Addison - the 7-Month Old!

December 27, 2009
For some reason, Addison being 7-months old sounds so much older than 6-months old. Perhaps that in this second half of her first year, big changes are coming down the pike. Let's take a look at her lifestyle!

Eating
Her eating habits are perhaps the biggest change that I feel because, well, I used to be her only source of food! Here's her eating schedule:
7am - Nurses for 10-20 minutes before Mommy goes to work
8:30am - Cereal
10am - Bottle of formula/breastmilk then nap
12pm - Jar of fruit/veggie
1pm - Bottle of formula/breastmilk then nap
3:30pm - Bottle of formula/breastmilk
6pm - Cereal and Fruit/Veggie
8pm - Nurses at bedtime
**Usually wakes sometime between 12am-2am to nurse, and sometimes even again at 4am**

The foods that she now eats are: rice cereal, bananas, apples, carrots and sweet potatoes. Next up - pears!

Sleeping
As you can see above, she is in a very good routine which began in the few weeks before I went back to work in November.
10am nap lasts about an hour
1pm nap lasts almost two hours, but sometimes up to three hours!
8pm bedtime is sometime as early as 7:15pm based on how she is acting. She shows signs of tiredness with redness around her eyes and resting her head on our chest and shoulders when we hold her. In the past two weeks she has begun the classic rubbing of the eyes!

Her bedtime routine includes changing her diaper and getting her into her pj's and sleepsack. Then I sit with her in the rocker and read her a short story, which is when her sleepiness really sets in and she begins to get cranky. So, then I nurse her for as long as she needs - which can be up to 30-minutes.

As I also mentioned above, she usually wakes at least once a night just to nurse, which did not bother me since it would only be fore 10-15min and I could fall back asleep while nursing her securely in bed, then when I would wake up, I would simply put her back in the crib. However; in the past couple weeks she has begun to wake a few times a night - and not to nurse. She just wants to hang out. I did read an article about nighttime separation anxiety. Separation Anxiety is supposed to kick in around 7 months, so perhaps she is beginning with the nighttime variety. But it is very frustrating for Tim and I as we are both working now and have been booked solid for the past 8 weekends so that has left us little recovery time from being awoken 3-4 times a night. We may attempt another round of sleep training, to at least minimize the number of times she wakes up. We'll see about that.

Playing
Addison still very much enjoys her Jumperoo and it is a part of her daily activity. Especially during dinner time so Mommy & Daddy can eat! She is also sitting up better and better on her own. We typically have the Boppy pillow as support around her in case she tips to one side or the other, but sometimes she is rolling back and forth so much - we take it away so she can roll around easier. For Christmas she received some stationary entertainers, including a LeapFrog keyboard as well as a couple similar items. So she enjoys sitting and looking at them. We usually need to do most of the button pushing to make things happen, but she has her few known functions on them that she knows how to do that gets a reaction.
She enjoys "grown-up" items such as a remote control and cell phones, of course. So she now has her very own real remote control and cell phone - neither which work, but entertain her nonetheless.
Anything and everything goes into her mouth - so what they say is true!!! But we take it as a sign of her really liking something!
All in all, when she is playing she is a very happy baby. Squeals and screams of delight, with happy baby babbling throughout. She enjoys being tickled and her belly "eaten" - she will grab onto our glasses and hair and laugh away! Some very special and fun moments for us all.

Addison's 6-Month Check-Up

Thursday, December 3

Addison had her 6-Month check-up yesterday. Let's take a look at her stats!

Height

27" 90th Percentile

Weight

15lbs. 10oz. 50th Percentile

Head Size

16 5/8" 40th Percentile

Addison remains tall and thin. She is filling out a little as her weight was only in the 40th percentile at her 4-month check-up. Her head size has certainly gained some ground, since she has been only in the 10th percentile in head size up until now.

We will begin to feed her solids in addition to rice cereal that she has been eating for the past two months. Starting this weekend, we will be feeding her bananas (baby food version of course!). The doctor recommends introducing a new "flavor" to her every four days or so to give time for any allergies to appear - and also to get her used to the new flavors!

Addison received her third round of shots: Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis and Hepititus/Hib as well as her first flu shot. She will go in for a booster flu shot in one month!

Otherwise, Addison is in good health and is growing well!

Her next appointment is her 9-month check-up!

Addison's New Life

Mommy Got a Job!
After enjoying nearly six months of being a stay-at-home Mom, but agonizing over my seemingly endless job search - alas, my job search and life as a housewife has come to an end. This is a big change for me, with a lot of adjustments to my schedule. I've worked full-time for six years, so it's been like riding a bike! However, the hours before and after work have been very different. I've added an extra hour to my morning routine to give Addison the opportunity to nurse; as well as enjoy some Mommy time with her and get her packed up for the day.
Addison is now spending her days between the hours of 9 to 5 with her Auntie Lorie and cousins Isabella, Nicolas and Bianca. Second only to Tim or I being home with her, this is really the best arrangement we could dream of! Lorie is a very experienced mother with three children between the ages of 18mos and 5yrs! I am familiar with her parenting, so feel secure knowing that Addison is in great hands.
Addison is also fortunate to spend her days playing and watching her cousins play - which is something she did not get at home! They have plenty of toys for Addison to play with so she is certainly entertained in her time there.
My first two days back at work, Tim stayed home with Addison - which was a really great transition in getting her used to being away from me and then being away from home too. Today, Wednesday, was Addison's first day with Lorie and it went very well! She ate a bunch and stuck to her morning and afternoon nap routine that we've established over the past few weeks. She enjoyed watching her cousins play and they no longer startled her like they used to when she was younger.

We are so fortunate to have family available and willing to take care of Addison. We hope she continues to be a good girl for her Auntie and Cousins!!

(THANKS, LORIE!)

Sleep Update

The night after we ended Addison's "Sleep Training", she was snarfing up quite a bit during her bedtime story. I couldn't soothe her so after a few minutes, I just put her down in her crib for a moment and then I was going to try soothing her more. Well, there was no need to! Not even a minute after I put her in her crib, she was fast asleep!

She has only napped her crib once before - for about 30minutes. I do put her in her crib almost everyday, but she usually just hangs out in there - looking at her mobile and crib soother. So imagine my surprise that she immediately fell asleep, especially while being crabby!

I always figured the first night we'd put Addison in her crib would be a momentus occassion with a lot of build-up to it. But instead, it was just an unplanned event! She slept in her crib til about 2am when she woke up to nurse. Just having her sleep in her crib from 9pm-2am was enough progress for me, so after I nursed her at 2am, I kept her in bed with us to sleep.

And that is how it has been for nearly the past two weeks! She goes in the crib after her bedtime story around 8-8:30, then wakes up somewhere between 12:30am-2am to nurse and I keep her in bed with us. The best part, is that we were finally able to put the pack 'n play away! So now I no longer have to crawl into bed from the foot of the bed or slide the pack n play out of the way to get out of bed. Our room looks twice as big now!!!

I'm thinking this week, I will attempt to put her back in her crib after her middle of the night feeding and see how that goes.

