2 months!

My oh, my. Time does fly. It's so hard to believe that Kenneth has only been with us for two months. It feels like he was always meant to be in our family, like we had been waiting our whole lives just for him.

There's SO much to catch you up on!

Since my last post we have been visited by Juju and PaPe, Aunt Ray Ray (Rachel) and Kirk, and many of our wonderful friends. We have also gone through the WORST WEEK EVER, when Kenneth seemed to be screaming all night every night. But things are really starting to get in a groove for us and Kenneth seems pretty happy most of the time. We've even learned the "Magic

Baby Hold". No matter how hard Kenneth is crying, the "MBH" works every time! (Video to come!)

We have also started using the cloth diapers, Bum Genius Flip, pretty regularly. Turns out they're hardly more work than disposables and we really love them! We still prefer to use disposables when we are out-and-about for convenience.

AND... we took Kenneth to get his picture taken last week so that we could have some for Juju's birthday! Although we're getting them a couple of days after her birthday (sorry Juju! but good things come to those who wait!), I'm sure she won't mind too much when she sees that cute face of his. We decided that we won't spoil the surprise for her, so I can't post the gems just yet, but I thought it would be fun to post some of the pictures that are still noteworthy. :)

Three weeks old

Kenneth is way more astute than I have been giving him credit for. He seems to know exactly when I'm awake enough that there's no chance of me being able to fall back asleep... then, he takes a nap. Lovely.

This past week has been pretty tough so far because Kenneth is having some problems with acid reflux. It's not your typical, "My baby spits up" kind of thing. In fact, he hardly ever spits up after a meal. Instead, he wakes up in the middle of the night crying in pain and trying to swallow back stomach acid. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I can totally empathize. It was the worst symptom of my pregnancy. So, the pediatrician checked him out yesterday and gave us a couple of prescriptions for reflux. Between this and the Mylicon we've been giving him for gas, we're hoping we've covered all of his complaints so he will go back to being the sweet, quiet baby he teased us with being for the first two weeks. :)

Even now, he's not the kind of baby that cries for no reason. He has a very distinct, "I'm in pain" cry. The problem is almost never not understanding why he's upset, but whether or not there's something we can do to relieve his pain.

Thankfully, I have a very helpful hubby! On Saturday and Sunday mornings, Jase wakes up pretty early and takes Kenneth into the living room so that I can catch up on sleep. In return, Jase sleeps on the couch or in the guest bedroom once or twice during the week so that Kenneth's night time feedings don't wake him up. My friend Dawn mentioned that she didn't understand how single moms could take care of a baby on their own. I have definitely thought this same thought in the past few weeks. I'm certain I would go insane if I had to do this alone. In the past few days even Jase and I haven't been enough: I've had to call in back-up! I asked my friend, Leah, to come over and watch Kenneth today so I could sleep for a couple of hours. Of course, the entire time she was here he would wake up every 30 minutes and cry anyway. Needless to say, as soon as she was done with her 3hour shift, he fell fast asleep! I, on the other hand, was too awake by that point to try and nap. Cheeky baby :)

Hopefully the prescriptions we picked up today will ease his woes (and mine!)

Happy to be home

I am so in love with this child. Kenneth is incredible. He's such an easy going baby so far and he already has such personality.

And I can't say enough of Jason. He is the best Daddy and husband I could have ever asked for. He's loving, doting, and gentle in ways I didn't know a man could be. He was meant to be a father.

My world is filled with love and more importantly, Kenneth's world is too...

3,2,1, MONKEY!

I don't even know where to start. Maybe the best way is to begin by saying that God does incredible things and Jase and I are both so thankful to have Monkey here with us today.

