Has it really been 5 weeks already?!

Owen, one month old 

December 14, 2010


The brown pictures are from 4 weeks and the blue pictures are from 5 weeks.  I can't believe I can see a difference in Owen in just ONE week!  They grow too fast!

Well it has been one incredibly fast, whirlwind 5 weeks!  Honestly I don't know where in the world it has gone!  I feel like I must have just left the hospital, but in actuality we have a beautiful little boy that has already grown out of newborn diapers and clothes!  Owen is growing so very fast, I feel like he is going to be a toddler before I know it!  One of the best new advances are definitely the smiles.  They are coming like crazy now- I seriously can't get enough of them!  They melt my heart and make me fall deeper and deeper in love with this little guy every single time.  Another fun thing is that his range of vision is getting farther and he can focus on objects now.  The other night Scott and I were having fun walking back and forth in front of Owen watching him follow us, turning his head from side to side to see everywhere we were moving to.

Owen's wake periods are also longer now.  He went from sleeping probably 20-22 hours out of the 24 in a day to being awake a lot of the day now.  He goes in and out from cat nap to awake and smiling to another cat nap.  He then takes a nice long afternoon nap, which just so happens to fall at the same time Jackson takes his 2 hour nap! Yeah, I know I am very lucky.  I am hoping it lasts as long as possible!  hehehee....

Doesn't Jackson look just huge?!!

Owen one month, Jackson 45 months

Life is finally getting back to "normal", at least our new normal!!  Jackson is learning that this is how our life is going to be from now on and his testing of Scott and I is getting less and less.  My hormones and emotions are also leveling out (thank goodness!) so I don't feel like a lunatic every other minute.  Postpartum is insane!  I totally forgot how up and down it can make you feel.  Those early weeks had times that made me so nervous of now being a mom of two- could I actually handle this?!  But now life is just good, and I know that yes of course I can.  I was made to be a mom and oh how I am loving it.

The first month in pictures

I know I have some catching up to do on here.   But I thought in the meantime I could at least bring you up to speed on our little piece of joy we call life.  Here is the past month in pictures....

Sorry Kathleen!!!  These are for you :) 

Week One

My awesome boys

Owen's first bath at home.  Jackson helped.  

 Mr. Slick.  It only lasts like this for about 15 minutes after his bath.  And then it all spikes up on its own again!  His hair has a definite mind of its own!

Jackson got this cool hat from Auntie Bon Bon for being a big brother.  Oh how he loves it! 

And then there were four!

Week Two 

Me and my Little Man... he is getting so big!

Week Three

Jackson was so proud that he could give Owen a bottle, just like a real big brother

Snuggle time is the best 

Jackson and Sophie all bundled up, ready to play in the snow

Look at those kissable lips! 

 Jackson being silly in Daddy's fishing socks

Week Four

These are pictures from a fun morning;  just playing, being silly and plain enjoying each others company.    It gave me a glimpse of the fun Owen and Jackson are going to have together as they get older.  I can't wait to be a part of it.  Oh how I love my boys!

showing off all his cool toys... Jackson was telling Owen how much he loved the Sharp Tooth he got him.  

Jackson schooling Owen on "bad guys"

One of Jackson's famous "Line Ups".  This is hands down a personal favorite.  

Taking a break from "playing" for a little cat nap....

Watching the snow fall

Week 5

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... beautiful boy.

We are so in love.

Happy Birth Day Owen!

Owen Robert Kanengeiser

7 lbs 12 oz, 21 inches long

Born Sunday, November 14, 2010

9:07 AM

Hi everyone!  We are home from the hospital and recovering wonderfully!  Owen is the perfect edition to our family and we can't wait for all of you to meet him!  Jackson is an amazing big brother already, goodness how he loves Owen!  We definitely have so much to be thankful for this year.  We have so many pictures and of course the birth story to share- it was an exciting one!  I am finally really starting to feel myself again, so I will be updating on here all this week.  So please stay tuned.  

Lots of love, Amie

Come Play in Our Baby Pool!!!

