6 Months Old

(Forgot to post this a few weeks ago, but this information is based on when Elliott turned 6 months old, on 7/20/15). Also I plan to discontinue monthly updates, but from now I will update after Elliott’s checkups, such as 9 months, 12 months, etc.

Elliott’s Age: 6 months old

Height: 26.5 inches

Weight: 20 lb 4 oz

Head: 44 cm

Diaper Size: Size 3

Clothing Size: 9 & 12 months

Milestones: Elliott started sitting up all by himself a few weeks ago, at 5.5 months old! His balance is improving every day! Elliott got his first two teeth this past month! Elliott has already been rolling both ways, but now he’s using rolling and scooting to get around! Elliott has started making more sounds, like “ba” or “ga,” but most of the time he just talks without those sounds. And I’m pretty sure Elliott knows his name now!

Sleep: Elliott is still sleeping about 11-12 hours per night. Typically goes to bed around 8:30 pm, and gets up around 8 am. He is a tummy sleeper, 90% of the time. Elliott also takes 2 good naps per day, each one is usually 1.5-2 hours long, and then sometimes he takes a 3^rd cat nap, which would be about 30 minutes, and that is usually in the Ergo, stroller, or car seat.

Best Moment: There have been so many! Probably watching Elliott learn how to sit, and watching him jump (excitedly) in his jumperoo. And honestly every day is awesome. I love being able to stay at home to raise him. My days are busy but I love every minute of it.

Worst Moment: Elliott’s has been biting me during some nursing sessions the last few weeks. I have begun to disciple him, and he is biting less frequently, but it still has not yet stopped. I’m hoping that the biting problem is solved before his top two teeth come in. Another worse moment was when we went swimming last week and Elliott either got wat up his nose or swallowed water, and he was a sad little boy for a little bit there, I think he was just shocked. But nursing him calmed him back down.

Health:  Elliott is a healthy happy baby, no concerns.

Eating:  Elliott nurses 5 times a day. Usual feeding times: 8ish, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 8 pm. He loves nursing and takes a bottle very well too. I plan to begin solids this week!

Likes: Elliott likes his jumperoo (so he can jump!), toys, books, music, singing, talking, baths, sleep, going on walks, swimming, his paci, our dog Bently, and grabbing everything. He’s SO interested in toys and things around him.

Dislikes: Occasionally he’ll fight going down for a nap, but he gives in because he’s tired. Elliott also does not like it when new teeth come in, because they hurt!

Things I want to remember: 

-Elliott got his first two teeth, on the bottom, this past month.

-Elliott is back to liking his paci again, but he doesn’t depend on it at all.

-One day at the beach Elliott was loving touching the sand with his hands and feet, and he tasted some sand too!

-Elliott went swimming at his friend, Quintin’s grandma’s house. Elliott LOVED the water. He was splashing and smiling and kicking his feet. He loved it.

Things we are using a lot:

-The Phil & Teds Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-Play Mat

-Bright Stars Activity Chair

-High chair

-Bumbo

-Rainforest Jumperoo

-The Sleep Sheep, “Shaun”

-TOYS!

-Medela Pump

How Mommy is doing: I’m doing well. I had a bad spell where I didn’t workout for 3 weeks, and I just felt like crap. So last week I bought a new Jillian Michael’s DVD, called Ripped in 30, and I worked out 4 times last week (plus several walks), and this week I’m starting week 2 of the DVD.

5 Months Old

Elliott’s Age: 5 months old

Height: 26 inches

Weight: 18 lbs 8 oz

Head: Not sure

Diaper Size: Size 3

Clothing Size: 6-9 and 9 months

Milestones: Elliott found his feet a few weeks ago. He also can grab objects and move them from hand to hand. Elliott started rolling over from his back to his tummy, and does it all the time now! Elliott also cut his first tooth the weekend he turned 5 months, his lower left middle tooth.

Sleep: Elliott sleeps about 11-12 hours per night. Typically goes to bed around 8:30 pm, and gets up around 8:30 am. He is becoming a tummy sleeper now too, with him constantly rolling over onto his tummy. There have been a handful of nights that he’s slept 13 hours.

Best Moment: Seeing Elliott learn through touching things. It’s just amazing watching him grow and develop, and learn through all of his senses.

Worst Moment: Elliott’s first tooth cutting through, lots of pain one evening. Also one random night a few weeks ago he woke up twice in the middle of the night and would not go back to sleep until he nursed. I was tired that next day!

Health:  Elliott is a healthy happy baby, no concerns.

Eating:  Elliott nurses 5 times a day now. Usual feeding times: 8:30, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 8 pm. He loves nursing and takes a bottle very well too. We usually give him at least a few bottles a week.

Likes: Elliott likes toys, books, music, singing, talking, baths, sleep, his elephant security blanket he sleeps with, his feet (& toes), going on walks, our dog Bently, grabbing people’s faces & hair.

Dislikes: Sometimes he cries for 10ish minutes when we put him down for a nap, honestly other than that, he doesn’t have many dislikes.

Things I want to remember: 

-Elliott went to his first baseball game, the South Bend Cubs.

-Elliott cut his first tooth, the weekend he turned 5 months old.

-Elliott still has not had any solid food yet, only breastmilk.

-Elliott started rolling over from his back to his tummy, and does it all the time. Now he mainly sleeps and naps on his tummy.

-Elliott could care less about his paci now. And he’s not sucking his thumb either. He sucks his paci occasionally if he’s really tired, and that’s about it.

Things we are using a lot:

-The Phil & Teds Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-Play Mat

-Bright Stars Activity Chair

-High chair

-The Boppy pillow

-The Sleep Sheep, “Shaun”

-TOYS!

-Medela Pump.  I am still pumping every morning after his first morning feeding. My application was approved to be a milk donor so I plan to contact a drop off depot within the next month and make my first donation. I’m guessing I have around1000 oz in the deep freeze and I plan to donate over half of it.

