4-Month Checkup

Isabella had her 4-Month checkup yesterday and Dr. Miller said she looks "Marvelous." She measured 25 3/4 inches for height; that puts her between the 90th and 95th percentiles. Her weight was 13 lb 15 oz, which is in the 50th percentile. I can't remember her head circumference offhand, but she was in the 75th percentile.

She had three vaccines at yesterday's appointment, and today she has her first fever. Poor thing. It also seems like her gums have been bothering her (even though we can't see or feel any teeth yet) and making her cranky and hard for her to sleep. Tylenol has been worth it's weight in gold this week at our house!

4 Months

Isabella is 4 months old today! We'll go for her 4-month appointment on Tuesday. I am anxious to see how much she has grown, but not so excited about the shots. I am also expecting the pediatrician to give the ok to start rice cereal.

I have debated back and forth about whether we should start rice cereal at 4 months as our pediatrician normally advises or delaying solids until 6 months. Rice cereal really has no nutritional benefits and is basically a "practice" food. I was leaning towards delaying solids until 6 months and starting with oatmeal rather than rice cereal, but I think I've changed my mind. I really feel like Isabella is ready for something new. She is a very distracted eater and almost seems bored with nursing these days. She's also starting to give cues like showing interest in our food, blowing spit bubbles, and chewing. I decided to practice with a clean baby spoon and she readily opens her mouth when her lips are touched and mimics eating with her mouth and tongue.

We'll go ahead and give it a try, and if it doesn't seem like she's ready we won't force it. Now my problem will be finding time to pump milk to mix the cereal with!

Here are some other thingss Isabella has been up to this past month:
-rolling over both ways
-making lots of noises
-laughing
-grabbing toys (or anything really!) and bringing them to her mouth
-"petting" her furry sisters (she seems particularly fond of Brenna)
-turning herself in the excersaucer
- jumping in the jumperoo
-sitting unassisted for very brief amounts of time

One year ago today...

Last year we found out that we would become parents. We now have the best baby any parents could ask for. She has changed our lives in a way that words cannot describe. All those old cliches really are true. Sometimes when I look at her my heart feels so full that it could burst. We are so lucky to have Isabella in our lives. We love you Baby Wiggles!

3 Months Old!

Isabella turned 3 months old yesterday. Can you believe it?! Where does the time go?

2 Months

Can you believe our gorgeous girl is already two months old?! We had her two-month appointment on Thursday and she has definitely been growing! She's measuring at 24 inches long, which puts her between the 75th and 90th percentiles. She's gained two whole inches since her last appointment. The 0-3 month sleepers are officially retired. She weighed in at 11 lbs 4 oz, which puts her between the 25th and 50th percentiles.

Of course, she also had her first round of shots which did not make her happy. She calmed down after nursing and receiving a dose of Tylenol. Unfortunately for Mommy she was not the typical super sleepy baby afterward. At least she wasn't too fussy!

Since I haven't posted in a month I'll give you all a quick update on what Isabella's been up to in her second month of life:

-sleeping between 7-9 hours at night before waking to eat
-rolling from back to tummy
-lots of smiles
-starting to transition to her own room and from the bassinet to the crib
-grasping
-developing more consistent waking/sleeping patterns
-starting to grow out of 0-3 month clothes

And of course, some pictures. Follow the personal photos link to the right to view more. Don't forget to get an orders from the Newborn/Family session to me within the next couple of weeks so I can forward them to Lindsay.

1 month

The little lady is now one month old. We had her one-month appointment today. She now weighs exactly 10 pounds and is 22 inches long. She is in the 75th percentile for both. She just barely fits in her bassinet, which is a real shame considering that she doesn't want to sleep in her crib. She has great head control; she loves to sit up and look around. She now gets one bottle every evening. Of course, this means Mommy has to pump everyday, but at least it gives me time to cook dinner while Clint feeds her. Anyway, here are some more recent pictures.

I haven't been able to catch a good smile. I tend to just play with her when she's in a happy, smiling mood. Grabbing the camera doesn't even cross my mind.


She takes a bottle like a champ.


