And Six Months Later...

Well, hello again!  I know I fell off the face of the planet after Gavin was born, but rumor has it that's fairly common with new moms.  The good news is that I've spent the past six months caring for the most adorable, loving baby in the whole universe.  There is no bad news.  :)

As anyone who is even relatively close to me knows, the first few months of parenthood were no cakewalk in the Dowd household.  After finally kicking a bad case of baby acne, Gavin developed a case of colic that kept him screaming from around 6:30 pm until he finally fell asleep around 9:00.  There was no rhyme or reason for it, and there was no solution.  This lasted for two months (though it felt more like two years).  Apparently moms who suffer from migraines have a 40% higher chances of having colicky babies, so this is something I can also look forward to with subsequent children, haha.  Anyway, Gavin outgrew the colic around four months but still refused to sleep through the night, often waking every single hour for some Mommy or Daddy cuddles.  We knew something had to change, so about a month ago (after a lot of back-and-forth feelings and several phone calls to the pediatrician) we used the Ferber method to sleep train him...and it WORKED!  We had one rough night, but by the second night we were already getting longer stretches of sleep, and by the third night we actually had to wake HIM up!  We still have a rough night here or there, but we now have a baby who puts himself to sleep in his crib (without needing to be rocked) and actually STAYS asleep!  Last night he went to bed at 8:30, woke up for a bottle at 5:45, and went back to bed until 8:30.  This has literally changed our lives.  Gavin is happier, we are more well-rested, and there is more time in the day to take care of things around the house and update this lovely family blog.

I will try and do a better job of updating more frequently, particularly now that Gavin is undergoing big changes on what seems to be an everyday basis!  He's rolling both ways with ease, sitting up on his own, interacting with toys, and giggling up a storm.  His smile also seems to be changing as his teeth come in.  He's always had a cutie pie little smile, but I especially love how he crinkles his nose now when he gets excited.

He has so much personality and LOVES to use those dimples to flirt with any and everyone who crosses his path.  I can't get enough of him.

Gavin is at the age where things are starting to get a little bittersweet.  Our little boy no longer needs to be cradled when we carry him...he fits nicely on our hips.  He likes to hold his own bottle while he eats. His little coos and gurgles are now full blown baby conversations.  We're looking into getting an upright carseat because if Gavin grows just one more inch, his current carseat will be too small.  His peach fuzz hair now needs combing every morning.  Our tiny baby is becoming a little boy, and even though I wouldn't change the stage he's at now for anything, I do look at pictures of him a few months ago and feel a twinge of sadness that those moments have passed.

So there's the shortened version of where I've been for the past six months.  Father's Day is tomorrow and Gavin and I are planning to take his daddy to the aquarium or zoo to celebrate, depending on what the weather is like.  Maybe we'll get some Orange Leaf afterwards?  Gavin LOVES Orange Leaf.  :)

Until next time...

  

We Did It!

We had the baby!  Well...four weeks ago we had the baby.  But since then, it's been such a crazy whirlwind that there has been no time to update this lovely blog.  As it is, our little munchkin is fast asleep in his carseat, Stephen is studying, and the cats are behaving themselves, so I figure now is as good a time as any to share the happy news that Gavin Robert Dowd came into the world on Saturday, December 3, at 1:15 in the morning.  He weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces and was 20" long -- big boy!  Stephen and I couldn't be happier...but we also couldn't be more exhausted, haha.  Having a winter baby is difficult because you can't get outside and play, so in addition to being tired, you also become a little stir crazy.  It doesn't help that it gets dark around 5:00 pm.  We've been functioning with the help of friends and family, and I've practically moved into my parents' house when Stephen is at school or work, but we're slowly getting used to our new life and new routine.

It's weird...three weeks ago we were pretty sure Gavin would be an only child.  I mean, how could people go through this more than once?  But the other day I went to Buy Buy Baby to get some supplies and actually got jealous of all the adorable pregnant women there.  I ACTUALLY MISSED MY ENORMOUS 40+ WEEK PREGNANT BELLY.  It must be true...you DO forget the trials and tribulations of pregnancy/labor and delivery/those first few crazy weeks.  I was SO sore and SO uncomfortable and was sleeping SO horribly, and yet it all led to having our sweet little baby boy (who sometimes screams so much at night that I long for the days of my terrible pregnancy sleep cycle.)  I've had friends tell me that at around 9 months postpartum, when your baby finally is sleeping through the night in his own crib and life has settled into a nice pattern, you start craving another baby.  You miss your little one being teeny tiny and all of the excitement of pregnancy and having a newborn.  I have to say, I'm not sure I believe it...but at least I'm not swearing off of ever having a baby again.  :)

