Whitworth Family

July 2-10 Vacation

2011-07-17T19:28:00.000-04:00

Our family vacation this year was a few day trips to Sesame Place, Adventure Aquarium and Dutch Wonderland. On the days were didn't go anywhere we relaxed, went to the park and the pool. Alexander had a great time at Sesame Place, he loved going on the rides and playing in the water with Avery. Alexander even met Bert and Ernie! We saw a show while there, where Xander and Avery were able to watch up close by the stage!

Alexander loved seeing all the fish and animals at the aquarium. He even gave his pacifier to the seals! We were able to touch sharks, watch the stingrays and seals swim around.

On Friday we went to Dutch Wonderland, but we were having too much fun to take any pictures. I hope we can get back out there before the summer is over!

Pictures from June

2011-07-04T21:56:00.000-04:00

Just pictures this time

Long time, no post!

2011-07-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

It has been brought to my attention that it has been forever since I wrote a post. We have been busy the last few months, with house hunting and family visits.

We had a great Easter with Alexander this year, but he did not have that big of an attention span for the egg hunt!

Xander's Easter Basket

Opening up his Thomas the Tank Engine Eggs

He found his car and Easter basket from Poppop and Nana

Playing with his new car

This is fun!

Checking out his Easter gift from Great Nana and Great Grandfather

Why isn't it open yet?

Having fun outside

I love his smile

Look, I can sit on a football!

Sitting next to it is easier

In May Amie and Aiden came out for a visit, and the boys had a great time playing together. We went to the Strasburg railroad and the boys loved seeing the train.

Playing with the buses that Great Nana and Great Grandfather got them

In front of the steam engine

Amie and Aiden on the train

Daddy and Xander on the train

Some pictures from March

2011-03-24T20:55:00.001-04:00

This is how the little guy naps :)

Playing with Avery

On a tire swing

Spying on Avery...

Playing in the house with Avery

I love their little faces

Welcome March...I hope you will bring the spring weather with you!

2011-03-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander is 15 months now, where does the time go? It has been amazing watching him grow into a little boy from a baby. He loves to walk and run all over the place. He has enjoyed playing outside when the weather has permitted for late winter. I think my family is ready for spring to sprung! I know Andrew and I are looking forward to taking walks as a family again and finally getting to use that wagon we bought for Xander's first birthday. This spring has some fun trips in store for us already, a trip to the zoo, Sesame Place, and we want to take Xander to Strasburg Railroad to ride the train!

I took Xander to his 15 month check up last Monday. The doctor was very happy with him and how he is progressing. Xander now weights in at 26 pounds, 14 ounces and is 32.5 inches long. He's a tall skinny boy now! The doctor confirmed that all of his baby teeth are in except for his two year molars. I scheduled a visit to a pediatric dentist for the end of this month just to make sure everything is going well for the little guy's teeth.

Here are some new pictures of the little love of my life:

Enjoying a spring day during winter!

Acting silly!

Even Batman needs his blankie sometimes

Fun in the snow

2011-02-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Winter 2010-2011 has been a very snowy one for the region again. It seems like we are getting one or two storms a week right now. I personally can't wait for the spring and warm weather to arrive again. Xander has been enjoying learning what snow is and playing in it.

A little behind...but we have been very busy!

2011-01-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

The last few months have been crazy in the Whitworth household. October 28, we were blessed with a new liver for Andrew's father. It was one of the greatest days for our family. That day was also the day Xander decided to take his first steps by himself. After that Xander learned quickly how fun walking and running was. We then had Alexander's first Halloween, first real Thanksgiving, First Birthday and Christmas. To say we had a busy two months is an under statement.

Halloween pictures of our little monkey:

Getting ready to go trick or treating for the first time!

Still waiting....

I can get use to this Halloween thing

Having a treat from his goodies

Alexander had his first ear infection on his birthday, but I was happy that we made it a year before he had to be on an antibiotic. At his one year check up with the doctor, he proudly showed off that he had his molars almost completely cut through, he could walk and that he was a big boy now. Xander weighted in at 26 pounds and 32 inches long. He's a tall, skinny boy now!

Thanksgiving day was spent with our families, first we had dinner with Andrew's family and then we had dessert with my family. Xander was great for the day despite not feeling well and enjoyed playing with his cousin Aiden on his birthday. Xander loved his birthday cake that I made, which always makes a mom happy.

Playing with Aiden

Opening a gift from Mommy and Daddy

More playing

Trying to get into some trouble!

Hi!

Saturday November 27 we had the big first birthday party. The party was held at my parents house and Xander was surrounded by his family. We had a wonderful dinner that Andrew cooked, opened presents and then had cake. Xander did pretty well opening his presents, but he had his cousin Avery there to help unwrap gifts when he lost focus on it. Xander's cousin Aiden was there to make sure all the new toys were played with, too!

Stealing from Aiden

Watching Mommy open up birthday presents

Trying to help

Avery helping open up the presents

Xander, Avery and Aiden enjoying the birthday boy's new wagon

My little loves

The Cake I made for the party

Xander's cake

Get ready to make a wish!

This is for me?

Yum!

This is fun!

Messy

December came and went in a flash. December 23, Ed was moved to a rehab hospital, which was one step closer to coming home. December 24, we were able to visit Ed and enjoyed some great conversations with him. Andrew and I were bummed that Alexander could not go see Ed for Christmas. After visiting for a few hours we then made our way from Philadelphia up to Levittown for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Dinner was great as usual, and we were able to spend time with our family.

Christmas day was different this year. Our normal tradition is Christmas morning at home, then off to Andrew's parents house for brunch and then off to my parents house for dinner. This year we had Jane and Matt over for Christmas morning. We had breakfast and enjoyed watching Alexander open his gifts and play with his new toys from Santa. After Christmas at home, we went to my parents house for round number two. Xander had pretty much lost all interest in opening gifts by that point, and just wanted to play with Avery and her new toys. After this we all relaxed for a little while before heading over to my grandparents house to exchange gifts and have dinner.

The tree after Santa visited

Our Stockings

Xander checking out his gifts

Diving right in

Sitting with Uncle Matt

Building a tower with his new blocks

Miss Avery

Avery and Xander looking at his new truck

Helping Poppop open his gift

Playing with a new toy from Aunt Jaci, Uncle Sean and Avery

Taking a break

Avery in her Christmas dress

Playing with cousin Evan

New Years Eve was a quiet night in our house. We stood in, watched some tv, played with Alexander until it was his bed time. Andrew and I didn't even make it to midnight. New Years day we had lunch with my parents and then dinner at Andrew's grandparents house. Aunt Claire, Uncle Frank and Will were out from Chicago, and it was great to see them again. We had a nice day spent with our families, and it was the best way to start the new year in my opinion.

Playing at great Nana's and great Grandfather's house

Three of the five Cornelius' sisters

Playing on at the top of the stairs.

On January 5, Ed was moved to Bryn Mawr Rehab Center, which was one more step closer to being home again! On the 8th we were finally able to bring Xander to see his Pappy, it had been three and a half months since they last saw each other. It was a great day to spend together.

Visiting with Pappy!

Sharing a snack with Pappy

This is yummy!

January 16, was spent celebrating Ed's birthday together at the rehab center. This was a great birthday this year, Ed was surrounded by friends and family. There are no pictures of this day because my camera had no battery power left. The Whitworth family was also able to welcome in a new baby with the birth of George and Tracey's son, George IV.

Tracey and George IV

Silly mommy...you forgot to post the 11 month update!

2010-11-21T10:50:00.000-05:00

With Alexander's first birthday only four days away, I never did the 11 month update. Things have been pretty crazy with our family these last two months, but it looks like everything is moving in the right direction. On October 28th, Alexander took his first steps. Andrew was not there to see it, but Alexander proudly showed off to Daddy when he got home. In only a short few weeks Alexander is now trying to run with the older boys at daycare, and has a lot of bruises to show for it. I love seeing how proud he is of himself when he walks on his own. Alexander is becoming a lot better with feeding himself, and a champ with sippy cups! We have made the transition over to whole milk with no issues and Alexander seems to love his milk, which makes Mommy happy. Andrew and I gearing up to celebrate Alexander's first birthday with our families. There will be plenty of pictures to come over the next week.

