Fall is in the air!

Fall is definitely coming and I can't express how excited I am to begin the holiday seasons.  I don't know about anyone else but it just feels like it will be that much more special now that we have Jack to celebrate with, just something about expanding your family, so much to look forward to.  I can't stop thinking about all of the costume possibilities, I keep seeing a ton of really cute ideas on Pinterest.  He THEN there is Thanksgiving and most exciting CHRISTMAS!!!  I get to make a stocking for him and buy presents, and by then he might even be starting to crawl!!!  Its going to be so much fun. 
He's been doing so well at trying to lift his head more and more, such a strong little guy.

So last night was sort of a freak night.  He's been sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches and only waking up once to eat and then going another 3-4 hour stretch.  Last night though he woke up 3 times and one of them was an hour apart.  So I fed him each time and he ate like he was hungry.....maybe growth spurt?  I don't know but Mom didn't get much sleep at all!!
Had our first little party with a few people the other night which was fun however when you have an 8 week old it is difficult.  My priority is the baby so being as social as I'd like and a good hostess really took a back burner :(  sorry everyone. 

So we are still slowly but surely renovating the house, this past weekend Johnny did the half bath and it looks fabulous.  Had some help from my Dad of course but big thanks to both for all of their hard work.  I'm still surprised how quickly it came together.  I went with a dark almost charcoal grey color, was a little afraid that it may be too dark at first, but I LOVE IT!!!  So much that I'm thinking of doing the dining room that color as well.  Here is a  pic, isn't it pretty??!! 

Labor Day

Big weekend, we went to Canada to a friend's beach house yesterday for the holiday.  This means we got to put him in his little swim trunks even though he didn't go anywhere near the water.  They were so stinkin cute. It was too sunny and hot so I stayed with him in the shade :)  Not to mention I totally forgot about bringing baby sunblock for Jack.

This is the best pic I have of him in his swim trunks, not the best....oh well! 
It was our first time at a party like this and there were so many people there and I didn't realize that everyone would want to hold the baby, so I literally only got my little guy when it was time to eat!  I have to say I missed him by the end of the night and was glad to be going home for bath and bedtime. 

 Mom and Dad enjoying the scenery......

The water was out further than I've ever seen it before, you can see where it usually comes up to, pretty crazy!  Next year Jack will be so much fun at the beach, can't even imagine :)

Needless to say little man was TUCKERED OUT!!!  Which leads me to my next big news.....he slept through the night for the very first time last night!!!!  So proud of him and hoping he keeps it up.  Although I have a sneaky suspicion it might have been the wine I was drinking yesterday.

This and That

Jack is sleeping.....FINALLY.....so I thought I'd do a quick update while I can.  We had our first wedding this past weekend, my cousin Justine got married and he was SOOOOO unbelievably good the entire time.  Didn't cry or fuss once!  It was super hot and muggy, outside, and I totally expected him to be cranky.
Great to see family and for them to meet little Jack for the first time.
So my highlight of the week is that Jack has started getting really excited and smiling when he wakes up in the morning and he sees me lean over his bed and say good morning :)  It is exactly how I want to wake up and start my day, there is nothing like seeing his little face light up because he sees his momma.
Johnny and I chanced it and took him to lunch with us yesterday and although he woke up a couple times he was really good, no fussing at all.  I'm so proud of him!
I got one of those really nice digital cameras with the big lenses last week and have taking pics non stop of mostly Jack but really anything trying to learn how to use it.  Its really a lot of fun and I just uploaded all of my pics to the computer today, how I'm going to sort through them all is beyond me.  I like that it shoots multiple shots at once so you don't miss anything.
Here are a couple pics from the past week........he's getting so big!

Oh and today I had a first.....I was able to fit into my first pair of pre-pregnancy jeans!!!!!!  SO EXCITED!!! 