I will admit, even though Addison sleeping in her crib is what I wanted - I was very sad to see her sleeping in there. It was like she was all grown up - and didn't need to be snuggled up against me to sleep anymore. So, I was actually relieved when she woke up at 2am to nurse.

That is the harsh reality of motherhood...you want your child to grow and mature - but when they do, you wish for those old times back.

Sleep Training

At Addison's 4-month check-up, her doctor said she should be sleeping 10-hrs a night and there's no need for her to be waking up through the night to nurse. He said if I want to nurse her through the night, it's up to me and it's fine - but just that at her age she should be able to sleep through the night. The doctor suggested "sleep training" for a few nights to get Addison to learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep on her own.

So, of course I googled it and here's the method I found!

First, wait until your baby is physically and emotionally ready to sleep through the night, usually between 4 and 6 months of age. Ferber doesn't designate a precise age at which to begin his technique, since it can vary so much depending on the child. If you're not sure whether your baby's ready, you can always give it a try. If you encounter too much resistance, wait a few weeks and try again.
Step 1
Put your baby in his crib when she's sleepy but still awake.
Step 2
Say goodnight to your child and leave the room. If she cries when you leave, let her cry for a predetermined amount of time.
Step 3
Go back into the room for no more than a minute or two to pat and reassure your baby. Leave the light off and keep your voice quiet and soothing. Don't pick her up. Leave again while she's still awake, even if she's crying.
Step 4
Stay out of the room for a little bit longer than the first time and follow the same routine, staying out of the room for gradually longer intervals, each time returning for only a minute or two to pat and reassure her, and leaving while she's still awake.
Step 5
Follow this routine until your child falls asleep when you're out of the room.
Step 6
If your child wakes up again later, follow the same routine, beginning with the minimum waiting time for that night and gradually increasing the intervals between visits until you reach the maximum for that night.
Step 7
Increase the amount of time between visits to the nursery each night. In most cases, according to Ferber, your baby will be going to sleep on her own by the third or fourth night — a week at the most. If your child is very resistant after several nights of trying, wait a few weeks and then try again.

How long should I leave my child alone?
In his book, Ferber suggests these intervals:
First night: Leave for three minutes the first time, five minutes the second time, and ten minutes for the third and all subsequent waiting periods.
Second night: Leave for five minutes, then ten minutes, then 12 minutes.
Make the intervals longer on each subsequent night.Keep in mind that there's nothing magical about these waiting periods. You can choose any length of time you feel comfortable with.

We started this on Friday night, leaving her to cry for 1-minute, 5-minute and 7-minute intervals. After the 7-minute cry-out, I brought her in bed with us, as I normally do in the middle of the night. So not much progress, but I did not nurse her so that was a huge step forward!
Saturday night, the second night, at first seemed to be more of a success! We did 5-minute, 10-minute and 15-minute cry out time. After the 5-minute cry, I put the paci back in her mouth, put my hand on her chest and she fell asleep immediately!
But then after the 10-minute cry it was very difficult to get her to settle down and once I did it only last several minutes and then began the 15-minute cry. Once we tried soothing her after the 15-minute cry, she would not settle down so I took her out of the pack n play and into bed with us. That didn't work so we tried swaddling and other soothing. Then Tim took her into the nursery and rocked her in the chair until she finally calmed down. Then he brought her into bed and she started winding up again, so I nursed her and that did the trick.
I don't *mind nursing her in the middle of the night, most of the time I can actually fall back asleep while she nurses - but like the doctor said, I don't want to HAVE to nurse her through the night. Especially if I ever go back to work, waking up for 2am feedings are going to take a toll on me. My other motivation is to be able to move Addison into her nursery at night. The pack n play has been set-up bedside for four months now and I am getting quite annoyed by it!
This will take awhile, but as long as we are making progress towards something, that's good. Baby steps!!!

Addison's 4-month Check-Up!

Height
25 3/4"
90th Percentile

Weight
12lbs. 14oz.
40th Percentile

Head Size
13 1/2"
10th Percentile

Vaccinations
Today she received her second round of vaccinations. A few minutes before she got the shots, I gave her a small dose of Tylenol.
The nurse first gave her the second oral dose of Rotavirus, which will help her fight intestinal flu which causes vomitting and diarrhea over the course of a week. Most children get this before they are 2yrs old. Then Addison received 3 shots, these were the same as last time - just the second round.
1 shot contained the Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis vaccines in one leg. The other three shots were for Hepatitus B and HIB in her other leg.
She screamed a whole bunch, I held her right away for a minute before putting her in the car seat, and she calmed down very quickly.
Her next appointment will be for her 6-Month check-up at the beginning of December. At this point (once she is 6mos old) she can get the Flu Shot and the H1N1 Shot. Although, we will be in the height of flu season before she is able to get the flu shots, the pediatrician recommended Tim & I get the shots.

Addison's Baptism

Addison Grace's Baptism!
When: Sunday, September 13
1:30p.m.
Where: St. Hubert's Catholic Church
Hoffman Estates, Ill.

We have chosen my brother and sister-in-law, Patrick and Lorie Simon, as Addison's Godparents.

Addison is the only baby being Baptized on Sunday - making it a nice private ceremony for us!

Following the ceremony, we are having a reception at my mother-in-law's home in Elmhurst, Ill.

The menu includes:

Appetizers -
Beer bread w/spinach & herb dip
Veggie tray
Taco dip
Salsa
Tortilla rollies
Tortilla chips
Crackers
Chips

Main Course-
Caesar Salad
Italian beef sandwiches
Mostaccioli
Ambrosia salad

Dessert -
Chocolate-covered Oreos
Deerfield's white cake with strawberry filling and buttercream frosting

We look forward to spending the day with our close family and friends; including those in Tim's family who have not yet met Addison!

Addison - 12 weeks old!

Addison is now 12-weeks old!
And as she continues to whine next to me on the couch, I am going to detail out how she's been doing!

Sleeping
Yes, for the most part she is sleeping through the night now. Her routine, at least during the week, is going to bed with Daddy between 9pm-10pm. Sometimes she fusses for a bit, but usually is sleeping on Daddy by 10pm.
Depending on when her last feeding was, she may wake up between 11pm-2am for a quick feeding, but then continues to sleep until 5am-7am.
At that point she stays up for an hour or so and then we fall back asleep (with my coaxing!) until sometimes as late as 10:30am!

Eating
The hour-long feeding sessions do still occur; however with much less frequency. Typical feedings now are between 30-45min and while sometimes can be only 2hrs apart; for the most part are about 4hrs apart. Sometimes she has even gone as long as 7hrs between a feeding!

The 'Ol #2
Addison usually had a dirty diaper once or twice a day. However, a couple weeks ago - all of a sudden she went nearly 4 days without a movement and when she did finally go - it was quite the explosion (just ask Auntie Michelle!!). This trend continued until just the other day where she actually went twice that same day!
During the 4-day span I talked to her pediatrician who was not concerned and says that it's normal. But just to be proactive, I increased the amount of fiber in my diet :)

My Motherhood "Never Thought I'd..." Top 10 List

I have been a Mother for over 10 weeks now, so I thought it was a good time to reflect on the things I have done, the situations I have been in and the new reality of what my life has become. So with that, I bring you my

"Top Ten Things I Never Thought I'd Do Before I Became A Mother"

(in no particular order)

1. I narrate my shower activities to keep Addison company, while she is in her bouncer in the bathroom with me.

2. I get spit-up on me several times a day and don't bother cleaning up since I know it's just gonna happen again when I least expect it.