We hope every one has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Avery Chase turns two!

2010-10-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

Our niece Avery turned two today, so we naturally celebrated with an Elmo themed party. The birthday girl seemed to have a great party, but quickly loss focus on opening her presents. She loved the gift her Uncle Chad gave her, and decided that I needed to open it up for her to play with. Alexander was happy it was opened up too, because he quickly started to play with the toys as well. We sang Happy Birthday to her, and then we had to cut into the cute Elmo cake that my sister's friend made for Avery. The cake looked and tasted great! I now know how to make a Elmo birthday cake if we ever need another one! Here are the pictures from today:

Apple Picking

2010-10-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I had decided that we wanted to go apple picking this year as a family, in hopes this would become a new tradition for our family. We decided to go to Styer's Orchard since they had the Stayman apples we were after for pie baking. Alexander decided that eating the apple was more fun than picking it, and Andrew did a great job on getting a whole bucket full of apples for us. We then took Xander over to see the painted pumpkins. We were not there too long today, but we did have a great time. Here are some pictures of our trip:

What a strong baby I have!

2010-10-23T22:22:00.000-04:00

Alexander decided to show us just how strong he is today. He decided to push his two year old cousin in her toy car. She loved being pushed around and he was so proud of himself! Sorry for the clip being sideways.

10 months

2010-10-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

10 months old already, where does the time go Alexander? Alexander is close to walking on his own, he continues to crawl faster everyday and can now stand without holding on to anything. He looks more like a little boy than a baby each day. I can't believe we will be celebrating your birthday in two short months! You loved eating Mommy's birthday cake, and made a mess doing so. I can't wait to see what you will look like at your birthday! You are learning to do more each day and it is great to see the changes happen.

You are starting to love having Mommy and Daddy read your books to you. You like to skip the pages so you can look at the pictures.
You are becoming a pro with a sippy cup.
You love to push your walking toy around the whole apartment and are so proud of yourself.

You have become tired of the pureed baby foods and only want to eat foods you can feed yourself, but you are still letting Mommy spoon feed every once in a while.

Just some pictures!

2010-10-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

Mac and Cheese is so yummy...but very messy!

Just playing with my toys

Crashing my tractor into the wall!

9 Months

2010-09-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

For a change of pace, the 9-month status post is going to be written by the father of the munchkin.

I can't hardly believe that it's been 9 months already! Xander started off as a small, sleepy, slimy little newborn and grew. And grew. And is still growing. 9 months later he's grown about 9 inches and 16 pounds. That would put him at 24 pounds, 10 ounces and 30 inches tall! He's gone from quiet and docile to bright-eyed and rambunctious.

It's amazing to watch how fast he is developing too. Only a few months ago we were watching him on a daily basis to see when he would roll over from his back to his stomach. Now it seems like he's learning a new trick, or perfecting an old trick every day. Tonight he climbed on top of a bottle of laundry detergent so he could get on top of a large box of diapers. Yesterday he pulled our large, heavy stock pot off a shelf with only one hand. The day before that he played happily on the floor of the shower, ignoring the water raining onto his head and dripping across his face. A week ago the water in the face would have freaked him out, but now he's dealing with it like a champ.

Any day now we're waiting for him to say his first word or take his first step. Don't be surprised if the 10-month blog post contains joyous news about both those two things! I know I wouldn't be surprised in the least if they both happened tomorrow.

The last big hurdle that we need to cross as a family is the nighttime routine. Nine months later, and adorable little Xander is still not sleeping through the night. Nine months. Thats about 270 days without getting a solid eight hours. It's trying, and as a family it's something that's been a burden. However, there is light visible now at the end of the tunnel. Where putting him down to sleep has been a huge fight in months past, in recent weeks he's been much more subdued and willing. He's been getting better at soothing himself, and putting himself back to sleep when he startles awake. He's been eating much less during his midnight feedings than he used to. I sincerely think that we're coming to a point when we're all going to be getting a complete night's sleep on a regular basis. Cross my fingers and my toes.

Fatherhood has been a pretty fantastic experience so far, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Nine months with the little guy has given me some great memories that I will cherish forever:

Riding with Xander down the lazy river in Sesame Place
Taking him to the beach to experience sand and waves for the first time
Watching him sit on the floor, laughing hard and loud about things I may never understand
Sleeping on the couch with him—a hot sweaty lump—asleep on my chest.
Sneaking him little bits of food. Everything from bits of chicken and cornbread, to cookies, brownies, and a little bit of root beer. It's amazing to thing that he's tasting every new thing for the first time in his entire life.

This past nine months has been absolutely amazing, even though it hasn't always been easy. I'm definitely looking forward to the next nine, which promise to be even better.


Hanging out with Daddy at Sesame Place!

Playing at Sesame!

Hi Mommy!


Showing off my new trick...I can climb onto the end table.

Look Mommy and Daddy I found a new way to use the exersaucer!

Acting silly with Mommy

Our first vacation as a family of three!!

2010-07-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

We had our first vacation as a family of three from July 2nd through the 10th. We headed to Delaware for a day and then onto Corolla North Carolina, in the Outer Banks. It was a great first vacation for us, and we can't wait for another one next year!

On Friday July 2nd we headed down to Mommom Whitworth's farm for the day, and stood the night. The trip down was full of traffic and made it an unhappy time for Alexander. He was all smiles once he was out of the car and in Mommom's house. We were able to see a lot of our family while there. We were also there when Tracey announced that she was pregnant! Alexander had a great time at Mommom's and would just smile and giggle at her when ever she looked at him.

We woke up our normal time on Saturday so we could pack the car back up and head south to the Outer Banks. This trip should have taken us 3 and a half hours to 4 hours, but it ended up taking us 8 hours of driving and a 1 hour lunch break. Alexander hated this car ride, and to be fair so did I! Traffic onto the island was miserable since it was a holiday weekend and start of a new vacation week. We finally made it to our house at 7 at night. After feeding Alexander, a quick trip to the grocery store and dinner with the family we headed to bed early.

Sunday July 4th we took Alexander down to the beach. He put his toes in the sand and let the water hit his legs. He studied the ocean for a long time, and then decided that it was better to go nap on Nana. Alexander then went into a big pool for the first time as well, he didn't like it too much. Alexander didn't make it up for the fireworks on his first 4th of July, but at least the fireworks didn't wake him up either!

The rest of the week was relaxation, swimming in the pool, heading to the beach, and night walks on the beach. Alexander loved the pool the second day, and couldn't get enough of it for the rest of the week. By our last day on the beach Alexander loved the water and the sand. He probably ate too much sand for Mommy's liking, but he had fun rolling in it.

Jaclyn, Sean, Avery, Andrew and I were lucky enough to go on a guided tour to see the wild Spanish Mustangs of Corolla. We saw about 8 or 10 wild mustangs and even some deer. The off roading on the beach was an interesting experience.
Avery loved it and got excited when she saw the mustangs for the first time! It was too bad that Alexander was too small for this trip, but we will have to just go back down to Corolla another year so we can take him to see the horses.

Here are pictures from our trip:

Alexander's first time in the ocean!

Studying the water and the sand.

Napping on Nana instead of playing in the sand.

Playing in the pool with Daddy.

Mommy's turn to have me!

I like my baby pool much better!

Playing in the sand

Pictures with Mommy and Daddy at Sunset on the beach

Two pictures of Andrew and I from our trip to see the mustangs.

Alexander is 8 months old!

2010-07-25T15:11:00.000-04:00

Another month has flown by with Alexander. We had a month full of first for the little one. Alexander went in a pool and to the beach on July 4th for the first time. He studied the ocean and sand and was indifferent the first time around. He then decided that sleeping on Nana would be a better time that day. The first time in the pool Alexander did not seem to be too happy about it, but he loved the pool the next day! Alexander also got his top two teeth in this pass month. He is now up to four teeth. He also perfected his crawling, his belly is off the ground and he's quick now. Here are some pictures from the last month:

trying to figure out what the ocean is all about

In the pool for the first time with Daddy

I love bath time!

playing with his new toys for the beach before we left for vacation

7 months with Alexander!

