Baby Cereal

Annabelle has finally experienced her first food besides milk (and the small crumbs of chocolate cake fed to her by my co-worker). We had talked about starting cereal after her 4 month appointment when the doctor gave us the go ahead to try it. We, as in Brian and I, were not quite ready. I think we are trying to hang on to our "little baby" as long as we can. I never knew how true the saying "they grow up so fast" really was until Annabelle came along. Anyway we decided to wait until after the hustle and bustle of the holidays to start feeding her some solid foods. The first night was last night and it went ok. She wasn't sure what to think and was having a hard time figuring out not to suck on the spoon. I didn't mix up much and she ate most of it (the left overs fell on the floor, accidentally, and Charlie ate it and LOVED IT! Tonight after daycare we tried the cereal again. I mixed it a little thicker tonight and sat her in her bouncy chair and she did a great job. She ate everything and Charlie was by her side most of the time trying to lick it off her face, which don't worry we didn't let him do it. Hopefully she continues to do well.

On another exciting note: her second tooth is starting to pop through :)

Merry Christmas

Spoiled?

Christmas 2010 was a great celebration. We are very blessed to be spending this holiday season as a family of 3!

We were in Carrington this year over the Christmas holiday. It was a lot of fun and was nice to spend time with relatives and eat some great food. Annabelle didn't seem to think to much about her first Christmas. She slept through Christmas Eve Church and watched as we opened presents. She would try to rip the wrapping paper once in awhile and when she would get some it went right into her mouth. She received many toys, books and clothes this year. Thanks to everyone for the gifts. We are very blessed to have family and friends who care so much about our baby girl.

Brian and I really enjoyed ourselves and we look forward to establishing some family traditions in the years to come.

New Toys

We took out a new toy for Annabelle this weekend. For one of our showers Annabelle got a "Discovery Table." She loves it; she can stand up and look around and isn't stuck on the ground. I can't believe that she is old enough to be standing up in a toy although she isn't tall enough yet and her feet do not quite reach the bottom so she is kind of in limbo. She loves looking and grabbing at all the toys; her eyes are huge while she takes it all in.

7 Minutes

Brian informed me last night that it only takes 7 minutes for me to get Annabelle back to sleep when she wakes up at night. She normally sleeps through the night, however the last week she had been getting up one or two times a night. I don't know if it is her teeth (now that we know about it), just getting over her cold or if we need to start some rice cereal to fill her up.

Anyway, last night she woke up around 11:00 and Brian spent 45 minutes rocking her back to sleep. She then woke up about 12:15 and I got up with her. We rocked and she went back to bed and so did I. I walked into the room and Brian turned his light on. I asked him what the deal was. "Do you know how long you were in there?" Brian asked. I did not the clock is unplugged. "7 minutes, that is all it takes you to get her back to sleep. Not Fair!" He is so funny, he has been timing me when I go into her room at night. I told him she knows that I need my beauty sleep so she goes right back to bed.

So many changes

Annabelle is growing so fast it is hard to keep up. Two weeks ago I posted about her 4 month check up and how little she was. At that time I decided to weigh her in 2 weeks just to make sure she was gaining weight. I brought her to the hospital on Tuesday and she now weighs 11 pounds 6 ounces; she gained 5 ounces in 2 weeks. I am not sure how much she should gain weekly but she is growing and that is what matters. People have been asking us if we are going to start feeding her rice cereal yet and I think we are going to get through the holidays first and then we will think about it.

Today brought a huge change! I went to feed Annabelle at noon like I do everyday. When I picked her up her care giver asked, "did you know Annabelle has a tooth?" WHAT!! We had no idea. Sure enough on the bottom left side there is a little tooth coming through, you can feel it and see it. Can't believe our little baby is growing this fast. We are excited that she handled her first tooth so well...maybe they will all be like this.

She has also been rolling over for almost a month. She loves to be sitting or standing and looking around; it won't be long before she is sitting by herself. Man how time flies!

Santa Clause

Annabelle went to see Santa Clause for the first time today. She told Santa all the things that she wanted this year clothes (6-9 months and bigger) and some toys. I think she may just enjoy looking at the wrapping paper this year but I am sure she will get a few things :)

Brian and I have everything we could ever ask for this year with the arrival of a healthy happy baby girl. It is going to be a great holiday season!!

4 month check up

We went to the doctor this week for Annabelle's 4 month check up. She is a healthy little girl and we found out just how little she is; she only weighed 11 pounds 1oz, so tiny. She is 25 inches long (50 some percentile) and her head size is measuring good. Her weight is only in the 5th percentile and the doctor said there is no need to worry but she can't get any smaller. I feed her for as long as she wants and she doesn't seem cranky or hungry all the time so she just may be a little girl or maybe I produce skim milk instead of fatty milk...who knows. We will just keep an eye on it to make sure she stays on track, otherwise we don't mind that she stays little.

She also had a few more shots, she handled them well. She was a little cranky that night and the next day but she is her same happy self now. Brian and I can't believe how happy she is - we are so lucky!!

