The Indigo One

17 Months Old

2009-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

17 months old... who would have known that we're already there!?! Sophie is busy, busy, busy! She rarely sits still and is trying new things out all the time. She runs around the house and is working on climbing up on more things. She's a bit timid, but I imagine that timidness will end soon!

By far, Sophie's favorite thing to do is read books. She will bring book after book until Matt or I practically finish them all! We thought we had enough books, but we had to go and buy more because we're getting tired of them, she isn't! She loves pointing out the words she knows, and I imagine her vocabulary is getting closer to 50 words now. She also has worked on saying the sounds of animals too.

We're looking forward to spring and summer when Sophie can be outside more. We went to the park yesterday, and she had a great time climbing on the big toys and running around with the dog. Rain, rain, go away!!

16 Months Old

2009-01-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

Now that Sophie is walking, she is all over the place! She enjoys carrying her toys and books from room to room, causing a great mess wherever she goes! She loves that she can walk everywhere now. She still tumbles quite a bit, but she gets right back up and keeps moving.

Now that Sophie is a toddler, she is learning some of those dreaded behaviors... She has started to whine when she doesn't get her way, she has thrown a few mini tantrums, and she says "me, me" (her version of "mine"). She also is becoming more of a picky eater. The things she does not like end up on the floor, and she really wants all of her food to be placed in a bowl. Goodness... :)

Even though some of those behaviors drive us crazy, she is such a joy to watch. We love hearing her new words come out (she has about 25 words right now) and seeing her get excited about the little things. My favorite new word she has learned is "Ameh," her version of Amen after her bedtime prayer. She is constantly amazing us and constantly making us smile. We are truly blessed!

Digital Scrapbooking

2009-01-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

15 Months Old

2009-01-03T13:51:00.001-08:00

Sophie continues to learn new things everyday! Her recent adventure is walking! A couple of weeks ago Sophie took her first steps and hasn't slowed down since! She still prefers to crawl, but is making more efforts to walk. She loves the satisfaction of walking to mama or dada and seeing us cheer for her. Before we know it, she'll be running across the room!

Sophie also has expanded her vocabulary. She says about 20 words now with her favorites being attle (apple), Elma (Elmo), hi, and uh oh! She loves to mimic words, so we have to be extra careful with what we say and we're so thankful that she hasn't learned the dreaded "no" yet!

Just before Christmas, we experienced a large amount of snowfall which was strange for Washington. We missed three days of school, so Sophie and I got a lot of quality time together to play, play, play! I was getting anxious for Christmas so we could get new toys to play with! :)

We had a wonderful Christmas despite the fact that not all of our family could be here due to snow. Sophie enjoyed all of her new gifts and it was a joy to watch her experience the whole thing! She finally learned how to say "anta," but it was a week after Christmas! Go figure!

Merry Christmas from the Jones's!

2009-01-03T13:49:00.001-08:00

Sophie's First Birthday!

2008-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

1 Year Old!

2008-10-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sophie Grace has turned a year old! It is hard for Matt and I to believe and to deal with because our little girl is growing up!

Before Sophie's birthday, our family took a trip to Boulder, CO for my Grandma Holman's burial. This was Sophie's first plane ride, and she did great! She slept through the take offs and played and ate through the rest of the ride (luckily it was a short flight because she sat on our laps!). We enjoyed getting to see all of our little family for a reunion. My brother flew in from Kentucky and he hadn't seen Sophie since she was 2 months old! It was precious to see them together!

Sophie had a wonderful first birthday party full of family, friends, presents, and cake! Sophie had taken a three hour nap before her party, so she was in a great mood the whole time and didn't get overwhelmed once! She enjoyed playing with the other kids, and started to get the hang of the whole present thing. She didn't quite know how to open anything, but once she saw that a toy was inside, she would get excited! As for the main event, the cake, Sophie played with it more than she ate. She only tried a little bit of the frosting, but didn't seem too enthused.

So, what is Sophie doing? I should probably say, what isn't Sophie doing? Now that she can crawl, she is crawling everywhere. Once she gets to where she wants to be, she pulls herself up and cruises the furniture. She loves following us around the house and is starting to get the hang of being "chased." We always have to keep our eye on her so she doesn't get into things she shouldn't and isn't terrorizing the cats (which they don't mind a bit!).

Sophie still remains a happy little girl, who rarely fusses. She sleeps perfectly at night, but is making some changes with her nap routine. We believe she's trying to get herself used to one nap a day instead of two. She eats pretty much everything now that is still soft and not nut or honey based. She is totally off of formula now, and drinks her whole milk out of a sippy cup. No more bottle! She is growing so fast, but we're excited to see her learn to walk soon!

11 Months Old!

2008-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Eleven months and counting down to a year old! I keep telling Sophie to slow down and stop growing, but like a typical girl, she has her own mind! :) We had such a fun summer spending the majority of our time playing on the floor and just enjoying our time together. I reluctantly start back at school next week, so Sophie will be back to daycare full time. She has gone a few mornings a week during the summer to keep our spot and to give me much needed "Me" time.

Sophie loves our pets, Guster, Max, and Nikki and makes loud noises when they are around. She also loves looking at pictures of animals in books. So we decided to take her to the Thurston County Fair to see more live animals. I believe her favorite was the goats. She would squeal at them, and it was so funny to watch how excited she got. We met up with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Andy on the hottest day of the year to go to the Portland Zoo for another chance to fill Sophie's love for animals. We were all hot and tired, but seeing her smile at elephants, giraffes, and sea lions was priceless.