2010-06-24T20:23:00.000-04:00

Another month has come and gone, and Alexander has learned so much in that short time. Alexander started to crawl on June 10th! It's more of a army crawl, but he is getting his belly of the grown some of the time. In three short weeks he has gotten quick getting from one place to another. He also just learned how to sit himself up on June 21st, and now does that all the time. He will be laying down one second and I'll look away and then he's sitting up. Then on June 23rd he said Ma and Mama for the first time! He's getting so big, and I love seeing him learn new things each day. He is starting to use his pointer finger and thumb more and can pick up small items with them now. Alexander likes to feed himself his puff cereal while he's in his high chair. Here's so new pictures of my little guy!

Crawling towards Mommy!

Sitting on Daddy!

Trying to eat my ball.

Hey Mommy!

I love cuddling with my Daddy :)

I love smiling for the camera!

Six Months! Where does the time go?

2010-06-05T11:00:00.000-04:00

My sweet baby boy is six months old already! I can't believe how fast these six months have gone by, and how much Alexander has changed. Alexander is weighing in at a healthy 22 pounds, 5 ounces and is 29 inches long now. My little boy only needs to grown 3 more inches to be half my size! I guess we really know who he took after. Alexander is working on crawling now, and can get up on his forearms and knees with his belly off the ground. Now he just has to work on moving forward at the same time. He has mastered the barrel roll to get from one place to another. He also moves himself by moving backwards and turning every which way he wants. Here are pictures from the last month:

All smiles after my bath!

Playing in the hot tub with Poppop!

This is how I like to use my pacifiers these days!

Alexander is 5 months old!

2010-05-02T07:42:00.000-04:00

Time has been flying by with Alexander. He has already been in our lives for five whole months.
This pass month he learned a few new tricks: how to sit up on his own (only for a few seconds at a time), he is trying to spoon feed himself, and he now reaches out with his arms when he wants someone. Alexander is weighing in at a healthy 21 pounds this month. We don't get a height and head circumference until his six month check up because we are now done going every month. Here are some pictures from this month:

Mommy and Xander

Daddy and Xander

Playing!

Look at me!

Sitting up like a big boy!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-10T12:37:00.001-04:00

We had a very busy Easter weekend. Friday we took Alexander to meet the Easter bunny before his 4 month check up. Then we went to Nana and Poppop's house so Xander could play with Avery. Friday we also celebrated Nona's birthday!

Aunt Jaci, Avery and Xander!

Poppop and Xander

Uncle Sean and Xander

Avery and her mommy

Saturday Xander and I went to an Easter egg hunt with his Aunt Jaci, Uncle Sean and Avery. Avery was great about getting eggs to put in Xander's bag for him since he was too small to get any this year.

Sunday was Easter. We were up early that day as always, and Xander got his first Easter basket! He really loved it. We then had lunch at Andrew's family and then we had dinner with mine.

Our cutie loves to get his pictures taken

2010-04-10T09:23:00.000-04:00

Last week Andrew and I took the little one to get his pictures done. He did great for the sitting and only had one small crying fit. The pictures came out great! We just picked up the pictures last night and we are even more happy with them than we thought we were. Here are our favorite ones:

Alexander is 4 months old!!

2010-04-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

Alexander is now 4 months old. Time is flying by for this little guy. He now weights in at 19 pounds 6 ounces, is 25 3/4 inches tall and has a head circumference of 17 1/4. He had to receive another round of vaccination shots this time but he did great with them. The doctor told us to start giving Alexander solids at lunch time now as well, compared to just breakfast and dinner we were doing prior to his check up. Alexander has started his fruits and veggies, and really likes his apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes and squash. Andrew and I are trying to make as much of his food as we can. Alexander has also decided he hates carrots!

Xander is now rolling from his tummy to his back all the time while he's at daycare. Andrew and I were also able to see this when he was having some tummy time. Our little monkey also showed us how he can roll from his back to his tummy! He rolls his way to get to the toys he likes to play with now, its so cute to watch.

Here are some new pictures of our little guy:

Playing in my jumperoo at Nana and Poppop's house!

Look at me in my camo! I'm ready to go hunting Poppop.

Xander loves to play with his toys!

Yummy! I love my food!

Happy First Day of Spring!!!

2010-03-20T09:35:00.000-04:00

It is finally Spring! The weather this week has been pretty great, nice and warm. We have been taking Alexander on walks after work, and he loves seeing all the new things. This has been a long winter, and this family is ready for the nice warm weather to stay! It is nice not having to bundle Alexander up and letting him enjoy the sun. Here are some pictures of us enjoying the first day of spring!

Alexander is 3 months old

2010-03-17T21:15:00.001-04:00

I just realized I never posted Alexander's 3 month stats. Alexander did great at his check up. He now weighs 16 pounds and 10 ounces, 25 inches long and has a head circumference of 16.5 cm. Alexander started on solids this month as well, and is starting to do well being spoon fed. The doctor said since he is eating so much formula I should increase his cereal intake and as soon as he turns 4 months to start him on his fruit and veggies. Here are some pictures from this month.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's day. We had a nice one in the Whitworth household. On Saturday Alexander and I went for his first trip to Aunt Jaci, Uncle Sean and Avery's house. Alexander even got a new toy and book from Aunt Jaci, Uncle Sean and Avery for Valentine's day. Nana and Poppop gave Alexander a new toy to play with when he is visiting at their house.

Andrew surprised me with flowers this year and I baked him and our families cupcakes and cookies.

Alexander received his first Valentine's day card from Mommy and Daddy this year along with a new toy. Of course Alexander was our valentine this year as well.

Alexander is two months old!!

2010-01-26T19:58:00.001-05:00

My darling little boy is already two months old. These two months have flown by so fast. He is growing and learning new things each day. I love being able to see him do something new each day. He has been showering Andrew and I with smiles this past month, and he is starting to talk to us in his own baby language. Alexander is now 23 and 3/4 inches long, weights in at 14 pounds and 6 ounces, and has a head circumference of 16 inches. He is in the 75th percentile for his height, 98th percentile for his weight and 50th percentile for his head. Here are pictures from his last month with us:

All smiles

Tummy time
I love to play in my bouncy chair!

I love to eat!

Alexander meets his cousin Aiden

2010-01-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

Alexander was able to meet his cousin Aiden over New Years. It was great to see how much him and Aiden are different with only a few months between the two of them. Next year the two of them will be running around together and getting into all sorts of trouble. Here are some pictures from our weekend with Aiden!

Best Friends!

Tummy time with Aiden

Too cute!

Amie and Aiden

Pappy and his boys

Grandma and her boys

Meeting for the first time!

Our first Christmas as a family of three and Alexander is a month old!

2009-12-29T14:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a very busy and tiring few days for our small family. We spent the time with our families and tried to make sure we were able to see everyone for the holidays. Alexander was able to meet a lot of his family over the course of three days and was lovingly greeted by all of his aunts, uncles and cousins over those days. Here are some pictures of Christmas:

Daddy and Alexander:

Alexander is 1 month old!!!

He's too cute!

5 generations: Dad, Mommom H, Mommom B, Alexander and I

Uncle Sean and Alexander on Christmas Eve

Nonna and Alexander (his great grandmother)

Nan and Alexander (his great great grandmother)

One tired baby wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

My mother-in-law's dog watching over Alexander as he took a nap during Christmas.

Alexander meets Santa

2009-12-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

Andrew and I took Alexander to see Santa last week. I'm sure a two week old baby doesn't really care too much about who Santa is to him, but in a few years I know he will look forward to going to see Santa. Alexander slept the whole time we were in line and while he was getting his picture taken. We also walked around the mall for a little while, but it was very nice to be out of the house in public as a family for the first time. Here is Alexander and Santa:

Alexander meets his family

2009-12-06T19:52:00.000-05:00

Alexander is already two weeks old! He has had a very busy two weeks getting to know his family. We had his first doctor's appointment last week and everything looked pretty great according to the doctor. He gained thirteen ounces and is now weighing in at seven pounds and thirteen ounces. He will be back up to his birth weight before we know it. Mommy and Daddy were happy to hear that the doctor had only good news for us at his visit. Next time Daddy will even go to the doctor's with us, which will be nice since Alexander has to get his second Hep B shot.

