3 Weeks

This week has gone by pretty fast and Owen grows more and more every day. We had a rough start to the week this week. Owen had his first big growth spurt and he decided that he needed to eat every 1-2 hours for a couple days. I would wake up, feed him, change his diaper, and rock him back to sleep which would take like 40 minutes, then I pump, and by the time I go to lay back down he was ready for another feeding. He was pretty fussy during this time, which is understandable because I am sure it was a pretty uncomfortable time for him. I ended up getting real sick from not getting any sleep so it was especially hard to get through those couple days.

He has learned how to use his vocal cords. Thankfully he usually only cries real loud when he gets changed or when he is ready to eat. He has a cute cry, but it's still sad to see him like that. I had some Dr. Pepper at dinner last night and I don't think he can process caffeine very well. Poor guy, he was up for hours on end and he just couldn't go to sleep, no matter what I tried. I went to go give him another bottle to see if he was hungry again and I ended up spilling the whole thing all over our bed as I went to give it to him because I forgot to screw a lid on the bottle. It was at that point that I realized I needed to get some sleep and enlisted Gabe's help to watch him while I rested. Luckily he didn't have work today so he was able to get up and help. Thanks Gabe!

He makes a lot of noises while he is sleeping or laying there. He wakes up a while before his next feeding and just keeps his eyes closed and wiggles and squeals. I think next week we will move him to his crib because it wakes me up every time he makes a noise, and all the sleep I can get would be wonderful.
He is such a strong boy and always busts out of his swaddles. I went and bought him one of those swaddle wraps that are velcroed around him so he can't squirm out. It has been helpful for the most part, he seems to like it because then he doesn't accidentally smack himself in the face when he is waking up. But... sometimes he finds a little hole where the top meets the bottom and he sticks his hand out and then tries to get his hand up to his face which bunches all the fabric up around him. So we have to keep an eye on it, but he looks super cute all bundled up in it.

I feel like three weeks is when I FINALLY started to get the hang of things. I'll be honest, it was a super hard transition for me. I really thought before Owen was born that it would be so easy to still do everything I was able to do before he was born. I thought that I would have no problem finding time to cook, clean, eat, shower. I figured that babies sleep all the time, and I just had a very superficial view of how easy things would be. But it turned out to be a lot more challenging than I expected. I have no idea what I am doing, I'm a first time mom. I do my best and I learn more and more every day. I am learning what he likes and doesn't like, and how to balance everything in my life. I would say that I am some what of a perfectionist. I like to be good at the things that I do. I like things to be done a certain way. It has been very humbling to realize that I can't always control things and it is perfectly fine. There are more important things happening right now, and that is what I should focus on. Thankfully we have a very sweet boy who is learning as well and is very forgiving with me. I haven't figured out how to get ready and dressed every day, or how to get the dishes done without worrying so much about waking him up, but it will come eventually. We are so incredibly blessed to have Owen in our family and he has brought so much love and the spirit into our home. He is the cutest boy we have ever seen and has quite the personality, which will be fun to see come out as he gets older. We sure love this boy and couldn't be happier!

One week old

• He is a good little eater; he eats in about five minutes and then falls asleep.
• He gained back his birth weight plus more by five days old. I swear, he gained another ounce last night. We are on our way to having a chunky baby!
• He seems to be on his way to learning how to turn over; he likes to turn on his side when we lay him down.
• He hates diaper changes. Which is unfortunate for him, because he goes through a lot of diapers!
• He is such a brave guy. He hardly cried when he came out and usually just fusses when he is upset. We took him to get tested for jaundice where they prick his foot and squeeze and squeeze until they get a certain amount of blood, and he stayed asleep and only raised his eyebrows as a reaction.
• He makes so many faces and we could just watch him for hours. He never ceases to amaze us with his cuteness.
• I can’t stop kissing him.
• He loves to have his hands up by his face. I know he was that way in the womb because I could always feel him punching me.
• He had his first sponge bath the other day. He wasn’t the biggest fan, but he loves getting a lotion massage afterwards.
• He loves sucking on daddy’s finger and it is one of the cutest things to watch while he sucks and just stares at dad in the eyes.

Happy one week little Owen, we love you!!!

Introducing....

Owen Michael Dickes

Born July 7^th 2012 at 2:41 a.m.

