Busy time of the year...

Here it is, almost 3 weeks away from Christmas, can't believe it's coming upon us so fast. My brother and sister in law are here visiting from Italy, so we celebrated Christmas with them a few days ago. River got to open his first ever Christmas presents and didn't give a rip. :) He loved the ribbons though, just like we knew he would. River is growing so fast, I know I say that a lot, but I'm his mom and he's my first and I can't help it. I took him to his 9 month well baby check this morning, he is 19lbs 10oz and 28 1/4 inches long. He's around the 25th % for both weight and height, he's our average little man. He's learning his words and has started mimicking us when we say "mama" "dada" "baba." it's wild. :) I think his biggest accomplishment in the last few weeks has been CRAWLING. That's right, he's mobile and I finally understand WHY parents need playpens. He's all over the place, just wait until he's RUNNING all over the place. I'm so not in a hurry for that to happen. :) Of course, with the crawling, there has to be room for learning boundaries, and we are REALLY teaching him that the Christmas tree is a no no. He does understand the word no, but he sure doesn't like it. :) He also has his first head cold and Daddy and I are both starting to get it. woohoo. His sleep schedule has been pretty crazy these past few weeks with Ben and Ashley and her family here at night, so hopefully it will go back to normal once they fly home, which is tomorrow. It's been great having them here, but I think we all are ready for our routines to come back. WEll, I can't think of much else to update, just so thankful to have a healthy, happy baby. We don't realize how lucky we are until a tragedy hits someone close to you. Dan's cousin Kimberly and her husband Shawn recently welcomed their baby girl, Juliana Rose on Thanksgiving Day. Juliana lived for about 1 1/2 hours. She had Potter's Syndrome and they were expecting her to either be stillborn or to live a short while. My mother in law was able to attend Juliana's funeral and said it was "profoundly moving." I start to tear up just thinking about it. As a mother, I can't imagine what Kimberly had to have been feeling or is feeling today. Knowing that by giving birth, your child will be dying...too much to fathom. We are sending our thoughts to Kimberly, Shawn and Nicholas and all of the Burkempers. They have their faith which I am sure is helping them move forward. It just reminds me to hold my son a little closer to me and be thankful that he is here with me.

almost 9 months...

River will be 9 months old in 4 days! It is really crazy how fast time has gone by. He's such a joy for all of us to have in our lives. We are very blessed. As I update this blog, my brother and his wife are on their way here from st louis. The original flight was delayed, but they are here and will be walking through the door soon. This is SUCH a big occasion for all of us. My brother has never gotten to meet River. He is so excited and we all can't wait! I can already tell they are going to be buds and River is going to LOVE his uncle Ben. A couple of weeks ago, my in laws had a photographer friend of Daniel's come out to Marshfield to take a bunch of family photos. We had a good time even though River was teething REALLY bad, but we got some cute pics out of the deal. Enjoy!

busy busy busy

I can't believe it's November already! Daddy has celebrated his 28th birthday and both of Riv's grandma's had their birthdays in October. River had his first Halloween and next weekend his Uncle Ben and Aunt Ashley are coming home for 3 1/2 weeks. We are all so looking forward to it. I haven't seen my brother since May 2008 and that was right before i got pregnant. He's in for a shock. :) River is going to just love his Uncle Ben. Hope we'll get a ton of pictures taken. River had his first real fever yesterday. He's been such a healthy baby for 8 months, so we tried not to freak out too much. We just gave him some motrin and kept him uncovered and he slept like a champ and woke up really happy today with no fever. YAY! We are heading out today to my in laws house in Marshfield for "Chilton family photos" so I hopefully will have some of those uploaded soon. Take Care Everyone!

WOW, have i neglected this....

