First weeks at home with baby!

Our little man will be 3 weeks old tomorrow! Time is flying by. Here are some pictures :)


Please excuse my appearance in the picture below. It had been a long few nights and I was tired!

love that sleepy face!

We are parents!

A week ago yesterday was the best day of our lives so far.  Our precious baby boy was born via csection.  Our 3 nights in the hospital are a bit of a blur.  We had an amazing experience there with the best nurses and doctors that we could have ever wished for.  Jack stayed at the hospital with us every night and quickly learned how to change diapers and swaddle the baby with the best of them.

We came home on Monday and our first night was quite an event!  Baby woke us up every hour and Jack and I were both very tired when the sun came up.  I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning but things are getting much better! Jack has proven to be the most amazing/loving/protective/sweet father and husband.  I knew he was amazing but he has exceeded all expectations.  I am so lucky to have him as my partner in life. Both of our moms have been so helpful with things around the house and just being around when we need anything.  It doesn't hurt that they have cooked us some great meals as well :)  Who doesn't love mom's cooking.

The baby is just amazing.  He already has such a sweet nature and personality.  He loves cuddling and is so alert for many hours each day.  At a week old he is already trying to hold his head up and last night he did a 90 degree turn in his bassinet after getting out of his swaddle.  He needs to slow down! Time is moving so fast already and we are trying to savor every second.  Jack will be going back to work Monday and I am so sad that he can't be home with us every day. I know it isn't realistic but we have been having such a nice time as a family of 3 at home all day long.  This weekend we are planning on a lot of quiet time for the 3 of us. 

Here are a lot of pictures of our pride and joy while in the hospital. He has seriously stolen our hearts. I will post more of his first week at home tomorrow.

 Excited Daddy

 Nervous but ready to meet our little man.

 Just a few minutes old :)

 Love at first sight

 Love these boys so much.

 Snuggle bug

 Happy and sleepy

His confused face. 

Maternity Photos and a Baby Birthday

We got our maternity pictures back and I love them (warning: this post will be photo heavy!).  I am so excited to get some of them printed and hung at home, just in time for baby to make his arrival! I am definitely glad we did the pictures at 32 weeks before I became extremely huge.

I got a call last Thursday confirming our c-section date.  We will officially be going in Friday morning to the hospital and should be out of surgery with a baby in our arms by lunch.  It is definitely not the labor and delivery I pictured for myself but I am just happy that the day is coming and know that this is the safest option for both baby and myself.  I am definitely nervous thinking about major surgery but I know that I will be distracted by my brand new baby boy once it is over and it will all be worth it. 

I had an appointment yesterday and the baby is very content in my belly for now.  It doesn't sound like he will be coming on his own and that is fine with me! I would love for him to stay in as long as possible and get good and strong for his big debut.

I am already so thankful for our wonderful family and amazing friends who I know will be there for help and support if we need it. Jack and I are looking forward to this new step in our lives and can't wait to meet Baby Jack!  I am going to be a mom in less than 72 hours.  How crazy is that?!

I am going to leave you with some maternity pictures.

36 and 37 weeks!

The past two weeks have really gone by quickly and I am thankful for that. I have spent a lot of time nesting and getting ready for baby's arrival. Jack and I are also taking a lot of time to just sit and talk and have moments together as a family of two since our time is ticking! We have been loving and snuggling with our dogs even more than normal because those poor pups have no idea what is about to happen. I hope they all transition well. I know they love babies so that isn't a concern, but I don't want them to feel sad once the baby comes home. They are our first children and I love them so much! We are going to make an extra effort to ensure they still get loving all of the time. So if you are planning on coming over to meet the baby once he is home, take this as a warning that you will be asked to give the dogs some attention first, before running over to the baby :)

Thanksgiving was last week and it was a great day. We just spent the afternoon with our families and ate lots of good food. Being pregnant on Thanksgiving is pretty awesome. I ate all day long and did not think twice about it.

 

How far along? 37 weeks, 4 days
Stretch marks? nope!
Sleep: I sure do miss it, but I am suprisingly learning to cope. I have always needed 8+ hours/night to function and be nice, but lately I have been working on a lot less and it hasn't been terrible!
Best moment this week: Thanksgiving with the family and lots of QT with the husband, Jack and I are making sure to spend a ton of time just the two of us and I love it.