It's hard to keep up with Sophie now! She is continuing to roll around a lot, is FINALLY getting the crawling thing down, is pulling herself up, and is cruising the furniture. She is not an expert yet, so we do have some tumbles, but she keeps going! She has learned how to open drawers, push buttons on everything, and to make a mess! I guess she's just preparing us for toddlerhood!

Sophie is no longer eating jar food, instead she eats what we eat! Sometimes that is a challenge, since she can be picky, but we can't go wrong with turkey, cheese, fruit, and tortillas! She is getting much better at drinking out of a sippy cup as we hope to graduate her from the bottle soon!

Sophie's great grandma, my grandmother Roberta Holman, passed away this summer. It was extremely difficult for my family and I, but I was so happy that grandma met and loved Sophie. As a result, Sophie gets to go on her first plane ride to Colorado in September for grandma's burial. There will be more on that next month.

Summer fun!

2008-08-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

10 Months Old!

2008-07-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

My how time flies! Sophie just turned 10 months old and is letting her personality come out more and more each day! She still loves to smile and will let out a loud belly laugh when we tickle and play with her. She says both "mama" and "dada," but we're not sure if she associates the words with us yet. She babbles endlessly and speaks at a variety of volumes.

She loves her toys, especially ones that make noise, sing, or flash lights. She also is enthralled with books (the teacher in me is thrilled!). She will open and close books and will point at certain things she sees. Daddy still reads to her every night before bed and she enjoys that time. Her favorite books (or Daddy's rather) are "I Know a Rhino" and "Are you My Mother?"

Sophie is learning how to move about in her world now. She rolls all over the room and doesn't seem to mind the hard wood floors. She can pseudo crawl or "slither" to get things she wants, but doesn't want to pick her tummy off the floor in order to really get to crawling. I of course stress about her not crawling yet, but we keep working with her. She is standing really well now, and she can hold onto things without falls usually. She's not cruising the furniture yet, but we're working on it!

Sophie is eating more and more solid foods now. We want her to try bits of what we're eating to start merging her over to more people food. So far, she's liking most of the things we give her, but she'll only have a few bites. Her favorite solid foods right now are string cheese, blueberries, and refried beans. She still loves her jar food, but we'd like her to try more and more new things!

This summer, Sophie has been going to Baby Gym which is a class that is provided by Olympia Parks and Rec. She is in the class with about 10 other 6-12 month old babies, and they all play! There are fun toys that she doesn't normally get to play with at home or at daycare, so she has a ball! In fact, there is a small ball pit (like the kind at McDonalds) that she enjoys getting into. We sing nursery rhymes and do all the hand motions, and it's a lot of fun. She especially likes "parachute time" and bubbles at the end of class.

We took a quick trip to Snoqualmie Pass with Sophie last weekend. That was her first time in a hotel, and she did pretty well. We did some shopping (for her of course!) and did a short hike at Snoqualmie Falls. She got to ride in the backpack on Daddy which she really loved. It's so fun to experience new things with Sophie!!

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T20:05:00.001-07:00

9 Months Old!

2008-06-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

WoW! Sophie is 9 months old, the same amount of time that I was pregnant (or close to it!)! It's amazing how much she has changed over these several months that I see my little girl is growing up! She sits up very well now and only has a tumble or two backwards once in a while. She loves sitting up and playing with her toys. She also enjoys rolling around on the floor to reach toys that are out of reach. She rolls both ways and always seems amazed when she can roll to different areas! As a result of all this rolling, she is now able to sleep on her tummy. When I get her up in the morning, she's always in a different position! She isn't crawling yet, but is making progress towards it. She gets into the "Superman" pose and tries to scoot her legs, but end up moving backwards instead of front. She gets frustrated easily, but she'll be moving before we know it! She also is getting much stronger at standing. She can hold on to the coffee table (with some assistance) and loves being pulled to standing position from sitting. She gets a huge grin on her face as if to see "see, look at me!"

Sophie still enjoys saying "da da da" but she's added more sounds to her repetoire.
They're hard to describe, but are oh so cute sounding! She is starting to learn sign language, and can tell me when she wants to be picked up and when she's "all done." We're still working on other signs.

Sophie has gotten her first bad illness this month. She developed the hand, foot, and mouth virus. It is nasty! She started out with a bad fever (103.6 degrees), loss of appetite, and irritability. When we got to the doctor, she had horrible blisters in her mouth which accounts for the loss of appetite. I wouldn't want to eat either if it was extremely painful each time (sounds like a good diet, though!). After a few days she developed a non itchy rash on her arms and legs. She has been pretty needy and upset, but luckily I'm done with school, so we are spending a lot of quality time together at home!

Other than Sophie's virus, she is a happy go lucky little girl! She smiles constantly and enjoys the world around her. She is a joy to watch and I thank God for her every day! How could you not love that face? :)

Summer Fun!

2008-06-22T20:33:00.001-07:00

Family Visit

2008-05-27T21:05:00.001-07:00

8 Months Old!

2008-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sophie just keeps growing! As much as we want her to stay small, she keeps on truckin'. Sophie now sits up easily and grabs for everything in sight! She hasn't gotten to the crawling yet, but we're hoping she starts to pick that up soon. She definitely acts like she wants to get moving but just doesn't quite now how to do it. She loves her solid food and will probably start working on more finger foods soon. Her two front bottom teeth have poked through and I imagine the top two are on their way as well. They don't seem to bother her, but she sure loves sucking and biting on everything!