Just a quick update. River is 8 months old today! He's amazing and growing up so fast. He is learning to crawl and he says "da da" and "ba ba" and makes this "tttsssss" noise all of the time. He has 2 bottom teeth coming in and let me tell you, mommy and daddy are feeling it too. :) He is the most wonderful little guy in the world and we absolutley adore him. He has to be one of the most loved babies, so many people just love him. We are so lucky. I will try to update with some pictures soon. :)

We are 5 months!

I am enjoying this wonderful day off, drinking a pot of coffee and uploading the newest pictures of River. I really can't believe how busy we are just being parents let alone working full time jobs. River is doing so well. He is 5 1/2 months now, around 17lbs and growing like crazy. He has learned to sit up by himself and can roll around. His new fascination is his toes, he loves eating them when he gets his diaper changed. We have started him on solids and his new food this week was Green Beans and he LOVES them. It's sad that his Green Bean diapers really gross mommy and daddy out! :) Here are the newest pictures of him.

4 months, how time does fly.....

I've been a tad too busy to update the blog but wow, River is 4 months old now and there is A LOT to update. He is about 20lbs now and growing like a weed. He laughs all of the time, he's really ticklish on his sides and his big chunky thighs and he's ALMOST ready to roll over. He's also BEAUTIFUL. The last few times I've taken him out in public, I have strangers ooohhh and ahhh over him and they tell him he's such a handsome little man. :) And yes, he is still MY child, looks just like me. Sorry daddy. :) I've been back to work full time since April 26th, I enjoy getting out of the house, but I do miss my little man so much when I'm gone. We are finally into our "family routine" and i'm so thankful for that, I like schedules. :) Well, it's late and Daddy and I are tired, OH probably the best thing that River is doing now is sleeping almost 8 hours at night. He started that right around 3 months and I LOVE IT. Mommy gets to actually feel rested most days. Here's some pics of my little man.

Quick Update....

 River is 10 weeks old now, almost 3 months and I can't believe it! He had his first shots last week and screamed like i've never seen, i almost started crying. I'm the mom, it's my job to make sure he DOESN'T cry. Luckily he wasn't too fussy afterward and never got a fever, my little guy's a trooper. He is now 23 inches long and weighs 13 pounds! Growing like a champ and he's got the baby chub to show it. He has started "talking" to us and he smiles all the time. He loves it when I stick my tongue out at him. We have him doing tummy time every day and now he holds his head up with no effort at all, such a strong guy! We're almost getting the concept of grabbing things, he bats at stuff but always has his fists closed and he's almost laughing. I get a HA every now and then, can't wait for the real thing! Here's our little guy. 

2 months!

 Wow, it's been awhile since I've updated anything. Guess having a new baby is keeping me a little busy. :) River is doing so good. He's packing on the pounds for sure! He has started nursing every 2 hours which can be demanding but I have to realize that his little body needs it. He has his 2 month checkup this coming Friday so we'll be able to see exactly how much he has grown. My guess is that he's around 11lbs or so, my little chunky monkey. I go back to work full time next week and I'm not really looking forward to it. I do like  the idea of getting out of the house without a baby attached to me, but I will miss him sooo much. I guess I just don't want to miss a minute. He's growing so fast and learning new things, I don't want to miss anything. He loves to smile now and likes his tummy time, he holds his head up like a champ. Next Sunday is the big day, not just for me. It's the first time Daniel will be all alone with the baby. He'll probably get stressed but I know that I have to trust him and I have to allow him "Daddy time." Well, time to feed the kid again. Here is a pic of my little man on Easter.

pictures

Here are the pictures I promised of our little man on his 1 month birthday. Enjoy!

One month old!