Miss Anything? Nothing out of the ordinary. Starting to get very excited about the idea of being able to eat lunch meat soon. A cold club sub has never sounded better.
Movement: He moves all of the time. Today during the NST, my doctor referred to him as a "wild man". Looks like we will have our hands full with this little guy.
Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies are still a huge one. I made a batch the other night and I won't even tell you how many I had as they were coming hot out of the oven.
Anything making you queasy or sick: no, been feeling great there.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Nothing yet! Doctor thinks it could be any day. Baby is super low and I am having a lot of small contractions.
Symptoms: Still feeling extremely uncomfortable most of the time but it is just par for the course and I can't complain too much. I know many women who have had it worse than I do!
Belly Button in or out? out.
Wedding rings on or off? off :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Definitely emotional though. I find myself crying/teary over the littlest things. Also, anything involving a birth of a baby on tv will turn me into mush. I think it is just knowing that we will be experiencing it so soon. I can't imagine the emotions that I will feel when he arrives.
Looking forward to: Still waiting on maternity photos but hoping to get them back soon! And of course looking forward to delivery day!

Looking Large! 

 

35 weeks!

The past week is kind of a blur for me. I think that is how things will be from this point forward.  I think I am officially starting to hit a wall. I am not trying to complain at all because this is all totally worth it, but I do feel like my body has kind of reached it's limit.  Only a little over 30 days until due date and hopefully baby doesn't decide to come late! 

How far along? 35 weeks, 2 days
Stretch marks? Can't believe I have avoided them so far.  I am just hoping I don't get any last minute surprises!
Sleep: sleep is not in my vocabulary anymore.
Best moment this week: Jack and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary on Sunday.  Although we had a pretty lazy day and I had a bit of a melt down, it was great just spending time with him and celebrating the past 6 years.  We have done so much in our time together and I am so ready for this new chapter in our lives.  I keep telling myself to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of it being just us.  I love that man so much.
Miss Anything? same story, different week. 
Movement: He is moving constantly.  He gets way up in my ribs whenever I am sitting upright and it can be pretty painful, but it just shows how big he is getting and I love that!
Food cravings: fruit this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have moments of sickness every day.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Nothing yet!
Symptoms: Like I said, I hit a wall this weekend.. I know it could be worse, so i am not complaining, but I am just uncomfortable.
Belly Button in or out? out.
Wedding rings on or off? off :( Hoping to get them back on shortly after he arrives!
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy and still emotional as hell. I felt like a 2 year old yesterday when I threw a bit of a tantrum yesterday because we bought this amazing pimento cheese and when Jack was unloading the car it fell on the ground and the container busted.  I cried.  Yes, I cried.  It was ridiculous but I wanted that pimento cheese.  Jack jumped in the card and went and bought me 3 different brands after that. Have I ever mentioned how amazing my husband is?  Pimento cheese party anyone?
Looking forward to: Getting our maternity photos back soon and also my next appointment on Tuesday! 

Here are some photos of our wedding day since our anniversary was yesterday!  I love looking back on them. Seems like so long ago.

You have HOW much time left?!

 

 

Oh man, if I had a dollar for how many times I have heard that in recent days.  So many strangers ask when I am due or how long until baby's due date and I get the same WIDE EYED response every time. I know my belly is big, but come on!  I don't need to see it all over every stranger's face that I meet.  Jack tells me every day that I am getting bigger and trust me, I feel it.  I think he is still kind of amazed at the whole process.

Only about 39 days until Baby is due and we can't wait to meet him!  We can't wait to meet our little boy!  We will have one last ultrasound in 2 weeks to see how big baby is and also to check his position.  My doctor was feeling around on my stomach this week and said he seems to be transverse, which means he is laying across my belly instead of vertical.  Hoping that changes!

How far along? 34 weeks, 3 days

Maternity clothes? Maternity but finding that I don't have much for this cold weather. No sense in buying more stuff so I am just working with what I have and wearing unbuttoned coats for now!

Stretch marks? so far, so good!
Sleep: Insomnia is a weird thing. I go to bed exhausted every night and wake up WIDE awake around 1 or 2 AM and can't get back to sleep.  My mind won't stay quiet and my body can't get comfortable.
Best moment this week: First non-stress test with my doctor and it went great! Baby seems content for now! We also got all of the laundry done and I am in process of putting it all away and trying to stay as organized as possible.  This boy has a lot of stuff!
Miss Anything? I am missing good IPA beers and red wine more and more as the winter is approaching but it's all worth it.

Movement: All day every day and I love it.

Food cravings: Still on the chocolate chip cookie phase.  Can't seem to get enough but trying to limit myself.  I am also seriously addicted to the burrito bowls at Chipotle. I am pretty sure they know my order now when I go in there. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: no, thankfully.

Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Nothing yet and hoping it stays that way for at least 2 more weeks until Baby G is considered full term.

