This picture is kind of at an odd position, but we'll be updating our new "family" blog (no more "baby" blog) with more pictures. Check out his stats on the right.
Welcome to Our Crazy World, Matt!
Well, here he is! Matthew Joseph (Matt) was born this morning and the labor was a piece of cake - really, it was. I couldn't have asked for a better story. I'll have to brag about it later :oP
This picture is kind of at an odd position, but we'll be updating our new "family" blog (no more "baby" blog) with more pictures. Check out his stats on the right.
This picture is kind of at an odd position, but we'll be updating our new "family" blog (no more "baby" blog) with more pictures. Check out his stats on the right.
Practice Reality Check
Today I had an appointment and my blood pressure was awfully high for me (140/90). I'm normally around 110/60, so my doctor was a little confused but not concerned. As a precaution, he sent me to the hospital's triage for a short observation. While there, they monitored my BP, Matt's heart, and contractions. My BP was back to normal the entire time I was laying down in my room; Matt's heart has consistently been fine at the high 140's; and I had minor, painless contractions that were irregular. While I waited in my room, I had a big, fat reality check that this kiddo's going to be coming soon and it scared me a good bit. I mean, there's no turning back now, and although I've wanted him to come sooner rather than later, I quickly caught myself thinking, "I want my mommy!"
Anyways, during the stay, Matt also had to pass a "test" within 30 minutes that he finished in 14 minutes. One funny part about his "test" was that he needed to show three gross motor movements, and by about minute 10 he had only done two. They waited a few minutes then brought this airhorn-type-thing that they blew at my stomach. Well, (surprise) it freaked him out and they got about 7 gross motor movements after that stupid noise went off in his ears. I have NEVER felt him jump so much. He was definitely pissed off and scared. He had a full bladder at the beginning of the test... I'm sure it was empty after that debacle...
Just for kicks, they also measured his femur which was in the 50th percentile... so I guess he's just at average for size, which makes me perfectly happy :) I was discharged about 2 hours later, and other than that the day's been normal, minus my 3 hour nap, which is a *fabulous* way to feel like the most unproductive person in society (I hate taking naps, they make me feel worthless). So, all in all, the three of us are doing just fine. Well, Matt keeps getting the hiccups about every few days for the past two weeks, poor little guy :(
Anyways, during the stay, Matt also had to pass a "test" within 30 minutes that he finished in 14 minutes. One funny part about his "test" was that he needed to show three gross motor movements, and by about minute 10 he had only done two. They waited a few minutes then brought this airhorn-type-thing that they blew at my stomach. Well, (surprise) it freaked him out and they got about 7 gross motor movements after that stupid noise went off in his ears. I have NEVER felt him jump so much. He was definitely pissed off and scared. He had a full bladder at the beginning of the test... I'm sure it was empty after that debacle...
Just for kicks, they also measured his femur which was in the 50th percentile... so I guess he's just at average for size, which makes me perfectly happy :) I was discharged about 2 hours later, and other than that the day's been normal, minus my 3 hour nap, which is a *fabulous* way to feel like the most unproductive person in society (I hate taking naps, they make me feel worthless). So, all in all, the three of us are doing just fine. Well, Matt keeps getting the hiccups about every few days for the past two weeks, poor little guy :(
Barin' It All
Here are some maternity pictures. These were taken the day before I hit 38 weeks; I had to get these done before he pops out.
Man Cave
Kiddo's room is finally done. I hope he likes it! We're not really into the whole baby room thing, so I figure this is a good room for him to grow into. Hopefully he likes baseball like his old man, 'cause little Matt doesn't really have an option.
Cluterry, I know
Vintage baseball sketches
In the crib
Cluterry, I know
Vintage baseball sketches
In the crib
That "9 Months Pregnant" Thing...
Still feeling relatively well and maternity clothes free! Although, after a weekend full of "friend Friday", Fado's til nearly closing time, my last baby shower, and another party Saturday night, I can officially say that I no longer have the skinniest ankles out of anyone I know. [Enter frowny face] So, I spent my Sunday being a bum which included taking this picture, having brunch at Mosaic from 1-3:30 followed by appetizers at Bistro Niko from 3:30 until 7. It was a much enjoyed Sunday and Matt enjoyed his little break from partying.
Hiccup. "Excuse You." Hiccup. "Excuse You, Again."
Last night was the first time Matt had the hiccups. They lasted for about 10 minutes, and once they finally stopped he shift in the total opposite direction as if to say, "I'm not doing that again!" Poor little guy. Hiccups suck :)
Gettin' Bigga
Me and the baby at 32 weeks. Wonder what Matt's doing these days? According to a week-by-week website: He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, taking bathroom breaks, and listening to everything around him.
