Nolan {3} Months!

It is hard to believe that Nolan will be {3} months on Tuesday. It has been a busy and exciting 3 months. Three weeks after Nolan was born we moved and two weeks after that Brandon opened his practice! I love being a stay at home mom and am so thankful for my hard working Husband!

Here are some things that fill up our days!!

* He loves bath time! Especially with mommy.

*In the morning when he wakes up he will grunt, stretch, and sometimes toot for at least 20 minutes before he opens his eyes. At times I think he is going to cry because he acts so mad! As soon as he opens his eyes and looks at Brandon and I he smiles so big! We love our mornings!!

 *He loves tummy time! We have been doing it since he was 2 days old. He will do it for 10+ minutes and can get his legs under him really well. He wants to scoot, but can't get the hang of it. He talks the most when he is on his tummy. I think he likes that his spit goes out of his mouth, instead of down his throat. ***The picture is from tummy time a month ago. He has gotten much better at it!***

* He is still such a quick nurser! 5-10 minutes max.

* He is sleeping like a champ! It isn't important to us to try to get Nolan on a strict schedule. I don't work, so we feel that we can let him work out his own schedule and it seems to be working great. He will go to sleep around 10 or 11 and sleep until 9 or 10. He nurses a couple of times a night, but since he sleeps in bed with us, I just get him latched on and I fall back asleep. He hasn't "woke-up" at night since he was 2 weeks old.

*He was rolling over a lot around 2 months, but he stopped for a few weeks and is now starting to do it more again.

*He smiles and talks all the time. He has started to try and actually talk, so it isn't just coos. It is so cute. He does it a lot when he is getting tired.

* He has the sweetest laugh. He laughed for the first time at 2 1/2 months. We came home from Waco and he laughed for 10 minutes! It was the best 10 minutes of my life! He isn't laughing all the time, but at least once a day.

* I think he is going to love outside time because he loves to look out the window. A few times when it has been warm I have taken him outside and he is so happy!

* Nolan is such a happy baby! We have days where he doesn't cry and only gets fussy when he is fighting sleep.

*Poor Nolan HATES his car seat! I have figured out that if I make myself sit in the front, he only cries for a few minutes and then falls asleep.

* He is not a paci baby and I am so thankful for that! He hasn't had a bottle, so I am thinking that is why the rubber isn't soothing to him. He chews on his fingers all the time!

* He loves looking at his toes and feet. He has started to hold his hands together!

* Nolan has started grasping for toys and will take them to his mouth and chew on them.

* He loves to stand--with our help--and has such an accomplished look on his face when he does.

* He is starting to sit up with a pillow behind him!

Brandon and I are so in love with Nolan. We are so busy, but can't imagine if we didn't have him to sleep and cuddle with every night. We can't wait for all the exciting changes that he will go through over the next few months!!

Circumcision...

This will probably be the first of many blog posts that might offend some people, so I am warning you now, if you don't want the facts don't keep reading!

At my first midwife appointment, many months ago, we were asked if we wanted a packet with some circumcision facts and studies. Of course, I thought, but we are going to circumcise, everybody does... it just makes since. So we took the circumcision packet, along with many others and put it in our birth/labor folder. It sat in the car for the weekend and on our way home from Clifton, I got it out and started reading it to myself. That didn't last too long, before I could get a few sentences into it I had to read it to Brandon.

Link to the Article--The Case Against Circumcision, by Dr. Paul M. Fleiss, MD--

The article is very long, but I couldn't stop reading. It is very informative!

Some interesting facts from the article:
"Routine circumcision of babies in the United States did not begin until the Cold War era. Circumcision is almost unheard of in Europe, Southern America, and non-Muslim Asia. In fact, only 10 to 15 percent of men throughout the world are circumcised.