Symptoms: Other than fatigue, I am feeling pretty awesome!  I do have moments where I am so uncomfortable that I could cry, but I have learned to love it because I know it means this baby is getting big!
Belly Button in or out? out.
Wedding rings on or off? They are officially off  :( I have been wearing a plain silver band and it just isn't the same. I can't wait to be able to wear my rings again.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy, but hormones are raging, per usual.
Looking forward to: Getting our maternity photos back next week and looking forward to our next appointment with the doctor on Tuesday.  We are on weekly appointments now so I am thinking time will start to move a little faster. 

Baby Greene's Nursery!

With the exception of a few small details, the nursery is done!  We still need to get new blinds and I am waiting for the valence to be delivered from Pottery Barn.  I am also still playing with the idea of an ottoman but not sure.  Regardless, I love the way it turned out.  I am just trying to figure out what to do with myself for the next 8 or so weeks!!  Putting together the nursery has been so much fun.

My next project is to start washing all of his clothes, blankets, toys, etc. before his arrival!  I was also told to go ahead and start putting a hospital bag together.  It seems TOO early for that, but then again, who knows when baby will decide to arrive.  I also can't wait to get his bassinet set up in our room.  Although i am really anxious to meet him, I want him to stay in for at least 5 more weeks!  Once I am 37 weeks and full term, I think I will start trying every trick in the book to get this little guy out. 

According to my baby apps we have 56 days until our due date!!!

Take a look at his room! Here are some pictures :) 



looking inside from the hallway. (carseat and rock and play will move once he is here)

We had this painting framed a few weeks ago.  It was painted by an elephant named Peter at the Elephant Stay in Thailand where we vacationed almost 4 years ago.  I hope this baby develops the same love for animals that we have! With 3 dogs, I don't think he will have much of a choice ;)  The owl lamp is also one of my favorite purchases for the room.  Found it at Home Goods and I am in love.

Here is his crib with my DIY project I made hanging above. 

Please ignore the empty frame and shadow box!  We are going to have one of our maternity photos framed in the top left and the shadow box will have baby's footprint and hospital bracelet once he is home! The print I got from Etsy.

Changing table with adorable canvas made by Jamie D :)  She also gave us a precious framed onesie that everyone will sign when they visit at the hospital.  It is hanging on the other side of the closet.

Think baby has enough stuff?!  I know it looks like a lot, but we will be using it all, I am sure of it.

One last picture that was too cute not to post because Olive is being so sweet.  The dogs love hanging out in the nursery. I think they know they have a new family member coming soon!

 

That is it for now! 

Week 31

How far along? 31 weeks,  3 days
Maternity clothes? mostly maternity clothes. I do find myself staring into my closet most mornings missing things that I would normally be wearing in the fall.  It is all so worth it, but I can't wait to get back into my regular clothes!

Stretch marks? nothing yet... holding strong for now.
Sleep: That doesn't really happen anymore but I am fine with it.  Some days are harder than others and I am definitely missing coffee.
Best moment this week:  Seeing Alison and her precious prego belly!  I also pretty much finished the nursery (that post will happen later this week).
Miss Anything? Content with my food restrictions now because it has been so long. I will be very excited for my first club sandwich in a couple of months.  Someone better be on standby with Jersey Mike's after Jack's arrival ;)

Movement: Moving a ton and I love it.  

Food cravings: Fresh Mozzarella cheese and chocolate chip cookies... and yes, I have been seen eating them at the same time. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Last night was a pretty long period of me feeling sick. I just think I did a lot this weekend and my body was just over tired.

Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Nothing yet and hoping labor signs stay far away for a while!

Symptoms: heartburn and fatigue. I feel like I am in the first trimester again, exhaustion is here in full force. 
Belly Button in or out? out!
Wedding rings on or off? This morning I wasn't able to get them on without a bit of a struggle so I left them off :(  I am hoping that it is just a weird day and tomorrow I will be able to wear them again.  I feel naked without them.  I did read a blogpost last week about a woman who had to have her rings cut off because her fingers swelled so much one day. I can't cut those rings so I would rather be safe than sorry. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy! Still emotional and hormonal though!
Looking forward to: Our maternity session next weekend and our hospital tour! 


Alison came into town this weekend for her baby shower and it was so great seeing her!  She is pregnant with identical twin girls and due just 6 weeks after me.  Since they are twins they will likely be here early so Jack and both Baby Benos will be very close in age :)  Can't wait to get them all together in one place.  Love you, Al!

Friday I took the day off to get things done around the house and in the nursery. Although I had a really productive day, I think I am going to have a hard time stepping away from work 100% while on maternity leave.  I found myself answering emails more than I would like to admit and I just couldn't stop looking!  I know I will be extremely busy with a newborn but I still am not sure I will be able to turn it off for 12 weeks.  I guess only time will tell.

Here are some pictures from Alison's shower this weekend!