Week 30 & Nursery

Dear Conor,

It's been a busy few days.  I have been working hard (at my real job) to get ready for October as I am likely to have a trial and I need to make sure that I'm caught up on all my other cases.  When I am sick of work (which means dealing with other people's problems) I take a few minutes to do something for you.

On Tuesday I worked on Thank-You cards.  I believe I have about 15 more to go.  I have completed about 20 which is more than 1/2 so I am happy.  It's my goal to have the rest in the mail by Monday.  I can't post a picture of the cards yet because not everyone has received theirs.  But, Amanda has gotten hers and texted that she thought it was "adorable".

On Wednesday I put together your swing from Grandpa Tom and your Pack and Play (or play yard as they are now called).  They are currently set up in the livingroom and they fit there pretty well - we just have to figure out what to do with our Queen Anne chair as I don't believe it will fit up the staircase so that it could be put in our room.  I am thinking perhaps the dinningroom once we clear out the rest of your stuff there could be space.

Dempsey by Graco Collection

Today I stopped at Grandpa Tom's house and picked up all of the clothes from your Maine Shower.  When I wasn't busy working I spent some time organizing the clothes in your closet and trying to put as much in the closet as possible to keep it out of the dinningroom and the hallway.  While the closet is not set up as it will be once your room is done and the containers but in it - I think that it alone reminds me of your impending arrival.

Closet 9.29.2011 - a work in progress

You already have a lot of clothes in a variety of sizes - you currently have more clothes to wear when you come home from the hospital than I do!  Something about that just doesn't seem quite right :)

We had to rearrange the work on your room because my work schedule changed this week but I still intend on having your room ready for furniture by bedtime on Sunday so wish us luck :)

xoxo
Mom

Ten Weeks to Go & To Do List

Dear Conor,

Today is the ten week mark.  In ten weeks you should be here.  It is time to get our bottoms in gear and get things moving.

I was supposed to have a trial tomorrow but things have changed so I am going to work hard today to get a lot of my work done and then spend tomorrow sanding and priming your bedroom woodwork.

My hope is that if I can get that done then Saturday I can paint and if not on Saturday then Sunday I can wash the floors.  Once the floors are washed and waxed and the ceiling fan dusted we can move the furniture into your room and I can start putting things in order.

Your crib is still at Grandma Janet's and I am 100% certain that she wants it out of her spare room so she can have that space back :)

So, here is my Mommy-Do List
(1) sand trim
(2) prime trim
(3) paint trim and beadboard
(4) clean ceiling fan
(5) wash and wax floors
(6) move into bedroom (including assembling crib)
(7) wash and iron bedding
(8) organize clothes, diapers, and all other baby stuff

Then it's on to the bathroom where I need to prime and paint and get some shelves up so we can store all your bathroom stuff (plus ours and Hunters) in a more orderly fashion.

This is a big list but I feel it I break it down into tasks per day and give myself deadlines then we will be ready to go for November 1, 2011.

What?  Why November 1st you ask when you are not due to be here until December 6th?  Well, your arrival doesn't stop the world from turning and I have Christmas shopping to do!!!  Plus, I will feel better if I have a few weeks to "tweek" things as I see fit and am not spending that time running around trying to actually get organized.

I'll update you after the weekend with our progress :)

xoxo
Mom

PS.  I also have to finish the Thank-You cards from your showers.  The first batch of 12 went out today and I hope to have another batch out byThursday! 

Cape Cod Baby Shower Post #1

Dear Conor,

This past weekend you and I traveled to Cape Cod to visit Grandma Mary and your aunties as well as your Great Grammie as she was up from Florida.  While on the Cape you took your first train ride on the Cape Cod Central Railroad (we went on the dinner train) and you attended your second baby shower.

This shower was hosted by Grandma Mary and your aunties and took place at her house.  Guests included many relatives from both Grandma Mary's side of the family and Grandpa Adam's as well as neighbors that I grew up with and close friends.  Everyone appeared to have a great time and it was nice to be able to visit with everyone at one time instead of stopping at each of their homes.  They are all eager for your first "out of the womb" visit to the Cape!

