Two Months

You don’t know until you know.

This is my husband’s new saying when it comes to children; and yes it is true that folks without kids really can’t know until they are experiencing it for themselves. It’s hard to believe that Nolan is two months old already. The time is flashing by and it’s hard to believe that I only have one more month at home with him. My life has completely changed since my little prince has come into this world. I love being a mommy.

The last two months have been wonderful. Nolan is a very happy and content baby. He is growing so big, so fast. My favorite part of the day is in the morning, when he wakes up. I sneak into his room and just watch him lying in his crib, staring around his room. When he spots me his little face lights up and he starts to kick, smile and talk. His smile just melts a mommy’s heart. He is starting to talk so much. I love carrying on a conversation with him.

I am 2 Months Old Guys!

Last week we had his Two Month check-up and everything is going great. He is ranging in the 50-75% percentile. He now weights 12.12 and is 23.5” long.  He got his shots and did great. He was fussy that evening, but the next morning he was back to his happy self. I have really considered spreading out his vaccinations and I might go that route the next time to see how he does. I fear it might be a system overload. I know there are tons of opinions on this matter, but I am going to trust my gut and his reaction on a case-by-case basis.

He is obviously not starving, have you seen his cheeks? I am still solely breastfeeding and it is going great. He gets a bottle of pumped breast milk at least twice a week, normally on the weekends when dad is home. He eats fairly regular, about every 3 hours. Sometimes he naps a little longer and I just let him sleep. The breastfeeding had gone a lot easier than I expected, I do realize that I am blessed, as some moms have a hard time. The only trouble I have experienced is when Nolan sleeps through the night, the next morning I am rather large. I have been lazy about pumping (normally only on the weekends), but I am going to try to commit myself to pumping in the mornings after he first eats. I realize that with me starting work in a month that he may need a bottle more often and I am going to try to do better, after all practice makes perfect.

Dad doing great with the bottle feeding

He has started doing his nights, and I am enjoying getting a good night’s rest. He started about four weeks ago sleeping through the night. He goes down around 9:30 and then wakes up between 6-8 am. If he wakes up around 6, I feed him and put him back down and then we start our day officially around 9. There were a couple of mornings when he woke up around 3 to be changed and eat, and too be honest I did not mind the cuddle time. It’s so special to just nurse him and watch him fall back asleep.  I hope he continues with his nights, but I know this may change.

Waking up from his nap

Our days are pretty consistent, and we have our morning routine down pat. We start the day around 9, he eats while I catch up on my Good Morning America and then he goes down on the play mat while I eat my breakfast and drink my coffee. He then naps either on his play-mat, the bassinet on the pack-n-play or the swing. The rest of the day, just depends on what is going on, sometime we have errands to run and other times we just hang out at the house. He does great during the day and normally naps anywhere to 30 minutes to an hour after he eats and then wakes up when it time to eat again.

He loves his play-mat

In terms of activities, he loves his play-mat. He lays there staring at the lights and animals. He loves to nap in the swing. We owe a big thank you to some friends of ours who are letting us borrow the swing! It has been a life savior. I am trying to get better at tummy time, but I don’t think he likes it, because after about 3 minutes he gets fussy. I try to hold him on my chest during the day for long periods so he doesn't develop a flat/bald spot. The doctor recommended that after every diaper change to put him on his stomach, while I throw his diaper away and wash my hands. I did this religiously at first, but now I am slacking! I need to do better, because he needs to build up his arm strength. He is good with his little head as he was holding it up rather strong at a month old.

Peace Out!

We are starting to get out more, stay tuned for more of our adventures! 

Nolan’s Birthday

The last two months have flown by as we are learning our new roles as a family of three. Here is story of Nolan’s "overdue" arrival.

Two weeks before my due date my fluid was recorded being low and Nolan was measuring to be well over 8 pound with a large head. The docs gave us the choice to induce early or wait and see how my fluid was measuring at the end of that week. Needless to say we waited and that Friday, we received the news that my fluid was back up and Nolan was good to wait it out. We left for home to wait for his little arrival.

My due date (9/18) came and went, and the days started to trickle by and Nolan showed no signs of coming. I had been experiencing contractions, they would start at 2:30 am and last until 7 am and then stop. It was very frustrating. I tried everything from; eating foods, walking, a massage and pedicure - nothing worked. On 9/24 we went back to the doctor and Dr. Lucas looked at me, smiled and said let's have this baby boy! I had to refrain myself from hugging his neck! The date was set and little Nolan's big day would be Wednesday the 26th. That night we were so excited that I don’t think either of us slept. It was hard to believe that in less than 24 hours we would be parents to a little boy!