Explosion

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the relatives in MN. It was a pretty good trip down, she fussed the last hour but we considered that doing well. On the way home we decided to just drive as long as she slept and she made it all the way to Fargo. We stopped to gas up and change her. I fed her in the car and as I was feeding her I could hear her farting away. When we were done I checked her diaper and sure enough it was messy. We figured we would just change her in the car instead of taking her back out into the cold. I put the front seat back as far as it would go and put her down on a blanket (one of my favorite blankets). We got all the supplies that we needed and started our process. Once we got the diaper off she decided to start going again...no worries the clean on was underneath. Brian said (he thinks this is an important detail) that I better cover her up in case it squirts everywhere...what are the odds. It wasn't 3 seconds later that is all came flying out. I was able to divert some of it was the clean diaper but we got poop all over her white blanket, the door and some on her. Three diapers and a ton of wipes later we had everything cleaned up as best we could and were on our way. We made it home and Miss Annabelle got a bath and we washed the blanket and managed to get it clean. It was a trip to remember and we were both able to laugh about it.

Bumbo

There have been so many changes at the Paulson house in the past few weeks. Annabelle is leaning new things almost everyday. She now coos almost nonstop, it is so great. She also rolled over for the fist time on Tuesday. She has rolled from her stomach to quite a bit but she has never gone from back to stomach. She has been rolling on her side for a while but she finally made it over the other night. I was so excited that she was at home with me and I was able to be there for that experience! She also has started sitting in a bumbo chair. I don't think she quite knows what to think about sitting in a chair but I think she likes the new point of view.

We are so blessed with our little girl. She is truly a happy baby; she wakes up almost every morning with a smile on her face and is so excited to see us. Brian and I can't believe how lucky we are to have little Annabelle!

3 months 2 weeks 1 day

3 months 2 weeks 1 day that is how long it took Brian and I to let Annabelle sleep in her own crib, in her own room and all alone. We put her in there Tuesday night for the first time. The main reason we moved her is because she is getting to big for her co-sleeper that she has been sleeping in. The first night was tough I am amazed that neither on of us caved and went in to get her, although it was close. I don't think Brian or I slept all that well; Annabelle on the other hand slept all night and was in a great mood in the morning (not that it is different from when she slept in our room).

Bed time rolled around last night for Annabelle about 9:15 and in her crib she went, I really thought about putting her in our room but resisted. She did wake up once and Brian rocked her back to sleep and put her back in her crib. Another great night sleep for Annabelle and not so great night sleep for mom and dad. We are all surviving and even though she is just right down the hall she seems so far away - we don't like it. We will see how we last with her in her own room.

First Night Alone

The picture has nothing to do with the post but it is cute!

I have left Annabelle for the first time and so far I am surviving(and her and daddy are surviving as well). I am in Fargo for some training that goes along with the new position I accepted after returning from maternity leave. I didn't leave until after 7:00pm last night so really I haven't been gone that long yet. Last night wasn't to bad; I got to Fargo, checked into the hotel and played around on the computer for a while (uninterrupted) and then went to bed. I did wake up once forgetting where I was and listened for Annabelle (she is still in our room so we can hear her snoring at night) after a minute I remembered I wasn't home and went to bed. This morning I got up and it was the same routine as home and I was thinking that this isn't as bad as I thought it would be...then I got a text from Brian. It had a picture of Annabelle wake and smiling and it said "Good Morning Mommy" it brought tears to my eyes. I haven't talked to Brian yet to see how the night went but he is a great dad and I know it went well (I don't think he would tell me otherwise anyway). My girl friend is bringing Annabelle to Fargo tonight so I get to see her. It will be an interesting night; we have one hotel room and 4 people - Michele and myself, Ian (age 20 months) and Annabelle. It could be fun!

Happy Halloween

Annabelle had a great first Halloween. My good friend Michele and her little boy Ian (20 months) came over and we went trick - or - treating. Ian and Annabelle both dressed up like frogs and they both had a great time. Annabelle fell asleep half way through and Ian hasn't quite grasped the concept yet and wanted to give candy to all the places that we went to. Overall it was a fun night and both kids behaved and now we start the planning for Halloween next year

For Sale (the house not the baby)

Brian and I have been looking on and off for a different house (in Jamestown). It would be nice to have something a little bit bigger with a little more space. We finally found one that we both could agree on so now the task is to sell our house. It officially went on the market today and we possibly have a showing on Sunday - Brian has been working all day trying to get a few loose ends tied up so things look somewhat done in our basement. A lot of different things have to play out for us to actually move but we will see what happens. One of the saddest things about possibly moving is that Annabelle will never remember her nursery. My mom and I (probably more her than me) spent a lot of time trying to get the wall paper on and make her room perfect and she has yet to spend a night sleeping in her crib. If we do sell we might have to leave her in there one night just to say she slept there.

First Snow

Annabelle's first experience with snow. I told Brian the other night when the wind was gusting and the snow was falling and Annabelle was snuggled in his arms sleeping that I was going to put her in her car seat and take her outside to take her picture during her first snowfall; I was saying all of this to get a reaction from him and he was not impressed. This picture was taken Wed morning on our way to daycare. All of our snow is gone but I have seen pictures of Carrington this morning and you guys sure got a lot more than we did!

