The Dean Family

Santa Attempt = FAIL!

2011-12-03T21:08:00.007-05:00

We headed to Home Depot today to pick up our Christmas tree and Santa just happened to also be there too! Home Depot was taking free pictures, so we thought why not.

I think the pictures speak for themselves!

Is anybody looking?

2011-11-13T19:46:00.003-05:00

It appears Matthew discovered the art of nose picking... I have to admit it's pretty hard not to bust out laughing, I mean doesn't he look cute, even with his finger is half way up his nose?

I'm pretty sure when he's older he will regret ever doing it, since his wonderful Mom proceeded to post this on the world wide web :)

Happy Halloween from the King!

2011-11-02T20:24:00.016-04:00

Halloween has always been one of my most favorite holidays, now even more with Matthew! We missed Halloween last year, because we were in Las Vegas, so this year I was ready to dress him up. I also figured this would be the one year I could put him in something he wouldn't argue with me about :)
I think he's one good lookin' King!

Matthew in the Costume Parade at School

This is the only time he wore the sunglasses

Our neighborhood hosts a pretty big Halloween party each year. It was so much fun to watch Matthew look at all the kids and go door to door. He definitely caught on to the candy thing! Even more fun, cousin Andrew, Uncle Jon and Aunt Michele came over too!

This picture cracks me up! Looks like he's singing :)

And now some trick or treating!

Candy, candy & more candy!

He got a little scared at this house - his face is priceless!

And now he's running like you know what!

All in all, I think Halloween was a success! Jason took these videos too. I think Matthew likes Halloween!

15 months, well maybe more like 16 months...

2011-10-23T21:02:00.017-04:00

Well it's now been well over a month since Matthew's 15 month appointment, but better late than never right?

I don't know the famous poet who said "It's been the best of times, it's been the worst of times" or however it goes, but I will say that is a good synopsis of the past couple of months. I have to guess right after Matthew started walking around 14 1/2 months, he started to show a "new side". A testiment of will let's say. Temper tantrums over anything. All I kept thinking was, where did my sweet angel boy go!? Then amongst that he got hand, food and mouth. Let me just tell you, if your child hasn't had it, YOU.ARE.LUCKY! It may have been the most awful week in our house. Sadly there is nothing you can do for it, except ease the symptoms. Again, all I wanted was our well, sweet big boy back! Oh and on top of all this 2 of his molars were coming in (finally), then the top 2 decided to peek their way in as well. Like I said "It's been the worst of times!" Maybe worst is a exagerating, but whew, we were ready for a break!

So Matthew did have his 15 month appointment and the big boy passed his appointment with stars!

Weight: 25 lbs ~ 60th percentile

Height: 32 1/2 inches ~ 85th percentile

Head Circumference: 19 inches ~ 85th percentile

I remembered at his 1 year appointment his pediatrician asking "how many words is he saying" and all I could say was "uh Ma Ma & Da Da", but I was so excited at his 15 month appointment to rattle off what he saying, and that he could walk too! It is really amazing how he picks up so many more words each day it feels like.

So far we've got:

Ball (his absolute favorite word)

Roar (or the sound of a tiger/lion for either animal)

Car

Bird (sounds more like Bir)

Up & Down (along with super cute arm motions)

The sound of a siren (for fire truck)

Thanks (or what sounds more like tanks)

Apple

Nana (For banana & his Nana)

Papa

Ice (yes, ice... He loves it and he just belted that one out over the weekend)

No :( (Really no already!)

Elmo

Choo Choo (for train)

He's developing such a sweet and fun personality too. Although he's totally obsessed with his Daddy, which of course can hurt Mama's feelings, boy when he comes charging toward me and plops in my lap, my heart melts. He also started blowing kisses! Again MELT.MY.HEART. Now this is definitely "The best of times!"

Fun times at the playground!

We went to Tybee this weekend for Jason's brother's birthday, so we went to the beach to feed the birds. Let's just say it turned into "attack of the birds!"

Matthew & his Papa - can't you tell how much he LOVES his Papa, look at that smile!

This is not staged, but I just think hilarious! Matthew digs in my drawers all the time, and look what he found ;o) Jason thought it was "gross".

And he's off!

2011-08-30T21:31:00.006-04:00

Matthew has been toying with the idea of walking for a few weeks now.

Let's just say after this weekend, we can officially say we now have a walker in the house!

This video is from Friday, I'll post a better one soon. It's amazing in just a matter of days how he's mastered it. We are waiting for the running next!

It's like Twilight back here!

2011-06-30T22:14:00.006-04:00

If you are a fan of Modern Family, as we are in the Dean household, I have come to find some commonalities in episodes. Last night was a rerun of Lily biting....

Clearly a foreshadow to our life...When Matthew was in the infant room, probably about a month before he moved up, we found out he had bitten another child. I was mortified! Well come to find out he had 4 teeth coming in.

Well time went on and he hadn't bitten Mom or Dad, nor had we heard anything from school, well until 2 days ago... He's been having napping issues. So I always ask "did Matthew wake up any kids today?" There have been a handful of days he's woken the ENTIRE class, and yes I mean all 11 kids! How awesome do I feel...

So for whatever reason I just happened to say, after my daily, "did Matthew nap today" inquiry "at least he's not biting" and BOY was in for a shock... His teachers looked at each other and said, well... I just looked at them and said how many times!? Oh 8+. I am now standing there MORTIFIED! Well, they reassure me it's normal at this age, although I am still completely mortified that "its my child who's the bitter..."

I wish I could find the "it's like Twighlight back here" scene, but this clip is just as good!

This phase as with others, will pass soon (WE HOPE!)

It's FUN to be 1!

2011-06-29T20:16:00.016-04:00

I cannot believe that Matthew is 1. His birthday has come and gone, and I think we have finally recovered from his fun celebration.

First things, first, his 1 year appointment. As with most of his appointments, it was pretty uneventful; with the exception of the fit he threw the minute we walked into the pediatrician’s office. I am talking a fit I have NEVER seen this child throw before. Granted we did have to wake him from nap, and I have recently learned, this is not ideal for sweet Matthew. Like his Mama, this child needs his sleep!

As always my favorite part of the appointment his stats:

Weight: 23 lbs (65th percentile)

Height: 31 inches (80th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 7/8 inches (90th percentile)

Matthew continues to grow by leaps and bounds. He's pulling up on everything, cruising anything that will hold him and recently discovered the stairs. He's quite the dare devil and braved climbing up the first 4 steps, although Mama is not a fan. He's still an amazing little eater and we have officially let go of bottles. A transition I was really worried about, but we did it cold turkey and like a champ he went with the flow. He hasn't braved walking, but we know in due time he'll be running :)

So now on to the Giant's birthday celebration. As with anything, I tend to go totally overboard. Jason's Dad even said "you realize you have to throw this big of a party for Matthew's siblings right..." In the back of my mind I'm thinking, his poor siblings are going to get totally jipped. However, deep down I know that won't be the case.

I was so pleased with how every detail turned out, the friends and family that came and the overall fun we had.

Liz (who took all the pictures!), me, Aunts Jill, Brandy & Jori Aunts & Uncle Curt
We did it! Made it through our first year as parents!

Sharing with Mama!
Being 1 is A LOT OF FUN!
He was a total mess, although he barely made a dent in his cake!
My Aunt Josie made the trip for Matthew's first birthday!
I LOVE presents!

Uncle Bill (my Daddy's brother) and Aunt Lois drove 10 hours from Maryland to be apart of the celebration. It meant the world to us!

Now a special message to our sweet, amazing boy.

Happy 1st Birthday sweet Matthew! I have said it once, and I will say it again. You have blessed our lives beyond belief. Each day is a new day of experiences, filled with new memories we will cherish forever. But most importantly you have taught your Mom and Dad how to love more than we ever knew we could.

We love you Matthew to the moon and back and can't wait to see what this next year will hold!

He graduated!

2011-05-20T17:28:00.007-04:00

I seriously can't believe it, but today was Matthew's last day in the infant room. On Monday, he's a wobbler. Really, a wobbler... I remember so vividly, crying my eyes out the first day we dropped him off at daycare and on Monday, he moves onto the next class.

I have a feeling every year, this will be the moments as a mom that will be so hard. Knowing our sweet little Matthew is really growing up! Man, why don't they prepare parents for this!

The best part of today was our "surprise". His teachers mentioned they had "something" for the kids but it was a surprise. What a great surprise! My heart melted when Jason walked in.

Happy Graduation Matthew! You've come so far since your first day of school.

The Giant takes over the beach!

2011-05-18T22:05:00.002-04:00

8, 9, 10 Months - so much to report and so little time!

2011-05-17T19:40:00.032-04:00

I know an apology is due. I'm not sure why I'm 3 months behind on any updates on our sweet boy. I really don't know where the time has gone, or why I haven't had time to post updates. Ok, it's been a matter of sheer laziness - I will admit it.