We had a great visit with Nick, Jen, and cousin Holland! Holland and Sophie hadn't met before and they really hit it off. Sophie was enamored by everything Holland did and Holland wanted to take care of Sophie! It was very cute! We sure wish they could be around each other more often.

Summer is upon us, and I'm so excited to spend more time with Sophie. She learns new things everyday and it's so fun to experience that!

7 Months Old!

2008-04-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Sophie has reached 7 months! It's amazing how time has flown and how much Sophie has grown! She is now eating solid food like it's going out of style but hasn't made it to finger foods. Her little chubby fingers aren't quite ready to pick up little bits like Cheerios. She'll be there soon I bet. She loves eating fruit, and has decided that chicken and turkey aren't too bad (even though they're pureed and make me want to puke!). She definitely has put on some weight since she started the solid food. She's in 6-9 month clothes now, but won't be for long! I love her little chubby thighs! She also has learned how to drink water out of a sippy cup and she loves it. She wants to hold the cup, but has difficulty getting anything out of it on her own.

She also is almost sitting up on her own. She is behind on this milestone most likely because she wore that brace for the first 4 months of her life. She loves sitting in her boppy playing with various toys. She can pass them from hand to hand, and when she drops a toy within her reach, she'll pick it up. She has her favorites and will start to whine when she can't get to them.

Sophie has become more vocal. She loves to hear herself talk and she's recently started babbling "da da da da" which thrills Matt to no end. Sometimes when I pick her up from daycare she will "tell" me about her day from the backseat, just babbling away! It's so fun to hear her little voice.

There's so much more to say about our wonderful child, but I'll save some for later!

A Trip to the Capitol

2008-04-12T21:42:00.001-07:00

6 months old!

2008-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sophie is 1/2 a year old! All I can say is WoW!! She is changing so much everyday and it's fun to see what she is learning. She can now officially roll over from her tummy to her back without any assistance. It took her longer than most babies because of that darn brace! He is still not a huge fan of tummy time, but she's improving. She can push up on her arms pretty high, so crawling may come soon!

Sophie is eating solid food right now, which is a treat for her and a mess for us! She has tried rice cereal, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and squash and hasn't turned anything down. Sweet potatoes are her favorite by far! I'm sure once she tries fruit, there won't be any turning back! After she is given a spoonful of food, she shoves her fist in her mouth to help get the food down. It's the funniest thing!

She is also doing a great job handling her toys and playing with them. She can pass toys back and forth between her hands and she gets mad when she drops toys. She loves things that rattle and she's discovered that she can make a few of her toys sing. I don't think she knows she's doing it, but she sure enjoys the sounds! We are gaining quite the inventory of toys, something I think we both thought we wouldn't have so much of! It's really fun to play with her with them of course!

Speaking of sounds... Sophie has discovered her voice and it's so fun to hear her! She makes all sorts of sounds and sometimes it seems like she's telling us a story. I can't wait for her to make real words, but baby language is the cutest!

Sophie is still doing well at daycare. In fact, she sleeps there much better than she does at home on the weekend. It's probably because we're on the go so much and aren't on as good of a schedule. The ladies at daycare love Sophie to pieces and we're very fortunate to have her in such good hands!

Sophie's First Solid Food

2008-03-08T19:23:00.001-08:00

5 Months Old!

2008-02-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

Sophie is growing, growing, growing! She had her 4th month appointment (a bit late) and she weighs 13 pounds, 11 ounces (50th percentile) and is 26 1/2 inches long (90th percentile). She must be taking after her daddy in height along with looks! Now that Sophie is out of her brace she is working hard to roll over and is improving with tummy time. She still has a long way to go but the doctors are not concerned. She'll get there in time and will be moving before we know it! She really enjoys being tickled and giggles a lot. She also is getting better at holding and playing with her toys. We're going to start Sophie on some solid foods in the next few weeks which is exciting! I'm sure I will have some messy looking Sophie pictures to post soon!

No More Brace!

2008-02-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

Today we got the official word from Dr. Silas, Sophie's orthopedic pediatrician, that she only has to wear her brace at night. Matt and I are so excited because now Sophie can work on rolling over and eventually get to crawling! She is a bit behind right now physically, but we'll help her get caught up! She really enjoys kicking on the floor now with all of her freedom, and it's a joy to watch her! She also is jumping like crazy in her Jumperoo, which is something she hadn't done before. It's been a long 4 months, but it was worth it! Sophie has strong hips that won't impair her later in life! Yay!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Hugs and kisses from Sophie, Matt, and Sarah!

More pictures of our darling girl!

2008-02-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

4 Months Old

2008-01-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Sophie Grace is 4 months old! She now weighs over 12 pounds and is 24 inches long! She constantly has her hand in her mouth and is suck, suck, sucking! You would think that she is teething, but we haven't noticed any stubs just yet. Sophie is smiling away and giggles come out here and there. She also is doing a lot of baby talk which is so fun to hear! She now can easily play with toys and once she has them, they end up in her mouth. She loves to sit up and look all around at what we are doing. Her favorite thing to do right now is to sit in her high chair and watch me make dinner in the kitchen. She especially likes it when I sing to her while I'm cooking too (she doesn't critique on my poor singing yet!).

Sophie is STILL in her brace but the end is in sight. She should probably only be in it for a few more weeks as she has improved a lot. We are so looking forward to her having freedom and for her to fit well into all of her clothes!

I am back at work and Sophie is doing well at daycare. I feel very comfortable with where she is and it is getting easier to leave her every day. I miss her constantly throughout the day but I keep fairly busy at school. It is nice to be back and I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things.