Little Snuggle Bug

We are surviving the wonderful weather in ND, although I don't think it is much better in MN. I don't have much time to write because I have a staff meeting at 6:30, I wanted to post a few pics though so hopefully I can write more later. In one of the pictures Annabelle has a little blanket that is now her favorite thing to snuggle with (well 2nd favorite if you count mom and dad)

Favorite Past Time

Annabelle's new favorite thing to do is watch TV. She just spent the last 2o minutes fussing. We tried changing her, feeding her, stripping her down (she loves to be naked), rocking her and laying her on the floor and nothing was working. Finally we just put her in her bouncy chair and turned on the tv. The crying stopped and she has been in a great mood since; cooing and talking to the tv. We are not to sure if it is a good thing that our 3 month old seems to be hooked on tv.

First Bleeding Experience

We encountered Annabelle's first wound involving blood today. I went to pick her up from daycare and my plan was to run back to work quick to help a co worker with something. As soon as I walked in the door I could hear her crying. When I got to the room she wasn't just crying she was screaming. I had her out the door probably within a minute of coming in. In that short time period I was informed that they had tried to clip a hangnail on her toe and must have cut her a little bit. The reason I rushed out the door is because it had already been bleeding for 30 minutes and I wasn't sure what to do. I carried her in one arms and her diaper bag and car seat in the other arm and went back to the bank. By the time we got across the parking lot she had stopped crying but her wound kept bleeding. When I got to the bank I took her in the break room and had one of my co workers come in with me, we shut the door and put her on the table. As soon as we put her down she screamed as we tried to get the bleeding to stop - we tried a band aid, a little to big, and then just wrapped her whole foot in gauze so I could make it home. The poor little thing, her little toe bled on and off for two hours. We called a nurse who just told us to put pressure on it and of coarse every time we did that she would scream. Brian went out to get some band aids and came home with about 200 of them. I don't think I have ever felt so bad in my entire life. It really makes me wish I could stay home with her and make sure nothing happens to her. We can't wait for baby number 3 when we won't overreact as much as we do now. She is now sleeping peacefully in Brian's arms. I think tonight was probably tougher on us than it was on her.

Enjoying Fall

We spent some time outside today enjoying the 80 degree October afternoon.

Changes

We can't believe how fast Annabelle is growing and changing. She is starting to roll onto her side and I am sure before we know it she will be rolling from her back to her front. She already can roll from her front to her back - amazing! She is also starting to coo a lot more and she will let you talk to her and then when you pause she will answer, it is fun to have a conversation with her and it would be interesting to know what she is really telling us and what she thinks we are talking about. Annabelle is gaining more control over her hands as well. She is still very persistent on getting her fingers (I think she really wants her thumb) into her mouth. She is also grasping things and has figured out how to make the music play by pulling on the little bird on her floor mat (ok maybe she doesn't exactly what she is doing but we would like to think so).

Annabelle is extremely alert and loves to look around and take in her surroundings. She is truly the love of our lives and we aren't quite sure what we did before she came along.

Pictures

I have also updated the pictures on our photo link if you would like to check them out!

2 Month Check Up

We went to the doctor last Thursday for Annabelle's 2 month check up. She is a healthy happy baby. All the little bumps and spots ect that we have found and think might be abnormal are normal things for a baby - the dr must have thought we were crazy - we asked so many questions...but that is what he is there for. Annabelle weighs 9 pounds 15 ounces - 20th percentile for her weight so she is a little small but we think that is ok. She is22.5 inches long - 53rd percentile. She is growing and thriving so all is well. She also had to get a few shots which didn't go to bad. Brian held her legs and I held her arms. When the first 2 needles went in she opened her mouth, her face turned instantly bright red and not a sound came out, the poor little thing. It took her a few seconds to catch her breath and the whole time Brian was whispering "Breath baby girl" and when she caught her breath the screams started. We felt terrible. It didn't last long as soon as I was able to pick her up she calmed down and was sleeping by the time we left the clinic. Her legs were very sore the rest of the day so we were doing our best to be careful while changing her diaper anytime you would even brush her thigh she would scream. Today her legs seem better and she is back to the happy baby we are use to. We are not looking forward to the day when she knows it is coming and begs us not to let the nurses hurt her - maybe that day I will have to be at work and Brian will take her to the doctor.

Annabelle Tree

I haven't posted any thing for awhile - I can't believe how busy things have been after returning to work. A lot has happened in the past month. We took our first trips to MN to meet all the relatives on my side and it was nice to catch up with everyone. While we were there we bought a tree in honor of Annabelle. It is something we have decided to do for each child that we have, we will get a young tree and watch it grow as they grow. The next step was deciding where to plant it. We decided not to do it at our house because we don't really have the space and we don't plan on living here for the next 20 years. We then thought about our parents house. We ruled out Brian parents because we thought if we started that tradition they may end up with a forest in their yard as they have 21 grand kids. I think I can safely say that my mom and dad will not end up with that many so they have the tree in their yard. We bought it Labor Day weekend and it is now known as the Annabelle tree.

We also had a shower for Annabelle in MN 2 weeks ago and we received many nice things. Brian can not believe all the clothes that she has - we have clothes up to 24 months. She is a very lucky girl.