How Mommy is doing: I’m still working out with the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred usually 3ish times per week, sometimes 2 times, sometimes 4 times, but typically 3 days a week. I am also taking regular walks, and walking much more now that the weather is nice! I’ve only lost a few pounds this month, but have noticed through working out that many of my clothes are fitting me nicer. I am still 13 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. My goal is by the time Elliott is 9 months old, to be at or close to my pre-pregnancy weight.

4 Months Old

Elliott’s Age: 4 months old

Height: 24.5 inches

Weight: 17 lbs 5 oz

Head: Not sure, I have it written down somewhere…

Diaper Size: Size 3 (Just moved into this size this weekend)

Clothing Size: 6 months, but now moving into 6-9 and 9 months

Milestones: Elliott is chewing on everything! He also can now grab toys, hold them, shake them, and bring them up to his mouth to chew on them!

Sleep: Elliott transitioned to his crib about a month ago. He typically sleeps 9:30 pm – 7:30 am. He is still napping 3 times a day, but one of the naps is usually pretty short. I’m trying to work on getting him down to 2 naps so he’ll be tired enough to go to sleep earlier.

Best Moment: Elliott is very interested in playing with toys now!

Worst Moment: Elliott’s 4 month check-up when he had to get shots.

Health:  Elliott is a healthy baby! He did have a cold during the month, but he got over it quickly.

Eating:  Elliott continues to nurse very well. He nurses 6 times a day, sometimes 5 and sometimes 7, but typically 6 times. I’d like to get it down to 5 times so he can go to bed earlier.

Likes: Elliott likes social interaction! He also likes Sophie the Giraffe (toy), his O-Ball rattle, his musical play mat, peek-a-boo, patty cake, his Bumbo, his high chair, taking baths, the mirror, singing, reading books, and bright lights.

Dislikes: Sometimes he dislikes going down for sleep or naps. There have been a handful of times that it’s taken longer to get him to fall asleep.

Things I want to remember: 

-I quit my job of 3.5 years to stay at home with Elliott.

-Elliott traveled on a plane for the first time, to Houston, Texas. He did very well on the plane with little to no fussing.

-Elliott went swimming for the first time, which he seemed to like, because he didn’t cry.

-Elliott now sits in his high chair during dinner and basically just watches us eat.

-Elliott does not seem to like the humidity, which he experienced in Texas.

-We dedicated Elliott at our church on Mother’s Day, May 10, which was also exactly one year since I had found out I was pregnant with him!

Things we are using a lot:

-Snap & Go Stroller and The Phil & Teds Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-His Play Mat

-The Boppy pillow

-The Sleep Sheep, “Shaun”

-Soothie pacifiers and “Cliff”

-Medela Pump.  I am still pumping every morning after his first morning feeding. I typically get 9-10 oz out after the feeding.

How Mommy is recovering: Overall, I feel pretty good. I started the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred DVD. I don’t do it daily. I have noticed that even though my weight isn’t changing much, my clothes are fitting me better, which is a great feeling!

3 Months Old

Elliott’s Age: 3 months old

Height: 24 inches

Weight: 15 lbs 1 oz

Head: Not sure

Diaper Size: Size 2

Clothing Size: 3-6 months & 6 months

Milestones: Elliott is officially sleeping through the night, which consistently started at 8 weeks old. He typically sleeps about 9 hours per night. Elliott also began rolling over again at 12 weeks old. It was a day my mom was babysitting and he rolled over about 5 times. When Andrew & I got home, he rolled over once more, but now hasn’t the past week. Elliott also has been swatting at his toys on his play mat this past month, which is fun to see. He also can sit very well in the Bumbo seat, with great head control. Elliott is also now laughing & giggling, especially when tickled.

Sleep: Elliott is still a great sleeper! He sleeps through the night. About a month ago we transitioned him from the Rock N Play to the bassinet part of the pack-n-play in our room. We plan to transition him to his crib here soon. He also takes about 3 naps during the day, sometimes more. I typically try to lay him down for naps in his crib, which he is able to fall asleep in very well.

Best Moment: Elliott began to giggle! It’s adorable.

Worst Moment: I had to go to the ER a few weeks ago due to a pretty bad stomach bug and we had to leave him overnight. Andrew’s mom was in town for the week, so he was in good hands, but it was hard being without him all night. Also he seemed to have gotten a cold and had some congestion earlier this week, so he has been fussier and has had trouble sleeping. It’s sad seeing my baby sick.

Health:  Elliott has been a pretty healthy baby this month. Just the past few days he’s had a little bit of congestion, but that’s about it.

Eating:  Elliott continues to nurse and bottle feed very well. I returned to work a few weeks ago, so while I’m at work, he has 3 bottles while I’m gone, usually about 5 oz at a time, although one of his feedings I guess he drank 8 oz! He is typically eating 6 times per day. Average times: 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, 10 pm.

Likes: Elliott likes long car rides (he sleeps the whole time), looking in the mirror, playing with the toys on his play mat, his swing, reading books, singing & music, his paci Cliff, his sound machine Shaun, peek-a-boo, baths, smiling, practicing standing up, sucking on his fingers/fist, and family.

Dislikes: He didn’t like it when I put Saline drops up his nose the other day, he SCREAMED for a few minutes after I put them in. He doesn’t like shots, which he had at 2 months. He doesn’t like sitting in a dirty diaper, he likes to feel clean & fresh, and he doesn’t always like tummy time.

Things I want to remember: 

-We traveled down to Indy to visit family for Easter weekend. He was able to finally meet his Uncle Marcos and Aunt Christine. While we were there, we visited Conner Prairie, which Andrew and I had not been to in at least 15 years!

-We left him overnight from 9:30 pm to 7:30 am due to Melody’s ER visit. No fun.

-Elliott met his only living great grandparent, Great Grandpa Gilliom, my mom’s dad. He just turned 90 years old and we had a birthday party for him in Berne.

-Mommy returned to work this past month, which was short-term. But I noticed that when he nursed the days I worked, he nursed longer than normal because he missed breastfeeding.