Here is Alexander meeting some of his family:

Alexander and Poppop

Alexander and Nana

Alexander and Aunt Jaci
Alexander and Uncle Sean
Alexander meeting his cousin Avery, she wasn't thrilled to meet him.
Alexander and Grandma

Alexander and Pappy

Alexander and Uncle Matt...Alexander was kind enough to let Uncle Matt have his birthday to himself.
Alexander and Uncle Geoff
Alexander and his great grandmother Nana. He also met his great grandfather but we didn't get a picture with the two of them yet.
Alexander will be meeting his great grandmother (Nonna), great grandfather (Poppop), great grandmother (Mommom B) and great great grandmother (Mommom H) this coming weekend. We will have those pictures in a blog to come.

Introducing Alexander David Whitworth

2009-11-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

Andrew and I are extremely happy to introduce Alexander David Whitworth to our family and friends. Alexander was born on Wednesday November 25 at 4:59 in the evening, weighing in at eight pounds, six ounces and twenty-one inches long. Xander's birth came after a very long night of only getting a half hour of sleep from 11 to 11:30 and then waking up to back labor pains. I was able to walk off most of the pain and finally got another half hour of sleep from 2 in the morning to 2:30. I once again woke up and tried to walk off the pain of the back labor, but then started to have contractions that were six to eight minutes apart. I tried to see if I could labor more at home, and sent Andrew to work.

Andrew had just gotten into West Chester when I called him and said I couldn't handle the pain anymore and was going to call the doctor to see what the next step should be. By the time Andrew arrived back home my contractions and pains had mostly gone away. I had already called the doctor and was instructed to go into the hospital to be check at labor and delivery. We arrived at Grand View Hospital a little after 8 in the morning and was then seen by the doctor around 9. Andrew and I had prepared ourselves to be sent home for false labor. When Dr. DeBrakeleer examined me I was three centimeters dilated and very thin. He then said I could either head home and see what would happen or be admitted and have pitocin started to regulate my contractions. I asked him which he thought was best and he instructed us to stay at the hospital because he was afraid I would have the baby at home.

We then went into a labor room and I was examined twenty minutes later and had already progressed to four centimeters dilated. The pitocin was then started. At Noon I could not handle the pain any longer and asked for pain medication. I was originally going to just start with an IV pain medication and then move to the epidural at a later time. I was re-examined at 12:15 and was seven to eight centimeters dilated. At this time we moved quickly to get my epidural in before it would be too late to receive one. I had received my IV pain medication before the epidural was inserted which did help take the edge off of my shorter contractions. Around 1 in the afternoon my epidural was in place and quickly started to work. At 2:45 the doctor came in and said it was time to start pushing. After two very long hours and pleading with the doctor to get the baby out Alexander was finally born.

Without farther adeu, here is Alexander David Whitworth:

Meeting Mommy for the first time:

Alexander and Daddy:

Ready to head home:

39 weeks

2009-11-22T09:05:00.001-05:00

Well another week has come and gone and I am now pass my due date. I know it is only two days pass but I'm more than ready to meet Alexander. I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday and I really feel like the doctor got my hopes up about meeting Alexander this weekend. It is still early on Sunday morning so maybe I still have hope to meet Alexander today. I really have a feeling we are going to be in the hospital over Thanksgiving.

How far along? 39 weeks and 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 27 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: I am up a lot during the night and end up sleeping during the day.
Best moment this week: finding out I am 90% effaced and 1 cm dilated.
Movement: He has slowed down, and likes to scare mommy and daddy sometimes.
Food cravings: I'm not too hungry these days and force myself to eat.
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: some, the contractions just need to get it together now.
Belly Button in or out? Still in
What I miss: sleeping at night
What I am looking forward to: Meeting Alexander!
Weekly Wisdom: rest now.
Milestones: Hopefully meeting Alexander very very soon!

The nursery is complete...

2009-11-16T17:55:00.001-05:00

Well as much as a nursery can be completed without a baby to sleep in there. I finally feel like I can call this project done. All the clothes, sheets, blankets, burp cloths and bibs are washed and put away. The changing table and dresser are organized and ready to go. We have the curtains hung, crib bedding set up, and glider all in place to welcome Alexander home. Andrew painted the letters for the wall over the crib and hung them this weekend! Here are the pictures of Alexander's nursery...

Here is Xander's cradle set up in our room all ready to go:

38 weeks

2009-11-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

This past Friday marked my last day of work until the end of March! I was suppose to have a doctor appointment but it was canceled since the doctor was called into emergency surgery, so now I have to wait until Wednesday to see how Alexander and I are doing. Andrew hung the letters for Alexander's name yesterday in the nursery, but we need to take them down and retouch the paint on them. I failed to take a 37 week belly picture and still need to take my 38 week picture today. I'll update my post later with pictures.

How far along? 38 weeks and 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 25 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: I need more of it these days. I have been taking about an hour nap each day this week though.
Best moment this week: Celebrating my last day of work!
Movement: He's still an active little guy
Food cravings: I love eating
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: more contractions I just need them to stay more consistent
Belly Button in or out? I still have an innie
What I miss: being comfortable.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting Alexander!
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new this week
Milestones: I'm full term!

37 weeks

2009-11-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Another week down and only a few more to go! Next week is my last week of work and I am very excited about that. My mother-in-law Jane threw me a baby shower on Saturday and it was a very nice time to spend with our families and friends. Xander received a lot of homemade gifts that were made with love. My mom crocheted Alexander a beautiful blanket and put a blue ribbon through it. Andrew's grandmother knitted a small stroller blanket that is white and blue and also gave us a beautiful hand knitted pair of booties, sweater and hat that Jane's Aunt Julie knitted before she passed. They only discovered this outfit after the death of Jane's Uncle Bill while cleaning out the house, and I feel so loved to have it given to us for Xander. My best friend Lauren cross stitched three bibs for Xander. I almost forgot to mention that Jane bought us a cradle for little Xander to use for the first few months he is home. I have to take pictures of everything and will post them shortly.

How far along? 37 weeks and 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 25 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes but no new ones!
Sleep: I think I will be adding naps back into my daily routine until Xander decides to arrive.
Best moment this week: We hung the curtains in the nursery this weekend, the letters for Alexander's name have the first coat of paint on them and we are almost finished with the nursery!
Movement: yes more hits than kicks these days.
Food cravings: I love eating
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: more contractions and hoping to find out on Friday that I am making progress.
Belly Button in or out? still in for the most part
What I miss: being able to walk or do daily activities without worrying about falling or losing my balance.
What I am looking forward to: My last day of work is on Friday! And I will only be working 30 hours next week compared to my normal 45 hours.
Weekly Wisdom: Ask for pain meds during labor when you can't take the pain any longer, if not you may slow down the progress of the labor and delivery.
Milestones: Getting closer to my due date!

Here are the bibs that Lauren cross stitched for Xander:

Here is the hat, sweater and booties Great Aunt Julie knitted:

Here is the blanket my mom made for Xander:

Here is the stroller blanket Andrew's grandmother made for Xander:

Here is the cradle Andrew's parents bought us for Xander:

36 weeks

2009-10-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

I am now visiting the OB every week for check ups, which means we are one step closer to meeting Alexander! We bought our glider for the nursery after our OB visit on Thursday and have it set up in the nursery. I am still working on the letters to spell out Alexander to put on the wall with the crib. Once I have them done and hung up I will consider the nursery complete, well that is until Alexander is home to use it.

