Grams and Gramps arrived yesterday! Owen loved meeting his first set of grandparents. Mom and Dad loved having 2 more pairs of arms to hold baby. We even slept in the same bed for a few hours as Grams took the 5:30-8:30 shift! It was great. And Owen is doing much better with nighttime sleep. He slept in his Moses basket for 2 hours for me last night! What an adorable little superstar.
Anyway - Picture of Owen in his Christmas outfit to the right. He is ridiculously cute, even when he's screaming his adorable head off.
2 weeks old today - I can't believe how fast it's gone. I am feeling so much better - still a bit slow and need to take it easy - but so much better than 1 week ago today when I was a total disaster.
Ok, off to get ready to feed the baby! x
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas eve eve
Hi all!
Mom is feeling so much better these days. I got some real painkillers - none of this paracetemol crap - and it's made me a new woman. I can now focus more fully on Owen instead of my own pain!
Here are week 1 pictures of Owen:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2255590010/a=159224501_159224501/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/
Also, Owen in one of his Christmas outfits on the right!
I wanted to share our favorite phrase with Owen when trying to comfort him. Coined by Jason: "Use your words, Owen, use your words." Hysterical every time.
That's all for now. Back to baby, the couch and feeding. I feel like all I do is breastfeed these days!
Merry Christmas!
love, Chris, Jason & Owen
Mom is feeling so much better these days. I got some real painkillers - none of this paracetemol crap - and it's made me a new woman. I can now focus more fully on Owen instead of my own pain!
Here are week 1 pictures of Owen:
http://www3.snapfish.co.uk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2255590010/a=159224501_159224501/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfishuk/
Also, Owen in one of his Christmas outfits on the right!
I wanted to share our favorite phrase with Owen when trying to comfort him. Coined by Jason: "Use your words, Owen, use your words." Hysterical every time.
That's all for now. Back to baby, the couch and feeding. I feel like all I do is breastfeed these days!
Merry Christmas!
love, Chris, Jason & Owen
Monday, December 21, 2009
1 week birthday!
Our little man is 1 week old today! It has been an amazing adventure so far and Jason and I fall in love with Owen more and more each day. He is seriously adorable, even when he is screaming bloody murder at 4am. Yeah, I had a rough few hours last night, to the point I woke dad up earlier than I would have wanted because I was having a meltdown. All part of new parenthood, right?
While Owen is doing great - he only lost 1 ounce from his birthweight as of Saturday - Mom is in a fair amount of pain. Bless this country and home visits... the midwife didn't like the look of my stitches so 2 doctors came to our flat to check me out. I won't go into the dirty details, but they prescribed me actual painkillers (as opposed to the usual recommended paracetemol, which was doing NOTHING for the pain) and said it'll be a few more weeks until I feel better. Ugh. I thought labor was going to be the hard part (it was) and then it would be easy, at least easy on my body? Apparently not.
Anyway... gotta run, hungry baby to feed. Hope everyone is well! Happy Christmas week!
While Owen is doing great - he only lost 1 ounce from his birthweight as of Saturday - Mom is in a fair amount of pain. Bless this country and home visits... the midwife didn't like the look of my stitches so 2 doctors came to our flat to check me out. I won't go into the dirty details, but they prescribed me actual painkillers (as opposed to the usual recommended paracetemol, which was doing NOTHING for the pain) and said it'll be a few more weeks until I feel better. Ugh. I thought labor was going to be the hard part (it was) and then it would be easy, at least easy on my body? Apparently not.
Anyway... gotta run, hungry baby to feed. Hope everyone is well! Happy Christmas week!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Baby has arrived!
All of you likely know this by now, but on Monday, December 14 2009 at 7:11pm Owen Daniel Vonderhaar arrived! He was 7 pounds 7 ounces and just under 21 inches long. Healthy and happy!
Here's my labor story - feel free to not read this if you are faint of heart or haven't had kids yet and don't want any scary stories. Although this isn't a particularly scary labor story as they go.
My water broke at 6am on Monday and contractions started at 8am. We went to the hospital at around 930... they sent us home as I was only 2 cm dilated. Big mistake, in my opinion, as it took ages to get home (via cab) and we only spent 1.5 hours at home before heading back. I was in a LOT of pain! When we got to the hospital I was 5 cm dilated. Pretty much begging for an epidural at this point but they were very busy so the doctor couldn't get to me for a few hours - I was 8 cm dilated at that point. NOT a fun time to try to get a needle stuck into your spine! But we managed and it made me a human being again instead of a screaming monster. The epidural made me pretty sick though (but the pain relief made it totally worth it). At 7pm I got sick and the baby's heart rate dropped dramatically, so a doctor rushed in and decided baby needed to come out NOW. I was fully dilated. Baby needed some assistance coming out but literally 6 minutes after I started pushing we had our little son!