Baby Wishes
I went to take one final 3D peek of Matt this week. The last time I did this, he was completely anti-camera and wanted to be left alone... he's kind of like his dad when it comes to pictures. Anyways, I thought I would give it one last shot before his big appearance. Well, I got two very cute versions of Baby Matt: #1 was a shot of his angry face - it was hilarious to see in video form! He would scrunch up his face like he was so mad that the sonographer was shaking up his little world for just a few pictures. #2 was the innocent, praying-baby. My mom says the he is thinking, "Please God, let my mom stop taking pictures of me. I just want to sleep!" Nonetheless, very cute when he's sweet, and very cute when he's mad.
Ticked off picture:
"Praying" picture (see his hands together?):
Ticked off picture:
"Praying" picture (see his hands together?):
Crunch Time
I had an appointment today, which went well -- just as the others have. Matt's heartrate was fine and I was measuring well, too. I weighed 152 lbs., which is less than I thought. That's a total of 24 lbs. I've gained... I believed I had gained 35 based on the scale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. But, seeing as it was a floor model, I'm guessing it was off or broken. Oh well, I'll take my 24 lbs. over 35 lbs.!
I'm still fitting into regular clothes sans buttons and zippers (counting my lucky stars on that one!) and feeling really good! The only little thing I guess I can complain about is a dull ache on the right side of my back that I get if I sit for too long. And by "too long", I'm talking about an hour. But seriously, should I be sitting on my butt for an hour watching reality tv? No. So I guess it's good that those aches make me stand up and do something constructive.
Braxton Hicks contractions have been going on, which aren't bad. Apparently they're just a tightening sensation that lasts a little while, then goes away. They're tolerable and I suppose they're to "prepare" me for the real deal. Not sure if that's the case or not.
I'm still fitting into regular clothes sans buttons and zippers (counting my lucky stars on that one!) and feeling really good! The only little thing I guess I can complain about is a dull ache on the right side of my back that I get if I sit for too long. And by "too long", I'm talking about an hour. But seriously, should I be sitting on my butt for an hour watching reality tv? No. So I guess it's good that those aches make me stand up and do something constructive.
Braxton Hicks contractions have been going on, which aren't bad. Apparently they're just a tightening sensation that lasts a little while, then goes away. They're tolerable and I suppose they're to "prepare" me for the real deal. Not sure if that's the case or not.
28th Week
Here's the belly shot @ 28 weeks. I'm getting bigger, but can still wear all my normal clothes (just can't button/zipper the waist). Matt's moving around a lot, still at night mostly. He's slow to wake up in the morning; he'll do a little stretch here and there, pushing his foot or hands against my hips. Still a cutie!
Matt: "Party At My Crib"
This is a baby overload post - I went crazy with the pictures, apparently. But here are shots of Matt's room so far. We did a good bit of work over the weekend, which was easy and fun. Note: I notice that there are a bajillion picture frames around, but if you've been to our house you're well aware that I'm a picture freak. I justify riddling his room with photos by thinking that it's educational and fun for him to see pictures of his family, pets, friends, etc.
Frame on the left is really pretty - it's about "family" so we'll have pictures of grandparents, his counsin/aunts/uncle with him in it probably. I need to put a cross above the door... so Catholic... and to the right of the door is a child's prayer. Oh, and a sign on the doorknob that one of my students gave me a while back.
Clock (duh), and a cute hook for his hats (or sombreros depending on the occasion).
Of course, the obligatory letters will be on the wall. We're doing Matt's monogram with a top and bottom design. The three frames on the left are of me and JB @ 7 months. The middle frame will have Matt's picture.
The shelf will have some storage bins, frames, books, etc. on it. I think the top frame will have picture of the three of us.
The three frames on the wall will have vintage baseball drawings. Under those will be his nightstand with a lamp, etc.
Rocker glider and ottoman (needing cushions); the shelves will have more pictures, decor, and his fish (woohoo!). Underneather the mirror will be his dresser/changing table.
Frame on the left is really pretty - it's about "family" so we'll have pictures of grandparents, his counsin/aunts/uncle with him in it probably. I need to put a cross above the door... so Catholic... and to the right of the door is a child's prayer. Oh, and a sign on the doorknob that one of my students gave me a while back.
Clock (duh), and a cute hook for his hats (or sombreros depending on the occasion).
Of course, the obligatory letters will be on the wall. We're doing Matt's monogram with a top and bottom design. The three frames on the left are of me and JB @ 7 months. The middle frame will have Matt's picture.
The shelf will have some storage bins, frames, books, etc. on it. I think the top frame will have picture of the three of us.
The three frames on the wall will have vintage baseball drawings. Under those will be his nightstand with a lamp, etc.
Rocker glider and ottoman (needing cushions); the shelves will have more pictures, decor, and his fish (woohoo!). Underneather the mirror will be his dresser/changing table.