 We've made it. River is 1 month old today. I figure he weighs almost 9 lbs ( I won't know for sure until we go to the doc next month.) He's doing really well. He likes to fuss A LOT more now. He tends to get really fussy when he gets tired and he falls asleep and then wakes himself up at least 3 times before he is truly asleep. He's gassy too, probably my fault but I'm really trying hard to watch my diet so I don't make him TOO gassy. Poor guy. :) 

I made a miraculous discovery last night during one of his fits. The kid LOVES music, especially the Beatles. I put Hey Jude on and he just got quiet and fell asleep. I made sure I tried it again today to see if last night was a fluke, NOPE, he loved it again today. Right now Dan is holding him and he's been playing Jeff Buckley, Foo Fighters, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin, River was throwing a MAJOR fit and now he's just so content to sit with his daddy and listen. I guess playing all of that music to him in the womb was a smart thing. Yeah, he's going to be a musician. Well, that's about all. I do have some updated photos but will have to wait until tomorrow to upload them. 

Big Day tomorrow

So, tomorrow is going to be my very first day at home ALL ALONE with my son. Crazy huh? My mom has been coming over every day since he's been born to help me out while Daniel is at work. It's been great being able to take a mid morning nap once she got here BUT tomorrow I won't be so lucky. I'll probably try to lay down once River goes to sleep around 9 or 930. I've been lucky on the weekends too since Dan is home and he helps me out. I got to go to Walmart today and get some groceries all alone, it was a nice break from the house for an hour. I love being a mom and love my son and it does feel weird leaving him. He's breastfeeding and I really feel like his personal milk machine. His feeding schedule tends to dictate what i do and at what time i do it. It's always like "ok, can i go here, when did the baby eat last, when will he need to eat again." I know it's totally normal and soon he'll be on a better schedule. I'm also planning on starting to pump tomorrow so that we can introduce River to the bottle in the next couple of weeks. I'm ready for Dan to start helping with the feeding process. :) Wow, I can't believe our little guy is over 3 weeks old already. He's getting so big and looking more and more like a "person" every day. :) Everyone keeps talking about who he looks like, I've finally started to see that he looks like himself, he's River and that's who he looks like. :) He's gaining weight, i'm planning on trying to weigh him tomorrow and he's really trying to start to smile. I bet we'll see that first REAL smile in the next few weeks, I can't wait. Here are some new pics of him.

2 weeks

 River turned 2 weeks two days ago. He had his checkup that day as well and he now weighs 8lbs  oz which is AWESOME. :) He is basically gaining 2 oz a day and the average is for babies to gain 1 oz a day, he loves breastfeeding. I'm so relieved that he's taken to it so well. The idea of formula just worries me, I was so afraid after his first few days that I might eventually have to do formula but thank goodness I was just being paranoid.  I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful baby. Sure, he HATES to have his diaper changed and he isn't too fond of baths yet, but I just hope that he'll get used to it. He's still brand new to this big bad world and he'll figure stuff out eventually. :) Here are some recent pics of him at 2 weeks and a picture of what his typical bath routine looks like. Enjoy!

River is here!!

Well, I've been a tad bit preoccupied the past week and have pretty much neglected anything that has to do with the internet but, River is sleeping right now and I'm taking advantage. :) 

River David Chilton was born on Friday, February 20th at 8:13 pm and he weighed 7 lbs 7 oz, 21 3/4 inches long. I had to be induced basically without any notice. I had an U/S scheduled at 8 am that day just to check my fluid levels and make sure everything was still ok. Well, normal amounts of amniotic fluid are about 5cm and I only had .77cm. So, baby HAD to come out ASAP. They literally wheeled me over to the hospital from my docs office and had me get checked into Labor and Delivery before I could even call Daniel. I was a little freaked out to be there by myself for the beginning but I was so glad I was going to get to meet my son. I was started on Pitocin around 9:30am and basically stayed at 2cm for most of the day, BUT once I got my epidural at 3:30pm, labor REALLY took off. I started pushing around 8pm and he was here just a few minutes later. It was amazing. No words can ever describe the love for a child and I know that, so I'm not even going to try. 

River is 8 days old today. He is such a mellow baby and I am so thankful for that. He loves to sleep and be held and he HATES baths and diaper changes. :) I am breastfeeding and we are both learning but today has been a really good day and I think we're getting the hang of it. He really is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me or to Daniel. We are both so in love with him and are so excited that we really are a "family" now. 

