10 month Aiden update!

I remember thinking when Aiden was born that I was going to update in him monthly...well, 10 months later and I've failed terribly! >:(

Life's been crazy with an active baby around the house and somehow blogging has been pushed to the back burner. Now that he's becoming a lot more independent I'm hoping to be able to focus a bit more time to blogosphere because I miss it...and all of you! So hold me accountable, ok? :)

Anyways, little man is 10 months old! Holy crap, I can't believe that I need to start planning a first birthday party soon. Sheesh, it makes me kind of sad how quickly this has all went by.  We're so lucky to have the sweetest, most good natured kiddo ever. Like seriously, dream baby (well, everything except for his sleep, but it's getting better).

How He's Grown - We finally had his 9 month well baby visit and little man is long and lean. He's weighing 18lbs, 12 oz and at a height of 29 inches. He's 30% percentile for weight and 75% percentile for height. The weight gain has slowed, as has the height. Being lean and tall, has made it difficult at times to find pants that are long enough, but not too loose around the waist.

How He's Sleeping - This is by far the most inconsistent thing in our life right now. Some nights he sleeps the whole night through, others he's up every two to three hours. Lately (the past week), he's been sleeping through the night more often. The downside, he's been up at 4:30-5:30, but I think Daylight Savings Time also is messing that up. We started having Ryan go in at the middle of the night if Aiden was waking often. He was getting into the habit of having to nurse every.single.time, yet wasn't actually hungry.  Having Ryan go in to soothe him instead of me has made a difference and helped get Aiden into the habit of sleeping longer periods at night. The sleeping through the night has made naps a bit less predictable, and he's for the most part dropped to only one nap a day. I miss that second nap, but won't complain since I'm finally getting sleep at night!

There's his froggy lovey he can't sleep without.

What He's Eating - More like, what isn't he eating! He loves food...he's definitely our child. Haha! He's definitely not interested in eating baby foods anymore and wants more texture and to be able to feed himself. This past month, he's had a large interest in using the spoon and helping us guide it into his mouth. A few favorites: Popeye's pasta (creamed spinach sauce), oatmeal with fruit, tomato soup with rice, ravioli's, black bean burgers, & hash browns.

Spaghetti...another favorite!

What He's Doing - He's speed crawling, pulling up on everything, taking a few steps behind his walkalong toys, cruising along furniture, opening drawers, "reading" his books and really enjoying us reading to him. He's started to really become attached to a few toys and we had a minor blip when I left his lovey at my parents house! Thankfully his Papa came and dropped it off the next night! Phew! His favorite word is still "Mama", but "Baba" (dada) is following closely. Also starting to say "Hiiiiii" and "buh buh" for bye along with waving.

What He Loves - He absolutely adores his frog lovey from Carters. He has to go to bed with it each night. Also, his tiny tiger toy from Garanimals, Kohl's Cares dolphin stuffed toy, soft blocks, ball table and anything with wheels. It's so cute to watch him push the cars and trucks around. He's still digging his Fisher Price rain-forest Jumperoo as always.

What Else - Him and Maverick, our shihtzu are starting to become friends. Mav's still a bit reluctant at times, but Aiden's trying his best. Aiden's taken to feeding him from his high chair and always trying to give him toys. It's adorable.

We celebrated a good friends daughters first birthday! I always like to say that this is Aiden's future girlfriend! ;)

He also spent a day in downtown Detroit with his daddy watching me cross the finish line at the Detroit Free Press marathon where I ran in a relay team.

We also had a fun playdate at the beginning of the month at the Pumpkin Patch with a bunch of friends at Spicer Orchards. It was so great to see everyone and get all the babies together. I'm hoping to continue this and hopefully not go so long without seeing everyone.

I can't believe that we are less than 2 months away from a first birthday. I wish we could slow time down because it's flying by in a blur. I'm not ready for my baby to be a little boy!

Must Have Monday Product Review - Swaddle Angel Blanket by Munchkin

I've been thinking for awhile that I should blog about some of the items that I love and get to try. I often receive free products to try via Klout, Influenster and BzzAgent and participate by leaving feedback and reviews on their websites regarding the products.

