A Few Family Photos

A few family shots taken before Jay left for his business trip that I thought everyone might enjoy....we'll have new photos soon now that the camera...errr...I mean dad....is back. ;)

Get A Glimpse At My Grin

The smiles continue...three mornings in a row he's greeted me with huge grins on his face as soon as I unswaddle him in his crib. And this morning I smiled back even bigger than usual because last night he slept from 8:30-3:30 and then 3:45-6:30! That's a 7 hour stretch...our longest ever!

Mommy and Joseph

Joseph and I were able to catch a few photo ops while staying with my parents this past week while Jay is in Asia. As you can see he is smiling much more now, just not at the same time that I am. ;) We're looking forward to seeing Daddy on Wednesday!

The Maestro and the Frog

Joseph has a few poses that he often strikes which we call "Maestro" and "Frog". He is always moving his hands all over the place when he's awake, as though he is conducting an orchestra (hence the name Maestro). Frog is is self-explanatory, check out the legs. Lately our little man has started eating quite a bit, chugging 4oz bottles 8 times a day (maybe even more given how things are going today, he's eating about every two hours!). And of course this means an increased level of poop, which can actually be fun to watch as he now gets a very serious look on his face and grunts while performing the act (sorry, no pictures. we have to respect his privacy....though it is quite humorous). Sleeping at night is pretty good....seems to consistently go to bed between 8 and9, wakes up around 1 and 4 to eat, and then gets up for good around 7. Sadly I think I am adjusted to this cycle as I am wide awake when he is awake. Though I do look forward to longer nights! (And Jay taking over some of the bottles!) ;)

Now That's a Cute Face

Momma's Favorite Picture

This is my latest favorite picture of the little man, sporting his calm closed mouth smile. He also has a more jubilant mouth wide open smile that is quite cute but I haven't managed to capture it yet. It's hard to tell if there is a reason for the smiles, but they seem to be getting less random and more prompted by voice or touch or tickle.

Joseph's Favorite Little Bug

Joseph is really enjoying his baby einstein play mat. He spends time on his tummy, and has recently begun playing with the animals (his friend miss ladybug shown here). He's even started grabbing onto the rings!

Joseph's Getting Bigger

Joseph is starting to be able to wear some of the smaller 0-3 mos onesies and pajamas, and has outgrown some of the smallest of the newborn clothes. We tried weighing him on our scale with us, and it looks as though he might weigh 9 pounds!

Baby's First Baseball Game

Last night was a challenge (Joseph wasn't in the mood for sleeping and didn't sleep in his typical pattern), but today was a fantastic day at Miller Park watching the Brewers play ball. We'll see how tonight goes!

Joseph is One Month Old!

It has already been one month since Joseph entered the world! So far he enjoys eatting, sleeping, pooping, crying, going for walks....and eatting....mostly eatting. ;)

His new favorite thing seems to be laying on one of our chests with his belly and head pressed against us and face turned to the side.

He also seems to enjoy being in his sling, as it puts him to sleep in seconds!

Joseph Posing with the Parents

Out and About

Things have been much easier since our cranky day....we've been out shopping, out to breakfast, out for walks around the neighborhood...so we're starting to get out and about and use our car seat and stroller. And last night we only woke up once, around 1AM!

So that's what a cranky baby is...

Yesterday was not one of our better days. For the first time Joseph was truly cranky. For most of the day he was either eating or screaming (as he seemed to need something in his mouth constantly in order to be content). So our grand plans of going out to run errands were foiled, but we'll just try to get out today instead. He did seem to settle back into his normal nighttime routine, going to bed by 7:30PM, and waking up around 1AM, 4AM, and then at 7:45 this morning. (Though Jay did have to rock him back to sleep after his 4AM feeding) And now he seems to be back to "normal" as well, so hopefully it was just something that was bothering him yesterday, and not something that is here to stay!

And actually today the little man is in such a good mood that he even got to spend some time on our tummy, and he can already lift his head! Most of the time he laid there with his head turned to the side, but a couple times he lifted it up, and then moved it from the left side to the right side. I was so proud. ;)

Joseph is SOOOOO Big

Not only do I tell him this quite a bit, but today we found out that it is true! At his two week check-up he weighed in at a whopping 7lbs 11oz (he was 6lbs 5oz at his last visit). He's gaining an average of 1.5oz a day, which makes him above average in this regard. Jay explained to him afterwards that we expect him to be above average for the rest of his life. ;) And not only were we surprised by his weight today, but also by the very explosive poop that he took right after we finished dressing him at the doctor's office (if it was minutes earlier it would have sprayed the entire wall, or Jay. It was quite impressive. Also impressive was his enthusiasm towards feeding straight from a bottle. We tried it out for the first time today after the appt, and he guzzled 3oz down in a matter of minutes. Compared to the 30-40 it takes him to breast feed I was completely amazed, and excited to know that we can start using bottles whenever it's convenient. I'm sure Jay is thrilled to start sharing this responsibility. ;) (He actually was quite enthused to be able to feed Joseph today).