I don't have a lot of pictures just yet because Dar came over and played photographer for the day so I have to wait until he sends me a disc.  But, I did get pictures of some of the details so I will post those for now.

Water bottles with custom labels - LOVED this detail!

Grandma Mary pinning many things onto my shirt (I received a white rose corsage and a button with a little blue footprint on it)

Diaper Cake made by Aunt Lindsay and the favors were little carriage containers that held blue bottle and white dot candies.

A close-up

One of the games we played - guests had to guess how many Mike and Ikes were in the bottle.  If I remember the answer was 443 and Aunt Sarah's friend Ana won with a guess of 428.

The food - lots of yummy things to eat!

And just because I love sweets - a close up of the amazing cupcakes your Aunt Lindsay made - she even made them fit the blue/brown theme!

We also played Baby Bingo - there were three prizes given away here (one for making an 'E' on the board).



The "gift opening station" - I took this picture before everyone arrived but as you can tell - you were well loved at this shower as well!

 

Another game (Aunt Cathin likes games).  This one we all wore clothes-pins and if you said "baby" "boy" or "Josh" someone could take one of your pins.  The person with the most at the end of the shower won (Grandma Mary won this game but we think she might have cheated!)

It was a wonderful shower and I promise to post more pictures when they get here.  Between your two grandmothers - you were a very showered baby!

xoxo
Mom

T minus 11 weeks and counting

Dear Conor,

This week is your 29th week in my stomach.  You have become much more active in the mornings and evenings but I have also noticed you at various points of the day.  Your kicks are also becoming much stronger (please be gentle!).  Another interesting thing is that I can often tell which position you are in because I can sometimes feel your head at my sides (but not all the time).

This week has been a tough one because I have had a LOT of heartburn.  If the old wives tales are correct this indicates that you will be born with a lot of hair - we shall see in a few weeks if this proves to be right in your case.

I have also had a lot of swelling in the last 2 weeks.  I had to go out and buy a new pair of work shoes because my fat little feet wouldn't fit in my nice brown heels - my wedding rings also don't fit my fingers.  Friends and family that don't see me on a daily basis also say that my face has gained a little weight. 

But, overall I would say that things are going pretty well for you and I and I am certain the next 10 weeks are going to seem to fly by.

xoxo
Mom

Doctor's Appointments

Dear Conor,

I have to ask the question "where did all the time go"?  It seems like only a few weeks ago that Josh and I were waiting in the office for our first meeting with the midwife.  Since then I have had a slew of doctor's appointments and wanted to write them all down so that I would remember what we did and what was discussed at each visit. 

April 12, 2011
* this was our first visit - it was really just an "intake".  We met with the nurse and then the midwife and discussed how far along we thought I was and my weight was taken and basic vital stats were gathered.  Blood was drawn to ensure that I didn't have any infections or concerns to be worried about.

April 29, 2011
* this was the first official visit with the midwife.  Vitals were taken again and we talked about healthy eating choices as well as issues with vitamins and what to expect over the next four weeks.

May 13, 2011
* second visit with the midwife.  Vitals were taken and first trimester tests were discussed.  We decided to partake in most of the testing other than the breathing tests because we don't have a history of these issues in our family.  The first ultrasound was scheduled for June 1, 2011.

June 1, 2011
* this appointment was your first ultrasound.  I went to this appointment alone because Josh had a closing for work.  The ultrasound technician was really sweet and was able to point out your different features for me.  She also printed a lot of pictures for me to bring home to Josh.  I had blood drawn at this appointment as well.  The purpose of this appointment was to look for genetic abnormalities that would trigger a need for further testing.