-Elliott has very good head control and can sit in his Bumbo without any issues! Sometimes we’ll put him in the Bumbo and he’ll watch us eat our dinner.

-Elliott consistently sleeps through the night, and has been sleeping in his pack-n-play in our room. We plan to transition him very soon into the crib in his room.

-Elliott loves attention. He usually can get bored if he’s just held. He wants to be talked to, and sang to, or read to.

-Elliott loves to look around at his surroundings. He’s very observant!

-Elliott moved up to the 3-6 month & 6 month clothes a little over a week ago, at 11/12 weeks old.

-Elliott had his first HUGE blowout this week, where it went up the back and all over me. It was so messy that it got on 4 pieces of the clothing I was wearing, 2 pieces Elliott was wearing, the Bobby pillow, and a drip or two on the carpet. Elliott went straight into the bath!

-Elliott was babysat by his two grandmas and “Aunt” Kelly while I returned to work this month. He did very well while he was babysat.

Things we are using a lot:

-Snap & Go Stroller and The Phil & Teds Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-His Swing

-His Play Mat

-The Boppy pillow (not just for nursing, but for holding him and propping him up)

-The Sleep Sheep, “Shaun”

-The Pack-N-Play & crib

-Soothie pacifiers and “Cliff”

-Medela Pump.  I am still pumping every morning after his first morning feeding. I typically get 9-10 oz out after the feeding, but there was a few days earlier this week I got 13 oz and 15 oz. Also with returning to work (short-term), I pumped 3 times while I was at work (and typically pumped 7 oz each time, totaling 21 oz while at work), which were the same times Elliott was being bottle fed.

How Mommy is recovering: Overall, I feel pretty good. I have lost about 8 pounds this past month because I am trying to focus on drinking more water and watching what I eat. I am using MyFitnessPal to keep track of my food, although I have skipped quite a few days. But being down 8 pounds this past month is very encouraging. I am still 15 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight, and I have lost 25 lbs since having Elliott. (I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy with him.)

2 Months Old

Elliott’s Age: 2 months old

Height: 23 inches

Weight: 13 lb 2 oz

Head: 40.5 cm

Diaper Size: Size 1, but they are starting to get tight

Clothing Size: 0-3 months & 3 months

Milestones: Elliott is continuing to smile, quite a bit now! He also can has pretty good head control. Elliott has been cooing, and almost started laughing (he has had a few “HA’s so far). Elliott is now swatting his toys while playing on his playmat. During his 5^th week, he rolled over twice (but hasn’t since). He also slept through the night starting at 6 weeks old, and then again at 8 weeks old. He found his hands and tongue around 6 weeks old.

Sleep: Elliott is a great sleeper! He began sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old, but only for about 4-5 nights, and then continued his previous pattern, of waking up once a night, around 3/3:30 am to nurse. Elliott slept through the night again at 8 weeks old. Elliott is sleeping quite a bit throughout the day still, similar to a newborn. He typically takes about 3-4 “naps” between feedings. He is still sleeping in the Rock-N-Play in our room at night. He is getting more comfortable taking daytime naps in his crib. We realized that he can easily fall asleep when his Sleep Sheep (sound machine) is on, who we named Shaun the Sheep.

Best Moment: Elliott sleeping through the night. And his adorable smiles and coos.

Worst Moment: There have been a handful of times that Elliott is fed and has a clean diaper, but he is still fussy. This is typically in the evenings.

Health:  Elliott is happy and healthy! No concerns at this time that I know of.

Eating:  Elliott continues to nurse very well. He has a great latch and must be eating quite a bit because he’s getting chunky! We have been bottle feeding him breastmilk usually a few times per week, so he is used to the bottle, but just this past week, decided to give him a bottle every night. During the times he’s bottle fed, I pump. He eats 7 times per day. Even when he sleeps through the night, since he misses that 3 am feeding, I make sure he still gets that 7^th feeding in, usually by making the evening feedings closer together. (Every 2 hours instead of every 3 hours).

Likes: Elliott loves attention…he wants people to look at him, talk to him, and play with him. He also loves his swing & bouncy seat & play mat. As of about a week ago, he is now swatting his toys that hang down from his play mat! He loves his Soothie pacifier, and his paci with a red dog on it, we names Cliff. He likes the sound machine, which we named Shaun the Sheep. He likes bath time, and reading books with mommy and daddy. He loves to be held, especially laying on his tummy on our chests. He also doesn’t mind tummy time. Elliott loves to eat!

Dislikes: He doesn’t like being strapped into his car seat, but as soon as we’re in the car and on the road, he’s great! He doesn’t care for lukewarm baths. He loves bathtime but there was one day our water wasn’t that hot, so he ended up with a coldish lukewarm bath, which I made very quick.

Things I want to remember: 

-First time going out of town was at 7 weeks to visit family back in the Sheridan/Westfield area. Daddy was out of town on a youth group retreat so Mommy took Elliott & Bently to visit family. And for both rides to and from (each 2 hours 10 minutes), he did not fuss or make any noises at all, he slept the entire time.

-He went on Mommy’s first post-partum runs at 7 weeks old. He enjoyed the stroller and slept almost the entire time.

-He met more of his family members; Uncle Mark K, cousins Caleb, Elijah, Benjamin, and Joshua (he has already met Lydia & Aunt Jill), also Uncle Jason, and cousins Noah, Isaac, and Silas. He still has not met Aunt Christine and Uncle Marcos.

-We left Elliott for the first time at almost 5 weeks old, on 2/21/15, with Andrew’s mom while she was in town. We were gone for about 4 hours, and watched American Sniper in theaters, and shopped at Kohls.

-He is taking daily naps now in his crib, and is able to fall asleep and stay asleep (for the most part). Sometimes he ends up napping in his swing or the car seat or while being held. I try to put him in his crib as much as possible because once he is sleeping through the night (for good), then we will transition him into the crib.

-At 7 weeks old, we put Elliott in the Bumbo for the first time. He’s not quite ready to use it, but it was fun trying it out!