Aren't I Cute?

Even when he wakes us up every hour at night it's hard to get too frustrated when you have such a cute face staring back at you. Thankfully he doesn't do that very often, just a couple times including Friday. Last night was wonderful...he only woke up twice between 7PM and 7AM! He's spending more time awake during the day too which is why we're able to get more pictures now with his eyes open.

Our Little Man

Our little man likes to sleep on his side....


has dark blue/gray eyes (for now)....

and sometimes looks like an old man....

The Many Faces of Joseph

I found my thumb!

Though most of the time he tries to shove his entire hand in his mouth, a few times he has managed to actually find his thumb or his index finger to suck on. The left or the right, he has no preference. ;)

You Talkin' To Me?

This picture cracks us up! Our "little man" is already quite the character, making funny noises and faces for the small amount of time that he does spend awake.

Joseph had his first doctor's appointment yesterday and the pediatrician offered advice on how to get him to sleep better at night, mainly by feeding him more frequently during the day. And after doing that it seems to be working, as last night both mommy and daddy were able to sleep for at least 6 hours! It was sooooo nice.

He's at about 6lbs 5oz now, floating around in his newborn clothes, and working on getting fattened up for the summer. Next appointment is in 2 weeks!

The Easter Bunny Stopped by...

Jessica caught the Easter Bunny on film...

A new Conway has arrived!

Joseph Dominic Conway
6lb 14oz
20 inches

Waterbreak 11:45pm 4/5/07
Hospital admitance 12:10am 4/6/07
First exam: 2cm (12:30am)
IV and Pitosin: 5:50am
Second exam: 3cm (7:30am)
Epidural: 8:30am
Third exam: 8cm (10:10am)
Started pushing: 10cm (10:40am)
Baby born 11:55am

One Centimeter and a Dropped Baby

1 centimeter and a dropped baby. That is the update after today's visit with the doctor. And since she will actually be out of town from thursday through tuesday, I am relieved that not much has happened yet and am hoping things continue along slowly until she returns. Not that any of it really means anything anyway, since you can go from 1 to 10 in a matter of hours or the span of weeks. But I would have probably been a bit panicky if she had said 3 or 5 and then left on vacation.

Now if by chance I actually make it past the due date, the plan is to be scheduled around the 20th to be induced.

According to astrology this would be the difference between having an enthusiastic but impatient baby (like myself) versus a patient but inflexible baby. Hmmmmmm.....I suppose the personality really can't be predicted anyway since the description of a Virgo doesn't seem to fit Jay as perfectly as Aries fits me. All these unknowns and waiting can drive a person crazy! (If that person is an Aries)

Two Weeks To Go!

Expected due date is two weeks from today! It is officially April which means our first born will have it's very own birth month and won't have to share with me (or more accurately stated, I won't have to share my birth month with our first born). So as an April baby, diamond will be the birth stone (though not sure that matters much if it turns out to be a boy) and Aries will be the sign (assuming an arrival by the 19th). I guess we'll have to wait and see on the sign and the sex!

Things are still going well for me....though I must be at least a little swollen because as of this week the rings have officially come off due to their occasional tightness. Everything is good and we're just waiting for things to start happening! (Preferably not tomorrow, due to the Brewers Opening Day and hopefully not Easter weekend, at my doctor's request).

Not quite time....

Even though I am definitely in the final "nesting" phase of the pregnancy, it seems I am not quite at the point of reaching the first phase of labor. On a scale of 0 to 10 centimeters dilated, I am at a 0. Though I am "50% effaced" (or as my doctor put it, "mushy") and the baby is in position. With each visit my blood pressure and the baby's heart beat seem to drop, so all is going well there and the doctor of course jokes about how it's going to be a boy (due to the now lower heart rate). But gender aside, what I really want to know is how much the baby is going to weigh!

But back to the nesting...it is completely insane. I get an idea in my head about something that we should do, and then either I have to do it right away that day or I make Jay do it (key words being "right away"). ;) All the new light fixtures are up, the attic has been vacuumed and cleaned out, the yard has been cleaned up, and Jay even took it upon himself to get his motorcycle ready, set up our outdoor speakers, and finish varnishing the bar cabinets for the basement. (Keep in mind this was all pretty much 1 days worth of activity)

I have been exercising as much self control as I can muster to keep from painting the upstairs hallway and bedroom, even though the thought crosses my mind at least 5 times a day. I don't think I'll be able to hold back through another weekend....but maybe I can find a different project to obsess over.

