Almost 6 mths

In a couple of days Gregory will officially be 6 months old, and boy has he come a long way! We have a dr's appt on Wednesday, so we'll give you the vital stats then. Developmentally, he is right on track, rolling all over the place, scooting around backwards, and working on sitting up and crawling (forward!). The next several weeks will prove exciting on that front and we really must begin baby-proofing in earnest when we get back from Christmas! Enjoy the pics and video - check out the knee action!

Holy Roller!

Its official! Greg's a roller, even with clothes on! We were listening to Godfather Patrick's organ music in the background... And Lucy wanted to help too...

Enough pictures for you?

Well he was so cute in the bath this morning, I just couldn't resist!

Snow Day!!

 

 

 

 

Well we both took a nap and were feeling better, and lo and behold, I looked outside and its the first snow day!! We had a little dusting once or twice this year, but nothing measureable. I had to take Greg out in spite of his too-big snow suit!

Happy Boy!

Well Gregory has decided that he likes to wake up and cry multiple times during the night. This morning, he thought 6am would be a nice time to wake up. Now everyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person. But instead of chucking the little *@#%! out the window into a snow drift, I decided to look at pictures of him from a couple of days ago when he was so happy and sweet! Grandma Bonnie sent him a hook-on high chair for traveling and he had the best time trying it out. He thought it was pretty cool to sit up at the table and play with toys. It put him in a good mood for the rest of that afternoon!

5 1/2 months

We got some cute pics of some of the things Gregory's been doing lately. He has finally discovered his toes, which is of course adorable. He likes to hang on to them and kick his leg, and also try to pull them into his mouth, although he can't quite reach - his belly gets in the way! He is also becoming very interested in all kinds of household objects in addition to his toys. And he is really scooching around, especially backwards - I turned around the other day and saw that he had gotten halfway under the couch! Also you'll see in the picture he is wearing an amber necklace - it is supposed to help relieve teething pain. A bunch of ladies from my La Leche League group swear by them and I figured it couldn't hurt to try in case he has been feeling discomfort from his teeth. None have broken through yet, but we suspect that they bother him sometimes. We just got the necklace yesterday so we have yet to see if it really makes much difference.

I've been everywhere, man!

The last three weekends have found us out of town, which along with the end of my school term, has contributed to the lack of blogging. First Greg and I went to Chicago for a midwifery summit - what a great time - we met a lot of midwifery "celebrities" and got a lot of great info and networking for our group.

Then, while Dan went to Minneapolis for a Vikings game, we went to Norfolk, NE, for a big to-do at the birth center there. We had been working hard at planning it for over a month and it was a smashing success. The Nebraska Friends of Midwives annual meeting was a part of that event, so it was great to put faces with a lot of names I've only known over the internet. Also I was elected to the Board, in the position of Education Chair - I am very glad because there is a lot I want to do!

And for Thanksgiving, we all went up to Bismarck to spend time with Dan's family - both sides! It was a whirlwind trip but I know the family, especially the Grandparents, were happy to see Gregory! We were especially thankful that he actually did pretty well in the car, only crying when he was tired, which he does no matter where he is. So if we weren't in full gear before, we will be now, with Christmas fast approaching, a new quarter starting for me next week, and a lot of work to do to get ready for the January start of the legislative session.

Much to my dismay, several people have reported that they cannot view the slideshows from Photobucket, so I am trying yet another program. If you are having trouble please let me know. Enjoy!

Greg's First Halloween

Sorry its taken me a little while to get these up - been quite busy between school and the Nebraska Friends of Midwives stuff...

Well we had a little fun dressing Gregory up for his first Halloween and he was a pretty good sport about it. He didn't go trick-or-treating this year, but we did make it to a couple of parties.

Otherwise, there have not been any new developments in the arena of rolling over (still only naked) or riding in the car (still usually hates it). We did attempt to drink some water out of a cup a little bit, which didn't go half bad... He had fun playing with it anyway!

Greg and I, along with our friend Becca (Jacob's mommy), are going to Chicago this weekend for a very exciting midwifery summit - hopefully we'll learn some things that we can use to help the situation here in NE. And certainly network with a lot of other great people from around the country who are concerned about the same things.

Well enjoy the pics!

4 month update

Well Gregory is your typical adorable 4 month old! He giggles and smiles all the time (almost) and is really starting to interact with the world around him. He went to the dr yesterday and actually weighed quite a bit less than I thought - 13 lbs 3 oz. He is still doing fine for his age and height and as you can see in the pictures, is far from malnourished! I just thought he was more because when we were last in ND we weighed him on Grandma's scale and it said 14 lbs, and that was a month ago! Must have been off, but I'd say thats good news for Grandma! Anyway, he has been working hard at learning to roll over. He gets pretty good at it sometimes, but seems to have a hard time remembering his technique from one day to the next, so its back to square one... I'm sure it'll start sticking soon! Funny thing, he seems to be much better at it when he's naked! Rolling and all kinds of other movement as well - when I set him down for some fresh air time, he wiggles all over the place and ends up off of his blanket, but if he has clothes on, he seems perfectly content to lay in one place... Maybe being naked gives him extra body awareness, I don't know?? I have been trying to catch his skills on video, but I don't think he would appreciate me posting footage of his nakey-ness on the web - with the rolling you inevitably get views of his personal areas! Pictures of his chubby buns, on the other hand...well thats just too cute to not share! I did want to figure out how to post a video though, so here's one of him not rolling over - he makes a lot of noises though!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to give an update on how the Montessori stuff is going too, since we thought so much about it before he was born. The nursery is working out fantastic! He loves the mirrors and the mobile and I love the floor bed! We are also increasingly grateful that we decided to go with all natural toys. My latest issue of Mothering Magazine just arrived today and guess what the theme is? Natural toys of course, with a huge article on toxic plastics and dangerous chemicals. Not to mention all those awful toy recalls. Of course, we didn't have any of them in the first place! So we will continue to stick with natural toys - wood, cloth, safe metals, etc. And in Montessori fashion, we'll try to have things that are as realistic as possible, so he can learn about the real world. Kids really have no capacity to understand the difference between real and imaginary until they are much older - like first grade!