A few firsts

So we've had a few firsts lately, first smiles....yes that was plural!!  They only seem to happen in the morning though, Jack is a very happy baby after he wakes up and eats.  That's when we have the most fun.  We hang out and look around, we talk, sometimes sing, and watch Good Morning America and Live with Kelly!  Then its usually time to eat again...for Jack, not me.  Sometimes I don't get to eat until lunch time.
He was a bit cranky this morning for some reason though.  We had a lot of company last week and our schedule was thrown off a bit so we were all exhausted yesterday.  He slept all day so I knew I was in for it today.
I had a sad moment the other day when I realized he is quickly growing out of all of his newborn clothes (yes I'm going to be that mom who gets all sentimental over things like this).  I've had to pack away all newborn sleepers, his legs are too long for them :(  thankfully he still fits into the onsies and of course NB diapers.  But it was another first this week that we started wearing 3 month sleepers.  They are super cute though and it was nice to be able to start using some of the new stuff that's just been hanging in the closet.  Seriously the kid has a TON of clothes! 

All Smiles!  I love those toothless gums and chubby cheeks!

Jack got to meet his cousin Elin this past weekend, she is 2 years old and did not have a huge attention span for Jack.  Such a ball of energy!!!

Jack is one month

This week my sweet baby Jack turned one month!  I can't believe it and if every month flies by as fast as the first one did then I don't want him to get any older.  I could stare at him all day, not sure I will ever get sick of this.  Part of me wants him to stay this small forever, but then I'm so excited to see him smile (on purpose), and do all of the fun things that happen with getting bigger.  He has filled out so much already and I just love his chubby little cheeks he's getting.

 

He was so cute when trying to take these pics, with that said I really want to get one of those nice cameras with the big lenses.  I want to be able to take a picture when I push the button and not have to wait for it to focus and flash like I do with my point and shoot.  

As I've mentioned before I am currently breast feeding Jack.   I usually feed him every 2 hours but lately he's been wanting to eat sometimes every hour to hour and a half.  This would explain those chubby little cheeks.  I've tried to get him to take a pacifier but he just won't take one.  I've tried about 5 different kinds, I even went out and bought the kind that you stick your finger in based on a recommendation - but he will only suck on it if your finger is in it if at all.  So do I have the only baby on earth that hates a pacifier??  Any suggestions?  Part of me is happy he doesn't like it so I don't have to worry about breaking the habit later on, but another part of me wishes he would take one so that it keeps him occupied, and not always wanting to eat if all he really wants is the sensation of sucking.  

Some Essentials

So I was thinking it might be helpful to other soon to be mommies to know what I have found to be necessities so far having a new born.  There are lots of things you are told you need and then buy and then never even touch.  At least that's what I've found.  I'll start with the hospital bag.  When I was getting close I would Google and Google what items to have in your hospital bag.  There are so many lists out there but I don't all of it is necessary.  This is what I took with me: 

For ME:
1.  Comfy Pants / Pajama Pants 
2.  Nursing Tank - very comfy and easy access for breastfeeding
3.  Nursing Bra - shouldn't wear under-wire once you start breastfeeding plus they are super comfy to wear under tanks

4.  Going Home Outfit
5.  Phone Charger - essential for both Johnny and my phones
6.  Shower Stuff (travel size shampoo/conditioner, body wash, loofah, razor)
7.  Makeup, Makeup Remover Towelettes - I love these because they are great for just freshening up when you start to feel gross from just sitting around in hospital bed all day.
8.  I did bring a Hair Straightener :) But I wanted to be prepared for pics....hahaha
9.  Prenatal Vitamins
10.  Comfy Clothes for Johnny - he stayed in hospital with me both nights
11.  Toothbrush and Toothpaste
12.  Baby Calendar- so that nurses could stamp Jack's footprints in it - I don't have a baby book so I'm just using this. - *make sure to take this into delivery room with you and let nurses know you'd like this done because they do it all so fast once baby is born.
13.  Socks - but didn't use because it was summer
14.  Flip Flops - just wore to hospital - but may want to wear in shower as well
15.  Bathrobe - just a comfy lite one for covering up especially when you have visitors
16.  Pillows - for both Johnny and I - nice to have a piece of home with you when sleeping (not that we did much sleeping)
17.  Boppy - we didn't initially bring this but the lactation specialist asked if we had one when she was working with me, so Johnny ran home to get it.  Definitely helps!  So I recommend just bringing it with everything else.
18.  Chapstick - you WILL need this, hospitals get very dry
19.  Face Cream & Lotion
20.  Camera & Charger