Annabelle is growing like a weed. She lifts her head really well when she is on the floor and has been rolling from her stomach to her back, she started that when she was like 5 weeks old - way to little. She can now do it effortlessly and Brian and I can't believe how fast things change. She is still sleeping through the night, normally 10:30ish until Brian wakes her up at 7:00am - not bad! She is cooing all the time and can give you the biggest grin when she is happy. She is a wonderful baby and we can't imagine what we did before she came along.

Go Vikings!

Daycare

This has been a big week at the Paulson house. I have gone back to work and Annabelle (and mom) have survived the first 3 days of daycare. I will admit the first day was tough - I think more on me than on her. She did well and came home in a great mood. My day on the other hand was very unproductive. I am pretty sure I did nothing all day. I have started a new position at Gate City, I am now a personal banker which means I will be doing personal lending as well as opening checking, saving, ect accounts. The first few weeks are going to consist of a lot of reading, test taking and trying to learn all of the lending procedures and regulations - needless to say everything I was suppose to learn on Tuesday was not retained. The best part of the day was when I pick up Annabelle and the delivery of roses from Brian and Annabelle to celebrate my first day back.

The days are getting easier but I still hate to part with her for a majority of the day. I am lucky- Annabelle goes to daycare across the parking lot from where I work so on my lunch break I am able to feed her and if she isn't hungry at least I get to see our little princess for 40 minutes.

Schedule

It is hard to believe that Annabelle is 5 weeks old already!! The time has gone fast and we have enjoyed every moment of it! It is hard to imagine that next week she will be 6 weeks old and that means it is time for me to think about going back to work. I only committed to part time the first week so we can ease into this new routine.

Annabelle has been very good about her sleeping habits ever since her first week home, she normally goes to bed around midnight and then sleeps until 7am. She then eats and usually sleeps again until 11:00am or noon - not to bad. I decided a few days ago that I was going to try and change her schedule so she goes to bed at 9, gets up once around 4am and eats and then sleeps until we are ready to get her off to daycare. So far the plan is NOT working. The past few nights I have fed her around 10 and she falls asleep - perfect- but then we put her down and she is up a half hour later. She then ends up going to bed at 1 or 2am - wrong direction. Just goes to show that she is going to do what ever she wants at this point and there isn't much we can do about it.

1st Bath

Annabelle had her first real bath this evening and really enjoyed it! She hardly made a peep and even had a few smiles on her face. It is nice that she doesn't have to have a sponge bath anymore because she did not like them - she would cry the whole time.

We hit another mile stone in the past few days...her new born clothes are starting to become to small. She is getting to long to wear most of them so in the next few days we will be finding a spot to store her little clothes. Our little girl is already growing up.

Her eye sight is also improving. She will look at you and track objects when you move them side to side. She is starting to grasp things and hold on like your clothes when you are holding her or her blanket when we are rocking. It is hard to believe on Thursday she will be a month old.

No More Cord

We reached a milestone today - Annabelle's cord stump fell off this morning - very exciting. I am sure everyone is wondering what we did with it - well I threw it away. I then took a few pictures of this milestone and then sent Brian a text with a picture so he wasn't left out of the excitement. A few minutes later I get a phone call from him and he wants to know what I did with it. He was appalled when I told him it was in the garbage - he wanted to save it. I thought he was joking but when he came home for lunch we had to dig it out of the garbage (luckily it was in the garbage in Annabelle's room so there really wasn't anything else in there) so he can vacuum seal it and save it. Raising Annabelle is going to be quite the adventure!

Photo Link

I have set up a link for people who would like to view pictures of Annabelle. Once you get to the website click on her name on the left side of the screen.
Hope everyone enjoys!

1st Doctor's Appointment

Annabelle had her first doctor's appointment today and it went very well. She now weighs 8 pounds 4 ounces - when we left the hospital 2 weeks ago she was 7 pounds 4 ounces - so she gained a pound and she is 21 1/4 inches long. The doc said she is still a health baby girl and we go back in about 6 weeks (shots at that appointment so that will be fun).

Brian and I can tell she is getting bigger and changing all the time. Her facial features are becoming more defined and she already seems bigger to Brian and I - it is like everyone says they grow up to fast and she is only 18 days old.

Annabelle seems to be in a routine for now. She still goes to bed around midnight (most nights anyway) and sleeps until 6:30 am. She then eats and usually by 7:30/8:00 she is out again until about 10:30. In the late morning/early afternoon she has quite a bit of awake time and cat naps between feedings. She normally takes a nap around 3:00 for a few hours and then in the evening she is awake again and takes a few more cat naps. Life is really not to tough - she is breaking us in easy!

Brian and I are adjusting well and already we couldn't imagine our life without her.