Being grouchy


Those animals are fascinating I tell ya.


She is so calm at bath time.

Isabella's forst photo shoot

Yesterday our favorite photographer, Lindsay, drove up from Indy to take some photos for us. Visit her blog for a sneak peek http://lindsaywilsonphotography.blogspot.com/.

First week home

Well, we have been home with the little miss for one week now. So far so good. She had her weight check on Wednesday and we found that she had gained nearly a pound since leaving the hospital. She weighed 7lbs 5oz when we left last Sunday and was 8lbs 4oz by Wednesday, the chunker! She doesn't even have to go back for her two-week appointment now, we skip right past it to the one-month.

Ever since she was born I had noticed something strange about her tongue, and on Monday I finally got a good look at it. I saw that the membrane that attached her tongue to the bottom of her mouth extended all the way to the tip. The poor thing couldn't stick her tongue out. Her pediatrician, Dr. Miller, agreed and set up an appointment with a Neonatalogist to have it snipped. The next day we made a trip to Home Hospital and Dr. Chua performed a frenulotomy. They wouldn't let me stay for the procedure, but it didn't take long. She'd already stopped crying when I got back to her and there was barely any bleeding. I felt awful putting her through it, but I thought is would be better to take care of it now rather than wait until it starts causing her problems. I'd hate to have it done when she's two and having speech issues. It seems to be causing her some problems nursing though, she just doesn't know what to do with her tongue now so she has trouble staying latched, but at least she's let go of her grip a little! Many babies that are "tongue-tied" can't latch on because of the immobility of their tongues. Those who can, like Isabella, are able to nurse because they increase their suction.

This week has been a learning experience to say the least. Here's what our little girl has taught us so far:

Sleeping on Mommy is far better than the bassinet, and the swing is second best

Tummy time is not much fun, but getting better. The play mat is much more enjoyable if you lie on your back.

Times between feedings are sporadic, sometimes it is 4 hours sometimes just one.

It's fun to pee on your clothes when Daddy changes your diaper.

Pacifiers are NOT acceptable.

Lamps are mesmerizing.

Night lights are necessary.

Baths are torture.

Babies can make about a hundred different faces in under a minute.

If you leave your baby asleep in the swing and your husband watching tv on the couch you will be startled by a screaming baby. Your husband will be asleep on he couch. Cuddling your Boppy.

She's finally here!

Isabella Austin was born August 6 at 9:11 am. She weighs 7 lbs 13.5 oz and in 21 1/4 inches long. I'll post more details about her birth later, but right now I think you'd all rather have some pictures.

Right after birth


Getting cleaned up in the OR



Her first bath


The first family photo. Please excuse they way I look; it is what happens when you don't sleep for two days, push for 2 1/2 hours, and wind up with a c-section.


Proud Daddy.


One Happy Mama- 8/7/09


Just for reference, the final belly pic. This was taken before leaving for the hospital on 8/5/09.

40 weeks

Yes, today is my due date. Yes, I am still pregnant. Figured I better clarify that.

This will probably get me into some trouble...

First, let me clarify that I did not write this. I did come across it online though, and I was so struck by the sheer awesomeness of it that I had to share.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking "Surely she doesn't mean me!" then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you rude.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrases "my baby" our "our baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the naming of the baby.


4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight - ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!"

6) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

7) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

8) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.


Sincerely,


All Pregnant Women

39 Weeks

At 39 weeks Isabella's growth has likely slowed, or possibly even been put on hiatus until after birth. Babies weigh an average of 7-8 pounds at birth and usually measure between 19-21 inches in length.

Nothing new to report around here.

38 weeks

At 38 weeks Isabella should weigh about 7 lbs and could be about 20 inches long. I was planning on asking my doctor for an estimate of her size at my next appointment, but someone told me yesterday that she thought Isabella would be pretty big. Now, I think maybe I'd rather be surprised. We'll just wait and see. Check out the baby pool at the right and let us know when you think Isabella will make her grand appearance.

I finally got around to taking some photos of the house this past week. Check them out here.