3 Months Old

2008-01-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Our little Sophie is now three months old and so much has happened! She now weighs 12 pounds and is over 24 inches long! She still wears 0-3 month clothes, but not for long! Sophie is really developing her own personality and makes lots of different expressions to us. Everyone says she has her mother's "knitted eyebrows" look but she also has a beautiful smile to counteract! She has almost total neck control now and loves to sit up (when propped) in order to see her world. She spends a lot of time exploring the world around her so much that she misses a nap or two, but she certainly makes up for it at night. Sophie is usually sleeping through the night for up to 12 1/2 hours! It's hard to believe, I know, but Matt and I are finally feeling human again! From time to time she reminds us that she's still in charge and we're up again at 3:00 AM, but that is becoming few and far between. Sophie is in a new brace now for her hip displacia and we'll get an update on how she's doing (and hopefully how much longer she'll be in the thing) next week. Sophie is also starting to enjoy the many toys that she has. She is getting really good at holding on and she also brings the toys to her mouth. She also has discovered her hands and her pointer finger is constantly in her mouth. She just keeps changing!

We really enjoyed our first Christmas with Sophie. She got the majority of the gifts, but we enjoyed opening them for her (the only year that will ever happen!). She got a lot of toys, clothes, and books, but she also got a really cool Radio Flyer red wagon from Grandpa. We're going to be using that a lot in the upcoming years!

Sophie tried out daycare last week and we both survived! It was really hard leaving her, but she is in great hands there. I start work tomorrow, but she will be with Matt, myself, and my mom for the next two weeks. The daycare is moving a kid up, and space won't be available until the 14th of January. It will be weird being back in the classroom from such a long break, but it will be nice to do something different for a change. I will miss Sophie dreadfully, but with a teacher's schedule I won't be gone from her for too long. I can't wait for summer!

2 Months Old

2007-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

Sophie is now 2 months old and has changed so much. Everyday she is becoming more alert and is constantly smiling. I try all the time to get the first little giggle out of her and we've come close, but we're not there yet. She loves being tickled and when I make funny faces at her and brings out the most wonderful smile! Sophie can see about 10 feet away now and she follows our voices and faces when we're moving around.

Sophie is still in her harness for her hip displacia, because she hasn't improved enough in her left hip. She will try out a new brace this week to see if that does the trick. It's frustrating that she isn't "healed," but we'll get there.

One great thing is that Sophie can sleep through the night! I usually wake her up once in the middle of the night because I need to feed her or I will burst! It's a wonderful thing that she can sleep so much at night because Matt and I are finally getting back some of that needed, lost sleep!

Sophie got to meet her Uncle Tim and Aunt Antonia for a weekend visit mid November which was so wonderful. She also got to meet her Great Aunt Jeannie and the rest of the Jones/Carter/Tuchscherer clan in Oregon for Thanksgiving. We had a great time showing our gorgeous girl off to everyone!

Sophie is smiling!

2007-11-14T15:48:00.001-08:00

Had to show off more pictures of our cutie!

Sophie's First Photo Shoot

2007-11-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2007-10-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

Just had to show off the cute Halloween pictures!

One Month Old!

2007-10-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Matt and I can't believe it's been a month since our Sophie was born! Our lives have changed so much in the past few weeks, who would have thought that the toilet habits of our daughter is one of our main conversation topics?

Sophie has about 4 more weeks in her harness, and she is progressing well. She is starting to sleep a little more at night, averaging 4-5 hour stints. That means I only have to get up once or twice! Believe me, that's progress! I also think that Sophie will begin smiling at us soon. She already smiles and giggles in her sleep, but I am looking forward to actually getting her to smile at me! She had her first professional photos taken yesterday, so look for pictures soon!

3 Weeks Old

2007-10-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Our little girl is growing... finally! We were a little worried about her because she hadn't reached her birth weight at her two week appointment. I am nursing her, but have to supplement with formula. She reached her birth weight at her three week appointment yesterday, and I am so relieved! She seems happy and healthy, just hadn't gained much weight (gee, I wish I had that problem!).

Matt and I left Sophie for the first time last weekend with Grandma Marcia and Grandpa so we could go see the musical, Spamalot. It was a great musical, really funny, and I didn't worry about Sophie too much. She pretty much slept the entire time I was gone, so apparently wasn't a problem!

Sophie got to meet her Great Aunt Nancy and Great Uncle Bob this week, as they are in town. She loved being held by Nancy, and was staring into her face so intently! Sophie also finally gets to meet Great Grandma Holman today, which we're all excited for! Grandma has been under the weather, so we've put meeting Sophie on hold until now.

Sophie gets to go to my school next week, and I'm really anxious to show her off. Hopefully those germy students won't get too close!

2 Weeks Old

2007-10-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sophie is 2 weeks old, and is keeping us smiling all the time. We love listening to her little noises (she sounds so much like a girl!) and to catch a glimpse of smile when she's dreaming. She loves to stare into our eyes, and is doing a pretty good job of tracking when we move our heads. She also recognizes my voice when I speak to her, and is starting to turn towards my voice.

Sophie has hip displasia that only affects her left hip. It is located the right position, but can be popped out of joint with manipulation. If left untreated, Sophie could have a limp later in life. So, she unfortunately has to wear a harness for about six weeks. We got her fitted for it earlier this week, and she really hated it at first. She can't move her legs like she used to and she was really fussy. Now she's getting used to it, and is mostly back to her "normal" self. The harness doesn't hurt her, it's just a bit of an inconvenience for all of us. She will go back in for checks to see that the harness is doing its job and is in the right place. Here's a picture of what it looks like.