So this is an attempt to not write an entire novel of what's been happening the last couple of months so bear with me :)

8 Months Old - our little swimmer, Matthew's first St. Patty's Day & first hair cut!

Since Mama isn't quite the swimmer, Jason and I really wanted to get Matthew used to the water, so we enrolled him into swim lessons and he did so well!

Matthew also celebrated his first St. Patrick's Day! Check out his rockin' St. Patty's Day pants Aunt Josie made him!

We also took Matthew for first hair cut. Jason was getting tired of the "oh what a pretty baby girl" comments :)
9 Months Old - Matthew's First Braves Game & a 9 Month Check up

The month by month pictures are getting harder and harder, with a more mobile child!
Well if you're a son of Jason's, clearly you will be sports fan, so as you guessed Matthew has already been to his first Brave's game.

Matthew's 9 Month Appt
It was time for another well check up. I was of course anxious to see how big our little giant was getting. He seems to weight a ton, since he LOVES to eat!

Weight: 21 lbs 9 oz (70th percentile)

Height: 29 inches (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 1/4 inches (78th percentile)

Clearly he's a growing boy! Matthew also started crawling right after his 9 month appointment! And he hasn't slowed down yet!

And now here we are to 10 months old

Sadly we haven't taken our monthly picture. Matthew also had 4 teeth, yes I said 4 teeth come in all at once. Honestly I don't think it would have been so bad (other than the massive amounts of drool) but he also had his second ear infection at the sametime. Poor kid!

And finally, we took Matthew down to Hilton Head for his first beach trip. I was worried how he would take to the sand and water, but like his Mama, he LOVED the beach!

Whew, there's the past 3 months in the shortest update possible. More to come, since someone is turning 1 oh so soon!

Giggles & more!

2011-03-23T20:53:00.004-04:00

I don't know who's having more fun Mommy or Matthew!

7 Months Old... Well a month ago he was...

2011-02-14T21:10:00.017-05:00

Way overdue, I know, especially since he'll be 8 months old in a matter of days!
Matthew grows by leaps and bounds!

He now has 2 teeth, we've moved him back to his whale tub, which he loves, sits up so well, had his first swing ride at the park and is trying to figure how he can move forward. He loves to bounce on his bootie!
He's growing up way too fast!

Opps! I knocked it over!

My first time in a swing! I love it!!
Driving my car!
Big boy bath!

And my favorite, his happy hair mornings!

This boy just continues to melt my heart!

Matthew's first snow!

2011-01-11T09:50:00.004-05:00

Well it actually happened we got "real" snow in Atlanta!

At least it was snow when it first fell now its ice, which is of course no fun! But we managed to get out yesterday so Matthew could experience his first snow.

We are hoping the temps get a bit higher to melt the ice, we've got cabin fever bad!

Finally some pictures of the 3 of us!

2011-01-06T21:55:00.013-05:00

I always wondered why looking back at pictures of me as a kid it was either, just me in the picture or just one parent and me... Now I understand. Clearly one parent is taking the picture, while the other is in the picture. As I was looking through our pictures, I realized the only "family" picture we had of Jason, Matthew and I was, immediately after my c-section... Not exactly something I want to post on the fireplace mantle :)

So I asked a dear high school friend of mine to take some family pictures, and it was timely since Matthew was 6 months old. I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

She really caught some sweet, sweet images of us!

6 Months Old & his first Christmas

2011-01-05T22:08:00.016-05:00

Really... he's 6 months old (well as I'm finally getting around to this post, more like 6 1/2 months old...) It's truly hard to believe that sweet Matthew is half way to being a year old!

Jason took Matthew to his 6 month appointment, it was the first pediatrician appointment I have missed. It definitely felt weird not being there, but Dad did great (of course!). At his 6 month appointment, Matthew was:

17.13 lbs - 55th percentile (gained almost 4 lbs since his 4 month appt.)
17 1/4 head circumference - 55th percentile
26 1/4 inches long - 50th percentile (grew 1 1/4 inches!)

His new nickname is the "little giant"... I think you can clearly see why! Matthew continues to grow, grow and grow. He eats ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING we have given him. We made it through all the typical stage 1 foods and are moving on to stage 2. I'm making some food (and yes, buying some as well). Over the weekend I made a combo of spinach, peas and sweet potatoes, pears and blueberries, and broccoli with sweet potatoes. So far all have been a hit! We tried mango and bananas last night - of course the kid ate them right up! Clearly this is how he's becoming a "little giant"!

This was taken in early December, clearly dinner wore him out!

And as Matthew turned 6 months old, he also experienced his first Christmas. Like most infants, he cared more about the bows and paper. I'm sure next year will be a totally different story!

Matthew with his cousins, Bryson & Andrew

And as each month goes by, and he gets older, he hits another milestone. It was over Christmas that he started sitting up on his own (with little support). It's so hard to believe!

And I also bought him a bath seat, since he's sitting up so well. As much as I love to see all these changes, at times it makes me sad that he's growing up SO much and so fast. But I guess that's just a part of parenthood.

And lastly, I took this picture tonight before Matthew's bath - man I love this little giant!

Changes, changes & more changes!

2010-12-07T15:37:00.010-05:00

Yes, I know... I've been extremely bad with my updates on our sweet Matthew.

Between a trip to Las Vegas at the end of October, a girls weekend in Asheville, then Thanksgiving, the month of November has completely slipped past me. They always as as you "get older" time flies right past you, but boy they forgot to mention when you become a parent, it flies by in warp speed!

Sweet Matthew continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It's really hard to ever imagine he was this tiny 5 lb nugget, that we actually worried he wouldn't put on weight...

Here is his 5 month picture - man I love those cheeks!

And you can see he didn't want to sit still too long for the picture... Before long, I'm sure he'll be trying to climb out of the chair!

We started solids at about 4 1/2 months and let me tell you he loves food! So far anything we introduce to him, he eats - guess he gets that from his Mommy! Last night we tried pears and he gobbled them up! The kid clearly hasn't missed ANY meals...
We also took Matthew to his first Georgia Tech tailgate :) Thank goodness for the Baby Bjorn... Our chunky monkey got a little heavy trying to carry the entire time. Although, he and I didn't go to the game, at least he experienced his first football tailgate!

As he grows up more and more each day, his sweet and fun personality continues to develop! He has the best giggle when you zerbert his belly or arm pits, or tickle those chunky thighs. He's finally rolling more and more and last night even did a 360 turn in his crib! He squeals and cracks himself up, but definitely will let you know when he's bored or wants to be held. But all I can say, is that we couldn't be more blessed with such a sweet, sweet little boy! I'll just never get over how much he changes from day to day.

And speaking of changes, tomorrow is my last day with the American Cancer Society. I accepted a position at Northside Hospital in their oncology program, and I start on Monday. It was such a bittersweet decision to make, but one that I needed to make both personally for our family and professionally. They always say that motherhood "changes you" and I just truly never understood or knew until it happened to me. I just knew in my heart it was time for me to switch gears, so I could be closer to home with Matthew and Jason. It will be hard to say good-bye to all the wonderful people I've come to know and love at ACS, but know that I will continue to work with this wonderful organization in my new role.

4 Months Old and a trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-22T13:32:00.010-04:00

Here we are another month has gone by and our little man continues to grow and change more and more! He smiles all the time, except when I pull out a camera - he turns into Mr. Serious, we're getting more and more giggles, coos and makes lots of fun noises and is still sleeping like a champ at night - 10-11 hrs.

We had his 4 month pediatrician appointment on Monday, which meant more vaccinations :(

We were able to time it pretty well with his feedings, but the appointment ran late, so he was pretty fussy by the time shots rolled around. Jason was able to come to this appointment, since Mom wasn't ready to do another set of shots by herself again.

Matthew of course cried and cried - heck I would too! But this time after the shots, he was a lot more fussy than at his 2 month appointment. But by Tuesday morning he was back to his sweet, happy self - the boy we just adore!

Here is before his appointment - do you think he knew where he was going...

Ok, much better! Although we need to work on his smiles for the camera!

He was measured, weighed, the whole nine yards and he is:

14 lbs 1 oz (40th percentile)
25 inches long (55th percentile)
Head circumference: 16 1/2 inches (48th percentile)

We also got the go ahead to start rice cereal, which we are really excited about. I think Jason is really excited - everytime we are eating dinner he puts something in front of Matthew's mouth. Of course I panic thinking he'll try and gobble it down. Matthew hasn't yet...

Last weekend we also headed over to the church pumpkin patch. it was quite comical trying to pose Matthew, but we got some cute pictures!

I love this picture of my boys!

This cracks me up that he's got his arm on the pumpkin - like he's thinking "yep me & my pumpkin buddy!"
Look at that pouty lip!
And next week is Matthew's last week at the Goddard School. About a month ago to our surprise we got a call from Dunwoody Christian Academy saying that they had an opening for Matthew. While I was of course extremely excited, it was bittersweet. Matthew did so well transitioning to daycare when I went back to work and his infant room teachers are just the most sweet women. They really made me feel so comfortable with the entire transition. But the commute for both Jason and I is really tough, where Dunwoody Christian Academy is less than a mile from our house. So once we get back from our trip from Las Vegas, Matthew will start his new "school".