 For BABY:
 1.  Going Home Outfit - I brought a newborn and a 0-3 month because I wasn't sure how big he'd be.  At 7lbs 11oz he easily fit into a NB and still does 3.5 weeks later!
2.  Hat
3.  Mittens
4.  Receiving Blanket for ride home
5.  Car Seat - but don't need to bring that in until its time to go home

It was nice to be able to put some music on in the delivery room, I know it sounds cheesy but for the first few hours you are just laying around waiting for your cervix to dilate enough to start pushing.  So Johnny played a Jack Johnson mix on Pandora.  Our room had a dock for our phone right behind my bed so it was convenient.
Also I recommend bringing some snacks or candy or something to munch on during your long nights in hospital.  I made Johnny bring me some swedish fish.  I just had a craving for them and since the baby roomed in with us, we were up all the time.
I ate hospital food but I also made Johnny go out and get me a turkey sub since I hadn't had one in 9 months!  It tasted SOOOOOO Delicious!



OK so once  you are home, and believe me you will be so glad to get out of that tiny room and into the comfort of your own home, you will find certain items to be more of a necessity than others.
Here are a few things that we have found to be really helpful and  we literally use every single day:

1.  Nursing Pads- if you are breastfeeding you WILL need these for leakage protection, plus I found they protect your breasts against rubbing against clothing

2.  Boppy -this will become your best friend, you can set the baby in it to sleep while your on the couch, on the floor for tummy time, and of course its great for breastfeeding

3.  Lots of Receiving Blankets -we go through so many of these.  I line his moses basket with one instead of a sheet because he pees through it often so I just swap it out with a clean one.  Since its summer they are lite for covering bare legs and arms, especially since he's in air conditioning all day and night.

4.  Diapers & Wipes both upstairs and downstairs - we change just as many diapers if not more downstairs as we do upstairs, so I got a cute basket and keep a set of diapers/wipes/Vaseline (for circumcision) downstairs in the family room.  The basket is a pretty way to keep things contained but not look like you have baby stuff all over the place.

5.  Zojirushi Water Boiler -I made to sure to register for this and let me tell you its a godsend!  It keeps water at 208 degrees at all times so all you have to do is push a button and steaming hot water pours out.  Perfect for sterilizing and warming bottles quickly.

6.  More than one Changing Pad Cover -baby will wet everything so you literally need at least 2 of everything you use all of the time.

7.  Lanolin -for mothers who are breastfeeding, this will really help on those cracked/blistered/very tender nipples.  Plus you don't have to wife off before feeding - its safe for baby.

8.  Breast Pump - life saver!  during those first couple weeks you and baby are learning how to breastfeed and it can be really tough.  Hard on you and your nipples.  When my milk came in my breasts became so engorged and were too hard (not to mention sore) to even fit in Jack's mouth - there just wasn't any extra skin for him to grasp.  So pumping first relieved some milk and softened them up for Jack to be able to eat. 

9.  Breast Pump Storage Containers/Bags -If you are pumping then you need these because breast milk is like GOLD, you don't want to waste any of it, especially for women who may not produce as much as others.  I just freeze any extra that I have.  It keeps for up to 12 months frozen.

10.  Dr. Brown Bottles - I prepare 2 bottles every night before bed of breast milk that I've pumped, this way Johnny can get up with him in the middle of the night and feed him.  Plus lets face it, my boobs are DONE by the end of the night, so I give them a rest all night.  The reason I like the Dr. Brown bottles is because it has a tube inside the bottle that reduces air getting into your baby, and I can tell it works because Jack only occasionally burbs after feeding. 