Soon we'll need to start thinking about some dishes and cups for Gregory too since he may want to start trying out some solid foods in a few months - I think we'll go with wood, glass, stainless steel, or enamel for those as well. I already have a great stainless steel water bottle that you can put a sippy cup adapter on! Next we need to get a baby-sized table and chair for him. I think we'll also get a nice wooden high-chair - the kind you pull up to the table - they used to be called "junior chairs" - so he can sit at the big table with us as well. Wow, eating will be a whole new adventure...good thing we won't really think about that until he's at least 6 months.

The one thing we have been doing is combining a lot of Attachment Parenting philosophy with our Montessori approach. Some things seem a bit contradictory, but you gotta do what works. For example, we carry Gregory in a sling or wrap a lot (very AP), but when we're home and he's in a good mood, we do set him down to play on his own (more Montessori), which some days ends up being several hours altogether. Also, we have resigned ourselves that he is just not one of those kids who you can lay down drowsy and they'll drift off to sleep on their own...no, he needs a lot of help! But, we do lay him down once he's out, and he has been doing a lot better sleeping in his own bed for naps. He still sleeps with us at night, but he is starting to kick and wiggle a lot so I am starting to think of transitioning him to his own bed. That is a huge step for me because only a few weeks ago I couldn't imagine ever wanting him to sleep anywhere other than next to me. Those tiny toes digging into me are slowing changing my mind! Of course, we won't force it and will continue to do whatever allows all of us to get the most rest. Anyway, the goal of Montessori is to help kids develop at their own pace and to grow in self-confidence. AP has the same goals, but sometimes somewhat different ideas of how to reach those goals. I do believe that the more securely attached children are to their parents, the more confident and independent they can be because they have trust and security. I think both philosophies are working together quite nicely for us...

Enjoy some pics - mostly of playtime...

busy, busy, busy

My goodness the last couple of weeks have been a total whirlwind around here! I can't even remember how many weeks old Gregory is now - I'll have to look it up. Ok, he will be 17 weeks old this Sunday, thats in two more days. Oh my goodness!! He's not technically 4 months old until the 17th, but he is getting so big! I am not sure of his weight but I estimate him to be close to 15 lbs - we'll find out officially on the 25th at his 4 month dr's appointment.

Anyway, as promised, here are more pictures from the baptism weekend.

We bid farewell to Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick on Monday afternoon, but the activities were just starting to get going for National Midwifery Week. We (Greg and I) have been getting more involved with Nebraska Friends of Midwives, so on Tues, we went to our weekly pot-luck lunch for socializing. Tuesday night we went to a showing of Born in the USA that we helped to organized. That was a good event with some new faces, but as these things tend to go, it was a bit like preaching to the choir. Wednesday a bunch of us trekked out to Lincoln for the Governor's Proclamation Signing. There was an amazing turnout there with people from all over the state. We filled the entire front of the legislative chamber and the Governor was taken by surprise. The picture only shows maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the people that were there! The whole crew had lunch at Old Chicago with a few midwives and a couple of representatives from some senators' offices too. The energy was amazing with all the families there. As people trickled away it sort of evolved into a mini planning meeting for our Organizational Meeting in November. I am SO excited for the next few months - we are hoping to be able to get some legislation on the agenda for the next session starting in Jan. It feels really great to be teaming up with other passionate people and working towards something we all believe in so strongly. It also keeps me out of trouble (but it keeps me from keeping house too, much to my and Dan's dismay...gotta get more organized...)

Gregory's Baptism

This weekend we celebrated Gregory's baptism. Grandpa Deacon Mike was the celebrant and all the Grandparents were here for it, which was very special. Our friends Patrick and Keri Godon also came in from Chicago to be the Godparents. Patrick and Dan have been friends since 3rd grade! Many of our local friends also joined us for the ceremony. It was a very beautiful opportunity to thank God for giving Gregory to our family and was made extra special because of the personal touches that Grandpa Mike put in. He said a touching homily that had everyone dabbing their eyes! Afterwards we all enjoyed lunch together. It was a short weekend since people had long journeys home and had to get going, but Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick were able to stay until Monday afternoon, so we got to go to the art museum and the zoo with them. It was a great visit. I have about 200 pictures from the weekend, but the following slideshow just highlights the baptism. I will add more later!

First Bismarck Trip

We took Gregory up to Bismarck last weekend for his Grandpa Mike's ordination as a deacon. We finally made it after our trip was delayed several hours by a bout of the stomach flu - apparently it has been going around - I suffered with it Friday and Dan and Coralie had it on Monday. Greg even threw up a couple times, but fortunately he didn't seem too upset by it and was otherwise fine. Anyway, Greg got to meet a LOT of Fix and Hogan family members including Aunt Kim and Grandpa Rod for the first time! Boy does he have a lot of 2nd cousins too!

We all had a great time and the ordination was wonderful. However, we did have a little scare at the rehearsal. Gregory tumbled right off a chair head first onto the marble floor of the Cathedral! I think I scooped him up before he actually hit the floor, as he did not have a bump or red mark, but we were both scared and he screamed for a couple minutes. I am sure it is the first of many falls, but it did come a little sooner than I expected I guess. I guess he is his father's son - Dan fell off a table when he was small and broke his arm! And then, one night at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie's house, he rolled over from tummy to back about 5 times in a row, but when Grandma came to see, he got shy and wouldn't do it anymore! Between that and the chair incident, I think I'd better not leave him alone anywhere he could get into trouble from now on! Time to start baby-proofing!

He did a little better on the drive - he seems to be starting to learn that it is best to just sleep in the car. Hopefully this becomes a trend, but I'm not holding my breath for that. It was probably because he was still tired from that stomach bug...