We have a thumb sucker on our hands!

2010-10-11T13:53:00.004-04:00

It appears that Matthew will follow in the footsteps of both of his parents and suck his thumb. For the past 2 months I've watched him try so hard to figure out how to suck his thumb, but in the past 2 weeks he's definitely got it down!

It is really cute to watch and I have to admit, it will be nice to not have to keep up with a pacificer.

Here's Matthew in action - it really is just too sweet!

3 Months (and then some)

2010-09-30T09:50:00.012-04:00

Clearly this is way overdue, Matthew is well over 3 months old at this point (14 weeks to be exact), but since going back to work, I've realized some things (this blog, exercising, among other things) have been put on the back burner temporarily.

I'll probably say this on every post, but it is truly amazing how much Matthew changes from week to week and month to month. Clearly I'm a new mom!

Here he is before heading out to school. What a good sport for an early morning!
We haven't been back to the pediatrician yet, but his unofficial weight is around 13 lbs, probably more like 13+ lbs! The boy is a great eater, but I think his length helps to even out his weight.
However, check out those cheeks, who do you think he gets those from!!??

I've now been back to work for 3 weeks and Matthew in daycare for 3 weeks as well. Both are going really well, which is such a relief! Matthew has done such a great job acclimating to daycare. He's always smiling when I pick him up - probably because he's typically just been fed - but they always say he's had a great day. I will say that it didn't take long for the germs to hit. He's been congested for over a week and he came home on Monday evening with a slight fever, but the fever quickly broke. I will say, he was still his happy, playful self.

AND.... last night I finally got what I knew was an offical giggle! I think I squealed so loud, Matthew looked at me like I was crazy - but boy do I love baby giggles! Now I just have to figure out how to get more out of him :)

And here are a few pictures of our cutie pie from the past couple of weeks!

Bath time!

Tummy Time! I'm getting so strong!
In the backyard in my Bumbo!

Back to Work...

2010-09-09T13:22:00.020-04:00

Yesterday was my official first day back to work, however I have been lucky enough to work from home this week to transition back, as well transition Matthew into daycare.

Yes that means we found a daycare too! I'll get to that in a bit.

I have to say (as I have many times before) the last 12 weeks just flew right past us. There we were at Northside Hospital a month early welcoming our sweet Matthew to this world and now I'm headed back to work and he's not the tiny peanut Jason and I were "scared to break". He's now this little angel baby, with spunk, personality, lovable smiles and chubby legs that I can't get enough of!

Here's our peanut in his carseat on the way home from the hospital...
And here he is at 10 weeks old!
It is just truly amazing how much he has changed in now 11 weeks! Matthew does something new everyday and continues to grow like crazy.

He is sleeping about 9-10 hours at night - yay he got that from his Mama!
Loves playing on a new activity mat - even started smiling and swating at the hanging toys, like they are playing back with him. It might be the cutest thing I've ever seen!
Finally likes his bath - no more crying :)
Enjoys diaper changes - we play and chat while Mama changes him.
He smiles a ton, which totally melts my heart!
He's cooing, ahhing and making fun noises - again I totally love!
Holds his head up really well - no more floppy
Doesn't fuss too much during tummy time
And eats like a champ!

Jason and I are so blessed!

So speaking of blessed, as I go back to work and swallow the idea of being away from Matthew all day, words cannot describe the love I have for our son. No one, not even your parents, can fully prepare you for the emotions and the love that you will feel for your child. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love Matthew. Of course this makes the idea of heading back to work extremely hard, but everyone tells me it does get better. We shall see about that one!

So yes, we did find a temporary daycare. It is a bit of a distance from our house, but was a good choice, so I don't totally lose my mind worrying. It is a Goddard School my high school friend Janet has been taking her daughter and just raved. They luckily had an opening so we grabbed it up. The infant room teachers are just wonderful, so I knew we made the right choice. Tuesday we took Matthew for his first half day, I was ok while getting him dressed, fed and in the car. It wasn't until we did the "hand off" that I started to lose it. Then of course the minute we stepped outside, I just lost it. I know he's safe and happy - heck he smiled at us as we left - but I guess after being at home with him for 12 weeks the thought of not seeing him whenever I please really hit me hard. When I picked him up, he did look exhausted, and a bit confused, but he wasn't crying - whew! I did another drop off this afternoon and Mama kept it together.

And to close out this post for today, here are more fun pictures of our sweet Matthew!

Our happy boy!
See I love bath time now!!
He just melts my heart!

2 Months Old!

2010-08-19T13:19:00.008-04:00

Matthew is 2 months old and it just amazes me how much he has changed in just 2 months.

He has gained almost 4 lbs and grew 3 inches in length. I knew he was getting bigger, but I was so surprised when we got the official measurements at his 2 month appointment.

1 Month Old
Weight: 6 lbs 12 oz (3rd percentile)

Height: 20 3/4 inches (25th percentile)

Head Size: 14 inches (10th percentile)

2 Months Old
Weight: 10 lbs 2 oz (20th percentile)

Height: 23 3/4 inches (75th percentile)

Head Size: 15 1/4 inches (25th percentile) At his appointment he also got his first round of vaccines. I knew Matthew would cry, who wouldn't getting a shot in the leg, but I didn't realize how much Mom would cry too!

Just seeing my sweet Matthew cry so hard just absolutely broke my heart. I was also really nervous to how the rest of the day would go after his shots. I had heard that some infants run fevers, are really fussy, the works, but Matthew did quite well. He ate well and cat napped the first few hours after we got home. Later in the afternoon, he did get pretty fussy off and on, but I happened to notice his leg was red and a bit swollen, so a bit of Tylenol did the trick to make him feel a bit better.

Luckily today he seems to be back to his old self.

I only have 2 more weeks of maternity leave and during these past 10 weeks, I've come to learn that I'm definitely not ready to be a stay at home Mom yet, but boy it is going to be hard to be apart from Matthew. We are still trying to figure out our daycare options. We looked at 2 places with openings, but I cried at the thought of leaving Matthew at either place, even if it is only temporary. I am hoping after tomorrow we will have a plan in place.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Aunt Josie makes a trip to Atlanta!

2010-08-11T14:33:00.012-04:00

It was such a wonderful weekend to have my Aunt Josie come for a visit to meet Matthew. It was the first time she flew by herself, and she did fantastic!

We had such a great time, and Matthew just fell in love with her as did she with Matthew.

And of course she cooked her delicious enchilladas, rice, beans & homemade tortillas and salsa (no wonder I can't lose the last of my baby weight!).

He LOVED taking naps on Aunt Josie!

And she helped give Matthew a bath, which she loved!

And we played on his activity mat - he even coo'd some, which we both loved!

Matthew continues to grow and grow! I was showing Aunt Josie the newborn pictures and it really hit me how big is really is getting! And how tiny he was when he was born. It's amazing how you almost forget. His newborn outfits are getting more and more snug, but the 0-3 month outfits are still a bit big. He continues to become more alert and I've caught a few smiles, which just melt my heart.

And in 3 short weeks my maternity leave will come to an end :( I really can't believe it. We are still on the waiting list at his daycare, but I haven't heard the official word about when we will get Matthew in. However, I'm getting ready for plan, what that is, I'm not sure yet!

What we've been up to..

2010-08-02T16:00:00.018-04:00

I know I haven't been great about updating our blog with updates on Matthew, I promise to get better, so this is going to be a marathon of updates.

So what have we been up to lately... We've had visitors, I finally put together our jogging stroller and Matthew had his first trip to Milledgeville!

Aunt Jori (one of my very best friends) came for a visit a few weeks ago. It was so great for her to spend time with Matthew and I while Jason was traveling.

Matthew just loves his Aunt Jori!

I finally put together our Bob jogging stroller and have been getting out with Matthew for morning walks. I can't wait until I can actually run with the stroller, but that will have to wait until Matthew is a little bigger.

Here we are ready to go!
We had a great visit from Janet & Brooke. Janet & I went to high school together. She was actually my inspiration to workout my entire pregnancy. We worked out together during her pregnancy and she made it look SO easy!

Brooke just loved meeting her future boyfriend!
And last week, I took Matthew on his first trip to Milledgeville to see his Nana & Papa. It was a fun time. His cousin Andrew was visiting too, and Andrew just loves Matthew. He is obsessed with his feet too - as he says "I like to lick them because they don't have bones and they are squishy"...

Jori's Mom, Beth, came to meet Matthew too!

