1 month old.... and Sip and See

I really have been terrible about blogging... I guess that's what happens when you have a newborn-- time just gets away and blogging is not a priority. I really am going to try to be better at this.

A lot has changed in the past month... Connor has gone from his birth weight of 6 pounds 14.8 ounces to a little over 9 pounds. It is so fun watching him grow but also hard at the same time as he begins to outgrow his newborn clothes and I realize he is not a "newborn" anymore. I cannot believe how quickly the past month has gone.

Below are a few adorable pictures of him in the first month....

Liv, Callie, and Lindsay threw a fun and very nice Sip and See for Connor today. About 30 people stopped by the meet the little guy. It was a lot of fun and a nice way to show off Connor to a large number of people at once. Great idea Liv and thanks ladies for hosting. A few pics are below....

He's Here.... and 2 weeks old!

Connor Steele Dezarn is here and he is 2 weeks old. I have been a bit of a slacker with the blog... being a new mommy is a full time job and does not leave much time to get on the computer and update.

Connor arrived on Tuesday, July 10th @ 11:45pm after 31 hours of labor. I ended up being induced on Monday, July 9th as my blood pressure got high. I had to be put on pitocin to induce labor and also on magnesium to keep my blood pressure in check. That is the reason for the FOREVER long labor as magnesium is what they give women to stop labor. The two medicines ended up fighting against eachother but I was still able to have a vaginal delivery, which I was very thankful for.

Connor weighed in a 6 pounds and 14.8 ounces and was 20.75" long.... our long, lean little man :)

Below are a few pictures from his first two weeks.....

At his two week pediatrician appointment he was up to 7 pounds 3 ounces which is great.... it means he is getting what he needs and growing. We cannot believe it has already been two weeks!

Making Progress...

Today I had my 36 week checkup at the doctor. I was a little nervous going in as this was the first appointment where I got "checked". I think I was nervous for whatever the doctor said... whether there was no progress or lots of it because we are so excited about his arrival.

The good news is that he is head down (and it's a very slim chance that he will change his position now), I am 1cm dilated, and 50% effaced. The doctor said this is a great start. At least I know my body is doing what it should be doing at this point.

It is also crazy that I now go to the doctor every week, that really means this pregnancy is winding down. Not that I am sad about that.... I am ready to have him here and not be pregnant anymore. I have had a pretty great pregnancy to this point and cannot really complain but I am ready to be able to sleep, breathe, and wear normal cute clothes again.

Tomorrow night we have our last baby prep class --- infant CPR which we are both looking forward to learning but praying we never have to use. Friday I have the last baby shower at work and then Josh and I will go out and buy the few "must have" items that we do not yet have. I am looking forward to Saturday when I will get the car seat installed at the fire station and get a much needed hour and a half massage that Josh got me for my birthday.

Only a few more weeks......

We are getting very excited... only a few more weeks until little man is expected to arrive. I cannot believe we are 35 weeks this week. I am hopeful that all continues to go as well as it has and that he stays in there for at least 2 more weeks so he would be considered full term.

This past week was very busy with preparation for little man. On Tuesday we took the hospital tour which was very insightful. We learned that if Connor were born this week he would not automatically go to the NICU which is very reassuring. We also learned about Kangaroo Care which means that once Connor is born he will be placed skin to skin with me for the first 2 hours (he can be skin to skin with Josh in hour 2). This helps promote bonding, regulates temperature/heartrate, and promotes breastfeeding. I cannot wait to experience this!

On Wednesday we had our 34 week ultrasound which was really neat. The images were not as clear as they have been in the past because Connor is running out of space in there to really move around. The statistics we learned at that appointment are below:

• There was 12cm of fluid which is normal
• He weighs about 5 pounds and 4 ounces, which puts him in the 50th percentile right now
• His heartrate was 136 which is normal

On Saturday we had our all day childbirth class. Josh and I were both a tad nervous about the birthing videos but they were not that bad. We learned a lot in the class about the various stages of birth, how long labor typically takes, pain options, and vaginal v. c-section information. All was very helpful and I do feel a bit more prepared now.

I am getting to the point where I am becoming a bit uncomfortable. It is very hard for me to sleep at night which is a bummer but I guess that is my body's way of preparing for once Connor arrives.
We just cannot wait for him to arrive.... :)

It's all coming together....

We have been working really hard on getting Connor's nursery together over the last several weeks. We have had three showers up to this point and have two more scheduled in the coming weeks. Connor sure does have a lot of great stuff.... some pictures of his nursery are below. Plus I have added a few of his brother Tucker loving on him. Enjoy!

Week 34 and a FUN coed baby shower

We are now entering Week 34 and I cannot believe it. As of this past Friday when people ask when our baby is due I can say "next month" which is hard to believe. We have gotten so much done over the past several weeks and have so much going on in the next few weeks to prepare for our BIG life change.

Yesterday our great friends Alexis and Stefan hosted a coed shower for us. We had a great time celebrating with our amazing friends. I have posted some pictures below..... Connor is one lucky boy!