3. I spend hours a day with bare breasts all around the condo and think nothing of it.

4. I wear cloth diapers in my tops to absorb all the leaking.

5. I breastfed in a Brookfield Zoo's bathroom handicap stall, sitting on a toilet.

6. I sing the National Anthem and other patriotic tunes to Addison since my repetoire of lullabies is lacking.

7. I blast static non-channels on my car radio while driving around with a crying Addison, and it doesn't phase me one bit.

8. I am obsessed with cleaning out eye goo.

9. I walk around the neighborhood, Target, Dominicks, etc. speaking "Motherese".

10. I have never been this excited and proud to make someone smile. :)

Addison's 2-Month Doctor's Appointment

Thursday, July 30

Addison had her 2-month check-up today and all is well!

Weight: 11lbs

That is a weight gain of FOUR pounds since birth! That is incredible to me! But should come as no surprise since she is such a healthy and frequent eater!

She remains in the 50th-percentile for weight.

Much to our joy, over the past several weeks the weight gain has been evident as her once skinny legs now have nice big rolls, same with her arms..and of course her delightful double chin :) She's also got quite a round belly, but still not much in the caboose!

Height: 23"

That is 2 1/2" of growth since birth, an 1 1/2" since her last appt. This puts her in the 75th-percentile, where she was last time.

So this means she is tall and a little thin, which is just fine. Sadly, she is beginning to outgrow clothing. However, the onesies that are too small on her, it is more due to her length as the outfits aren't that tight through her body as much.

Head size: 15"

This puts her in the 40th-percentile, so she is gaining ground in that category!

Vaccinations

Today she received her first round of vaccinations. Thank you to everyone for your advice (Tina, Paula, Kathy, Lorie, Mom). A few minutes before she got the shots, I gave her a small dose of Tylenol.

The nurse first gave her an oral dose of Rotavirus, which will help her fight intestinal flu which causes vomitting and diarrhea over the course of a week. Most children get this before they are 2yrs old. This vaccine was optional.

Then Addison received 4 shots.

1 shot contained the Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis vaccines in one leg. The other three shots were for Hepatitus B, HIB and Polio in her other leg.

Addison was surprised, I think, by the shot at first and let out a big scream. Similar to what she does at home when she is very upset, but louder and she was much more strained - her face even turned a little blue for a moment!! But the nurse gave her the shots very quickly so before I knew it she was done. I held Addison right away for a minute before putting her in the stroller, and she calmed down very quickly.

It is less than a 10-minute drive home from the doctor, and Addison was docile and slept most of the drive. As soon as we got home, I fed her to help soothe her, even though she no longer seemed upset.

She's perfectly normal the rest of the day. I haven't noticed fever symptoms or any fussiness or discomfort from her. She's a tough little lady!

Her next appointment will be for her 4-Month check-up at the end of September!

Addison at 7 Weeks!

July 15: 7 Weeks Old!

In the past few weeks, Addison has seen and met almost her entire family! So since everyone has met her and now know her "personality," here's some updates!

Smiling
Addison has begun to smile! Of course, since the day she was born she'd make little smiles every now and again, but it would be immediately followed by a frown so we figured they were not the real thing.
Well, in the past week or so, we've noticed these smiles appearing as a response to us talking to her or making faces at her or her looking at something. And, instead of these smiles fading into frowns, the smiles stay for a few moments and get even bigger. No laughing yet - but we're anxiously awaiting that new developement!
We haven't figured out a sure-fire way to get her to smile, but once we do - you'll be seeing a ton of smiley Addison pictures!

Sleeping
Against all advice I've ever read, Addison spends more time sleeping in between Tim & I in bed than in the pack 'n play which is next to the bed. She begins her night sleeping on Tim's chest until 11-ish, when he puts her in the pack 'n play.
Sometimes she does stay sleeping for a couple hours until she wakes to feed, but sometimes she wants to eat right away. After she eats, I hold her on my chest to burp her and sometimes I fall asleep holding her there. If I don't, and put her in the pack 'n play she begins to cry almost immediately so I give in and bring her into bed again.
She is not sleeping through the night, but usually she'll sleep for 2-3hrs between feedings - sometimes even 4hrs.
I know, I know, there are dangers and stories all over advising us not to do this. But we are as safe as can be. She sleeps on a pillow so neither of us are going to roll over on her, plus we sleep with our arm over belly/legs so she can't roll away. We are working to remedy this...but the hardest thing other than HER not liking it is that it's just so damn cozy snuggling and sleeping with our Silly Baby!

Eating
She's still a champion eater. She nurses for usually 45min and still sometimes longer and then wants to eat again 2hrs later. Sometimes, if I'm in a time crunch, I do cut her off after 20min or so since she still tends to doze on and off throughout the feeding.
She is good taking pumped breast milk from a bottle as well as formula, the couple times we've had to supplement formula in for her when I'm not around.

The next couple weekends we have nothing on our calendar, followed by a very busy month of August so we are going to enjoy time close to home and the summer weather by taking plenty of walks and relaxing by our pool. They say fresh air is great for a baby AND me so I want to take advantage of that!

Addison's 1-Month Doctor's Appointment

Tuesday, June 30

Addison had her One Month Dr.'s Appointment this week and all checked out well!

Weight: 8lbs. 13oz.
That is a weight gain of 1lb. 13oz. since birth. She is in the 50th percentile for weight.
She feeds about every 2-3 hours usually, the doctor says that's ok but of course that's pretty tiring on my body! So he recommended really trying to spread out her feedings to every 4hrs. So when she starts fussing, we should try to distract her with walks, swings, pacifier, etc. I'm all for that!!!!

Height: 21 3/8"
That is growth of just over an inch! That puts her in the 60th percentile for height!

Head Size: 25th percentile

So to sum up, she's average weight, but one the tall side - so tall and slim with a small head :) The doctor also noted she's got a small little butt too and joked that she won't be able to wear pants until she plumps up down there! If she's got any of my genes in her, that won't be a problem!! Haha!

Her next appointment is on July 30 and she will get her first round of vaccinations!

Addison Grace O'Neill - Month in Review!

3 Weeks Old!

Wow! Our Silly Baby is 3 weeks old. The time is flying!
We've been getting to know each other better and better - but there are still many inconsistencies that keep us on our toes. As soon as I feel we may be getting on a schedule - Addison will trick me and change stuff around!
According to our scale (I weigh myself, then myself holding Addison) - she weighs 9.2lbs, but that doesn't seem right...but we'll see. She'll be officially weighed late next week at her 1-month check-up!
She also seems to be having some gas/poopy issues the past couple days, she shows a lot of discomfort and has started crying when she's "performing" either of those "tasks." Again, we'll discuss with her doctor next week to see if there's any issues or anything we can do to help.
Over the weekend we began giving her a pacifier for the first time as another source of comfort for her and that seems to be helping at times. We will also be introducing The Bottle to her this week, since Mommy is going out on Friday night, leaving Daddy to be on feeding duty for the night! We are hoping it goes well since we have a few events over the summer in which we'll be using babysitters so we need Addison to be ok with taking a bottle!