Time continues to fly by! I go back to work in a month and I can't believe it. It's a little overwhelming to think about, so I've decided I'm not going to yet :)

Matthew continues to grow. I can't wait until his next pediatrician appointment to see how big he's getting, but his little thighs are definitely getting more meat on them. He is also sleeping really well at night. He sleeps for a 5-6 hour stretch, which is wonderful! We are definitely blessed.

I did make one of those first "tough Mom decisions" over the weekend. Before Matthew was born, I said that I would take breastfeeding in stride. We would do it as long as both Mom & baby were happy. When Matthew was born, we had some difficulty since he arrived early. I met with lactation consultants in the hospital and felt pretty confident when I left. We continued to have some difficulty, so another trip to the lactation we made. After that visit, I again thought we were on the path to success, but for the past 2 weeks, it was just flat out tough. I wasn't happy and I didn't want Matthew to feel the stress I was putting on myself. So after many conversations with other Moms, my mother-in-law and Jason, I decided to stop. It was a really tough decision, but I felt strongly that it was best so I could be a good (and happy) Mom to Matthew. I am continuing to pump, so he's actually still getting some breastmilk, but we've also started formula. I never imagined something that is suppose to be so natural would be so incredibly hard. Nor did I ever think I would have such an internal battle about making the decision to stop. I will say since making this decision, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I guess that means I made the right decision.

So after all that, what could possibly be next for us!!?? Well my Aunt Josie is coming for a visit this weekend! Matthew will get to meet his great Aunt. We can't wait to see her!

It really is the hardest job you will ever have...

2010-07-26T13:53:00.006-04:00

I've always heard that being a Mom "is the hardest job you will ever have"... and I thought I believed it or tried to understand, I mean I've watched many of my girlfriends have children. I hear their stories of late night feedings, absolutely no time for themselves and the thought of regular mani/pedi's - HA that's something in the far distance! Well I will honestly say that I truly never understood what they meant until now.

Here we are almost 6 weeks into our lives with Matthew and each day is a new adventure. Some days the absolute best and others where yes, I have cried my eyes out. But I have to say that once I see through the tough days when Matthew is crying and feeling like there is absolutely nothing that I can do right to console him. It will be a moment when I take a second glance at this beautiful boy and all my tears and feelings of being an inadequate Mom completely disapear. It really is amazing how being a parent teaches you a new lesson each and everyday.

1 Month Old! And looking back a year ago today...

2010-07-16T10:11:00.019-04:00

It is truly amazing how time is just flying by, I honestly can't believe that Matthew is already a month old! It's crazy to think that his original due was just this week too. I have to say, although it was such a surprise that he decided to make his grand entrance a month early, I wouldn't change it for the world!

We had his 1 month pediatrician appointment yesterday and it was such a great appointment!

He now weighs 6 lbs 12 oz (at his 2 week appointment he was 5 lbs 9 oz) and his height is now 20 3/4 inches long (he was 19.5 when he was born).

I was thrilled to see how much weight he had gained since his last appointment. I'm sure before we know it he'll have those little ham hock legs I just love on babies :)

This week we also gave Matthew his first bath. He did much better than I honestly anticipated, although we definitely had some screams.

Ok this isn't so bad...

Ok Mom & Dad, maybe I don't like this so much!

Ahhh, I'm out and warm in Mom's arms!
As I think about how fast this month has just flown by, I have also been reflecting back to 1 year ago today. It was a year ago today that I found out I miscarried from my first pregnancy. It's just amazing how life can turn a heartbreaking experience into a blessing in disguise. It wasn't until I told my friend Heather that I was pregnant again and she asked when I was due, that we realized Matthew's due date would be around the miscarriage. As hard of an experience the miscarriage was, I just knew it was God's way of telling me everything in life does happen for a reason and that Matthew would be such a blessing to our life.

Happy 1 month birthday Matthew! Each day you bless our life with new memories we will cherish forever!

"Before you I never knew what it was like to smile for no reason at all"

2010-07-01T18:19:00.003-04:00

I got that saying from one of my staff and all I can say is there is just so much truth in it. I never realized how blessed our life would become with the addition of a child. In just a few short weeks he has truly blessed our life beyond belief!

This smile just says it all!

2 weeks old already!!??

2010-06-30T15:08:00.013-04:00

Where have the past 2 weeks gone? Well let's see probably to eating, sleeping and pooping, but I wouldn't change it for the world! They always say motherhood is a life changing experience, but you truly never know until you experience it. Granted we are sleep deprived and some days are better than others, but life couldn't get much better with sweet Matthew. He is such a blessing!

We had a great first week home. Jason was able to be home the entire week, which made our first week so smooth. He ran errands, went to the grocery store, made dinner for us, anything and everything you could imagine. I couldn't ask for a more amazing husband!

One amazing husband!

Today we had another pediatrician appointment. Matthew weighed 5.9 lbs, so almost back up to his birth weight. When we were discharged from the hospital he weighed 5.3 lbs, then at his first pediatrician appointment he dropped to 5.2 lbs. So our pediatrician recommended I supplement along with breastfeeding and it seems to be doing the trick to put weight on our little guy. We have another appointment in 2 weeks, so I'm hoping we'll be well over the 6 lb mark.

On our way to the pediatrician!
Like I said, it's been a good 2 weeks. Today was the first real day that I finally felt exausted, which I think is pretty good since I'm getting 1.2 - 2 hr blocks of sleep at night. Matthew is so far a really good baby. He's very content, unless you have to change his dirty diaper or I give him a spong bath - he is not a fan!

And lastly, here are some fun pictures we've taken the past 2 weeks!

He's here!

2010-06-26T16:37:00.031-04:00

It is truly amazing how your life will change in the blink of an eye. On June 16th our sweet baby boy – Matthew Jonathan – decided he was ready to enter our lives 4 weeks shy of his due date.

On Tuesday evening around 10 pm, I was at home getting ready for bed and while getting into my PJ’s when all the sudden I felt a trickle of sorts and all I could think was "seriously did I just pee myself". I thought here I am 36 weeks pregnant and I just peed myself, lovely. So I checked it out and honestly didn't think anything of it. I really just thought I couldn't control my bladder; I’m not sure which is more embarrassing… Well as I lay back in bed, again wet, this proceeds to happen 2 more times and it was when I felt what I thought was a cramp, and knew something wasn't quite right. Mind you, I'm at home alone. Jason was in Kentucky for work - literally his LAST business trip before Matthew’s arrival. So at this point I call my OB, talk to the nurse and who connects me with the on call doctor. He tells me to come to labor & delivery so they can see what’s going on. For whatever reason I guess I thought, I'd either get sent home or just get put on bed rest – clearly I hadn't read far enough in "What to Expect When You're Expecting" or I ignored the part that says if you're leaking the baby is come soon, so all I took to the hospital was me and my purse... Granted packing my hospital bag was going to happen over the weekend AND I was waiting for my cute monogrammed Land's End bag to arrive - that came while I was in the hospital... Also, if you are following along carefully, I drove myself to the hospital...

So I get to the hospital and checked in, and the nurse takes me back to a room. All awhile, Jason and I are texting and phoning back and forth. Trying to decide how best to get him back to Atlanta in a reasonable amount of time. The nurse confirms that my water did break, and our sweet boy would be here in 24 hrs. However, with no husband they wanted to wait before inducing labor since I wasn't dilated at all. Jason luckily was able to get on a 6 am flight.
During the night, I was able to get a relatively good night sleep, still no major contractions, until 7 am when they give me Cytotec. Jason finally arrived by 9 am and all I can say is what a relief!! At that point the contractions were starting to get a bit more intense, but I could handle them relatively well. Around 10 am, I did give into to some pain relief, not knowing it would only help with nerves more than the contraction pain, but it at least it helped with something.

Here I am checking my blackberry while in labor - what else is there to do :)

By 11 am I was then given Pitocin to really get my labor started. The Cytotec did help; it got me dialated to 2. However the Pitocin is NO JOKE - holy contractions! During all this the doctor told me that my pelvis was small and Matthew's head was down, but somewhat wedged, so it was inevidable he would come out with a cone head - poor buddy! The doctor did say that with the size of my pelvis and he was such an advocate of trying to deliver vaginally before c-section, that we would try what we could to get him out... For whatever reason, this just wasn't appealing at all to me, but I just went with flow.

I continued to contract and held out as long as I could before asking for the epidural, but by 12:30 I said uncle and got the epidural and what sweet relief. The process for the epidural really wasn't too bad, just the combo of contractions AND inserting the epidural wasn't fun, but it worked! At this point the doctor came back into check me and I was dialated to 5. I was pretty proud that I had made it that far. Unfortunately the epidural started to make Matthew's heart rate go down. So the nurses kept coming in to monitor, flipping me over, and putting oxygen on me in hopes it would level out, but it didn't, so the doctor said it was time to go down the c-section route.

This was sometime after 2 pm, and by 3 pm they wheeled me into the OR and by 3:12 pm Matthew was here, weighing 5 lbs 10 oz, 19 1/2 inches long.

Here we are getting ready to go to the OR

One proud Daddy holding his son for the first time!