Last Bump Pic at 41 Weeks

Paul and I left the house at 6:30 am with the car packed for the hospital. We checked in and made our selves at home in our large labor and delivery room and waited for our nurse to arrive. I just have to say we had the best nurse ever! I really think God sent her to us as an angel. She was amazing! I was started on the meds around 11:30 am. Doctor Brown came in at 12:30 checked my cervix and broke my water. Around 2:00 my contractions really started to kick up. I looked at Paul and said I think I will take my epidural now, being the loving hubby – he suggested that I try to wait another 30 minutes…needless to say fifteen minutes later we placed the request. I think he thought I might break his little pinky finger. I took another 30-45 minutes for the anesthesiologist to show up, but she soon became my new best friend! It took another 15-20 minutes and several pushes on my drip to get my epidural to take into full affect. Lunch came in a form of liquids! I had to keep my strength up after all I was giving birth to a big boy!

Lunch Time

After Epidural

Bonding Time

My parents and Paul’s mom arrived a little after 3. My parents were amazed at how labor had changed. My mom had both my brother and I without an epidural, so they were used to the screaming and grunting of the labor pains. I joked that if they had come earlier they would have seen all of that in full effect! Around 7 o’clock I asked my nurse to check me before she left for the day and my new nurse came on. Sure enough, she looked at Paul and me and said, his little head is right there, you are ready to push. Let’s page the team and doctor. Doctor Brown and the respiratory team arrived and it was go time. Paul was an amazing coach! He coached me through every push and kept telling me what was happening!  I was lucky that my actual delivery only took about 15 minutes and little Baby O came into this world screaming. After the Doctors did a quick check over Baby O, he was placed in my arms - Paul and I were smitten and wordless.

BABY O HAS A NAME ~
We had two names selected and Nurse Deena helped us confirm that Baby O looked like Nolan Paul O’Donohue. So that was the name we selected, however it took us almost 12 hours to be 100% sure and fill out the birth certificate and ss information. I thought our parents were going to ring our necks because we wouldn't tell them his name right away.

We left the hospital a little after lunch on Friday. We headed home as a family of three. We came home to a clean house and a blue balloon on the mail box! Paul and I have to thank all the company who came to visit us in the hospital. It was so sweet and we really appreciated all the visitors.

40 Weeks, 1 Day and Counting

I was hoping to have exciting news by now, but unfortunately little O likes living in my belly and does not want to come out! I would love to be one of those moms who says, she is patience and not forcing their child into this world, but that’s not me! I have not gone too overboard, only Googled pressure points/acupressure, had a foot massage/pedi, tried eating pineapple and eggplant, walking and bouncing on an exercise ball. Of course I have done all these in moderation. I am praying and trying to trust the Lords timing, but I am so ready to meet this little boy! I am dilated 3 cm and have contractions all the time especially at night, but they end up stopping. Here’s to hoping he comes this week. My new favorite doctor is on call Friday, so maybe he is waiting till then.

A couple more baby topics, the nursery is complete. I really love how it turned out. I wanted something calm and soothing and not super childish. I did have days when I thought should I go crazy with the lime green and dinosaurs, but I opted to wait until he is old enough to design his own room. We repurposed the dresser, night-stand and bookshelf. We bought the crib (Young America) from a local baby furniture store in Charlotte. I fell head over heels with my glider at Bellini. The ladies at Bellini were great to work with and I recommend them for everything… furniture, bedding and adorable accessories. I may add a couple of things once he arrives, like his initials or name to the wall. We are waiting to see him before deciding on a name. Or maybe an ottoman covered with the same fabric from his crib skirt or a shaggy rug for him to roll around on. Here are the photos. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Crib: Young America Tribute Crib; Glider: Dutailier 171 Series; Dresser: Ethan Allen; Artwork: Susan Bolick

Couting Down!!

We had our 38 week check-up on Tuesday and everything looked on track. I have been going every week since around week 35, so I am getting use to the weekly routine. Last week, I got our flu shot, so little O and I would both be protected going into fall and winter. I was dilated a whole pinky last week and I have graduated to 1 cm this week. We had an ultra sound at week 35 and little O is head down and ready. My placenta is on the lower side, so I will have another ultra sound at week 39.

My stomach is measuring around 37 weeks, but from the ultra sound at 35 weeks, he was measuring a couple days ahead of my due date, almost 6 lbs.,  and was at the 50th percentile. They put me on the fetal heart monitor this week to count kicks, heart rate and contractions. At first little O was sleeping, so they had to wake him up using a buzzer like device. It was funny and soon after he started kicking up a storm, I passed with flying colors based on the Doc. I was also shocked to hear the Dr. say I was having a few contractions, because I honestly didn’t feel anything outside of the normal kick and bulges. So now I am slightly worried that I will not know when I am in labor (crazy first time mom thought). I keep thinking the pain will be close to what a kidney stone feels like. I figure I better start keeping track of my BH so I will know if they are getting closer. Did you know they have an app for that??