On Saturday, Addison will have another photo shoot for her 1-Month pictures, courtesy of my best friend Katie! I will post them on the blog and email some out when we have chosen the best ones.

Two Weeks Old!

June 10

Addison Grace O'Neill is already two weeks old - can you believe it? We can't!
Here's some updates on our Silly Baby!

Weight
Using our bath scale at home, we weighed our silly little baby and she now weighs 7lbs 14oz. So she is gaining weight slow and steady. Before we know it, we'll have a little porker on our hands. :)
Eating
And mommy knows where all this weight gain is coming from too - every two hours Addison comes to the "Mommy Restaurant" for a hearty 30-40min. meal!
Sleeping
She has only slept longer than 2hrs a few times, since she normally wakes to feed every 2hrs. We are on a pretty consistent nightly schedule, so hopefully she will begin recognizing it is nighttime and sleep for longer stretches in the next couple months. She begins her night getting changed into her PJ's by Daddy, then he takes her to bed and she sleeps on his chest until Mommy comes to bed and feeds her. We have her set up in the Pack 'N Play next to my side of the bed. She sleeps on the Boppy pillow, but sometimes after the middle of the night feedings - she is spoiled and sleeps cuddled with Mommy.

Stay tuned for more updates!

The Arrival of Addison Grace

Monday
May 25, 2009

I was feeling increased back pain all day on Memorial Day. In the afternoon, we went to Tim's mom's house for burgers. While there, I felt my first contraction around 4pm. I wasn't paying too close attention, but I would feel a few contractions an hour.
We got home in the early evening and I continued to feel some contractions. Around 8:30pm I decided to start timing them. I wasn't in much pain, but when the contractions hit they were fairly strong, so I wanted to monitor them to see if this was the early stages of labor.
By midnight, the contractions were coming about every 5-7min, sometimes even as close as 3min. They were more painful, but I could still talk through them. It was this way for an hour, so we called our Doctor - per their instructions. I took a hot shower and we took our time packing up a few last minute things we needed and off to the hospital we went! Even at the hospital, I was still able to talk through contractions - with a little resistance.
The nurses got me all hooked up in Labor & Delivery to monitor my contractions and Silly Baby's heartbeat. The contractions were measuring fairly strong and as close together as 3min in that hour. However, I was only 2cm dialated so it was just not far enough along. The nurses had me drink a bunch of cold water and then we walked the halls for an hour, to see if I would progress at all. When that was all over and they hooked me up again, the contractions had slowed/lessened and I was still only 2cm so they sent us home :( The nurses said it was probably Braxton Hicks contractions since they got better after I had water and a walk, but that it could also be early labor.

Tuesday
May 26
It was 5am when we returned home, so Tim decided to call in sick to work. He thought he could survive a day at work on only an hour of sleep, but his concern was if this really was early labor and we'd be going back to the hospital that night - that would not be good on only an hour of sleep!
We stayed in bed til almost noon on Tuesday, but I couldn't sleep more than 30min at a time because my back hurt and I was feeling contractions pretty bad. I would go back and forth from the couch to the bed, trying to get comfortable, but nothing was really working. We went for a nice walk in the afternoon for lunch and I walked the halls for awhile in the evening to see if the contractions would lessen.
By Monday night, the contractions were pretty bad and pretty frequent, but I was gun shy after Monday night so I wasn't even keeping track of them. Tim went to bed at 10pm, planning on going to work on Wednesday. I told him I would wake him up if needed, but that I was still thinking it wasn't it.
I walked around the condo and again went between the couch and the bed trying to get comfortable. Closer to midnight, I walked the halls of our building and the contractions were coming so strong that I couldn't walk through them. I got back to our unit and took a hot shower. Then I started keeping track of the contractions - they were coming about every 5-7min. I was going to wait until they lasted like that for over an hour, but in that hour they got so bad I couldn't even concentrate on writing down the times they started and ended. So I decided to wake Tim up. It was 1am at this point.

Wednesday
May 27
About 20min later, Tim had been keeping track of my contractions and they were mostly 3min apart or less. At this point I started throwing up and walking/standing/sitting were all very painful. So Tim called the Doctor and we went to the hospital immediately. The two minute car ride was also very painful - but thank God it was only that long!
Tim pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance and got me into a wheelchair and checked in, he ran back out to park the car and then the nurse & Tim pushed me up to the Labor & Delivery floor. All the while, I was still throwing up.
We got to Labor & Delivery and all the rooms were booked, so they had us wait in the little snack room. It was at this point where I was in the most pain. I couldn't tell when one contraction ended and another began and I could only mumble words. Tim was very good at figuring out what I was trying to communicate.
After 10min in that room (that seemed like an hour!), I got into my Labor & Delivery room. They started me on an IV for hydration and gave me anti-nausea medicine. I had also been starting to hyperventilate, so Tim really had to help me slow down my breathing which was making me throw up. Then they examined me and thankfully I was at 7cm - so it was NOT a false alarm! He called our moms and let them know the deal. A little while later, I was at 8cm and then I got the epidural. I felt one bad contraction after that and then it was all numbed away and all of a sudden I could talk again!
So then Tim put on the "Friends" DVD and we just relaxed. We each dozed off for maybe 20min or so when they came into examine me again and I was over 9cm!! My doctor was there, but was in a meeting or something for like 2hrs so we had to wait. Tim's mom got there first and came in to say Hi for a little bit, followed by my mom also. My friend Katie also made it down, and she came in to quick say Hi as well.
At 9am - it was time to push! I was counting on about 2hrs of pushing since that is what I read is normal for first-timers. The epidural was turned down and I was feeling the contractions. So push I did! I was making really good progress and Tim was really impressed with me :)
At 9:31am, Silly Baby entered the world in just two final pushes! I looked at her and had to ask "What is it??" - since her legs were in the way. They looked and said " it's a girl!" That's when Silly Baby became Addison Grace.
I held her for a moment, and then she went to get cleaned up. Tim took a ton of pictures during all of that - and then went out to tell everyone in the waiting room the big news!!!
After we were all cleaned up, the Grandmas came in first followed by Auntie Lorie and cousins Isabella, Nicolas and Bianca and my friend Katie. After the quick visit, Addison was moved to the nursery for her tests/bath and I was moved into my recovery room!
I was there until Friday afternoon. We got a ton of visitors and lots of pretty clothes for our little Addison!
We have continued to get visitors since last weekend. We are so thankful for all of the great gifts and meals our friends and family have provided us with. We are eating wonderful healthy meals nice and quick without having to cook!
Thank you to everyone!

I will continue to update this Silly Baby blog with Addison news in the future. So stay tuned!

SILLY BABY POOL WINNER!

Silly Baby results:

May 27
Girl
7lbs 0oz.

Grand Prize Winner
Kim Paulson
May 27
Girl
7lbs 9oz

Congrats, Kim! Your check for $84 will be in the mail shortly!