Bare Naked Belly is Back

A Series of Soprano Themed Stories

Goodmorning Rat. ~Tony Soprano
I awoke at 3:15am on Saturday to the sound of Rosco shaking his head. A lick, a walk, a flopping of ears...that is all it takes to stir me from my slumber now. I tried for 45 minutes to go back asleep, and after failing miserably at that and feeling as though I was on the brink of starvation, I decided to get out of bed eat some yogurt and finish watching Season 1 of the Sopranos. We then went out for a nice Irish breakfast to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

When I delegate, I delegate. ~Corrado "Junior" Soprano
Said another way, when I want something done, I want it done. I decided on Sunday that we had to have three new light fixtures for the house, which had to be purchased that day so that they could be installed before the baby arrives. I'm sure Jay thinks I'm crazy at times, but thankfully he accommodates these demands and has even already installed one of the new lights. (Did I mention that I also washed the walls in the upstairs stairway and hallway on Sunday? That's right....I washed walls.)

Hope comes in many forms. ~Jennifer Melfi
We went to the doctor today and it seems I'm actually starting to loose weight and am not showing any indication of the baby arriving any time soon. Could this mean I will have actually gained an "average" amt of weight during pregnancy? Is this a confirmation that the baby won't actually arrive until April? It seems as though Jay's amusement at the idea of having me weigh more than him and my fear of having the baby around my birthday are both thoughts of the past. (And I do hope that neither EVER happens)

Let me figure out how to take care of you. ~Tony Soprano
I think we're about as prepared as you can be for the arrival of a new baby....the car seat is installed, the room is ready, the clothes and blankets are washed, hospital bags are packed, the baby gadgets are put together and ready for use, we're stocked up on diapers and wipes, etc. EXCEPT.....I have no idea how to actually take care of a baby. I'm betting on that whole parental instinct to kick in for both of us, or if that fails, referring to the many books that we have at home on the subject. I've tried to read them every now and then but so far 5 pages at a time has been my limit. And even if I could read more than that I probably wouldn't remember much of it. I forgot the code for our security system two days in a row. I have other examples of recent memory loss but that one was the most horrifying....for me and the dog.

Boy or Girl?

At our doctor appointment this week the heartbeat was once again in the 140s, so the doctor jokingly guessed that the baby is going to be a girl. (I think Jay may have been in a silent panic for the next 24 hours wondering how he was going to pay for said little girl's wedding and protect her from all the crazy men in the world). The heartbeat theory has of course been proven wrong with many births. There's a betting game going on at the office and most people are putting their money on a boy due to my physical appearance. So if you follow any of the non-scientific methods of predicting a baby's sex (old wives tales), here's how it would play out:

Heartrate of baby (over 140): Girl
Size and shape of belly (cone or basketball shaped): Boy
Numbers game (adding my age & month of conception, which results in an even number): Boy
Color of maternal grandmother's hair (dyed or natural, if not grey): Girl
Food cravings (sweets including fruit is girl, salts including meat & cheese is boy): Girl? Hard to say...
Ancient Chinese Birth Gender Chart (my age and month of conception): Girl
Chinese Lunar Calendar (my age and month of conception): Boy
Morning sickness (lack of): Boy
Activity of baby (lots of movement): Boy

I haven't performed the "ring suspended over my belly" test yet, but maybe I will just for some mindless entertainment. (circular motion = girl and pendulum motion = boy) Oh but wait, LOST is on tonight. I will be sufficiently entertained. ;)

We're in the final stretch!

The doctor's appointments are now every other week, the baby's bag is packed for the hospital, and I move at a pace only slightly faster than a snail. Things are still going good...I wake up a few times a night to roll over and sometimes have to go to the bathroom around 5am...but it's all good. I got together with my friends this weekend for a tea party to celebrate the coming of the next Conway. (Sounds like a movie title doesn't it?) We think we have all the necessities now and are prepared, but I suppose we'll find out for sure soon. We have diapers and wipes and a few outfits and pajamas to get us through the first week or two and have done a few loads of laundry with the special baby detergent. The registries have been updated with a few more items, and next we'll start putting together the pac n play, diaper champ, and all that fun stuff.
The countdown continues...only 6 weeks until April 15th!

It's really starting to stick out....