I'd Blow Over a 0.08% in Glucose
Today I had to take my glucose tolerance test to see if I have gestational diabetes (it's a mandatory test). I had heard horror stories from fellow/past pregnant people about the "evil sugary drink" or the "nasty orange-flavored stuff". Well, I don't know what all those women were given because what I drank was basically Fruitopia Fruit Punch, which is my drink of choice at participating McDonald's. I would have asked for more had I been outside by a pool with my shades on.
Anyways, I passed, which is great. I guess Matty B's still making his mama's life as simple as pie! He's already a good behaving boy - who woulda thunk it with parents like JB and me?? Just kidding :)
Anyways, I passed, which is great. I guess Matty B's still making his mama's life as simple as pie! He's already a good behaving boy - who woulda thunk it with parents like JB and me?? Just kidding :)
The 24 Weeker
I finally look pregnant and not just like a pudgy skinny person! Woohoo! Feeling like a no-bun-in-the-oven girl with a belly wasn't fun, trust me. But now that it doesn't take a scientist to figure out there's a baby in my belly makes me feel better. Luckily, I can still wear my regular clothes sans buttoning my jeans, but whatever... my tanktops and shirts are usually long enough to cover my open zipper. Noone's told me to XYZ yet, so that's a good sign. I still feel like a regular person - no sickness, full energy, eating the usual, and even my face is looking better. Can't complain - Matt's making life easy for his mama right now!
Life according to Matt:
Baby's ears are fully functional now and loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. He's getting used to the everyday sounds. Since he's got a fully developed inner ear, his sense of balance is working and he can tell whether he's hanging upside down or right side up.
Life according to Matt:
Baby's ears are fully functional now and loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. He's getting used to the everyday sounds. Since he's got a fully developed inner ear, his sense of balance is working and he can tell whether he's hanging upside down or right side up.
Baby Shower 1.0
March 13th was the first baby shower we had. It was down in Tampa, FL and consisted of Jason's family. His sister and mom threw the shower and it was really nice. Subs, cheese, and fruit - what more do I need, right? Matt got a ton of clothes, which is expected. My favorite gifts were the realistic and necessary items like our Bjorn, tub, and bath accessories. That's the stuff that people don't think to get you when you they want to buy baby stuff. Usually people go googoo over the onsies, hats, bibs, or anything with a cheesy saying on it and totally forget that diapers, soaps/lotions, etc. are what a parent really needs.
Babies Dream
At the ultrasound appointment today, we got some really cute pictures of Matt smiling every now and then. It's like he was just chilling out, and then would think of something and smile - I'm not a sappy/gushy person, but it was sooooooo cute!!!!
Here's an idea of how the rest of the pictures were, with his fingers covering his face. Some even looked like he was sucking his thumb, but we couldn't quite tell.
Here's an idea of how the rest of the pictures were, with his fingers covering his face. Some even looked like he was sucking his thumb, but we couldn't quite tell.
Half Baked
I'm half way through the pregnancy at 20 weeks now. Things seem to be going well, still! Here's a cool highlight of what's going on in Matt's world:
Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Most babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Many at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before it arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.
He loves to move around at night, so it looks like we'll be wide awake for late nighters (I suppose that's good news for our friends). He also seems to already have his favorite sleeping position down based on his ultrasounds - he loves to sleep with his hands on his chest, which I find hilarious since that's how JB sleeps. (The other way JB sleeps is with his arms behind his head... we don't know if Matt's mastered that yet or not.)
Here's the obligatory monthly shot:
Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Most babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Many at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before it arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.
He loves to move around at night, so it looks like we'll be wide awake for late nighters (I suppose that's good news for our friends). He also seems to already have his favorite sleeping position down based on his ultrasounds - he loves to sleep with his hands on his chest, which I find hilarious since that's how JB sleeps. (The other way JB sleeps is with his arms behind his head... we don't know if Matt's mastered that yet or not.)
Here's the obligatory monthly shot:
Boom, Boom, Pow
I've been lucky enought to be feeling the baby move around since around 16 weeks. When I told my doctor about it, he said I could thank my skinny genes since the baby's movements don't have to push past... well, a lot of fat, basically. (So, "thank you", my Artime genes. Thank you for giving me an awesome mom-bod.) He also said that other people would be able to feel him and see him move quicker than other pregnancies, too. Jason was able to feel Matt move around 18 weeks. We finally started to try to catch him in the act and see if we could actually see the movements (which are usually at night), and we did last night -- it was so cool! It was like he was fist pumping or something. Or maybe elbowing me to change the channel, who knows.
Matt likes to chill out on the left side mainly and occassionally move to the right, but he's pretty consistant. He also typically moves around at night or in the evening when I'm fixated on watching my reality shows. He's a cool little kid and it's fun to watch him "play". He's going to love summers at Piedmont Park, I can already tell. Bring out the Radio Flyer!
