Cliff is 4 months old!

It has been a long time since my last post.  Over two months to be exact.  I've just been trying to soak up every moment with Cliff.  I have been so very lucky to have had the last 4 1/2 months off to take care of him.  Those moments were priceless.  I realize many mothers don't have the opportunity to do so.  I have to return to work tomorrow and I'm definitely not looking forward to it.  But to be able to spend 17 weeks at home with Cliff was precious.

Being a mother is the most difficult, yet rewarding job.  There have been multiple sleepless nights, screaming sessions, and times when I thought I would not be able to function unless I was able to get some sort of nap.  It's amazing how our bodies are able to adjust to only getting around 4 hours of sleep per night.

Cliff has had many milestones.  His first smile (Oct 5th), he slept through the night (Nov 7th), laughed (Dec 6th), rolled over (Dec 6th), and most recently found his feet (Dec 27th).  His favorite time of day is bath time...he kicks, sucks on his washcloth, and plays with his toys.  His hand-eye coordination is getting much better.  He notices Charlie and Lincoln and has been trying to touch them.  Charlie seems to enjoy the attention.  Lincoln on the other hand wants nothing to do with it, which is probably for the best.

Our nighttime routine has been established for quite a while.  Cliff knows once I begin putting his pajamas on after his bath, that it is dinner time.  He gets very impatient because he knows what is coming.  He is still wearing his Swaddle at night.  Mike and I tried taking it away a few nights ago, but he lasted about 20 minutes until he woke up.  We decided to keep using it until he sleeps through the night more consistently, but unfortunately he's almost grown out of it.  Then we'll be in trouble.

Cliff has been completely on formula since he was 6 weeks old.  His tummy just couldn't handle anything but Similac.  That was a bit difficult at first, but it's nice to have a break.

All in all, Mike and I have the most perfect little man.  He is so precious and we couldn't imagine our lives without him.  Every time he smiles it is the most amazing thing.  I love him with all of my heart.  We are blessed.

Here are some pictures to sum up the last four months.  It has flown by so quickly!

First trip to the doctor's office (9/5)

                                              First bath in his tub          Daddy/Cliff bonding time

 

 

               

                                                                      I'm a Dragon!

                                                                          Halloween

                                                                          Go Illini!

                                                                         

                                                                      Christmas Day

Baby Moser is Here....Finally!!!!!

Yay!  Clifford Dannen Moser entered the world September 2, 2011 at 8:33pm.  He was 8lb 5oz and 21.5 inches long.  He (and Mommy and Daddy) had a rough road getting here, but he's very healthy and safe and sound in our arms. We love him so much I can't imagine not ever having him in our lives.

But I do have to say....whoa, I don't want to do that again for a long time.  My induction began at 8:30pm on September 1st, and we had to wait a full 24 hours to meet our little man.  It was a very long process and a little scary at times.  Thankfully the doctors and nurses took good care of Clifford and made sure he was safe the whole time.  And in the end, Mike and I have the most beautiful little person.  It was absolutely worth it.

Can we meet you...please?

This little man already knows how to punch his parents' buttons!  We are anxiously waiting his "tardy" arrival.  I'm overdue by almost a full week and I doubt Gumball is going to come on his own, at least that's how feels.  For the past three weeks I've only been 1/2 cm dilated...really?  I think the doctor just told me that so I would leave my appointment with a little hope.

Mike and I have an appointment Thursday morning for a non-stress test and ultrasound.  And that evening I will be induced at the hospital...yay!!!!  I have read a lot of blogs and websites and most are saying that inductions can be pretty brutal.  C-sections are also a pretty big risk.  But at this point, I just want GB out of my tummy and safe in my arms.  If it was up to us, we would have induced last week!  But my doctor refuses to induce first time moms anytime earlier than 41 weeks.  Ugh.  I do have to say, it's nice than we can plan...as long as GB cooperates.  At the rate he's progressing I don't think I need to cross my fingers and hope.  My parents live almost 5 hours away and my mom is planning on taking time off to stay and help out.  So it's definitely convenient to be able to give them a date.

Here are a few pics from the last two weeks.  My tummy looks bigger in the 39 week pic.  I have no idea why.  Maybe because GB dropped a bit?  No clue.

                                                                   39 weeks 3 days

40 weeks 5 days

Week 38

Well, I'm in the home stretch!  And I am most definitely ready to meet Gumball.  My sleeps are becoming more uncomfortable each night and I'm definitely moving a lot slower each day.  I don't think I have the total waddle yet, but I feel like maybe a slight one...if that makes any sense.