Shawn M. Cain, March 18, 1984 - July 15, 2009

This week we lost a dear friend long before his time. Shawn was a fun-loving soul with a contagious laugh, and he could always be counted on for a good time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time.


Rest in Peace, Hippy. You are forever missed.

37 weeks

We made it to full-term! At this point, Isabella is fully developed for life on the outside so if labor were to begin there would be no efforts to stop it. Unfortunately, I think someone forgot to tell her that as it doesn't appear she's ready to come out anytime soon. Just as well, I'd rather her stay in there a couple more weeks anyway. Even though she's full-term now, her lungs will continue to develop a bit if she stays in there as will her immunity. Babies weigh an average of 6 1/2 pounds at this point.

3 weeks until my due date

36 weeks

By now Isabella should be weighing about 6 pounds. She's still head down, but that's about it.

I've made great progress on my list of things to by for baby. In fact, I have all the baby necessities crossed off my list. I'm now working on things I'll need for the hospital and postpartum, but even that is pretty well taken care of at this point. I even packed our bags for the hospital yesterday. At this point the only absolute must we still need to buy before the birth is a breast pump. Of course, I don't plan on giving her a bottle for quite a while and will instead nurse exclusively. It will be nice to have one on hand in case any problems arise though.

The Countdown
1 week to full-term
4 weeks to due date

35 weeks down, 35 days to go

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant, and we have just 35 days left until my due date. While the little miss is not growing much length-wise, she should be gaining about 1/2 a pound each week at this point, putting her around 5 1/2 pounds.

We've made a lot of progress on the nursery this week, and on the house in general really. I finally have pictures hanging on my walls! I hope to have pictures to share with you all soon, but in the meantime, here are some before and after photos of the nursery.

This was the color of the walls when we bought the house:


Here's what it looks like now:



The glider/ottoman will eventually go in this corner:


Here is the ceiling fan that was originally in the room:


Much better:


The newborn-12 month side of her closet:


12 month and up:

34 Weeks

At this point, Isabella should be weighing about 5 pounds and could be about 20 inches long. All of her organs should be completely developed, except for her lungs which still have a little way to go. At my last doctor appointment we found that she is back to the head down position. Everything seems to be going well and I am measuring just as I should be. It is amazing to think we could be holding our daughter in just 3 weeks!

Speaking of, my goal has always been to have the nursery done by 35 weeks. I'd also like to make sure the house is finally put together. We mainly just need to hang pictures and touch up some paint at this point. Unfortunately, I can't exactly be breathing in paint fumes and climbing ladders, so these are up to Clint. He swears he'll get it done Sunday. He also promised to get it done last weekend, so I won't hold my breath.

The countdown:
3 weeks until I am considered full-term
6 weeks until my due date

33 Weeks

Yes, I realize I am a day late, but with all the excitement yesterday I just never got around to posting. Not much to report development-wise anyway. She should be weighing around 4 1/2 pounds at this point. The books say she could have grown as much as an inch in the past week. She should be pretty close to her birth length at this point. Her brain is continuing to grow and her lungs continue to develop.

Yesterday was my baby shower, hosted by Sheila, Stephanie, and Kathy. Despite a last minute change in location it turned out great. Isabella is definitely set for clothes in Newborn and 0-3 Month sizes at this point! We got a lot of great stuff, and now that the shower is over I'm taking inventory and compiling a list for all those last minute purchases. I'd pretty much put myself on a spending freeze as far as baby items went for the past month or so. I'm looking forward to doing a little shopping :) I also get to start washing and sanitizing all her things and really begin to get the nursery organized. All these projects should keep me from getting bored in the coming weeks. For those of you who didn't know, I had my last day of work a couple of weeks ago. I like being home and all, but it does get a little lonely without someone to talk to.

Here is a picture of some of the goodies we received at the shower. Please don't take offense if your gift is not pictured, it certainly doesn't mean we don't like it. It just means that I forgot to take a picture while we had all the gifts out so I grabbed a random assortment of items for this photo. You'll also get a glimpse of the nursery.


