Paxton Happy Couch Dancing

Pax is soooo much fun! He has enriched our lives with so much happiness. He is such a happy baby and loves to dance to music! Please enjoy this video. It's one of our favorites!

Lots to Report

Wow! Sorry it has taken us so long to post. We have been having too much fun lately! We had our marriage group over for a Christmas meal, gift exchange and fun night of playing games. They have been so gracious to us that it was the least we could do to thank them. We also went to visiting. Our friends Sarah, Dave, and Maddie Mealy had us over for pizza and a trip down memory lane. We were hoping to see Alissa and Maya, but they all had pink eye (boo). We also paid a visit to Teressa, Caden and Cole Whittaker.

Monday, Pax and I went to see some of the students that I used to teach at LEAP and then went to get Indian food with Sanjay and some friends who are visiting from Mexico. Tuesday, Pax and I went to Sanjay's mom's daycare to see Kris Kringle, Wednesday, we went to J & Kraig's house to revisit the meaning of advent and have a cookie exchange, Thursday, Pax was baby Jesus in a Christmas play, tonight, my mom is watching Pax and Sanjay and I are going to our Gretchan's Christmas party, and tomorrow morning we are having breakfast with Santa.

This week has been extra exciting as the family whom I've been working with had their baby boy come home from Korea. He is adjusting well and it is so refreshing to see that the family understands the concept of attachment and are 100% devoted to his development. I love my job.

Also, I love OOVOO. Sanjay introduced me to this wonderful FREE online chat/video conference site. Last night, I was able to have a conversation with Jess who is serving two years in the Peace Corps. I haven't seen her since July, so it was so exciting for me. It's amazing how she is so far away (Honduras) but seemed so close.

Is This Funny or Scary?

Pax isn't too sure about his first zerbert. Sounds are very interesting to Pax these days, but this was a new one for his little ears. He wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. We felt bad because he looked scared, but was laughing.

Employee of the Millenium

The future of our workforce is here . . . and it's looking very promising.

First, Paxton is a great communicator. He doesn't need to send an email, follow-up with a voicemail, and then an irritating instant message. When he needs something . . . he let's us know immediately and directly. He doesn't over-dramatize or underestimate problems, either. Simple, and on-point requests. Food. Diaper. Sleep. Hold me.

Second, Paxton offers 360-degree feedback at a level unparalled. How many times do bosses get real compliments on decision well made? Usually, it's easy to cut through the cheese when it's poured on thick. Paxton's praise is immediate and quick -- making us always feel appreciated. On the other hand, when a problem occurs . . . he is fast to complain. As soon as the problem is resolved --- we get immediate positive reinforcement with his captivating smile or happy cooing.

Third, Paxton reminds us to always have fun . . . even when doing the dirty jobs. Diaper changes are not high on the list of glory jobs, and falls under 'other duties (or doodies, heh heh) as assigned.' But during this time, as Pax smiles at us while we clean him (blissfully unaware, or perhaps intentionally diverting our focus) . . . it makes the task seem to proceed more quickly. Lesson: the dirty jobs still need to be done, but we don't have to do them in misery.

Let's pray that he and his age cohorts retain this effective and honest simplicity as they mature and enter the workplace. Given where we and our immediate predecessors have gotten us today with our current confluence of global financial maladies . . . this may be their only hope.

** very few, if any, child labor laws were broken during the creation of this post. Paxton and Nicole were visiting me at work . . . and we only made him answer a few calls and type a memo (spell-check works wonders).

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Our friends Sandy and Mark bought an adorable Thanksgiving outfit for Pax, but it was too big for him. (Sorry Sandy we will have to wait a couple of months for that one, but don't worry he will still wear it!).

I'm realy trying to find time every day to run on the treadmill (or in this case walk). Pax seems to enjoy being in his carrier while I walk on the treadmill, but I get so nervous walking with him while on it. I'm always scared I'm going to fall face first on him, so Sanjay has been so kind to take him and let me run lately.

