First Family Photos

Carson Arrived!

Carson was born on 06/25/12 at 10:49am.  He was 8lbs 7oz and 21in long.  I can't believe he is over a week old already.  The time has gone so quickly.


The first night at the hospital we had him stay in the nursery for a few hours so we could get some sleep.  He was still spitting up amniotic fluid and I was nervous he would need our help and we would be asleep.  The nurses said he was the best baby in the nursery and slept the whole time.  The next night he slept in his hospital crib right next to me.  He is an excellent sleeper.  He usually sleeps for about 4 hours until he gets hungry.  After eating I lay him back in his bassinet, wind up his favorite musical giraffe and he falls back asleep.


He really enjoys music.  His favorite song is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  That may be because it's the only children's song I know that doesn't include a cradle falling out of a tree.  We don't sing that one, I don't want to scare him.  Either way, he enjoys it.


He spends most of his time sleeping but I still seem to not get anything done.  My favorite pass time is cuddling with him.  I've been been doing a lot of that lately because I'm trying to take it easy so I can heal.  I'm not sure why, but I never thought about the recovery time.  Yesterday we had a full day of outings and I think I overdid it.  By the end of the day I didn't feel well at all.  It was a good reminder to take it easy, which is exactly what I did today.


Every time I look at his little face I feel so blessed.  He is just perfect.  I'm excited to spend the next several weeks at home with him.  

Carson's Nursery

Carson had his final baby shower last weekend.  I think we now have everything we need to bring him home.  He certainly will be well dressed.  He has lots of clothes.  And they are all adorable.  

His nursery is finally finished.  There was lots of organizing and re-organizing to make everything fit.  It is hard to believe he needs so many things.  I posted lots of pictures below.    

Only a few more days until my due date.  It’s makes me anxious not knowing when he will come.  He has dropped some and I was dilated a little at my last doctors appointment.  I thought today would be a convenient day for his arrival, but he didn’t agree.  I guess it's back to work for me tomorrow.  It’s hard to plan my work days.  I have to leave each day as if I weren’t going to be back the next.

I’m nervous for labor but really excited to meet him.  In a matter of days we will be parents of a newborn and our lives will be forever changed.  

He Turned!

Carson turned around all by himself! He is no longer in the breech position. The doctor was suprised because it usually doesn't happen on its own this late in pregnancy. I am so relieved we don't have to turn him manually. I'm pretty sure the flip happened when I was sleeping on Thursday, causing me to be so uncomfortable on Friday. I thought Friday was the turning point and it was all down hill from there. Luckily, I am back to feeling well again.

Breech

At our appointment last week we found out that Carson is breech. He has until this Wednesday to flip himself around, otherwise, the doctors want to do a procedure that would attempt to flip him manually. If that happens, I would be numb from the waist down and they would push on him, making him turn around. It’s done in a hospital so they can make sure he stays safe during the procedure. The procedure doesn’t always work, but it’s the only option if we don’t want to have a c-section. The upside of him being breech is that we got to see him on an ultrasound again and they told us he is 6 pounds 2 ounces. I looked up some natural ways to try and flip a baby and one of the ways was to lay on your back with your head down and your bottom up on a few pillows. You stay this way for 15 min and that encourages the baby to turn around. It sounds easy, but it is not. The position causes the baby to fall forward into my ribs, which is very uncomfortable. The first night was a failure. The only result was a pulled muscle. The second night, Thursday, Jennifer helped me get situated and I was able to stay that way for the full 15 min. That night when I was attempting to sleep, Carson was moving all over. I’m not sure if he was successful in flipping or not, but he sure did make me sick. I felt nauseous all night and couldn’t even stay at work on Friday. That was by far, the hardest day yet. I came home from work around 10 and stayed in bed all day. It has gotten better since, but I’m still uncomfortable. Only 3 more weeks to go.