Diapers

We have really enjoyed Annabelle during the first 2 weeks of her life. One of the funniest things I think we have encountered in changing her diapers. Maybe I find it funny because a lot of the things have happened to Brian. She had her first mini blowout (I know they are going to get much worse) last week and Brian had the pleasure of changing her - or he started the process anyway. He took her into her room and I could hear him talking to her and then all of a sudden he yells "Erin, you better get in here!" I went into the room and she had a mess - up her back and all over her onesie. Brian did clean most of it up with a little assistance...he will learn.
This morning was perhaps the funniest diaper changing experience so far, in my opinion anyway. Annabelle woke up at 6:30 and Brian got up to change her diaper before I fed her and he went to work. He was pulling off the old diaper and she decided that she should pee - luckily for Brian he had the new diaper under her already. He chuckled at her and made a joke about what she was doing and then she started pooping. Brian again took this in stride as the new diaper was still under her. He waited for a minute and then pulled out the diaper and just as he did that she started to pee again. Now he was finding this less than amusing and I was trying to hold in my giggles. By the time we were done she had pee all over herself, her clothes, the changing table and her blanket. Turns out Charlie is not the only member of our family who likes to pee on things.
The good news is that at least, so far anyway, all of our "exciting" diaper moments have not happened at 3:00am - we may find them not as funny when we are half asleep.

The First Week

Annabelle has been home now for just over 1 week and she is doing well. The time has gone by fast! Brian had some projects lined up that he wanted to get done the week he took off and none of got done (which is ok) he said he didn't realize how busy we were going to be with just one little baby. I have been off work for almost 2 weeks and not really sure where the time has gone and it feels like I don't get much done - each day I set one goal to have done by the end of the day. The rest of the time I spend taking care of Annabelle or just holding her and watching her sleep.

It seems that Annabelle and I are getting into a routine. Our day usually starts out at about 6 or 6:30 with her waking up and eating (not to jinx ourselves but excluding the first night we brought her home she has been sleeping from about midnight to 6:00 am). After she eats she sleeps for another hour or two. After that I am not sure where the morning goes but before we know it it is noon and Brian is home for lunch and to see his girls. The afternoon usually brings a nap for 3-4 hours for Annabelle and sometimes a nap for Mom as well. In the evening she is up for a few hours and sometimes gets a little cranky but nothing that we can't handle.

So far life is good and we are adjusting to the fact that our family has gown. It is just amazing that she is really here - we are so blessed!

So Tired

I have started this post numerous times today and have not managed to finish it. We have been home for over 24 hours and we are all surviving. Annabelle had a rough night last night. She decided that she didn't want to go to bed until after 4am. It is amazing how something so little is so much work. She has had a good day and was awake for a few hours but of coarse she fell asleep around 6 and looks like she has no intention of getting up anytime soon.

Birth Announcement

Annabelle's birth announcement has been posted on the Jamestown Hospital Website. If you would like to check it out the website is www.jamestownhospital.com/nursery if you click on view baby by date you can find her under the 26th.

Annabelle Sue Paulson

Annabelle Sue Paulson

July 26th

7 lbs 12 oz

20 1/2 inches

Daddy's Little Princess

Brian is already head over heels in love with our new daughter. I think she will have him wrapped around her little finger in no time. He is so good with her and is very proud that he was able to put on her first diaper.

Annabelle Sue

We are proud to announce the arrival of Annabelle Sue Paulson! The whole day went very fast and everything went better than we ever could have asked for. My water broke at 5:30am Monday morning and when I woke Brian up his reaction was "seriously?" Like I would be joking about something like that. We called the hospital and they told us just to stay home for a while and time the contractions so I took a shower and got ready for the day. Brian brought Charlie to daycare for a few days and then we were off to the hospital around 8:30. When we got to the hospital I was already 4cm dilated. By 10:15 I was 6 so decided I better get pain meds if I wanted them. It was a good thing I did. By 11:00 or so they had the pain meds in place and when the nurse checked again I was at 9. By 1:00 we were pushing and had to stop a few times or the doctor would have missed the delivery. Annabelle was born at 1:45 July 26th. I must say she did surprise most people that she came out a girl...but we wouldn't have it any other way! I feel really well and Annabelle is doing great.

39 Weeks

BP matches up to a mini watermelon weighing in at over 7 pounds. BP's length is about 20 inches from head to heel.

Still Nothing

Back to the doctor again today and still nothing new. The doctor measured my belly again and it measured...any guesses...44 weeks - yep it is getting pretty big is what I heard from the doctor for the 10th time. He said he is still giving BP until week 42 to come out on his/her own but that is a topic that we will deal with that if the time comes. I am hoping for some news to report this weekend but I don't think that is going to happen. The doctor said that BP hasn't really dropped yet and I just don't think BP will make the big arrival until Aug - Brian says July - time will tell. Other than that I am still working full time but I am starting to slow down. I am on the schedule until the 31st of July and then we will see what happens. I think I will keep working right up until BP comes because if I stayed home I am not sure what I would do -everything is ready and there is nothing left for us to do. I guess if I am still pregnant into Aug I may reconsider working full time.

38 Weeks

BP is now as long as a leek and weights nearly 7 pounds. BP's length is more than 19 1/2 inches.

Push Present

A while ago I was on a girls weekend and it was brought up that Dad is suppose to by the Mom a gift when the baby comes. Some of the women I was with received a present and some did not when their kids were born but regardless of what the did or didn't get they all thought it was a great idea. I of coarse went home and told Brian what I had learned and he, like most men, thought it was a little ridiculous - the baby was is the gift I was told - he also thought it was something that I made up. It was maybe a day later and I was watching tv and there was a pregnant woman and she was trying to get a "push present" from her husband. After watching the episode the term "push present" entered our vocabulary. The big joke for the past month or so has been what is Brian going to get me for a push present or I am I even going to get on. All the women out there will be happy to know that I am writing this post from my "push present" a laptop computer. I am pretty sure you are suppose to get the gift after baby comes but we like to do things our own way. I have decided that a push present is one of the best ideas that someone has ever come up with.