We are so thankful for our little guy. He is the light of my life. I am also so thankful for my husband, family and friends. Every night as I rock Pax to sleep I say a special prayer to keep Pax safe, healthy, and happy and I also say thanks for all of the special people in our lives. I was looking around Pax's room the other day and looking at all of the wonderful items, clothing, books, toys, furniture etc. that was purchased for Pax and I still can't believe how generous people are. I hope everyone knows how appreciative we are. We truly are blessed to have such wonderful people placed in our lives.

Happy three month birthday to Pax!!!!

I Couldn't Do It

After careful consideration and many teeter-totter thoughts during the decision process of whether or not I should travel to Korea to bring home babies to their American families, I decided not to go. I thank you all so much for your wisdom and advice regarding this decision. As much as I believe in this trip and would love to jump at this opportunity, the thought of leaving my baby and Sanjay tears my heart into pieces. Now is just not the time; my family needs me right now and I know I wouldn't fully embrace the experience at this stage of my life. Sanjay was very supportive and encouraged me to do what makes me happy. My family brings me the most joy and being away from them, even if it is only for four days, would disrupt my joy. What was a thinking? Pax can't even take a nap without me missing him. Plus, he is changing and growing so much each day. This opportunity is not a once in a lifetime opportunity. Babies will come year after year and I still will be able to fulfill this dream in the future. Thanks to everyone for your support!

I'm Torn Between a Career Dream and Pax

As many of you know, I am very passionate about underprivileged children and believe all children deserve a loving home regardless where they were born. This rock solid belief along with seeing first hand the poverty and absolute filthy living conditions some children live in in developing countries ( I hate the word "Third World") is why I chose my career as an international adoption social worker. I am an advocate for children all over the world and believe that while respecting and cultivating an appreciation for the child's culture, providing a lifelong commitment to the child and the challenges associated with adopting abroad, and having the capability of loving a child that was born to another person as if you gave birth to that child, and as long as all other placement opportunities are exhausted in the birth country, children should and need to be adopted abroad.

Anyway, I love, love, love traveling abroad and have been waiting for an opportunity to travel with FAC (Family Adoption Consultants) to Korea to bring home the children to their families. I would actually be bringing home a child to a family that I have been working with since March (I wrote their homestudy). I would be gone four days total.

The dilemma is that I have a two and a half month old baby boy whom I absolutely adore and he needs me. I know I would miss him terribly and don't want to miss a second of his life. On the other hand, this has been a dream of mine for many years and mothers go back to work all of the time right? Plus, my mom would be off of work for the holidays and so would Sanjay. All expenses are paid for and it would only be four days. But four days is a long time to be away from my baby. HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!! Any suggestions???

Uncle Jacob and Pax

I finally got a picture of Uncle Jacob and Pax. Look how cute they both are. Jacob is a senior this year and is very interested in attending BW.

Raking, Bunny Ears, Maddy, & Put-In-Bay

We have had such beautiful weather the past couple of days I wanted Pax to see and smell all of the beautiful leaves. Here is a video of me and Pax raking the leaves in our front yard. Pax was so tired he fell asleep in the middle of it!

This second pic may be a blackmale pic in Pax's teenage years. I love this little hat with ears. My cousin's mom, Andrea hand stitched this hat for Pax along with a sweater and blanket and booties. He looks so cute in them!

Pax also had a play date with my friend Julie's daughter Maddy. Pax was trying to put the moves on her. Julie and I experienced very similar pregnancies and she was a huge support through my pregnancy. Pax and Maddy are only a couple weeks apart.

Our neighbors let us borrow a few articles of clothing and here is a picture of Pax in his first pair of jeans.