Stephen and I have learned a few things in our first month as parents -- things that people told us while I was pregnant but we didn't believe.
- You don't need thousands of little adorable baby outfits, especially in newborn size.  Gavin's newborn clothes are already packed away in the basement.  He wore each outfit exactly once.  We took photos, he looked precious, but now they are obsolete.
- Speaking of baby clothes, we wish we had more outfits with ZIPPERS and fewer outfits with SNAPS.  When you're trying to change a squirming, oftentimes screaming baby, it's nice to be able to do it QUICKLY.
- Go on dates if possible.  Our pediatrician told us this at our very first appointment, when Gavin was three days old.  Stephen and I have been lucky enough to go to dinner a few times, and to a Bengals game together.  It makes us feel a little more human -- and a little more like ourselves -- amidst all the drastic changes in our lives.  We always feel more refreshed afterwards, even if we've only gotten a few hours of sleep.  (It's also nice to be able to get outside for a few hours, which you typically can't do with a newborn during flu season.)
- That super expensive baby swing?  Chances are likely the baby will hate it.  That super expensive bassinet?  Chances are likely the baby will hate it.  You get the picture.

Maybe THAT is how people do this more than once.  You learn what works and what doesn't.  What needs to be purchased and what can wait until after the baby gets here.  What makes you feel better and what stresses you out more.

Or maybe they do it more than once because the babies are SO DARN CUTE.  :)
 

Happy December!

As predicted, the little bundle (who by now is most likely a BIG bundle) will be arriving as a December baby!  The funny thing is, I find myself way less anxious now than I did two or three weeks ago.  It's probably knowing that they won't let me go beyond 42 weeks (I'm 41 now), so there is a definite end in sight...and the end is measured in days, rather than weeks.

I think it also helps that I'm not working anymore.  My last day was November 23, but my maternity leave started on November 28 (after the Thanksgiving break), so I feel physically much better not spending entire days on my feet.  Would I rather be spending my maternity leave holding Gavin and watching movies with Stephen?  Of course.  But honestly, I've felt better this past week than I have in a long time, so it's worth it.

Tonight Stephen is taking me out for a surprise dinner date!  If you have to be huge as a house and questioning if your baby will EVER arrive...you might as well do it with a handsome man and a delicious meal.  :)

41 weeks and counting...

Overdue

Well, apparently our little man needs some more time to cook.  I was expecting to go late -- my mom went late with Doug, and Grandma went late with Dave, so it's in the family genes -- but still, I'm super over being pregnant.  That being said, I've tried a bunch of things to get this party started sooner rather than later.

Here is a list of things that DO NOT induce labor, no matter how many people/websites/message boards tell you otherwise:
- Pineapple
- Long walks
- Labor inducing cookies (ginger snaps with cayenne pepper)
- Spicy/ethnic food
- Bouncing on an exercise ball
- Chocolate
- Ankle massages/acupressure
- Wishful thinking

It would appear that the only thing that WILL induce labor is the baby deciding to come out on his own, and since the extreme amounts of pineapple I've been eating have done nothing but cause some serious heartburn, I'm going to stop my herculean efforts to speed things along and wait for Gavin to tell me when he's ready.  I have an appointment tomorrow morning -- one that my doctor said he was fairly sure he wouldn't be seeing me at (surprise!) -- and we'll see if there's been any progress since last week, but I'm fairly sure my stubborn little boy will be living in my tummy for another few days.

The upside of still being pregnant?  It's pretty fun when people ask me when I'm due and I can respond with "...three days ago."  People look at me like I'm some kind of circus freak out in public, just waiting for my water to break all over the place.  Today I got a manicure and pedicure and took unsolicited advice from literally every single person who passed me on how to get this baby out.  My nail technician, a Vietnamese man no more than two or three years older than me, whispered to me that "sex is the only real way to open the pelvis for the miracle of childbirth."  Apparently it worked for his wife.  I kid you not...this was actually said to me.  People get super inappropriate when you're this pregnant.