We are now a family of 3 - what an amazing feeling!

Proud Nana & Papa

Time to eat!

Jason is one heck of a swaddler

Just precious is all I can say!

Ready to go home! We made it home Sunday afternoon and just taking our time getting settled. It has been the most amazing experience having been so blessed with such a beautiful boy!

30 days - seriously!

2010-06-13T20:50:00.005-04:00

So today really starts our countdown - 30 days until my official due date. I honestly can't believe it! Today is also Jodi's due date. Jodi is one of my dearest friends and we still can't believe our due dates are 1 month apart to the date! I haven't heard anything yet, so I have to assume her little Reed is still cookin'.

I'm feeling good overall, however this weekend was a hot one! I finally can truly say I understand what everyone means by "at least you won't be pregnant the entire summer"... Boy this heat is really different with a big belly and added weight!

We are doing the finishing touches on Butterbean's room. It's primarily just getting something on the walls. I found a cute sports mobile and crib skirt from Pottery Barn. I didn't get the entire bedding set, but thought I could take pieces and add some personal touches. It's been a lot of fun and can't wait to see everything done.

Otherwise, it's pretty quiet in the Dean household. We are taking our last class next Saturday - Infant CPR & Safety. Then it's just enjoying the last few weeks as the 2 of us. Crazy that in only a few short weeks we will become a family of 3!

34 Week Belly Update

2010-06-05T21:41:00.009-04:00

Here we are 34 weeks and the belly just keeps getting bigger and bigger! How is it possible that it will get even bigger by 40 weeks!

We completed the Child Birth class today, an all day class from 9 am to 4 pm. It was interesting to say the least, I'm glad we went (although Jason may disagree), but it was good information to make me feel more prepared for the "big day". However, can you really ever be fully prepared for child birth?? I guess I will soon find out :)

And you may remember from a few posts ago, I mentioned the closet organization project that was next on my "to do" list. Well I officially say it is checked off the list! The shelving system was not created for the remedial handy woman - i.e. Monica. So I hired a handyman who came on Friday to get the job done. I love how it turned out! Everything feels like it's really coming together for Butterbean's arrival!

Butterbean at 33 Weeks

2010-05-26T12:24:00.006-04:00

Today I had another ultrasound with the pernatologist to check on Butterbean's left kidney. The appointment went well, his left kidney is still a bit enlarged, but it hasn't gotten any larger, which is a good sign. Also, the amniotic fluid around Bean looks good, so I will have one more ultrasound in a month (at 37 weeks) before Butterbean arrives.

Butterbean is weighing about 4.4 lbs and is laying on his right side, head down, which explains why my bladder feels like is it always squished! I'm also constantly feeling him push his back (and I'm assuming his bootie too) into my right side. It is so amazing to see all his movement. Jason says "it looks like I have an alien in my stomach"....

Another fun part of the ultrasound was seeing that Butterbean is already growing some hair! If you look in the pictures below you can see tiny sprouts on the top of his head - that's hair!

Only 7 or so more weeks and we'll get to meet and see our sweet angel!

Showered with Love!

2010-05-25T21:41:00.010-04:00

This past weekend my very best girlfriends - Jori, Jill, Brandy, Christine & Heather threw the most wonderful shower for Butterbean. It was held at Jill's house and she has the cutest house and absolutely perfect backyard for entertaining! The shower was more than I could ever imagined and everyone was just so generous.

The day was so incredibly special and it meant even more to have so many friends share in celebrating Butterbean's pending arrival! Thanks girls for making it such a special day!

32 weeks & growing!

2010-05-18T15:45:00.007-04:00

All I can say is that time is really starting to fly past me! In 8 weeks Butterbean will be here, I really can't believe it. It feels like yesterday when I found out I was pregnant. However, talk with me in a few more weeks, I've heard the last few weeks just creep by.

Today I had another OB appointment and all is going well with our little boy. I'm measuring at 32 weeks, so things are right on track. Also my blood pressure and weight are also still looking good. I will have an ultrasound next Wed. with the perinatolgist to continue to monitor Butterbean's kidney. I'm really hoping that we will see improvement, but whatever we do see, we will roll with the punches. The doctor today reassured me that it's not an issue to overly worry about, which is always great to hear.

As you can see my belly continues to grow... Proof is in the picture to say the least!

I'm still feeling really good. However, I can tell that I'm slowing down a bit. I can't pop right out of bed (it's more of a roll..) and the weight of my belly is finally starting to affect what I can do in the gym. I plan finish out our May boot camp, since I'm on our instructor schedule, however I think I'm going to have to hang it up for June. Between the heat and honestly running has really become challenging, I know I need to do what's best for Butterbean. I have to admit, knowing what I was able to do before getting pregnant and seeing my limitations now has been really humbling! However, my goal is to continue to do some sort of activity, walking on the treadmill, weights, etc. until the very end.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. My very best girlfriends - Jori, Jill, Brandy, Christine and Heather are throwing a shower for Butterbean. I can't wait to see friends and family to celebrate our sweet little boy!

Butterbean's Room

2010-05-10T12:55:00.008-04:00

Well finally I can post some pictures of Butterbean's room.

We still have some decorating to do - clearly from the bare walls, but at least you can see the furniture and colors. This weekend we picked out the glider and finally bought a mattress for the crib. I had been pretty indecisive about the glider - modern, traditional - I didn't know what I wanted to do, with the exception of spending too much money.

So, after much contemplation (and dragging Jason to Babies R Us - his most FAVORITE store - please read the sarcasm here), we went the more traditional route.

Below are before and after pictures - quite a difference if I do say so myself. Before the room was our "storage" room.

Before and painting in progress:

After - what a difference!

I feel like we made some good progress this weekend. Next to check off the list is a closet organizer. This bedroom has a good size closet, but your typical one self for storage. So we are on the hunt for a closet storage system with shelving - yay for organizing!

30 weeks - only 10 more to go! Where is the time going!!??

2010-05-05T18:49:00.004-04:00

Let me first apologize that I don't have an updated belly pic for this week. Jason is at his annual sales conference and I'm never good at taking self belly portraits. I promise to post one next week.

Well all I can say is that I just can't believe that I'm 30 weeks and in 10 weeks (give or take depending on what Butterbean decides to do), we will meet our precious little boy! I will say that the first trimester seemed like it would never end. You are keeping this exciting secret, so time just goes by at snail speed. Then the next 4-6 weeks seemed to creep by as well, then all the sudden here we are at 30 weeks and in the 3rd trimester!

It's really crazy how fast time is flying by.

We've been slowly preparing. I've taken a breastfeeding and baby essentials class, both were very helpful and made me feel a bit more prepared for what's come. Next we have our hospital tour, birthing class and infant CPR and safety. I honestly didn't think I'd want to take this many classes to prepare, but I figured the more knowledge I had, the more confident I would feel with our new addition.

I'm continuing to feel really good, but I have to admit some days when I've done too much running around, man am I tired. But I have to remember I am in my 3rd trimester and have been SO, SO, SO lucky thus far to feel absolutely fantastic and to have lots of energy. I know it's only a matter of time when enough is enough.

I am working on finishing the nursery. I've got a list of things we need to get - pictures for the wall, a glider, rug, a closet organizer and a few other things. So it's my goal to get a lot of this done this weekend, so it can finally be done AND I can post pictures. Especially before and after :)

Babymoom to Mexico, 28 Week Appt. & Belly Update - lots to catch up on!

2010-04-21T21:39:00.020-04:00

Where oh where to begin!

Well let's start with our trip to Mexico, since I'm already missing our relaxing beach time. Jason and I headed to Mexico on April 15th with another couple for a much needed vacation. We arrived last Thursday to some not so great weather, but by Saturday the sun was shining! Thank goodness, I surely wasn't coming back without a tan.

We thought this was "hilarious" because the arrow pointed right at my belly....

Jason & I and Lindsay & Tripp before dinner our first night.

So yes I braved a bikini at 27 weeks. Jason wasn't have a tankini or as he said "you aren't wearing a one piece!"

Another belly shot in the sun :)Playing a little soccer :) Jason let me score a few goals!Enjoying our last day on the beach!

And now on to our 28 week appointment and it was a pretty eventful appointment. I had the glucose screening, which is screen for possible gestational diabetes. I have honestly been really nervous about this, primarily because of my insane sweet tooth. I kid you not, each day I eat something sweet, typically more than one sweet something. Then of course being in Mexico too, I enjoyed a few frozen mocktails. I just barely passed as the nurse told me. The cut off is 135, mine was 133 - whew! I was (of course) REALLY worried about the scale this appointment too. I've had a few people tell me that around 26-27 weeks the weight just piled on. I did notice that right after my last appointment the scale started to tip. And blaming Mexico again, we enjoyed some great food! It wasn't as bad as I honestly anticipated, I gained an additional 6 lbs, since my last appointment, so right now I'm at 19-20 lbs total.