This weekend was Pax's first vacation. Our friend Emily from our marriage group was nice enough to plan an entire weekend marriage retreat in Put-In Bay. This is our second annual. Last year we went to Hocking Hills. I was a little apprehensive taking Pax because he is so young, but it turned out great and we are glad we were able to give him that experience, even though he won't remember it. He adjusted well and slept and ate well. There was a little girl Pax's age there too! Our friends Kasey and Melissa had Lillian four days after Pax. Speaking of babies. Our marriage group will have five new babies in 13 months. Three of us (Pari, Melissa, and I) have already had babies this year and two more are preggers (J & Megan). Sanjay and I are sooooo excited and blessed to have them in our lives. Every person/couple in our group was so helpful in caring for Pax, helping transporting our many bags, and providing lunch and dinner for us. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast and had events planned for all three days. It was so nice to revisit strengths and weaknesses in our marriage and motivates me once again to be the best wife I can be to my hubby. Some couples planned intentional and meaningful conversations and activities for us and we played plenty of games (catch phrase was a personal favorite). Sunday we left after worship and got home and took a family nap. It was a great weekend!

Two Month Shots

This is the day I have been dreading for weeks; the day Pax is scheduled to get his two month immunizations. I haven't been able to sleep the past couple of nights trying to decide how to best comfort my baby from the pain he was going to endure. Should I hold him facing me so that he could see my face and know that I was there for him? Or should I face him the other way with his back against my chest so he didn't associate my face with pain? Sanjay planned to work from home today as I anticipated Pax would need a lot of cuddling and I would probably need a break from holding him all day. My mom was even nice enough to take the day off to come with us. I imagined we would not be able to put him down because he would be in so much pain from the three injections he was getting. It is true I overreacted.
Let me first start by telling you that Pax had a wonderful checkup. He is in the 50% for weight and head circumference and 75% for height. He weighed in at 11 lbs. 12 oz. He is sleeping 10 hours through the night then wakes up for a feeding (usually 6 oz.), and then back to bed. We put him to bed around 7:30pm - 8:30 pm and he has been sleeping until 5:30am - 6:30am, then eats and goes back to bed for another four hours. The morning nap is so consistent; it is always five hours from the time he first wakes up for the first feeding in the morning to when he wakes up for the day (10:30am - 11:30am). He actually loves to eat. Uncle Bill nicknamed him Pack-Man and the name suites him well as he loves to pack in the food. He is averaging about 28-32 ounces a day.
After his check up it was time for the dreaded injections. It turns out that I wasn't able to hold him at all. They laid him on the table, my mom and I were talking and playing with him as the nurse (as carefully as she could) poked him with one needle in his right thigh. WAAAAAAA! Pax screamed. I was torn between overseeing what the nurse was doing and looking into Pax's eyes to try to comfort him. Then the next shot in the same thigh. Then just as he stopped crying BAM, the next shot in the other leg. This all really happened very quickly, and he really only cried about two-three minutes, but it was the absolute worst feeling in the world seeing your baby in pain....even though you know it is to protect them in the future. I quickly scooped him up form the table, with tears running down my face, telling him it's okay mommy's here. He quited down right away. I fed him moments later and he has been fine the rest of the day. In fact, I cried more than he did. He has just been a little tired but not cranky. I am so glad this is over with and feel a little silly for being so scared.

Happy Halloween

Happy Haloween Everyone! I have never been a huge fan of Halloween, so Sanjay and I tried to make it fun every year by having a Haloween party. This was

the first year we didn't have one and probably the best Halloween we've had. We went to Kelly and Eric's for some pizza and tricker treated with Rylie (the busy bee). Sanjay and Eric had fun handing out candy to all of the little kids. My dad and Linda and mom and Suba and Eric's mom were all there too! It was great being with family on this Halloween. Pax has several outfits this year. Thanks to everyone who bought these outfits for him and to our our neighbors for letting us borrow the cow outfit!

Pax and Mommy Dancing

Pax and I love to listen to music and dance together. We stare into eachothers eyes and I think about how blessed I am to have him and he is probably thinking 'when am I going to eat next'. Excuse his little sneeze at the end.

I Love My Baby

Pax is 7 weeks old and I absolutely love this age. He is really starting to play with us and respond with eye contact, a smile, gurgle, or waving his hands. He gets so excited to see us in the morning and is so cuddly before bedtime. He is getting so big. He is out of his newborn clothes and into his 0-3 month clothing. Last night he slept 10 hours.

Gammie Reading

Gammie reading to her two grandchildren.