GB is moving around tons.  I can feel him all of the time.  Hiccups have become a daily routine for him (at least once a day) and he is testing his boundaries in my tummy.  My poor skin is stretching and stretching to show his every move.  It's funny to see how lob-sided my tummy looks at times.  He moves his bum from side to side throughout the day...it's so fun to watch him wiggle.

Here I am today at 37w 2d.  I have always titled my posts by the week I am starting, so maybe I've been jumping the gun, but I go by my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" app.  And that's what it says, so that's what I type ;)

Here are a few pics of the nursery.  The room is pretty big, but Mike and I decided to keep the queen size bed in there, which takes up a lot of room.  But it will be perfect.  Why does my carpet look like such an ugly color in these pics?  Yuck...promise, it's not puke yellow.

Weeks 35, 36, & 37

Once again, I'm behind.  Here's a short recap of the past three weeks...nothing much to report, other than my belly growing and growing and growing.

So far at my doctor's appointments, my measurements have been spot on.  Here's how it's supposed to work:  the number of weeks pregnant you are should equal (plus or minus 2 cm) the measurement of my tummy.  Each week my measurement had equaled my week.  Well, that was up until my last appointment.  I was 34 1/2 weeks and measured 36 cm.  Wuh woh.  Now, we all know that Mike and I are not small people.  Me being around 5'10 and him at 6'3.  It's assumed our child will probably be a bit on the longer side.  But whoa.  I'm scared.  The doctor didn't seem too worried, as long as it wasn't over 37 cm, it's nothing to worry about.  But just the fact that my measurements had exactly equaled the pregnancy week I was in up until that point, and then it suddenly jumped up scares me a bit.

I'm definitely uncomfortable this week.  A good night's sleep is definitely a luxury.  I just can't seem to get comfortable anymore and it doesn't help that I'm always hot.  Ugh.

Week 35

Week 36

Week 37

Here's a pic from my baby shower...thank you everyone for all for coming and for the wonderful gifts!

Week 32, 33, and 34

I realize I haven't updated the blog in a while.  In my defense, I've been a little busy baking.  Muah ha ha ha ha.  Humor aside, we went to Florida to visit the parents for a week, and time just got away from me.


In just one short month I feel like my tummy has grown at an exponential rate.  I have seen the return of some of those pesky pregnancy symptoms...light-headed, heartburn, and a new one - backache!  So far it hasn't effected my sleep too much.  It's mostly bothersome after I've been standing for a long time.  My son has graced me with some lovely "evening" cankles.  Yeah, they're wonderful (but totally worth it).  Ugh!  They tend to show up more often at night, after a hard day's work.  Oh well.  I've started to wear flip-flops to work every once in a while.  So far no one has said anything to me, fingers crossed everyone will keep quiet.

Mike and I attended our first (and probably only) class last Saturday..."Great Expectations."  Whoa.  That summarizes a lot of it.  And OUCH, that's a good word too.  Needless to say labor will be hard work, but at least Northwestern Hospital offers wonderful views from the 8-12th floors.  Mike was taking notes as to which room to request when the time comes.  Hopefully we get the corner room!

Here's my tummy recap...

Week 32

Week 33

 

Week 34

Week 30

Week 30 started out pretty exciting.  We had our 3D/4D sonogram and it was so amazing.  Gumball didn't cooperate too much, he was too busy playing peek-a-boo with his hands and feet.  He almost had his entire had in his mouth at one point.  I'm looking forward to seeing if this is how he will act once he enters the "real world."  We were never able to see his full face, but luckily the technician got a few side profiles.  And of course I am partial...but what a cutie!  GB has a round little face and really long fingers!

 

Week 29

Nothing too exciting happened this week.  I experienced what I believe was my first Braxton-Hicks contraction.  Boy, was that weird.

I switched out my winter for my summer clothes last weekend, hoping and praying that I would be able to fit into some of my shirts.  In the end, I was not extremely successful.  There are definitely some shirts I can wear right now, but not holding my breath that I will have the same luck one month from now.  Now the clothes hanging in my closet take up about 6 inches versus 5 feet.

And behold the belly shot:

Hello 3rd Trimester!!!