We then moved on to the ultrasound. I've had more than normal for 2 reasons. My placenta is sitting a bit low and one of Butterbean's kidney's is prominent. Neither of which is anything for major concern, the doctors are just monitoring both and more than likely will fix itself in due time. I do go back on Friday to a perinatologist for another ultrasound, so they can check out Butterbean's kidney. But otherwise, he's measuring right at 28 weeks and as active as he can be! The ultrasound tech even showed me some hair on the ultrasound, Jason doesn't believe me. Another shot of his feet - doesn't it look huge! And last but not least, a 28 week belly update! I thought it would only be appropriate to do it in Mexico with the beach in the background. Jason is headed to Biloxi this weekend for some gambling, so I'm taking in a few classes at Northside - Breastfeeding and Baby Essentials.

Butterbean's room is also coming along. This weekend, I plan to make a list of the decor we need and lay it out for Jason's approval. I'm hoping we can get it all done in the next few weeks and I'll post some before and after pictures.

Butterbean in 3D

2010-04-04T09:02:00.015-04:00

Saturday was a fun day! Jason and I went to a 3D imaging center to see our sweet Butterbean in 3D. It was so amazing to see his facial features, sweet little nose, mouth, hands and feets. He of course was quite active, which made the visit even more fun!

I think he might have my nose :)

He's showing off his manhood!

Butterbean's trying to nibble on his toe! Looks like he might have his Daddy's hands & feet, they sure to look big!

Work it girl!

2010-04-01T12:02:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, I love to workout. So with Butterbean, I've really been trying to keep up my exercise routines, but don't worry I'm modifying a lot and I listen to my body.

These days, I'm running at snail speed and lately I'm finding my belly is weighing me down. I've still been able to instruct boot camp, but those days may be coming to an end, since so many of the exercises are getting harder and harder for me. I've also been doing CrossFit workouts, with my boot camp group. These workouts are incredible and really work your strength and endurance. Again don't worry, I modify anything that's too hard or that I shouldn't be doing. Here's Mama in action Monday night :)

Now I'm no medical professional, but all I can say is that exercising has really made this pregnancy easy (so far, talk to me in a few weeks!). I have honestly felt great, actually fantastic and I really attribute it to exercising. Sadly there isn't enough information about exercising and pregnancy. Even more there is so much contradicting information - don't get your heart rate over 140 bpm or on the other end you can do anything you did before you were pregnant. It can really drive a pregnant woman mad - trust me I was one of those women for a while! I have taken the stance, that as long as I feel good and it doesn't hurt me or Butterbean, I'm doing it. I'll keep you posted on my workouts as we get closer to the end :)

Butterbean at 24 Weeks

2010-03-25T23:32:00.004-04:00

I had my 24 week OB appointment as well as an ultrasound. All is well, Butterbean continues to grow and he's a definite mover. Each ultrasound, the techs always respond to how much he moves! I'm definitely feeling his movement, which of course I love!

Here are a few more pictures of our sweet boy:

Front view of his face

Profile of Butterbean, those are his feet & hand by his head :)

We have finished all the painting in the nursery - YAY! Now it's a matter of moving the furniture from the garage (out of the boxes) to his room. Slowly but surely it's all starting to come together!

24 Week Belly Update

2010-03-21T22:02:00.003-04:00

Well I'm 24 weeks in a couple of days, but from the looks of this belly, what does a few days matter!

Best Friends & Baby Buddies!

2010-03-13T18:20:00.015-05:00

Today I got to see one of my very best friends, Jodi. She is also expecting and due exactly 1 month before me! Her due date is June 13th AND she's have a little boy too! I love that we will have boys so close in age. Jodi and I have been friends since high school, were roommates in college and bridesmaids in each others weddings.

We've shared so many memories and experiences in our lives, so adding this chapter together is just so special. Today was her baby shower here in Atlanta. Jodi and her husband live in Michigan, so it's always so special when we get to spend time together.

Presents, presents & more presents!

Jodi & her neice ReaganJodi's wonderful husband Rich

Jodi played soccer growing up, in high school & college, this book is perfect for little Reed!

So very true! :)
High School Friends - Jodi, Gretchen & Me :) Jodi & her wonderful Mom

Me & Jodes!

Names, names, names....

2010-03-10T15:13:00.001-05:00

Well not much to report with our sweet Butterbean this week. We've been busy painting the nursery and if I do say so myself, it's going to look great! I found out today that his furniture is coming today and Saturday - YAY! Can't wait to see it in his room.

As as mentioned in the title of today's post, we currently don't have a name for our sweet boy. Butterbean was Jason's nickname growing up, so only thought it was most appropriate until we thought of a suitable name for his birth certificate. Clearly we can't leave the hospital with Butterbean Dean on paper :) Jason says "he's in charge" of the name, and that "we have plenty of time".. Let's see how long my patience last. Planner Monica wants a name for our child now... However, there have been some other creative names for our boy that I thought I'd share.

Andrew #2 - This name would be from my sweet nephew Andrew. We asked him what he thought we should name our child. As he pondered and thought so intently he blurted out "Andrew 2". I responded saying "you mean Andrew like you?". He of course quickly corrected me and stating "no Andrew #2". And Andrew # 1 means business too, if you call Andrew # 2 anything but Andrew # 2, you will be corrected :)
T.B.D Dean - And this name, would be from the quick wit and creativity of none other than my husband... Jason had to check out a daycare for me and they asked for a name for our soon to be born son... Well quick on his toes said To Be Determined Dean... Let's hope Jason doesn't get stuck trying to find a name that fits these intials!
ButterDEAN - And last but not least, one of my very best high school girlfriends has told me that she can't call Butterbean anything but ButterDean. It is just too cute!

Hopefully, we'll (Jason) will come up with a name for our sweet son soon, bless his heart if we have to leave the hospital with Butterbean Dean on his birth certificate!

Butterbean's Furniture

2010-03-03T21:27:00.004-05:00

We made the big purchase for Butterbean's furniture last night!! We ordered everything online, since it was a lot cheaper than in the store AND it looks it will be here in just a few weeks - guess we better get to painting!
And yes if you are following closely, we are completely stealing the colors in this picture for Butterbean's nursery :) Jason loved the blue, so this is what were trying to match.

However we are not doing a nautical theme.

21 Week Belly Update

2010-03-01T20:11:00.007-05:00

Well I am a week off my belly updates. Jason was traveling last week so we didn't get a chance to take any belly pics.

But here we are at 21 weeks!

And we have finally bought paint for the nursery! I mentioned earlier that I was in sample heaven trying to find the exact blue that Jason liked. Well I think we did it! Only after 6 blue samples. The other beige is for the chair rail and the lower half of the wall. That only took 4 samples. If you are keeping up, we are up to 10 samples. Home Depot loves me right now!And this is what the wall currently looks like, after all the samples were up. We are going with the middle blue (the longest strip), the darkest beige and the lighter one as well. I can't wait to get started!

Butterbean's First Shower

2010-02-27T12:08:00.012-05:00

As promised here are pictures from our shower in Texas. It was so much fun and my family made it just an amazing day!

Yummy & super cute cupcakes!

The most adorable cake!All the wonderful gifts for Butterbean!
My cousin Scott, his wife Megan, Avery & Lucas Aunt Josie & Uncle Pedro

My cousin Ricardo, his wife Mary (she brought the adorable cake & cupcakes!), and their 2 boys, Cristian & Dominick

My cousin Vincent and his wife Diana, she worked so hard to make the shower just perfect!

This picture just cracks me up - because of how tall Jason is compared to my aunt :) Vincent, my Uncle Raul, Ricardo, Cristian & Dominick

20 weeks down - 20 more to go!

2010-02-24T15:36:00.015-05:00

Well we are half way there!

I had my 20 week appointment today along with our 20 week ultrasound. Jason couldn't be here today because he's traveling, but all went great! Butterbean was showing off for the camera and kept moving all around. I asked how he was positioned, and his head was up on my right side and feet down, but he did shift himself during the ultrasound.

All his major organs look great and his heartbeat was a strong 153.

I'm noticing each day I can feel him moving around more and more, the movements are ever so slight. You would think with all the movement we saw on the ultrasound, I would feel it more. But I'm sure in due time, I'll be wishing he'd give his Mommy a break :)

Below are some pictures of our sweet little boy!

We also had a great trip to Texas. It was so wonderful to see family and the shower for Butterbean was amazing! My cousin's wife Diana worked so incredibly hard to make it a day we would remember - she didn't miss one detail. The cake my other cousin's wife brought was super yummy and so adorable (pictures coming soon).

Everyone was so generous with gifts too! My suitcase was packed full of clothes for Butterbean and we had to ship back a box full of items! Jason couldn't believe how much stuff we got. He said "wow looks like we have everything"... Too bad I had to burst his bubble and say this is only the beginning!

I may need serious help!