11.  Sanitary Pads -unfortunately you will need these for at least a couple weeks and then I've found I can go down to just liners.

12.  Flannel Waterproof Pads -I have a bunch of these and in all sizes, they are great for putting on the couch underneath baby when I need to change him.  I put one under the blanket on the mattress of moses basket (using as bassinet) so that any accidents don't touch the mattress.  I also have one on top of the changing pad cover so that I don't have to keep washing and changing it so much. 

13.  Onsies with Built in Mittens -these are so much easier than dealing with those little mittens that don't even stay on their little hands.  The bottom of the sleeves fold over the hands and stay in place.  I like to put Jack in them at night time so that I don't have to worry about him scratching his face during the night.  Carters has some really great ones, in fact I have the striped ones pictured above.

 And of course here are a few pics of Jack, I just can't resist :)

The Nap Nanny above
is GREAT for keeping Jack
content, its so soft and plush, plus
I can take it in any room I'm in!

First 2 Weeks

As you can imagine I've taken literally a million pics of this kid and its only been two weeks!  So I thought I'd share a few of his first two weeks at home.......

In the oh so comfy nap nanny, Knuckles still not sure about our new addition

                                                



He's yawning, I swear

Sleep sacks are the BEST!! Soooo easy to change them in the middle of the night and they are roomy so you are able to get a lot of use out of them.

Cutest hospital pic ever, couldn't resist :)

                Nap Time!!                      

                                                                

Another great invention.......the BOPPY!

Hello baby Jack

Well its been a while but I'm back and happy to announce that little Jack Kong has arrived!!!  He decided to come into the world at 39 weeks, making him exactly one week early :)  Today my little bundle is 2 weeks old!!  
We are so thankful and extremely happy to have him in our lives, who would have thought you could love something so quickly and so so much!  He is just precious and I could stare at him all day!  Which is pretty much what I do since all I do is feed him and watch him sleep all day!  We've been super lucky so far, he's a really good baby :)
So it began early morning about 4:50am I woke up because I was having contractions.  I still wasn't sure at that point whether these were the real deal or not since I'd been having false labor contractions for days now.  Then they slowly got more intense so I began to time them.  Now they say they should be 5 minutes apart for an hour.  Mine weren't all that consistent, however they were more regular than they'd ever been before.  So at about 8:20am I called my doctor who told me to hang out at home for another hour and then go to the hospital.  So we did and to our surprise I was 6 cm dilated upon arrival.  So with that said I was staying and officially going to meet my little guy that day!!!  I wasn't really nervous, I was more or less taking it minute by minute and dreading each contraction since they definitely got worse as time went on.  We got to the hospital at about 10am and was put in a little exam room, hooked up to a machine with a monitor around my belly to monitor the baby's heartbeat - this is where they told me how dilated I was.  After this was determined I was moved to the delivery room where I remained.  I opted for the epidural and oh how thankful I was to get that!  It didn't hurt at all, in fact the IV they put in my hand was way more painful than the epidural.  I just remember how weird my legs felt initially once it took effect (but quickly got used to it), they were totally numb yet I could still move them.  Contractions were showing up on the monitor next to my bed and apparently I was having some pretty intense ones but I seriously didn't feel a thing!!  It was very pleasant and I really couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable birthing experience.  In fact I'm not really sure why all women don't opt to have an epidural, there is no risk to the baby, the drugs do NOT reach the baby, and every doctor I've talked to has said the same thing.....that the only real risk is that it doesn't take effect so you end up feeling all the pain.
Anyway,  Johnny played music on the iPod which was there for us if we wanted to use it.  Jack was born to a Jack Johnson station on Pandora...hehe.  Johnny was GREAT throughout the entire process, my doctor was awesome, as well as the two labor nurses in the room with me.  We literally just chatted the entire time, except for me when it was time to push.  Then all I could think about was getting this baby out, since I was exhausted.  And I figured out that they had stopped the epidural drip pretty early on so I started to feel lots of pressure when a contraction was coming on before it even showed up on the monitor.  I believe I started pushing around 2pm and Jack was born at 3:40pm.  All I can say is there is nothing like it when your baby is out and you can see him and hear him, and feel him.  It was so emotional and happy, and definitely something I would do again.
We opted to have the baby room with us in my room which is something I'm super glad we did.  I can't imagine having him down the hall in the nursery.  I would constantly be thinking about him and wanting him there with me.  Johnny spent every night with me.  He was a champ for sleeping on that reclining chair next to my bed. 
I will try to post more often, there are so many things I'd like to say to new moms or moms to be.
Here are some pics, of course more to come!!