-Elliott began sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old for about 4-5 nights, and then he stopped for about a week and woke up for one 3 am feeding, and then started sleeping through the night again at 8 weeks old.

Things we are using a lot:

-Snap & Go Stroller and The Phil & Teds Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-Rock-N-Play (where he’s been sleeping at night)

-His Swing

-His Play Mat (he loves swatting at toys while looking at them. We also do tummy time on his play mat.)

-The Boppy pillow (not just for nursing, but for holding him and propping him up)

-The Sleep Sheep, “Shaun”

-Medela Pump.  Although I’m mainly nursing, I pump once daily in the mornings after I feed Elliott, to get the rest of the milk out, since he doesn’t eat as much during the nighttime. I typically pump around 7-12 oz out, with an average of about 9-10 oz. Also when we bottle feed him, I pump at the same time.

How Mommy is recovering: Overall, I feel pretty good. My bleeding stopped a while ago (maybe around 3 or 4 weeks postpartum). Now my focus is to lose this baby weight. I started taking daily walks and I have been running a few days a week.

1 Month Old

Elliott’s Age: 1 month old

Height: 21.25 inches

Weight: 10 pounds 3 ounces

Head: 38.5 cm

Diaper Size: Currently wearing size 1, as of about 1-2 weeks ago.

Clothing Size: Currently wearing 0-3 months & 3 months, as of about a week ago.

Milestones: Elliott started smiling (real smiles) on mommy’s 27^th birthday, 2/18/15. The following day, Elliott smiled several times at daddy too! Elliott has a pretty strong neck and can left his head up pretty well. Elliott also can focus on our faces or objects close to his face. He can also follow objects/our faces if they are moved.

Sleep: At around 2 weeks old, Elliott began only waking up once in the middle of the night. I typically feed him around 10/10:30 pm when we go to bed, and then he wakes up around 2:30/3:30 to eat, and then will eat again around 8 am. The longest stretch between nursing at night was 6 hours. Typically it’s about 4-5 hours though. I feel pretty well rested. I am glad Elliott is a good sleeper and only wakes up once at night! I am hoping he will begin sleeping through the night within the next month or so. But for now, I am very happy with just the one middle of the night feeding.

Best Moment: Elliott smiling at us! For several weeks, we noticed Elliott smiling in his sleep, but just this past week, he started smiling at us.

Worst Moment: The few times Elliott has projectile vomited. This has probably happened 4 or 5 times, and we figured out it’s usually because he ate too much too soon. It’s still pretty scary though.

Health:  Elliott is happy and healthy! No concerns at this time! He has vomited a handful of times the past month, but we figured out it was due to over-eating.

Eating:  Elliott is being exclusively breastfed, which both mommy & Elliott enjoy. We did start feeding him one bottle (of breastmilk) per weekend at 2 weeks old, just so we know that Elliott takes a bottle. At this point, Elliott typically nurses 7-8 times per day, and the average length of time is about 20 minutes, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Likes: Elliott loves his swing & bouncy seat & play mat. He also loves his Soothie pacifier. He likes bath time, and reading books with mommy and daddy. He loves to be held, especially laying on his tummy on our chests. Elliott loves to eat!

Dislikes: When we change his diaper or clothes, because he gets cold. He doesn’t really care for tummy time. (Sometimes he loves it, sometimes he hates it). He doesn’t really like his crib, but I am trying to put him in his crib for naps occasionally so he can get used to it.

Things I want to remember: 

-His first smile was on mommy’s 27^th birthday!

-He smacks his lips after nursing, showing that he’s happy and satisfied.

-He notices our dog Bently. He can hear Bently when he shakes (his tags make noise). He also gets lots of sneak attack kisses from Bently, which he doesn’t really mind.

-He went on his first walk in the Phil & Teds stroller at 1 week old, with Aunt Katy & Uncle Eric (and cousin Winter), on a very cold day!

-He began sucking his paci at 1 week old, and loves it!

-He had 2 newborn photo shoots, one at our house at 5 days old and one at 9 days old at a studio. The pictures from the photo shoots are gorgeous!

-He has met most of his family members (except uncle Mark K, Kinkead boys, uncle Jason, Liechty boys, cousin Emily, uncle Mark R, and aunt Christine)

-He went to church for the first time at 2.5 weeks old. We planned to go the week before, but got snowed in! (17 inch snow storm/blizzard) When we go to church, mommy wears Elliott in the Ergo.

-Mommy left Elliott for the first time at 3.5 weeks old, with Daddy for 3.5 hours so Mommy could watch the Bachelor with some friends.

-Mommy & Daddy went out to eat a few times this month, at Suzie’s Café for Valentine’s Day and at Vaps for Mommy’s birthday. Elliott came along, and slept the whole time, both times!

Things we are using a lot:

-Snap & Go Stroller

-Ergo infant carrier

-Rock-N-Play (where he currently sleeps)

-His swing and bouncy seats

-The Boppy pillow (I LOVE using this for nursing!)

-Medela Pump.  Although I’m only nursing, I pump once daily in the mornings after I feed Elliott, to get the rest of the milk out, since he doesn’t eat as much during the nighttime. I typically pump around 6 oz out, although there have been a few times I’ve pumped as much as 10 oz!

How Mommy is recovering: I feel pretty good. The first week after delivery was a bit rough on my body. The first 2-3 weeks of nursing, my nipples were pretty sore and there were a few blisters too. I used lanolin a lot during that time, and still occasionally use it as needed. I had gained 40 lbs with my pregnancy, and I have lost 19 lbs so far. I am looking forward to warmer weather, so we can go on more walks. I will have my 6 week check up in a few weeks, and I should be cleared to increase my activity level, which I am looking forward to.

Chalkboard Picture Collages

My entire pregnancy with Elliott James!

This collage shows my pregnancy with Elliott, starting with week 7, and ending with the birth of Elliott, who arrived 10 days past his due date!

One picture per month in this collage:

In this collage, you can see the progression of the belly, displaying one picture per month.