2010-02-18T08:43:00.003-05:00

So I had posted earlier that I was having lunch with one of my dear high school friends, Nicole, and she was taking me to Precious Cargo. I just knew this would be the beginning of the end!!...... All I can say is that this store might be the cutest place on earth, but what baby store isn't right? Well I did my best to control myself, but the minute I walked into the store I kept picking up things for Butterbean. I think I made 5 laps around the store to make sure I didn't miss anything. Well with all the restraint I could muster, I only walked out with 5 items (it could have been a lot worse).

That same night I had boot camp and I ended up getting down to Piedmont Park early so I ventured over to Richard's Variety Store. I must say I was a bit leery about this place, but once you get past all the really random stuff this store has, they have a great children's section. I got completely sucked into the their books.... I walked out with these 3. My favorite is the Paul Frank "Only in Dreams".

Now it may not look like I have a serious problem, but let me tell you every time I walk into a store if they have a baby section, I immediately make my way there - it's like a magnetic force or something. I won't tell you how many baby outfits I picked up this week, BUT they were all on sale..... I may need Baby Anonymous!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T08:28:00.005-05:00

First yay for 3-day weekends - today is President's Day and no work!

But even more fun was the Atlanta snow! On Friday, we got some beautiful snow in Atlanta (sorry no pictures to post), the really good kind you can throw snowballs and make snowmen. By Saturday afternoon it was all melted way.

And just in case you were under a rock, it was of course Valentine's Day! My very sweet husband surprised me with beautiful roses, which smell fantastic, strawberries and chocolate to make homemade chocolate covered strawberries and a charm for my charm bracelet. We also enjoyed a yummy dinner at Lobster Bar. It was a great day overall!

I also had to share the cutest onsies Butterbean got from our friends Tripp & Lindsay. Needless to say boy clothes aren't nearly as cute as baby girl clothes, but these just melted my heart :)

18 Weeks & Growing

2010-02-09T20:55:00.004-05:00

Well not a lot to report right now with Butterbean, except for continued growth! I definitely think I had a growth spurt in my belly last week. It has definitely started to fill out more from only 2 weeks ago, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Jason and I had a pretty successful furniture shopping trip the other weekend, now it's a matter of making the "big" purchase. We're also on the search for the "perfect" blue for the nursery. I made a trip to Home Depot for paint samples... picked out 4, none of which we liked. Thank goodness for the $2.49 Baer samples! We really liked the blue in the furniture picture, so our next trip is to see if we can match that color and be done with it. Let's hope for success :)

While it may be pretty quiet this week, we are gearing up for a fun and busy week next week! I'm off Monday for President's Day (yay!) and have plans for a fun day with my dear friend Nicole. We're having lunch and she's taking me to Precious Cargo. I've heard SO much about this baby store and can't wait to see all that they have. I'm afraid this will be the day I finally crack and make my first Butterbean purchase. Then on Thursday, Jason and I are off to Texas to see my family! Not only all the yummy Mexican food I can take in, and wonderful time with family, they are throwing us our first baby shower! It will be such a memorable trip and I can't wait to see everyone!

We are carrying on the Dean Tradition

2010-01-31T09:51:00.010-05:00

Well we've had a busy, busy weekend in the Dean Household. Yesterday we went to our nephew's 5th birthday party (which was so much fun), dinner with Jason's parents for his birthday and a retirement party for Jason's old boss.

BUT we started our day with something that I will hold in my heart forever!

As many of you know, Jason and I weren't sure if we were going to find out the sex of Butterbean. I told Jason it was completely his decision to whethere we found out or not, I would have been happy either way, but if you know me, deep down I really wanted to know - I'm way too much of a planner in life.

Well as I mentioned in my last post our next OB appointment and "big" ultrasound is on 2/24, and Jason and I are headed to Texas in February and my wonderful family will be throwing us a baby shower. I told Jason if we are going to find out, I'd love to be able to tell my family before the trip... Soooooo... after what felt like much comtemplation, Jason text me last Monday and said "Let's Do It!" He threw his little message in a text with something else, so I literally had to read and re-read it again to see if I was reading it correctly. Needless to say I was thrilled :)

Now fast forward... There is a 3D/4D imaging center here in Atlanta that not only does 3D/4D ultrasounds, but they also offer early gender determination. So I made us an appointment for Saturday at 12:30 pm. Although Jason did start having second thoughts late Friday night, it was too late - no turning back, the appointment's been made (well at least that's what I kept saying).

The morning flew by and there we were - off to Baby's First Images. Jason kept saying he was nervous, because I kept saying I thought Butterbean was a girl. He must of have been envisioning: puberty, dating and a wedding ;)

Well after only a few short seconds and I mean a few short seconds the words came out...

IT'S A BOY!

All I can say, those words were probably some of the most cherished words I've ever heard. My heart just melted. Evidently Butterbean was letting it all show - that's our boy! So here are a few pictures of our sweet boy and "proof":

It has been so much fun sharing the news and we have another busy day today - we are off to look at nursery furniture!

Reading, reading & more reading!

2010-01-28T21:35:00.004-05:00

I think everyone approaches pregnancy very differently. Some women want all the information they can get their hands on, others will just follow what the doctor tells them. Me, well I guess I'm a little in the middle to maybe on the extreme side. As you can see I have a plethora of books, many were given to me, others I purchased and I will say, YES I have been reading ALL of them. This may come to a shock to many of you (my sweet husband being one of those), as most of my reading before Butterbean was US Weekly, People, or In Touch. Clearly I'm not much of an intellect :).

I will admit for someone who isn't much of book worm, I am enjoying or have enjoyed each of these books. Each of them unique, but helping me understand everything that's going on with our sweet little Bean. And I have 2 more books to add to the reading list too!

16 Week Update

2010-01-25T13:42:00.008-05:00

Happy Monday and what a great day it is!

I had my 16 week OB appointment today and to be honest it was a much anticipated appointment. It has been 4 weeks since my last appointment, and while I've been feeling absolutely fantastic, those 4 weeks felt like an absolute eternity. I guess nerves were getting the best of me, but I started to get anxious about this appointment, all I wanted was to hear Butterbean's little heartbeat. I even had Jason come along for moral support, he is such a sweet husband!

So the appointment was great, Butterbean's heartbeat was 151 and the nurse said moving a lot when she was trying to find it - active little Bean we have. I haven't felt any movement yet, although last night I thought I did, but the nurse said the location was too high for that to have been the baby. The doctor also measured my belly and said I was measuring perfect. And I only gained 1 lb since my last appointment, but I know these next few months is when the growth really happens.

And last but not least, here are 16 week belly pics - not too much growth from 14 weeks, but there is a baby bump, which I might add I absolutely love!! My friend Melanie said to wear it proudly and I have to admit - I DO!

Great surprise for the Parents to Be

2010-01-19T16:48:00.006-05:00

Jason and I got the best surprise today from my most favorite uncle - that would be Uncle Pedro in case you are wondering :)

Clearly I won't be enjoying a sip of tasty champagne until after Butterbean arrives, but what a great way to celebrate his/her arrival!

I may just have to smuggle this into the hospital (wink, wink)...

Thank you Uncle Pedro - the glasses are beautiful, we can't wait to make our toast to Butterbean!

Belly Watch - 14 Weeks

2010-01-15T13:25:00.003-05:00

First, please excuse the self taken belly picture - our digital camera is out of commission and I had to take this with my blackberry. But I've been wanting to post a updated belly shot since (in my opinion) there has been quite a bit a change since my 12 week post :) You can give me your opinion if you agree or disagree....

I've been feeling great overall, exercising as much as I can, even making it out to boot camp. Of course I have to modify some exercises and I am running a bit slower. I will say that since the day I got pregnant, I have not been sleeping well at all! If you know me, I've always been a sound sleeper, but now, I toss and turn all night. I definitely think this is my body's way of preparing me for Butterbean's arrival and the lack there of sleep.

My next appointment is on January 25th - it will be my 16 week appointment and I can't wait! I'm so ready to hear Butterbean's heartbeat again, it's been a long few weeks :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

And today marks the day I made my first maternity purchase....

2010-01-10T19:54:00.007-05:00

Well I guess it was inevitable to happen sooner or later, I mean I am growing another person in my belly, but today I sucked it up and went into a maternity store for the first time... I would have to say that for the most part, all my clothes are still fitting okay. However, it's pretty apparent that there is some growth happening around my waist :) All my jeans are low rise, so with the Bella Band, I can still wear them unbutton and/or unzipped and I have a few pairs I can still button (yay! yay!). But I have noticed I'm constantly tugging at them to stay up and not because I've lost any weight in my butt or legs, I think just with the sheer fact that my body is changing shape.

