201Owen

I feel like I *need* to post something on the last day of 2010, because it was the best year yet. Why, you ask? Because we had our Owen of course! Here's a little recap of our year:

January

Started my job as a substitute

Found out we were pregnant!!

February

Had our first ultrasound/baby appointment and got to see his little heartbeat

Announced that we were pregnant

March

Got to hear his little heartbeat! 160 BPM and everyone assumed he was a she

April

Celebrated Brock's first Easter

May

Found out we were having an Owen!

Celebrated my first mother's day

Celebrated Jer's 25th Birthday

Celebrated Brock's Christening

Celebrated our first wedding anniversary and 7 years together

June

Went crazy on Owen's nursery and had it almost complete

Went on a family trip to Estes Park, Colorado

July

Got to see Owen in 3D4D and I remember the ultrasound tech saying how chubby his cheeks were and how big his head was. He couldn't have been more right!

Tried to have a baby moon, but that didn't really pan out too well.

August

Mourned the baby moon (just kidding..kinda)

Nested like there was no tomorrow.

September

Had two baby showers... which left Jer and I feeling so blessed and so loved.

Celebrated Brock's FIRST birthday early, because it was getting to late for me to go to Dallas.

October

Brock turned ONE!

Owen made his arrival 4 days early... October 5th was hard, but October 6th was all worth it.

Celebrated my 25th birthday the day after we were discharged from the hospital!

Owen's first Halloween as a puppy.

November

Big ole family Thanksgiving

December

Christmas of course!

First date night away from Owen

Still in awe of my precious angel baby and all that we (and He) created

Here's hoping 2011 gives us as many blessings (not the human kind ;)) as 2010!

XOXO Haley

Christmas Baby

This time last year, I was worried that Jer and I would never be able to have babies. This year, we are celebrating our baby's first Christmas. What a difference a year makes. Only my closest friends and family know this, but Jer and I actually started 'trying' to have a baby on our honeymoon. We had never really talked about having kids until after we got engaged. We both always knew we wanted kids, but it was something that was in the distant future, or so I thought.

One night while we were laying in bed right after we had gotten engaged, (yes, we lived together BEFORE we were married, GASP! ;)) Jer just all of a sudden said, 'So, are you going to go off of your birth control once we get married'. I was like 'say what??' I told him I hadn't even thought about it, I was so wrapped up in graduating college and planning the wedding that kids were not at all in the picture. After he said that one sentence, babies were the only thing on my brain. I was so excited Jer wanted to have babies right away, so we decided that after we were married (May 2009) we would start trying. In Jer's words we weren't actively trying but we were not not trying to get pregnant, he wanted to just go with the flow and see what happened. Yeah... that worked for about a month and then I became obsessed.

After about 7 months of trying and not one positive pregnancy test, I think I started to become depressed. I had quit my job in July because it was horrible, I couldn't find a journalism job to save my life and I was NOT getting pregnant even though we were now actively trying and doing everything 'right'. To top it off, it seemed like people all around me were getting pregnant.

Jer's hope or faith never wavered and he would tell me every month after I had taken my umpteenth negative pregnancy test that 'it would happen when it was supposed to'. Now, I really believe that to be true. Literally, the week we found out we were pregnant (end of January 2010) was when I got a job as a substitute teacher (best job i've ever had!) and the week we were supposed to start getting tests done to make sure we were A-OK in the reproductive department.

I have been wanting to write this post for a while just to get it off of my chest and to just say how thankful I am to my rock of a husband. This year is so different from last and I have proof (15 pounds of proof to be exact) of how powerful prayer and positive thinking (on Jer's part) is. Especially at this time of year, I see how Christmas is not only a time for gift giving, but a time to be thankful for Jesus and the gifts and blessings He bestows on us. I never truly knew or appreciated Him until I held my Owen. Owen is my greatest joy and greatest blessing and I could never thank Him enough for giving Jer and I the blessing of a baby at 'just the right time'.