The Must Have Monday posts will be reviews on the products that I love and use on a regular basis. Sometimes they'll consist of baby items, fitness gear, home, food and technology products. Basically, a little bit or everything. :) I'll be sure to post if these were products that were given to me or purchased on my own as well. I'll likely focus on posting a MHM post once or twice a month to begin with.

This weeks Must Have Product is the Swaddle Angel Blanket made by Munchkin. I LOVE these swaddle blankets.They are made of the softest material (100% rayon from bamboo so it's breathable and lightweight as well) and has a reinforced center panel on each blanket that helps to keep baby warmer without a ton of added bulk. One of my favorite things about them is the gorgeous designs that they come in. They're fashionable enough and don't scream "baby" like so many other products which is great because they are so versatile.

I am so glad that I happened to pick up a pack of these (comes with two) at Babies R Us because they are my hands down favorite blankets that we own. We use them each night to swaddle Aiden (I also use a flannel receiving blanket to keep him a bit warmer since it's been freezing here in Michigan for the time being). I think that these blankets will be great for using in the spring/summer when it gets warmer outside too. They are large enough that they could easily be thrown over a stroller or carseat to keep the sun out and have nifty loops on each corner to attach it so that you're not having to constantly adjust it. These loops are also really convenient for using the blankets as a nursing cover (I used this recently when at a family function) that won't overheat you or your little one.

I highly recommend these! I plan on picking up more of them soon because the two that I have is just not enough and I want to make sure to have plenty for the years to come (plus I really love the other patterns too).

Aiden all swaddled

Used as a nursing cover (just loop the blanket through the corner loops)

The gorgeous designs! (Image from the munchkin website)

I never used to swaddle our little one because he would throw a fit during the process. We started doing it after he kept waking himself up with his crazy, flying arms. We found that after the initial fit of crying, he would quickly calm down and sleep so much better through the night. Now he doesn't even mind the process of swaddling. If you're finding that your little one is fussy and waking often in the night (aside from feedings), I'd give swaddling a try. Below is a great diagram that walks you through the steps of swaddling. Remember to wrap them pretty tightly for best results (reminds them of life in the womb).

Photo courtesy of Bambino Land

Do you swaddle your baby? Do you have a favorite swaddling blanket?

Welcome to Parenthood - Advice from a New Mom

Happy One Month Baby Boy!

I can't believe that it's already been a month since Aiden has been born. In that moment our life completely changed in so many ways, but I can say that it's worth it, but also has been one of the hardest months of my life. I don't think that any amount of reading, preparing and conversations can prepare you for the way that becoming a parent can affect you.

You spend 9 months imagining and preparing for this little person to enter your life and once they do, life is turned around completely. The moments following are some of the most challenging moments, both mentally and physically, however also the most rewarding and fulfilling. It's surreal the moment they hand your child to you. It's a moment of disbelief that YOU made this child and that he/she is yours to keep and raise and hopefully mold into a decent human. Talk about responsibility.

This past month has been a learning experience. I think most people go into parenthood with pre-conceived notions of what it will be like. Media shows parenthood to be this simple walk in the park of cute, sleeping babies (which they are...sometimes, and pretty much never at night), perfectly clean homes, easy & pain free breastfeeding (think again...it's hard), and so on.

Each person's experience differ, but the following are the few bits of advice I have:

Be prepared to be flexible - That first month is pretty much dictated by baby, and that's okay. Just go with it. There's no point fighting it because at that point you and baby are both learning this whole new thing. I know that I went into this with certain ideas of what I would and would not do. I've already reneged on more than a few things and I'm sure as time goes on there will be more.

Sleep when baby sleeps - Everyone says this...but honestly do it as much as you can. You never know how the upcoming night will go and you'll really regret not sleeping that extra hour when you've been up between 12-6am with a fussy baby. Those dishes will get done, laundry washed and house dusted...just maybe not today, or even this week.

Get over bodily fluids - You will be spit on, pooped on, peed on and leak everywhere before it's over. The sooner you get over being grossed out by it...the easier life will be.

Ask for help, and accept help -  If you need something ask. People aren't mind readers. And when others offer help...accept it. It's amazing how refreshing an hour to yourself can be, so take up people's offers to watch the baby for an hour or two, and accept all offers of free, prepared food.