Getting Closer

5 weeks and 6 days to go.  I hope I can make it.  Some days I feel like surrendering.  My stomach is so big and uncomfortable that everything I do is twice as hard.  The other day I had to take a break on the steps at work.  I made it up two flights but the third was too much.  I think its time to start using the elevator. 

Tonight is our last baby class.  At our first two classes, we learned how to birth and feed the baby.  Tonight's class covers how to care for the baby after he is born.

We are moving into our new house this weekend (and probably throughout the next week).  We have worked so hard to get everything ready.  Next week, at least 2 nights are going to be set aside for resting. 

We also have our second baby shower this weekend.  I have never enjoyed baby showers that much, but when it's your own, its much more fun.  I love to see what people picked out for Carson.  He is already loved by so many people.       

Baby Shower

My very first baby shower is tonight.  I'm going to dinner with the girls from work and I am so excited. 

Carson's movements are stronger now and sometimes uncomfortable.  I had to have a talk with him the other night when he was trying to play and I was trying to sleep.   

Only 6 weeks and 6 days left!

Maternity Pictures

On Sunday, we had our maternity pictures taken by Yellow Bee Photography.  This is the preview from the photographer.

Carson got a dresser this past weekend.  We found it on craigslist.  It's a red dresser from Ikea that fits perfectly with the Curious George theme.  Thanks to Aunt Jennifer, his newborn clothes are all washed and folded nicely in the drawers. 

31 Weeks

Bookshelf

The bookshelf is complete!  It is exactly what I was picturing.

Week 31

I went on a tour of the hospital last weekend. I took home all the brochures and read through all but one magazine. It was about life after the baby and it was scaring me a little. I’m trying to not think about all the crying or the changing or the feeding. No need to think about it now. It will come soon enough and then I will make sure to read the magazine.

The tour was very informational but a little too much reality for me. I’m still hoping that a magical stork delivers my baby in a cute little blanket all clean and pain free. The hospital tour seemed to suggest otherwise.

Nine weeks and 6 days until my due date. I started to panic the other day that we had so much to do before Carson arrives. I made a big “To Do List”. I did forget a lot of important things, like pack the hospital bag, but I’m adding them as they occur to me. Most of the items on the list are related to the new house. We have made lots of progress, but there is still a ways to go. The plan is still to be moved in by the time Carson is born. I’m crossing my fingers that he is not born early.

I’m getting very excited for my showers. They are coming quickly. I get to have three, one for work, one for Shane’s side and one for mine.

We were lucky enough to borrow lots of baby things from family and friends. There are swings, bouncy seats, play mats, etc. They were all set up in the nursery the other day and there wasn’t much walking room. Most of them are now stored away until he will use them. We still don’t have a dresser for the clothes, but that is on the “To Do List”. We didn’t care for the ones at Babies R Us, so I took them off the list. One was too expensive and the other was not very well made.

We did have a very successful trip to Lowes this past weekend. I saw an idea on Pintrest that I wanted to do in the baby’s room. It was bookshelves made out of gutters. The books sit inside the gutters and prop against the wall. We were able to get all the materials for under $25.00. I can’t wait to see them installed. I also picked up at a second hand shop a small wooded chair to sit underneath the shelves. Curious George is sitting it in, ready for story time.

Week 29

I feel so much bigger than I look in this picture. I can't believe the baby is still going to double or maybe even triple in size before he comes out. He has a lot of growing to do in the next several weeks.

We are finally registered at Babies R Us and Target. The registering process was very overwhelming but I think we did ok. I reviewed the lists online afterwards and revised a few things. We're still registered for 2 dressers because I can't decide which one matches the crib better.

I've been feeling pretty good lately. Most of the time my discomfort can be eased with a hot cup of lemon water. I read about this natural remedy in one of my baby books and it really works. It helps with digestion and doesn't make my stomach feel so tight.

Carson's movements are getting stronger and easier to feel. The other day I had to take the routine glucose test to make sure I didn't have gestational diabetes. After I drank the sugary drink he was jumping all over. I could see my stomach bouncing around. Once he is outside my stomach and not contained, he is not allowed to have sugar.

