One Month

Yeah, I know...I know...technically his official four week anniversary was yesterday, but I'm going with date birthdays for consistencies sake:) That and it gave me another day to take his pictures, because yesterday we kicked it into overdrive (again) with the eating and the 2-2.5 hour feeding schedule leaves me with little time to snap pictures. But today even with our little guy's love of eating, we managed!

So, a whole month! Can you believe it? I can't. But then there are times where I feel like I've known him forever and it feels so much longer...such a weird thing this new life and adjusting to a newborn. They really are something else, aren't they?

A few quick notes about Tobin at one month:

• Ummm, he's nearly 14 pounds. Fatty-boom-blatty.
• He hates (and I mean really hates) burping. And anything associated with the burping process. This includes spitting up. Ty and I discovered that he was actually holding spit-up in his cheeks only to choke on it when we laid him down - stinker! 
• He loves to be talked to, and is already doing his very best to try and coo/grunt back in response...he's such an attentive listener. 
• He's still a master of facial expressions, Zoolander ain't got nuthin' on Tobin's rendition of blue steel:) 

But enough with all the words, right? Pictures are SO much more fun...so I'll leave you with a couple extras from our one-month photo shoot today;)

We'll be back again soon...

It's just too much fun...

So, I'm really meaning to post more BUT we're just having too much fun around these parts. Tobin has from day one been a master of facial expressions and with each passing day they just get better and better!

I am a tad partial to the face that also included his eyes crossed - can't wait to share these with him when he's older:) We will be back with real news/posts at some point in the future...but this at least counts for something fun to look at, right?

What a difference a week makes...

Or really since the last time I've blogged, it's been more than a week, but who's counting?!? The days over the last week or so have definitely blurred one into the other and while I can't wait to share details of things like the labor/delivery/and the days that followed...Ty and I are busy just loving on the guy and enjoying our new family of three-ness.

BUT I did (can't believe it really) manage to get a one week photo done to start our series of monthly growth photos...and I couldn't hold out on you all with the cuteness.

We will be back with more news soon!

Much love,
JuliAnna, Ty, and Tobin

On the day you were due...

I showed up to work - against the (possibly better?) judgement of others who said I should stay home.

Not only did I show up to work, but I prepped for my Board meeting (which will be this evening at 6 pm...so I still have some time to go and I'm all set!).

I took one last phone pic to commemorate the many times I've stood in front of this office mirror to admire/gasp/stand in shock and awe??? of my growing belly. (And really, can you be done now?)

And I sat and my desk and thought how lucky am I? I have really had such an awesome pregnancy and now I'm mere hours (I'm feeling optimistic, kid - work with me!) or at most a few days away from meeting you...and I am already so blessed.

So blessed by the times you've had dance parties with me - yes, you have greater odds of liking Beyonce than any other male child I know - what can I say...Love on Top has kind of been our song? You like da'beats, mon!  

So blessed by the many times you reassured me that this pregnancy was here to stay - and oh darn it, look I'm crying as I write this...but really it's like you KNEW when you needed to move or even - make me sick - to know that yes, yes - you were still there and you were healthy and growing.

So, thanks. Thank you my Little Dear, for keeping me such good company over these last 40 weeks. I really, really, really cannot wait to meet you.

With love,
Yer' mom

Week 38 or almost 39...who cares?!

So, there's been a big debate going since the first ultrasound of this little guy...which put him "due" right exactly when I thought he would be due based on certain information only I, and not my doctor, would be privy to...like say when conception took place;) Well the first ultrasound matched up exactly to my prediction - and that date was February 2nd...based on the little wheel she used which takes into account just the date of my last period he's due on February 7th. And boy do they love that little wheel. But as we all know due dates are just estimates and arbitrary at best...so here we are, somewhere between week 38 and 39 and all I know is the switch has flipped. Meaning, (if you're listening as I type this baby...) you can come whenever you want.

Don't get me wrong, I know that every day he's in there is another day he needs to be there and I've been more than happy to have such a really fortunate third trimester overall...but in the past couple days there's just this sense of "I'm done." And from the looks of it, I think I look done too. It's reached that point where when I'm out shopping or in any public place for that matter I get those looks. You know the ones I'm talking about...where they look at you partly in admiration for still walking upright and then you look closer and see fear in their eyes that you might give birth in their store's backroom if you stay too long...yeah - lots of those looks.