On Tuesday, October 12th at 4:03 in the evening, we welcomed Kenneth Mitchell Juneau into the world. He was born prematurely, as he was due October 30th, so he was a rather a small 5 pounds 3 ounces. But from the very beginning he was quite the eater :) I suspect this trait is from his Daddy. The labor went very well and due to his size he was pretty easy on Mommy. In fact, it took less than fifteen minutes to push him out! When he came, Grammy (my mom), Danielle, and Jason were all there. Everyone kept saying, "Look at him! Look at him!" I kept saying, "I can't see him!" Finally, the midwife put him on my chest.

He was beautiful. Jase and I were instantly in tears. All we could manage to say to one another was "Thank you" and "I love you" in between sobs of joy. I'll never forget that look on Jason's face.

A few hours after delivery, Kenneth was assessed by a pediatrician and the news was less than favorable. He and the nurses had several concerns: he had very low blood sugar, a low temperature than he could not self-regulate, jaundice, low platelets, and several other minor issues. The hours turned into days as we waited to things to regulate. Instead they got worse. Although he was feeding very well, my milk had not yet come in to the point where he needed it to be, so we had to supplement with formula. The problem was that he would not latch on to a bottle and he began to become dangerously dehydrated. It was at this point that the pediatrician told us that Kenneth may actually be more premature than what our original ultrasound had indicated. Because of his fragile condition and small size, he would have to be taken in to the NICU. The thought of him being taken away from us was awful. Obviously we wanted what was best for him, but my heart sank. I cried. I felt terribly guilty. I just wanted to skip ahead to the point where Kenny was okay. Luckily we were able to visit him in NICU and he did not have to stay long.

Our last day and a half was spent in the pediatrics ward with Kenneth under a UV lamp for his jaundice. We could take him out to feed and cuddle whenever we wanted, but the longer he stayed under the light, the faster we would be able to go home. It was so sad to see him in that plastic box with an IV in his head and a monitor on his foot, but Jason and I were both so proud with how brave and strong he was. The four days we spent in the hospital were the longest of my life. To see your child in so much pain is more difficult than I could have ever imagined. While he may not remember all of the blood draws and the pokes and prods, they are etched in my memory.

When the doctor finally gave the okay for Kenneth to be discharged, Jason and I both could have cried with joy. No more blood draws, no more IVs, no more watching the nurses walk away with him. He is ours. What a feeling. After the drive home, I cried when we walked in the door to our house. We are so fortunate to have a healthy son, and we thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

...3...

Well, almost 3 weeks to go :) I try to post on Saturdays when the week "officially" changes, but my weekends are still pretty busy with weddings.

But you'll forgive me because... I'm posting pictures! Jason's dad came to visit for a few days, so I have a few photos of the guys working on Monkey's chest of drawers. I'm also posting a picture of me taken just moments ago. That's about as up-to-date as you can get!

...4...

I'm a little behind posting this week :) Jason's dad is visiting for a while, so we've been busy site-seeing and entertaining. Four more weeks until the Due Date! I went in for a check-up on Wednesday and everything is going well. Monkey is head down and ready to go and I have the official "Go-ahead" if I were to start labor. This means that Monkey is pretty well developed in all the ways he needs to be in order to do well out in the world. In fact, this coming Saturday, he will officially be to term if he were to decide to greet us instead of being considered premature! So... I'm shooting for Saturday, haha. Oddly enough, Jason is really hoping Monkey will come on Sunday so that his birthday will be 10-10-10 :)

I was going to post a video of Monkey's room, but it was taking a really long time to post. But you are welcome to check it out on Facebook!

Pictures coming soon!

So much for the Afterglow

It's amazing to me that people will say such ridiculous things to a pregnant woman. Here are a few gems that I'm sure will echo in my mind for years to come...

"Oh, wow, you're huge!"

"You're eating again?!"

"You're bigger every time I see you!" (From someone I typically see 3-4 times a week...)

"Those buttons look like they're about to pop."

"You have jowls."

"It looks like your face is retaining water."

"Oh, you're wedding ring doesn't fit anymore? Is that because of the weight?"