How far along? 36 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: plus 23 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes, and they are itchy now too!
Sleep: I am tired all the time again. But I am getting sleep in between the frequent trips to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Having the glider in the nursery makes it one step closer to being ready for Alexander's arrival.
Movement: yes, still trying to count them to make sure everything is fine.
Food cravings: I love eating
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: some contractions, I'm starting to thin out but no dilation.
Belly Button in or out? still in for the most part
What I miss: having a sense of balance...and walking without waddling.
What I am looking forward to: My next OB visit to see if I am getting closer to meeting Xander.
Weekly Wisdom: To try and take it easy.
Milestones: Just hitting the weekly visits to the OB. Xander is in the head down position and ready to go once he decides it is time!

Baby Shower October 10, 2009

2009-10-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

Well I have finally uploaded my pictures from my baby shower. I don't have all the pictures yet since I still have to get them off of my mom's camera. But here are a few pictures from the shower.

Cookies my sister had made for the baby shower, not only were they cute they tasted great!

The diaper cake my mom and sister made for me:

Some of the decorations:

The yummy cake:

My family and Friends who shared in my shower with me:

35 weeks!

2009-10-24T06:34:00.000-04:00

I am 35 weeks pregnant and only have 35 days to go (technically at least)!! I am still measuring at the 36 week mark, and have an earlier due date, but we haven't changed the way we count the weeks I am pregnant. I am making progress on Alexander's nursery and have been washing all of his cute clothes in anticipation of his arrival. I have the diaper bag packed with his coming home outfit for the hospital. I need to buy a larger bag for my hospital items and pack it and then I am ready to go! I started to paint the letters for Alexander's name to put in his nursery. I still have some work to do on them though.

How far along? 35 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: plus 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes, and getting new ones every day since my belly has been rapidly expanding
Sleep: I sleep but wake up an average of 3 to 4 times a night
Best moment this week: Celebrating Avery's first birthday and our first anniversary!
Movement: yes, still counting the kicks though
Food cravings: I love eating
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: some contractions off and on
Belly Button in or out? mostly in
What I miss: being able to get up out of bed, a chair or the couch without Andrew's help, and having a sense of balance.
What I am looking forward to: Finishing the nursery
Weekly Wisdom: Try to get rest when I find time.
Milestones: I'm about a month away from meeting Alexander!!!

34 weeks

2009-10-17T08:34:00.000-04:00

Six more weeks until I finally get to meet Alexander, and I'm ready to just hold the little guy. I have bought the letters to spell out his name for the nursery. I am going to start painting them this weekend and we need to get his nursery organized still. Andrew and I have had a busy work week and haven't been able to get settled in the new apartment since we moved in last weekend.

How far along? 34 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: plus 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes, I now have a stretch mark over one of my scars from when I had my gall bladder removed.
Sleep: I wake up about every two hours to go to the bathroom, but I'm able to fall back a sleep right away.
Best moment this week: Deciding on Alexander's name.
Movement: yes and I was advised to start my kick counts to make sure Xander is moving enough.
Food cravings: All food taste good these days
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None this week
Belly Button in or out? It is still in for now
What I miss: Having energy to do all the things I need to get done before Xander arrives.
What I am looking forward to: Finishing the nursery
Weekly Wisdom: None I can remember.
Milestones: Just hitting the 34 week mark is great!

33 weeks

2009-10-12T17:55:00.001-04:00

Baby Whitworth now has a name...Alexander but we will call him Xander for short. I had my first baby shower this past weekend and everything was great. My mom and sister did a great job of putting it together. I'll post pictures in another post of it once I have them uploaded. I will also post pictures of the nursery once we have it all together. Andrew and I moved into a larger apartment and are in the process of getting it back together.

How far along? 33 weeks and 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes.
Sleep: Some nights are better than others.
Best moment this week: My baby shower and getting the nursery furniture into the nursery.
Movement: yes
Food cravings: All food taste good these days
Food aversions: none
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in for the most part
What I miss: Just being able to do more in a day, but now I just need to take more breaks and relax when I can.
What I am looking forward to: Getting Alexander's name letters painted and into the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new this week.
Milestones: One more doctor's visit in two weeks and then I start going weekly. Xander is almost here and I can't wait to meet him finally.

32 weeks

2009-10-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

Where did this pregnancy go? It is flying by so fast! I can't wait to finally be able to hold the little guy, and I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later. We are getting ready to move into a bigger apartment next weekend and then I can finally have the nursery set up. I can't wait to have all of his furniture and clothing in one place. I have also been looking for a shower curtain and bathroom accessories for his new bathroom.

How far along? 32 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: plus 18 pounds.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes, but no new ones this week.
Sleep: I take what I can.
Best moment this week: Spending time with my family last weekend and having a nice birthday dinner with them.
Movement: He loves to hit and kick mommy.
Food cravings: Chocolate
Food aversions: all food sounds good to me these days.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: I think he will be here sooner than November 27.
Belly Button in or out? in for the most part
What I miss: Being able to do everything I want without getting help from others.
What I am looking forward to: My baby shower next Saturday and setting up the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new this week.
Milestones: Eight more weeks until the little man is here!

31 weeks

2009-09-25T19:58:00.000-04:00

The furniture was delivered this weekend and is now at my parents house for storage. We also bought the mattress for the crib this weekend. October 10th and 11th we will be moving into a bigger apartment and then the furniture will finally be able to get set up in the nursery. I felt pretty good this week and actually slept well most nights. Since I never took a belly picture of 31 weeks I put in a picture of Avery and I, and two more of Avery playing. She is so cute and already 11 months old!

How far along? 31 weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: plus 16 pounds but I'll find out my new weight on Monday.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? They have made their way to the other side of my stomach now.
Sleep: It hasn't been too bad this pass week, I think being so busy helps me sleep better.
Best moment this week: Being able to spend so much time with Andrew's family even though the reason we were together was sad.
Movement: He's a very active little boy!
Food cravings: Chocolate
Food aversions: nothing right now
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: honestly I just want to hold the baby now that I don't miss anything in particular.
What I am looking forward to: Spending time with my side of the family on Saturday.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new this week.
Milestones: I'm just 9 weeks away from holding my little guy!

30 weeks

2009-09-21T20:17:00.000-04:00

Well I failed to take a 28 week and 29 week belly shot, but I did take a 30 week one this time. I have included a few extra shots of Andrew, Jane my mother in law and Aiden. Amie and Jason bought us some cute onesies, pajamas and a cute little yellow blanket for the little guy. It was a nice little surprise on Saturday.

How far along? 30 weeks and 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 16 pounds but I'll find out my new weight on Monday September 28.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? A few new ones on my belly
Sleep: I had the best night of sleep last night! I felt great today because of it.
Best moment this week: I was holding my little nephew Aiden Saturday night and my baby was kicking him. I think the two cousins are going to have a rivalry.
Movement: Lots, he has been very active today. He's moving his feet all over the place today.
Food cravings: ice water
Food aversions: nothing right now
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: nothing that I can think of, I just can't wait for these last 10 weeks to fly by so I can meet my son.
What I am looking forward to: My baby shower on October 10 and the furniture getting delivered.
Weekly Wisdom: My sister-in-law said that the schedule I am waking up at now will most likely be the same times I wake up to feed the baby.
Milestones: I'm starting my two week visits on Monday.

29 weeks

2009-09-15T19:29:00.001-04:00

I went for my three hour glucose test today, which wasn't bad just boring. I hate having to wait around for things to get done. I had a great nurse who drew my blood each time, so that made it better. I was also given a different flavor drink this time, last time was orange and today was lemon-lime.

How far along? 29 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 16 pounds to date
Maternity clothes? yes, I bought a few long sleeve shirts the other week and have loved wearing them on the cooler days.
Stretch marks? no new ones this week
Sleep: It has gotten a little better. I still wake a few times a night but I'm able to fall back a sleep quickly.
Best moment this week: The nursery furniture will be delivered in a week or two!
Movement: tons of movement, my belly jumps all around when he kicks hard. He also loves to take his hands and hit my bladder.
Food cravings: ice water
Food aversions: nothing right now
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: walking normal, Andrew makes teases me about my waddling.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out if I passed my 3 hour glucose test
Weekly Wisdom: none this week
Milestones: I'm only about two months away from meeting the little guy!