First Trimester

My first trimester collage.

Second Trimester

My second trimester collage.

Third Trimester

My third trimester collage.

Last Chalkboard Pictures, “42 Weeks”

Here is my last Chalkboard Picture, holding Elliott, with his birth stats. He is exactly one week old here.

Here is my little Elliott, with his birth stats chalkboard!

 

Welcome to the World Elliott James Swart!

We are excited to announce the birth of our son, Elliott James Swart. He was born on January 20, 2015 at 6:41 pm. He weighed 7 lb 9 oz, and was 19.75 inches long.

Here are pictures from January 20th, Elliott’s birthday!

Will update with birth story soon!

Shorty after Elliott was born

My big eyed little boy, shortly after birth

My little buddy, just an hour after birth

Our precious son, just minutes old.

Mommy & Elliott doing skin to skin. Love this picture.

This is Tracy. She’s awesome. She was our labor & delivery nurse for the majority of the day, and she guided me through pushing Elliott out.

One of the first times holding my son. You can tell I had just been crying, tears of joy, of course! This picture makes me tear up just looking at it. He was maybe just a few minutes old here.

This is us with Dr. Cheryl Short, who delivered Elliott. We really like Dr. Short and were very glad that she was the one that delivered our little guy.

This was Daddy’s first time holding Elliott!

This is Elliott, shortly after birth.

Here’s Elliott as they were checking his Apgars, which were an 8 at 1 minute and a 9 at 5 minutes.

41 Weeks, Ready for the Induction

This is NOT my favorite picture whatsoever. This picture was taken the night before my induction, on 1/19/15, at 41 weeks 2 days. I have Bell’s Palsy, which is why my face is messed up looking.

So I figured I’d write one last blog post prior to the birth of #BabyBoySwart. I won’t plan to do the original format, mainly because I don’t feel like it.

Tomorrow is the big day. Tuesday, January 20, 2015, I will be induced since I have gone 10 days past my due date. For the longest time, I was completely against being induced, because I wanted my body to go into labor on it’s own. But now that it’s come to induction day, I am ok with the induction and am just praying for a safe delivery. I’ve accepted that this is how my son will come into this world. He has just been enjoying the warmth of my womb a little too much.

We will check in tomorrow morning at 7 am at the hospital to begin the induction. I am not sure what the “plan” is, but I’m guessing they’ll see how I’ve progressed so far, and then decide from there. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m completed effaced and 4 cm dilated. That’s just my guess. I have been having a lot of contractions the past few days, and pretty consistent too, but they have not been uncomfortable or painful, which is why we didn’t go to the hospital. My guess is that he will weigh around 7-7.5 pounds, be around 20 inches long, have dark thick hair, and dark eyes. And I think  he’ll be born in the afternoon tomorrow.

I don’t have a “birth plan.” But I do plan to accept medication to assist with pain management, as well as getting an epidural. And I would only like my husband in the room during the delivery. And while we are in the hospital, I don’t want our son to be given any bottles or pacifiers. I would like to exclusively breast feed, and I don’t want the baby to get confused with different nipples.

This past week has been rough, with my Bell’s Palsy. It’s now been one full week since the onset. I have still been hanging out with friends and getting out of the house, but not as much as usual. I also am not as talkative and happy as my usual self. I’m really looking forward to having this baby, so I can have something positive to focus on.

I’ve been writing this blog for the majority of my pregnancy. I already made a Shutterfly pregnancy journal book with all of my blog posts and weekly chalkboard pictures. All I need to do is add a few pictures of our son and his birth stats, and then it’ll be ready to order!

As I look back on this pregnancy, I can’t help but to be thankful. So thankful for an overall healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy. For the first few months I couldn’t even let myself get excited about having a baby because I was a nervous wreck. It’s not easy being pregnancy following a miscarriage. Even this past week, I felt like this was too good to be true. But I am praising God for this baby and allowing us to raise this little guy. I know it will be challenging. But I already love him so much. I cannot wait to see what he looks like and kiss his precious face.

I am so ready to have this baby. So ready. And I hope my girlie parts are ready too. Because ready or not, here he comes!

I’m also very excited to finally announce his name to you!

At 8 days overdue, I decided to go on a 40 minute jog/walk. I was hoping it’d bring on labor, but it didn’t.

Here I am at 41w2d. Ready to pop!

Here is my 35 week silhouette versus my 41 week silhouette. Look at that 6 week difference!

On Saturday, 1/17/15, my good friend Sonja had a baby shower. Here are the pregnant girls, Sonja (30 weeks), me (41 weeks), and Laura (15 weeks).

Here I am at 41 weeks pregnant. Couldn’t smile really because of the Bell’s Palsy.

40 Weeks (6 days “late” as of today)

Taken last Saturday, 1/10/15, on my due date.

How far along: 40 Weeks

Trimester: 3^rd

Size of baby: Size of a small pumpkin. Around 20 inches long from head to foot, and weighs around 7.5 lbs.

Baby’s developments this week: Baby is fully developed by now, and he should be exiting any day now.

Symptoms: Lower back pain, numbness under left breast, more intense Braxton Hicks contractions, exhaustion, sciatic pain on inner right thigh, swelling, losing part of the mucous plug, achy hands in the morning, lightening crotch, and colostrum leakage.

Total weight gain: 39 pounds total. (It was going to be 40.5, but as of this morning, at 40w6d, I lost 1.5 lbs this week)

Maternity clothes: Yep.

Stretch marks: Just a few small ones above my belly button.

Sleep: It’s been rough. I’ve been awake a lot in the middle of the night.

Best moment(s) of the week: Watching the Bachelor this past Monday with my lovely ladies, going out with my friend Alisa on Wednesday for lunch and a pedicure, and running errands/walking with my friend Laura today.