In anticipation of the birth of our little Owen, we thought it would be fun to set up a Baby Prediction Pool.  This is a game where everyone can take a guess as to when he will be born and how much his weight and length will be.

We did this with Jackson and it was such fun.  We hope you all participate!  There just might be a prize for the big winner too.... so be sure to cast your vote!!

Just click on this link and it will take you to the Game!  

Amie and Scott's Baby Pool

**Please note: any votes cast AFTER Owen is born will not count, so don't try to be sneaky!!

12 Days Left and Counting..... (!!!)

Yep, that is LESS THEN TWO WEEKS!!!! Whhhhheeeeeeeeee! I honestly can't believe it. I am sorry it has been so long since my last update. This past month has been like a revisit of the first trimester- I am super-duper tired, no desire to cook, heartburn is in full swing and nausea keeps dropping by. Not fun, and just making me not in the mood to write much. Plus I am trying to do as much as I can with Little Man before he is no longer the absolute ruler of the house. He is in for some BIG changes! You all understand, right?

But honestly, my "aches and pains" are really not that bad. I feel good over all, just mainly getting super anxious. I go from being super giddy and excited about the thought and process of going into labor naturally, and meeting our Owen for the first time. And then my fears and nerves get ahold of me and I get weepy and think of all the "ouchies" and other not-so-nice parts of the delivery process. But God blessed me with the perfect husband. He has such a way of calming my fears, boosting me up, and reminding me that I can do this- WE can do this. I am so thankful for my wonderfully amazing Scottie. He always keeps me strong and focused... I could actually cry if I think about it too much. My cup is truly overflowing.


OK.... so enough mushy stuff :) Here is where we are standing right now (as of my last few appointments) As you remember I have been measuring 2-2 1/2 weeks ahead with my Fundal Height for a while now. Because of that, Dr. O'Neill was a bit concerned that we either had a really big baby or maybe there was too much amniotic fluid. So she sent my for another ultrasound just to check things out. I had a feeling that everything is just fine (I carried Jackson 2 weeks larger too the entire pregnancy) I am just small in the torso so the babies have no where else to go but OUT. But I am not going to argue over a chance to glimpse at our Owen again before he makes his big entrance! Wow, it is amazing how scrunched up he is and still able to live inside my tummy! At our last ultrasound we could see each part of him, clearly and distinctly. Now it was even hard to decifer a profile! All we saw was a big baby! But not too big, thank goodness. My suspicions were right. If the ultrasound tech was correct (these are not always 100% accurate) , Owen is weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz- right where he should be at the 50 percentile. From that point on though, we can count on him gaining roughly a half an ounce a day until delivery. This was 2 weeks ago. I am guessing he will be about 7.5 lbs once he is born, but we shall see!

My fundal height also seems to be slowing down and catching up with itself now that Owen is dropping lower and lower. Last week I measured in at 38 weeks and I was 37.5. So there was really no need for any concern (just as I suspected- a mother always "knows", doesn't she?) Other then that everything is exactly as it should be. Now we just wait. And wait. And wait. I think this is the hardest part of all.

Someone needs to teach this kid a bit of patience already!

33 weeks, overlooking the falls at Grand Pacific Junction, Olmsted Falls 

As I mentioned in my last post, sunday night I experienced those regular, timable contractions- ouchy, annoying and a bit troublesome. But luckily after that hour they subsided. I've been feeling good since so I figured I must have just overdone it or something.

Well last night I was admitted into Labor and Delivery because yet again I was having regular contractions, cramping and back pain. I am only 33 weeks so this is way too early for this little guy to come yet!! They hooked me up for a non-stress test on the baby, and thankfully he was doing just fine- nice strong heartbeat and moving like wild. I am dilated 1cm, but they said that isn't uncommon for women who have had children before. I was continuing to have regular, strong contractions so they gave me a shot to stop them and it looks like I didn't move into the Preterm Labor category since I didn't dilate any farther after 7 hours of contractions. I was finally discharged 3 1/2 hours later and sent home at midnight.