We are READY!!!!!

Isn't he just so precious??!!

Proud Daddy, they are so adorable :)

Johnny up with Jack in the middle of the night at the hospital

Getting ready to go home!!!!  YAY I couldn't wait to get him home, you are stuck in your room while at the hospital and I just wanted to be able to walk around if I wanted.  

All strapped in, we are headed home with our baby boy!

38 Weeks

OK so officially 38 weeks pregnant and am really hoping that something happens this week.  I thought I was having contractions tonight but they didn't hurt, my stomach just got really tight for a short time and then relaxed.  Maybe braxton hicks?  I'm trying to stay positive and keep myself busy........so I naturally decided to make curtains for my bedroom which totally brightened it up, and then mom came over and she helped me with the last part of the quilt I'm making for little Jake in Albany.  I told myself it had to get done before baby comes otherwise not sure when poor Jake would get his quilt :)
This weekend I spent it relaxing as much as possible, I did some sun bathing and laid in the pool (my extra large kid pool that is), and it was GREAT!  Mom finished making the skirt for the crib and brought that over, so now I think I can honestly say we are READY, now we just need a little baby.  Johnny and I took the dogs for 2 walks today, I read that walking can help naturally induce labor......fingers are crossed!
Not much to really talk about going on with baby right now, he is just getting bigger at this point.  Should be between 7 and 7.5 lbs according to my doctor.  I'm really afraid that if I go full term he will be a BIG baby....yikes!

So here is my pic of the week:

How many weeks?  38
Baby is the size of : about 7-7.5lbs in weight this week - every baby is different though so who knows!
How am I feeling: I feel fine, just not staying at the restaurant as long during the day anymore, it just gets soooo hot and I just can't move like I used to be able to.
Can't eat:  nothing that doesn't really appeal to me, I've been drinking a lot of milk with ovaltine
Energy level:  pretty good, some days I'm really tired and others I have a ton of energy
Maternity Clothes?  OF COURSE, although in the summer weather I've discovered long maxi skirts are great because I can buy my regular size and they just sit low under my belly.....so it was fun to be able to buy some non maternity stuff that I can wear post pregnancy :)
Movement: He is always moving around but you can totally tell that he has little to no room left inside because its no longer actual kicks its just moving around and usually its a foot in the same spot every time
Looking forward to:  The big day

37 Weeks

37 Weeks today and I must say its been a pretty relaxing day, not to mention I've been really tired today for some reason.  I took 2 naps!!   I've been all by myself since last night since Johnny decided to take off to Canada and party all weekend rather than stay home with his 9month pregnant wife........smart move right??!!  He seems to think he knows more than the doctor and knows that I will not go into labor any time soon.
So I spent my time shopping of course and then doing stuff around the house.  Caught some sun which felt great!
So I get the feeling from here on out nothing is really going to feel that much different, other than the constant poking and prodding from baby, I really can't say anything spectacular has happened this past week.  I just feel more and more heavy when I walk, and am finishing up my What to Expect When You're Expecting book, finished packing hospital bag other than some random stuff that I'm still using.  Not sure what to bring for baby to come home from hospital in.  It's July and hot outside but I'm not sure how hot baby will be, is a onsie enough along with a blanket?  Or should I bring a sleeper that is long sleeved?  I don't know, I'm going to bring both.  Also I have no idea how big this kid is going to be and whether or not he'll even fit into a newborn outfit or not. So I feel like I need to bring a newborn and a 0-3month size outfit.  If he's going to come early I wish he would just get here already.
So according to all baby sources he is technically considered full term this week and will only chunk up from here on out......yikes!
 