Matt and I aren't getting a lot of sleep, but we're hanging in there! Our little lady is our pride and joy, and we can't wait to show her off to the world!

Sophie is one week old!

2007-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Matt and I can't believe that our little Sophie is already one week old! We have been at home for 5 days now, and things are going well. We of course aren't getting a lot of sleep, but Sophie is waking herself up to eat and is eating well! She has had her first bath with us, and didn't like most of it! She really loved getting her hair washed though as you can see by the picture!

Our animals are getting used to having a little bundle that makes a lot of noise sometimes. Our dog, Nikki, stayed clear of her at first, but is now making attempts to sniff at her. The cats are so curious about her, and often cuddle up to me when I am nursing Sophie.

Sophie also had her first doctor's appointment. She had jaundice, but is getting much better and should have it out of her system soon! Unfortunately, her hips pop in and out of joint so she has to see an orthopedic pediatrician next week in Tacoma. She will probably have to wear a girdle type thing for a little while to get her bones fused and stronger. We'll wait and see what we find out next week.

We love our little girl, and wouldn't trade her for anything!

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-09-29T18:02:00.001-07:00

Sophie Grace

2007-09-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Finally! We have our beautiful daughter, Sophie Grace Jones! She was born Friday, September 28, 2007 at 5:19 AM. Matt and I went to the hospital around 3:15 PM on Thursday because I felt my contractions were stronger and coming more often. After I got settled and on the monitor I found out that I was barely dilated and 90% effaced. I stayed on the monitor, but didn't progress too much. I had the choice of staying here or going home. I decided to stay and my doctor ordered pitocin for me to speed up my dialation. There were several other babies being born that night, so I didn't get my pitocin until around 9:30 PM. That sped up my dialation and the strength of my contractions and we talked about pain relief. I went for Nubane first which makes you feel like you've had a few too many glasses of wine, but you feel all of the contractions. I was able to relax during the contractions, and that helped me survive until I was dilated to 6 cm. I got an epidural around 1:00 AM and Matt and I were able to rest for a little while. Around 4:30 AM, my cervix was checked and I was 10+ cm! Yay! I was ready to start pushing! After only 45 minutes of pushing, Sophie was born! It seemed so quick, and apparently I am a good pusher! I was so overwhelmed with emotions when she was born that I was bawling! Matt and I are so happy with our little one, and we're looking forward to watching her grow! Enjoy the pics!

6 days overdue

2007-09-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm still hanging in here, but the end is in sight! For two days I kept experiencing the contractions that started in the doctor's office, but nothing changed. Yesterday I did a lot of walking, and this morning I woke up to stronger contractions! Yay is the word you would be looking for here, but darn it, those things hurt! Ladies who have experienced menstrual cramps will relate, but there is no moving around or taking advil or anything like that to make them go away! The nice thing is that they do come and go, but it pretty much keeps you around the house wondering when to go to the hospital. So, that is where I am at right now... trying to keep track of when these contractions come and go and how long they are. The next post you should read from me should be that I've had the baby! FINALLY!!!

4 days overdue

2007-09-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm still pregnant! Ahh!!! I went to the doctor today for an NST (non stress test) and an ultrasound. I was hooked up to the machine for awhile and could hear our little one's heartbeat and "see" her movement on the chart. Unfortunately, I wasn't having any contractions... The nurse came in and wanted to see the baby move, so she used a shocking device (I know it sounds scary, but apparently it's okay) and she shocked the baby. The baby jumped (it was the weirdest feeling by the way) and that triggered my first real contraction! I proceeded to have a few more contractions while hooked up to the machine. These contractions didn't hurt, they were just uncomfortable. I went to have an ultrasound to check to see how much fluid I still had, and it was fine. That means that the doctor didn't have to induce me that day. He is going to see me again on Friday to do another NST, US, and a cervix check. I hope she decides to come before that day though!

Week 40

2007-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'm huge, I know! Well, our girl should be here at this point, but apparently she is enjoying her time in my womb! According to my doctor, I am not dilated, so it's a waiting game from now on. He's concerned that she weighs over eight pounds already, but the ultrasound said she was just under seven pounds. Who can be sure which one is accurate?! He has scheduled me for an induction on October 1st, but hopefully she'll arrive before that. So, I plan on doing a lot of walking, squats, and eating spicy food to get things moving! Wish me luck!

Week 39

2007-09-13T21:02:00.001-07:00

We're almost there! I went to the doctor today and he estimates that our little girl may not be so little after all! She is measuring 40 weeks and is about 8 pounds already. Now, that is with his ever technical "feel" of my belly, so who can be totally sure? Next week if she hasn't made an appearance, we'll do an ultrasound to check her size and he'll check my cervix. If things are looking okay, we may decide to induce, we'll just have to see!

I am really looking forward to her "dropping," because it is getting difficult to breathe, and the pushing on my ribs is not my favorite thing! People at work think that I have grown in the past week, and to me, I just feel like a giant whale! It was hard fitting into a booth at Red Robin tonight. My belly was almost touching the table and I felt like I needed a shoe horn to get out of there! Oh the joys of pregnancy!

I will have wifi at the hospital when the time comes, so when I get a second I will update my blog, and with pictures too! Stay tuned...