Circumcision started in America during the masturbation hysteria of the Victorian Era, when a few American doctors circumcised boys to punish them for masturbating. Victorian doctors knew very well that circumcision denudes, desensitizes, and disables the penis. Nevertheless, they were soon claiming that circumcision cured epilepsy, convulsions, paralysis, elephantiasis, tuberculosis, eczema, bed-wetting, hip-joint disease, fecal incontinence, rectal prolapse, wet dreams, hernia, headaches, nervousness, hysteria, poor eyesight, idiocy, mental retardation, and insanity.4 In fact, no procedure in the history of medicine has been claimed to cure and prevent more diseases than circumcision. As late as the 1970s, leading American medical textbooks still advocated routine circumcision as a way to prevent masturbation.5 The antisexual motivations behind an operation that entails cutting off part of the penis are obvious.

The radical practice of routinely circumcising babies did not begin until the Cold War era. This institutionalization of what amounted to compulsory circumcision was part of the same movement that pathologized and medicalized birth and actively discouraged breastfeeding. Private-sector, corporate-run hospitals institutionalized routine circumcision without ever consulting the American people. There was no public debate or referendum. It was only in the 1970s that a series of lawsuits forced hospitals to obtain parental consent to perform this contraindicated but highly profitable surgery. Circumcisers responded by inventing new "medical" reasons for circumcision in an attempt to scare parents into consenting.

Careful anatomical investigations have shown that circumcision cuts off more than 3 feet of veins, arteries, and capillaries, 240 feet of nerves, and more than 20,000 nerve endings.31 The foreskin's muscles, glands, mucous membrane, and epithelial tissue are destroyed, as well."

There are many interesting facts in the article, read it if you want all the facts.

The main things that changed our minds:

Circumcision was brought back as punishment. --I would rather not do something to my perfectly formed child that was originally done as punishemnt!

Circumcision is not medically necessary as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Link to the article. --Did you know that most health insurances do not cover the cost of circumcision now that it is viewed as not medically necessary??

By circumcising you are taking away around 240 feet of nerves and more than 20,000 nerve endings. --I am pretty sure, even if you don't want to think about it, that your child will be very thankful for those nerve endings one day!

If a child is born without a foreskin it is actually looked at as a birth defect!

I found the article very interesting, but Brandon was even more surprised by the facts. I thought of it as a decision we both needed to make, but it was more his choice. I obviously don't have a penis, so how could I make that decision. I know most fathers will say, everyone in my locker room was circumcised or the only guy who wasn't was made fun of...blah blah blah. Do you know that in the US only 40-50% of boys are circumcised these days? So actually, by circumcising your son you might make them one of the few?

We just feel that I have been molding and making this perfect child inside of me for the past 9 months, why should we screw it up as soon as he comes out? We view it as part of his body and if he comes to us one day, down the road and wants to be circumcised, it is totally his decision. I just feel it isn't one that we should make for him.

I hope this post will make you think, read, and discuss circumcising your child before you just do it!

Nolan's Shower and More Sewing!

Can you tell I am ready for fall?? I am in need of cooler weather, Honeycrip apples (which should be in the store in few weeks), pumpkin pie, and of course to meet this little pumpkin that has been growing like crazy in my stomach! I am almost 33 weeks, so Nolan should now be over 4lbs and 17 inches long. CRAZY!! He isn't much of a kicker, or at least it doesn't feel like it, but he does like to stick his little butt out right above about my belly button. Speaking of belly buttons...mine is still a normal belly button, but is starting to frown and look sad from all the stretching. Brandon has been saying the center of the universe is located in my belly button and if it doesn't pop out soon, Stephen Hawking is going to come make sure it wasn't what actually created the universe! 
       Nolan has been mostly head down for about a month and over the past week is seems like he is getting more and more comfortable down there. He has the hiccups all the time and I can tell his hearing is getting better because anytime I start to sing or he hears something loud he will squirm a bit. He also seems to hate hearing babies cry! I was watching the new show on TLC, Quints by Surprise, and he started moving like crazy as soon as he heard them fussing. Many other times he has reacted the same way to crying babies. It is so amazing that it already seems like he is starting to develop his little personality. Brandon and I are getting ready for him to come out, but I am still feeling very comfortable pregnant. I do get seem to get tired faster when we are shopping or running errands. My feet also hurt...it probably doesn't help that I wear sandals that have no support! Luckily, I can still wear my rings and my feet have only swollen two times, both were after we had eaten out.


On Sunday, we had a wonderful shower at First Baptist Clifton. It was such a blessing!