Ah, yes. At just the time this 'glow' is wearing off, I really appreciate the kind words. And because it seems to be everyone's first question: 33 pounds. That's normal.

...5...

Five more weeks to go until Monkey's official due date.

Five more weeks of freedom to leave the house without an entourage of stuffed animals and diaper bag and carseat and who-knows-what-else-Monkey-may-need. Five more weeks of guessing little baby parts pushing against my tummy. Five more weeks of the worst heartburn in the South. Five more weeks of having moments alone. Five more weeks of guessing which features Monkey takes from me and which are from Jason. Five more weeks of, "Could you pick that up for me?" Five more weeks of anticipating that incredible moment I go from just Shelley to Mommy in the blink of an eye and never look back. ♥

...6...

Six weeks to go until the due date!

Sometime in the next 3 to 8 weeks I should have Monkey in my arms :) We are finally close enough that we are making sure we have all of those "last minute" things ready. The bags are almost packed, the car seat is sitting in the back of the Jeep, and I'm just about as ready as I'll ever be! Next week we are going to tour the hospital and pre-register. I even took a few new baby-belly pictures for you all, but I can't seem to get them off of the camera and onto the blog!

As busy as I am with work and life in general, I still have time everyday to count and re-count the days until Monkey's expected arrival. Because of this, time seems to be moving just a little slower. It used to be that I could go days without dwelling on it, but with all of Monkey's movements and all of my practice contractions, he's hard to ignore!

Pictures...

I'm having trouble posting those new pictures I promised, but I haven't forgotten!!!

...7...

Seven weeks to go!

I'm sure 33 weeks pregnant doesn't have much significance for a lot of people. It's seemingly a bit of an in-between number. But, here's why 33 weeks is so awesome: One month from now, if Monkey decides to greet the world, he will be officially full term :) So, while my due date is 7 weeks away, it's really only 4 weeks away. Or that's the way I like to see it! Of course, I want Monkey to have the healthiest start in life, but I figure if four weeks can do the same as seven... well, all 150 pounds of me is rooting for 4 weeks!

So... I bet you've noticed that I'm a little overdue to post a new belly picture... not to mention the fact that I promised pictures of Monkey's room over a month ago and haven't delivered. Well, fear not! Tomorrow is the day! (Unless I forget, but you can't be angry at a pregnant lady, right?) I really am anxious to share our experience with all of our family and friends, it just gets so difficult to keep up with everything lately. Really, it's been a blessing to be so busy. The down-side is that I haven't been able to include you all as much as I was hoping to. Never too late for redemption, yes?

Lastly, I've been getting a few responses about our decision to cloth diaper that sound a little like this: "HAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaha! Good luck with that." So, for all of you skeptics, here's a little information on the system we have decided to use. Yes, we may need a little luck and perhaps a little perseverance, but I guess you need these things anyway when you're looking at 8-10 dirty diapers a day. This ain't your Granny's cloth diaper.

http://www.flipdiapers.com/reviews.php

...8...

Today is 32 weeks! It's so strange to think that in only 5 weeks, Monkey will be considered full term. Jason is hoping for Monkey to be born on the 10th of October so that his birthday will be 10-10-10. We'll see!

...9...

9 More weeks!

I can't believe how quickly the weeks are beginning to fly by! A lot of this has to do with being so busy with work, I'm sure. I'm only 5 more days from being 8 months pregnant! Does that sound crazy to everyone? Or just me? Oddly enough, I still have random moments of, "Wow, I can't believe I'm pregnant..." You would think that the basketball in front of me would have clued me in by now, but I don't think it's possible for that to really hit home with your first baby. I certainly can't imagine taking it for granted.

So, the count down continues. The countdown to Baby. The countdown to a new life for the three of us. (Six of us if you include the "girls," JJ, Lilly, and Dahlila). The count down to life as we know it drastically changing, forever.

...10...

10 more weeks to go!