We'll see what my OB says this morning, but so far I am to take it easy, and just keep an eye on things. Hopefully this is all just a little "fluke" and it won't happen again. So if you could please pray for this little guy to hold on at least 4 more weeks so he can get nice and fat that would be wonderful. And also that there isn't bedrest in my future. How on earth does one do that with a 3 1/2 year old?!!

***Update
Waking this morning the contractions havn't started back up, and I feel my same old self.  Such a relief!  My appointment went just fine this morning.  Owen had a nice, strong heartbeat at 165.  I am still measuring ahead on my fundal height- 34 1/2 (should be 33).  Dr. O'Neill told me she will probably have me get an ultrasound in a few weeks just to make sure he isn't a huge baby.  Other then that she sent me away with a good bill of health.  I need to keep an eye on things of course and call her the moment anything happens again (many prayers they wont!) But I can resume life as I know it.  Definitely excellent news.  

And now a pineapple!

17.2 to 18.7 in, 4.2 to 5.8 lb

33 weeks: Baby weighs as much as a pineapple

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.


So time is winding down.  I can't believe I only have something like 47 days left- amazing!!  Our little Owen is a busy bee, kicking me like a ninja.  Seriously last night he was kicking my stomach so hard, even Scott was able to see it jump and spasm from the other end of the couch.  I was so happy Scott could finally see with his own eyes how active Owen has become.  Speaking of last night, I had a little bit of a scare.  I dozed off while reading and was awoken about 3:50 p.m. with some cramping.  My first thought was that it was just some round ligament pain from turning a particular way. Well about 4 minutes later I got it again, only this time I could tell that it was clearly a Braxton Hicks contraction.  These are also called "false labor" because they don't necessarily mean I am in actual labor, it is just my uterus preparing itself for the coming birth down the road.  No real big deal until I got another 4 minutes later and then another and then another and another..... I was getting very regular, very strong BH, not painful necessarily... just intense.  And 3-4 minutes apart for a good solid 45 minutes.  From what I read you shouldn't get more then 4 in an hour and I had already far surpassed this.  I spoke with my friend who is a Doula, and she advised me to drink a bunch of water and then lay down on my right side.  If the contractions don't stop after that I need to call my doctor.

So I drank a ton of water and let myself relax.  The contractions didn't go away completely, but they did slow down.  I was only getting one here and another about 30 minutes later and then again an hour after that.  By about 8:00 they were done.  This morning Jackson and I went to the mall so he could run around some in the play yard.  Once I was walking a bit I got two more BH, but so far that is all.  I have my appointment with my doctor on Wednesday morning, so I will bring it up to her then.  I am hoping that all of this is just due to a bit of dehydration.  I have upped my water intake and am trying to make myself rest (a little hard to do with a 3 1/2 year old!) more often.  Fingers crossed and I will keep you all posted!

31 Week Doctor's Appointment

Last Tuesday my mom and Jackson went along with me to my doctor's appointment.  I wanted my mom to be able to share in hearing Owen's heartbeat.  It was so neat seeing my mom's face when the nurse put the doppler on my tummy.  That is one of the coolest, most special ways of connecting to an unborn baby.  I never tire of hearing it!

The appointment went wonderful.  Owen's heartbeat was loud and strong at 145.  I am still measuring one week ahead on my fundal height. But Dr. O'Neill was fine with that.  Looks like that is just how we roll over here.  And to be honest, if I end up delivering one week ahead of schedule I will be perfectly fine with that!

We are now headed to the finish line.  I go back for my next appointment in two weeks!  Two weeks after that, I go for one more appointment and then I begin going in once a week!!!  How has this moved so fast? I can hardly believe it.  But goodness am I ready.  Not that this pregnancy has been bad or anything.  I still love being pregnant.  (Sciatica and everything...) But I am ready to move into the next stage of our life.  I am excited about becoming a family of four.  I look forward to nursing again, to that wonderful new-baby smell in our house.  I am excited about watching Jackson grow into brotherhood, and see him mature as a little person.  Sure there will be some difficult times ahead.  But my support system is stronger then ever.   And I can do this.  We can do it.