So many new things to blog about....

Sorry for the delay in posts, I just realized it has been nearly a month since my last post. So much has changed since April when I last posted. A few of the highlights and pictures are below.

• In April I failed my 1-hour glucose test which meant that I needed to retake the test over a 3-hour time period. The good news is that I passed it when I retook it meaning I do not have gestational diabetes which was a huge relief.
• Josh and I went to Charleston with friends as our last vacation before Connor arrives. We had a blast and look forward to going back next year and introducing little man to the ocean.
• We had two baby showers this past weekend. On Friday we had one at church and then Saturday in Cincinnati. They were both amazing and we feel truly blessed that so many people are anxiously awaiting Connor's arrival. It was also great that my mom was able to fly in and celebrate the weekend and showers with us.
• Connor's baby furniture came in this past weekend which was exciting. Josh and his dad got everything set up. Now we are just waiting on the chair, book case, and to hang some pictures and then all will be ready for him. A picture at this stage is below.

Connor's Room--

Connor's Baby Shower at Church--

Connor's Baby Shower in Cincinnati--

Last week of the 2nd trimester....

We have entered Week #27... the last week in the 2nd trimester. I cannot believe the 3rd trimester is nearly here. Although sometimes I feel like I have been pregnant forever, I mostly feel like the time is flying by and we still have so much to do.

Since the last blog post UK Basketball has won the National Championship. Below is a picture of Josh and I celebrating down on campus after the win.... and after I had stood for nearly 7 hours. I am glad we were able to be a part of it.... and I like to think Connor is good luck for the CATS!

We went to church today to celebrate Papaw's 85th birthday. He is very excited to meet his first great grandchild. Below is my 27 week picture (felt good to be able to wear a non-maternity dress).

I will try to be better about updating the blog once we have our baby showers and begin putting all of his room together. Until next time....

Week 24.... and Connor's new ride

We have officially hit Week 24. The main milestone at this week is that Connor's face is now fully formed and developed and from this week forward he will average gaining 1/2 pound per week.

Our newest addition is Connor's new ride.... some pictures are below.

Me and the Summer Version

The Winter Version

It even comes with a rain cover.....

We couldn't be more excited to take him on walks once he arrives :)



Josh got to see and feel Connor

Tonight was a very exciting night for us.... Josh returned from his snowboarding trip to Breckenridge and Vail and upon his arrival home Connor decided to be an active little guy. Josh got to feel him kick and then was able to watch my stomach and see him moving around.... it was so neat. I am glad he can now see this as it makes the experience and the pregnancy much more real for him. Much more to come....

Happy St. Patrick's Day... and 23 Weeks

Hopefully everyone had a GREAT St. Patrick's Day.... and got to drink lots of green beer. I went to Cincinnati to celebrate Lauren's 30th Birthday (minus the green beer for me). I had a great time celebrating and hanging out with friends. Below is a picture that was taken of me yesterday, one day shy of 23 weeks. As you can see, Connor is definately growing and so I am.... but it is so very neat and amazing everyday!

Some amazing stuff that has happened this week is that I feel Connor moving/kicking/punching every day. Today I began to be able to see my stomach move when he moves which is very surreal. I go back for my next doctor's appointment tomorrow and cannot wait to hear little man's heartbeat, it still amazes me everytime!

Week 21....

We have entered Week 21 which is very exciting... now the number of weeks left is less than the number I have been pregnant.

The major significant milestone that took place this past week is that I have been feeling Connor move. It is a very strange but amazing feeling and I look forward to it occuring more and more over the coming months. I also cannot wait until his movement is strong enough for Josh to feel.

Josh and I began cleaning out the room that will be used as the nursery this weekend. It is surreal that we now call it "Connor's room" rather than the guest room. It's amazing to open the closet doors and see all the adorable little boy clothes that are hanging up, I cannot even imagine what he is going to look like wearing them.

We are half way there.... 20 weeks and counting!

It's hard to believe that this pregnancy is 1/2 way over... time has flown by. We really hope that the 2nd half of pregnancy goes by as quickly as the 1st half. I have posted a few pictures below from today and the ever growing baby bump.

Mom came in this past weekend and we ordered Connor's crib and dresser which was a lot of fun. It should arrive late May / early June. Below is a picture from today of Mom and me before we went out to breakfast.

Josh and I finished up our baby registry's today. For anyone interested in taking a look we are registered at the following places:

1. Buy Buy Baby (there is one in Lexington and one in Mason.... they take non-expired Bed Bath and Beyond coupons)
2. Restoration Hardware (available online only)
3. Babies R Us (located in most major cities.... we are mainly registered for clothes here)

It's a BOY.....

Today we went in for the anatomy screening where they measure the organs and bones to ensure all is developing as it should. The heartrate was 152 today and the baby was moving around all over. One other awesome thing we got to find out today was ............... IT'S A BOY!!!!

We are beyond thrilled and excited and it is awesome to know that now we can call him by name and begin to buy little things for our little man.

Below are some pictures from today...

This is the one they showed us which proved "Bean" is officially all boy....