One handed catch?

We went to the doctor yesterday for another appointment and not much to report except for our doctor has broken his hand. The first thing I asked him was if he was able to catch a baby one handed...boy I hope so. In one of our baby books there are instructions on how to deliver a baby if an emergency situation came up and we couldn't make it to the hospital. I told Brian maybe we better tear out that page and keep it handy just in case the doctor isn't able to do it - he didn't find that very funny.
I had also heard that the doctor we are doctoring with does not induce women unless it is medically necessary. I am just fine with this, we are looking forward to the excitement of not really knowing when everything is going to happen and letting things progress as they are suppose to. That being said come the first part of Aug I may have have another opinion. I did ask our doctor's opinion on induction yesterday and he confirmed what I had heard. He will not induce someone until they are past 42 weeks - that means we could potentially be pregnant for another month! Again not to worried about it and if we go into August I do have a plan. We will have to share that if we need to. As for now all is well and we will continue to keep everyone posted.

37 Weeks

BP is as lofty as a stalk of Swiss chard and weighs over 6 1/3 pounds. BP's length is over 19 inches from head to heel.

6 pounds 9 ounces

We had more doctor appointments this week. Everything is still going amazingly well! About the only thing our OB doctor had to say yesterday was that for being 9 months pregnant I was sure in a good mood. He said most women who are at my stage of the game (especially during the summer) are pretty cranky at this point. I told him there is really nothing that we have to complain about everything has been going so well and I usually don't feel to bad.
We also had another ultrasound today and BP is still being as cooperative as ever. This time at least we were able to peek at his/her face. BP did start out facing backwards but turned toward the end and when s/he would move his/her arm enough we were able BP's precious face for a second. BP weighs about 6 pounds 9 ounces and is measuring 37 weeks - which we will be on Friday. It is so cool to think that a few months ago we could see all of BP in one shot and today when she was measuring the spine and stomach they don't fit in one shot anymore...I can't believe how fast everything grows. We could also see BP practicing breathing - which was cool. Both doctors said that if we were to go into labor now they wouldn't do anything to stop it so as Brian says almost everyday "it could be any day now" although I think BP will hold off for at least 2 more weeks (time will tell).
We have also successfully made it though all of our ultrasounds without finding out BP's gender. The ultrasound tech asked today if we knew and I told her no. She thought we were one of the couples they had that wanted it to be a surprise so when I told her that I was a little curious she told me she wouldn't even tell me if I asked. I also asked our Jmst doctor if he knows and he doesn't so now we have no choice but to wait for BP's arrival.

The Buck that Blessed Our Family

There has been a new addition to BP's Nursery and there is a small story behind it. I'm not sure if I posted the story when we first started the blog or not but I will recap it in case some of you don't know. The weekend I found out I was pregnant Brian was gone to Carrington hunting with his family. I found out Sat morning and Brian wasn't coming back until Sunday night and I didn't want to share that kind of news over the phone. He called me Sat night and told me that he had some awesome news... he had shot the biggest buck they have ever seen. He was so excited and all I could think was if he only knew about what I had to tell him. After both events occurred in the same weekend he decided it would be fun to hang the deer head over BP's crib - and that has been the joke for the past 9 months. I came home from work today (he had the day off) and walked into BP's room and the first thing I saw was his head mounted on the wall. He thinks he is such a cleaver man.

36 Weeks

BP is 6 pounds and still packing on the pounds at the rate of about an ounce a day. BP is compared to a crenshaw melon in size. BP's length is over 18 1/2 inches from head to heel.

Everything We Need

Brian decided the after our shower that we were going to have everything we needed for BP by the 1st of July, that way for the month of July we can just relax and wait for BP to come. Most of the things that we need, would like to have may be a better way to phrase that, we do have but there are always those last few things that are on your list. We planned a trip to Fargo today to get those last things. The trip was a success and I think beside the actual baby we are ready to go. The one big item on our list was a swing and we did get that today and Brian put it together tonight and it seems to work well. I can't believe how the nursery is filling up with stuff...pretty soon there won't be any room for BP. We have a few things left to wash before baby comes and a few things that we need to pack for me while I am in the hospital (BP's bag is all ready to go) and then we are set. Only 33 days to go!

35 Weeks

BP, now as hefty as a honeydew melon at over 5 1/4 pounds, doesn't have much more room to maneuver in the belly. BP's length is over 18 inches from head to heel.