Runner-Up
Patrick Simon
May 27
Girl
7lbs 10oz

As you can see, this was a VERY tight race. There were two other guesses for May 27:
Emily Giacomino
May 27
Girl
8lbs 9oz

Monica O'Neill
May 27
Girl
9lbs 2oz

An Honorable Mention goes to Jill Thompson, who was the only one to guess the exact weight of 7lbs 0oz!

Thank you all for playing!!!
And of course, Tim & I are the BIG winners, since we won a Silly Baby!

Welcome, Addison Grace!

WEEK #38: The 12th Dr.'s Appt

Wednesday, May 20

Not much to report here...
With 11 days to go until the due date, I'm dialated just over 1cm, slightly effaced and Silly Baby has dropped, but s/he is not entirely engaged yet.

That's all we've got for ya!

Hospital Information

Here are details on our delivering hospital for those who are wanting to come visit us when Silly Baby is born.

St. Alexius Medical Center (website)
1555 N. Barrington Rd. (map)
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
847.843.2000

Quick and easy directions for most of you will be:

• Take I-90 West towards Rockford
• Exit onto Barrington Rd SOUTH
• Turn right onto Barrington Rd from the exit
• St. Alexius will be on your left, just passed IL-72 Higgins Rd
• If you get to IL-58 Golf Road, you have gone too far!
  
  My and Silly Baby's hospital stay will be a full 2 days following the delivery. Please be warned, I will be in a semi-private recovery room which is very small and will not fit more than 2-3 visitors at a time.
  While I am in labor/delivery/recovery, please direct all communications to Tim: 815.761.7814 or timoneill3@sbcglobal.net, and please be patient awaiting my response or new updates to the Silly Baby blog after the baby is here as we will be focusing all of our time and energy on getting to know our new Silly Baby!

WEEK #37: The 11th Dr.'s Appointment

Friday, May 15
As of this past Sunday, May 10, Silly Baby was considered "full-term." So s/he could really be born any day now!
I had my weekly doctor's appointment this morning, so here's some details:

• The results of the Group B Strep test came back negative, meaning I am not a carrier and therefore will not need antibiotics pumped through my IV while I'm in labor.
• My uterus measures 38cm which is just right for this time in my pregnancy.
• I am still dialated 1cm, maybe a tad more, but no significant progress since last week. I am slightly more effaced this week.
• Silly Baby has not yet dropped. Typically the baby will drop 2 weeks before the delivery date, the doctor is not concerned that Silly Baby has not yet dropped, since I am 2 weeks, 2 days from the delivery date. But I'll be waiting for that to happen hopefully in the next week!
• I will be induced on Monday, June 8 if Silly Baby is too shy to come out and meet us before then. So all you Silly Baby Pool-ers who guessed June 9 - 14, sorry! It is not to be...

Silly Baby's Nursery is complete!

Week #36: The 10th Dr.'s Appt

Friday, May 8

Today was my first internal exam to check my progress - ripening and dialating. I am 1cm dialated, so that's good to hear I am making progress!
After not gaining any weight for about a week or so (last week), this week I have gained 4lbs!!!! I don't think I can blame that all on Silly Baby, even though I know s/he's packing on the baby fat too as my belly is getting huge!
This week was the first week that I've had trouble sleeping for physical reasons. Prior to this, I would wake up once or twice to go to the bathroom but my only sleep disruption would be the inevitable heartburn in the middle of the night. The heartburn has been tamed, thankfully, and I can manage it by taking a Pepcid AC before I go to bed and keeping TUMS on my nightstand in case it wakes me up.
But earlier this week, the lower back pain started. I move between a variety of positions - pillow between my knees, throw pillow under my belly, pillow behind my back, etc. It's not unbearable, just a little uncomfortable.

That's it for now!

Silly Baby Pool

The polls have closed on the Silly Baby Pool!
Please take note of your entry. Winner will be notified once Silly Mommy & Baby return from the hospital and have a moment of sanity :)

The Silly Baby Pool winner will get $84!!!

The rules to decide the winner are as follows:

Date
if a tie, then...
Gender
if a tie, then...
Weight (closest guess, over or under)

May 7055
Nicolas Simon
Boy, 37lbs - Name Suggestion: Joey

May 3
Isabella Simon
Girl, 50lbs - Name Suggestions: Glorianna or Joey (for a boy)

May 15
Jill Thompson
Boy, 7lbs - Name Suggestion: Lucas

Amy Hansen
Girl, 6lbs 7oz - Name Suggestion: Regina Philangee

May 16
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

May 17
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

May 18
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

May 19
Silly Mommy & Daddy
Boy, 8lbs

May 20
Marilyn Bosch
Boy, 7lbs 7oz
Name Suggestion: Joseph

May 21
Cathy Frettilio
Girl, 5lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Donna

May 22
Donna Doyle
Boy, 6lbs 8oz

Amy Fabbiano
Girl, 7lbs 8oz
Name Suggestion: Wap-a-touie

May 23
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

May 24
Jill Thompson
Boy, 7lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Wyatt

Jenn Urso
Boy, 7lbs 12oz
Name Suggestion: Justin

May 25
Bev Balconi
Boy, 9lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Sean Timothy

Ed LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

May 26
Michelle Vidergar
Girl, 9lbs 3oz
Name Suggestions: Atreyu or Zoey

May 27
Kim Uhan
Girl, 7lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Monica Jr.

Silly Baby Mommy
Girl, 9lbs 2oz

Pat Simon
Girl, 7lbs 10oz
Name Suggestion: Rachel

Emily Giacomino
Girl, 8lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Abigalle

May 28
Sue Kaeske
Girl, 7lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Katrina

May 29
Karyn Sobczak
Boy, 9lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Jeffrey

Jennifer Simon
Boy, 7lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Tu Mama

Rick Johannes
Boy, 7lbs 1oz
Name Suggestion: Patrick Nicolas

Silly Baby Daddy
Boy, 8lbs 10oz

Eileen Keilty
Boy, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Ferdanand

Karen Smith
Girl, 7lbs 8oz

Jill Thompson
Girl, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Violet

Diane Simon
Girl, 8lbs 14oz
Name Suggestion: Ariel

May 30
Jill Thompson
Boy, 8lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Corey

Karyn Sobczak
Boy, 9lbs
Name Suggestion: Joshua

AnneMarie Lovrine
Girl, 7lbs 5oz
Name Suggestion: Ariel

Eileen Keilty
Girl, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Bula

Kathy Connors
Girl, 8lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Oneida Onada

Donna Doyle
Girl, 6lbs 12oz

May 31
Diane Simon
Boy, 8lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Justin

Katie Nelson
Boy, 8lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Hampants

Donna Doyle
Boy, 8lbs

Cathy Frettilio
Boy, 6lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Sean

Laura Giacomino
Girl, 7lbs 1oz

Paige Frick
Girl, 8lbs 8oz
Name Suggestion: Giselle

Chris Maxwell
Girl, 7lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Angela

June 1
Emily Giacomino
Boy, 9lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Jason

Lynne Sobczak
Boy, 7lbs 9oz
Name Suggestion: Tyler

Liz Palmtag-Mobley
Boy, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Bob

Jill Thompson
Girl, 6lbs 11oz
Name Suggestion: Ivy

Chris Frick
Girl, 9lbs 7oz
Name Suggestion: Kelsey

Sue Macino
Girl, 8lbs 7oz
Name Suggestion: Emma

Donna Doyle
Girl, 7lbs 8oz

June 2
Georgia Tice
Boy, 8lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Parker

Amanda Nelson
Boy, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Ryan

LuAnne Simon
Boy, 7lbs 10oz
Name Suggestion: Brandon

Silly Baby Mommy & Daddy
Boy, 8lbs 8oz

Maureen O'Neill
Boy, 8lbs 4oz

Karyn Sobczak
Girl, 8lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Ida

Patti Logsdon
Girl, 7lbs 4oz
Name Suggestion: Ava May

Karen Smith
Girl, 8lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Charlotte

June 3
Mary Balconi
Boy, 8lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Timothy or Brock Patrick

Marilyn Vidergar
Boy, 7lbs 12oz
Name Suggestion: Kevin Timothy

Connie Mininni
Boy, 7lbs 10oz
Name Suggestion: T.J. (Tim Jr.)