Pax Rolled Over

I put Pax down on his stomach for his afternoon nap and a few hours later heard him cry. I went in the and to my amazement found him on his back. I can not believe my baby rolled over. How could this be? I am thinking this is a one time occurrence at this age, but who knows. Boy are we going to have our hands full.

Schedule Starting

I want to document Pax's eating and feeding schedule at this point. At six weeks we have seen a pattern of him sleeping from around 9:00pm until 4:30am then back to bed from 5:30am until around 10:30am. That has been consistent for about a week now. There is also another nap in the afternoon usually anywhere between noon and 2:00pm until 3:00pm to 5:00 pm. He eats 5-7 ounces at each feeding and feeds 5-7 times a day.

He slept with us in our room until six weeks of age. Sometimes in our bed, sometimes in his car seat, and sometimes in his bassinet. Now we transitioned him in his crib in his own room. We are so happy that he did absolutely great with the transition. I'm really getting the hang of this parenting thing! I love it actually and wonder where Pax has been my whole life as I can't imagine life without him!

Pax is really smiling and playing a lot lately. He is six weeks old today! I can't believe how much my baby is growing. He's getting heavy too! Pax was smiling so big and by the time I grabbed the camera I missed the big smiles. Here is a little video of Pax and Sanjay playing.

Sunday Best

This past Sunday was the first time Pax went to church. He did really well and only fussed a little when he got hungry. Sanjay's parents bought Pax this adorable sweater. Pax has been smiling a lot lately.

Sanjay and I took Pax to his 1 month appointment and he gained two pounds and two inches. He is in the 50% for weight, 75% for height. The doc says he will be long and lean, but he has a big head. His head measured in the 90%. When the doc said it is probably hereditary, Sanjay and I looked at eachother to see who was to blame for our child's melon. Hee-Hee.

Sanjay Swaddling Kyle

Doesn't everybody swaddle their friends when they come over? Hee-Hee!

Can You Tell We Are First Time Parents?

Smiley

Oh my has Pax been smiling; I mean ear to ear smiles. I get so caught up in the moment that by the time I grab the camera I miss it. Sanjay was able to capture a partial smile here.

Three Weeks Old

Wow these past three weeks have been a blur. I can't believe how time flies. We are all doing great. We are beginning to come to a normal state after all of the challenges we have faced. Pax is such a great baby. He really is peaceful and only cries when he is hungry or wants to be cuddled. I love holding him and I could hold him forever. I am recovering more and more everyday. I love being a mommy. I will post a video soon.

Sorry it has taken a while to post. Things have been a little challenging emotionally and physically with my Grandfather's death and recovering from 22 hours of labor on top of being sleep deprived. I had no idea the intensity of this recovery. It has been almost two weeks since Pax was born and I am just starting to be able to walk around with little pain. My back is feeling better, but I am still very sore. Enough about me, let's talk about our little guy.

When we brought him home he was jaundice so we had a company come to the house to set up a photo therapy blanket to reduce his bilieruben count. He looked like a little glow worm. We had him on it for three full days. This made diapering, feeding, and cuddling a challenge, but we got through it. Sanjay and my mom took him to the doctor and she said he is gaining some of his weight back (he lost 12 oz) but she still wants us to supplement with formula :( . She also said that she can tell by looking at him that his count is lower; YAY!

Yesterday, we were so happy that Pax lost his umbilical cord. This makes diapering and bathing so much more manageable. We gave him his first real bath yesterday too and he seemed to like the warm water. In terms of personality, Pax is a lover. He loves to be cuddled and talked to. He has about 55 different faces he makes and we find ourselves staring at him for hours upon hours. "I can;t believe we made him" I always think to myself. He is the love of our lives and we are so very blessed to have such a healthy and loving baby.

Paxton Richard Parker

From Sanjay:


Our little raja, Paxton Richard, arrived at 10:18pm on September 1 (Labor Day!) He weighed a healthy 7 lbs and 8.5 ounces, measuring in at 19.5 inches.