Pictures

Baby C has a name!

Only 14 more weeks to go. The baby is now 2 pounds and almost 15 inches from head to toe. According to the books, my uterus is the size of a basketball. I believe it though, my stomach has been doing a lot of growing. I will try to post some pictures within the next couple of days.

I have made it my goal to sign up for our baby classes before the end of this week. I might be going "class crazy" but I think I should soak up all the info I can.

We have finally decided on a name for Baby C. It will be Carson Emmet Carpenter. Carson is a name that Shane and I have liked for several years and Emmet is a combination of mine and Shane's middle names (EMMa and ETron). Just typing the name makes me tear up. I am so excited to meet the face behind the name.

3D Pics

Today was a wonderful day! We had another ultrasound that confirmed that Baby C is growing perfectly. They even surprised us with 3D pictures. I was reading that if you could see your baby now you would recognize him at birth. The pictures were difficult to take because he was being very active but the nurse was able to get a few good ones that showed his facial features. I think he is the cutest baby ever.

6 Months

My 6th month has begun. The baby is now the size of an ear of corn and weighs 1.5 pounds.

He has had a rough couple of days though. I got the flu on Wednesday night. I'm trying to drink lots of fluids to rehydrate myself and I've checked his heartbeat and it's still strong. It was a little hard to stop the nausea with a baby doing gymnastics in there, but we made it through.

I'm still able to wear my regular work pants but now instead of just not buttoning them, I can't zip them either. I wear either a belly band or a stretchy tank top to keep them up. It works well for now.

Week 22!

The baby weighs almost one pound now. I can tell he is getting bigger in there. We still have 18 weeks to get ready for him, but it seems like the time is moving very quickly. Next on the list is birthing classes. The hospital even offers classes on how to take care of a baby once you get them home. I think we will be taking that class. We have lots to learn about babies.

The nursery is coming along nicely. The painting is done and Shane is working on the floor today. As soon as the floor is in we can put the crib up. Then the room will start looking like a nursery.

Shane's Grandma took me material shopping the other day. I am so glad Baby C will have a quilt made with love to put in his crib. I am excited to see the final product! I took a swatch of the material so I could pick out some curtains and a crib skirt to match.

Making Progress

The baby's room is almost completely painted. It would have been done today but we ran out of paint. Hopefully the wood floor will be put in this week and then we can start moving in the baby's things. His clothes are already organized in bins by sizes. Most of the outfits I've been buying are for next winter. The clearance prices are too good to pass up.

My belly is really growing now. The baby is the size of a large banana. Last night when I was going to bed the baby was bouncing all around. For the first time, I was able to watch my stomach and see his movements.

Painting!

The nursery walls have been primed and are ready to be painted. Hopefully by the end of the weekend they will be a lovely shade of blue.

20 Weeks!

I have reached the halfway point in my pregnancy. The baby is moving around a lot now. I usually feel him mowing several times a day. Over the weekend I didn't feel him very much and I was glad that I renewed the rental on my fetal heart monitor. His heart is very strong and can be found easily now. On Monday, when we were back to our normal routine, he was kicking away again.

Tiny Kicks

I can feel the baby moving inside me now. Usually he moves after lunch and while I'm laying down at night. Sometimes it's just a single kick and sometimes it's several in a row. The other night when I was laying in bed, I had my hand on my stomach and I felt his kick on the outside! Shane has been trying to feel the kicks but hasn't caught one yet. They are very hard to predict. He even bought me an ice cream sandwich to get the baby nice and hyper. It didn't work, but the sandwich was delicious.

Growing Appetite

Lately, I've been getting very hungry. I have to eat three meals a day plus at least one snack. Today, I forgot my afternoon snack on the counter at home. By 3:30 I had two options. I could run to Burger King and pick something up or I could just start crying. Yes, it was that bad. I didn't want to have to explain the tears to my co-workers so I ran to Burger King. The food was delicious and now I can resume my day.