Well I switched to a new photo website that doesn't cut off the pics in the slideshow. However, it does have a limit to how many pics can be in one slideshow, so if there are a lot, you get two! Enjoy!

3 months old!!

It is hard to believe Gregory's already 3 months old. The time is just flying, but it also seems like he has always been here! He has grown and developed so much in the last month.

It astounds us how much longer he is - I had to remove the newborn insert from his baby bathtub - now he loves to kick in the water. He is also surprisingly heavy when you lift him. People comment that he is small, but he is solid and his belly and thighs are as chubby as can be! I think maybe he just looks smaller because he doesn't carry his weight in his face.

He has also been working on his motor skills. He's now an expert at getting his hands into his mouth and has become rather fond of sucking his left thumb. He is holding toys better and gets them into his mouth most of the time too. He was working on rolling over from tummy to back this morning and *almost* did it! He did move himself across his blanket and got the toy he wanted. He's getting better at batting hanging toys with his hands too, in addition to kicking.

But the most fun thing he's doing now is having conversations! He is a very vocal boy, always sharing his feelings and thoughts about things. He loves to talk and will engage in witty banter with anyone willing to chat! Its pretty darn cute to exchange oohs and aahs with him.

He is generally very happy and smiles easily, even at strangers. His favorite person is Daddy, though - he always has a smile for Daddy! He still hates the car, though it seems he may be getting just a little better...we still don't know exactly what the problem is - we have no idea why he cries some times and not other times.

We have been doing a lot of traveling, as we always do in the fall, and aside from the car, Gregory is an easy traveller. Next weekend we're off to Bismarck, ND, for Grandpa Mike's ordination as a deacon...that will be the longest trip so far, but we'll get to introduce Gregory to the rest of the Fix clan for the first time, including Aunt Kim!!


3 mths

NEWBORN PICS ONLINE!!!

Our professional newborn pictures have been put online for your viewing and ordering pleasure. Go to http://www.amberandrobclients.com/mp_client/login.asp?eventid=32052&eventstatus=0&categories=no&keywords2=yes&groupid=0&bw=true&sep=false&ckw=true. The password for our file is "Gregory" - let me know if you have any trouble getting in. THE GALLERY WILL ONLY BE ONLINE UNTIL OCTOBER 6TH. You can order prints online as well. Just to let you know, we received the prints we ordered and they are absolutely beautiful in real life! They come enhanced, mounted and coated, and ready to pop into a frame of your choice.

Back to work...

Well I have started up again with both of my jobs. The RESPECT shows are no big deal because I don't have to be gone too long. We have some gracious friends who don't seem to mind looking after Gregory during those times, so I guess he'll just bounce between them when I'm scheduled. However, my biology class takes me away from home for about 5 hours, which Gregory does not seem to be too happy about. Tonight he only slept 30 minutes during that time, and only ate about 1 oz. He is apparently not very good at taking a bottle despite our attempts to introduce it to him at the right time. He was starving and exhausted when I got home - poor Dan was at his wit's end. Well we'll try a different kind of bottle nipple and hopefully that will solve the problem and the two of them can get into a better groove.

Otherwise the last week has been quite nice. It was my birthday last week and we went to a neat little restaurant. I am going to get Photoshop Elements for my birthday (just haven't ordered it yet) so I can perfect all of my digital photos and hopefully use it to make a scrapbook. I have ugly handwriting, so making one by hand is not really a great idea for me... Speaking of digital photos, of course we have more to share! The stupid Webshots cuts off the pictures so weird in the slideshow, but it takes up much less space than posting them individually. Lets have a vote - slideshow or individual - which do you prefer??

A couple notes on the pics: you'll see Gregory is already interested in the arts - studying Van Gogh quite intently. I got these famous painter books for him at the museum and they are the first books he really likes to look at! Also shown (though maybe cut off in the slideshow) is the new setup of the toy hanger - he just loves kicking those jingle bells - he'll go at it for an hour at a time! Lastly, he is getting much better at hand-to-mouth and is beginning to prefer his hand over his binki - I am somewhat relieved because I hate the binki, but I suppose you can't throw thumbs away!



10 wks

9th week

Grandma Bonnie and her friend Laurie came to visit us this week and we had a lovely time. We did spend quite a bit of energy trying to figure out why Gregory hates the car and we even attempted some aromatherapy. Nothing has completely quelled the crying yet, but so far the most effective intervention is Daddy singing show tunes. That's it, Dan has to come with us everywhere we drive! Obviously thats not practical, but maybe we'll have to make a tape of him singing??

Its coming upon the time that I have to start back to work a little bit. I have 2 RESPECT shows next week and after Labor Day I'll begin teaching an evening class at the community college again. It will be great for Dan and Greg to be together just them for 2 nights a week, but I know I'll miss them both while I'm away! I am looking forward to having a little paycheck again though!

Well here are some pics - some more from the Napa trip courtesy of my sisters. If anyone has any others, please email them to me since our camera wasn't working on that trip. Thanks!
grandma bonnie aug 07

sometime in Napa

with Great Grandparents

dim sum in Chinatown San Francisco

Pier 39 watching sea lions

Ghiradelli Square

oops - I forgot to tell you...

Gregory had his 2 month checkup at the doctor. He weighed 11 lbs, 7 oz, and was 23 inches. He was around the 50th percentile for both, so he is perfect, but I could've told you that! Anyway, the doc was very pleased with him and said to keep doin what we're doin. I did ask about Greg's hatred of riding in the car, but he had no suggestions other than to hope that he grows out of it - thanks a lot! So I put it to you - has anyone else ever heard of a baby that loathes car trips?

2 months old!

At 2 months, Gregory is learning all kinds of new things. He absolutely loves to look at toys and things suspended above him. He really loves the new toy hanger that was a gift from his Great Aunt Karen. He is also working really hard at getting his hands into his mouth. He can get his hands clasped together, but instead for lifting them up, he bends down his head and ends up slumping over! He is awake for much longer periods now, absorbing the environment around him. I am keeping quite busy making new mobiles and things for him to enjoy. We are also working at getting him to nap in his own bed. He still needs to be helped to sleep (usually in the wrap) but then I lay him down - half the time he wakes up within a few minutes, but sometimes he actually sleeps for an hour or two all by himself!