He came out alert, cried within 15 seconds, and was feeding in the first 5 minutes (gotta admire his appetite!) Nicole was able to hold him immediately for about 45 minutes, which was soooo inccredible. After all the pain and suffering (see below) --- this was the only way to truly put those memories behind.

Paxton scored a 9 on his APGAR test, and immedately had become a fan-favorite with those in the room (mommy, daddy, doula, delivery nurse, cleanup nurse, and doc).

Sooooo - sorry to leave everyone hanging in the last post. Let's see . . . where were we?

Oh yes, "She was 2.5 cm at 7am this morning ---- the doctor is checking her at 10am to see how far along she is!!! I'd bet almost 5 cm!!!!"

After that test, we found out Nicole was at 4cm --- not as far as we dreamed, but definitely significant progress in 3 hours. Nicole decided it was time to do more laps around the floor (at 9 hours of labor at this point). Let me tell you about these 'laps' ---- some were slow, some were fast, there were MANY pauses in the middle of a lap to stop and breathe for a heavy contraction. Nicole's will was amazing. Brandy (our doula) and I were both more tired than she seemed to be. So - picture Nicole in her gown, myself, Brandi, and an IV pole wearing out the carpeting on the floor by turning it into a NASCAR speedway of sorts. Each lap took about 3 minutes, and we did about 30 minutes at a time before Nicole had to be poked and prodded by the various medical personnel on the floor. We'd occasionally stop by and greet our waiting room (filled with 10 of our closest family members).

After a few hours - we checked Nicole's dilation again --- she was at about 6cm. Soo . . . more laps! Nicole and I had the breathing down in harmonious synchronicity (heeeeeeeh heeeeeeh whooooooh heeeeeh) --- it was so amazing to be so connected with her. She still had her wits about her, and her sense of humor (more on that later).

It was now about 12.5 hours into labor --- and she was finally at about 8 cm!!!! I could not believe she was going to do it!! Fully in the 'transition' phase, and Paxton was seated very well ---- things were progressing famously. Nicole had REALLY hard contractions at this point, was fatigued, and still had no medication (her only remedy to date was to walk!) I'll have to make a quick note here that I could NOT believe how far along she had gone and how strong she was. We had no sleep since 9 am the previous morning (so - we're at about 28 hours of no sleep at this point) and her resolve was unwavering. If someone told me that Nicole would get to 4 cm without meds or pain killers --- I would have been amazed. Her tolerance for pain during this event was incredible. I would have screamed for drugs and epidural and general anesthesia at .5 cm if I were the one pregnant (yes ---- very humbling experience and will pass along true props to all the mommies out there who transform themselves to bring a baby into the world.)

Around this time, we visited the folks in the waiting room again (we came near the entrance, I held the door open, and everyone rushed over). At this point, many jaws dropped at how weak and tired and flushed and in pain Nicole was ---- this was the last time we would see family until Pax was born. I heard later that my brother Reeve asked everyone with a fair bit of incredulousness --- "Why can't someone give her some pain medication???? Why is this allowed to happen????"

Nicole was measured again - at 14.5 hours into labor (3:30 pm on Labor Day) - and she was 8.5 cm!!! But, there was a problem, and this is where the heroics came to a halt. The contractions were slowing down, and Pax's head was not positioned properly (malposition of vertex). Under normal conditions, we could have kept laboring --- but since Nicole's water broke at midnight the previous night --- they preferred not to go much beyond 18 hours of labor before baby came out.

At this point, the labor plan needed to be altered, and Nicole was given Pitocin to increase the intensity of the contractions, and since she was already about 20% beyond her pain peak (but would have stayed there otherwise) --- we decided for the epidural. Nicole asked that the minimal amount be given, so that she could still feel the labor and push properly at the right time.