Before the shower

With the hostesses

The moms

The grandmothers

My sister

Beautiful quilt my grandmother, Wanda made for Nolan!

Hooter hider made by my sister

Nolan Lee pendant made by Autumn

Shoes my mom made for Nolan!

Family

Rayeanne, Autumn, Me, and my mom. Rayeanne hosted my baby shower 23.5 years ago! It was so great to see her.

3 hooter hiders I made last week.

2 onsies I hand embroidered for Nolan.

Owl

This is a tree that I am going to embroider every month

 with a different theme and colors for each month! I will

take a picture of Nolan in them for his monthly picture.

One day I plan on making a quilt using the different onsies

I have embroidered for him!

Brandon's Graduation & {3rd} Trimster

This has been a very exciting week!! Saturday {August 14th} Brandon graduated from Parker! He graduated magna cum laude and 3rd in his class of 119. I am so proud of him and all hours and hard work he has had to to go though to get to this point.  We were very lucky that all our family was able to be there--we had a total of 13! My dad and I got to the church early to save seats- @7:45- to be exact- the doors didn't open until 9!! I was a bit crazy about making sure we had good seats and since the ceremony took place at our church, I knew exactly were we wanted to sit. I have to say, people were not happy when they got to the ceremony at 9:15 wanting the best seats and my dad and I were saving a whole row, but I didn't care!

Our view!

My parents

Brandon's mom, nanny, brother and sister-in law

Dr. Stakes and his wife

The graduate: Dr. Crawford

Best picture of the day--with miss Ava--

(not a wonderful picture of me, but the only one from the day)

After the gradation we had lunch at Saltgrass with everyone and then we went back to our apartments for cake. I make Brandon's favorite chocolate cake and it was very yummy!

My 3rd trimester started a week ago and things are still going great. We have started going to the midwife every 2 weeks and we have also stared our Bradley Method classes. We are really enjoying the classes. We both like the confidence we feel when we leave the class and they reassure us that we are making the best decision for our family.  

This is a picture from 28 weeks-- I am now 29 weeks! I was the first day of my 3rd trimester and the day of our first Bradley class.

Brandon is still enjoying his job and can't wait for his license to come in so they will put him in his own clinic. Hopefully his license will be in by November - it is crazy how long it takes to come in!! 

Sewing!

Last week I was busy sewing for Nolan! I love having something that makes my day fly by! Brandon is at work from 9-12, he is home from 12-3 and then back to work from 3-7. I love having him home for a few hours during the day. So far I have made...

Burp cloths

Nautical style pillows

Baby quilt

I'm not sure what these will be...

Everything is still going perfect with me and Nolan! I was looking at a picture that Brandon took of me June 30th and I knew my stomach had gotten bigger. He took another one and it definitely had! It is hard because we see my tummy everyday, so we don't really notice the changes. In the last month he has grown so much. Starting off @ 11 inches and about 1 lb and now he is over 14 inches and over 2 lbs. Quite a growth spurt, so no wonder my stomach has rounded out so much! We are now seeing the midwife every two weeks, which will make these next 3 months go by much faster! We also start our Bradley method classes August 8th. They will be every Sunday from 1:30-4:00 until September 26th. The classes will be held at the birthing center, which is in Allen. Luckily it is only a 30 minute drive, since we will be going there 6 times a month for the next 2 months!!

Its a.....BOY!!

The wonderful baby that I have been spending all day with has been a boy all along! We were very very surprised because we were sure he was a girl. Our wonderful sonographer (who has been one for over 30 years) started off the appointment by measuring the head, then the heart, bladder...and then this popped up on the screen!

He didn't even have to tell us. We both looked at each other and I said, its a boy?! and Brandon said I think so!! I couldn't stop laughing! I could tell B was even more excited. He always said he was happy about having a girl, but when he saw the above picture, I could tell he was thrilled! We were so surprised, but so so happy!!

After the appointment we called our families and they were also very surprised, but excited. Then we went looking at clothes and other fun stuff for Nolan! We fell in love with the Uppababy stroller! I was so excited when we went to get it yesterday!

Close up of our furry "baby".