Worst moment of the week: I had to add this category because this week has been rough. On Monday I noticed my tongue and lip on the right side were feeling numb. So I called my OB Monday night, and she told me to call the office in the morning to get in to see them. So Tuesday, 1/13/15, I was diagnosed with a viral disease called Bell’s Palsy. It’s a temporary facial paralysis. Monday wasn’t so bad, but Tuesday and on, the symptoms have been bad. The whole right side of my face is numb/paralyzed. Not only that, but it’s more difficult to eat & drink. My speech is affected. Loud noises make my right ear ache/pound, and my eye is sensitive to lights. My right eye does not blink normally, and does not close fully. So now I’m using eye drops during the day, and I sleep with a cotton headband around my eyes to keep them closed at night. My OB prescribed me for a 7 day dosage of an anti-viral medication, and steroids. From what I’ve read, I should get better within 3 weeks to 6 months. I’m hoping it’s closer to the 3 weeks recovery time. I already saw my chiropractor, who said he cannot help. And I’m going to try to see an acupuncturist as well. The worst part of all of this is that my baby will be born any day now, and I’m going to have to pose in pictures differently. (No smiling with teeth, and probably side view pictures). With this diagnosis, it’s been a really rough week. I’ve cried quite a bit.

Miss anything: My face. My smile. Eating, drinking, and talking normally. Stupid Bell’s Palsy!

Movement: Yes. Still feeling this boy move around a lot. Mostly limbs moving around. He’s basically stuck in one position.

Food cravings: Chocolate covered granola bars.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Well I did get some heartburn this week because I’m running out of the Prevacid.

Have you started to show yet: Yes.

Gender: Boy.

Labor signs: Stronger Braxton Hicks contractions (more intense, and more often), and losing part of my mucous plug. I’m also 2.5-3 cm dilated and 90% effaced.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody. See the “Worst Part of the Week” section.

Looking forward to: Having this baby! COME ON BABY, get out of there!!

Any baby purchases: Yes, I bought diapers and wipes from Target this week, they were having a pretty good deal.

Nesting: Let’s see, this week I cleaned, and did laundry and normal housework. I organized the nursery more (I’m pretty sure it’s completely organized now). I made a shutterfly calendar of our maternity pictures. I organized our file cabinet, which has needed to get done for years. So I randomly did that yesterday, didn’t even plan to. And ran lots of errands. That’s about it for me. Andrew set up the Rock-N-Play and finished putting up all of the blinds in the house.

Doctor’s Appointment(s) this week: I met with Dr. Strickland this week, on 1/13/15. I was originally scheduled to meet with Dr. Rutherford on 1/14/15, but due to the Bell’s Palsy, I was able to get in earlier in the week. My blood pressure was normal and baby’s heart rate was 154. Fundal height was 40 cm. I was dilated 2.5-3 cm, at a -1 station, and 90% effaced. The doctor stripped my membranes, which induces labor 50% of the time within 24-48 hours. (So it didn’t work for me). And wow, that hurt SO SO bad. Made me realize how I don’t do so well with pain, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be on pain management and get an epidural for labor. Due to me being overdue, they scheduled an appointment for me at the hospital for 1/15/15, to get a Non Stress Test and check the fluids (by ultrasound). So on 1/15/15, we went to the hospital (4^th floor, where labor & delivery is). I had a NST, which showed baby was moving TONS, then I had an ultrasound, solely to check the fluids, not the baby, and the fluid level was 11.7. (I guess if it was 5 or below, that’s where they would’ve kept me at the hospital to induce me). And then I had to finish the NST, and the baby didn’t move as much. So then the nurses released us and said everything looked great. And so if this baby doesn’t come on his own before Tuesday, I do have a scheduled induction at the hospital for Tuesday, 1/20/15 at 7 am.

What I’m doing to Induce Labor: I’ve basically given up on this. I’ve tried nearly everything there is to try. But I did continue to try some things, such as bouncing on my exercise ball, walking, sex, relaxing (pedicure & bath), spicy foods, Chinese foods, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, and I think that’s about it.

No more doctor’s appointments are scheduled. Just an induction for 1/20/15, which I hope I don’t make it to!

NEXT POST SHOULD ANNOUNCE #BabyBoySwart’s arrival!!

40 Weeks – My Due Date

Due Today!! 1/10/15

I’m just now starting my 40th week, so I do not have blog info, but in case I go into labor the next few days, I wanted to go ahead an put my weekly chalkboard pictures up. Hopefully it’s my last one!!

39 Weeks

My hubby must of felt left out…he took this picture on self timer. It’s a bit creepy, but funny

Here I am exactly at 39 weeks, skin picture! It’s crazy how my body has changed these last 9 months.

I decided to go ahead and upload my 39 weekly pictures, which were taken on Saturday, 1/3/15, at exactly 39 weeks. Then today, 1/8/15, I put up my normal weekly stuff. A day early.

How far along: 39 Weeks

Trimester: 3^rd

Size of baby: Size of a mini watermelon. Around 20 inches long from head to foot, and weighs around 7.25 lbs.

Baby’s developments this week: Baby should be fully developed by now, and just focuses on putting on weight prior to birth. Baby continues to pack on fat, about ½ pound per week.

Symptoms: Lower back pain, numbness under left breast, more intense Braxton Hicks contractions, exhaustion, itchy belly, sciatic pain on inner right thigh, swelling, losing part of the mucous plug, achy hands in the morning, lightening crotch, and colostrum leakage.

Total weight gain: 40 pounds total.

Maternity clothes: Yep.

Stretch marks: Unfortunately, yes. I noticed a few days ago that I got a tiny one right above my belly button, and it’s maybe 1 cm, and will probably be hidden when my belly button is an innie again. I still use lotion/belly butter 2-3 times per day, which I think has helped with the lack of stretch marks and it helps with the itchiness.

Sleep: Still good and bad. My husband said he caught me snoring a few times this week…so I guess that was good sleep. There have definitely been a few rough nights, especially on Sunday night, 1/4/15, the night of the full moon, the baby was kicking like CRAZY and I was getting some intense lightening crotch.