Assuming, of course, that Monkey decides to greet the world on his due date. Personally, I think he's going to be a little early. I still can't believe Monkey and I are both so big! Even more amazing, there is not a stretch mark one on this belly. Not yet anyway. But I still have a rather long 10 weeks to go! I still feel pretty great too. The heartburn is the worst and most persistent "symptom" I've had. Don't get me wrong, it's no walk in the park. It's pretty unbearable at times (mostly at night), but I figure if that's all I have to go through, it's better than the morning sickness some women have. And so begins the count down :)

Two down, one to go!

It's been a while since I've posted anything new, I know. Sorry! Things are going well. It's early in the last trimester, and I still feel pretty great and Monkey is healthy and active. I feel him kick constantly know, and lemme tell ya, that kid can pack a punch! We have finished the nursery and I will post pictures in the next couple of days :)

Life has been so hectic lately, but it's nice to have the distractions. I am now in charge of coordinating the Weddings and Special Events at the resort, of which there are MANY. We basically have two to three weddings every weekend until November. Good timing, because Monkey already seems rather impatient to make his escape into the world. And Jase has been busy with a couple of games the studio is working on that have upcoming deadlines. Oh! And Vacation Isle is on the shelves! In case you didn't know, I did the voice over for the game. So, if you miss my sweet voice, you can go buy the game. :) Here's a link to the promo video:
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/debut-trailer-vacation-isle/62816

Here's lookin' at you kid

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!”

The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you.”

Lately, I often daydream about what Monkey will look like. I look at baby pictures of Jason and myself and try to pick out features that might fit in with Monkey's ultrasound profile. I can't wait to meet this kid. ♥

Jason's mom is visiting, and having Monkey is beginning to feel closer than ever. Yesterday, Julie and I went to Babies R Us and bought some ADORABLE bedding and paint for the nursery. She and Jason began painting the walls that night while I was at work, and I'm betting they'll get it done this evening or the next. I'll take pictures soon for your viewing pleasure.

Having "Grandma" here and preparing for the baby shower this Sunday has made us feel like Monkey really is going to be here in a few months. It's so surreal. I bet he'll be as cute as his Daddy.

Just a quick note

I like Monkey. I think he's got a sense of humor. This morning I woke up and had my typical glass of milk with a vitamin and a healthy bowl of Kashi cereal. But... then I was still hungry and Monkey was too, so he convinced me to have a big bowl of pot roast and potatoes. This was about 7 in the morning. He is his Daddy's son ;)

Recently, I was able to catch a bit of Monkey's acrobatics on camera. He's been kicking up a storm lately, so I put a card on my tummy where he was kicking and got a shot of it moving on camera. I will try to see about posting it on the blog.

In the mean time, I hope everyone's making it in that Gulf Coast heat. While it's been beautiful weather here with highs in the upper 70s, it gets pretty hot in the house with no A/C and this big ol' belly. As much as I miss you all, there's no way I would make it in Texas.

Monkey's new diggs

So, if you didn't already know from my panic attack a few days ago, We're moving! It's going to be a bit of work, but we really love the house and the area we're moving into. In fact, I'm downright excited! Everything that is wrong with the house we're renting now is fixed with this new place. We're even within a couple of blocks of most of the people we know well here in Big Bear. And the view off of our gorgeous new back porch? Sprawling acreage, horses, and mountains.

Jason and I both have the sense that we are truly being provided for... in fact, it gives me that much needed peace of mind. ♥

Monkey. Business.

Today was incredibly stressful. It seemed like every good thing had a downside.