Greg is also becoming quite the well-traveled little man. Last weekend we took him to Minneapolis for the first time. Daddy and Grandpa Mike went to a Vikings game - they are looking forward to when Greg is old enough to go along. Otherwise, we spent the weekend wandering around the Mall of America and other shopping areas. We also had brunch with Dan's high school friend Jenny and her daughter Elsie. Blog readers may remember Jenny as the one who introduced us to Montessori. It was great seeing how Elsie has grown!

Well, here are more pictures I know you all are waiting for. These are the best of the best - believe it or not, I have about 400 more in my computer! We can't get enough of his smiles!



First Minneapolis Trip

Trip to Napa

Gregory took his first plane rides this past weekend. All in all he did pretty well, especially on the way home when we got rerouted to Sioux Falls due to thunderstorms in Omaha and we didn't get back until 2am!

We had a fabulous time in Napa with all my side of the family. I can't even tell you how wonderful it was to be with everyone. There were so many people that Gregory got to meet for the first time. My cousin's wedding was absolutely beautiful too. I think it went off pretty much without a hitch and in true Bullinger fashion, the dance floor was hopping all night long. Sarah and Scott are such a great couple and everyone was thrilled to be there celebrating with them. We also toured a winery and spent a day in San Francisco. Unfortunately, our camera battery died so we only got pics of the first night we were there! Lesson learned, pack the battery charger. So all those of you who were in Napa, please send me your pics (I have already stolen a couple)!!! Here's a slideshow but again its cutting off the pictures so you can click on it to go to the whole album if you want.



Napa

Adventures in Learning

Seems like now that we got our feeding issues under control, Gregory has been able to put more energy into learning about the world around him. This week he has really gotten into looking at his mobile and has been enjoying Tummy Time more. But don't let the pictures fool you - even though he looks happy in his carseat here, it is actually his most hated place to be. Once you get the straps on and get going in the car, he screams bloody murder and theres nothing you can do for him short of stopping and getting him out! No fair - I thought car rides were supposed to put babies to sleep!!!



6 wks

5 wks

Here we are heading into Gregory's second month of life - where has the time gone?? He is eating well and it shows, especially in his chubby belly! We were having some issues with the breastfeeding which we finally figured out was due to an oversupply problem....better too much milk than too little, but it was still a problem! After changing our feeding routine, it seems to be resolving and he is not only eating more peacefully and spitting up less, he is also napping better and seems to be less crabby overall. However, I have not been able to pump at all (because it would only encourage more milk) so that will be the next challenge to overcome if I ever want to be able to leave him for a little while...hopefully it doesn't undo all our efforts.

Otherwise, we are all getting along pretty well and its fun getting to know him and watch him develop. He is learning to find his hand to suck on, and really starting to smile quite a bit too, particularly when he gets up in the morning. His nighttime routine is pretty reliable - we go to bed around 11 and he wakes up to eat and get a clean diaper around 3 and around 6:30, and then can sleep until 10 or 11 in the morning! Sometimes we get up early, but sometimes we both sleep in! The daytime is less predictable but we always go out somewhere running errands or visiting with friends. We have already been to the zoo several times - gotta love the season pass! He often gets rather fussy in the evening, but we are starting to get better at combating the crankiness, so even that is improving. Mostly I wear him around all the time in our wrap - I can't live without this thing! In most situations when we're out and about its more convenient than a stroller, and when he's tired, nothing else helps. People always comment "I wish they had those things when I was having kids" which I think is so funny because its just a 5 yard piece of fabric! Not to mention, indigenous peoples have been wearing their babies for centuries... Its also a really nice way for us to bond and for me to take care of him efficiently and maybe even get a few other things done...

Our friends Patrick and Keri came for a short visit and it was really great to see them. We are looking forward to seeing them again in October for Gregory's baptism, as we have asked them to be his Godparents.

Well here are some more new pictures for you to enjoy!


4-5 wks

First Bottle

I knew it had to happen eventually - Gregory needs to be able to take a bottle. Since breastfeeding has been a little rough at times, we waited until now to try it out. So on Saturday, I expressed some milk and Dan did the honors. Gregory did not protest, but seemed thoroughly confused as I was sitting nearby - he kept looking back and forth between Dan and me as though trying to understand the disconnect. Milk comes from Mommy, but Mommy is over there.... He didn't get much milk out of that darn bottle but didn't seem to be trying too hard either as he wasn't really that hungry. Anyway, it appears that the bottle will not present too much of an issue for the little guy, which is good.





Otherwise, Gregory is really starting to be awake more and make lots of cute facial expressions - mainly from 4 to 5 am. He does nap fairly well throughout the day so I can lay down with him sometimes if I don't have too much else to do. If I don't, it really catches up with me. Dan has been wonderful helping out, even at night on the weekends. He is also feeling the fatigue though...ah, parenthood!

He's so cute, I can't help it!!

More pictures! If you ever want me to email you the files so you can make prints, just let me know. I think you can also order prints from Webshots, but I haven't done it before.


safari boy

3rd week

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were here for a long weekend and Gregory really loved rocking on the porch with his Grandpa. Gregory has been more consistent with his sleeping, which makes our lives a lot easier. He also has developed the typical "fussy period" from about 5-9 in the evening where he is a little more difficult to console, but putting him in a wrap seems to help quite a bit. Holly loves her wrap, and is getting complements on it wherever we go. Dan still prefers the Baby Bjorn, but Gregory is not quite big enough for that yet. Starting in a week or so, we are going to try to introduce a bottle, so Dan can share in the feeding duties when needed. This will be important in August when we go to California for Holly's cousin's wedding, and Holly will not be able to nurse him during the wedding ceremony. We are planning to introduce the bottle gradually, to avoid any confusion.