The countdown:
4 weeks until I am considered full term
7 weeks until my due date

32 Weeks

At this point Isabella should be weighing in at about 4 pounds and measuring about 19 inches in length. Her skin is no longer translucent; it has become opaque with the formation of fat. Oh, and remember how I told you that her head was down a couple of weeks ago? Well, now it is back up. The little stinker!

Isabella's nursery is now fully painted, save a few touch-ups, and we put her crib together this week. Tomorrow's agenda includes Clint doing final paint touch-ups, hanging blinds, and installing her ceiling fan. I'm working on a few decorative nursery projects myself.

This week we not only had put regular childbirth class, but we also had a breastfeeding class and a newborn care class. Now we're down to two more childbirth classes and Infant CPR & First Aid.

The countdown:
1 week until my shower
5 weeks until I am considered full term
8 weeks until my due date

We've been blogged

Check it out!

31 weeks

This week, Isabella's brain is continuing to develop and become more efficient. She could now be as long as 18 inches and weigh as much as 3 1/2 pounds. She's also working on wedging herself as far into mommy's ribcage as possible.

We're still trucking away on the house. Clint hopes to have the old apartment cleaned today. It will be nice to be done with it. Maybe I can also get him to actually install the microwave so I can have that popcorn that's been calling my name. Installing the light switches and outlet cover would also be nice. Then I would feel comfortable plugging things in and not have worry about shocking myself. Plus, I'm really tired of staring at holes in my walls.

Right now, I'm working on a plan to get him to take me out for pancakes this morning. Pancakes sound delicious, actually making them does not. I'll have to get Audrey to wake him up. Shouldn't be too hard.

The countdown:
2 weeks until my shower
6 weeks until I am considered full term
9 weeks until my due date

3 days in a row

I have now blogged three days in a row. If that doesn't tell you what an eventful weekend we have had then I don't know what will.

Check out Lindsay's blog for a special post. While you're there, visit the Featured Weddings section to view more photos from our wedding. I would highly recommend Lindsay to anyone in need of a photographer. She's a blast to work with, her photos are fabulous, and her prices are very reasonable.

One year ago today...

And what a year it has been! One year down, the rest of our lives to go; the best is yet to come.

30 Weeks

Not much is new with the baby this week, just continuing to fill out. Her lanugo should be starting to disappear. She is now in the head down position, as confirmed at my Dr. Appointment yesterday.

We've had a pretty eventful week/weekend. On Thursday our appliances were delivered and we had our first childbirth class and our hospital tour. I've got to say, I was pretty impressed. Clint didn't see all the fuss, "it's just a hospital." We started moving in furniture yesterday, and spent our first night here last night. Clint plans to have everything moved over tomorrow.

The countdown:
3 weeks until my shower
7 weeks until I am considered full term
10 weeks until my due date

29 Weeks

At this point Isabella should be weighing around 3 pounds and measuring about 17 inches in length. Her brain is growing and becoming more powerful. Her eyes can now move in their sockets and are sensitive enough to tell the difference between natural and artificial light from within the womb.

Not much is new otherwise. We're still working away to get the house ready for move-in, well Clint mostly since I can't really do any painting. I have mostly been packing and unpacking. I feel kind of useless, but hey it has to be done, right?

The countdown:
4 weeks until my shower
8 weeks until I am considered full term
11 weeks until my due date

28 Weeks

Isabella should now be weighing in around 2 1/2 pounds and could be measuring about 16 inches long! Her main development now is simply to grow bigger. I think she's been going through a little growth spurt this week. No matter how much I eat, I can't get full!

By any standards, I am officially in the third trimester! It is very exciting, but a little nerve wracking at the same time. There is still so much to do. At least now that we've closed we can start working on the nursery. In fact, I believe Clint is going to be priming her closet so I can hang up her clothes! Sure, they still need to be washed, but I am really anxious to start getting her things organized. And yes, we do have to paint her closet. I normally wouldn't care, but the previous owner made a pathetic attempt at some decorative painting. We're pretty sure they were going for a cloud look, but it just looks sad. Actually, her room is by far the ugliest room in the house right now.

The countdown:
5 weeks until my shower
9 weeks until I am considered full term
12 weeks until my due date

Home Sweet Home

so true