We found a GREAT place we're moving into starting this next week. I'm tellin' ya, it's perfect for Monkey. (Yay!) But, we have to actually pack and move all of our things. (Boo.) We weren't exactly planning on finding a new place, but this worked out really well since I would have been signing a new year lease this Thursday. (Yay!) Unfortunately, we still have to give our current rental agency 30 days notice, so we'll have to pay most of the monthly rent on both places. (Boo.) Then, I went to my prenatal appointment and listened to Monkey's strong, healthy heartbeat. (Yay!) But then the midwife and I started talking about cost of delivery and I realized we'll basically be paying most of it out of pocket due to our lame deductible. (Boo.) Monkey's arrival is approximately 4 months from now (Yay!) but, then again, we only have 4 months and I'm feeling so much stress about the coming month that I can't imagine what those other three months will bring, (Boo.) and should I even bring up the next 18 years?

There were several moments today when I felt like lying down on the floor and crying it out. That's partially due to Monkey's influence I'm sure, but in general, today was pretty hectic. Instead, I did a little retail therapy (Yay!) and looked over my registry. Oddly enough, that had me worried too. (Boo.) There are a lot of really fun baby items out there that I would love to have, but I'm most worried about the essentials. A super-cool nursery is one thing, but the peace-of-mind of having a closet full of diapers is something altogether different! Um... and maybe this would be a good time to mention that we're crazy and sadistic enough to have our hearts set on using cloth diapers? (I'm hoping our research into the BumGenius 3.0 diapers will be worth our while.)

Oye vey, diapers or not, that peace-of-mind thing is sounding pretty great right now... can't I just register for that? Come to think of it, if you've got any on hand, we're the hand-me-down kind of folks. :)

House full of Daddies

My Dad came to visit! For those of you who know my dad, you'll know what a big deal this was. He had even mentioned that this may have been the first two days off in a row he had taken in the last five years! From what I understand, Cathy basically bought him the airplane tickets, handed them to him, and said, "Go. They're not refundable." :) The tickets turned out to be an Anniversary/ Father's Day present. Although the visit was short, I'm so thankful I got to see him. Having my family see me in the glow of my first pregnancy was very important to me. While there are many others I would love to see, Dad was at the top of my list.

So, here's how it went down...

Jason had said that I needed to ask off for this past weekend. When we went to have our last ultrasound, I remember walking out to the Jeep afterward and saying, "This has been the best day of my life." Jason looked at me with the same funny smile that I saw a lot of in the next few days, and said, "Next weekend is going rival this one." I thought he was off his rocker. There was almost no way anything was as good as seeing Monkey moving on that screen looking so much like a baby since the last time we'd had a peek. But Jason was right.

This past Saturday, I was still scheduled to work. Jason woke up early and did the dishes and vacuumed and generally cleaned house. Jason's very good about helping with that sort of thing, but he was smiling this big silly smile while doing it. Obviously, something was going on. He told me I was getting "the big surprise", so I started asking questions, Are we going somewhere? Can I take it to work with me? Do I have to unwrap it? He would always answer with something cryptic. We can go somewhere if you want. Yes, you can take it to work and hug it and love it. I hope it's wrapped... All I really got out of him was that our friend Danielle was going to bring it to us. So, we went out to eat lunch at my favorite restaurant, Sweet Basil Bistro, and waited for "Danielle" to bring me the "surprise". I wish you all could have seen Jason during this meal. That big, goofy smile was a permanent fixture. I'm still not entirely sure how he managed to eat his sandwich.

Finally, Jason stepped outside and came back with a bag. He handed it to me and asked me to guess what was inside. I told him it felt like a onesie. He said I could open it. Inside, was a little blue and white onesie that had, "Grandpa's sidekick" printed on it. I just stared. I was thinking at this point about how I had considered Dad coming to visit when Jason first told me that seeing Monkey on the ultrasound would rival this weekend. I had thought about it a few times since, but didn't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed. So, there I sat, staring, unable to look away in case Dad wasn't really there. Then I heard his voice, "What? You don't like it?"

Yes. I cried. That seemed to be everyone's first question. Needless to say, I got out of work that day. (Thank you SO much Lee!) Dad came in on Saturday and left Monday morning, so the time was short, but very sweet. And, yes, it did indeed rival seeing Monkey on that ultrasound.