Updates on James

My apologies for not updating this in a couple of weeks! James, if you read this when you are older please know that I didn't have a chance to update it because I have been busy taking care of you...and loving it!

We have had a great couple of weeks. Highlights include James's one month doctor's visit. Joe and I were not surprised to find out that he now weighs 10 lbs., 11 oz. (75th percentile)! In one month he has already gained 3 lbs., 10 oz. Wow! He is also 22 and 5/8 inches in length (90th percentile). Needless to say, he is pretty much growing out of all of his cute newborn clothes.

I have been trying to get out of the house as much as possible, which means we are always figuring something out. Yesterday James took his first CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) trip. We took the red line from our place to Water Tower for some shopping. It was a smooth trip but it means making sure we only use train stations with elevators! Some have yet to be updated to be handicap accessible. We also had to feed James in "public" while at the mall. I was anxious about it but it went well and I hope to get more comfortable so I don't feel like I have to be home every 2-3 hours.

As far as behavior, James is still such a sweet boy and he is getting even sweeter as Joe and I figure him out. He is up for a lot of the day and is always gazing around the room at the ceiling, lights, etc. He LOVES his mobile so we have fun playing with that. Of course, we also enjoy a lot of "talk time" when he's up for it and his expressions and smiles re priceless! He is definitely smiling (not just gassy) because you can see it in his whole face. Yesterday I brought him to Wheatley & Timmons where I work and he was grinning ear to ear at the ladies. He is also started to "talk" in the form of coos and gurgles. So cute!

Living with and loving our James

Why am I nude and wet?

Hello mom!

Today I am loving the musical star on my activity mat!

Content in a swaddle and swing

Giving mom lots of smiles!

Whew! Our third week with James was very busy...and very fun!

It started with giving James his first tub bath. He was so adorable! He just stared at us with a very confused look on his face. His second bath was also fairly well received. I think that once he gets used to it he's really going to like baths.

We had two days when James was a bit of a bear - this in comparison to the sweet angel he is most of the time. We couldn't seem to make him happy! Joe and I were getting pretty frustrated (not to mention sad), but we think we know what the deal was after reading something in our parenting book. Apparently, babies go through a growth spurt right around 3 weeks. As a result, they want to eat all of the time. He wasn't really giving me clear hunger cues so he'd cry and cry while Joe and I tried to figure out what he could want. We didn't think it could be food since he had just eaten! In the end I'd end up feeding him so I was basically feeding him non-stop (this was hard on mom). I sure wish I would've read the info about the growth spurts BEFORE the experience so I would've just fed him right away and avoided the whole thing. We learn!

After that the rest of the week was very smooth and we've been having so much fun. We've been playing with James and trying to stimulate him to help him grow. That means lots of time on his tummy, which he doesn't love. When he's on mom or dad's belly, he can lift his head right up and look us in the eye. It's so awesome! But when he's down on the ground he gets frustrated. We'll keep working on it. He is also enjoying "talking" to us and making expressions. He is getting pretty good at smiling when we smile (see photo above) and it's so cute! We also busted out his activity mat this week. We weren't sure if he'd be into it at this age but he really loves it! He is so intrigued by the music and lights.

We also had a lot of visitors last week! Auntie's Erin Hawkins and Erin Burke and Kristin Hubner came to visit, as well as Brian Korbutt. James had a good time hanging out with everyone.

Our second week as a family

The perfect spot for a nap

Mom is so thrilled to be enjoying the lakefront with her 1 week old

Helloo world! I have big eyes when I'm awake!

I was such a good boy while mom and dad washed my hair for the first time

Spending some QT with Grandpa & Grandma Rankin

Relaxing with dad

Getting ready for church with mom

James, mom and dad have had a busy two weeks adjusting to life together!