Booths

We went back to the doctor today for another routine visit and all is still going well. I am not quite sure how the doctor can tell this because all I do is pee in a cup, he measures my belly and listens to the heart beat. I guess that fact that I am still pregnant and baby is active is all they need to know. I didn't even ask him today how big my belly was measuring because all he said was "well it is sure getting up there in size." After my appointment I went to Taco John's for a quick lunch before I went back to work (maybe that is part of the big belly problem...but one - I am pregnant and can eat whatever I want :) Two - my belly is growing out and not wide so I don't think to much food is what is causing it either - doesn't really matter at this stage in the game). Anyway I decided to just eat there instead of the break room at work and after I got my food I went to one of their booths to have a seat. Turns out I don't fit so well anymore - I do fit but my belly is right up against the table - I found that a little comical. Never in my life did I think my belly would be to big to sit in a booth at a restaurant.
Other than that so far I feel pretty good. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable and I am very thankful that we have air conditioning, otherwise the next few weeks would be a little miserable.

34 Weeks

BP has bulked up like an average canteloupe - about 4 3/4 pounds. BP's length is arround 18 inches.

Shower

This past weekend we had a baby shower in Jamestown for BP. The shower was a book theme so each guest was invited to bring their favorite children's book to help us start BP's library. It was really fun afterwards to look at all the books and stroll down memory lane to when I was little and mom would read them to us. There were also a few books that I had never read and I really enjoyed reading those and I know BP will love them all. I think we now have almost everything that we need or I should say would like to have when BP comes along. There are a few little things that I would still like to get but we should have some time to do that. After the shower we did get things put away and all the clothes that we have we washed and hung in the closet or put in the dresser. About all we have left to do it just relax and wait for little BP to make the big arrival.

48 days to go!

We had another successful trip to the doctor on Thursday. You may have noticed that I didn't post a picture as soon as I got home, as we normally do, and the reason is BP was not being very cooperative. BP is head down and has been for the past month or two but Thursday BP was face down as well so his/her back was against my stomach. Now that is wonderful when it comes time to delivery but for an ultrasound when you want to take pictures home of your little miracle it presents a big of a challenge. BP decided not to roll over throughout the whole ultrasound so all I was able to see was BP's back and she really had to look to even find a leg and arm to measure. BP is still growing but slowing down. The doctor had thought that BP would have been measuring a little larger than what s/he is (although the doctor said we are still right on track) so we will be returning to Fargo in a month to measure BP's growth again. BP weighs 4 pounds and 5 ounces and talking to the doctor he doesn't think BP will be 10 pounds at birth (that is what Brian has been saying for the past few months) his guess is closer to 7 or so, which is an average size for babies. Time will tell what little BP has in store for us!
Mom and Jenna are up this weekend for my shower in Jamestown. They have been very busy planting flowers and baking up a storm. It is always nice to have company and we appreciate all the help we have had from our families and friends preparing for BP's arrival. We can't believe that our due date is only 48 days away - time has gone very fast!

33 Weeks

BP is proportioned like a pineapple when it comes to weight - a little over 4 pounds. BP's length is about 17 inches from head to heel.

Happiest Baby on The Block

I have meant to post something for the past few evenings and it seems like time just gets away from us. We made a decision a few months ago that in June and July we were going to plan as little as possible so we could relax the last few weeks before baby...so far it isn't working real well.
Monday night we had another class at the hospital. This class was The Happiest Baby On the Block. Brian and I LOVED it!! We would recommend it to any parents who have not taken it, read the book or watched the DVD. Brian said he would recommend that dads do it as well. It was all about the 4th trimester, which is from birth to about 4 months of age. They talk about what baby is experiencing and how to care and comfort your child for the first few months. The focused a lot of swaddling your baby and we had dolls and blankets that we were able to practice with. The instructor recommended that you practice at home with a doll before baby come so you are familiar with what you are doing at 2:00am when you may need to do this. We don't have any dolls so when Mom comes up this weekend she is going to bring on with so we can practice (Brian's idea). We also learned that new babies do not necessarily like a quiet environment - when they are in the womb it is very loud, almost as loud as a vacuum cleaner, so when they are born they miss the noise. They told us you can not spoil a new born - we can hold BP as much as we would like and every time BP cries, for the first couple of months, we are suppose to tend to his/her needs so s/he learns that we are there to provide for him/her. Now we have a reason to sit around after BP arrives and just hold him/her all day - we are looking forward to that :)
The 5 classes we took gave us lots of great information and shortly we will see how well we are able to implement these things.
I also had a doctor appointment on Tuesday that went well. Nothing to exciting. Thursday I go to Fargo for our last appointment with the specialist and another ultrasound. I always look forward to the days when we get to see little BP. I am really curious how big s/he has gotten this past month.

32 Weeks

BP is taking up more and more space and weighs as much as a large jicama - close to 4 ounds. BP's length is almost 17 inches from head to heel.

Nesting

I have read that toward the end of your pregnancy you start to "nest" and get ready for baby's arrival. When I read this and heard it from other people I didn't think it would happen in our case. I was wrong. Nesting is in full swing at the Paulson house and I think I am the calmer of the 2 people. Brian has been staying up late (1am or so) doing things out in the garage that he wants done before BP's big arrival. We have been cleaning out cupboards, organizing things in the house that we haven't thought about for years, and Brian even was up Monday morning (we both had the day off for Memorial Day) at 7:00 working outside in my flower beds and the yard so we don't have to do it this fall. We have posted the hospital number and insurance company number on our fridge so we are ready to call them when labor sets in and Brian informed me tonight that he would like me to carry my cell phone with me a times just in case. We have made our call list for calling people to announce little BP and after this next weekend we will pack the diaper bag to bring to the hospital. In prenatal class they also gave us a check list of what to do and things to pack and Brian would like me to get that out so we can start working on all of those things as well. We only have 6-8 weeks left and the time is going fast. Before we know it our little bundle of joy will be here and then our lives will really be turned upside down... but I think we are ready.