28 weeks

2009-09-12T09:06:00.001-04:00

This week I found out I failed my one hour glucose test. I know have to go take the three hour test. The doctor said I could have had something in my system from the night before that had my sugar level high and made me fail the first test. I will have a twelve hour fast before my first blood is drawn, then drink the sugar drink and have blood drawn every hour for three hours. He also suggested cutting back on my carbs and watching how many grams of carbs in the foods and drinks I have daily. The good thing is all the fruits I really enjoy are lower in sugars on the glycemic index!

How far along? 28 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 16 pounds to date
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? I have a few new ones on my belly
Sleep: Some nights are better than others
Best moment this week: Finally being able to wear long sleeves because the weather was chilly for a few days! I love fall weather.
Movement: A lot. I love watching my belly dance around as he moves.
Food cravings: nothing really this week
Food aversions: most sea foods
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: being able to wear sneakers without them killing my feet
What I am looking forward to: I can't wait to meet the little guy.
Weekly Wisdom: none this week
Milestones: I start my two week visits to the doctor on September 28, which means I'm getting really close to meeting my son!

Avery loves Uncle Andrew

2009-09-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I spent the weekend at my parents for Labor Day and our niece Avery is just in love with her uncle Andrew. She was so cute on Friday night, she crawled over to where Andrew was sitting and pulled herself up and put her arms up so he would pick her up. She then just cuddled the night away with him. Here are the pictures from the weekend.

Here are a few of Avery playing in Mom and Dad's hot tub with her Daddy!

And one picture of Avery with her Nana.

Introducing Aiden Lester!

2009-09-06T22:21:00.000-04:00

Amie had her baby on Thursday September 3rd, a very adorable little boy named Aiden. He arrived about two weeks early but at a very healthy weight of 7 pounds and 1 ounce! Mother, father and baby are all doing well. Unfortunately for Andrew and I, it will be some time before we can meet our new nephew. Since I can't travel that far now we will have to wait until either Amie, Jason and Aiden make their way back to Pennsylvania, or until our little boy is older and we can travel to Indiana. Here are a few pictures of the new family:

27 weeks

2009-09-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

Another week has flown by in this pregnancy. On Tuesday we went for another ultrasound and got to see the little guy again. He was stubborn like always and made it a little difficult for us to get a clear view of his spine. Friday I went for my glucose testing and will find out on September 10 if I passed the test or if I have gestational diabetes.

How far along? 27 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out on September 10 how much more I gained.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? no new ones
Sleep: I take it when I can
Best moment this week: Seeing the little guy again!
Movement: lots of hits and kicks.
Food cravings: pizza
Food aversions: nothing this week
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: a glass of wine with dinner would be nice
What I am looking forward to: I can't wait to finally meet the little guy.
Weekly Wisdom: relax when the baby arrives.
Milestones: I'm in the final stretch of the pregnancy!

26 weeks.

2009-08-28T20:11:00.000-04:00

I have made it to the third trimester this week! Only a few more months until I finally get to meet the little one! I had my first day of braxton hicks contractions but after upping my water in take I have not have them since. To be honest they were not painful at all, I was just uncomfortable while I was at work. I failed to take a 25 week belly picture, so I will need to take my 26 week picture this weekend.

How far along? 26 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 7 pounds total so far
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? no new ones
Sleep: still find it hard to get a restful nights sleep
Best moment this week: Making it to the third trimester!
Movement: lots of hits and kicks.
Food cravings: PB&J
Food aversions: just seafood still
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in for now but my one scar that use to be in my belly button is now on the outside!
What I miss: sleeping a full night
What I am looking forward to: Getting to see the baby again on September 1!
Weekly Wisdom: try to relax...
Milestones: I don't know if its great or not, but I had my first day of braxton hicks contractions on Wednesday. But they weren't painful at all just made me a little uncomfortable.

25 Weeks

2009-08-22T19:56:00.000-04:00

Andrew finally felt the baby kick this week, and it was one strong kick from the little one. The baby has also decided that he loves to kick mommy in the ribs all the time now.

How far along? 25 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: plus 7 pounds total so far
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? i have two new ones on my belly :(
Sleep: Not going so well most nights.
Best moment this week: Andrew finally feeling the baby kick!
Movement: All the time...the baby's favorite is kicking me in the ribs now.
Food cravings: Sweets
Food aversions: most seafood...I hate the seafood department at the grocery store.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in for now, but doesn't look like it will stay that way much longer.
What I miss: sleeping on my belly.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing the baby on September 1 when we go for an ultrasound.
Weekly Wisdom: sleep now before the baby arrives!
Milestones: The baby is really responding when Andrew and I talk to him through my belly. He will start to kick and do flips.

9 week vs 24 week belly picture

2009-08-18T19:53:00.000-04:00

I wore this dress for my 9 weeks picture and my 24 weeks pictures and you can really see how much of a difference there is in my belly.

Nursery ideas

2009-08-16T12:41:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I picked out our nursery furniture for the little guy. I'm very happy with the furniture and can't wait to have either a house for it or a bigger apartment. The room will be the following colors: cream, sage green and brown. We are going to do a chair railing around the room and have the top half be cream. The chair railing will be stained in a cherry stain to match the furniture we picked. The bottom half of the walls will be sage green and brown stripes. I can't wait to be able to get this done, but we are still house hunting. I just hope we get into a house before the baby is born and can have the nursery set up. In fact if we find a house and make settlement in a timely manner that will be the first room we tackle. The dresser and crib are from Babi Italia Eastside collection. The dresser will double as our changing table as well. The glider and ottoman are made by Shermag. The bedding is by Kids Line and is called bunny meadow. It is sage green and brown and very cute! We were able to find all our furniture and bedding at Babies-R-Us which is great so we can pick everything up at once!

Babi Italia Eastside Single Crib $329.99 at Babies R Us
Babi Italia Eastside Dresser $529.99 at Babies R Us
Shermag Cherry Glider and Ottoman $299.99 at Babies R Us
Kids Line Bunny Meadow bedding $179.99 at Babies R Us

24 weeks!

2009-08-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

I have been slacking at posting my belly pictures in a timely manner but I have finally added my 22 and 23 week pictures! I still need to scan the ultrasound pictures from the other week so those will hopefully be up soon. 24 weeks means we have finally hit viability mark for the baby! Just another milestone we hit in the pregnancy. The 24 week check up went very well, and the baby had a very strong heartbeat!

How far along? 24 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: gained a net of 7 pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: I miss having a good nights rest. I'm trying to add extra pillows to help me get comfortable...nothing helps though.
Best moment this week: Here the baby's heart beating so strong!
Movement: Lots
Food cravings: Still on the root beer kick.
Food aversions: shrimp
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: feeling well rested. I feel like I did at the first trimester...tired all the time.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing the baby again the first week in September...we are still trying to get a good view of the spine.
Weekly Wisdom: none
Milestones: Viability. I go for my glucose test the end of the month, and hoping that comes out well.

23 Weeks

2009-08-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. I will be in my third trimester in no time. I go to the doctors on Tuesday for my 24 week visit. I know I will need to set up my glucose testing then, and I am not looking forward to the test from the stories I have heard about it.

How far along? 23 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: still at a net loss of 1 pound...I'm sure this will be different on Tuesday
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: Is not going so well these days. I wake up just about every two hours because I am sore and can't find a position to sleep in that doesn't hurt.
Best moment this week: It's not related to my baby, but seeing my niece Avery in my parents hot tub was so cute!
Movement: Lots
Food cravings: tomato based foods.
Food aversions: most sea foods... they just don't smell or look good to eat.
Gender: Boy...although we now have some doubts.
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? still in, not sure how much longer that will last though.
What I miss: Being able to sleep through the night without waking up every two hours.
What I am looking forward to: Doctor's visit on Tuesday and Andrew's birthday!
Weekly Wisdom: Nothing new.
Milestones: The baby hit the viability mark! But he still needs to stay in me for a while longer to make sure he's nice and healthy.

22 weeks!