We have been taking him to a few restaurants, trying to see if he can make it through an entire meal. For the most part, we have been able to get through a whole meal--at least one of us.

He is starting to develop some "baby acne", which usually shows up around 3 weeks or so, and lasts a few weeks. The Baby Book warned us not to get too used to his crystal clear complexion. We have been getting some good pictures during his awake period, and are learning how much we like our digital camera. Enjoy the pictures and we are trying to figure out how to post a video, so keep checking back.


by hollydlr

2 weeks old

Well this blog seems to have been very successful at keeping friends and family updated during the pregnancy, so we'll just go ahead and continue using it to post pictures and news about our little family.

Gregory weighed over 9 pounds when our midwife came to check on us on Sunday! Pretty much all he does is eat, so I guess its not surprising. I don't get much done, but I don't mind because I know he's happy. He has started spitting up after some of those marathon nursing sessions, though, so I am trying to give him my finger to suck on when I know he's already full. We're not quite ready to give him a pacifier yet because he's still having some issues latching on occasionally. I'm having some mixed feelings about it too because I think he could easily become addicted to it and I'm not sure I want to go down that road. I think it will be something we reserve for the most needed times...like in church...

We had a very nice time with Dan's mom, Bonnie, the last several days. She had a great time rocking Gregory out on the porch, which gave me a nice break to do things like take a shower. He is starting to stay awake for slightly longer intervals so he enjoyed looking around outside. He is also starting to enjoy his mobile and the new mirrors on the wall in his room. We are gradually spending more time in there together and I am learning to lay him down in his own bed for his naps - its tempting to just want to hold him all the time, but I do think he sleeps better when he's in bed... Its also tempting to take all his naps with him, but then I would really not get anything done, including this blog! He is actually sleeping through the night pretty well - usually only wakes up once to nurse and have a new diaper - so I can't claim total exhaustion yet.

Anyway, check out our new pics from this week - just click on the picture to go to the photo album. You can't tell me this kid doesn't have strawberry blond hair!!!

Doing good....

Here are some more pictures - gotta love digital! If anyone ever wants to webcam, just give us a call!

by hollydlr

He's Too Cute!!!!

After a few days now our little guy has started to look like himself more and we couldn't be more in love with him. We went a little crazy on the picture taking today, so click on this picture to check out a few:

by hollydlr

In addition to our photography escapades, we had our friend Amber, a professional photographer, come over this morning for a photo shoot. I am sure they will turn out beautiful, but Gregory was not too thrilled about modeling - although he was wide awake he was complaining loudly half the time...Amber was very patient...I'm sure its no different from the usual for a newborn... When they are ready, the pro pics will be available for viewing and ordering online - we will post when we get the link for that....

My milk came in today and he is nursing like a champ, but tonight might be kinda rough with a lot of feedings - have to keep on top of it to prevent getting too engorged. Good thing I can take naps during the day... Dan has to go back to work tomorrow so Greg and I might settle down in the nursery instead - yet another great thing about using a mattress instead of a crib!

Introducing Gregory Sebastian Fix - born 6/17/07 - Father's Day

Gregory made his entrance today at 8:23am after a brief but intense 3.5 hour labor at home. The vital statistics: 8lbs even, 20 1/4 inches long; lots of blond hair! We were blessed with a wonderful midwife team and my mom in attendance, who just arrived last night around 11pm!! I woke up this morning shortly before 5 with very strong contractions about 5 minutes apart, lasting about 40 seconds each. By 6, they were about 3 minutes apart and a minute to a minute and a half long. Things were progressing very quickly so I called in the midwife and woke my mom and Dan. When the midwife arrived shortly before 6:30, I was getting cleaned up in the shower and was already 6-7cm dilated. Everyone was working quickly to get things set up because things were moving fast and by the time I was able to get into the birth pool I was almost completely dilated. My midwife ended up breaking my water for me, which was helpful because it turned out I had a double membrane that may not have broken on its own! Once that was done, pushing contractions started immediately, but they were more spaced out so I could rest in between. Dan held me up as I pushed a little bit with each one - I didn't want to do too much because it was going too fast and I wanted to slow it down. I went on for about a half hour, and Gregory's head was born. The contraction was over so I sat there that way for a moment and could feel his little ear, and his right hand up at his cheek. Slowly with the next contraction, I felt him turn to my right and then one shoulder and finally the rest of him slipped out. I lifted him up out of the water right away and he gave several good cries and began to pink up. However, the water turned out to be a little too cool for him, so Dan cut the cord after a few minutes and we got out of the pool and got dried off. The placenta came about 30 minutes later and he nursed a little bit shortly after that. I escaped with only two very minor tears requiring one little stitch each - not bad considering how fast he came! It was beautiful and exhilarating for everyone present! Please enjoy the photos - I tried to make sure they were G-rated! The slideshow pans a bit strangely, cutting off some of the pics, but you can go look at the whole album too if you want...



Gregory’s birth

Its gonna be soon!!!

Now I am probably jinxing myself to 2 more weeks of pregnancy, but my prediction is sometime within the next 3-4 days. The midwife was just over and did an internal exam - the first one I've had. I was just too curious to hold out anymore - and I really wanted to know if all the contractions I've been having have been doing anything. Well, I am 90% thinned out and 3 cm dilated (out of 10). For those unfamiliar with these things, that is really moving along - usually by 4-5 cm, you are in labor pretty hard and heavy. So I am totally ecstatic! Of course, it is not unheard of to walk around 3 cm dilated for a couple weeks...but with all the other signs and symptoms, I don't think that will happen. I am just going to put my feet up and rest tonight and try to hold out until my mom gets here tomorrow night, and then maybe on Sunday we'll go play a round of golf and get things really going! We will call the immediate family when we are for sure in labor, unless it is the middle of the night, in which case we'll wait until a somewhat decent hour. And once its all over we'll get the news out as soon as we can... YAY BABY!!!!