7 lb. 1 oz. 19 inches long

He has been the sweetest baby and Gabe and I just sit and stare at him, having a hard time believing that he is actually ours. He is absolute perfection sent from heaven.

38 Weeks

How far along?   38 weeks

Total weight gain:   +30

Maternity clothes?   Same as always. I stay in my yoga capris most of the days, nice and comfy. As you can see, I am popping out of my normal clothes pretty well.

Stretch marks?   Nope.

Sleep:  Is probably similar to what it will be like when the babe arrives. Although I have been lucky these last few nights, I’ve been so exhausted that I sleep pretty good except for waking up due to uncomfortable-ness.

Best moment this week:   Finding out that we didn’t have to be induced at 37 weeks. He can come out whenever he wants now, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Miss Anything?    Oh yes, lots of things. I miss being able to do things in general. I thought it was funny the other day Gabe and I were talking about how most people say things like, “We need to do (such and such) before the baby gets here because we won’t be able to afterwards.” While we are the opposite and say things like, “I can’t wait until the baby gets here because then we can do (such and such.)” Bed rest hasn’t allowed us to do hardly anything, so we are even more excited for him to arrive!

Movement:   Yep, although I can tell that it must be getting very cramped in there. Lots of bumping and pushing movements. I can’t believe a whole baby fits in there!

Food cravings:   Ice cream and yogurt have sounded very good lately. I am very much looking forward to eating frozen yogurt, I have realized that I like it more than I thought I did.   

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Oh not really anything in particular.    

Gender:   Boy!

Labor Signs:   Mmmm hmmmm. I’ll save your ears by not telling you everything, but there have been a lot more signs that labor is getting closer. I have been able to experience real contractions starting this last week… fun stuff!

Symptoms:   I’d say labor signs are a big symptom. Haha this question is getting harder and harder to answer.

Belly Button in or out?   Half and half. I’m both surprised and glad that my belly button hasn’t fully popped.

Wedding rings on or off?   Still off. I am sure that it would still fit just fine, but just to be on the safe side. I’d rather be careful than have to get it sawed off or something horrific.

Mood:   So sleepy and super anxious for the big day. It’s crazy to have no idea when it’s going to happen. I hope it comes soon.

Looking forward to:   Meeting our sweet baby for the first time. Finally seeing what he looks like. Playing with his little feet that have been grazing my belly. We have so much to look forward to! 

Baby shower and an update

Ha ha, tricked you, the baby isn't here yet! I went in for another appointment last week and they sent me home to do some lab work and they set up an inducing date for today. Well I got a call this week that said my lab results came back and they looked really good so they didn't feel like I needed to be induced quite yet. I was so relieved! At first I had felt good about getting induced this week, I was really excited. I felt like I was ready, and I felt like our little boy would be ready as well. But once they actually told me I was going to be induced, I panicked big time. She told me they'd want me to come in the night before and start me on some medication and then more medication the next day. Now I am all for getting an epidural, but other than that, I am not comfortable with so many other medicine interventions. Especially once I got home and found out that the medicine they wanted to put me on the night before isn't even FDA approved. I started praying that I would get good news on my lab results and that hopefully our boy would decide to come on his own. I am so glad that he is able to stay inside me for a bit more and keep growing. They estimated him to be 6 lb. 10 oz. at my  ultrasound yesterday, so he is a good size at this point, but I really would like to use as little medication to get him here as possible. That said, they are still planning on inducing by 39 weeks. But I do feel like he could come on his own before then.
My appointment yesterday was bittersweet. Our favorite midwife is moving to the East coast in a few days and we had our last appointment with her. She kept getting all teary eyed, which made me all teary eyed. I could tell she was so sad to be leaving. She really wants our baby boy to come this weekend so that she can be there for the birth and she kept talking to him telling him to come out already. She was the first one to give us an ultrasound when we found out we were pregnant, she was there for me when I needed to share my worries, and she truly became a friend. It was hard to give her a hug and say goodbye. Who knows, maybe we will move up there for dental school and she will deliver our next one.
Moving on.... a few weeks ago my sisters and mom threw me a baby shower. I knew it would be really cute because they are all so creative, and I was right! The theme was an elephant baby shower, and the colors were turquoise and orange. They spent so much time decorating and making everything perfect for me and the baby, it really turned out well and I had a lot of fun! Here are some pictures from the day:

We had the baby shower out on the back patio since the weather was nice. Everyone fit perfectly underneath it. Lots of friends and family members that came below:

 We played a matching game where you match the name of the mother animal to the name of the baby animal and then they all wrote out wishes for our baby. Gabe and I had a fun time reading them all that night. I hope it is something that our boy will cherish one day.