31 Weeks

BP now weighs as much as 4 oranges. BP's length is over 16 inches from head to heel.

Still Growing

It has been a busy week at the Paulson house...and it is only Tuesday evening. Yesterday I had a regular doctor appointment in Jamestown. All still seems to be going well. The doctor and I were visiting about how I am feeling and what not and I told him that I am starting to feel pregnant and somethings are becoming more of a challenge. He them measured my belly and told me he can understand why I am feeling pregnant - my belly measures 37 weeks - holy cow looks like my wish of having a big belly is coming true. He asked again how many babies were were having - I assure you all it is only one - and then how big BP was at the last ultrasound. BP was within 3 days of our due date so not to big or to small. Apparently I my stomach is growing more out than around so it measures bigger. He said again that as long as BP doesn't get to big there is nothing to worry about.
We also had our last prenatal / labor & delivery class last night. Brian and I found the past months of class very informative and we don't feel like we are going into this whole thing blind - we feel like we maybe have one eye open. We toured the labor and delivery floor last night and they had a busy day - 4 babies born yesterday! We saw one in the nursery and another that wasn't very old because they were just wrapping him up to take back to his mom. They were so tiny and precious - it brought tears to my eyes to think that in 2 short months that is where Brian and I will be.
Brian also had a doctor appointment today and the doctor said his knee is healing very well. He is done with therapy and doctor appointments unless something else comes up. He said it still doesn't feel quite the same as it did before but I am sure with the type of injury he had it is going to just take time for all to be back to normal.
Always nice to have good news all around to post.

Brian's Clothes

I am now big enough that I have started wearing Brian's t-shirts. I have been digging for the ones that are almost to small for him so he won't really miss what I am taking. We started taking weekly pictures of my belly starting around week 13 and it is really fun to flip back though them and watch me grow. I am now big enough where I am starting to feel pregnant and from the reading I have done baby grows quite a big for the next 8 week, around 1/2 pound per week - so I can just imagine how that will effect me. Tasks that use to be no big deal are turning into a little more work. Sleeping is getting to be more of a challenge and I can tell that my center of gravity has changed...although I haven't tipped over lately so that is a good deal. This has been such a fun time!
We put the finishing touches on BP's room today - we had to redo some of the trim work and we hung the curtains. It is hard to believe that the time is getting closer for BP's big arrival.

30 Weeks

BP rivals a good sized cabbage in weight, tipping the scales over 3 pounds. BP's length is about 15 3/4 inches.

Hugs and Kisses

We had our 3rd prenatal class tonight. This class we learned about infant safety - CPR, choking, and car seats. Then toward the end of the class they talked a little bit about what happens after baby is born. They talk about the medication they receive, weighing baby, and things like that. The nurse was telling us about the Hugs and Kisses bracelets that mom and baby receive. When baby is born they have a bracelet that goes around the ankle with an little electronic box on it, they call it the hug bracelet. Then mom has a similar bracelet called the kisses bracelet. When these two are brought together they play a little lullaby - so every time baby comes in the room you hear a little song...on the other hand she was saying if the nurse brings you baby and it makes an beeping nose (very funny to hear her mimic it) then you have the wrong baby. We all thought it was funny but I suppose they have to have those types of systems in place because you never know what might happen.

The Little Alien

The other day something exciting happened...you could see BP moving under my skin. I was sitting on the couch after work and I could feel BP wiggling around and when I looked down you could see part of my stomach popping up. It was like a little alien was trying to get out. It hasn't happened again but I would guess now that BP is getting bigger it will start to happen more often.
When we were at the doctor appointment the ultrasound tech did say that BP is now big enough where s/he can't really stretch out fully - s/he is starting to become more curled up and during the ultrasound his/her feet was by his/her head - poor thing I can't impinge that is a very comfortable position for the next 2 months - but we could see him/her sucking on her/his toes.
This has been such an awesome experience for Brian and I - we are both so excited!

29 Weeks

BP is as big as a butternut squash, weight wise - over 2 1/2 pounds. BP is over 15 inches from head to heel.

BP

Today we had another ultrasound in Fargo to see how BP is doing. BP now weighs 3 pounds and is growing just as s/he should be. Everything else looks great and the doctor is very happy with how everything is going. We have one more appointment with the specialist and then we will be done seeing him - very exciting.
Today was probably the best appointment so far - as you have already seen from the pictures- part way though the ultrasound the ultrasound tech did a few pictures in 3-D. That was probably the coolest thing I have ever seen. It makes BP seem more real and I can't wait to meet him/her - although I am really enjoying pregnancy. I really don't have to say to much for this post, I think the pictures say it all. We are already completely head over heels in love with little BP!

May 7, 2010

I just want to share a picture with you: this is the view from our front door this morning when we got up. The snow is still falling.