No news is.....No news

We just got back from the doctors office and we're bummed. He said that my cervix is a little softer but I haven't dilated anymore since last week, so I'm still at 1cm. At this point, my cervix isn't "favorable" for an induction. That being said, I have another appointment in 2 days on Friday the 20th where I will be having a BFP or Biophysical profile, for the baby. I think it's basically like an ultrasound but it will focus mostly on the amniotic fluid levels and things like that. I did have an NST today ( non stress test) I had to lay down and had a monitor on my stomach and I had to push a little buzzer everytime I felt the baby move. He just wanted to make sure the baby was fine I guess and of course, he is. 

SO, on Friday ( if I haven't gone into labor naturally) he is going to call down to Labor and Delivery and figure out a time to schedule an induction for NEXT WEEK. So at the latest he'll be here by the 27th. We're just hoping that things go well and that my body will naturally go into labor on it's own. We both are just feeling really disappointed right now. It's nice knowing everyone is so excited but it does get stressful getting multiple phone calls and emails every day and we have nothing to report. I'm going to try really hard to take my mind off of it and that might help. He will come when he's ready and BELIEVE me, i've tried ALL of the "natural" home induction old wives tales and they DON'T work. Well, that is all we have to say as of right now. 

He's still cooking....

 Today is our due date and no baby. I guess I'm not really that surprised, Dan and I were both late and statistically, first babies are usually late so I guess we just have to wait. I have another doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon and I will be asking him about induction. I almost don't want an induction because I don't want to really mess with nature and I know that he'll come when he's ready but I feel like I'm wasting time here at home when I could be a mom already. Selfish I know and I just need to get over it. Dan is walking around moping most of the time. He's so anxious to meet his son and we really thought it was going to happen this past weekend. At least he's not a Valentine's baby and that's what I wanted. :) I continue to feel cramps a few times each day, but they do go away so I assume that means I'm making progress. At least if my doc agrees to do an induction I won't feel "so" guilty about it since my body is obviously getting ready for birth. His head is where it needs to be, I am dilated and effaced, it's not like I'm not dilated at all or effaced and asking for an induction. I also worry because with an induction they basically hook you up to the pitocin and I wouldn't be able to walk the halls to help with the labor. I really want the option to be mobile during labor.

Well, not much else to report. Here's baby boy at 40 weeks 1 day. I will be sure to update after the doctor appointment. Until tomorrow....

39 weeks and some progress!

Today was my 39 week appointment. It went really well, first, we didn't have to wait for over an hour and that's always good. My weight gain was normal, blood pressure was normal and the baby's heartbeat was normal. The doc checked my cervix and I am now 1 cm dilated and about 70 % effaced. The baby's head is also pretty low so that was good as well. Dan and I are so excited! Progress!! I've been waiting for this forever it seems. So, hopefully he won't be stubborn and I will continue to progress over the next week or so. Basically he really could be here at any time. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be my last day of work before I go on maternity leave. How crazy will it be not to see everyone each week? Good thing there's email! Well, that's all the news for now. Also, here is a picture of me and the baby at 39 weeks 1 day. 

Almost Home....

 Well, as of today we are 38 weeks 5 days and I am so ready to meet our son. I thought I was having a really easy pregnancy ( which I mostly am ) but this last week I started experiencing the fun waddling, peeing every 30 minutes and SWELLING. I hoped I'd get lucky and not swell too much but I was very wrong. After a day at work or even just shopping and running errands, my poor feet look awful! My toes look like vienna sausages and I truly do have canckles. :( I'm trying my best to keep my feet elevated and I'm drinking more water, but it's not helping. I've been told that the only thing that will stop the swelling is DELIVERY. Let's pass that info on to the little one then. 