Luckily, the weather last week was great - above normal temps with one day of almost 70 degrees! We loaded him up in his awesome BOB stroller and took him to Target, Starbucks, Ace Hardware, Grant Park and the lakefront! James loves to be in his car seat in his stroller because it is so cozy. He pretty much slept the whole time. Mom REALLY enjoyed the outings though, as it was a daydream of mine even before pregnancy to think about strolling around the city with our city baby! (Don't worry, we weren't out for long and mom is relaxing...in fact, today I am back in my pj's. It's too cold to do anything but relax at home!)

We also gave him his first sponge bath. We were nervous about him hating it and getting very cranky. No need to worry though! He slept the whole time. It was very sweet so I had to include a picture!

Grandpa & Grandma Rankin came to visit last week too. It was great to have them here to help with everything. They made us some great meals, helped calm James when he was fussy, played with him and changed lots of diapers. We were glad they got to see him at two weeks since he seems to be growing so quickly.

We also brought James to church! He was very well-behaved (ie. sound asleep) but got to meet Father Bob and our church friends. Everyone loves James, of course! :)

At his two week doctor's appointment he weighted 8 lbs., 13 oz. (50th percentile) and was 22 1/4" in length (95th percentile). He must be getting his height from his Grandpa Middleton or Uncle John!

Sweet Baby James

I look just like my daddy right now!

Playing Wii with dad

When I'm asleep I look like an angel

A relaxing Sunday on the couch with mom

I look goofy in my sleep sack, but at least I'm safe!

Things have been going great as we adjust to life at home as a family of three! James is a very good baby. Most of his days are spent sleeping, but when he is awake he is already so much fun! We have fun playing with him and watching him learn. He follows voices very well, loves to "mimic" facial expressions (the best he can), is starting to focus on objects (like the mobile above his changing area) and even seems to want to "talk" when we get him really going. We think he is very smart (yes, we are proud parents!). The only time he is really fussy is right when we want to go to sleep. This usually lasts just a couple of hours though, and after that he sleeps in two periods of 3-4 hours. (I have to remind myself of this because it really can be quite frustrating) This is great because it means mom and dad can usually get 5-6 hours for the night! Not the 8-9 we got before he was here but we'll certainly take it.

His 4 day doctor's appointment last Saturday went great. He was down 7 oz. when we left the hospital Thursday but had already gained 8 oz. back in 2 days! He is still eating like a champ and is already getting chubby cheeks.

What else can I say about James besides the fact that he is a very sweet baby boy...Sweet Baby James certainly suits him! :)

Hanging out and coming home

Hanging with mom...
Daddy and mommy love you James!

Enjoying the Chicago sunset.

Cozy in the car seat.

Going home!

Here are a few more shots from the hospital stay. Prentice Women's Hospital at Northwestern took very good care of us. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We are so appreciative of the time there to get acclimated to parenthood! I WILL say that I was quite surprised at just how tired and overwhelmed we were the first few days. I really thought that after he was born I'd be right up on my feet and the hospital stay would be one big party. I didn't realize that I would actually need to recover and that pretty much every minute would be filled with a check-up on James or me, instructions on something, a test on something, a diaper change or a feeding. We had no downtime to even read the many magazines we brought! I need some pictures of James visiting with his Rankin and Middleton grandparents. It was fantastic having them there! I will post when I get some.

One of the pictures is of James in the car seat getting ready to take his first car ride home! He was a champ and totally loved it - he slept the whole 10 minute ride home. We finally got home from the hospital last night (Thursday) around 9 pm. We were very excited to be home, but also very exhausted. At first, James didn't adjust too well to his new surroundings. It was a rough couple of hours! But by the middle of the night everyone had settled down and we were all able to sleep for 4-5 hours. Today was a great day, although it was again spent figuring out how best to do everything now that we're at home. We're getting the hang of it though and he is sleeping long enough to let me update this post and eat a nice dinner (thanks to Jen and Dave for cooking lasagna for us!)!

Our beautiful baby boy is here!

James Joseph Middleton (we will call him James)

February 3, 2009

8 lbs., 1 oz.