Week 37

2007-09-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're finally in September, my daughter's *hopeful* birth month! I have about 3 weeks to go if she's on time, and things are looking good. I am getting to the uncomfortable stage with sleeping and walking around, but I'm not necessarily ready for her to be out. Like I told my mom yesterday, I can take better care of her in there vs. out in the scary world I'm sure! She is estimated to be just under 7 pounds right now which is causing her to push her legs and feet into my ribs and lungs. Acid reflux is so much fun! I still really enjoy her movements in utero, especially when she gets the hiccups. It's so exciting to think that she'll be with us in a few short weeks and both Matt and I will be able to feel her movements!

I have been spending a lot of time at school getting my classroom ready for the year. I will only be teaching for a week and a half, then I'll be gone until January. It's a really weird feeling knowing that I won't be teaching, something that I'm so accustomed to! I know that I will be really busy with the little one, so my focus will now be on being a good mom, and teaching is second. Those 29 other munchkins won't suffer though!

Week 34

2007-08-12T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well, I had another ultrasound, but no picture this time! Dr. Moruzzi measured the head, abdomen, and femur of our little princess, and she's right on track! In fact, she's in the 51st percentile and weighing approximately 5 pounds, 2 ounces right now. So we don't have to be worried about her getting too big. It was amazing to see how big she has gotten, because we hadn't seen her in over 10 weeks! We got a great glimpse of her face with chubby cheeks and all!

I had my first baby shower last week, and it was a lot of fun. I got some very cute clothes as well as much needed items like diapers, a portable changing table, and burp rags. My mother's friends, aka my surrogate mothers, were at the shower. They made me feel very special, and I had a great time!

Week 33

2007-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, getting larger by the minute (at least it feels like it!). I have recently found out that I have a mild form of gestational diabetes. It's no big deal, I just have to watch my carb and sugar intake (which I should be doing anyway!). I check my blood glucose level four times a day to make sure I'm on track, and I usually am. I need to do this so our little lady does not get too big. I certainly don't want to push anything larger out than I already have to! Once she is born, I will no longer have this problem. It is all based on the placenta, so once that's gone, bring on the sugar! Just kidding! I have to lose that baby weight, right?! :) I have another ultrasound next week, so look for another picture soon!

Week 30

2007-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm in the last trimester of my pregnancy, which is exciting and scary at the same time! I know what's coming... and I'm trying to get myself prepared for that. Matt and I have started taking childbirth classes and it constantly amazes me how babies get into this world. You mean I have to squeeze something the size of a grapefruit out of something the size of a pea? OUCH!! I have been asking all of my "mom" friends about their experiences, which believe it or not, is helpful! Billions of women have gone through this, but I haven't, so I need all the reassurance I can get!

Matt and I have started to get some baby gifts which is so fun! I find myself opening up the baby's closet and thumbing through all of her cute clothes. It also is extremely difficult to not buy things of my own, especially because I have wonderful friends who are lending or donating used items to me. (Thank you SO much Rayna, Karen, Steve, and Becky!)

I had my 30 week doctor's appointment last week and Dr. Moruzzi says that everything looks great! We heard our little munchkin's heart beat again, and it always surprises me how fast it is. Matt says it sounds like a horse running on the track! I am continuing to grow which has put a lot of strain on my back. My doctor recommends a maternity belt, which I have ordered. I hope it helps!

Week 24

2007-06-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

I had my final ultrasound (US) today (unless I need one later on) and it was so fun to see our little girl more vividly. My doctor was able to confirm (99%) that she is still a girl! Phew, since we have bought some girly clothes and have letters for her name! She has grown quite a bit in the past 4 weeks, and we enjoyed seeing little feet, hands, and her heart beating so rapidly! My mom came for this US, and it was fun having her meet my doctor, ask questions right along with me, and to enjoy seeing the US firsthand. The picture shows the profile of her face with the arrow pointing to her nose. As the doctor affectionately said, she is in the Alfred Hitchcock pose, chubby like him and all!

I am still getting used to the fact that I am getting bigger everyday, but we're so excited to have her in our lives. Matt and I are trying our best to be prepared for her arrival, but I know that we'll never get everything done! Any advice you would like to pass on will be heartily received!

Movement!

2007-06-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

I started feeling our little cherub a little over a week ago (at about 23 weeks), and am so relieved! My doctor had told me that it may take awhile to feel her because my placenta is on top. Luckily I did, and it's a great reassurance that she's in there and doing well (as if she could leave and I wouldn't notice!). To me, her movement feels like little burps in my belly. She is swimming around in a lot of amniotic fluid, so I guess it makes sense! Every now and then I feel a little kick which always catches me off guard. I'm sure I'll feel more kicks in the future. So far, her most active times are when I am lying down and on the way to school in the morning.

The most fun thing that has happened with her movement was last Friday night at the Brandi Carlile concert (which rocked by the way!). I was concerned being there in the first place because I didn't want it to be too loud for her, but then I saw another pregnant lady, and I felt better! Brandi tends to sing on the lighter side, but she does have a few songs that she totally rocks on. One song, entitled "My Song," has a great drum part and everytime the drummer made noise, I noticed a lot more movement in my belly! Either she was totally into the drumming, or she was freaked out! Anyway, it's amazing to feel this being inside of you, but crazy as well since you have absolutely no control over it! I will be at the doctor for another ultrasound in a few days, so tune in for a new picture of our little lady!

Week 20

2007-05-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am! Try not to laugh too hard!

It's a Girl!

2007-05-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

It's official! We can start buying pink, flowers, and ruffles! At my 20 week appointment, my doctor confirmed that we are having a girl! Matt and I are thrilled, because we were both secretly hoping for a girl for our first baby (it must have been because of all the pummeling we received from our older brothers!). We're keeping her name under wraps until she joins us in September however, so there is still something to wait for!