The epidural took almost 45 minutes, as our 'skilled' and well-paid anesthesiologist had to reinsert the needle 5 times into Nicole as she went through a variety of contractions. Finally, as things looked like we were set - Brandi and I were allowed back in the room. Nicole had some relief, but asked repeatedly if the epidural was working (she still felt the full intensity of the contractions.) As the Pitocin kicked in stronger --- Nicole took a serious downturn. The contractions were so painful that she screamed in pain with everyone. Tears streamed down her face, and the breathing techniques were reduced to miniscule whimpers of the words only in sound - no actual breathing. This was the hardest thing in the world for me to see; Nicole was sobbing in fear of every subsequent contraction. I asked if they could reduce or remove the Pitocin and they said that doing so would not be recommended, as the progression of the contractions was needed to keep her going towards delivery.

We had the anesthesiologist come back in, and somewhat against Nicole's will (she didn't want to go through 5 pokes in her spine by this long needle again) -- we had the doc redo the epidural. I asked to remain in the room this time, and this was reluctantly agreed to by the staff. After about 15 more minutes of ridiculous pain (we had learned that the previous epidural missed completely) --- and Nicole having to stay still during these most painful contractions --- we finally had some relief! At one point, before the doc started again, he wanted Nicole to have a contraction finish ---- she did, and the monitor showed the contraction on the decline. Nicole said she was having another one --- and the doc said, nooo - it's highly unlikely to have a double hump contraction --- to which Nicole responded, "Well, call me a camel, because I'm having another one!!!" --- she was right. This was priceless.

Nicole now had contractions and no more pain. In fact, it was so good - that Nicole asked to lower the meds so she could feel more!!! (sheeeesh)

At about 8pm (19 hours into labor), the doc said that Pax had corrected his head (likely through Nicole's pushing), and Nicole was 10 cm dilated!!! We were ready to have a baby!!!

During the next 2.5 hours of pushing - Nicole continued to amaze me --- as I was fighting to stay awake - she kept focusing and pushing --- just incredible. As we neared the crowning, after much pushing and lots of encouragement --- timing the pushes with the contractions --- Nicole started to push even between contractions, finding the energy somehow. We asked her to save her energy, and Nicole screamed out at us (in the coolese Exorcist impersonation I've ever heard), "We've. Got. To. Get. This. Baby. Out. NOOOWWW!!!!!!!" As the room silenced and everyone stopped to look at Nicole ---- she opened her eyes and said in a very sheepish voice --- "Don't we?". Everyone laughed - this was a great moment.

I know I've left out many details - but just know that every moment drew us closer together; Nicole rarely yelled at me (and even when my fault, she apologized a minute later). I could not imagine not having been there and supporting her and appreciating how much she went through for our baby.

Baby Paxton and Sanjay are the luckiest new family in the world, and we hope a speedy recovery for Nicole. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

WE ARE IN LABOR!!!!!!!

This is Sanjay from Command Central at the Hospital. Nicole is doing AMAZINGLY well --- I am so proud of her; her family is proud of her; the medical staff is complimenting her.

Water broke at 12:10am; we were in the hospital at 3:30 am after 2.5 hours of labor contractions!

We've walked laps around the floor, tried different positions, lying down, etc. Nicole has not fallen asleep, and has taken no medication. She was 2.5 cm at 7am this morning ---- the doctor is checking her at 10am to see how far along she is!!! I'd bet almost 5 cm!!!!

Talk to you all soon!

Photo Story of Pregnancy

I put together a quick photo story of our pregnancy journey for our little guy. I would have loved to have seen what my Mom and Dad looked like pregnant with me. Enjoy!

Baby Room!

What? 10 days Until Delivery???

Whoa! I can't believe we have only 10 days until ETA of our little guy. We are all ready, well as ready as you can be. I am starting to get a little anxious about the delivery. Will I be able to push correctly? will we time it right as to when we need to leave for the hospital (we want to labor at home as long as possible but we live 45 minutes from the hospital)? will I be nice during delivery? what doctor will be on call? will we make the right choices for our little man? will I have enough endurance, courage, and patience? will Sanjay be okay? will we use the laboring positions we have been practicing? will I be able to go through labor without an epidural? will our little man be healthy? These are just a few of the many thoughts and questions that run through my mind.
At our last appointment, I am between 75% and 100% effaced but not dilated yet. For a minute there I thought he may have dropped, but that was a short lived thought. He continues to favor my right rib. I do feel bad that he is so squished in there. It could be any time now. We are so fortunate that Sanjay is able to work from home for a while so I have support when our baby decides to make his appearance in this world. If anyone has an extra minute, please pray for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby and for God to give me patience, courage, and endurance. Thanks everyone!