21 inches

Labor and delivery went well! I started having contractions Monday afternoon and by 1:30 am Tuesday Joe and I decided it was time to go to the hospital. I was admitted at 2:00 am, an hour and half before my scheduled induction and didn't end up needing to be induced at all. Everything else progressed smoothly and by 10 am he was here with us! 

We've been "relaxing" at the hospital these past two days. We were exhausted after a sleepless Monday night while in labor. James is doing so good and is already growing and changing right before our eyes! He is a great baby so far...I would say that he is very thoughtful. He really checks everything out! The pixs above are from yesterday (Tuesday) and he already looks different today...

This morning a photographer stopped in and took some pictures. They turned out great! Please view them here:

www.bellababyphotography.com

Click on "Web site"

Click on "New Client" (at the bottom)

Password: 0203jamesmiddleton

User name: 0203jamesmiddleton

Waiting...but much more calm (39 weeks, 6 days)

Thanks to everyone for your nice comments and thoughts, whether here at the blog, via email or text! I am feeling much better after taking the time to adjust my expectations. Last night I got home from work and Joe had prepared me a nice comfy spot on the couch in front of the fire. I got to settle in while he made dinner. Baby M was an absolute riot to watch last night and I am so thankful he is active and healthy. We are still in awe by it. We read him a book last night and this morning I played him my Rockabye Baby Green Day CD (music at belly level) while I got ready for work. Last night I actually slept for two-hour increments throughout the whole night! The previous few nights I had been up every hour on the dot. Honestly, I think the "extra sleep" made me feel so much better. I have now decided I am just going to enjoy these last few days (maybe weeks...gotta be realistic!) with him in my belly. I am very blessed to be experiencing this whole thing in the first place, so I really shouldn't complain!

The wait goes on (39 weeks, 5 days)

Well, it looks like this baby boy knows how cold and horrible it has been (and will continue to be) in Chicago this winter. He does not want to come out! 

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and it looks like he will certainly make it to his due date, which is Saturday. I will have Monday and Wednesday appointments next week to monitor how he's doing and how I'm doing. Since he'll be overdue, the doctor wants to make sure his vital signs stay strong. Based on how those appointments go she may decide to induce labor at the end of next week. Of course, Joe and I would prefer that he come naturally before then, but we are not in control of this situation! It is so hard to be patient. Please keep us in your prayers!

The belly - 22 and 38 weeks!

38 WEEKS

22 WEEKS

Catching up on posts (38 weeks)

Thirty-eight weeks and still no baby! Not like he should be here already - his due date is a little less than 2 weeks away. I have just had so many friends who've had preemie babies that I expected him to be early too. Now that he is considered "full term" I say, "Come ANY time baby boy!" I sure hope he comes before his due date or on time at least. I am ready!

In the meantime, Joe and I are trying to make the most of these last two weeks. Too bad it has been so horribly cold - we haven't even wanted to leave the house! We've had a leisurely weekend of watching movies, cooking and eating. I am sure after baby gets here we'll remember these low key times wistfully!

Last weekend baby's Grandpa & Grandma Rankin made a trip to Chicago with his crib and stroller. It was a busy day, with the boys setting up the crib (see photo of my dad and Joe below) and all of us rearranging furniture. Since we want friends and family to be able to continue to stay with us, his room will be half nursery, half guest room until he gets a little bigger and needs room to play. Plus, we plan on having him sleep in our room in a bassinet for the first few months. Even though it is a dual purpose nursery it actually looks really great in there!

On Friday January 9th my co-workers surprised me and another pregnant co-worker, Krista (due 5 weeks after me), with a surprise baby shower! I have never been thrown a surprise party before and let me tell you...I was shocked. They decorated one of the conference rooms and set up an ice cream sundae bar with TONS of topping options. It was so perfect! We played a celeb baby game and also set up a pool on when our babies will be born. I think most of them think he will arrive the first week of February. I'll post pictures when I get them!

While I'm posting I also wanted to include some pictures from the holidays. It was sure a great one!

Grandpa Rankin and "Pappa Joe" setting up the crib...

Uncle John, Mary & Joe on Christmas morning...