2009-08-02T11:06:00.001-04:00

Andrew and I went for another ultrasound on Wednesday, and the tech couldn't tell us for a 100 percent that we were having a little boy. We are still about 90-95 percent sure he's a little boy. We are still referring to the baby as a boy, and I still call him Alexander every time I talk to him. I love watching my belly bounce around as he kicks me! I still have to scan the pictures from the ultrasound so they will be in a different post.

How far along? 22 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out on August 11.
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: I always want more of it since I'm waking up about every two hours to find a new position and getting up to go to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Watching Andrew's face again at the ultrasound. I love watching him see the baby move all around. He gets more excited each time!
Movement: he is a very active baby
Food cravings: root beer is good.
Food aversions: nada
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in...but very shallow these days.
What I miss: I just want to lay on my belly for a little while, I feel like it would make my back feel great if I could for just a few minutes.
What I am looking forward to: The next doctor's visit to make sure we are still doing well!
Weekly Wisdom: none this week.
Milestones: The baby received his first teddy bear from his Knottie (the knot/nest) Aunt Kate!

Belly pictures from the first half of the pregnancy

2009-08-01T10:12:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be cute to put all the pictures of my belly from the first one taken up to the twenty week mark. So here they are:

9 weeks 10 weeks 12 weeks

15 weeks 16 weeks 17 weeks

18 weeks 19 weeks

20 weeks!! Half way point of my pregnancy!!!

21 weeks!

2009-07-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

We are getting closer to our 24 week mark which will make us at the viability mark for the little guy. I have started to call him Alexander and Xander when I talk to him. While Andrew still calls him August and Auggie Doggie. I love seeing my belly every morning and feeling all of his movements. I also am enjoying that others can really see that I'm pregnant and not just over weight. I still can not wait for Andrew to be able to feel the little guys kicks and hits, I know it will be soon. Andrew is more patient about feeling them than I am.

How far along? 21 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: I think I'm holding steady with my weight, but I'll find out on August 11.
Maternity clothes? of course!
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: I wish I could get more uninterrupted sleep during the nights. I wake up during the night to find a new position and decide while I'm up I should go use the bathroom.
Best moment this week: I had fun looking at all the little boy outfits with my Mom on Saturday.
Movement: Lots, but he always stops moving when Andrew touches my belly!
Food cravings: Still love Root beer
Food aversions: nada
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in...but very shallow these days.
What I miss: being able to wear my lovely wedding ring, only my engagement ring fits now.
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound!
Weekly Wisdom: to take care of myself and follow the doctors orders!
Milestones: We received our first baby gift last weekend from Amie and Jason!

20 weeks!!!

2009-07-03T10:25:00.005-04:00

I'm half way there!! 20 weeks have come and gone and I am quickly moving along in this pregnancy. Andrew and I helped threw Amie her baby shower yesterday. It was great to see Amie and Jason, and we all had a great time at her shower. This weeks pictures are from the shower.

How far along? 20 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: Gained 5 pounds this past month...still at a net loss of 1 pound
Maternity clothes? yup
Stretch marks? The ones on my belly are getting worse
Sleep: I love it, but don't feel like I get enough
Best moment this week: Seeing Amie and her baby belly. Her baby also decided to kick the side of my belly while taking a picture. I guess her little one is already fighting for attention from my baby.
Movement: Lots, I felt the baby hiccup this week!
Food cravings: root beer and sweets
Food aversions: nada
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: a mojito would be great on these hot summer days.
What I am looking forward to: I get to see the baby again in a week or so when I have another ultrasound!
Weekly Wisdom: You will learn quickly how to change a boys diaper after you are peed on the first time.
Milestones: I hit the half way point of the pregnancy!

19 weeks

2009-07-03T10:25:00.003-04:00

19 weeks have already come and gone. We picked out our crib bedding for the little guy, and bought some new summer outfits for him for next year since they were on sale! Andrew has yet to feel the kicks that are getting stronger everyday, so I know it is only a matter of time before he will feel them. My belly looks like a basketball these days..but I love it! Here are the three ultrasound pictures taken at 18 weeks. We were able to get a good shot of the baby's spine, a face shot, and some of the fast and his one arm.

How far along? 19 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: i have a feeling I am finally gaining weight, I just hope it isn't too much to gain in a month. I'll find out Thursday at the 20 week doctor's appointment.
Maternity clothes? must...I had to go buy more tops since my non maternity really aren't working for me anymore.
Stretch marks? some
Sleep: love it...but waking up at 3 am to go to the bathroom is getting old.
Best moment this week: finding out we are having a boy.
Movement:lots
Food cravings: root beer, pasta salad and potato salad.
Food aversions: none!
Gender: Boy!!
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sleeping on my belly.
What I am looking forward to: Andrew finally being able to feel the baby moving.
Weekly Wisdom: ...my father-in-law said something to me yesterday and I can't remember it now.
Milestones: Tuesday July 14 I hit the half way point of the pregnancy!!!

18 weeks

2009-07-03T10:25:00.001-04:00

Andrew finally was able to hear the baby move Saturday night. I had him put his head on my belly when the baby was kicking. I can't wait for him to finally be able to feel the kicks!! On Monday we finally found out that we are expecting a little boy!! The little guy is about 12 ounces already.

How far along? 18 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out on the 16th.
Maternity clothes? must
Stretch marks? on my belly
Sleep: love it!
Best moment this week: watching Andrew see the baby move around during the ultrasound!
Movement: the baby is beating me up most days. I can't wait for Andrew to be able to feel the movement.
Food cravings: root beer
Food aversions: none
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sleeping on my belly still
What I am looking forward to: starting to buy all those cute clothes!
Weekly Wisdom: start child proofing the house now...little boys get into everything!
Milestones: finding out the sex of our little one. Andrew being able to hear the baby's movements. And watching Andrew see the little guy bounce all around in me during the ultrasound.

17 weeks

2009-06-19T19:31:00.003-04:00

Seventeen weeks has come and gone now. This pregnancy is flying by! Andrew and I started our registry for the baby. We only picked out the gender nuetral items since we don't know the sex of the baby. We also found the crib and dresser we like for the nursery. I can't wait to pick out the crib bedding. I hope this week goes fast so we can go for the ultrasound on Monday!!!!

How far along? 17 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: Down 2 more pounds
Maternity clothes? oh yeah
Stretch marks? yup
Sleep: i wake up pretty often to try and find a comfortable position.
Best moment this week: I got to see the baby last Thursday!
Movement: some, mostly at night or when the baby is telling me it is time to eat.
Food cravings: cherry coke
Food aversions: nada
Gender: We hopefully find out July 6th!
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sleeping on my belly.
What I am looking forward to: We found the furniture for the nursery.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new...or if someone said something I have already forgotten about it.
Milestones: I am about to start my fifth month of pregnancy which means only four more short months!

16 weeks

2009-06-19T19:31:00.001-04:00

Well week 16 was eventful to say the least. I had thought I was passing a kidney stone this week but it ended up just being an infection. Glad that I went to the family doctor to have it checked out though. An ultrasound was ordered to check out my kidneys and abdomen and to make sure the baby was doing well. I'm still waiting for the results from the ultrasound for the kidneys and abdomen. I have started a antibiotic and hopefully I will start to feel better soon. During the ultrasound the baby didn't want to uncross "his" legs. So I'll have to wait two more weeks to find out the sex of the baby. But here are the 16 week baby pictures, how big the baby is and my belly picture.

How far along? 16 weeks and 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: down two more pounds
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: some nights are great and some are hell
Best moment this week: I got to see the baby on Thursday
Movement: some flutters
Food cravings: cherry coke
Food aversions: nothing
Gender: will hopefully find out in two weeks
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: a nice glass of wine would be great
What I am looking forward to: finding out the sex of the baby
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new.
Milestones: Andrew hearing the baby's heartbeat. And him telling the doctor "that my baby is kicking ass in there"

15 weeks

2009-06-09T19:26:00.003-04:00

I'm five weeks away from the half way point of my pregnancy. I can't believe how fast it is going. My belly popped this week and the guys at work are very quick to point it out. The weather this week has been rainy and very humid, which is making my body hurt a lot. Here is how big the baby is this week. And here is the belly picture.