Diane Lau
Boy, 8lbs 11oz
Name Suggestion: Aidan

Diane Simon
Boy, 8lbs 11oz
Name Suggestion: Justin

Laura Giacomino
Girl, 6lbs 2oz

Katie Nelson
Girl, 8lbs 5oz
Name Suggestion: Addison

Jeannine Simon
Girl, 8lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Silly Susie

June 4
Chelsea Mittermann
Boy, 9lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Brett Michael(s)

Donna Doyle
Boy, 8lbs 2oz

Kathy Connors
Boy, 8lbs 12oz
Name Suggestion: Timothy John

Bianca Simon
Boy, 7lbs 8oz
Name Suggestion: Timothy Jeffrey

June 5
Denise Nicolosi
Boy, 8lbs 1oz
Name Suggestion: Joseph Timothy

Ewa Leja
Boy, 8lbs
Name Suggestion: Patrick

Lorie Simon
Girl, 8lbs 3oz
Name Suggestion: Phoebe

June 6
Maureen Clemente
Boy, 8lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Tim

June 7
Karyn Sobczak
Girl, 10lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Laura

June 8
Karen Smith
Girl, 8lbs

June 9
Silly Mommy & Daddy
Girl, 9lbs 9oz

June 10
Tina Vogel
Boy, 9lbs 6oz
Name Suggestion: Jonathan

Diane Simon
Girl, 8lbs 2oz
Name Suggestion: Rachel

June 11
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

June 12
Rory Smith
Boy, 9lbs
Name Suggestion: Bobby

June 13
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

June 14
Mike & Mindy LeVar
Boy, 7lbs 2oz

Week #35: The 9th Dr.'s Appointment

Friday, May 1

I have begun the weekly doctor's appointments, so every Friday until Silly Baby is here - I'll be at the Doctor's office!
Not much to report from this appointment. Silly Baby's heartbeat was very strong once again, so that's always a good thing! They also took a swab for the Group B Strep test to determine if I am a carrier. If I am, it has no affect on me; however, I would need to have anti-biotics pumped through my IV during labor since it would affect Silly Baby as they descend through the birth canal. The Dr. said about 20-30% of women are carriers. I will find out next week!
I will begin having internal exams at next week's appointment to check if I've begun any prelabor progression.
Here's some FAQ's on how I'm doing:

• Silly Baby has not dropped
• I have felt some mild Braxton Hicks contractions sparingly
• I am beginning to have some back pain, but nothing too bad
• I have also begun feeling some pelvic pressure, again - nothing too bad at all
• I have been "nesting" but not in the uncontrollable way I've read it can kick in
• I don't have those feelings of "get this thing out of me", or sick of being pregnant
• Overall, I am relatively comfortable in my pregnancy still and don't feel totally huge yet :)

Chicago Silly Baby Shower Photos

Silly Baby Chicago Shower! THANK YOU!

Saturday, April 25
Angelo's Restaurant
Elmhurst, IL

Hosted/Planned By:
"Grandma" Laura Giacomino
"Great Aunt" Mindy LeVar
"Great Grandma" Kathy Connors
"Great Great Aunt" Donna Doyle

Our second and final Silly Baby Shower was held this past Saturday in downtown Elmhurst. It was so much fun and a great success! Tim and I are very lucky to have such wonderful family and friends who not only host these celebrations for us, but do SUCH a terrific job!!!
Tim and I would like to sincerely thank our hosts for this wonderful event!

Mom G,
Thank you for hosting and planning this shower for us. The invitations were perfect for our Silly Baby theme, the cupcakes were delicious and the favors (potted flowers) are lovely - mine are blossoming as I type this! The lullaby game was great and I will be spending a lot of time on Google the next few weeks taking a crash course on lullabies! (Tim & I only guessed 5 correctly. Whoops!)

Aunt Mindy,
Thank you so much for coming to town for the Shower and for all your great games! Tim is still grossed out by the baby food guessing game, we are both still freaked out by the "Tim & Monica baby faces" game and I learned I need to change a baby much quicker in the dark and Tim needs to learn how to be a tad gentler when changing the baby.

Grandma Kathy & Aunt Donna,
Thank you for travelling across the country to come to our Silly Baby shower and your help! It was great to see you ladies again. We hope your trip was worthwhile!

We got even more great gifts at this shower and now pretty much have everything we need to welcome Silly Baby in the world in just a matter of weeks! We received our remaining *big* gifts - high chair and bedding and also the rest of our nursery decor. So Silly Baby's monkey/safari-themed nursery is complete!
We never realized how many crafty people we know until these showers. We received several handmade, adorable blankets for Silly Baby! Handmade gifts are priceless and we are so grateful to be surrounded by such creative people!
Thank you to everyone who came to the shower and celebrated Silly Baby's impending arrival with us. We are in the home stretch now and because of your generosity, we are well-prepared for the journey that is upon us.

My nesting urge has kicked into full gear as I've been busy washing all of the new blankets, clothes and bedding we've received. We are continuing to find the best organization for the nursery and making the best of the space we have.
Once the nursery is complete, I will be posting yet another slide show on this blog for everyone to see the progression since the room was painted.

I will also be posting pictures from the Chicago Silly Baby Shower sometime this week. If you have any pictures you can share, please email them to me at monicaoneill@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you everyone!

Week #34: The 8th Doctor's Appointment

Wednesday, April 22

This was the doctor's appointment we had been looking forward to since our ultrasound in the 20th week. Tim took the day off of work as we felt this would be the most important of these final prenatal visits for him to be a part of. We were finally going to see Silly Baby again! It has been 14 weeks since our last ultrasound and the sonogram hanging on our fridge is clearly outdated!
I lay on the exam table, holding Tim's hand and get ready for the "show", anxious in anticipation to see Silly Baby's face! First we got to see the top of the head, which is in position (head down in my womb), they take the measurement of the head and move on.
Next, we get to see Silly Baby's belly which looked all sortsa round and plump in my opinion! Then just a quick glimpse of Silly Baby's legs. The technician continued taking measurements of my amniotic fluid level and whatever else they measure to estimate the baby's weight.
The technician moved the wand back to Silly Baby's head, but unfortunately for us (and for all of you hoping to see another sonogram!), it was not to be. Silly Baby was facing my back so we couldn't see any facial features, not even a profile shot. So that was that! Silly Baby is very shy!
There's a chance I would get an ultrasound around 40 weeks if I seem to be going past-term, but most likely not. So, along with gender, Silly Baby's face will remain a mystery until s/he comes out to meet us! Which, should be sometime in the next 4-6 weeks!