You know your baby better than others do - Everyone loves to give advice. Listen, but don't feel obliged to do everything others say. They mean well, but sometimes people get diarrhea of the mouth and don't know when to just stay quiet (however, I do recommend listening to your pediatrician, but don't be afraid to ask questions and research your options).

Don't take anything personal said between the hours of midnight and 6AM - I had a close friend tell me this the other day and it's true. You and your significant other are both in this together, but sometimes after four nights of little sleep and three hours of a crying infant, tempers can flare. Being angry and resentful will only lead to more issues in the end. Make sure to keep communication open.

Lastly, give yourself a break - Being a parent is hard. Suddenly you're thrown into taking care of a human being that is completely dependent on you and sometimes you feel like you've lost a part of yourself at the same time. Everyone always said that it gets easier, and it does. It's only been a month for us, but I can tell you that each day gets a little bit easier than the previous day. And even if it isn't easier, those baby snuggles make each and every day worth it.

What words of advice do you have for new parents? 

Did you have a hard time adjusting to becoming a parent?

Welcome Home Aiden!

We're all doing great! I'll be sure to update soon on our birth journey. Thanks everyone for all your support and love through the last 10 months. 

Bumpdate: 36 weeks!

Guess What?! I hit 36 weeks today! Officially hit the 9 month mark and holy crap, that means Baby Boy is going to be here SOON! It blows my mind that if labor starts next week that they won't try to stop it. Eeek!!

Bumpdate Stats:

Weight Gain: About 28 pounds at 9 months. I was hoping to not gain anymore than 30 so we're getting close to that mark. I've honestly ate pretty well throughout the whole pregnancy and stay active at work. I was hoping to get some more workout's in, but by the time that I'm done with work, I'm pretty spent for the day and crash once I get home. I really can't wait to be active again and to have some energy after pregnancy. :)

Baby Size: Head of Romaine Lettuce (18 1/2 inches long and almost 6 pounds). At this point baby gains about an ounce a day.

What I've Been Eating: Little meals at a time because there's no room for much more. Still eating lots of peanut butter, fruits and veggies. Been digging nuts lately too. And of course lots of Turkey this week. :)

How I've Been Feeling: Tired and getting a bit more achy. Work kicks my butt when I stand all day (back aches). Still no swelling though so that's awesome! I feel like he's moved down lower so that's becoming uncomfortable to the point that it makes me wince at times. To be honest, for being 9 months pregnant I thought that I'd feel a lot worse so I'm pretty thankful.

Am I Showing Yet:  Duh.

I can't really tell if I've dropped...can you?

Any Other Symptoms: Occasional Braxton Hicks contractions and some insomnia. I think a lot of it has to deal with my work schedule kind of being all over the place (some days I work 1st shift and then others I'm working 2nd shift)

Best Moment of the Week: We had a great Thanksgiving with family. We had my parents over and Ryan's as well. It was great to not have to travel on the holidays like we have done for the last 10 years. Lots of great foods, company and celebrating. My sister got to feel the baby move too, so it was a pretty good feeling too. We also did lots of relaxing on our days off and Christmas decorating.

My sis and I

Ryan and my mom helping out in the kitchen and carving the bird.

The dads hanging out by the fireplace

The turkey apron my grandma made has been passed down to me. :) 

Anything Else: I have a work baby shower on Friday so that's really exciting. I feel so lucky and thankful to have my co-workers do this for me. I'm sure he'll be spoiled. :)  Also started my week OB visits this week. His heartbeat was strong and steady at 150. And we FINALLY told family what his name is going to be.

At this time next week there could be a baby?!?!?! WHOA! 

Any last minute labor and delivery tips that I need to know/remember?

Bumpdate: 32 weeks

Oh my gosh, I'm the worst at this. It's not that I don't think about it, it's just that I feel like I'm busy all the time and have NO energy, or need to conserve it to get other things done around here, especially before baby boy makes his appearance.

Bumpdate stats:

Weight Gain: I'm up about 25 pounds at a little over 8 months pregnant. It's literally all in my belly and boobs. I can still fit into a few pair of my non-maternity jeans if they are low rise. I know for some that is nearing the high end of the weight spectrum, but considering how small I was to begin with and the fact that I'm still active I'm not overly concerned, nor is my doctor.