The Rankin Girls - Cousin Renae and Cousin Katie

Grandma Rankin dishing up her famous Christmas morning egg dish (Baby M will surely enjoy this next Christmas!)

Mom and Dad can't wait until there are three of us in pictures like this!

Look at all of the great gifts Baby's Middleton cousins got him for Christmas...and he wasn't even here to open them!

We're ready! (36 weeks)

My last shower was in Grand Rapids over the Christmas holiday. It was hosted by my bridesmaids for my high school and college friends.  It was all gorgeous. The flowers, food, gifts...I do not deserve the amazing friends I have! Thank you to everyone for your generosity! The picture above is of all of the Northview High School girls that could attend (Cam had to leave before this was taken so unfortunately she is not included either). It is so wonderful to have friends who have known me since I was 15 (or earlier!) around me to share this experience. I love it that we've celebrated life's major moments together. Besides marriage, their is nothing bigger! 

I had the week between Christmas and New Year's off of work and it was such a blessing. I recommend any working woman take a week off before baby (if possible) to get organized! Joe and I got the nesting bug in a major way and got so much accomplished! Baby's room is almost done, his car seat is installed and approved by the safety inspectors (yes, we are now driving around with an empty car seat in the backseat - major nerds!), we are stocked up on diapers and changing supplies...now all that is left is packing my bag for the hospital! 

Feeling better (35 weeks)

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling MUCH better. Luckily the not being able to walk thing only lasted 2 days. While I'm still sore, I think it's just regular pregnancy pains. Now I just waddle. :) I am so relieved though! I'm sure Joe is too, because I don't know how much longer he could've waited on me! :)

Baby is good too! Still moving about. Now that he is bigger and has more force it feels really weird. Sometimes I really think he may kick his way out of there. Hiccups are funny (and even a little uncomfortable) because they shake my entire insides now.

I'll post pictures from the holiday and shower with my high school friends soon!

Merry Christmas! (34 weeks)

I thought I'd post another profile picture so you could see how my belly has grown! I am not even measuring anymore. Let's just say it is big. A lovely stranger looked at me at the grocery store today and said, "Big Boy!" He went on to tell me that Baby was doing lots of moving in there and he noticed all the way from the next checkout aisle. I guess I don't even notice it anymore because he is so active! Crazy.

I also just had to post a plain old picture of our gorgeous Christmas tree. I think it is one of the best we've done, which is funny, because the night we got it it was so cold that we didn't even untie the netting to see what it might look like. I grabbed the biggest one I could find - it's 9'5"! As Joe says, "Every tree needs a home," so we were going to give a home to whatever tree we ended up with. We lucked out!

About an hour after I took this picture (Sunday night) I got REALLY sore in my groin - pretty much everywhere from below my belly button to my upper thighs. As the night progressed I could barely roll over, get out of bed or even walk the 15 feet to the bathroom without support. I was nervous so I called the doctor in the morning. They had me come in (thanks to my boss, Bob, and co-worker Kerri for helping me out of the car and into the hospital!) because I guess they were concerned the baby might be on his way. He is not, but he has certainly settled himself deeper into position, and one that involves A LOT of pressure on my nerves, muscles and ligaments. It feels like I pulled a muscle, only it's all muscles in the area and I can't pin point one spot in particular. The doctor said their is not much I can do about it. I am feeling a little better today but can only shuffle or "walk" by moving my hips side to side. No raising and lowering of the legs! I'm a little nervous how this will pan out since walking is our main form of transportation in the city and I have 5.5 weeks left. My mom said this happened to her with my brother and a nurse at the doctor had it happen to her too. Well, I sure hope he is comfy in there!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Showers and holiday fun

We have been busy celebrating the Christmas season and fast-approaching due date of baby.

Last Friday night was Joe's company Christmas party, which was held at the Empire Ballroom at the Palmer House hotel. Gorgeous! It was so fun to get dressed up (I had to buy a maternity party dress) and talk babies with his co-workers and their wives. Their is a baby boom at McDonough Associates so we're excited that Baby Middleton will have lots of friends his age.