Everyone guessed how many circus peanuts fit around my belly...

It was NOT 64 Abby, thankyouverymuch :)

 Chelsy and my mom worked on decorating these cookies for 6 hours the day before while I was "bed-resting" on the couch in the next room. They turned out very cute!

 The baby shower favors - little boxes filled with peanuts. They said, "Thanks for stomping by!"

Me and my lovely sisters. Thanks for throwing me and baby to be a party and for everyone who came, I had a blast!

36 Weeks

No picture today. Blame it on the bed rest.

How far along?   36 weeks

Total weight gain:   +30

Maternity clothes?   I survived this pregnancy with one pair of maternity pants and one maternity shirt. I won’t need any more because I’ll be lounging in my jammies.

Stretch marks?   Nope, lucky me!

Sleep:  Is alright. I wake up a few times a night to get up and the summer heat makes it harder to get comfortable, but we have been sleeping out on the couch so the AC can blow right on us.

Best moment this week:   My baby shower my sisters threw for me, and getting all our last minute things ready for our little one. I’ll be posting pictures soon. 

Miss Anything?    Yes, just being able to normally function and take care of myself and cook and clean for my husband would be nice. But sacrifices must be made, and life will have a new normal soon. (An even better normal I feel.)

Movement:   Yep, he still likes to wiggle around. He likes to tickle my hip bones and push his bum into my ribs. It’s getting squishy in there, and there are less kicks and more stretching movements. I’m loving his little hiccups, they are becoming more and more frequent and they make him squirm all over.

Food cravings:   Popsicles and cold ice cream. My new craving are those little bowls of knock-off dip n dots in the freezer section. I could eat those all day! Mmmmmm….

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Just some normal nausea because I’m nearing the end of pregnancy  

Gender:   Boy!

Labor Signs:   That’s a yes this week. A lot more braxton hicks contractions. Last Thursday, (for those of you that know how labor progression works) I was 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced. That’s great! I feel like I’m even further along now.

Symptoms:   Oh just a general uncomfortable-ness and “I’m done”-ness. I think I’ve been able to experience all of the pregnancy symptoms that are possible, even if only for a week.

Belly Button in or out?   Half and half. It’s going to be so weird to see what my belly looks like after birth!

Wedding rings on or off?   Off L sad day. But I can’t go out and about anyways, so it’s just a bummer to me.

Mood:   So very excited to meet our little boy!! He is almost here and we are so very anxious. Cannot. Wait.    

Looking forward to:   Delivery day!!!

Random Ramblings:

**We get to meet our baby next week, holy cow. That’s right, next week! Since I have high blood pressure now, our midwives still want to induce me around 37 weeks. At this point, it’s safer to have him out than in. They think I would spontaneously go into labor around 37 weeks anyways. At my Monday appointment next week we will schedule our inducing day. It’s actually quite frustrating that we have to wait so last minute to find out the day, but what can you do. We are shooting for June 30^th, I’ll be 37 ½ weeks along and our favorite midwife is on call that day. If not, then the 27^th is our second choice. I’ll keep you updated.

**I’m getting a little nervous about labor and being induced. I hope it all goes very quick! But I do find great relief in knowing that I am getting an epidural. It’s also nice to plan to be in the hospital the whole time and to have people there to help and support me.

**Online shopping is great. Since being on bed rest it’s the easiest way to get the rest of the things we need, plus it’s just exhilarating for some reason. I am a believer that babies really don’t need very many things to be happy and comfortable. But, I’m ordering a few extra helpful items just in case J

**We cannot wait to introduce you to our little bundle next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This guy is the BOMB.

Gabe took the DAT last week. For those of you that don't know, that's the dental school entry exam. He worked his butt off non-stop for a full month after school got out, studying all of the time. His hard work paid off, because he did extremely well! And I get to brag about him because I'm his wife :) He ended up getting in the 99th percentile in the nation!!! We're very excited and hope that that will get us into whatever school he wants to go to. Now he just has to finish up the application process, which isn't the most fun, and then we wait. And wait. He will fly out to schools in the fall for interviews and then we probably won't hear back from any of the schools until winter. Can't wait to see what is in our future!