Here are some stats we got from the appointment:

• Silly Baby weighs 5lbs. 8oz.
• S/he is in the 50th percentile of weight
• Heart rate was 133

My next appointment will be in 2 weeks - Friday, May 1. I will have weekly check-ups after that point. In the next appointment I will take the Group B Strep test; which, if I have it, I will be given antibiotics during labor so the baby is not affected by it.

More Silly Baby Shower Pictures!

Silly Baby Milwaukee Shower Photos

Silly Baby Shower

April 4, 2009
Meyer's Restaurant
Milwaukee, WI

Hosted/Planned by:
"Grandma" Diane Simon
"Auntie" Lorie Simon
Katie Nelson

We had our first Baby Shower for Silly Baby last Saturday in Milwaukee. It was a lot of fun and a great success!
I would first like to thank the hosts for their awesome work planning and preparing for the Shower. It means so much to us to have such wonderful family and friend surrounding us during this time as we prepare to welcome our Silly Baby into the world!

Mom,
Thank you for hosting the shower. Meyer's was a great set-up, the food was delicious and the cake was just as adorable as it was yummy! The basket of goodies to stuff our diaper bag was a great idea and so helpful with all the items everyone brought!

Lorie,
Thank you for planning and creating the favors! (For those not there, Lorie made little vases with tulips with each guest's name on them!) The safari cookies are the best and the homemade chocolate-covered Monkey Oreos were such a cute touch to the shower!

Katie,
Thank you for lending your creative craftiness once again by creating the invitations! They were so unique and just plain awesome! The games (we played "Match the baby animal name to its parent name" and "Baby Gift Bingo") were so clever and fun for everyone to play!

We got some really great gifts for Silly Baby, including some of the BIG items: car seat, stroller and pack 'n play. Our new diaper bag will be well stuffed with all the Silly Baby necessities - rattles, teethers, wipes, etc. we received!
We also received a few handmade blankets (including one that is Packers on one side, Bears on the other!), swaddles, clothing and lots of toys and books!!!
The guests spoiled us with great gifts which will keep Silly Baby clean, entertained, safe, looking cute and soothed; the nursery organized and decorated; and Silly Mommy & Daddy sane and responsible!
Thank you to all my friends and family who came to the Shower and helped "shower" Silly Baby. It was great to see everyone again and we are so thankful for the wonderful gifts. We are planning to make a trip to Milwaukee sometime this summer so everyone can actually meet Silly Baby in person!

If you have any photos from the Shower, please send them my way monicaoneill@sbcglobal.net I'd love to include them in a scrapbook as well as post them on this blog!

WEEK #31: The Seventh Dr.'s Appointment

Friday, April 3
I had my seventh prenatal appointment last Friday. It was just a routine office visit, so nothing too exciting. My blood pressure is still normal, and my uterus is also measuring normal (the doctor just measures my belly from the outside with a tape measurer - no internal exams just yet!!!).
I got to hear Silly Baby's heartbeat once again. At the last appointment, Silly Baby was being - well - silly - and kept flopping around so it was hard for the doctor to catch the heartbeat! But this time Silly Baby was more calm and the heartbeat was picked up right away - and very strong!
My next appointment is Wednesday, April 22 - and it's a big one! It will be our fourth and final ultrasound! We haven't seen Silly Baby since week 20, so that's over three months! The ultrasound will certainly look different from the ones we've been looking at for the past several months. The doctor will measure the baby's growth and positioning, as well as amniotic fluid condition. So we may get a better idea if May 31 is still a true due date and to make sure Silly Baby is head down. The doctor will also take the Group B strep screening test.
Actually, this week (week 32) Silly Baby should be moving into the head down position. Which may have actually happened, because over the weekend I was feeling more movement way down below vs. the usual kicks and flutters in the center of my belly.
Following the doctor's appointment on April 22, I will begin weekly doctor's appointments until Silly Baby is here!

Week #28: The Third Trimester!

Week 28: March 8, 2009

Silly Baby Room

WEEK #27: The Sixth Dr.'s Appointment

Friday, March 6
I had my sixth prenatal appointment on Friday. At this appointment, I took the Glucose Tolerance Screening Test. This is to test if I have gestational diabetes, in which extra precautions would have to be taken for the remainder of the pregnancy.
I had the appointment at 8:30 in the morning, and for the test, I was given a bottle of a glucose drink - which was basically flat orange soda. I had to drink the bottle within five minutes, and when I was done, they set a timer for an hour - at which point they would take a blood test.
During the hourlong wait, I went in and had my usual physical with the doctor. She measured my uterus again as well as listened to Silly Baby's heartbeat again.
Silly Baby was going nuts in my belly, so it took a few minutes for the Doctor to be able to pick up their heartbeat! At one point, she was pressing the doppler down on my belly trying to pick up the heartbeat, and Silly Baby kicked real hard right where the doppler was! What a Silly Baby!
After that, I went back into the lobby and waited out the rest of the hour. When the hour was up, they pricked my finger and took a drop to test if I'm anemic and another for the glucose tolerance. I passed both with flying colors!
My next appointment will be on Friday, April 4 and is just a routine office visit.

Week #26 - Update

How Am I Feeling?
I am just 2 weeks away from my third trimester! As you can tell from the photos in the last post, I'm definitely showing it!
I am still feeling alright, and this week have been enjoying a little break from heartburn! I'm not doing anything differently, but I've only had hearburn a couple times this week, versus several times a day and very severe. Chewing gum or snacking on Swedish Fish after I eat have seemed to help keep the acid reflux down, so I'm going to keep that up!

The Baby Room
The next few weeks will be very busy for us as we continue to prepare and transition the game room/office into Silly Baby's room. The futon and computer is still in there. We recently purchased a Dell laptop that we will be getting in just a couple weeks. So we will just toss the computer desk and store the laptop in a bag next to our couch. Quite a nice space-saver!
The futon we are going to see if it will still fit in the Baby Room or move it out into the living room, replacing our loveseat. We're not working with a lot of space, so this may be a challenge. But having to take apart the futon and transport it to somewhere we can store it would be quite a hassle.
The Silly Baby closet was cleared of all of our things a few months ago, and has been filling fast with baby items already! We have already received some clothes and toys for Christmas on top of our hand-me-downs from Pat & Lorie and Josh & Tina (thanks!!!!).
Our main task right now is to get the baby room painted. We've had busy weekends and many more coming up, so it's just trying to find a weekend clear of any events/gatherings to get it all done. We are penciling in March 7-8 as painting weekend, unless something else comes up. Our goal is to have the room clear and painted by the end of March, since April is booked with Showers and other events - and our furniture (crib & dresser) are scheduled to be delivered between April 5-25. We also want the room ready to be filled with the gifts from the Showers on April 4th and 25th.
The plan is by May to have the entire room set up and ready to go - just waiting for Silly Baby to come home :)