Sorry if this post is super sappy, but I can't help it. Although I do have bad days where Owen hasn't napped and I have a million things to get done and haven't so much as brushed my teeth, I think back to last year, when all I wanted was a positive pregnancy test. I couldn't bare the thought of logging onto Facebook and seeing someone else announce their pregnancy, or I would lose it. Now I have all of this love, stuffed into a 0-3 month onesie, swinging peacefully in his rainforest swing and I could not be happier.

Members of my family have asked me repeatedly what I want this year for Christmas and it is hard to come up with 'things' because honestly, what more is there when I have the face of my child looking up at me every single morning?

I hope everyone finds their joy, no matter what or who it is. Merry Christmas.

XOXO Haley

2 Months!

Owen was 2 months old on December 6th!! I am a little late getting this post up, but oh well.

• At his 6 week appointment, he weighed 12 pounds 8 oz and Jer got on the scale with him about a week ago and he is now probably 14 to 15 pounds... yes, he is a big boy!
• We are pretty certain that Owen is going to be a redhead! Everyone kept telling us he would lose his hair and it would turn a different color, but they were wrong. His Nana (my mom) couldn't be happier, because she is a redhead!! We couldn't love our little blue eyed Ginger any more if we tried. South Park fans, please refrain from practicing 'Kick a Ginger' Day... thank you ;)

• Owen's favorite things to do are stare at lights/fans and walk around the house. He also loves looking at the lights on our Christmas tree.
• He rarely gets fussy, it is usually because he has gas or is hungry.
• Last night, the night before last and one week ago he has slept for 7 hours!! We are hoping this trend continues.
• He is a very happy baby, especially when he is naked. No matter what mood he is in, when you take his diaper off and let him just lay naked, he coos and smiles so big!

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• He knows Mommy and Daddy's voice and I love his huge gummy smile when he sees my face or hears my voice, it melts my heart every time.
• So cliche, but so true.. I never knew I could love like this. I am so unbelievably happy and I want everyone to feel the joy of loving a child and watching them learn.

• Speaking of learning, the funniest thing to watch is him looking at his own hands. He stares at them and has a look of question on his face.
• He is breast fed (I know I always wonder ;)) and bottle fed.
• He has discovered the TV and likes to watch football with Daddy because of all of the movement and colors.

• Everyone who meets him for the first time says two things right away 1. He looks exactly like me and 2. he is so alert. We've also heard how well-behaved and calm he is.. we hope this continues.

Alright, enough for now.. still need some stocking stuffers and groceries to get!! Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday with someone you love.

XOXO Haley

Owen's Birth Announcement

Since I'm pretty sure everyone has received Owen's birth announcement, I will post it for all to see!!

Owen is sleeping soundly in his swing, while I do laundry and pick up the house! When Jer gets home from work (he's working a half day) we are heading over to my parent's because my brother Blake and his GF Taylor are driving in from Lubbock! This will be the first time Taylor meets Owen and the first time Blake will get to hold Owen. My sister and her family arrive late Wednesday night, so we will see them first thing Thursday. I am so excited to spend Thanksgiving with my entire family! I could not be more blessed.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

XOXO Haley

1 Month

Goodness, i'll catch up on this thing some day. Guess who is 1 month old? Actually, he's already 6 weeks, but let's just pretend for a minute!! Here is my beautiful boy all dressed up in his Tech gear!

I feel like he's already changed so much from this picture! Here are his stats:

Height: 23 inches

Weight: 11 pounds 8 ounces

Clothes: 0-3

Owen is built just like his Daddy! He is long and lean. His 0-3 month clothes are getting a little short on him, but are loose around the middle.

Right now, he is awake a lot more during the day and he is cooing and making lots of noises at us. I don't want to 'jinx' anything, but he is a really good baby. He only cries when he is hungry or has gas. And this baby gets gas! When he toots, Jer will first look at me to see if I did it, because they do not sound like baby farts. He is smiling at us all the time and loves to be naked! He loves his bath time and baby massages at night. We are noticing that he favors his left side and tries to suck on his left thumb, so we'll see if he's a south paw like his Aunt Amber.

He gets his first set of shots on Friday and this mommy is not looking forward to it! If he feels up to it, we're gonna meet The Glovers at La Centerra this Saturday evening for the Christmas tree lighting! We're excited, because we have stayed at home for the most part since he hasn't had his shots.