The nursery is almost done and I can’t wait to share the photos with everyone. We are waiting on some artwork which should be finished hopefully by this weekend. It’s turned out perfect and I think he will love it!

Speaking of pictures… I have been waffling back and forth trying to decide do I do maternity photos or not. I have not done a great job on taking the weekly bump pictures, although that’s not really my personality. When I have asked Paul to take them, I am either in my pregnancy uniform (which consist of a v-neck white tee and his boxers—I know so stylish, but after you get past a certain point you go with what is comfortable) or I don’t like how I look or how he has taken the picture. I would much rather blame it on his photo skills rather than me having a bad hair/face day. What can I say; no one in their right mind would really post a picture of themselves not looking 100% perfect and Elle worthy, right? I have a couple of bump pictures and they are fun to look back on, so I will be nice and share even though they are in no way Glamour shots.

Also, here is a picture from the ultra sound at 35 weeks – the tech said he was mushed in my stomach and had his hand at his face, so it was hard to get a great shot of his face. We have an eye, nose and a cute little mouth that Paul says looks like mine! Next week I have another us scheduled so I am interested to see how scary he looks now!



Here’s to hoping little man comes sooner rather than later! I told Paul starting on Sunday night I was going to Google pressure points on my feet and start playing with my boobs to start contractions! Twelve days and counting!





Baby Bumps
12 Weeks, 20 Weeks, 23 Weeks, 25 Weeks, 27 Weeks, 36 Weeks





June Updates

Blog Update! It has been a busy June for Paul, me and the baby bump! Paul took a new job – still in Charlotte, I had the most amazing shower thrown by my cousins and aunts and Paul and I took a mini babymoon to the beach for a couple of days! It was wonderful.

SHOWER: I have the best cousins and aunts in the world. They hosted the most precious and fabulous shower for me in early June, while my cousin Christin was passing through town to VA. Here are a couple of photos of the décor and the lovely ladies who came! The other big news is that come Christmas time we are going to have three new little ones. Christin and I are due the same week in September and Hilary is due in December! I can’t wait!

BabyMOON: We had a couple of days to get away before Paul started his new job. We stayed in Little River and went to the beach in Cherry Grove. The weather was wonderful…it was not too hot with a great breeze, not this 100 degree weather we have been having ever since. The beach was crowded, but not too crowded. We had a great time eating at our favorite places and being completely lazy! Unfortunately we did not do our annual put-put tournament, because we thought we were going to go back to the beach before little O get’s here…but we are not sure that is going to happen ;( Fingers crossed for a long weekend.



Baby O:
Baby O is getting bigger every week and so am I. My last appointment was on the 25th. I am right on schedule. My weight is getting more and more each visit, and I am trying hard not to freak out. It’s so weird to look down and see this big belly and to struggle to tie my shoes or paint my toes (pedicure please). His little heart beat was strong at 153. He kicks me all the time, to the point where I feel like my belly is going to explode. Even Paul has been amazed at how hard he kicks.  I go back for one more monthly appointment and then we move on to every two weeks! It’s hard to believe this week number 3o! The time has flown by! The nursery is finally coming together. Our Young American crib came in last week and I got a call that our glider came in four weeks early! I am reading two more books and deciding on what classes to take at the hospital…In terms of classes, what does everyone recommend?

WORK Travel:

I have a couple more trips before I get to stop, 3 to be exact, back to Indy, Orland and Salt Lake City. I got lucky a couple of weeks ago, and got to visit Indy for just an overnight trip. Luckily I got to see some family while in town. My cousin Natalie and her fiancé Jeremy came down for the evening and took me out to eat! We had the most amazing meal and I got to experience St. Elmo’s famous shrimp cocktail!

Mini Vacation

A Mini Vacation before the Real Vacation

Last weekend was so special for two reasons; one I got to spend the weekend with my mom (girls trip) and two, I got to see my best friend from college get married!

My best friend/college roommate Taylor got married on June 1st!  I remember when I got the text from Taylor with the exciting engagement news! The big day was finally here!
Paul had an exam that Saturday, so I asked mom to join me, I figured it was only fitting because Taylor’s precious mom joined her for my wedding. We brought if full circle, plus our mom’s know how to have a good time.

Mom and I had a blast! It was so nice to get a way for a mini girls vacation. The wedding was on a Friday evening so we left out early Friday morning for the road trip. The wedding was perfect in every sense, from the marsh and big oak tree! Taylor was stunning and my heart skipped a beat when I spotted her and Mr. Floyd coming down the aisle! Like the smart person I am who loves photos, but never takes them, I did not take any photos of myself with Taylor…but the photographer did and I am hoping it turned out great! I did manage to grab a photo with mom and me, baby bump and all; and a picture of Taylor and Matt during their first dance as a married couple!