How far along? 15 weeks and 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: I'm afraid to find out
Maternity clothes? it's a must
Stretch marks? yes
Sleep: sleeping through most nights now
Best moment this week: I felt the baby move this week!
Movement: some flutters
Food cravings: cherry coke
Food aversions: nothing as of today. tomorrow could be different.
Gender: Andrew is calling him a boy still.
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: my brain...the baby has taken it.
What I am looking forward to: For Andrew to hear the baby's heart beat next week.
Weekly Wisdom: not to stress about everything
Milestones: feeling the baby move.

14 weeks

2009-06-09T19:26:00.001-04:00

Well this is two weeks in a row I have failed to take a tummy picture. I will have to make sure to take a 15 week picture. Here is how big the baby is now though:

How far along? 14 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out on the 17th if I have gained any weight
Maternity clothes? yes
Stretch marks? a few
Sleep: waking up every few hours to find a new position to sleep
Best moment this week: felt the baby move for the first time
Movement: some flutters
Food cravings: cherry coke
Food aversions: some meats still
Gender: will find out in four weeks
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: some times I would love to just have a glass of wine
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby
Weekly Wisdom: none really.
Milestones: feeling the baby move

13 weeks!

2009-05-31T12:33:00.000-04:00

Well 13 weeks has come and gone. My sciatic nerve hurts a lot these days and the pain wakes me up in the middle of the night. The baby has also decided to sit on my bladder so I am waking up every three hours to go to the bathroom.

How far along? 13 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: still pre-pregnancy weight
Maternity clothes? yup...just more comfortable this way
Stretch marks? some...i'm going to buy the cocoa butter to help them.
Sleep: getting sleep but waking up a lot.
Best moment this week: Started to look at the furniture for the nursery and found some cute quilts I like.
Movement: none yet
Food cravings: ice water
Food aversions: meats....nothing seems to sound good these days.
Gender: I call the baby a girl and Andrew calls the baby a boy.
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sleeping without leg pain!
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby next month! Weekly Wisdom: none really.
Milestones: moved on to my second trimester!

12 weeks!

2009-05-25T20:51:00.000-04:00

I am at the end of 12 weeks and feeling pretty well. I starting to get my energy back around 11.4 weeks and have been doing pretty well since. I went to the doctor's on Tuesday and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat! We also scheduled my 20 week ultrasound for the week of July 4th so we can finally find out the sex of the baby!

How far along? 12 weeks 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: lost 2 pounds
Maternity clothes? pants and have bought more shirts
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: finally feeling refreshed when I wake up in the morning
Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat!
Movement: none yet
Food cravings: nothing really
Food aversions: none right now
Gender: I'm back to calling the baby a boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: I really wanted a mojito over this holiday weekend.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby next month! Weekly Wisdom: none really.
Milestones: I have energy again!!

11 weeks

2009-05-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

I'm almost at the end of my first trimester! I am hoping to have energy in the second trimester. I have more aches and pains these days and find myself needing Andrew to rub my back every night. The baby is still growing and is now the size of a lime already.

How far along? 11 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: holding steady
Maternity clothes? pants and some shirts
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: still tired all the time. I still love naps!
Best moment this week: Enjoyed my first Mother's Day with Andrew and our families!
Movement: none
Food cravings: my sweet tooth has returned
Food aversions: onions
Gender: Still think my dream was telling me I am having a girl
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sushi
What I am looking forward to: Hopefully hearing the heartbeat next Tuesday
Weekly Wisdom: just to relax!
Milestones: Over my morning sickness!

Books for the Tot

2009-05-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of books myself, and I'm hoping that I can impart some of that love onto my children.

Yesterday we found a used book store in Dana's parent's neighborhood: 2nd Chance Books. It's a neat little store with a huge selection of used books, and a pretty decent selection of high-quality childrens books too. Part of me worried that the books we picked up would have slobber stains, crayon marks, and grubby finger smudges, but this wasn't the case at all. The books were all in almost perfect condition!

The ones we bought yesterday were some of the classics that Dana and I remembered from our respective childhoods: Dr. Suess, the Berenstain Bears and Winnie the Pooh.

It was a perfect little shopping trip for us to go on for our first mothers day, and we were able to pick up some great little books to read with our young ones. Plus, we were able to get the pile of books for a very reasonable price, so that makes everything better!

10 Weeks!

2009-05-06T20:21:00.001-04:00

10 weeks already, it seems like it is going so quickly. I will post a picture on here tomorrow, I just don't have the energy to take one tonight. We saw a lot of Andrew's aunts and uncles this past weekend and it was great to see how excited they are about the baby.

How far along? 10 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: I'm not sure if I gained any weight this week, I haven't weighted myself.
Maternity clothes? pants
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: can't get enough sleep...I feel like I can't function most days
Best moment this week: No real morning sickness this week
Movement: none
Food cravings: taco bell...I know it's bad but so good right now.
Food aversions: carrots still
Gender: I had a dream it was a girl
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: coffee
What I am looking forward to: hopefully having energy again
Weekly Wisdom: get your rest now...you won't have it after the baby arrives
Milestones: I can't think of anything right now...I'm too tired!

The House

2009-05-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

We went out last night to take a look at a few more houses. We scheduled four of them, and the Realtor at first was a little skeptical that we would be able to do all those showings in a single evening. Of course, when you've seen as many houses as we have in the past few months, you know exactly what you are looking for and can cross the lousy ones off the list pretty quickly.

The first house was lousy. It looked pretty great from the pictures, but it was unmaintained and needed a lot of work. The kitchen didn't even have space or an electrical hookup (that we could see) for a stove.

The second house was much nicer, a very nice updated kitchen (which is important to me), but an ugly looking yard, a very creepy basement, and steep price tag.

The third looked so remarkably cute from the outside but was a total wreck on the inside. The basement had a serious water leak problem, and instead of having the problem resolved the owners chose to dig a series of ditches in the basement to direct the water down towards the sump pump.

The fourth house was the one.

It was a townhouse, which is something we've shied away from in some of our looking because we figured that for the same amount of money we could get a standalone house and a decent sized yard. We were wrong though, the townhouse really did give us more for our money.

So we talked to the realtor last night after we saw the house and immediately scheduled a second showing for this morning and brought all our parents to come see it with us. They loved it too and earlier this afternoon we put in our first offer!

After all these months, it's amazing that things can suddenly move so fast.

Introducing Baby W

2009-04-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

I had my first ultrasound today and it went very well. Drinking 32 ounces of water and not being able to go to the bathroom until after the ultrasound was over was the only bad part of the day. Andrew and I got to see the heart beat, which was going at a strong 162 beats per minute. The tech said I am only 9 weeks and 1 day pregnant compared to 9 weeks and 4 days the calculations say. So I will be having the baby sometime between November 28th to December 1st if all goes as plans. So without farther ado...here is Baby W.

9 Weeks...

2009-04-25T19:19:00.000-04:00

The baby is growing quickly, he/she is already the size of a green olive! Here is a picture of my big bloat belly.

How far along? 9 weeks 0 days
Total weight gain/loss: gained 3 pounds
Maternity clothes? pants, but started looking at the cute shirts the stores have.
Stretch marks? nothing new
Sleep: still tired all the time.
Best moment this week: finding out that I will have an u/s on Wednesday!
Movement: none
Food cravings: ice water
Food aversions: carrots
Gender: still leaning towards a boy
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: coffee
What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound on Wednesday and seeing the baby for the first time!
Weekly Wisdom: pregnant women always look great...Kim made me feel great when we were bridesmaid dress shopping today. She's a new mom of 6 month twin boys.
Milestones: started with morning sickness last week

Maternity Bridesmaid Dress

2009-04-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

So I thought I would put in a picture of my dress I will be wearing when I'm 7 months pregnant for my best friends wedding this October. It is a Belsoie dress, but just imagine that I will have a big belly. The dresses will be in berry, and one of the other bridesmaids picked this dress as well, minus the maternity part. Once the dress gets in I will post a picture of me in it.