Pictures and Prelabor!

We went out yesterday with the help of our friend Brenda and attempted some amateur portraits. They turned out decent and now we have some nice pictures with both Dan and me - click on the thumbnail at the right to check them out!

After the photo session we went over to another friend's for a birthday barbecue, and a lovely false labor pattern set in for the rest of the evening. I gotta say, it was a little different than the contractions I've been having up to now - actually kinda regular and a bit more intense, causing some pinching and pulling sensations. It didn't keep me from sleeping last night, but on the other hand, its still kinda going on this morning. I am getting excited that things are warming up - hopefully we'll be ready for the real deal next weekend after my mom gets to town!

38 wks and counting....

The good news is that the baby has dropped - this is a good sign that things will happen in the next 2 wks or so - then again, we probably could have predicted that anyway.... The bad news is that at the moment he is sunny-side up - this could spell a long and painful labor - oh no!!! Thankfully there is still plenty of time for him to turn around the right way, and I am doing what I can to encourage him. The chiropractor might be of some help as well - I have been visiting her weekly lately and she has been such a godsend keeping me comfortable! Maybe she will have a trick up her sleeve to get the baby in the right position??

We did a trial run with our inflatable pool last night - it worked out great right in the middle of the dining room! The dimmer I put in made for really nice mood lighting for a relaxation practice, and I think the dogs were even more hypnotized than me - Lucy was laying completely on her back and couldn't be bothered to get up for over an hour! At least she and Giggles weren't trying to jump in the water with me!

We did our 38 wk belly pics - see the link at the right. I wanted to do some professional maternity pictures, but we are going to save the money for the newborn pics instead. I don't really like the way the ones we did tonight turned out, so later this week I think we'll go to the park and try to do some that don't have the neighbor's minivan in the background! Even though the artistic quality hasn't been great, I am glad that we took the time to document the changes as each month went by. It will be fun to put them all in a row in the baby book.

3 weeks left - that means any day now, right??

I know first babies are usually a bit late, but a girl can hope... Its sort of like the beginning of pregnancy all over again - before you know for sure, you over-analyze every little feeling in your body: was that morning sickness? are my pants getting tight? Its the same way now - was that a real contraction? do I feel crampy? has the baby dropped? (or am I just waddling because I'm huge!) I have been having a lot of practice contractions and am taking some natural remedies to help get my body ready so that I hopefully won't go too overdue. But really there's no use forcing Mother Nature... Have to try to be patient and pass the time getting things ready. But frankly, as far as the baby is concerned, everything is ready, except for him! Well, I should say, we have everything we need, but of course there's always a couple more things we want.

Anyway, perhaps to distract ourselves, we have also taken on a couple of other projects around the house. We replaced the awful glass shower doors (that were impossible to clean) with a fancy curved curtain rod just like in the hotel (ok, ok, they have them in Super 8.) I replaced the regular light switch in the dining room with a dimmer (oooooo, aaahhh!) And due to an untimely mini-flood in the basement, Dan had to haul the nasty carpet out of there and will be laying a fresh layer of peel and stick tiles down as soon as they arrive (they were backordered.) Actually, the basement situation really stank (literally, like mildew) and it will feel much less homey down there with a hard floor, but we can't risk ruining carpet again - what was there before was new when we bought the house. Sad :( Hopefully a large area rug will lend sufficient warmth when we need to use that space for a family play room as Gregory gets older.

In other news, we had a wonderful visit with Angela and Galiano from Germany as they passed through on their cross-country RV tour. Dan and I have also started to play golf, and we're finding its a good way to get some fresh air and exercise together. I'm not the only crazy pregnant lady who golfs, either - we have seen a few others out there on the links. My big belly doesn't get in the way of my swing like you might expect...and I'm hoping all the walking will do me some good, if you know what I mean.

6 wks left!

Yes, we're now at the point where we are counting the weeks left instead of the weeks completed. As the baby gets bigger, I am feeling full to the max, and I have no idea how I am going to have room for him to grow any more! I guess thats where stretch marks come into play?...don't have any yet... Sleeping through the night is a distant memory at this point, but I suppose its nature's design to prepare me, huh?

Our childbirth class is winding down - it has been really great getting to know the other couples, but we all talk so much during class that our teacher has a hard time getting through the material! Everyone has either questions, experience, or knowledge to share - but that is part of the fun. It will be really neat to see everyone's babies as they come along - we are all due within about 6 wks of each other this summer.

Other preparations (on my part at least) include lots of eating, sleeping in, reading inspirational birth stories, and frequent relaxation practice - I'm even listening to a self-hypnosis CD. Last week we assembled some of the remaining needed items: our birth kit including medical-type supplies and a blow-up pool, the carseat (a generous gift), and a new minivan. 2 big dogs + a baby = need a larger vehicle! We finally said good-bye to the trusty Fix family 1991 Honda Accord - it gave over 200,000 miles of service and was still running well, but was showing its age in rust and disintegrating leather.

So, the household is slowly transforming into a family abode...but we have to have a little more patience... I've been getting inquiries as to the plan for notifying people - the plan is that immediate family will be regularly updated when labor begins, and shortly after the birth we'll send out a mass email with pictures to let everyone else know the vital statistics. If you want to make double-sure you are on that list, let us know! Otherwise, we'll also be posting an account of the birth here on the blog within a couple of days I'm sure. And I do intend to post a couple more times before then too!

Lastly, check out my latest belly pics in the link to the right if you are so inclined - I am getting huge!

Baby's First Doll

And guess who bought it for him - his Daddy!!

Easter 07 - lots of pics!

We're having a lovely Easter weekend!

