Hunter - The Quality Control Expert

Dear Conor,

I realized that I don't write much on your blog about Hunter.  He is such a big part of our family and I can't wait for the two of you to be good friends.  We are preparing him for your arrival in every way that we can and he seems to be taking to things very well.

When I got home from your Cape Cod Baby shower and set up your tranformer stroller Hunter wanted to ensure it was not only safe but that there was plenty of room for him.

Hunter in the cargo hold.

Little did he know that we had already thought about him and had purchased an attachment for your stroller that would allow him to ride in an area a little more plush and that when he wasn't riding you could also use.

City Select Bassinet Attachment

The stroller isn't the only baby item that Hunter has been making sure is just perfect for you.  Everytime we set something up he likes to jump into it and make sure that it meets his very particular standards.

Car Seat Testing

This included testing your carseat that we took out of the box yesterday.  I had no sooner placed it on the floor and removed the plastic wrap and he was seated in it.  His smile clearly shows that this seat is going to be just perfect for you.  Hunter also tested out your swing and your Pack and Play but I don't have pictures of those.  He really enjoyed your Pack and Play - the swing - not so much as he jumped out of that one right away.

Hunter is going to be such a great big brother to you - I just hope that you love him as much as we do.

xoxo
Mom

Week 32 & Updates

Dear Conor,

Lots of things to report :

(1) I developed some kind of weird itching thing last week that was a tad bit annoying.  I didn't itch on my stomach but on my legs, arms, and behind my ears - and only at night.  A cool shower helped but we still were unable to sleep Wednesday night (it wasn't just the itching - for some reason I just couldn't get comfortable).

(2) Friday (10/07/2011) I had a doctor's appointment.  I mentioned the itching to the midwife and she was a little concerned so she wanted me to report after the weekend if I was still itching because they would want to draw blood and test for certain things (thankfully I haven't itched since Friday so no worries).  At this appointment I weighed 154 which means that I have gained a total of 27ish pounds as I was between 125 and 127 at my first appointment.  The midwife is very happy about this weight gain and says that I "look great."  My blood pressue continues to be perfect and your heartbeat is also strong and "sounds good."  This was the last monthly appointment - we now have to go to the doctor's every two weeks until some point in November when we start going weekly.  I can't believe that you will arrive in 8 weeks!!!

(3) Saturday (10/08/2011) I primed all the woodwork in your room.  It took a LONG time because there is not only a lot of woodwork but I also had to take a lot of breaks.  But I got both coats of prime on by the end of the night which meant that the room would be ready for paint on Monday.

(4) Sunday (10/09/2011) we drove down to Auntie Ana and Uncle Gordon's house to meet Little Gordon.  He was just adorable and oh so very tiny.  I doubt you will be that small but I can't wait to hold you like I held him.  He fell alseep on my chest with his little legs resting on my belly - right near where your little feet are so it was almost as if you were touching.  After he fell alseep I put him in his little swing and we visited for a while longer before heading to the mall to purchase some items for you.

Yesterday (Columbus Holiday) I spent the day once more in your nursery crawling around painting all the woodwork. But the task is done and it is my hope that we can wash and wax the floors tonight and start moving your furniture in tomorrow!!!  As we start birth classes this week we have one less night each week for the next four weeks in which to get things done.  And, with you coming in only 8 short weeks I feel the need to restore my house to what it used to look like (before all your boxes of things arrived) as soon as I can!!!

xoxo
Mom

Week 31 & Pictures

Dear Conor,

We are 1/2 way through week 31 which means there are only 9 weeks until your birthday (if you come on time).  I have continued to try to take pictures every few weeks to document your growth.  There hard to take and I honestly do not like how I look in the pictures.  While I look normal in person for some reason on camera I just look different.  But, all that aside - it is important to document so here goes :

Since August 20, 2011 you have grown a lot and therefore so have I!  I will find out tomorrow how much you have grown in the last month and if we are still measuring one week ahead.  Certain clothes make me look much bigger than I really am, especially later in the day when I am tired and retaining a lot of water.

This week you and I have not been sleeping.  Well, we have been sleeping just not a lot.  We seem unable to fall asleep before midnight and I have to be up no later than 7 more days.  With the multiple bathroom breaks during the night and the shifting to get comfortable I would estimate that we sleep about 4-5 hours a night. 

This last week there has also been a lot of itching.  But not on my stomach - on my legs, hands, feet and behind my ears.  Weird I know.  I am going to mention it to the doctor tomorrow.  I continue to use lotion in an attempt to keep the stretch marks away and keep my skin nice and moist.  You seem to like when I rub lotion on my stomach at night because it usually makes you move around a bit.

Last night I am certain I felt you roll over for the first time.  It was a very odd feeling but one I wonder if you will repeat tonight so I can determine if it is really you rolling over.  Your movements are still concentrated in the mornings and the evenings (usually once I have layed down for the night); you tend to sleep during the day which continues to allow me to get my work done which I greatly appreciate!

Well, that's all for now.

xoxo
Mom

The Birth of a Friend

Dear Conor,

Tonight at 6:44pm your Uncle Gordon texted me to let me know that he and Auntie Ana were on the way to the hospital to bring little Gordon into the world.  Your Auntie Ana is my very best friend and we are lucky enough to both be pregnant at the same time and both bringing little boys into the world.  I do hope that you and little Gordon will be very good friends as you grow up.  Uncle Gordon and Auntie Ana are two of the select few people that I would ever feel comfortable leaving you with if I needed to go away for a few days and couldn't take you with me - so I am sure you will have a good relationship with them as well.

Little Gordon was scheduled to be born on October 17 (which is also his parents anniversary) but it appears that he had other plans. 

UPDATE (10/3/2011):

Little Gordon was born at 2:05am this morning (10/3/11).  He weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and was 17 inches long.  I talked to Uncle Gordon this morning around 10am and both Little Gordon and Auntie Ana had just fallen sleep.  I think we will be visiting them at home this weekend instead of at the hospital - but I will wait until we talk to Auntie Ana to see what she would like.  Uncle Gordon said that Auntie Ana was a trooper and labored at home from 1:30pm to 6:30pm when they left for the hospital - she is a very strong woman and I have no doubt that she did a great job :) 

xoxo
Mom

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