Check Out My Blue Eyes

Holy Cow!

Joseph weighed in at 12lbs 1oz and measured 23 3/4 inches at his checkup yesterday! The doctor says he's doing good, and is in the 70% (above average) for height and 50% for weight (average). Our little man actually did very well during the hour we were there, until of course the very end when he was stunned by the 4 shots straight to the thigh (there was a fifth which was oral). After the first shot a look of shock and confusion passed over his face, followed quickly by a bright red face and choking sobs. He calmed down within 5 minutes, was a bit fussy for the rest of the day, but then slept the entire night away from 9:30-5:30! (common after vaccinations apparently).

The Experienced Traveler

Joseph is now an experienced traveler of the air. He went on his first flight this weekend on Midwest Express traveling to Pittsburgh (just over an hour flight from Milwaukee), and I am happy to report that he did very well both there and back. No crying or fussing on the plane, just sleeping and eatting (the sling works wonders). Sadly he was not able to enjoy the chocolate chip cookies, but perhaps when he's older if they haven't been bought out by ATA he'll be able to experience the warm gooey treats. For those of you that do not frequent the Pittsburgh airport, the first photo shown here was taken per Jay's request. As you can see, Joseph can get quite a handle on objects these days, grabbing his rattle, objects dangling from his play gym, my hair....anything he can grasp. He also seems to semi-enjoy bathtime. He doesn't scream, or smile, but he appears at one with the bath. And he fits into some of his 0-3 mos outfits now! Length and weight will be taken on tuesday at our 2 month checkup!

"C" is for Changing Pad

The one place that you can put Joseph where you know he'll always be happy is on his changing pad (now watch, for the rest of the day he'll scream bloody murder everytime I change him). Some might think it's strange to have the camera read to go while changing a diaper, but for us it's quite normal. Fortunately for everyone we wait until after we're done changing him, else Jay might have been tempted to share with you the enormous poop from the other morning. He called me into the room to see it. As if I hadn't seen poop before. ;)

Now Presenting the Professor

Recall how I mentioned that Joseph really only gets cranky when he's tired? Well immediately following that posting he followed suit by crying quite heavily the remainder of the day before each nap and going to bed. We could tell he was absolutely exhausted because as soon as you could get him to calm down he'd completely zonk out or go into "the stare". It seems to be a late afternoon/early evening thing as he did it today also.

And so I present you with a picture of Professor Fussypants. That's right, that's what we call him when he acts cranky. Not sure why or where it came from, but we both started saying it shortly after he was born during his crying spells. It's a term of endearment really. I'm sure he'll enjoy it when he's older.

The Joy of Sleep

Joseph seems to be consistently sleeping for seven hour stretches at night, follow by another 3 or so hour stretch after filling his stomach. On friday night he slept from 10-5! More commonly he sleeps from around 7:30-2:30 and then again until after 6. He seems bigger everyday, and will get weighed at the doctor end of next week for his 2 month checkup. He's quite a chipper little fellow, with his only unhappy time being when he gets tired. But even this only lasts about 15min each time, and after he's bounced or rocked he's out for the count.

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!