherry juice, pizza and of course warm cinnamon rolls with a glass of milk, YUM! Pretty much everything I've been craving for months.

Anything making you queasy or sick: My husband's farts... they seem to be getting worse with pregnancy...
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: I'm definitely getting back to feeling tired again. I could seriously take a nap at about 9:30am, but I keep myself up and busy

 Belly Button in or out? out

 Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! with a hint of crankiness.
Looking forward to: Next week's appointment! We get another ultrasound!

I can't believe there is only 35 days left until my due date! It is coming up so quick and it felt like it was going to take forever to get here. 

These last two weeks have been spent looking online (a lot) for things like hooded towels, fabrics to make stuff, receiving blankets, and just updating our registries at Babies R Us and Target. We also got all of her clothes (that are here in Kansas) washed and folded, the bedroom arranged with the bassinet and her stuff in drawers, and some sewing done with breast pads and her blanket. And of course, shopping! Last weekend we went to Target (since that's the only place within 4 hours to go), and purchased:

Diaper Genie Elite & Filters 

 Newborn to Toddler Bath Tub

Boppy Pillow

Boppy Pillow Cover - in pink minky - LOVE!

Bath wash

Burp Cloths (Diaper cloths - super durable!)

and a Safety/Grooming Kit

  

There are still plenty of items left to get on the list, however, I think we are pretty set for the few short weeks we will be down here in Kansas after she's born until we move back home to Michigan! At least for the summer. The job hunt still continues for the both of us and we are waiting to hear back from the many positions we have applied to that recently closed. There just has to be something out there for us!

Somethings that will be done this upcoming week: Packing the hospital bag, getting an ultrasound on Wednesday May 1, packing up the apartment some more, finish sewing Baby G's blanket, and getting last minute items for her arrival. 

Packing the hospital bag is the most  important that I need to get done right now - to give me a peace of mind. I've been so cranky lately (I feel bad Justin has to deal with it!) due to the lack of sleep (which you could probably see in my 35 week picture) and just wanting to be comfortable, but also because of the things left to do. The crazy dreams where I wake up in a panic thinking I'm going into labor early have really messed with my mind! Darn pregnancy hormones!

Week 33

How far along? 33 Weeks & 2 days

Total weight gain: 21 lbs+
Maternity clothes? I'm wearing leggings and yoga pants most of the time. Even those are getting a little tight!
Stretch marks? none so far
Sleep: I'm getting use to my sleeping patterns - waking up at least 3 times to use the bathroom, and maybe a few times between that to adjust and get comfortable again. I'm up to using 4 pillows now
Best moment this week: Daddy putting together the bassinet, and getting fabric to make her a baby blanket!
Miss Anything? After our usual weekend plans - hanging out with our friends and having a long week of studying, I've definitely been wanting a nice cold Guinness to relax, but the wait is totally worth it
Movement: There is so much movement! At least having the hiccups every few hours, and kicking/rolling around in there like crazy when I'm going to bed. She is definitely a night owl
Food cravings: I'm always craving fruits! something that's refreshing, and chocolate of course. I don't indulge that much on the sweets though, just my usually chocolate milk! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Can't think of anything off the top of my head that has grossed me out lately, but I'm sure there has been something
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Not exactly labor signs, just what I think to be braxton hicks
Symptoms: Cramping and tightening of my stomach, and very rarely there will be a sharp pain the goes down one side of my legs. My ribs are getting to be more sensitive to her kicks, but they're not totally painful - just uncomfortable. 

 Belly Button in or out? slightly poking out. The feeling of it doesn't bother me as much as it did before it got out
Wedding rings on or off?  On - I'm surprised (and so thankful) that I've not had any problems with swelling. I'm told it will eventually happen, but with only roughly 6 weeks left, I hope I can avoid that

Happy or Moody most of the time: So Happy! I'm always thinking about how it's going to be and it brings butterflies to my stomach, but I know it's going to be even more exciting when she really is here
Looking forward to: Next baby appointment, making her blanket, and getting the other items we need for her

I'm so excited to make her baby blanket! After hours of shopping and not finding exactly what I want, I decided it's best if I just make a blanket for her that is perfect. Of course I started my search on Etsy and found grey chevron and pink minky fabric, courtesy of Shelly Morgan.

I've also been debating on what other items I could make myself rather than spend the extra cash to by it already made. I'm seriously considering making my own crib bumper and skirt, however, since I am only just a beginner at sewing, I'm nervous that it won't turn out. I've found plenty of tutorials, and potential fabrics I would use, but I just can't get myself to take the extra step and get it! I do have a while to think about it more since we won't have her nursery and crib actually set up until we move in August. Wherever that may be! 

Daddy did put up the bassinet already! It's really cute, simple and gender neutral so we are able to use it again. 

Babies R Us

There are a few other things we need to do/buy to get ready for her arrival. 

Pack the hospital bag

Wash and fold all of her clothes

Purchase a Diaper Genie (Absolute must have!)

 Purchase baby towels, receiving blanket(s), baby soap, bath

And of course pack up the apartment and get ready to move! I'm sure there will be other things I'll think of, but I feel so lost still since this is our first child and don't have much of an idea of what we're doing. haha. 

I'm pretty sure we are set on baby clothes for quite sometime though!