According to my doctor she looks fine and is in the 64th percentile for growth. I guess that's not too bad knowing that her mom and dad like to eat! We saw everything from her little arms and legs, to her heart rapidly beating, to the size of her noggin! I still, unfortunately, can't feel her moving around and I found out my reason! The placenta is on top of the baby and so it muffles her movement. It is driving me crazy that I can't feel her, but before long I should be able to.

The picture above shows her face turned sideways. I am affectionately calling her "Skeletor" because her face looks so skeleton like! I know, I'm picking on her already! We also have a VHS tape of the ultrasound, so we can share a closer look at her with others. I will post a picture of me later!

Dreams

2007-05-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

They say that many women have some crazy dreams in their pregnancy, but I thought they were all crazy themselves! It's not true, or now I am one of the crazy ones. I have had dreams about Matt leaving me (apparently this is quite normal), about me forgetting about the baby (leaving it in a small plastic box next to my car in the pouring rain, what the hell?), basically being a bad parent, and the latest one... my first "gender" dream!

So in a nutshell, last night's dream happened between 3:30-6:30 AM when I wasn't in the deep, deep sleep, I guess. I was hiking in my dream and I came to some sort of checkpoint for pregnant people. I had to have an ultrasound before proceeding on the trail. So, I went through it and they said that they'd notify me if anything was wrong. So, I headed down the trail and someone came running, "Sarah, Sarah, you have to come back." I thought, oh crap, and headed back. I saw one of my work colleagues, LaTonya, and she said that something was wrong with the baby. She said that her pancreas isn't working properly. I of course got upset and then woke up. I started thinking about the dream though, and LaTonya had said HER pancreas! Hmmm... I wonder if that's a hint? Hopefully it doesn't mean the latter, than something is wrong with the baby. Who knows, I may dream of having a boy tonight! And next week, I'll know for sure!

Week 17

2007-04-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today I had my first full examination and got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! I certainly won't go into detail about the exam, except to say that everything looks good and normal for childbirth. Hearing the heartbeat was so cool, that swishing sound is exactly like it is in the movies! It took a minute for the nurse to find it, which had me sweating, but then there it was, and I was so excited! The heartbeat average was about 148 beats per minute which is normal, a little slow, so that may indicate we're having a boy! We'll have to see... my next appointment is at 20 weeks, and we'll find out for sure at that time with an ultrasound. I'm looking forward to it!

Week 13

2007-03-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

I survived the first trimester! They tell you that you won't suddenly have more energy or feel better once you hit the second trimester, but I actually did for a few days, that is. I have had a reaccuring headache that I believe was a migraine, and boy do they suck! I am hoping that this isn't something that I will continue to have.

So on to the fun stuff... I had my 13 week ultrasound today, and was glad to see my little one moving around in there. In fact, he/she was "bucking" up and down like a bronco! It was quite comical. I suppose he/she may have had the hiccups, but we enjoyed seeing the movement. I still can't feel anything, which drives me crazy, but hope to soon! According to my doc, I am having a normal pregnancy which makes me feel really good. Especially after all the effort that was put into making this little one!

I am not showing too much yet, but most of my pants are feeling a bit snug. Once I get up the courage, I'll post a picture of what I'm looking like these days. My next ultrasound will be at 20 weeks and hopefully we'll be able to determine if our little one is a boy or girl! I will definitely keep you posted!

It's still there!

2007-03-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I had my second ultrasound at almost 11 weeks along. My little baby, no longer an embryo, now a fetus, is growing like a weed! He/she is 1 1/2 inches long now and has visible arms, legs, and what we think is a face! Look at where the arrow is pointing, it looks to us like the profile of our munchkin! This picture only shows half of the baby, but we liked the close up. My doctor didn't check hearing the heartbeat, but we did see the little flash like we had before. My doctor kept teasing me if I could feel the baby move because he/she was flipping around and moving so much! I unfortunately won't be able to feel anything until the 16th -20th weeks. I'm really looking forward to that of course!

I am still feeling really great, with no morning sickness! I have been really tired however, and sleep an average of 10 hours every night! Everyone tells me to enjoy that because it will be over before I know it! I don't think I'm officially "showing" yet, but my clothes do seem to fit a bit tighter. My wonderful friend Karen, who just had a gorgeous baby boy, has graciously given/lent me her maternity clothes! Matt is very grateful for that... maybe I won't do too much shopping (yeah, right!). I'll continue to keep you posted!

It's official!

2007-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Matt and I are finally pregnant! Whoo hoo!! After a brutal nine months of "are we," "no," "are we," "no," we can finally say YES!

Our due date will be September 21, 2007, which seems like eons from now. We had our first ultrasound last Friday (7 weeks along) to check to see that the little bugger is actually there. He/she was and looked good according to the doctor. He/she is about 1/3 of an inch long and looks a lot like a worm. Not much like a baby! We could see it's little heartbeat flutter in and out, but it's still too early to hear it. It was pretty amazing to finally see my uterus with something in it as opposed to nothing. Take a look at the picture, there's not much to see, but in the months to come you'll see more and more! I will try to keep you posted as often as I can with how fat I am getting and how the pregnancy is going.