I had some issues later - I passed out when they tried to move me to the maternity ward, which was quite dramatic and I think scarred Jason emotionally - but eventually we got there. We were home by 9pm the next day.
It's been an adventure so far! We are exhausted and learning as we go, but it's all worth it as Owen is the cutest little thing in the whole world and we are absolutely in love with him. (:
Photos to follow at some point, and I will try to continue to update the blog as we go through the adventure of parenthood together.
love
Chris, Jason and Owen
Here's my labor story - feel free to not read this if you are faint of heart or haven't had kids yet and don't want any scary stories. Although this isn't a particularly scary labor story as they go.
My water broke at 6am on Monday and contractions started at 8am. We went to the hospital at around 930... they sent us home as I was only 2 cm dilated. Big mistake, in my opinion, as it took ages to get home (via cab) and we only spent 1.5 hours at home before heading back. I was in a LOT of pain! When we got to the hospital I was 5 cm dilated. Pretty much begging for an epidural at this point but they were very busy so the doctor couldn't get to me for a few hours - I was 8 cm dilated at that point. NOT a fun time to try to get a needle stuck into your spine! But we managed and it made me a human being again instead of a screaming monster. The epidural made me pretty sick though (but the pain relief made it totally worth it). At 7pm I got sick and the baby's heart rate dropped dramatically, so a doctor rushed in and decided baby needed to come out NOW. I was fully dilated. Baby needed some assistance coming out but literally 6 minutes after I started pushing we had our little son!
I had some issues later - I passed out when they tried to move me to the maternity ward, which was quite dramatic and I think scarred Jason emotionally - but eventually we got there. We were home by 9pm the next day.
It's been an adventure so far! We are exhausted and learning as we go, but it's all worth it as Owen is the cutest little thing in the whole world and we are absolutely in love with him. (:
Photos to follow at some point, and I will try to continue to update the blog as we go through the adventure of parenthood together.
love
Chris, Jason and Owen
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The final days (hopefully)
Hi all, quick update for the week. Nothing exciting has happened yet... fingers crossed for baby making her arrival at the end of this week!
How far along?: 39 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain: Ok, I caved and got on the scale. Still hanging in the recommended weight gain range.
Pregnancy symptoms: Very tired. Difficult to get up off couch. Tiring to sit on uncomfy chairs for long periods of time. Other than that ok for being about 9 months pregnant.
Movement: Yes, still moving around, but much less frequently.
Food cravings/ weird crap I'm eating: Appetite seems pretty normal although I get ridiculously thirsty. Drinking a LOT of milk.
Gender/ names: Questioning one of our middle name choices... hmm...
What I miss: Easy mobility like getting off the couch without grunting and moaning.
Best moment this week: Lots of moments, like sleeping till whenever I want each morning! Actually, decorating our cute little 3 foot tall Christmas tree was really nice. We've been trying to collect ornaments from the cool places we've been - too bad we only started a year ago or we'd have a bigger collection!
Weekly Wisdom: If you buy a 3 foot tree and pose in front of it, you will look larger than you are (even for a 9 month pregnant woman) and your tree will look smaller. See photo to right for proof.
Milestones: Baby is ready to come out. Any day now, little one.
How far along?: 39 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain: Ok, I caved and got on the scale. Still hanging in the recommended weight gain range.
Pregnancy symptoms: Very tired. Difficult to get up off couch. Tiring to sit on uncomfy chairs for long periods of time. Other than that ok for being about 9 months pregnant.
Movement: Yes, still moving around, but much less frequently.
Food cravings/ weird crap I'm eating: Appetite seems pretty normal although I get ridiculously thirsty. Drinking a LOT of milk.
Gender/ names: Questioning one of our middle name choices... hmm...
What I miss: Easy mobility like getting off the couch without grunting and moaning.
Best moment this week: Lots of moments, like sleeping till whenever I want each morning! Actually, decorating our cute little 3 foot tall Christmas tree was really nice. We've been trying to collect ornaments from the cool places we've been - too bad we only started a year ago or we'd have a bigger collection!