Those were Jay's words the other day, and now that I see it for myself I must say he's right. Due to the largeness of the belly I'm a bit limited in my clothing these days, but with only 7 weeks to go I think I'll wait until after the baby arrives to go shopping (going to the mall to look for maternity clothes just doesn't sound fun at this point). Several folks have commented that I officially "waddle" now. And I'm sure they are right too. But other than that, and waking up a couple times each night (for no other reason than to roll over it seems), I'm still feeling great. The baby moves around quite a bit, but nothing that is bothersome. Seems to be a kicker as opposed to a puncher (good thing Jay bought that soccer outfit in Ireland). It's funny to watch my stomach explode into action but whenever I try to show someone else the kid stops as if it knows it has an audience. Must not be as outgoing as it's parents....yet.

Baby in 4D

It doesn't look nearly as good here as it did in person (the pictures they gave me are much clearer than the scan I used to post them online), but here are a few samples of our baby captured in 4D by one of the GE Ultrasound machines at work. Hopefully you can tell which one is the foot and which one is the face. It was cool to watch the baby sucking it's thumb and see the mouth and feet moving. The picture was actually so clear that you can already tell the baby has my lips. Jury's still out on who's nose it is.

The Head is Down

Yes, the head is down where it's supposed to be and the heart is still thumping along (sounding less like a choo-choo train and more like a human now). Still amazing to me how the doctor can feel around on the belly and tell exactly what's what...neither Jay or I posses that kind of talent. From now on the appointments are every other week (we've reached a significant milestone), with only 8 weeks left until April 15th!

Check out that baby move!

It is 3:51pm and I'm sitting at my desk watching my belly move as the baby wriggles around. At other times this has occurred during meetings, and I always wonder if anyone else notices the amazing amount of movement that can easily be viewed by those nearby. Unfortunately I still can't get the baby to move on command when people are actually interested in seeing it, poking and prodding doesn't seem to do the trick, but Jay did get to catch a quick glimpse last night. He arrived back from his trip yesterday evening, bearing gifts of course. The baby will be sporting an Ireland onesie in it's first few months, and maybe around age 2 a very sporty Irish soccer outfit.

I'm pretty sure I just got kicked in the bladder....

It's starting to look like a baby lives here...

This past week both my co-workers and neighbors threw baby showers for me, which made for a very fun week!

The crib is now baby ready, and there's even a bed for mom or dad to sleep if we so desire. Else I'm sure Rosco will enjoy taking his naps next to the little one! A few decorations for the walls and then I think the room itself will be complete. Still need the baby of course. ;)

How do you define a healthy breakfast?

I had my last appointment with the Diabetic Educator this week...key word being last. All of my 2hr readings were normal, and consequently she believes we will have a "normal" sized baby (whatever happens to be normal for the combination of our genes, I'm hoping that means under 9 lbs) So I now only have to test my blood sugar levels three times a day, and possibly less as the weeks go by. One area I have been advised to make a change in is breakfast. Apparently I don't produce enough insulin to breakdown cereal, milk, fruit, and oatmeal. It has been suggested that I have eggs and toast instead. (though some people might find this delicious, I personally do not like eggs enough to eat them on a daily basis). But for now I will do as advised, which is why I have 2 dozen eggs in the fridge along with a package of Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches for those days where I just don't have enough time to cook in the morning. (which will likely be most days monday through friday!) Did you know that 3 eggs with cheese, 3pieces of bacon, 2 sausage patties, toast and a glass of juice is considered a healthy breakfast? Who'd a thunk a McDonald's or Denny's style breakfast would be better than a bowl of oatmeal with fruit? (I'm sure if my problem was cholesterol I'd be given a different definition of a healthy breakfast.)

Bear Down...

The jersey fits even better with a big belly! The loss was disappointing but the game started out with a bang. I got so excited during the opening kickoff (who knew that would be the only shining moment for the Bears during the Superbowl) that it wasn't until after the touchdown was over that I noticed Jay on the floor laughing hysterically, picking up empty plates and glasses. I then realized that in all my cheering and enthusiasm my belly had in fact almost turned the entire table over, spilling all of our drinks out onto the floor of the pub. Quite funny. Thankfully hardly anyone else noticed as the crowd was enthralled with the touchdown itself and Bud Light commercials that followed. Then today I was writing on a white board and sat back down at the table when it was pointed out to me that I had smeared black dry erase marker all over my lower belly. It seems as my hand was writing the belly was erasing. Even funnier eh? This time everyone noticed, as it's very hard to hide black marker on a huge cream and tan belly.

Sofari So Goody...