And lately everyone's favorite thing to say is "it's a boy, huh?" So kudos to those people for getting it right, I guess. But do they really have to follow it up with "Yeah, with a boy you're just so OUT THERE and SO ROUND"?!?! Yes. Yes. I am rotund in a very special way and I am "out there." Thank you - I hadn't noticed when trying to put on my shoes this am...but I digress.

So here we are - my next appointment is this Friday so I'll have "real" news to share at that point so for now you just get a pic of me from this evening - lucky yous.

Glowing or sweating...you decide...

And in much more fun news - I took a few sneak peeks of his room! I was going to make a little collage but picnik went and closed on me and I just don't have the energy to try out the google plus editing thing they told me to use in its place...so now we're back to pictures single-file. Whatever. Enjoy!

Had to blur out his name on his "special" book...thanks to Marissa and Megan for the sweet gifts on this shelf:)

The blocks were a gift from Kelley and I'm nothing short of obsessed. LOVE!

The changing station and a glimpse of our rocker in its new fabric!

More fun prints...

More blurriness as I spelled out his name with Kelley's blocks - but you get the idea;)

All that's missing now is the main event himself...and we just can't wait! Anyone want to start a guessing game as to when he'll come? Leave a note in the comments with your guess!

Baby Shower Fun & Update

As promised, I'm directing you all to Kelley's blog for baby shower picture fun!! Just looking at the pictures makes me SO excited all over again - it was really the most perfect day. And just a funny note as to how well they know me...note the color of the lanterns and the color in my necklace - not planned at all:) In fact, I'm sure they stifled laughter when I showed them what I was planning on wearing...apparently I'm a tad predictable!

Many thanks AGAIN to everyone for making me and baby boy feel so special!

And a quick update - just returned from my weekly appointment and there's good news...

1. Per my last ultrasound, the little guy has chilled out for a bit and is now in the 90th percentile and such, but is not tipping off the charts. This makes my doctor way more comfortable with just proceeding and there was no more talk of c-section for now...she says now we just wait and see!

2. Baby is head down, at "station 3" which means he's still pretty high up there but that she could already feel the top of his head when she checked me and I'm 50% effaced and barely dilated at a 1 or so...while ALL these things mean nothing in terms of when labor will start they show positive progress - so I'll take it!

I look pretty darn close to what I looked like at my baby shower - so let that be your "belly shot" for now...and I'll try and update again at the end of the week! My mom did mention this morning that she agrees that I'm starting to appear a bit dropped, so hopefully by the end of the week we can see the difference in pictures:) We shall see!

Estimated Due Date - January 4th

Things that are funny: Today's ultrasound took into account the length of Little Dear's femur bone and said that based on the length he should be due January 4th. HAHAHA - we all, including the sonographer, had a good laugh at that one! I told Ty he's all to blame on the femur bone extravaganza as clearly the baby is inheriting his legs...what he's inheriting from me? Seems to be my arms - those are the only thing estimated to be "average." So my t-rex arms mixed with Ty equals average:)

So yeah, another ultrasound down. And really it was the least exciting of them all because at this point the little guy is so smashed in there that his head is already shaping to my pelvic bones and there's no chance of getting his face, and we were lucky to get a clear shot of a foot and hand! He's just clearly running out of room in there...So the full report is that now based on the averages that the sonographer produces he's estimated to be weighing in just over 8 pounds and is definitely on the long side...but he's super healthy and everything looks great otherwise! The rest of the measurements put him at an estimated due date of January 28th...which interestingly enough falls closer in line with when I've thought he would be due from the beginning.

In other news, there's a rumor out there right now that I may have dropped a little. I was walking with Kelley around Babies-R-Us on Monday, went to the bathroom and thought "Hmmm, I look different." And as I walked out to ask Kelley if she ever felt like she dropped, she looked at me and exclaimed "Oh my gosh, you've totally dropped!" But it's hard, because now I keep looking and I'm not so sure. Not that dropping is a predictor of anything concrete, but it's a sign of progress all the same.

And while I wish I could share a picture - I can't because I haven't taken any since everyone left this weekend who came in and spoiled me and the baby boy just rotten! It was a gorgeous day all around, and really there are no words to describe what an amazing shower Kelley and Marissa put together for us. I'm so blessed. And to the very many of you who participated in some shape or form, THANK YOU. I really just have the best friends anyone could ask for! As soon as pictures are up I'll be sure to share!

That's the news for now! I'll try and update more often now that we're really in the final countdown!