Sunday afternoon my Chicago friends hosted a brunch shower for me at the cutest little place called Jane's. It was great to have all of my friends from different groups together for a laid back brunch. We ate - veggie frittata for me - and then opened gifts. Everyone was so generous and we got tons of cute stuff! Thanks everyone!

We have now taken a class on infant safety and CPR, as well as a class on basics of newborn baby care. Both were very helpful, even the "baby basics" class. It's been a while since either of us has spent a lot of time around babies! We are feeling more and more prepared.

Baby Update - 33 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and just have to post because I am such a proud mommy. Baby has moved into the correct position! Although it seems early, the doctor's seemed to be very interested in whether or not he would get situated correctly. At our last visit he was "transverse", or pretty much horizontal across my belly. Now he is head down and feet up! Yippee! The doctor said it is rare that he will switch positions now, so I am very relieved.

While the doctor was ultrasounding me I had him check for his "male organ". Grandma Middleton continues to have dreams that Baby is a girl and Grandma Rankin thinks it looks like I am carrying a girl! Well, the doctor confirmed it is a boy once again so I hope after four confirmations it is accurate.

The other great news is that he said that at 34 weeks they would not stop labor, so if I were to go into labor now they'd just let me have him! That is so exciting. I don't think he's coming any time soon but it is good to know they think he'd be strong enough. I am grinning ear to ear from all the good news!

My first showers!

We were very blessed to have TWO separate showers in Grand Rapids over the Thanksgiving weekend!

The first was Friday night at Paula Nowakowski's and it was hosted by "the group" - Grandpa and Grandma Rankin's family friends who we've grown up with. The theme was "All Star Shower" because Baby Boy M is sure to be a sports fan just like his dad and uncles. We had a great time playing the "Baby Body Part" game, eating and drinking bellinis (virgin for me, of course). There were two other baby boys there, which made it all the more fun.

Saturday night the shower was hosted by Grandma Middleton, my sister-in-laws and our Jastifer aunts. It was also very special! The theme was "Great Expectations" (one of my fave classic books, actually!) and the invites were sent to look like library cards. Everyone was encouraged to bring a favorite children's book. Needless to say, we ended up with a ton of amazing books! Joe and I are really excited about reading to Baby M when he arrives so it was a perfect theme for us.

We ended up with so many amazing gifts. Our family and friends are unbelievably generous! Thank you everyone!!!

Busy Weekend!

What a great weekend! Baby's Grandpa and Grandma Rankin came to visit Saturday. It is always great to have them in Chicago. They appreciate the city as much as we do! We made the trip out to IKEA to check out baby items. They had some cute stuff but most were play things that will be better to get for him once he gets older. We picked up some essentials like wooden baby hangers though! Later we went to check out the Christmas lights on the Magnificent Mile (see the pic above - beautiful!) and out to dinner at one of our favorite Latin restaurants, Mambo Grill. Baby was pretty low key but he did manage to show Grandpa and Grandma some of his moves. He especially enjoyed Grandma's singing!

This morning we had to get up early for our first prenatal class at the hospital. It was 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. We learned so much about labor (my first birthing video experience...not so bad), relaxation techniques, hospital practices, etc. As a first time parent-to-be it was really informative and helpful. We toured the hospital to see the check-in area, labor & delivery rooms, recovery rooms, etc. We are so lucky because the hospital is only a year or so old and it's beautiful! Flat screen tv's and Bose sound CD/ipod players! Both Joe and I think the class was worth it and feel that much more prepared. We are getting there!

We're so excited to head back to Grand Rapids for the Thanksgiving holiday to see family and friends. Of course, we're very pumped for our first baby showers! Can't wait!

29.5 weeks

Picture from two nights ago at 29.5 weeks. 38.5" around and growing! :) You may also be happy to know that a woman offered me her seat on the bus this morning even though my big down jacket was zipped up. If she could tell through that big coat then it must be REALLY apparent I'm pregnant!