So my pic this week is me taking it of myself in a mirror since Johnny was MIA.

How many weeks?  37
Baby is the size of : about 6.5-7lbs in weight this week - every baby is different though so who knows!
How am I feeling: I feel fine, just hot with the heat and a little heavy down under so I walk slower sometimes.
Can't eat:I just eat a lot of little meals throughout the day, actually I have just this past week noticed that I'm not even that hungry anymore.  and when I went to the doctor I didn't gain any more weight  which I've read tends to happen towards the end of pregnancy.
Energy level: well if today was any sort of indicator I was so sleepy all day
Maternity Clothes?  OF COURSE, although in the summer weather I've discovered long maxi skirts are great because I can buy my regular size and they just sit low under my belly.....so it was fun to be able to buy some non maternity stuff that I can wear post pregnancy :)
Movement: He is always moving around but you can totally tell that he has little to no room left inside because its no longer actual kicks its just moving around and usually its a foot in the same spot every time
Looking forward to:  The little guy's arrival :)

36 Weeks

36 weeks = 9 months!!!  And boy am I ready!  Nursery is done, baby classes are done, making progress on a name (I think), hospital bag is halfway packed.....but a list is made of what I need.  I feel like its so close and ALL I think about is when and how is labor going to begin for me.  Now all I need is to go to my weekly appointment on Tuesday and hear that I'm even more dilated....fingers are crossed.
Not much really happening this week other than me and baby are getting bigger.  I worked at the restaurant on Saturday which turned out to be very busy due to a festival going on on all of Main and East Ave and I realized I can't move like I used to be able to now.  Its just that much harder for me to bend down and all I felt like I was doing was bending down to get this or that.  So its definitely time to start taking it easy I think.
So according to all of my baby resources baby should be 6 or more pounds by now, and my weekly doctor's visit (yes I wrote this post over a couple days) proved this to be true.  She estimates that he is high six, not quite 7lbs yet.  She also mentioned that she probably won't let me go past 39 weeks.  Bad news is that I'm no further along than I was last week though.  I know, I know, that can all change within a few hours, but I can't help but be a bit disappointed.  I've also been experiencing sharp shooting pains in my lower abdomen, sometimes all over, sometimes just on one side or the other.  Doctor said that is perfectly normal and its just baby getting into position to come down the canal!!  So as painful as they are (and boy are they PAINFUL) I welcome them if it means getting closer to the big day.
Here is my pic that I did take on Sunday when I officially turned 36 weeks:

To the left is a pic of the curtains I made for the nursery, which besides a couple of pics to go on the wall, I can finally say is complete and ready for my little bambino!  The material is searsucker which both Johnny and I really  like.

 To the right is a little bit better pic of the detailing I did on the bottom to dress them up a bit. 















I'm currently working on and just finished the front of a super adorable quilt for our friends in Albany, actually for little Jake who should of had his quilt 6 months ago!!  But it was hard to manage in our little apartment at the time and then we moved so now that I have a sewing/craft room its much easier to get things done :)

How many weeks?  36,    about 20+ inches long 
Baby is the size of : about 6-6.5lbs in weight this week, according to my doctor he could even be a bit bigger but not quite 7lbs yet.....thank goodness since I have 3.5 more weeks to go!
How am I feeling: Feel great!  Just heartburn of course.  Feeling lots more pressure down below, like he's going to fall out...hahaha
Can't eat: Nothing specific, just that my stomach is being really squished right now so I'm not eating really large portions at once. I snack a lot.
Energy level: definitely Energy level is surprisingly high I have to say, I think I'm doing pretty well
Maternity Clothes?  OF COURSE
Movement:Most definitely, I know exactly where his little feet are most of the time.  Sometimes they are trying to go up under my rib cage which can be pretty painful
Looking forward to:  The guy's arrival :)