Everything else during the sonogram was perfect! Brandon enjoyed getting to see the spine (of course) and all the other organs functioning properly. The sono guy said he was about 14 oz and measuring just right! I have my next prenatal appointment on Thursday with Becky, our midwife! I am still loving everything about seeing a midwife. I love the flexibility, appreciation, and respect they have for a woman's body!

Vacation, cooking, and bump!

We just got back from a very relaxing trip to Arkansas with my parents and brother! They rented a house on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs...the lake was so beautiful! The first day we went to Lake Quachita and had a picnic lunch and went for a swim. (Let me just say...Hot Springs National Park is not at all what you would think. It consists of two roads in town, one leading to a lookout tower and one leading up a hill.) Luckily, Lake Quachita's park was much more like a national park!

The second day we went shopping and looked around town. On the third day mom and I went to one the of bath houses. She had a mineral bath and I had a wonderful facial!

 The vacation was just what we needed. Every morning I would wake up around 7am-to a very hungry baby- and sit and read on the deck overlooking the lake until someone else woke up. The boys (dad, brandon, and nate) were lazy on the trip- we had to drag them out of bed every morning!!

Yesterday was Brandon's first day at work and my first official day as a stay at home "mom"! Although I have been done working for two weeks now, we have been moving and on vacation so the reality of my new life hadn't really sat in. Let me just say how excited I am to be able to have a clean apartment and supper made so that when B gets home we can spend time together. Luckily, he gets a 3 hr lunch break and we live 2 miles away from the practice so we get lunch together everyday! I have always known that I wanted to be a stay at home mom, I just never knew if it was a realistic dream. Not only do I get to be a SAHM, I also get plenty of time to rest, relax, and focus on staying healthy during the last half of my pregnancy. I think that people forget how important rest is during pregnancy. Of course your baby is going to be fine! It gets first dibs on everything you eat, drink, and all your energy, but have you ever thought about the stress that puts on your body on top of a crazy schedule?? Your body could become malnourished and not to mention how exhausting it can be. I know all this rest is not an option for everyone, but I thank Brandon and the Lord everyday for this opportunity!

The first thing I did yesterday was to find a recipe for peach cobbler. The only thing I have craved during my pregnancy are peaches. It was so bad that I would eat them out of a CAN- no syrup-just juice! On our vacation we found some fresh peaches and I was in heaven. I have been telling B that I cannot wait for Fredericksburg peaches to be in season because we will have to make a pilgrimage to get some. To my surprise, as we were shopping at Market Street on Sunday, I spotted a sign that said, " Texas Grown Fredericksburg Peaches." I was beyond excited! The first day I ate 4 and decided I had to go back and get some more for a cobbler.

This is the first time I have really baked since culinary school...5 years ago! I just haven't had to space!! I am loving my new spacious kitchen!!

I haven't ever been a huge fan of cobbler... I have always thought it had too much fruit and not enough crust.  I solved the problem and doubled the dough! It was wonderful, even though I only had a few bites. For some reason if I spend 4 hrs making something it take a day or so for it to be appetizing. Brandon was so excited when he walked in the door and was greeted by the smell of cobbler and yummy chicken tortilla soup!

19 week bump!

I am loving being pregnant! Once I got past the first trimester I was so happy! Brandon was such a trooper throughout my first few months. He would cook, clean, and accompany me to the restroom, hold my hand, give me tissue and a rag and help me off the floor! I know this might seem a bit ridiculous to some, but I HATE to throw up more than anything. It had been about 6 years since I was last sick, which was then accompanied by my wonderful mother doing the same thing. I am so happy to be past all that!  (I actually told B that I wanted to marry my second trimester).  Sometimes I wish I could just stay the way I am, because I am sure at some point it will get uncomfortable...but for now I am loving every minute of it! I love the way I feel and the transformation of my body it so amazing. This morning I officially felt little cashew kick! I was laying in bed and woke up @ 6 to a hungry baby. I knew B would be up @ 7 so I was going to go back to sleep and wait another hr. I had my had on my stomach and I felt two kicks...unfortunately Cashew stopped before B got to feel, but I sure he will very soon!