The Hospital
As mentioned previously, our delivery hospital is St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates. It is part of Alexian Brothers. The hospital is located on Barrington Road between Golf & Higgins. If those streets sound familiar, yes, that is less than a mile from our condo!
We have completed 3 weeks of our Childbirth Preparation classes, last week being the tour of the Maternity Ward!
We will be in the same room for Labor & Delivery, which is great! The rooms are very nice and large, so for those of you who will be waiting at the hospital for Silly Baby to be born, this is probably where you'll first meet Silly Baby! However, I am only in there for an hour or so after delivery.
From there I will be moved to a Mother/Baby room. I will recover there for 2 full days after delivery (the delivery day counts as Day 0). These rooms are semi-private and quite small. The hospital will try and match me up with a patient who is checking out that day or the next day, so hopefully I will not have a roomate the entire time. In any case, the room is not condusive to large groups of visitors at once, so we may have to be on a rotation system if several friends/family happen to come to visit around the same time.
There is a small waiting room right outside the Maternity Ward, but for more comfortable and roomy waiting, we suggest waiting on the main floor. The Maternity Ward is right off the elevator on the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor waiting room is right off the elevator as well. This waiting area is very large, complete with several big TV's and even a full Starbucks area with a fireplace!
We were really looking forward to the Maternity Ward tour to help us envision the birth, and it has helped me so much already to be able to picture everything.

Coming Up!
Friday, March 6 - I will be taking the Glucose Tolerance Test. Wish me luck!
Saturday, April 4 - Milwaukee Shower! The invites are going in the mail this week, so watch your mailboxes!

Please feel free to post any questions you have for us on this blog and I'll do my best to answer them!

BABY BUMP PICTURES

WEEK #19 (January 5)























WEEK #22 (January 26)






















WEEK #24 (February 10)---and yes, I am eating cheese in this picture :)

WEEK #25 (February 14)

WEEK #24: The 5th Dr.'s Appt!

February 6
This was our 5th Doctor's Appointment.
This one was not as exciting as the Week #20 appointment with the ultrasound and all that. Tim came with me again.
In this appointment, they measured the length of my uterus - it measured at 24cm long. That was quite a "whoa" moment for me. Since a uterus starts as the size of a fist, that is amazing to me! I think it's because we always focus on how big the baby is getting in my belly, I forgot to think that my uterus is growing even more!
We listened to Silly Baby's heartbeat again - it's getting a lot stronger. I read that this week Tim can maybe hear it in my belly! Silly Baby's heart rate was 140. And for all of you old wives' tales followers - that puts Silly Baby right between a boy and a girl! Myth says a girl's heart rate is 140 or above and a boys is below 140. So s/he's keeping it a good mystery for us!
My next doctor's appointment will be March 6. I will be taking the glucose tolerance test, so it'll be a long appointment. That check-up will also be my last in the Second Trimester, as my Third Trimester begins just two days later!

Silly Baby Gender Predictor Quiz!

One main reason I enjoy not finding out Silly Baby's gender ahead of time is playing the guessing games, and waiting in suspense to see if I'm right.
While I lean more towards feeling it is a girl, Tim doesn't have an inkling.
Apparantely, you readers are predicting a girl too, based on the poll on the left here.

SO since we did not find out Silly Baby's gender last month, I thought to tide everyone over - I'd take a gender predictor quiz. Largely based on Old Wives' Tales, I answered a series of questions. Some were difficult because it's hard to know what to answer. Like where I carry my weight, I'm built in the way that most of my weight is in my hips and if I crave meats & cheeses - as many of you know cheese is my favorite food! But since this is just for fun...
Here are the results!!

Congratulations!

You have a 39% chance of having a boy. And you have a 60% chance of having a girl.

And Here's Why...

• You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.
• The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl.
• Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the south indicates that you will be having a girl.
• Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
• You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
• Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
• The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
• Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.
• A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.
• Your urine is a dull yellow color, so you will have a girl.
• You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
• Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
• Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
• Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.

• You have no desire for orange juice, so it's a boy.
• You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
• You show the back of your hand, so it's a boy.
• You use the handle, so it's a boy.
• Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
• You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
• You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
• Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
• You have been craving meats or cheeses, so it is a boy.

Gender Predictor – Will Your Baby Be a Boy or a Girl? - Results

Are you having a boy or a girl? Use our Gender Predictor tool (based on the Chinese lunar calendar) to find out!

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Silly Baby Decor & Baby Showers!!

Crib & Dresser

After two weeks of searching for a crib, we finally made our decision this weekend! It is the ChildCraft Legacy "Bergen County" conversion crib in Honey Oak finish (as shown above). A conversion crib means it can be changed into a toddler bed and then into a full size bed!

For a toddler bed, we will lower the mattress and remove the front rail - replacing that with toddler safety rails. To make it a full size bed, the back panel of the crib becomes the headboard and we have extension rails for the frame!

The dresser is a combo changing table and dresser. As shown in the picture above, there is a removable hutch/shelving unit attached to the top of the dresser - we are not getting that!

Monica's mom, "Grandma Simon", is purchasing the crib and Tim's mom, "Grandma Giacomino", is purchasing the dresser. Thanks Moms/soon-to-be-Grandmas!!!

Silly Baby Bedding

The bedding we picked out at Babies R Us is "Baby Cocoa" and the official theme of the nursery is safari! The colors are a light sage and warm light chocolate brown. Next up will be painting!

An image of the bedding is above!

Silly Baby Showers

Monica's family will be hosting a shower on Saturday, April 4th in Milwaukee!

Tim's family will be hosting a shower on Saturday, April 25th in Chicagoland!

Registry

Tim & Monica started Silly Baby's registry at Babies R Us this past weekend. There's still many things to register for, but I think we are off to a good start. Feel free to "browse" around! We plan to complete our registry at the end of February.

Week #20: Halfway Point!!!

Every Sunday, which is when my pregnancy week begins, I read the write-up on that specific week from my "What to Expect" book. Then, throughout the week on lunch, I continue to google things about that week of pregnancy. So since I don't have many updates since my last post, I'll just go ahead and share what I've read for 20 weeks - the halfway point!

• Silly Baby is the size of a cantaloupe
• Silly Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... Silly Baby's genitals are now fully formed!
• Silly Baby's little delicate bones continue to ossify and toughen while their itsy bitsy finger and toe pads are finishing up.
• S/he little monkey now has teeth buds, although they’re hidden beneath the gum line.
• Their limbs have reached their relative proportions—no more alien baby!
• Their cute pink lips are more defined, and might be helping out in a bit of prenatal thumb-sucking.
• What’s more, eyelashes and eyebrows are also visible. At this point, your little one really looks like a miniature baby—and we do mean miniature as your little swimmer currently weighs a mere eighth of their final birth weight. With half the pregnancy behind you, the most significant gains are yet to come!

As for mommy & daddy, we began crib shopping over the weekend in Milwaukee. Grandma Simon will be buying Silly Baby their crib! Thanks, Grandma! While we did find one we really like, we are going to continue to browse. We will making our decision and getting our crib by the end of February, as we officially begin "nesting."

WEEK #19: Sonogram Pictures