Kira

I have to give a shout out to our friend Kira! She is just awesome. She has been so supportive through our pregnancy and has gone above and beyond. She bought Peanut several items, she bought me lavender scented oil candle to help me sleep and a baby calendar, she bought Sanjay a daddy survival book (which is really funny), and to top it off she actually took the time (several hours, I'm sure) to make Peanut a scrapbook. It is awesome and all I have to do is insert the captions and pictures. It is organized by the holidays and special events he will experience as he grows. I am so thrilled and completely taken back by the generosity of this gift. I can't wait to add to it!

38 Weeks and a Walk on the Beach

Sanjay and I haven't been back to the beach since we took our wedding pictures there, so we thought it would be the perfect time to go back. We enjoyed walking in the water as the sun felt so good beaming against our skin. We are going to try to go again before the baby comes.

I am feeling pretty good these days; I can't complain. I am just so ready to meet our little guy. I feel really bad because I really feel like he is squashed in there. Only 14 more days!!

36 Weeks

My boss at LEAP was so kind to take our staff and myself out to lunch on Friday. They all took time from work and drove 1/2 hour so it would be close to my house. They are all so loyal, thoughtful and sincere. Pictured from left to right: Sam, Becky, Kira, Nilli, Barb, Sheila, and Erika (Mary and Beth couldn't make it). They also got us a very generous gift card, an adorable frog (get it LEAP) hooded towel, and two other cute outfits. They are just awesome!

36 weeks and Walmart Contractions

Sanjay and I were walking around Walmart the other day and I started having major contractions; so strong I had to sit down every few minutes. I couldn't stop thinking about that movie where that girl gave birth inside Walmart (did anyone see that movie)? This on top of the baby moving out of my ribs to a somewhat lower position, my overwhelming desire to clean, and two other pregnancy signs (that I won't go into detail about) led me to be a bit concerned that our baby was going to come too early. I really want to make it to 37 weeks since that is when the baby is considered full term. My doctor said everything looks good but I need to stop working and rest for the next couple of weeks. So I had to quit work a week early and my old time friend, my bed, became my best friend again. We are at 36 weeks today and we are pretty much all set. I will post a picture of the nursery soon!

Diaper Cake

My sissy made us a beautiful diaper cake, which Sanjay found to be very tasty. It is so cute, we can't bring ourselves to unrolling it.

Slowing Down

I am definitely slowing down these days. Next week will be my last week of work (job coaching) and then I will really focus on getting the last minute baby stuff ready. We are almost done with the nursery. We love it! I can feel my body telling me I need to rest as every movement gets more and more uncomfortable. I absolutely dread car rides and my back and legs hurt if I am driving longer than 20 minutes. My sissy suggested we pack our bags now, but I don't know what to pack. Any suggestions? This is such a fun time for us as we prepare for our little guy to meet the world.

35 Weeks

Do you like our pool? It is really refreshing and Sanjay and I have plenty of room for the both of us.

We are now seeing the doc every week now and I can not believe how fast this second half of the pregnancy is going. I have been feeling weird things lately (I'll spare you the details), and it is really becoming a realization that we can meet our little man any time now. My mom went a month early with me and Sanjay's mom went two weeks early with him. As much as would like to meet him, I know he needs to stay in there a little longer to develop his lungs. I just pray that I will be a good mommy to our son and a good wife to my hubby.

MBBMB

Just wanted to take this moment to show one quick pic of My Beautiful Baby Momma Bride relaxing and smiling with the first pancakes I ever made from scratch (kinda)!

8 months pregnant, and still able to put her heels together like that! She's been a trooper through the whole pregnancy, ensuring that her every action is in the best interest of our child, whose name will be . . . :*#_"#) #%)A*)*%)) --- oopps - data transmission error --- looks like the name got garbled. Heh heh.