Heat

2006-01-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

You know the old saying, you don't miss something until it's gone? Well, have you ever woke up to a house that is 56 degrees? Matt and I had the pleasure (if you will) of waking up to our icebox of a home this morning. It all started on Friday afternoon when we arrived home from our respective jobs to find the house cooling down. Jeez, I wish it would do that in the summer! To make a long, boring story short, Matt was able to buy the igniter part and switched it out with the old one. So, alas, we had heat again! But our luck usually runs short, so it crapped out again. So, keep your fingers crossed, maybe we'll continue to have heat or not.

So, why I chose to write about this? I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's because I felt the need to express myself this morning, or because I'm feeling guilty about not going to church. Make of it what you will but enjoy your week at any rate!!

Gatherings

2005-12-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

Matt and I had a wonderful time with our family and friends this holiday season. We were blessed to see just about everyone on Matt's side of the family, and my little family unit around here. We really enjoyed seeing our little neice, Holland, who is going through a princess phase right now. It's oh so cute, and I must add to it, so I bought her some pink slippers. Oh, it reminds me of my girly-girl days... which doesn't happen much anymore! So here's to family, and who knows, maybe Matt and I may increase ours one of these days too...

Christmas

2005-12-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

So here's my Christmas letter to all... enjoy!

December 2005

Holiday Greetings to our Family and Friends,

We hope that you have enjoyed the past year, and we’d like to share a snippet of our lives for the past 365 days!

Matt and I officially adopted Nikki, our golden lab/border collie mix. She is almost five years old and is very well behaved. She loves to go running with me and swimming in the river. Our two cats, Guster and Max, tolerate Nikki, and every now and then we catch them nuzzling each other!
I decided to add another thing to my repertoire, and I am now selling Sensaria products, which are natural body care products. If you want to see what I’m talking about, check out my website: http://www.mysensaria.com/sarahjones
I completed two more triathlons over the summer, and improved my overall and individual times at each event! My favorite race was the Danskin Triathlon that was located in Seattle, WA. Several of my school colleagues and I participated in this 5,000 person race!
Matt competed in the beginner’s downhill bike race at Mt. Hood in Oregon. He came in first at that race, and fourth overall for all of the races in that series!
Matt and I enjoyed a trip to the East Coast in August. We started in Boston, MA with Matt’s family and got in a lot of U.S. History (which was great because I teach it!). Then we flew to New York City to spend a couple of days with Lauren, my cousin and met her fiancé, Andy. From there we rented a car, drove through Lancaster, PA (and stayed one night), and ended up in Lousiville, KY where we spent a long weekend with my brother. We had great fun, and wish we had more time in each place!
A new school year has started for the both of us; I’m teaching fifth grade at Meadows Elementary, and Matt is a Network Technician for the Olympia School District. Matt is doing some freelance computer support and I am taking up an afters-chool program to help students in writing and science.

So, we’re busy people, but still enjoying our home. We are currently making some renovations in the kitchen and bathroom, and Matt is seeing how challenging that can be close up! It’s not as easy as it looks on Extreme Home Makeover! Enjoy the holidays, and may you be blessed all the new year long!

Love, Sarah

Family

2005-11-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend I have the opportunity to see some relatives that I haven't seen in a long time, aka a "mini-reunion" if you will. My grandmother, Roberta, is 84 and unable to travel, so her 81 year old sister, Rosie, and her daughters, Peggy and Patty flew from their respective homes to visit. My Aunt Nancy also came down from Alaska for the weekend. Tonight, we had dinner at my dad's house and basically enjoyed being together.

I have a small family, and so I cherish these moments together - laughing, telling stories, sharing funny anecdotes, etc. Patty shared a hilarious article from an Arkansas paper about a man having to kill a buck in his daughter's bedroom. The headline read, "Man battles buck in the bedroom." Well, it IS Arkansas...

Don't forget about your family, no matter how far away they may be. Night...

Doodie

2005-11-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

So, this is my life. I arrive at school this morning to discover that there was a piece of cat doodie stuck to the roof of my car. My two cats, Guster & Max, spend the night in the garage, and often climb all over my car. Well, needless to say, they left me a little present. So, like any person would do, I got a piece of paper to flick the excrement off. Unfortunately for me, the feces wasn't old, it was brand new, which would explain why it remained stuck to my car the entire way to school. So, sparing you the gross details, I got rid of the doodie.

So, it got me thinking. We all have some doodie in our lives. We want to flick it off as soon as possible, but life doesn't always work that way. Sometimes we have to think of different or creative ways to deal with our problems and even look to a support system. In my case, my friend Karen wanted nothing to do with my problem this morning, but she didn't think less of me and laughed right along with me.

Who knew that cat doodie would get me thinking so philosophically. Life is strange sometimes!

Weird

2005-11-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Weird. This is my first posting on a blog, and I'm not sure what to write. I mean, who really is going to take the time to read this besides my husband and my mom? Well, I wanted to try this whole thing out to see what it's like and if people really take the time to check it out. I suppose I should step up the content then, right?

So here goes... I work with really great people. As a teacher, I have the opportunity to mold kids for the future (scary) and a chance to meet a lot of people who love to do the same thing as me! This morning, my new principal, who we all love, said the nicest thing to me. She met my husband, Matt, last night when he was helping her with her computer, and she mentioned that it was so nice to meet two people that really belong together. She said that she often meets one 1/2 of the couple and they're great, and then she meets the other 1/2 and thinks "Now, why on earth are they together?" To sum up, she was saying that she thinks Matt and I are both great people and she can see why we're together. Why am I telling you this??? It made me feel good and it was a great start to my day. It reminded me that if you start your day on a good note, then only good things can happen, right? Well, that may not always be the case, but it helps!