Dan's mom came down to visit and brought her nice new sewing machine. We made Roman shades for the baby's room, which turned out great considering neither of us are experts at sewing! Here are the nursery pics so far:

Rodney's mom, Bev, also sent down a beautiful crocheted baptism outfit she made for Gregory - its so special to have something like that handmade for him! Grandma Bonnie added a onesie and blanket to complete the outfit:

We picked up the mattress and glider from Nebraska Furniture Mart too, but the mattress is airing out in the garage for a few weeks, and the glider is for our bedroom, so Dan can rock the baby in the middle of the night! Dan is just so thrilled to have a glider in the house again since he broke his a couple of years ago! You can see the stress just flowing out of him when he starts rocking...hopefully it works to calm Gregory just as well!!

So things are going great - we're getting little things done here and there, and the baby is busy growing and getting ready to come out and meet us! See my 30 wk belly pics by clicking on the thumbnail at right if you want!

Starting toward the home stretch

Well here we are at 29 1/2 weeks. 11 weeks from now seems so very soon, yet so very far away! I'll update you on some of the latest developments.

At 26 wks I reported I was having some gallbladder pain. Eating smaller meals helped a little, but I mentioned the problem to my chiropractor. The best I can describe is that she did some "voodoo" on me and cured me! Actually she used a normal chiropractic technique involving identifying problematic pressure points and releasing them. It was incredibly quick, effective, and noninvasive. I simply cannot understand why conventional doctors do not use these kinds of techniques, except to speculate that it doesn't make much money for anyone - no pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, hospitals or surgeons benefit when people are easily helped without medications or intervention. Yuck! Thank goodness for chiropractors!!

I got the nursery painted the way I want, so we started moving furniture in. The walls were already blue, but it was a bit too bright, so I softened the effect by sponging on a slightly lighter shade - its pretty subtle but gives some depth. So now we have the dresser and rug installed and will be adding a mattress soon. I am making some roman shades in a great striped fabric. A shelf, some mirrors and artwork and a little rocking chair should top it off. Its pretty fun to see the room being transformed from the dog room to a place for a new member of the family. Lucy likes to lay on the new rug - I guess its comfy, but she better not get too comfy there!

We are getting to the point where we have prenatal checkups every 2 weeks now, but there has a been a change in that department. Up to now we have been seen at the midwife clinic at the local hospital. They have given us excellent care, but the idea of delivering in the hospital just never settled with me so we have decided to go ahead and arrange a home birth. So we have found a wonderful person to attend us at home and she now comes over to our house for prenatals - its pretty cool! She and her assistant were here last Thursday. The baby's growth measured exactly on track and everything else was great too. We talked for a long time and its really just so different from the hospital midwives, as great as they were - much more personal. I can't express how relieved I am at the prospect of getting to stay home! Dan is a little less sure but he is getting used to the idea and is going to be a great labor coach using all the skills we're learning in Bradley class.

I've been stepping up my reading a little bit lately, and am currently in the middle of a fabulous book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, one of the foremost American midwives. It is an absolutely magical book full of nearly-lost women's wisdom and "secrets." I highly recommend it to anyone having a baby or thinking about it in the future. I can see that this book could change people's lives! For me, it is validation of what I was taught about birth by my own mother (and father!), ideas that are counter-cultural and which have been met with criticism and skepticism by almost everyone I've ever discussed it with. Yet not only does this perspective make sense to me from my experiences growing up, it is also incredibly consistent with my education as a biologist. I have always been baffled by the "unscientific-ness" of many of the common beliefs and practices surrounding medicalized childbirth in our culture. Anyway, this book is incredible and I have to say, I am brought to tears on almost every page - mostly with anticipation for this beautiful and amazing adventure we're heading towards. I am gaining confidence that we will be able to welcome Gregory into an environment that has continuity in its atmosphere of love, peacefulness, and respect for him as a person.

A few new pics - getting bigger!

click on belly pics link at right

26 wk checkup

We had a very nice prenatal appt today - we have finally met all 5 midwives in the practice. Anita was great, she sat down and chatted with us for a long time. We really appreciated her openness to our questions and she was really down to earth. Gregory is measuring exactly on track and his heart rate is strong - she said he was a "smart baby" - not sure what that means but its probably good huh? :) However, I did notice a couple days ago that he changed positions, and Anita confirmed that he is now laying sideways. That doesn't exactly sound smart to me since he had been head-down the whole time up to now. Hopefully he's just experimenting and will go back down soon. He has never turned at all since I have been aware of his movements - just a lot of wiggling, kicking and punching. Maybe he's just trying out a new skill - but I hope he doesn't get himself tangled up in there!

As for me, I am continuing to gain weight at a healthy pace, so no worries there. I have been having some back pain in the evenings which I thought was just from sitting on the couch too much, but it occurred to me recently that it is probably my gallbladder feeling irritated. Its not severe and they can't do anything for it anyway. Its very common in pregnancy since the extra progesterone messes up its ability to empty properly. It will probably go away after the birth, and I'm not worried about it. I think I will just try to eat smaller dinners - I tried it tonight and so far so good. And here I was mad that Dan wouldn't give me a proper back rub, when all I really needed to do was pig out less at dinner!!

aawww

Gregory had the hiccups last night - it was the first time I noticed them. My belly bopped in rhythm for a few minutes - it was so cute!!

Long overdue update

Sorry its been so long everyone! I was going to use the excuse that nothing has been going on - the second trimester is boring. But thats only a half-truth - lots of little things have been happening. The real story is that I have just been so bogged down with work that I haven't had much time to post - and thats a pretty lame excuse.

Anyway, all's well in baby-land. Our little boy is growing like a weed (like a parasite?) and mommy is starting to feel a little bit cumbersome now. I can still get down on the floor with the dogs and get up from the couch usually by myself, but my back starts to hurt by the end of the day, especially if I've been sitting all day working. Actually, I have a feeling I'll feel a LOT better once I have time to exercise a little more and be out and about. Very soon - there are only 2 class periods left in the quarter and then I will be off for good - yay!!! For those of you who are unaware, I am taking the Spring off because the quarter would only be ending about 2 weeks before we're due, and thats cutting it a little close. Also I need to get my thesis finally finished - that will be a relief.