Life is awesome and I can't wait to add even more beauty into it.

Future Soccer Player?

Source

This is day number 160 and you're 22 weeks pregnant!

You have 120 days or 17 weeks left, and are 57.1% of the way there.

Baby's age since conception is 146 days or 20 weeks. You are due on 11/13/2010

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.


At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash or a papaya) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

So the kicks have become hard and consistent.  Just like the book says, I can easily tell when our Littlest Man is sleeping- or very wide awake!  I have consistently been feeling him kick on the outside of my tummy and Scott even got to feel him for the first time last Friday night.  It was so exciting!  There is nothing more then I want right now then for Scott and Jackson to be able to bond with the baby in a more physical way.  It just makes things more special and real for everyone.

This whole week I have been team teaching with Bonnie for Vacation Bible School for 1-2 grades (which puts Anna into our class) and my mom has been in charge of the little ones (Pre-K) so she has had Jackson and Sophie in her classroom.

We were fully anticipating the husbands to need to come after the first two days to pick up Jackson and Sophie after the opening because it was just too much for them.  But guess what?!  They have been so great!  Both of the little ones have been excellent listeners, doing their crafts, playing the games (except Jackson.  He is our little observer.  He prefers to sit in the sidelines when so many kids are involved) and  taking EVERYTHING in!  The entire week, Jackson has talked about nothing BUT Vacation Bible School.  He absolutely loves it!  He is retaining each Bible story, telling me and Scott and about them when school is over.  I am so proud!  Jackson really is becoming such a big boy.

On Wednesday night, in one of the games the older kids were playing, they had to pop balloons.  Well the first balloon was sooooooo loud and startled me so much I jumped a mile!  But not only did it startle me- but baby, who had been quiet and sleeping soundly, also jumped a mile!  After the huge POP! he was moving all over the place, kicking me and pushing on my tummy.  I could just imagine him thinking "Holy Moly, Mommy!  What in the world was that?!"  It was neat seeing him respond to outside noises already.  Baby is starting to become a bigger boy too.

Oh and guess what?!  We have finally decided on a name!  We are using my dad's first name, Robert as his middle name.  So Littlest Boy's full name is Owen Robert Kanengeiser.  It is so nice to finally call him by name, and not just baby boy!  We love it and can't wait to meet Baby Owen in person- only 4 more months to go!!!!

Names from a three year old....

I forgot to tell you about this!  After we found out our news I called my sister right away to tell her.  After hearing all of the excitement, Sophie wanted to get on the phone and talk to me. This was our conversation....

Sophie: Hi Auntie Amie

Me: Hi Sophie!

Sophie: So you are having a baby boy?!  What are you naming him?

Me: Yes!  Isn't that exciting?!  I am not sure what we want to name him.  Can you help us think of baby boy names?

Sophie: Yeah!  You can call him Sprinkles!

(back ground noise: hysterical laughter from Anna and Bonnie.  They were both dying....)

Me: Wow!  Sprinkles?!  That is a cool name.  Thanks Sophie!  

Sophie: welcome!  Well I have to go now.  I love you Auntie Amie! 

I will have to make sure to ask Sophie next time we have to name a pet rabbit or puppy dog ;)  I love that girl.  Too cute!

Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tales......

That's what little boys are made of!  Yep, that's right!  We are having another boy!!!  Jackson is going to have a baby brother!  How cool is that?!  

Our appointment today went just amazing.  Our Ultrasound Tech was wonderful and talked us through the whole thing, telling us what all the different parts of baby were.  And goodness was he active!  He was wiggling and moving all over the place.  And if we wouldn't have wanted to know if he was a boy or a girl we would have found out anyways- this little guy was so proud to show his stuff!  Scott and I noticed it right away in the first minute or so!!

The tech said that baby boy is perfectly healthy and active. His heart-rate was 158, and has all his fingers and toes :)  Oh and our due date was moved up slightly. It shows that I am now due November 13th (instead of the 16th) so we will meet him somewhere in there!

This was such a special morning- I could have watched the little guy forever. *sigh*