Anyway, I'm enjoying the last few days of one-on-one time with my husband and have been taken out for some AWESOME date nights recently, so we're definitely taking advantage of our baby's delayed entrance into the world.  I'm lucky to have such an amazing partner-in-crime...and I just know I'll fall that much more in love with Stephen when I see him hold our son for the first time.

Stay tuned!  One of these days I'll have big news...

Lazy (?) Sunday

On what might be our last baby-less Sunday, we decided to take it fairly easy today.  We went for our usual walk at the Loveland bike trail this morning (though I couldn't make it as far as we normally do), picked up our smoothies, and headed home to nest for the rest of the day.  While Stephen studied for school and watched the football game, I tried out a new recipe to add to our collection of frozen foods for when the baby comes.

Bobby Flay's Chicken and Dumpling Soup

6 cups of chicken broth
Cooked, shredded chicken breast
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Corn
Fresh green beans
2 bay leaves
Celery salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of pearled barley
Pre-made biscuit dough

I cooked the chicken separately, shredded it, and put it aside while I softened the celery, carrots, and onion in the soup pot (with a little cooking oil).  Then I added the broth to the vegetables, adding in the corn and green beans.  Next went the chicken and the barley, until the barley was tender.  When the soup was spiced (bay leaves added, salt/pepper/etc), I dropped spoon-size balls of dough into the pot, covered it, and let it simmer for a few hours.

My only issue with this recipe is that the broth all but disappeared -- but after reading the recipe reviews, apparently that's a pretty common issue.  I'll just add some broth when I'm ready to serve the soup.  Either way, it smells delicious and we have plenty to eat for dinner tonight AND freeze for later.

So far, our collection of frozen foods includes:
- Chili
- Lasagna
- Seasoned taco meat (for taco salads)
- Marinated chicken breasts
- Chicken and dumplings
- Shrimp (for pasta)
- Turkey burgers
- Ravioli
- Meatballs
- Vegetables, rice, and other sides

I feel pretty good that we have home-cooked meals prepared and that we won't have to eat Skyline out of a can every night once the baby gets here.  I know people will probably bring us food the first few days we're home, but it feels nice to be prepared for when the home visits slow down and we're left to fend for ourselves.  :)

My due date is in FIVE DAYS, but I'm saying right now...my prediction is December 1.

10 Days and Counting...

Here we are in the homestretch.  I am antsy and sore and have finally called it a day and asked to cut my hours down at work (five or six hour days) -- my official last day is November 23, next Wednesday, but my ankles and feet have been swelling too much to continue with eight hour days -- so it really is a waiting game for little G to get here now.  We've taken the hospital tour, we've installed the carseat, our hospital bags are loaded into Stephen's car, and we've planned the naming ceremony and newborn photos.  All we need now is the BABY!

I had an appointment this morning with the doctor I hate.  I thought I'd give him a second chance -- in part because I believe everyone is entitled to a bad day, and in part because I had no other option (he was the only one there today) -- but I still hate him.  For starters, I was taken back the room at 11:15 and sat half-naked for almost forty-five minutes waiting for him to come see me.  When he finally did, he AGAIN had no idea who I was or when I was due.  In the TWO MINUTES he was in the exam room with me, he never once asked how I was feeling or if I had any symptoms of early labor, and barely seemed to listen when I asked questions.  Or, if he was listening, he certainly couldn't be bothered to actually ANSWER the questions I had.  I literally hate him.  The good news is, I am making progress.  I don't think Gavin will be making his big debut this week, but I think there's a good chance I'll go fairly close to my due date.  The better news?  Even if I shoot past my due date, there's no way we'll have to wait more than three weeks to meet our little son.  Not even an awful doctor (who also seems totally unknowledgeable, for the record) can take that away from us.  I'm just praying he's not the one on call when I go into labor...

Our baby nephew, Quinn, is two weeks old tomorrow and getting cuter everyday.  I can't stand how cute he is.  My sister-in-law sent this picture to my mom yesterday and I can't get enough of his cutie pie little expression --

Holding himself up already!  And look at that EXPRESSION!  What a little personality!

Ack, I love him so much.

Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm hoping to enjoy lots of holiday food (and family time) to celebrate!  If Gavin isn't here by then (and I'm assuming he won't be), you can bet that I'll try and steal as much Quinn time as I can!  :)  I'm sad my grandma won't be able to join us for Thanksgiving this year -- there's just too much up in the air with my due date being November 25 -- but we're hoping to be able to see her and introduce her to our new addition as soon as we can after the holidays.  It won't be the same celebrating Thanksgiving without her, though.  This year's holiday will be different for sure -- but there will be SO MUCH to be thankful for!!!