Baby Size:  Squash (Average size: 15.2-16.7 inches, 2.5-3.8 lbs).  We've got an overachiever according to the last ultrasound though, but I'll get more into that later. ;)

What I've Been Eating:  I can finally eat chicken again as long as it's mixed in with other things. After almost 7 months of avoiding the one food I used to eat all the time it's great. Other than that I've been loving on salads with ranch dressing. And still loving on the sweets...I blame this all on Ryan and his sweet tooth which obviously is getting passed onto this kiddo. Greek yogurt with fresh fruit is another love. I can't get enough of it.

How I've Been Feeling: I still feel pretty good. The worst part is just the fatigue. At the end of every work day I HAVE to come home and take a nap to re-charge. Start to really feel it in my feet at the end of the day. I can't complain though considering it's taken this long to start to become uncomfortable. I'm thankful for that. He is moving around a lot still, but it's more shifting now than strong punches and kicks. It's insane to watch my stomach move around and lately he's been using my ribs as monkey bars with his feet and my cervix as a trampoline. No swelling yet and still have my wedding bands on. :)

Am I Showing Yet?: HA, yes, you could say that. The belly has fully popped! Although my fundal height is measuring behind and I get comments that I look about 5-6 months pregnant, not 8 months. My breast have also grown again...It's becoming darn nearly impossible to find a bra that fits. Thank goodness for sleep and sports bras.

Any Other Symptoms: A few Braxton Hicks contractions now and then. Also noticed a bit of milk leaking...oh joy! At least I know everything is working.

Best Moment of the Week:  We had an ultrasound this past week and it was the first one since our 20 week growth ultrasound. It was re-assuring because at my last OB appointment I was measuring behind on fundal measurement by a few weeks, but the ultrasound showed that he's actually about a week ahead in growth (weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces already)! I'm wondering if our due date is going to change. The OB thought that I may measure behind because I have strong abdominal muscles so I may not 'show' as readily as some. Everything looks great for our baby boy and it's all becoming so much more real.

What Else Is Left To Do: We still need to finish the last of the nursery, but it's almost done (post pics when finished). I'll be sure to post pics soon. Need to finalize our birth plan too. I need to send out thank you cards from my family/friends baby shower, but keep forgetting to pick up stamps (which I hope to blog about soon)!

Thank you cards! SO thankful for my awesome family and friends
and how loved and spoiled this boy is already.

I came downstairs to see Mav breaking in the babies playmat.
I had to take it awaybefore he thinks that it's his.

 It's crazy to think that in a month it's pretty much go time and that he could make an appearance! Time seriously flew, I feel like we just shared the news.

Bumpdate: Week 16

Holy smokes!? I'm 4 months along already tomorrow. Time is flyyyyying by! I can't believe that it's already halfway through July. It makes me a bit sad that summer is over halfway over already. Before we know it, there's gonna be snow on the ground and I'll be complaining and wishing for these hot days to be back.

My prego stats:

Weight gain: 6.4 pounds in the past 4 months. This is the time where the weight gain will start adding on a lot more aggressive as baby goes through growth spurts and my body preps for baby more. My bump definitely "popped" this week so now I look more pregnant than just bloated.

Baby size: Avocado (Average size: 3.53 oz and 4.57 in)

What I've been eating: Ridiculous amounts of water! I'm so thirsty all the time so I've been downing a ton each day. Digging watermelon lately, along with tomato & cucumber salad with italian dressing, and Better Made BBQ potato chips (seriously, the bbq chips ever). I could eat all of those every.single.day. Chicken is still not my favorite, but I can eat small amounts of it at a time.

How I've been feeling: Pretty good! Still tired after an early morning and long day at work so I'm still loving my daily naps. Sleeping at night is a little rough since sleeping on my stomach is becoming uncomfortable and this heat has been unbearable (heat index of 105 today). I'm getting more energy back though and finally went for a walk/jog the other day and it felt awesome to get out and moving again. Once this weather passes I'll be a lot more active again.