On Saturday, mom and returned to the I’ON Village and discovered the best breakfast/lunch spot, called The Square Onion. The food was delicious and the customer service was even better! We not only had brunch, but also had them pack us a lunch for the beach! Mom and I took off to Sullivan’s Island for a couple of hours to enjoy the sand beneath our feet. It was beautiful and so relaxing. We ended the evening with a trip into town to walk around and have dinner at Hank’s! The food did not disappoint! Mom had the seasonal salad and the jumbo shrimp and grits and I had the she crab soup and #3 Flounder and Shrimp! We shared the dark chocolate croissant for dessert! Everything was amazing!

Here are the only two photos I took the entire weekend -  lessoned learned - take more photos.

Nesting Time!!

With 18 weeks to go, until little O’Donohue arrives my nesting hormones have kicked into high gear! It’s not just about the nursery, but the whole house. Paul has been supportive about helping me clean out, but for some odd reason, I now want to re-do our entire house. Add new curtains and a rug downstairs, new bedding, new chair and window treatments for the master bedroom, re-cover the sofa and chairs in the loft, and re-do the entire guest bedroom…this doesn’t even count the closets, laundry room or the NURSERY!

We started with step one of re-arranging all of our kitchen cabinets and throwing out a ton of stuff! I was amazed at how much I love the new functionality of my kitchen! Something so minor brings such joy…I know I am crazy!

Next on the cleaning phase is pulling everything out of the nursery and only putting items back into the room that will go there! Hopefully we can tackle this escapade this weekend! Along with me picking out a crib!

That leads me into the nursery. I have found a couple of photos online via Pintrest of nursery’s I like…but I am having a hard time deciding on a crib! Do we go with a crib that converts into a toddler bed, or one that converts into a full? So many questions! Below are a the four cribs I am in love with. I have to hurry up and make up my mind, they can take up to 8-10 weeks to make.

 

Alexander by Bellini

 

Young America





Imperio by Romina

 

Imperio By Romina - Stationary Crib



Nursery Theme

 

It's a Boy!

We are so excited! We are having a BOY!
Two week ago we had our anatomy scan. I was so excited that I could barely sleep. I swear I was up every two hours…tossing and turning. For some reason, knowing the gender of our baby made my pregnancy real.

Paul and I had joked about what we were having. Our friends loved the thought that it would be a little girl, so Paul would be broke for the rest of his life. I too thought maybe I was carrying a girl, because I was so sick during the first trimester. I then read, that when the back of your hands are dry it means you are carrying a boy. The way we looked at it we had a 50 50 chance of one or the other. We didn’t care what was between its legs; we just want a healthy, happy baby.

The big day came and I was so excited. I work up early and laid in bed praying and thinking about our child and how our lives were changing forever. When we walked into the ultra sound room, I looked and Paul and smiled. He was so excited he could barely sit down! Right off the bats the nurse pointed at the screen, there is your little boy! I thought Paul was going to jump for joy. The nurse was amazing walking us through the entire scan, checking his spine, heart, brain, kidneys, legs, arms and feet. We could even spot his little cerebellum developing. He was healthy and a big little boy, already measuring a week ahead of schedule based on his weight.

That Friday we had planned to have our family and some friends down to have a party to reveal the gender. It was great getting to celebrate this special time with our family and friends. Both our moms tried their hardest to get us to spill the news, but we made it!

Below is the video from the big announcement and photos from the scan.

From the beginning Baby

I have been meaning to update the blog with baby details. I am going to start back at the beginning.

We found out we were expecting right at six weeks. I had been on the road traveling for work and noticed during my trip I was a little sick at night; nothing major, but just a little queasy or what I now call green. When I got home, I joked with Paul and told him we needed to buy a test. He laughed me off and said no, it’s too soon. So on that Monday I bought a test while he was a work. I thought about waiting until he got home, but just couldn’t wait! So I did the stick test and about fell off the toilet when the stick screamed PREGNANT! I was in shock; I mean the result popped up so quickly. I tried so hard to wait until Paul came home. I could not wait, I called him like a stalker (repeatedly for 30 minutes) until he called me back. Needless to say he was speechless and thrilled all at the same time.

I was so excited when I found out we were expecting, don’t get me wrong we were trying we just didn’t think it would happen right away. Here’s to fertile myrtle! I was dying to start blogging right away, but the husband promised me to silence until we were past the first trimester. Let’s be honest, no lying here... I did tell a few people. I mean holy cow, you are pregnant!  How can you keep this a secret!

Forget Super Tuesday... It's Baby Tuesday

That's right! You heard correctly! Paul and I are going to be parents. Here is the first official picture of Baby O'Donohue. Baby is due in September!

Now let the Blogging Begin!