June 10, 2011
* this was our monthly appointment but it was also the follow-up to review the blood test results from the June 1st draw.  The midwife was impressed with the images the technician was able to capture and said that things looked good.  We also talked about how sick I had been feeling and I was given more information on what I might try eating and was told to stop my prenatals if they were causing sickness or to try taking them at night.

July 12, 2011
* this was another ultrasound appointment.  Your Aunt Danielle came to this appointment as we were going to learn your sex and she had asked months prior if she could go.  The ultrasound technician was not as pleasant as the previous one I had and she did not make it a very special moment (which is what we had all been anticipating).  But, it doesn't really matter because this is when we learned you would be a boy and you no longer were just a "thing" growing in my stomach - you were a little boy.  That afternoon we went shopping and I bought you your first set of pajamas.  I also had blood drawn that would be used along with the ultrasound and the previous blood draw/ultrasound to screen for any abnormalities.

July 15, 2011
* this was my 31st birthday and it was the day that I received a call stating that a marker had shown up in the bloodwork.  The midwife wanted us to meet with a genetic counselor to go over family history and discuss whether or not we wanted to have a procedure known as an amnio done.  It was a very tough day for me because I was very worried about what we might learn and/or find by taking these steps. 

July 18, 2011
* we met with the genetic counselor (who was very nice) and reviewed our family histories.  There was no precursor for the marker in either of our lines and therefore it was up to us whether or not we wanted further testing.  We knew that we did and so the amnio was done that day.  The doctor was very nice and the bonus was that we got another sneak peak at you.

July 20, 2011
* we received a call from the genetic counselor who said that everything came back fine from the first series of additional testing and both Josh and I were so relieved.  We received a letter a few weeks later detailing everything but we didn't care about what tests were done and what the rates were and what we had talked with the counselor about - all we knew was that you were ok and that's all that mattered to us.

August 19, 2011
* this was just a traditional check-up with the midwife to make sure things were going ok.  Your heartrate was checked again (it is checked at every visit) and you were deemed to be doing well.  I signed us up for birthing classes and set up the next series of testing.  We also got a tour of the birthing center.

September 9, 2011
* gestational diabetes testing was done today and they also drew blood to check my thyroid and iron levels.  I did not receive a call within 48 hours which means that everything looked good.  You were in a head down position when the midwife checked you and your heartrate was good.  Our next visit is October 7, 2011 and after that we start meeting with her every two weeks.

xoxo
Mom

Maine Baby Shower Pictures #2

A BIG pile of clothes from Grandma Janet & Grandma Dennis.

A Sleep Sack set, Melody Bear and Polka Dot Socks from Kelsey & Jarrod.

Assorted Items from Great Grandma Irene

Lots of things for you from my friends Melanie and Jackie

A seat for many purposes from Tony and Lilly (they do your Grandma Janet's nails & have become her friends).

More assorted items (clothes, bath stuff, bibs) from Great Aunt Chris.

Your crib bedding from Grandma Janet and Great Grandma Irene.

A tricycle made from diapers, bottles, binkys, and receiving blankets from Candace and Fred - so cool!!

A side view so you can see the little cart behind it.

Your first license plate!

You also received your crib at this shower from Grandma Janet, Grandpa Dennis and Great Grandma Irene but we don't have a picture of it yet because it hasn't arrived at our house :)

Maine Baby Shower Pictures #1

Dear Conor,

Since you and I were the "guests of honor" at the baby shower hosted this past weekend I wasn't able to take as many pictures as I normally would at an event such as this.  However, I did manage to get a few pictures of the event (thanks Amanda!) and I took pictures of each of the gifts we received after the party to ensure we would be able to remember what you were given and by whom (I am waiting for our Thank-You cards to come in and these pictures will help us to write these).

Hunter and I opening his gift to you!

Some neat items from Auntie Ana!

From Amanda and Chris to help us stay organized!

A basket of goodies from Auntie Jill (she also passed down some of Ryan's clothes).

A bathtub and all the grooming supplies you will need to be just as clean as Hunter.