Celebrations and Congratulations!

It has been an AMAZING two weeks!  Here's my feeble attempt at a recap --

1) On October 29, we celebrated the Fourth Annual Friends Thanksgiving at Steve and Ashley's house! It was super sweet of them to make it early this year so Stephen and I could attend (since we may or may not have a tiny turkey by the time ACTUAL Thanksgiving rolls around.)  We had a great time catching up with friends and ate way too much delicious Thanksgiving food...turkey, potatoes, homemade applesauce, veggie casserole, corn, rolls, stuffing...literally everything imaginable.  Steve and Ash really have the Thanksgiving banquet thing worked out!  :)

2) Our first wedding anniversary was on October 30 and was PERFECT.  We started the day by going to the Loveland bike trail for a walk, where we had some of our wedding photos taken a year ago.  We went down to the river, walked around the park, and generally reminisced about what a nice experience we had with Steve Lyons (our wonderful photographer) last year.

We got smoothies for lunch (yum) and spent the afternoon relaxing, and then Stephen surprised me by taking me to Melting Pot for dinner!  A pregnant woman's DREAM!  There were flowers on the table, which I always love, and he gave me a beautiful, engraved locket to hold pictures of our soon-to-be baby boy.  A+ work for my super thoughtful husband.  I don't know what I did to deserve him...but I'm really glad he's mine.  :)  We did the whole cut-into-the-anniversary-cake deal, but a year in the freezer did not do the cake any favors, so we were thankful to be already so full on all that delicious chocolate fondue.

Our still-beautiful but awful-tasting anniversary cake, gorgeous flowers, and a souvenir photo from our first anniversary dinner!

My present to Stephen for our "paper" anniversary!

3) After our anniversary came Halloween, one of our favorite holidays!  We both had to work all day (and Stephen had class) but we got home just in time to pass out candy for trick-or-treaters.  We live in a growing neighborhood, so usually we don't have a ton of kids pass through, but we had way more than we expected this year!  We ran through three huge bags of candy within one hour and had to call it a night, but it was fun to sit outside and chit chat with some of our neighbors and see some adorable little costumes.

4) Stephen aced his third math exam...meaning that he got A's on ALL THREE exams!  Because he's such a superstar, he doesn't have to take the final, nor does he have to attend that class for the rest of the term (three sessions).  I am so proud of him...but more importantly, he's so proud of himself!  He set that goal for himself at the beginning of the term and made it happen.  He still has a few more things to do for his other two classes, but he should have about a week off to relax before next term begins.  He'll be taking a writing class and his first computer tech class starting November 15.  Yay!  Starting to move past the gen-eds!

5) Gavin and I had our 36 week appointment earlier this week -- I'm 37 weeks, FULL-TERM, tomorrow! -- and I'm happy to report that everything is still right on track.  I'm not dilated or effaced yet, but G is riding really low and is in position for his big debut in a few short weeks.  My doctor said that most first-time moms deliver up to a week late, so we're thinking Gavin could even end up being a December baby...but who knows!  We're prepared for him to come next week...we're prepared for him to come in four weeks.  We're just prepared for him in general.  :)

6) Perhaps the biggest news of the past two weeks is that my brother and his beautiful wife welcomed their first child, Quinn Allan Berg, into the world on November 2!  Quinn is absolutely the cutest thing ever and Doug and Mindy are so in love with their new little bundle.  Stephen and I are also in love with their new little bundle.  Actually...I think everyone is.  :)  We spent the afternoon at the hospital with the adorable family yesterday and couldn't get enough of holding baby Quinn and marveling at his chubby bunny little face.  Gavin kept kicking every time I had Quinn in my arms -- he was either totally jealous or totally excited to meet his new BFF!

The happy threesome!

Quinn Allan Berg -- SO precious!

CONGRATULATIONS, Doug and Mindy!  We are so happy to have a new little nephew and can't wait to spoil him rotten (and sign him up for the same t-ball team as Gavin, of course.)

I think that about covers the many, MANY celebrations from the last few weeks -- and the upcoming weeks are bound to have many, many more!  Our family is so blessed right now.  :)