We're getting closer....

I can hardly stand the wait to find out if Bean is a Miss or Mr. On Monday at work I had the manager of the ultrasound department scan me so I could see Bean. I got to see his/her heartbeat as I have in the past. She then scanned "down there" while I looked away. She printed out the picture and sealed it in an envelope in case we go next week and based on the way the baby is laying we are unable to find out. I never know what willpower was until this.... it is so hard knowing that someone else knows and we don't.

She also took a picture of Bean's feet for me.... so adorable...

16 weeks and counting....

We are nearing the 17 week mark on Monday and it really is flying by. Josh took my profile picture last weekend at 16 weeks and I have posted below. What a difference a week makes, I now have a much more pronounced "bump" than in the photo below.

Major accomplishments/changes for Bean this week are that he/she can now hear our voices. I have been trying to talk to Bean all week.

We are anxiously anticipating February 15th when we have the anatomy screening.... we will get to see Bean on the ultrasound and watch as he/she has all their body parts measured so we can ensure a healthy growing baby. At that appointment we also get to find out BOY or GIRL. I have placed our family guesses below....we shall see who is right!!!

BOY VOTES:

• G-Ma vonFelden
• Aunt Callie
• Grandpa D
• Great - Uncle Bob

GIRL VOTES:

• Daddy
• Mommy
• Aunt Lindsay
• Aunt Liv
• Aunt Alexis
• G-Pop vonFelden
• Great - Aunt Bev
• Grandpa Mason
• Grandma Mason

15 weeks and counting.....

We had our 15 week appointment with the doctor today. We got to hear Bean's heartbeat and ask some questions. The most exciting piece is that we go back on February 15th for our anatomy screening which is where the ultrasound technologist and doctor view all the organs and body parts and measure to ensure they are the size and location they should be. This is also when we find out boy or girl. The wait is much harder than I imaged it would be.

We have entered the 2nd trimester....

We are officially in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy as of Monday of this week. This is a big milestone in pregnancy as it means that the likelihood of miscarriage dramatically goes down, always a relief. It also means a boost in energy and ridding the not so enjoyable morning sickness.

This past weekend I went to Virginia with some friends from high school to visit Tasha and baby Tenley, whom we had never met. We had a great time and I was able to get some "new mommy" advice which was great .... I will take and I need all I can get. 

Below is a picture from our trip....

One other fun thing that I got to do while in Virginia is listen to Bean's heart beat three times. Tasha has a Doppler Ultrasound machine from when she was pregnant with Tenley and I got to use it. It was awesome to hear Bean each day, something I could for sure get used to. His/her heart beat was always between 160 - 170. So, BOY or GIRL?

We have our next doctor's appointment next Wednesday. I am hoping the doctor might be able to tell us the sex then... waiting is much harder than I imaged it would be.

13 weeks and counting...

Only one week left until baby Bean officially enters the 2nd trimester and we cannot wait! I, for one, am ready for the nausea and extreme exhaustion to come to an end.

Recent updates I have learned about Week 13 are below, and we think they are fascinating...

• Fingerprints have formed on the tiny fingertips.
• Veins and organs are clearly visible through his/her skin.
• If Bean is a girl, there are about 2 million eggs in the ovaries already

We also got all of our 12 week screening results back which are a huge relief. All came back "normal" which means there is very slim to no change of chromosomal abnormalities.

This weekend will be a fun one for me as I travel to Virginia to spend time with some high school / college friends and their babies (and babies to be).... hopefully it will give me some GREAT practice!

Everyday now I sit back and wonder.... Boy or Girl? I would love to know everyone's predictions!

Bean's 12 week update...

We went back to the doctor today for the chromosomal 12 week screening. They look for fluid on the baby's neck. More than 3mm of fluid signals a higher risk for down syndrome and a few others abnormalities. They take three measurements and send off for analysis along with my blood work. As soon as the tech started scanning Bean started moving.... all over! It was a little hard for her to take the measurements at first because we have an active fetus on our hands. Eventually she was able to get two measurements and show us some amazing pictures of Bean.... even a few in 3D and 4D. The doctor came in at the end and did the final measurement. The measurements were all well under 3mm which was a huge relief. We should have all the official results in a week.

Bean's heart rate was 163. They said that is healthy and a normal heart rate at 12 weeks is anywhere from 120 - 170.

Below are some pictures we got at our appointment today....


Bean's Profile picture...

Bean's first 3D photo shoot.....

Welcome to our blog

This blog is new to us but something we are excited about. We look forward to sharing all the exciting things going on in our lives with you, our followers.

We are most excited to share details and updates about our newest addition, Baby Bean, who is due to arrive in July 2012. This blog will be a great way for us to keep all of our friends and family in the loop.

Below is Bean's first photo shoot ultrasound picture taken at 6 weeks. At this time his/her heart rate was 124 beats/minute.

At our 10 week appointment we were able to get another ultrasound. This time the heartrate was 158 beats/minute.

We go back again this week and are looking forward to posting our 12 week picture for you all to see. More to come....