Weekly Wisdom: If you buy a 3 foot tree and pose in front of it, you will look larger than you are (even for a 9 month pregnant woman) and your tree will look smaller. See photo to right for proof.
Milestones: Baby is ready to come out. Any day now, little one.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Full time mum! (only thing missing is the baby...)
Getting very close now! Here's our weekly update, with a bonus giant belly shot. I am now officially a full time mum for the next 7 or so months, so hopefully I'll be able to update the blog more often... I will try to continue to do so once baby is born so everyone can keep up with our little bundle of screaming joy.
How far along?: 38 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain: Weight gain is a state of mind.
Pregnancy symptoms: Tired, slow, awkward. Fat ankles and feet when I stand too much during the day. Baby brain. Pre-occupation with how dramatically our lives our going to change in the next few weeks.
Movement: Yup. Less frequent, more forceful. A foot/knee that regularly juts out of the upper left corner of my uterus.
Food cravings/ weird crap I'm eating: Nothing interesting, although I'm excited that I get to eat mince pies soon because it's Christmas time. Yay British holiday treats.
Gender/ names: Dad has a feeling, I don't. Who the heck knows! Oh, there IS one person who knows - the woman who did our second ultrasound scan.
What I miss: Tieing my shoes with ease.
Best moment this week: Finishing work for the next 7 months. Gotta love the UK and P&G being so family friendly!
Weekly Wisdom: If you're pregnant, shopping online is a godsend. No Oxford Street for me, thank you very much!
Milestones: Our baby has a firm grasp now. I think the only thing in there to grasp is its umbilical cord, but pretty soon it will be able to grab onto mom and dad's fingers!
How far along?: 38 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain: Weight gain is a state of mind.
Pregnancy symptoms: Tired, slow, awkward. Fat ankles and feet when I stand too much during the day. Baby brain. Pre-occupation with how dramatically our lives our going to change in the next few weeks.
Movement: Yup. Less frequent, more forceful. A foot/knee that regularly juts out of the upper left corner of my uterus.
Food cravings/ weird crap I'm eating: Nothing interesting, although I'm excited that I get to eat mince pies soon because it's Christmas time. Yay British holiday treats.
Gender/ names: Dad has a feeling, I don't. Who the heck knows! Oh, there IS one person who knows - the woman who did our second ultrasound scan.
What I miss: Tieing my shoes with ease.
Best moment this week: Finishing work for the next 7 months. Gotta love the UK and P&G being so family friendly!
Weekly Wisdom: If you're pregnant, shopping online is a godsend. No Oxford Street for me, thank you very much!
Milestones: Our baby has a firm grasp now. I think the only thing in there to grasp is its umbilical cord, but pretty soon it will be able to grab onto mom and dad's fingers!
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
2 weeks from tomorrow!
2 weeks from tomorrow is d-day! And 2 more days of work left. Let me tell you, I am feeling every second of it and very much looking forward to next week when I don't have to face the crowded train station, bus and in general the 2 hours a day I spend commuting.
It feels pretty unreal that at any time now Jason and I will become parents. Even as I stare at my wiggling belly and play games with the baby, poking at the little foot or knee that always seems to be sticking out of my left side, it's unreal that soon that wiggling bundle will be out in the real world with the rest of us.
Besides cuddling with our baby, I am looking forward to a few other comparatively insignificant things. Like being able to tie my shoes without severe discomfort and groaning. Having any kind of discernable ankle again. And being able to wear my rings. Walking without waddling. Also sleeping well, even if it's just for the short periods of time baby lets me. Oh, and a wardrobe consisting of more than a few shirts and a few pairs of pants would be faaaaaantastic.
Anyway, the couch misses me.
It feels pretty unreal that at any time now Jason and I will become parents. Even as I stare at my wiggling belly and play games with the baby, poking at the little foot or knee that always seems to be sticking out of my left side, it's unreal that soon that wiggling bundle will be out in the real world with the rest of us.
Besides cuddling with our baby, I am looking forward to a few other comparatively insignificant things. Like being able to tie my shoes without severe discomfort and groaning. Having any kind of discernable ankle again. And being able to wear my rings. Walking without waddling. Also sleeping well, even if it's just for the short periods of time baby lets me. Oh, and a wardrobe consisting of more than a few shirts and a few pairs of pants would be faaaaaantastic.
Anyway, the couch misses me.
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