Thank you, Honey, for being a great mommy and still a wonderful wife!

XOXOXO, Sanjay

So Fresh and So Clean

We are squeaky clean! This weekend was the last of the showers. All together we had four showers, one from our friends Jess and Sara, one from Sanjay's parents, one from my mom, and one from my sister. My moms shower was held at a golf course, which was nice because some of the guys went golfing while we did our girlie stuff!

Sanjay and I are blown away by how generous our friends and family are. We had so much fun at all of them and appreciate all of the hard work and money put into them. It was so nice of everyone to attend and it is just amazing how many people love our little guy already! We are so very blessed to have our family and friends and thank God for all of the people in our lives. We will post some pictures later (we left our camera at my sissy's house).

Here's a funny/humbling video rap we made to present at our rehearsal dinner two years ago.

Two Years Going Strong

Today was our Second Year Anniversary. We both had work to do, but we also made time for some fun. We both worked from home and went for lunch at one of our favorite places to eat, Winking Lizard. We had an appetizer, our meals and a yummy, yummy, chocolate Oreo dessert. We never have both appetizer and dessert. Needless to say, we couldn't eat all of our food so now we have dinner! We were going to go to our local community pool but we decided to buy a pool instead. It costs almost $7.00 to use the community pool, so we thought it made sense just to buy a little inflatable one. Not quite the same thing, but it works. Plus, Peanut and mommy don't fit into the same swimming suit anymore so it will be nice to wear whatever I want in the privacy of our home. We are going to go to a nice dinner sometime soon to do some more celebrating and reminiscing over the past year of marriage.

In the picture below, behind where I am standing is our "rock of love garden". We made it over two years ago from the various rocks that were in the yard. Are we dorks or what? (Don't answer that.)

33 Weeks and a Wonderful Hubby

Can I just tell you how much I love my hubby? Sanjay really is a wonderful husband and dad (officially in a few weeks).

I want to give Sanjay some praise because he has never missed one of our doctor appointments which I realize is challenging for him as they are usually in the middle of the day, he reads to Peanut almost every night, and he has been so helpful around the house lately. I feel so incredibly close to him and am so thankful and honored that he chose me to be his wife.

32 Weeks and a Bad Haircut

I have totally popped. I can't believe how fast my belly has grown in the past month. Peanut had the hiccups the other day, which was so cool to feel. I read that it is no discomfort to the baby.

Colby's hair was getting out of control as he began shedding for the summer. Although Sanjay and I felt a little bad, we decided to get him a little haircut. Well let's just say the haircut was actually a shaving. Our poor little guy did such a great job at the groomers but when we got him home, we think he was a little embarrassed because he hid from us for a couple of hours. He is still as lovable as ever, although he look like a drowned rat.

Babies Room iS Coming Along

My mom and Suba were so nice to come over and paint Peanut's room. We were able to get the crib together that my mom and sissy bought us and the rocking chair that Suba bought us. Sanjay also shampood the carpet. It feels so good to get a jump on his room although we still have many things to do.

OUCH!

My legs and hips hurt.

Jess leaves...Nicole is Sad

I'm sad this morning. Sanjay and I took my best friend Jess to the airport to see her off as she serves in the Peace Corps for two years. I can't believe how much my heart hurts. It's not everyday you say goodbye to your best friend for two years. Though I am sad, deep down I truly am proud of her selfless decision and know this is where she is supposed to be in her life.

31 weeks, Some Classical Music and a Car Seat

What a great weekend! Sanjay and I are really cherishing this time together before the baby comes. Friday we met Jessica and her family at a local festival during the day and at night we met some of our other friends for a picnic, some classical music and fireworks at a local music center. Saturday we ran some errands, cleaned the house, put up Peanut's window shade, cleaned our cars, went to a garage sale, and installed Peanut's carseat. It felt good to get these things done. We also ate a relaxing meal at the Winking Lizard (my new favorite, Spinach, cheese, and Lizard Lips!).