Alright, fatty is hungry, so I must go! Nice talking to you all again. ;)

XOXO Haley

Owen's First Halloween

For Owen's first Halloween, I wanted him to be something cute and cuddly! What is cuter or cuddlier (<--- word?!) than a puppy?? I'll tell ya... an almost one-month-old as a puppy! He actually had three Halloween outfits, but only one costume. The orange onesie was what he slept in and the ghost outfit was his Halloween 'day' outfit. I may have gone a tad overboard. ;) Oh and if you can't tell, Lola was a flower!

Owen spent a total of 15 minutes in his puppy costume because it was too hot. It was made out of fleece and this little boy sweats his booty off in anything more than a cotton onesie!

We spent the evening with my parents, watching Halloween movies and passing candy out to the trick-or-treaters! It was the perfect first Halloween for my baby boy.

XOXO Haley

Owen's Newborn Pictures

Here are Owen's FABULOUS newborn photos taken by the incredible Lindsay Perry. I could go on and on about how amazing these pictures are, but I will let you see for yourself.

Newborn Photos

We are finally getting into a routine around these-here-parts and I promise to make regular blogging a part of that routine. Hold me accountable!

XOXO Haley

The Arrival of Owen...

Here is the story of how Owen arrived....

On Tuesday, October 5th, my water broke at exactly 6 AM. I can't remember if I was awake yet, or if that's what woke me up, but I pretty much thought I peed the bed. I woke up Jer and said 'I gushed or I think I peed myself.' I went to the bathroom and peed and when I stood up, I felt another gush, so I knew for sure that my water had broken. Jer called the doctor while I took a quick shower. The DR said to head on up to the hospital! We called our family (all of our siblings live out-of-town) and told them Owen was on his way!

We took about 30 minutes to get ready and headed off to the hospital. I was admitted and in a gown at about 7 AM. The nurse checked me and said I was definitely in labor! Jer and I were very calm at this point, but very excited.

My nurse checked me about every 2 hours and I was progressing at about 1 CM every time I was checked. At 10 AM, my DR said I could get an epidural and I was all for it! Right before I got the epidural, my contractions were starting to get pretty intense. The epidural was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, it was definitely painful and a weird pain, but it wasn't anything unbearable.

The rest of the day is kind of a blur, I slowly progressed and I think around 1 AM on Wednesday, I was finally 10 CM! His head wasn't very low, I think he was at a -2 if I remember correctly. I was on my third nurse by now and she couldn't tell whether he was facing up or down. I started to push at about 2 AM and the 'nice' nurse told me I would be pushing for a good 2 hours. Yeah. She was quite the optimist. I would rather have been lied to at this point and not told I would have to push for 2 hours, but she wasn't the nicest of nurses. ;)

Anyways, I pushed for about 30 minutes and made no progress. So, we chilled for about an hour and then tried to push again. My DR came in at this point and said that his head was not going to fit through my pelvis and his head was in an awkward position, so the best thing would be to have a c-section. For the last couple of hours of labor I also had a fever, so it was best to get him out sooner than later. For some reason, I knew I was going to have a c-section all along. I wasn't surprised, just disappointed that I had labored for almost 24 hours only to have a c-section!

Owen was born at a WHOPPING 9 lbs 11 oz at 5:08 AM. He was 22 inches long. I vaguely remember (I was pretty drugged at this point) someone saying 'he's a kindergartner' when they pulled him out! We had no idea he was going to be this big and no idea where it came from.

Jer and I heard his first cries when he was first born and both burst into tears when we heard it. We were both surprised when he was immediately carried out of the room after he was born and both got worried. Everyone assured us that everything was fine and he was brought back to us to meet.

Unfortunately, due to my fever (which was caused by an infection due to me being in labor and without amniotic fluid for so long) we both had to be given antibiotics and he had to spend the first 2 days of life in the NICU. This was upsetting, but I'm very thankful that he wasn't in there for more serious reasons.

Here are some pictures!