This is day 3 of testing my blood sugar after each meal, and so far so good. Only one meal has put me above the "acceptable" blood sugar range and it was grilled cheese on wheat with tomato white bean soup. Interesting, because my body handles pasta just fine (WOOO HOOOOO!) and I thought for sure that reading would be horrible given that there is no other food that I love more than pasta. No diet yet, just avoidance of certain things like regular pop, candy, baked beans, asian food, BBQ sauce, jelly, and syrup. Which all are pretty easy for me to avoid actually (though over the holidays the candy part would have been a bit of a challenge) Next week based on my readings from this week we then determine how many carbs I can have per day. So 4 times a day, starting with when I wake up in the morning, I prick my finger and use this little gadget to determine my blood sugar level. And I keep a diary of everything I eat throughout the day. Pretty easy to do most of the time, and it will continue up until the point the baby arrives, and then all goes back to normal. Related to eating and blood sugar that is.

Oh and I had to laugh when the diabetic educator asked if I had an "exercise plan" that I was following. I responded with "Does walking up the stairs at work everyday qualify as a plan?"

The View at Week 29

Brown versus Orange...

In the battle between brown sugar drink and orange sugar drink, orange is the winner in terms of most nasty. Today I had the pleasure of experiencing the brown beverage, and it was hands down better than the orange. Of the four blood samples taken this morning, I was above the normal glucose range for the first hour and second hour following the super sugared brown drink. And so I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and have an appointment to meet with a diabetic educator at the hospital next week to determine what I might need to adjust in my habits. Apparently only 5% of pregnant people have this condition, and I am one of the lucky women that will actually get put on a diet while pregnant. Perhaps this is the universe's way of pointing out that the entire pregnancy cannot be easy and effortless. Better now than during labor. ;)

A three hour test...a three hour test

That's what I get for complaining about needles and orange flavored pop. I will be returning to the doctor's office on Friday for a three hour gestational diabetes test because my glucose count was 3 points above the "normal" range. Thankfully the nurse has assured me that the needle will not be in my arm for three hours (yes, I asked). So bring on the nasty flavored orange drink....BRING IT.

Jay finds this all rather amusing as it means we may both be starting a low-carb diet in the near future. I however find the thought of a pasta, bread, dessert and fruit restricted diet to be absolutely tortureous.

Oh, and while visiting with the doctor today she has assured me that pushing or poking at the baby will not "break" it.

Wha wha wha, bla bla, blabla

We read that now is the time that the baby starts to recognize voices (which I find interesting as I imagine it sounds something like the teacher's voice on Charlie Brown), so Jay has been communicating with the belly every now and then. And twice now the baby has responded by pressing it's body up against my belly so that you can actual feel it's body with your hand. The first time that happened I was a bit weirded out and told Jay not to push to hard so we don't break it.

We have another doctor's appointment Monday, and this time I get to pee in the cup and get tested for gestational diabetes. I really dislike orange pop but I am going to do my best to chug it down as instructed as my dislike for needles is much worse, and I do not want to have to come back for the follow up test where they poke you for hours. At our first appointment while they were drawing the 5 viles of blood (most I recall ever having taken out of my body at once) I was asked 3 times if I was doing ok. Apparently I looked a little freaked out.

So Long Second Trimester

Today marks the last day of the second trimester, as Sunday is the official start of the third and final trimester. During this exciting time I have come to the realization that putting on socks and shoes are no longer easy tasks, and some of my maternity clothes are in fact too small. I think my "nesting" phase has concluded, after cleaning out most of the drawers and closets in the house. The basement and attic will have to wait for the next round of motivation. I've submitted my disability claim for work and am going to request the full 12 weeks of FMLA time, which would put me back to work after the 4th of July holiday. I am looking forward to having my days with the baby during warm weather, and have grand plans for us to walk to the grocery store and dog treat shop (we'll see how it goes after we try it for the first time). But for now I am mostly indoors, planning and getting as many "to do" items checked off the list as possible. Today I even put together our 2006 photo album. Hmmm...maybe the nesting phase isn't over yet...

Diana in Chestnut

So titled is the name of our crib. Jay put it together and minus a few bolts it's ready to go (the box was two short). The baby moves around on a daily basis, though some days it's more active than others. Sometimes Jay is able to feel it kicking, but the little one hasn't learned yet how to do this on command. Rosco fell off the bed the other night which could be an indication that I'm getting bigger but more likely is a sign that he is not getting any smarter. I have a bit of a waddle to my walk now, and there's not as much space for my bladder, but I'm still sleeping through the night just fine (except for when woken by the sound of a 90lb lab hitting the floor). Other than that not much is new....Diana is our latest excitement.