Today I had to make a return to Macy's and my very sweet friend, Brandy, had given me a gift card to Pea in a Pod/Destination Maternity, since I always said I wanted to splurg on one purchase when I was pregnant and that would be on some designer maternity jeans. So after I left Macy's, I thought what the heck, I'll walk over to the store and check out some jeans.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but the jeans were right in the front of the store, so I grabbed 3 pairs of jeans and headed to the dressing room. The first pair I tried on were the Pea in a Pod brand and they were so comfortable. Man that band of elastic is the best thing since sliced bread! I then moved on to a pair of 7's and Citizens - I didn't have nearly the luck. I already hate buying jeans, but for some reason I thought it wouldn't be as bad being pregnant... not the case... The 2 designer jeans a) say they were petites, however the extra 5 inches in the length could not have been petite and b) the sales woman said they fit like normal jeans, with a bit of stretch to "grow with you".... Now it's my hope that I don't grow too much in my bootie and legs, but I'm trying to be realistic here... And sadly they just fit really strange. So I folded my "would be" splurg purchase and kept the first pair.

As I went to the register to pay, the Pea in a Pod pair didn't have a price tag, so I wasn't sure of the price, but I did know they probably weren't the price of the 7's or Citizens (incriminating information I won't share, wink, wink). As sales associate rung me up and after my gift card, I ended up splurging a whole $47.76! Let's just say this is a round about 1/4 the cost of the other jeans.

So after being a bit nervous to walk into a maternity store for the first time, I felt pretty darn proud of myself. Besides, the bag from the store was super cute too, I kinda felt cool walking around with maternity purchase :)

It takes just a little bit of Hope!

2009-12-29T15:41:00.028-05:00

Where oh where to begin... If you've been following along, our journey to parenthood was detoured a bit this summer, but Jason and I are happy to announce that we are having a baby! Needless to say it's been a hard secret to keep, but we wanted to be reassured that everything was progressing as it should - and it is!!!!

I'm 12 weeks today and our Butterbean is due July 13, 2010!

Back tracking a bit, we found out that I was pregnant right after my birthday :) - I guess you could say it was a belated birthday gift. I took a test on November 6th and there was the glaring "Pregnant" on the stick. Jason had been traveling all week, so I surprised him when he got home. He couldn't believe it happened again so quickly.

Our first appointment was the week of Thanksgiving (I was 7 weeks), and things looked good so far and we got our first glimse of Butterbean. Given the past miscarriage and that we didn't know the baby stopped growing, I requested another ultrasound at 10 weeks.

So after what felt like the longest 3 weeks of waiting, I was able to see our sweet Butterbean at 10 weeks on Dec. 16th.

I was pretty nervous about this ultrasound, fearing that they wouldn't find a heartbeat and Jason couldn't come since he was traveling with work. As the tech started the ultrasound, I stared at the screen the entire time, searching for the tiny heartbeat. At first I couldn't see it, but I could see a head, body, arms and legs. Then as I looked a bit closer, there was the heart just a racing! I immediately started crying, I couldn't believe the rush of emotions. It finally felt real! Our little Butterbean was just a wiggling around the entire time.

Now fast forward to today... We had my 12 week appointment along with a Nuchal Translucency screening. During my OB appointment we got to hear the baby's heartbeat and it took the nurse no time to find it - so amazing to hear! We then went to another office to have the Nuchal Translucency screening. It's a more detailed ultrasound screening for Down Syndrome risk. My OB said we would really enjoy this ultrasound, but I didn't realize how much. It lasted for about 25 minutes and we got to see so much of Butterbean. He/she was moving all around, but didn't want to quite cooperate for some of the measurements, but after a little poking, proding and coughing the tech got what she needed. Both the tech and the doctor said everything looked really great and Butterbean looked healthly.

Here are some of the pictures from today, along with some commentary I added :)

And lastly, here is the first of the belly shots... I think our camera was being extremely nice today, there is a bit of a belly going on. All I can say is thank you to lowrise jeans!

Jason and I are so excited and feel so blessed that we have our Butterbean on the way. We've got a long road ahead of us, but so excited to see what the future holds!

A special gift of Hope

2009-08-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

I wasn't sure when I'd be back on our blog, but I received such a special gift in the mail yesterday that I just had to share.

I have a very dear friend Heather who was blessed with triplets in February 2008. However, her and her husband's journey to these angels didn't come easy. After her second miscarriage, Heather wore a Hope bracelet all the way through to the birth of her miracles - Ella, Ben & Will. In her card she explained to me that she knew she wanted to pass this special bracelet along to someone special who also needed Hope, so she sent it on to her friend who lost her triplet daughters at 22 weeks. This same friend was later blessed with a baby boy who will be a year in November. Heather told her friend about me and her friend happily sent the Hope bracelet back to Heather, saying how much Hope it brought her and how she didn't take it off her arm until her son came home.

When it comes to starting our family, I can't imagine what both Heather and her friend experienced, having only miscarrying one time. But what I think I'm beginning to understand is, as women we share a special bond of wanting to be a mother. Then once you are blessed with 1, 2 or even 3, you then understand "so this is what my parents were talking about" - the unconditional love for a miracle that shares traits of both you and your spouse. Heather's card came on a day when I needed it most. I have good days and I have bad days, and being the friend she is, she has now passed along the Hope that saw her through her life being blessed with her 3 sweet, sweet babies.

Thank you Heather, this post is dedicated to you. I love you dearly and my life is so blessed with your friendship! You have given me Hope that Jason and I will be blessed very, very soon.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

2009-07-16T17:01:00.003-04:00

You may be wondering why the title of this post, but our journey to parenthood has been currently postponed - at least that's how I'm looking at it, just a bump in our road....

Yesterday during my 12 week appointment, sadly I learned I had miscarried. So far I had been feeling well, so honestly hadn't suspected anything to be wrong. During the appointment, the nurse and my doctor tried to hear the baby's heartbeat with the handheld doppler, but didn't have any luck. We thought at first this was due to my uterus being "retroverted", meaning it tilts backwards. So the plan was to have a quick ultrasound, so I could leave the appointment having heard the heartbeat. At that point of my appointment, there was no reason to suspect anything was wrong. Just that the baby was sitting further back so harder to hear.

As I was having the ultrasound, I guess you could say it was my "mother's intuition", but I could tell that something wasn't right. The sweet woman doing my ultrasound wasn't saying much and by the questions she was asking me, I knew the outcome wasn't going to be good. She finally turned to me, showed me the screen and delivered the bad news - there was no heartbeat. It was pretty hard news to take, after having 2 previous ultrasounds with such a strong heartbeats, but my doctor explained that it was more than likely a chromosomal issue that happened at conception and I would have miscarried on my own eventually.

Jason and I realize that this has happened for a reason and we are extremely lucky to have gotten pregnant so quickly - sadly many couples aren't even that lucky. We also take comfort in knowing it is God's way of helping us grow stronger as a couple and even better parents.

Thank you for all the prayers, phone calls, and emails. While it has been an emotional couple of days, I've taken comfort that our first Butterbean is now in Heaven with my parents, taking a piece of Jason and I to heaven.

I'm signing off the blog for a bit, since I started this to journal my pregnancy. We will see what the future holds, hopefully I'll be back soon!

Attack of of "pregnancy brain"....

2009-07-13T16:46:00.003-04:00

Well I've heard about this mystery thing call pregnancy brain in all the books I'm reading an thus far, I didn't think I had really experienced... Until today...

So this morning was like any other, alarm goes off, get up shower, get ready for work. Nothing out of the ordinary - just your average Monday start of the week. As I'm getting dressed and I keep thinking to myself "wow I got ready really fast today", but just figured I managed to get myself up out of the bed a few minutes earlier. That yes is the case, however I did get ready faster than normal.. It's not until I'm a in the car, a mile down the road that I just happen to look in the rear view mirror and there it is....

I'M NOT WEARING ANY MAKE UP!

Yes, I managed to forget a very important step in my morning routine - putting on make up. Well needless to say at that point while I'm driving I said forget it, slapped on some lipstick and decided to go about my day.

I did call my very sweet husband and asked if he noticed anything different about me this morning, he said "no why?" - poor thing probably thought he was getting set up by pregnancy hormones, but lucky for him no set up, just my stupidity of the day!

If this is already happening, I'm scared what the next 6 months are going to be like!

10 Week - Belly Update

2009-07-06T10:43:00.005-04:00

Well this is the first official belly picture we've taken. I probably should have taken an early one, so we could see the difference :)
What matters right now, is that I can still button my jeans!

It's official!

2009-07-02T12:46:00.015-04:00

Well I've been contemplating starting a blog for a while and I figure no time is better than now....

Jason and I are excited to announce that we are adding to our family - I'm pregnant!!

This is the first positive test on May 24th. However Jason was in disbelief, so he made me do another one the next day.....

Test #1 and test #2 - I think it might just be true!

I'm 10 weeks right now, but here is our ultrasound at 8 weeks, meet our little Butterbean. Jason's nickname growing up was Butterbean Dean, so we thought it was a perfect name for our little blessing!

Butterbean's estimated arrival is January 26, 2010! Please keep us in your prayers as we follow this journey to an new and exciting time in our life!