We are having a......

Boy!

The Countdown

Only a couple more days of waiting. Hopefully the doctor will be able to tell on Friday if it’s a little girl in there or a little boy. I have had several dreams that the baby is a girl. The most recent was just last night. My subconscious might be playing games on me though. We will have to wait and see. Even though I’m very excited to find out and be able to move on the next stage of planning and decorating, I think it will be a little bittersweet. It will be so final. Either my imaginary little boy or my imaginary little girl will go away. I only get to keep one. And that’s sad because in my imagination, they are both so cute.

A Growing Baby

When I woke up today Shane swore my belly had grown another inch overnight. He even stopped me to take a picture. The baby must be getting big in there. I think I might have even felt it today.

4 Months

Tomorrow I will be entering my 17th week.

Belly Band

I bought my first belly band. It is a band, about 12" wide, that you use to extend the amount of time you can wear your pre-pregnancy pants. The idea is that you don't button your pants and the band is tight enough that it holds them up. At first I didn't see their real value, but I have since changed my mind. I was very discouraged yesterday when I was trying to find maternity pants for work. I was debating between 2 pairs, the pair of pants that looked good now but would be too tight as soon as anything except my belly got bigger and the pair that looked bad now put would fit later. If they were on clearance I probably would have bought them both, but they were $35 each. So, I bought the $15 belly band instead. I wore it the last couple days and it worked well.

Our Baby's Heartbeat

Maternity Pants

The heartbeat monitor works great! I hope to figure out how to post a sound recording to the blog this weekend.

Today is the first day I wore maternity pants to work. Yesterday I had to go home early with a horrible stomach ache. I thought maybe if I gave my stomach some extra stretching room it wouldn't get so upset. The pants are very comfortable but it feels weird to wear something with such a high waist.

I'm getting very excited about my registry list. Its going to be so much fun picking out stuff for the baby. I've already printed a list of items that go on a normal registry and highlighted the items I will need. In exactly two weeks we will know if the list will include blue things or pink things!

Precious Sounds and a Growing Belly

I ordered a heart rate monitor online. I rented it for a month. I'm really hoping it works. Hearing the heartbeat more often would be nice. I get so paranoid about every little thing. Every ache or pain, or lack there of, makes me nervous.

I had an appointment scheduled for next week but got too anxious and moved it up. I ended up going to the doctors yesterday. She said everything was fine and I shouldn't worry. When she was using the doppler to hear the heartbeat we could hear the baby moving all around in there. I still can't feel it, but I should be able to within the next couple weeks.

I borrowed a whole box of maternity clothes from a friend. I wore a pair of the jeans on Sunday. They were so comfortable. Most of my clothes still fit but jeans pose a problem. I can still button them but if I plan on sitting or eating I have to use a rubber band to extend the waistband.

I have a gift card for Motherhood Maternity that I plan on using for work pants. I probably have a couple more weeks before I outgrow mine. I have walked by that store so many times jealous of the women who actually got to shop there. Now it is my turn.

15 Week Update

I'm having heartbeat withdrawal. It has been so long since I've had confirmation that the baby is ok and I don't have another appointment for a couple more weeks. I tried to get a heart rate monitor but I can't find one to rent and the affordable ones in the store have really bad reviews.

My belly is growing a little. I still fit in my normal clothes though. Only a few more weeks until I will be able to feel it moving.

I feel like I'm eating constantly. My lunchbox is stuffed full each morning. It has lots of healthy stuff in it though. Fruit has never tasted better. My favorites are apples, pineapples, strawberries and oranges.

I read in the "What to expect when you're expecting" book that now is when I should start trying to sleep on my side. If you sleep on your stomach it squishes the uterus and if you sleep on your back the uterus puts pressure on a major vein and decreases blood flow to the baby. I think that is going to take some getting used to. Its harder than it sounds.

Only 25 more weeks to go. I can't wait to meet our baby.