Am I Showing Yet?: Yep! Woke up the other morning with a baby bump! It's still small, but enough for people at work to notice. Definitely going to need to get some new pants sometime soon. Goodbye skinny jeans (for now...). Also, I'm pretty sure I'm feeling flutters of movement. I can only notice when laying and it's quiet and I'm specifically looking for them.

Don't mind my scrub-tastic self. It was my day off = lazy

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing close friends from college! It was so great to spend some time with those that I share so many awesome, fun and memorable moments from college with. I really hope that we can make it happen more often. :) Feeling the flutters is pretty cool too. We had another OB visit and the heart rate was at 160. The wives tales say girl, but I've heard that often it's not right. We'll know Aug 13th!
Baby B Heart Beat

Perfect Michigan sky after sunset

Some of my favorites

Hubs & I

Our gorgeous getaway "home".

Baby Prep/Goodies: We bought a crib! Target was having a big baby sale so we took advantage to save some money. Also bought a Pack N Play that came with a free bouncer. :)

Can't wait for the weekend to get here. Some outlet shopping, relaxing with Ryan, and cooler temps!

Bumpdate: Week 13

We've officially made it to the second trimester (well according to most sources, although some say 14 weeks)! Woohoo! The risk of miscarriage has dropped significantly at this point so that's at least a little peace of mind.  All the support and well wishes that we have received the past week since announcing the pregnancy have been so overwhelming and appreciated. Baby B is already feeling all the love and support from family and friends.

My Prego Stats:

Weight Gain: Grand total so far: 3 lbs! Although I have to say that it feels/looks like more. I think it's bloat and my uterus shifting around in there because it's definitely moved up.

Baby Size: Peach (Average size: 2.9 inches, .81 oz.)

What I've Been Eating:  Food is finally tasting good again. For the last couple of weeks nothing had been appealing and I've been eating only for the sake of eating for the most part. This week my appetite has come back with a vengeance. It's so bad that I woke up at 3AM starving last night and had to have a midnight snack. I've finally ate chicken again for the first time in 2 months, but still not really digging it. I've been eating a ton of peaches, nectarines, peanut butter, bacon, pasta and beef.  And my sweet tooth, is rocking out in full force. This baby is already taking after it's daddy with a wicked sweet tooth.

A smorgasbord of everything! 

Balsamic pork, amish macaroni salad, mini salad

Bacon, spinach, tomato, & avocado sandwich --thee best! 

How I've Been Feeling:  I'm beginning to have energy again.  I still feel the need for a daily nap and have been pretty lazy, but I've been able to at least be a bit more productive this week. My nausea is nearly gone, unless I wait too long to eat. A little bit of dizziness too, which is likely from my super low blood pressure that's gotten worse since becoming pregnant.

Am I Showing Yet: I think I'm starting to show a bit, but most people would think I just ate a few too many donuts. It's that weird stage right now where I look like I just stopped caring about eating/working out instead of prego. I look forward to the days when it's more apparent.

Best Moment of the Week: 3 days off in a row!! Work wears me out hardcore lately so I love having these days off. So nice to lounge and take it easy. Another awesome thing? I called my insurance today to find out more information today about our pre and post-natal care, and everything will be covered 100%! We have no out of pocket expenses so that is a huge relief! :)

Here's a few ultrasound pics from week 11:

Kind of weird, but you can see the orbits where the eyes are, along with jawline and ears.

All nestled in.

I have lots of fun house updates coming up soon. Hope to get to that tomorrow! :)

Super Exciting Announcement!

Hi friends! I know that it's been forever since I've posted anything, BUT I have a really good excuse this time:

Yup, we're expecting and SUPER excited about it. Baby B is expected around New Years 2014 (due date: Jan 2, 2014)!

The past couple of months I've been pretty sleepy so any spare time was basically spent napping on the couch and sipping on some Vernors. I'm so thankful to say that I'm finally starting to feel better, able to eat something other than noodles and beginning to get active again. Yahoo!

It's still kind of surreal to us. I think seeing the ultrasound sealed the deal seeing the baby squirming all around in there (Ryan likes to say that it's break dancing). And the fact that my pants are getting a bit tight and there's a tiny, little baby belly starting already. Whoa!

I can't believe we've made a human. That's exciting, terrifying, and awesome all at the same time. I'm sure it's going to be a very interesting journey that we'll be sharing with you all.