Matt likes to chill out on the left side mainly and occassionally move to the right, but he's pretty consistant. He also typically moves around at night or in the evening when I'm fixated on watching my reality shows. He's a cool little kid and it's fun to watch him "play". He's going to love summers at Piedmont Park, I can already tell. Bring out the Radio Flyer!
"I Do What I WANT!" -South Park
I had two appointments today: one was a regular check-up and the other was at a maternal-fetal medicine place. I asked my OB/GYN to refer me so that I could get insurance to pay for a pre-25-weeks ultrasound. At the MFM office, they would take "official" measurements of his brain/heart/etc. to make sure that he looks as healthy as possible. And so he was. Matt's 8oz and 8 inches long from head to feet. That's ma' boy.
Also, I had my first dose of my kid "doing what he wants" and not doing what *I* want. When the doctor went to take a picture of his face, she wasn't able to because one of his forearms was covering it. So, we tried to shake him up to get him to move his arm. Well, in typical Artime fashion (just like his mama), he decides to be stubborn & hard-headed and proceeds to thrust both arms over his face in an "X" shape. When we tried again to get him to move his arms, Matt decided he was sick of us and simply turned over to show us the back of his head. Thanks, son. But, he's just too darn cute to still not smile when seeing the few shots he gave us!
Matt with his arm over his face:
Still a boy...
Also, I had my first dose of my kid "doing what he wants" and not doing what *I* want. When the doctor went to take a picture of his face, she wasn't able to because one of his forearms was covering it. So, we tried to shake him up to get him to move his arm. Well, in typical Artime fashion (just like his mama), he decides to be stubborn & hard-headed and proceeds to thrust both arms over his face in an "X" shape. When we tried again to get him to move his arms, Matt decided he was sick of us and simply turned over to show us the back of his head. Thanks, son. But, he's just too darn cute to still not smile when seeing the few shots he gave us!
Matt with his arm over his face:
Still a boy...
Ooh, Baby... Show Me What You Got
Part 1:
So, I originally felt that Baby B was a girl, but after hearing the heartrate, thinking about my disgusting face, and talking with some moms, I now think this kid's a mini-JB. The good news is, we should find out tonight at my ultrasound appointment. So, stay turned for an update to this post! Hopefully my exhibitionism is one of the traits this baby gets from me and shows off all those goods down there!
Part 2:
Right away the sonographer could tell Baby B was a boy! Woohoo! So, here are some pictures of our little Matt.
This is a picture from under his butt. So you see the bottom of his right thigh on the left side, the bottom of his left thigh on the right, his butt at the bottom, and his man goods are pointed to.
Here's his profile. You can see his right hand on his chest in a fist-like position. I hope me watching "Jersey Shore" hasn't gotten to his head...
Here's a 3D picture. You can see the left side of his face including his nose and left eye. And his big chest, of course.
So, I originally felt that Baby B was a girl, but after hearing the heartrate, thinking about my disgusting face, and talking with some moms, I now think this kid's a mini-JB. The good news is, we should find out tonight at my ultrasound appointment. So, stay turned for an update to this post! Hopefully my exhibitionism is one of the traits this baby gets from me and shows off all those goods down there!
Part 2:
Right away the sonographer could tell Baby B was a boy! Woohoo! So, here are some pictures of our little Matt.
This is a picture from under his butt. So you see the bottom of his right thigh on the left side, the bottom of his left thigh on the right, his butt at the bottom, and his man goods are pointed to.
Here's his profile. You can see his right hand on his chest in a fist-like position. I hope me watching "Jersey Shore" hasn't gotten to his head...
Here's a 3D picture. You can see the left side of his face including his nose and left eye. And his big chest, of course.
"Baby B to Mom and Dad, Do You Copy?"
The appointment today went well. We didn't get to see the kiddo on the ultrasound, but we did hear the heartbeat for the first time which was pretty cool. It was a little static-y at first (probably because the baby was having a little party, who knows), but we finally got in touch and the little one was still so we could hear the dolphin-like swishing sound. Normal heartrate is between 120-160, and Baby B's was at 146. There's an old wives' tale that a higher rate indicates a girl while a lower one means a boy, but who knows. That's why they're tales and not in med books, I guess. And as much as I've always wanted a little boy to run around and climb trees with, I've had a strong feeling the whole pregnancy that this little kid's a girl. We should find out in 2-4 weeks.
As for me and baby this week, I'm at 133 lbs and still feeling well. Baby's arms are proportional to his body and working on controlling voluntary muscle movement. The kiddo's about the size of an old-school flip phone and has tripled in size from 3 weeks ago.
Grow baby, Grow!
As for me and baby this week, I'm at 133 lbs and still feeling well. Baby's arms are proportional to his body and working on controlling voluntary muscle movement. The kiddo's about the size of an old-school flip phone and has tripled in size from 3 weeks ago.
Grow baby, Grow!
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