Click on the thumbnail at the right for the most recent belly pictures - I have updated with the ones from 22 weeks. They are kinda boring - I think we should start trying to be a little more artistic with those. We took a little intro class the other night to show us some more features of our new digital camera, and we really learned a lot. Need to spend a little time experimenting...

We (Dan) moved the dogs' accommodations to the basement. Their former bedroom here on the main floor will now become the baby's room, and we thought it best to get them used to the idea sooner rather than later. Plus we need to get a little work done in there - painting, etc. Well, Lucy was rather confused by the move - its been over a week and she still occasionally wanders in there sniffing around and whining. But they seem to like their new basement bedroom just fine too. Personally, I think its nicer for them down there - carpet on the floor, and the room is actually a little bigger too!

We had a follow-up Ultrasound this Wednesday. There was a little thing with the kidneys last time that they wanted to check again - but as we all suspected, it was nothing. He probably just needed to pee last time so it looked like there was a little fluid in there!! Anyway, he is most certainly still a boy! He now weighs about 1lb 8oz - he gained a whole pound in 1 month! From here on out, his main job is just to get bigger, so I guess he's on the right track! We are tentatively calling him Gregory (Sebastian for the middle name). It seems to be sticking, but we reserve the right to change our minds!

Speaking of gaining weight, I had not been doing a very good job of that, but for anyone who was worried, at my last appt 2 weeks ago I was up 6 pounds since the beginning of the pregnancy. So its going in the right direction! I think I have gained another 1-2 since then, and we have another appt on March 6th, so we'll see. Nothing to worry about - the midwife said it was totally normal to lose/not gain in the first half - but they like to see it start going up by 24-26 weeks. Well thats exactly where we are now, so it looks like its all going to be fine. And the most important thing is that the baby is growing well, and he's right on track - 50th percentile actually!

Alrighty, thats enough for now, and I promise to be more consistent from now on! I have no more excuses anyway!

Gregory - almost 24 weeks:

IT'S A BOY!!!

There is no doubt about it. And he's an active little guy, although I could've told you that. The technician could hardly get a decent measurement - he was twisting all around in there!! My placenta is at the back of my uterus, so its no wonder I've been feeling him moving since 13 wks! Anyway, he's perfectly perfect, if not a little bit camera shy, but we got a few good shots. Might be a thumb-sucker, though!! Right now he is about 6 inches long from head to tushie, and weighs almost 3/4 of a pound - has a lot of growing to do still!! Its amazing how tiny that really is...

We are absolutely thrilled to be expecting a son, but we would have been equally happy to have a daughter. Maybe next time?? Its just so fun to know! We have a couple of finalists for names, but there's a while yet to decide. We might just have to see his little face before we know for sure. Now we can really get going on the nursery. Its not going to be a specific theme, but the walls are already blue so I guess they'll stay that way! Then there's sheets and curtains, etc.... Ooo how fun!

See his little fingers above his nose?

hollydlr

This is a weird angle - a cross-section - you'll just have to take my word for it...

hollydlr

Tap dancer feet???

hollydlr

Hungry Baby

So we had a regular checkup on Friday and in spite of all the pie I ate over the holidays, I have lost weight!! I am now below my prepregnancy weight - which is not unusual or problematic, just funny. Apparently baby is hungrier than I have been keeping up with. It seems like I stuff myself at every meal but I can't eat as much as I used to. A half sandwich fills me up now, when I could eat a whole one before. It seems like I'm eating every 2 hours though!! But the seat of my pants just keeps getting baggier and my belly keeps getting bigger! Who am I to complain? At least the baby is getting what he/she needs and is growing just fine. I'm sure the scales will start tipping the other way soon - next month I will probably have gained 10 pounds!! Who knows? Pregnancy is a lesson in the unexpected!

By the way, our ultrasound is scheduled for a week from tomorrow, so we'll have lots to report then!

California Christmas 06

Well we have just returned from a fabulous trip to CA for the holidays. It was full of wonderful adventures with our family and we took a zillion pictures. My appetite did indeed return just as I stepped off the plane into the 75 degree sunshine, or was it when I caught the first whiff of ocean breeze??? Anyway, I was really naughty with my eating - I'm sure I consumed more white flour and high fructose corn syrup in the last week than in the entire past 6 months!! My digestion suffered for it too, but hey, it was the holidays. Now back to the old grind - it'll be easy to go back to eating well now that I really noticed the difference being lazy for a week. But actually we could have done worse - most meals were homemade, which wasn't too bad. It was the candy/chocolate/cake and ice cream that seemed to do the most damage. Though I have to say, I am totally glad I splurged on a piece of fresh Guava pie, made by Liz from guavas off of my parents' backyard tree. Raw guavas are gross, but in the pie, they were divine!! Gotta love all those fruit trees in the backyard! I can't believe people complain about it - I mean sure, maybe they're a little messy when the fruits fall on the ground and rot. But what we wouldn't give out here to have 6 different fruits growing out back!?

Anyway, we had a great time - once again generously hosted by my Aunt Vicky and Uncle Brian, and then adventures in Catalina with the whole crew. Even got to catch up with my old friend Anne for a bit, although sadly we were once again deprived of meeting the famous Dodger dog due to infamous LA traffic. We won't mention the upper respiratory virus we caught towards the end except to say that 1)having a cold while pregnant sucks, and 2)flying with a cold while pregnant really sucks. Fortunately, it seems short-lived.

So now the work of the new year commences. Dan and I both have so much to do work and home-wise, beginning with transitioning our dogs' bedroom into the nursery (they're going to love that!) We'll undoubtedly have lots of shopping to do, a mixed blessing: escape from cabin fever in the cold of winter, but also lots of obligatory money-spending. Maybe it'll be a lot of ebaying?? I know I need to get moving on my maternity wardrobe for sure! And we can't forget about actuarial exams and master's theses that need our attention too... Hope everyone had wonderful holidays and keep in touch!!

A few pics from our trip - click on thumbnail:

by hollydlr