Sophie the Teether - a gift from Jill & Family



Josh holding Baby Ryan



All Natural Swaddles from Karla and Todd



A beautiful quilt and sweater from Denise and Doug

To be continued in another post - there are so many pictures!

Baby Shower

Dear Conor,

I was 100% right that your Grandma Janet was up to something (as was your Grandpa Tom)!  This past Sunday I went to your Grandpa Tom's house and there were many people waiting to shower you with gifts.  It was a very nice afternoon and I got to meet some of Grandma Janet's friends for the first time and visit with some that I hadn't seen since my bridal shower.

I do have some pictures but I have not had a chance to upload them.  Also, I want to take a picture of each gift you received but we left everything at your Grandpa Tom's until the nursery is able to be completed.  I have Friday off so I intend to work on it then and hopefully bring everything home early next week!

I will post pictures as soon as I am able to because it really was a wonderful day and I am so thankful to everyone that helped make it such a special event.

xoxo
Mom

PS.  Hunter also came to the shower and spend a lot of time on the floor with your friend Ryan - I think you and Hunter are going to get along just fine :)

Sneaky Grandmothers!

Dear Conor,

You are truly a lucky kid because you are being born into a family that has awaited your arrival for a long time and they are all eager for you to make your way into this world.  I know I have told you a little about their responses to learning about your impending birth but I have to tell you - since knowing about you, your grandmothers have become very sneaky women (but in a good way)!

Today, your Grandma Mary called just to make sure that we were 100% certain about your name and it's spelling.  Then she told me she had to go because she was shopping and working on some "things".  This is the second time she has made a comment about working on something - makes me go "hmmmm." 

Your Grandma Janet has been equally sneaky this week (I caught your dad handing Grandpa Dennis the keys to Grandpa Tom's house when they were over a few days ago and I know it has something to do with your Grandma Janet)!  She also has been asking me when your room is going to be finished enough to set it up so something tells me she has something for your room at her house and she's sick of it being there :).

I think both of their behaviors have to do with Showers for You and Gifts!

I love that your grandmother's are so excited about you coming but little do they know I am not only a lawyer but I am also a detective and I am catching on to their sneaky ways :)

xoxo
Mom

Closet Make-Over

Dear Conor,

I have been working on your bedroom for what seems like a very long time.  First I had to strip the old moose wallpaper off and then I had to paint your lower ceilings and the walls.  Then we had someone come in and put up the wainscotting and fix some of the trim.  Once that was complete I began working on your closet because I knew that once I got the closet finished I would feel like we were actually making progress on your room.  Late last night I finished your closet (well, its about 90% complete - there is still trim to be painted and the doors to be sanded and printed but MY work on it is done!).

Your closet started out as a bright baby blue nightmare.  The first step was to take down the existing rack system and that meant filling all the holes and sanding them.  The next step was to turn the closet from blue to white.  I used a semi-gloss because the ceiling is really tall and there is only one light in there.  The walls required many coats of paint but I love how brighter it looks.  The next step was to re-configure the shelving and try to use everything that we had - then purchase what we need.

I ended up needing to purchase shelving for your side shelves but we were able to reuse everything from the middle of the closet.  We also have left over shelving that I am going to store in the basement so that if/when we need to reconfigure your closet as you grow we will have what we need (hopefully)!

The newly purchased 12" shelves installed on the right side of the closet.

The re-purposed 16" shelves with space in the back of the closet to store items not being used.

A shot of the closet from across the room (doors have been removed).

Looking towards the top of the ceiling.  I installed a high shelf to store momentos safely out of the way.

Of course, once I got this far I had to start putting some of your things in the closet so that I could reclaim parts of my dinning room.  The goal is to find cloth bins to put on the shelves to store socks (0-3 & 3-6), onsies (0-3 & 3-6), and other clothing items that don't get hung up because you will not have a dresser.  Here is what it looks like with some things in it!

Your clothes hanging up and some toys set up.

Looking at the closet from across the room.

A few things waiting for bins to be purchased.