Best moment of the week: Watching the premiere of the Bachelor on Monday (1/5) with some of my favorite ladies. It’s so much fun during the season and we get together for our girls nights to watch the episodes. I’m especially excited about this season because the Bachelor is Chris, the farmer, who I really liked last season (he obviously wasn’t chosen). Also getting together with our friends, the Veens, for dinner and games last night at their house. We had yummy Mexican food and played Settlers and a card game called “Boot”. (I think that’s what it was called.)

Miss anything: Clothes fitting. I know I’ve said this before. But the only pants that I currently feel comfortable in are my maternity leggings & maternity yoga/sweat pants. The majority of maternity pants are too tight now. I know when the baby is born I will plan to still wear maternity clothes, but I am actually excited about some of my maternity clothes fitting me again, after the baby is born.

Movement: Yes. Still some very jerky uncomfortable movements. Also noticed breathing movements again this week. Overall his movements have slightly decreased, I’m guessing because it’s really cramped in there.

Food cravings: Greek yogurt, Cookies N Crème Ice Cream, prunes, and fresh fruit, like apples!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: Yes.

Gender: Boy.

Labor signs: Stronger Braxton Hicks contractions (more intense, and more often), and losing part of my mucous plug. I’m also 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy most of the time. And not so much moody, but emotional. I definitely have shed some tears this week at baby videos on YouTube. (I watched a few Labor & Delivery stories)

Looking forward to: Having this baby! COME ON BABY, get out of there!!

Any baby purchases: Yes, I bought a Snap-N-Go stroller for $30 from a lady on Facebook.

Nesting: So I’d say the past 3 weeks we’ve been in a constant nesting phase. Andrew and I both had a lot of time off during the holidays, so we were able to get a lot done. Andrew’s been busy doing house projects. Most recently he started putting up our blinds, which we bought for Christmas, and they were delivered a few days ago. So when he gets home from work, he has been working on putting those up. They look really good. He also has assembled a lot of baby items, such as the crib, car seat, swing/bouncer, curtains/curtain rods, floating shelves in the living room to display pictures, setting up the surround sound system in the family room downstairs, etc. Nesting for me looks a little different. I have been sewing a lot. I’ve sewn some blankets for my baby, a friend’s baby, and my niece. I also sewed 3 pillows for the nursery (for décor, teal and grey chevron). And I hemmed the curtains in the nursery, because they were all 1 foot too long. I also have organized the whole nursery, a few times. I make to-do lists almost daily to get things done. I got all my thank you cards and Christmas cards out in the mail a while ago. I made several freezer meals the past few weeks. And both Andrew and I have cleaned the house and done laundry. We got new tires on the Honda. I got an oil change. We got Bently’s hair cut. Andrew got his hair cut. We filed our homestead and mortgage exemptions at the Auditor’s office. I got a new driver’s license with our “new” address. We went to the fire station for the car seat safety check. We set up the pack-n-play in our room. I made baskets for upstairs and downstairs for diaper changes, with wipes, diapers, and some burp cloths in them. We stocked up on extras of: toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, paper towel, toilet paper, tissues, and non-perishable food, such as lot of cans of soup. Both of our hospital bags are packed. Yesterday I did a lot of photo edits on Picasa and today I plan to begin making a Shutterfly pregnancy book. We are almost running out of things to do, so I made a new to-do list today with some new projects I plan to start.

Doctor’s Appointment this week: I met with Dr. Murphy yesterday, 1/7/15. Early labor is progressing nicely. I’m still 2 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and I didn’t’ get the station number. Fundal height was 38. So this appointment was a little concerning in the beginning. I’ll provide some background info first. So the weather hasn’t been the best here this week. We probably have about 6 inches of snow on the ground and very cold temperatures. So yesterday and today schools were closed. Well I drove to my appointment, and the roads were very icy and scary, which was very stressful for me, being 9 months pregnant. So at the beginning of my appointment, my blood pressure was 158/80 (very high for me), and the baby’s heartrate was 193 (it’s never ever been that high). I told the nurse about the scary icy drive there, and that could’ve been the reason for the high numbers. Of course I’m now scared, thinking that they are going to admit me into the hospital or something. Well about 15 minutes later the doctor comes in, after I had been praying and taking lots of deep breaths, and she checked my blood pressure again, and she got a really good number, like 110/78 (or 100/78, I can’t remember). She didn’t believe the nurse’s numbers. She didn’t check the baby’s heartrate, but she said she wasn’t concerned about that. Then I was checked, and I am still 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. The doctor said the head felt “wrinkly” like a butt, so she had me go get a quick ultrasound down the hall, which showed the baby’s head is indeed down. (I’m guessing the wrinkly feeling might be lots of hair, possibly?). Then I was free to go, but I felt like I hadn’t finished my appointment with the doctor, because she never gave me a chance to ask my questions, and this may have been my last appointment before labor. So I met with the doctor, and asked about the cervical sweep. She said that they do them around this time frame, but they could just do one on me next week (probably because I was already dressed and ready to check out).

What I’m doing to Induce Labor: So this week, I’m really trying to encourage the baby that it’s ok if he’s ready to come out, because we are ready! The past week here are the list of things I have done to try to help out: bounce on my exercise ball, have sex, eat spicy foods, eat Chinese food, drink 3^rd trimester tea (red raspberry leaf tea) twice a day, have Andrew rub my feet (that hasn’t lasted too long…unfortunately), and walk when possible. (The weather outside is too scary to take walks, so I plan to walk around later today inside some stores).

Next doctor’s appointment is next Wednesday, 1/14/15, with Dr. Rutherford. Hopefully I don’t make it to that appointment.

Here’s the picture I edited yesterday in Picasa. It was taken at 35 weeks on self timer.

38 Weeks

How far along: 38 Weeks

Trimester: 3^rd

Size of baby: Size of a leek. Around 19.75 inches long from head to foot, and weighs around 6.8 lbs.

Baby’s developments this week: Baby should be fully developed by now, and just focuses on putting on weight prior to birth. Baby continues to pack on fat, about ½ pound per week.