I had my 38 week doctor appointment this past Wednesday. I gained about 4 pounds within a week, pretty positive that it is all water weight. He did check my cervix and said that I am getting "very very soft" but so far I'm not dilated yet. That wasn't surprising to me. I have YET to feel a contraction or even a braxton hicks contraction. The baby is due the 17th but I keep getting the 19th stuck in my head. I think he likes it in his little womb, he also still moves around quite a bit. While I was in the waiting room for the appointment, I swear he was doing somersaults or something. When the nurse listened to his heartbeat it was A LOT faster than usual, he probably was getting a good workout. :) I don't have any pics as of yet this week, i'll probably just post one on Monday when I hit 39 weeks. Can't wait for this to be done!

37 weeks and Nursery Pics

  So today I am officially 37 weeks and that means baby boy is Full Term! I'm so ready to meet him but I want to make sure he stays baking in the oven until he's good and ready. :) No belly pics as of yet this week but I do have some of little man's nursery. Enjoy!

Stats as of now

 I had my 36 week appointment yesterday. I am measuring right on time, the baby's heartbeat sounded great and strong ( as usual ) this time he decided to kick the doppler the minute it touched my belly. Clever little guy we have already. :) The Nurse Practitioner checked me and said that I'm not dilated at all yet, BUT my cervix is thinning out so everything seems to be going right on schedule. The baby's head has dropped and he's in position so that is exciting. I have to remind myself of that during the (many) times a day he likes to push his head down onto my bladder. :) I've started packing my hospital bag, the baby's diaper bag and I only have about 1 load left of baby laundry ( not counting the pre-wash I have to do for the BumGenius diapers). It's so hard to believe that he is supposed to be here in a little over 3 weeks. wow. 

Still nothing.

No Braxton Hicks contractions, no pain, absolutley no signs of labor yet. Which is good I suppose. My next appointment is on Tuesday Jan 20th which is also Inaguration Day ( GO OBAMA! haha). I may be getting tested for Group B Strep and if that is the case I will probably have my cervix checked to see if I am dilated at all yet. This past Monday was our 2nd Childbirth Class. We practiced breathing and go to tour Labor and Delivery and the recovery rooms. It made me so ready, the rooms are brand new and so nice! On our way out past the nursery we got to see a newborn little boy who was probably less than 3 hours old. THAT really hit us. Dan just seemed enamored with him, I can really see a difference in him and can tell how excited he's getting. We are both so ready to hold our son, it will be amazing!

Speaking of Daniel, he is currently in Anaheim, CA for a work conference. He left yesterday morning and will be coming home Sunday evening. I miss him already, so do the dogs. :) My 2nd baby shower was Saturday the 10th at my Mom's house. So much fun and we have so much stuff now. I don't know where to put everything, overwhelming. It is good to know we will be putting everyone's gifts to good use. As always, I will end with some more updated pictures. 

34 weeks down!

I had a pretty uneventful doctor appointment this week. The baby is measuring right on track and his heartbeat is still really strong. I also didn't gain any weight from Christmas Eve until now. YAY! My next appointment is in 2 weeks and I possibly will be getting tested for Group B Strep. 

Dan and I also attended our first childbirth class this week. It was really interesting. She had us watch the birthing video the first night, I am 100% having an epidural! :) This coming Monday night will be our 2nd class and we will be getting to practice breathing and will also be doing a tour of Labor and Delivery which I am really looking forward to. Labor and Delivery just had a big overhaul last year so it is supposed to be amazing, I can't wait. 

Also this week, the ladies at work threw me a baby shower which I really wasn't expecting. It was so nice of everyone to pitch in for the cake and I got a lot of great gifts. The shower was at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants Carlos O'Kelly's and the food was AMAZING! :) I'm so glad that I work with a bunch of nice people. :) I am counting down the days now and I have 27 actual work days left and baby boy should be here in 38 days! I can't believe it's coming up so fast. We're pretty prepared, but I know no matter what, you're never TOTALLY ready. Well, I will include some pics from the shower last night.

OH and today is my little brother's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!!! 24 is OLD!!! :)