I know it's just a closet but to me it's one thing off the checklist of things that we need to do to get ready for your arrival!  Today I am taking the day off but starting tomorrow I am again going back to work on your room.  My goal by Friday is to get 1/2 the room finished so we can move your changing table up to your bedroom and start on the second 1/2 of the room as my overall goal is to have everything painted (other than your doors) by the end of September!  Here's to hoping I can accomplish this task!

xoxo
Mom

There's an APP for that!

Dear Conor,

When you grow up and get married and, if you are fortunate to have children of your own you will realize that the moms are usually the ones who pick out all the various "supplies" that babies need.  Of course, dads give imput and make suggestions but they typically leave much of the decision making up to moms because (in all honesty) moms usually seek that control.

Well, your dad is no different.  He has been pretty hands-off when it comes to picking out furniture and "baby gear".  Of course he has suggestions which is why we have registered for certain diapers, wipes, and baby food makers but other than that its been up to me.  However, your Dad charged me with a specific task, one that he was not going to settle on.

What was this task you ask?  He wanted a baby monitor for your room that was both video and sound BUT most importantly - it had to have an iphone application.  I have no idea if iphones will exist when you are older but they are the current trend in phones and we happen to have them.  There are applications you can download to access your e-mail, stocks, local weather, bank accounts, etc.  If you can think of it - there is likely an "app for that."  So, I spend quite a bit of time with google (another thing I'm not sure will exist when you are able to use the computer but its just a fancy search engine - you can learn more about it in the dictionary).  When it looked like I might have to report to your Dad that there was no such thing - I FOUND IT!

Enter wifi baby!  I found it on Amazon.com (an online shopping store) but they also had their own website :http://wifibaby.net/.  This baby monitor is amazing!  It does both color and black and white, mounts to the ceiling or the wall, uses the computer and/or the phone through a secure feed to view what the monitor is seeing.  The more I read about it the more I was hooked!  So many other monitors have restrictions on how far away the receivers can be for them to work or they might receive interference from any one of the household (or neighbors) electronic devices but not wifibaby!  After extenseive research and carefully following them on Facebook (a social online network) I am certain this is the system for us (I also like that you can add cameras for other rooms or babies and I will be able to check in on you from anywhere as long as I have my phone!).

The system is no more expensive than other (less superior in my honest opinion) monitors out there so I am quite certain this is the route we are going to take.  And because, when you are done using it for children, you can convert it to a home security system - you can thank you father when I catch you trying to break a rule when you are a teenager!

xoxo
Mom

Four Things They Don't Tell You

This post really isn't for Conor but is really to document those things they don't tell you before or even while you are pregnant. 

#1: Morning Sickness
You have this belief that morning sickness will only occur in the morning and that it only lasts a little while.  The truth is that morning sickness can occur at any time during the day and that it doesn't only involve the occassional vomit.  First off, it seems to start with a general feeling of needing to be sick that lasts ALL day.  This means that you barely want to eat anything and so you end up eating lots of pretzels and crackers which leads to bloat (which I will talk about later).  Then, when you finally think you have managed to control that feeling and you can trust that you don't need to know where every public restroom in a ten mile radius is - you start throwing up.  This throwing up is NOTHING compared to what you experienced as a child when you had the flu.  This is such violent puking that you honestly feel that your insides are going to come out and that you are doing harm to your fetus.  This is such violent puking that you can't control the tears and your husband apologizes for anything and everything he has ever done wrong because he just wants you to stop getting sick.  Its the kind of puking that leaves you with wet underwear (more about that later too) and a desire to never eat again.  Thankfully, this too passes and I am certain it takes place towards the beginning of your pregnancy so that you forget about it when it comes time to think about the next child.