Symptoms: Lower back pain, numbness under left breast, more intense Braxton Hicks contractions, exhaustion, itchy belly, sciatic pain on inner right thigh, swelling, losing part of the mucous plug, achy hands in the mornings, and colostrum leakage.

Total weight gain: 38 pounds total.

Maternity clothes: Yep.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: I did have a few decent nights of sleep, and then some where I woke up a lot and was wide awake for about an hour during the middle of the night. I’m trying to get in some naps during the day when possible.

Best moment of the week: Hanging out with friends! We hosted a New Year’s Eve Party at our house for our close friends. (Mainly people from our small group). Including kids/babies, we had a total of 31 people at our house for the party. We had a blast and everyone seemed to enjoy the party!

Miss anything: Yes, my first child, August Lee. I miscarried August one year ago yesterday, on 1/1/14. Hard to believe it’s been a year already.

Movement: Yes. Very jerky uncomfortable movements, which startle me and sometimes hurt me.

Food cravings: Greek yogurt, Cookies N Crème Ice Cream.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: Yes.

Gender: Boy.

Labor signs: Stronger Braxton Hicks contractions (more intense, and more often), and losing part of my mucous plug. I’m also 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy.

Looking forward to: Having this baby!

Any baby purchases: Yes, we bought our car seat, the Chicco Keyfit 30, from Target, as well as some receiving blankets, a chevron rug, a humidifier, and some diaper Genie refill bags. We also ordered our swing/bouncer combo from Amazon prime, which was over halfway paid for by a friend.

Doctor’s Appointment this week: We met with Dr. Strickland this morning, 1/2/15. Early labor is progressing nicely. I’m 2 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and a -1 station. Fundal height was 38, and baby’s heart rate was 158. She said she doesn’t expect me to go past my due date.

Chiropractor Appointment this week: I met with Dr. Scott this morning at well, 1/2/15. He said everything looks/feels good, and my body feels ready for delivery. He still expects me to deliver on 1/5/15. No follow up appointments, only if something else misaligns.

Next doctor’s appointment is this upcoming Wednesday, 1/7/15, with Dr. Murphy.

 

37 Weeks – Full Term!

(Putting this up a little late, sorry! Been busy with the holidays!)

How far along: 37 Weeks—Full Term!

Trimester: 3^rd

Size of baby: Size of a Swiss Chard (length-wise). Around 19.25 inches long from head to foot, and weighs around 6.3 lbs.

Baby’s developments this week: Baby should be fully developed by now, and just focuses on putting on weight prior to birth. Baby continues to pack on fat, about ½ pound per week. Mommy noticed at the Northview Church’s Christmas Eve service that the baby was practicing breathing from the womb!

Symptoms: Lower back pain, numbness under left breast, more intense Braxton Hicks contractions, exhaustion, itchy belly, sciatic pain on inner right thigh, swelling, losing part of the mucous plug, diarrhea (for 1 day), acid reflux (even though I’ve been on a prescription for it), and colostrum leakage.

Total weight gain: 35.9 pounds total.

Maternity clothes: Yep.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: Sleep is pretty rough most nights. I usually get up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom, or to drink water. And most the time once I “struggle” my way out of bed, by the time I get back in bed, the baby is wide awake and kicking me pretty hard.

Best moment of the week: We hung out with our friends, the Trimbles and the Herrolds, last Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. We went out to eat with the Herrolds at La Cabana, and then played games with both couples at our house. We played Settlers and 7 Wonders. All of us three couples are expecting babies, so it was nice to hang out before the babies come! We also have had a blast being “home” for the holidays! We drove down to Sheridan on Tuesday, 12/23/14, and we will return to Valpo on 12/28/14. We’ve been able to spend a lot of time with family, which has been a blessing.

Miss anything: A good night’s rest. (And yes, I know it will continue to get worse, especially after the baby comes!)

Movement: Yes. He’s pretty crammed in there though. New movements I noticed this week was the baby has been practicing breathing movements, which I have heard is common at this stage.

Food cravings: None.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes. I felt very sick the night of Christmas. I must’ve caught a bug, gotten food poisoning, or had too much of a variety of foods that did not settle in my stomach well. I had diarrhea (which is pretty uncommon considering I’m taking an iron supplement), and felt like I needed to vomit, but never did.

Have you started to show yet: Yes.

Gender: Boy.

Labor signs: Stronger Braxton Hicks contractions (more intense, and more often), and losing part of my mucous plug.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: Off. Yesterday my sister Jill and I went out and ran some errands. We went to Charming Charlie’s at Clay Terrace, and both of us bought cheapo fake wedding rings. So my wedding ring is a size 4.5, and this replacement ring is a size 7, which is a little loose. So I’m up 2 sizes.

Happy or moody most of the time: Let’s go with moody. Just because I’m pretty uncomfortable. I am happy, but irritable more these days.

Looking forward to: We are hosting a New Year’s Eve party at our house in Valpo this week. We are excited to share the holiday with several good friends that plan to come. Also looking forward to the baby coming!

Any baby purchases: Yes, I bought 4 packs of Huggies diapers at CVS for really cheap ($4 a pack). I also bought some Infant’s Tylenol. We also bought an extra car seat base, from a lady on Facebook from one of Jill’s groups, for $25. It’s basically brand new and saved us $60!

Doctor’s Appointment this week: We met with Dr. Short on Monday, 12/22/14. Appointment went well. Fundal height is 35. I was still dilated a fingertip, and effaced 50%, and baby was at a -2 station. Doctor said things are looking good and approved us to go home for the holidays.

Chiropractor Appointment this week: I met with Dr. Scott on Tuesday, 12/23/14. Dr. Scott said that he can tell my alignment is straightening out well, which is why I’m started to feel less pain that I had the previous few weeks.

Next doctor’s appointment is this upcoming Friday, 1/02/15, with Dr. Strickland. It’s a week and a half gap since my last appointment due to the holidays. My next Chiropractor appointment is also on Friday, 1/02/15.