Today marks the first day in my third trimester and Week 28.  It's hard to believe Gumball will be here in 12 weeks!  Mike and I are looking forward to it so much.  Although it is a little overwhelming at how much we need to get done.  Mike keeps saying, "We need to get this room looking more like a nursery!"  I agree.  We have hung a few things on the wall and there are a couple stuffed animals lying around.  But it needs something, and we haven't figured it out yet.  I'm sure once we purchase "the essentials," it will begin to look much different.  My mom is making the bedding and I am really looking forward to seeing the final product. That will add a great touch!

Yesterday was pretty neat.  I have been able to see my tummy move when GB kicks for a while now, but yesterday he was really using my stomach as a jungle gym.  He put on a good show...I could see him moving all over the place.  It was a nice break to the work day.

And here's the tummy...can't believe how much he has grown!!!

Week 25 - Happy Mother's Day!

I am definitely looking pregnant these days.  Gumball is growing leaps and bounds.  This week he is the size of an eggplant.  I feel him moving all the time...kicks, flips, and nudges.  Mike was finally able to feel him last week, which was really exciting.

In honor of Mother's Day, I posted a picture of my mom and I (as well as a tummy shot).  Love you Mom!

Holy Heartburn - Week 23!

Yep, I had a few "heartburn attacks" about one month ago and was hoping I'd be out of the woods for a while.  Well, it's back.  I hate heartburn.  I do what I'm supposed to do...drink lots of water, eat small meals, but nothing works.  I'm going to have to hit the meds sooner or later.

I officially felt my first kicks last week.  Finally.  This little guy has moves, that's all I have to say.  Mike hasn't been able to feel them yet.  It seems each time I move my hand to where I feel something, Gumball stops.  He's a little stage fright I suppose.

As promised, below are a few shots from our 20 week appointment and me last weekend.  His legs look so long!

Week 21

Howdy.  Week 20 came and left and I'm finally over the half-way hump.  Whew.  That much closer to see my little man and enjoy a full glass of red wine!  Obviously much more excited to see GB, but had to give a shout out to my vino.

Like I said before, I haven't felt a whole lot of movement...no kicks or anything like that, but definitely flutters.  And at my 20 week appointment I found out I have an anterior placenta.  The placenta is at the front of my uterus blocking most feeling I will have, at least until a few more weeks.  It doesn't pose any sort of risk, so no worries here.  I just have to wait a little bit longer before I feel the little ninja practice his moves.

I have some glamour shots from the ultrasound, and I will post them later this week!  He's going to be a handsome little man!

20 Weeks - Half Way There!

I was scolded this weekend for not posting anything in a few weeks, so I needed to make sure I didn't forget today (thanks Lea and Paige)!  This week marked the half-way point.  I really started to feel Gumball move these past two weeks.  A lot of gurgling and "goldfish swimming in a bowl" sorts of feelings.  The first time I felt the gurgling it was really weird.  I couldn't figure out what was going on...but then put two and two together and figured it out.  I think GB liked the ice cream I had divulged in.

So, Mike and I have some big news to share!  We had an ultrasound at 17 weeks and found out that it's a........

Yay!  We are absolutely thrilled and can't wait to meet the little guy.  It's obviously a long time out until we meet him, but it makes it feel even more real to know the gender.

We have started to work on GB's room.  Mike's parents came over this weekend to help put together the crib and dresser.  Each time I walk by his room I smile.  Sometimes I just go in there and sit.  So neat.  Below is a tummy shot.  I feel like my tummy has gotten a little bigger than the last time I posted a photo, but you really can't tell much.  Maybe my booty makes it looks smaller :)  My pants are tighter, but I can still wear them.  Thankfully Kelly loaned me her pregnancy clothes and I am set!

Week 18

Nothing really new happened this week.  I had my first experience in actually feeling where Gumball is in my tummy.  I must have been sleeping on my side (a little towards my stomach) and when I woke up and turned onto my back I could feel GB on my right side.  Not sure, but seemed like the head was at the top.  It was weird and amazing at the same time.  My left side was totally "cushy" and the right was hard.  Pretty cool.

GB is the size of a sweet potato this week.  So needless to say, we've been to two grocery stores already and I feel the need to point this out to Mike at each visit.  I'm such a sucker.

Week 17

I had my 16 week appointment earlier this week. Everything looked good. I was able to hear Gumball's heartbeat which was at a steady 143 beats/minute. I think I feel movement every once in a while, but not 100% sure. But...I am finally sporting a mini bump! Not sure why it excites me so much, but it does. Probably just finally seeing the little guy/gal start growing is what makes me so giddy about it.