#2 Peeing Your Pants
This is by far the most humiliating thing associated with pregnancy.  First, violent throwing up leads to peeing your pants.  When your muscles are contorting in such a fashion as to violently expel anything you ate your body forgets to contain its urine and out it comes.  Second, you find yourself leaking pee when you cough or sneeze.  Normally this wouldn't be a big deal except you sneeze and cough a lot more because your organs are squished and you are dealing with reflux.  Along with Peeing your Pants is the feeling of almost doing it.  When pregnant you are supposed to intake much more water than the "normal" person would (keeps your skin hydrated and your body as well) and this leads to needing to go to the bathroom a lot more.  Sometimes you just get this urge and then all of the sudden its a demand - a demand that says if you are not in the bathroom in the next 10 seconds this urine is coming out.  Once again you are thankful for knowing where every bathroom in a ten mile radius is.

#3 Heartburn
Oh, they tell you about this one but what they don't tell you about is how much it can hurt and that there is very little you can do to make it go away.  Sure you can cut down on carbonated beverages, not eat chocolate, not sit or lay down for 30 minutes after a meal but - the heartburn comes at any time and with such severity somtimes that nothing helps.

#4 Baby Movement
Everyone and everything you encounter says that baby movement feels like "flutters".  Well, this is not exactly true.  For the first couple of times it really feels like a gas bubble and then it starts to feel like someone is giving you a little poke with two or three fingers.  They also don't tell you that there is often a pattern to when you will feel the movement.  Conor tends to move a lot in the morning (when I am still in bed and haven't had breakfast) and then he moves a lot again as I am trying to settle in for bed.  He does move during the day but these times are less intensive.  In talking to my other friends, they too found that their babies had a pattern to when they would move.  At first the movements feel weird but as the weeks pass you start to wait for them because its a way for you to know that your baby is still ok inside you (though it is weird to see your stomach move!).

Those are the top 4 things I can think of right now but I am sure there will be others and I will update as I discover them.

xoxo
Erin

A Name other than Avacado

Dear Avacado,

Today's post is the last one in which I will call you Avacado because we have selected a name for you.  Over the years I have heard many children ask their parents - "what would you have called me if I was a _____ instead of a ______?" and "what were some of the other names you were thinking of?"

Because of this (and partly to be able to look back and remind myself) before I announce your name I'll share with you the answers to these questions.

1.  What would my name have been if I was a girl instead of a boy? 
ANSWER:  If you were a girl we would have named you Kayleigh Elizabeth.  Kayleigh because it's a name I have loved forever and Elizabeth because (a) it's my middle name and (b) it was liked better than Barbara or Margaret by Josh.

2.  What are some of the other names you thought about before you picked my name?
ANSWER:  Before being pregnant or even married I always said that I would name a little boy Patrick Thomas if I ever had one.  But - I have since learned that coaches, teachers, and peers take it upon themselves to give children nicknames and neither Josh nor I liked the nickname Pat.  So, we had to start thinking of some other names.  Conor and Keegan have always been two of my other favorite Irish names and so those two names became the ones that we talked about.  We also had to talk about how to spell Conor because in Ireland its spelt Conor and here in America it is more often than not spelt "Connor". 

So, without further delay........the name we have chosen for you is:

"Conor Thomas"

Conor was selected because it was the one that Josh and I could agree on (he wasn't a huge fan of Keegan).  We decided on the spelling because Josh said that I am usually right when it comes to many things and this was probably one of those times.  Also, I had spent some time writing out your name both by hand and on the computer and I simply do not like it spelt with two "N"s. 

Thomas was selected as your middle name for a few reasons.  The first is that it is your grandfather's name.  The weekend we were prepared to announce your impending arrival to your grandparents (and before we even knew if you were a boy or girl) your Grandpa Tom became very sick and had to go to the hospital.  It was very scary and at that moment I decided that if you were a boy you would be given his name as your middle name to both honor him and encourage him to get better (which he has!).  The second is that I have always liked the name Thomas and since it sounds good with Conor it was the winner!

As I have said before - naming a child is a huge responsibility and I truly hope that we have given you a name that will serve you well through your lifetime. 

xoxo
Mom