Jer and I feel so blessed to finally have Owen here with us. He is such a joy and the love of our lives! We are both so obsessed with him and 'fight' over who gets to hold him! More pictures to come, hopefully I can get better with blogging!

XOXO Haley

Introducing.....

Owen Ross

9 lbs 11 oz

22 in

His birth story to come soon....

XOXO Haley

Birthday Wishes

My birthday planning this year has definitely taken a back seat this year! Ever since we found out back in February that my due date for Owen would fall on my 25th birthday this year, I honestly have barely thought about my birthday. That doesn't mean I haven't thought about what I want, we just haven't made any plans as to what we are going to do. We don't know if baby Owen will be here by then, so we are playing it by ear. But here are a few things I've had my eye on:

Black, leather, over-the-knee boots:

The little girl in me has been WAITING for this movie to come out of the vault:

Some scarlet ensembles to cheer on the Red Raiders from our living room this football season:

A new phone:

Some gift cards would also be nice. My name is Haley and I am addicted to online shopping.

Last, but certainly not least, my birthday would be unforgettable if I got to hold this little boy in my arms by then:

We have our appointment tomorrow, so we are hoping GREAT things come from it. Prayers are appreciated for some progression.

boots

movie

dress

sweater

phone

XOXO Haley

Thankful Thirty Eight

First, I want to thank everyone who commented or sent me a message on Facebook in response to my last post. I am very gracious for all of the sweet words and for making me feel NORMAL. I love blogging and I love how the people who blog can support one another when so desperately needed.

Of course Jer knows how I have been feeling, so we made a point to have a date night this past Saturday, just the two of us. We picked a quiet restaurant and I must say, it was exactly what we both needed. On the drive home, I felt peaceful and calm, which I haven't felt in a while. We both agreed that for our sake, we have to set time aside at least a few times a month to go on a real date, just us. We spend a lot of time together alone, but most of it is done with our attention on other things. I honestly didn't realize until this weekend how important uninterrupted one-on-one time with your spouse is.

After dinner, we took a 38 week picture. I haven't done one in a few weeks because I haven't felt 'cute' and have been wearing the same comfy clothes all the time. Here is my huge belly:

Our next appointment isn't until Friday, so hopefully we will see some progress made by then. I really don't want to induce, because my sister had an induction and had to have a c-section. I am all for getting the baby out safely and by whatever means necessary, but I want to make sure he (and my body) are 100% ready. I have been sleeping a little better these days, but one thing that hasn't gotten better is the itching. I am getting more and more stretch marks, so I know he is still gaining weight and growing.

I felt amazing yesterday, I think it was in part due to the weather we have been having! I LOVE this weather. I ran errands, picked up some fall decor and then Jer and I went over to my parent's for some yummy chili and pumpkin pie. Perfect way to spend a Fall(ish) day. Can you really call it Fall when the high is in the 80's? Who cares, I love Texas and it's whacked out seasons.

Should I feel guilty for 'making' Lola stay outside even when she is howling to get inside? It's so nice, I want her to enjoy it! All she wants to do is stay inside and nap. Lazy girl.

Well I hope everyone's enjoying nice weather somewhere and having a great Tuesday! Who is excited for 'Glee' tonight? It's Britney, bitch.

XOXO Haley

Honestly

I have been so emotional these past few days. I'm sure most would say it's pregnancy hormones (which I'm sure it is) but some of it is just the big change of the whole situation. It has been Jeremy and I together, alone (relatively speaking) for the past 7 years. Now we are adding a member to our family and it will never be JUST Jer and I. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond excited to have our little Owen, but I guess a part of me is a little scared of the unknown.

I know we are 'ready' for a baby and when we were trying, we never doubted we wanted a child. I'm not doubting it now, I guess I am a little scared because this is the biggest decision we have ever made and probably will ever make.

I know in about a month I will be gushing over our little boy and can't imagine life without him, but this is me being selfish.

I guess I'm writing this to see if anyone else had or is having these same thoughts when they were about to have their first child. Also, so I can look back at this in a year and laugh at myself for getting upset while watching the Journey episode of Glee on Youtube and bawling my eyes out when they sang 'Right down the line it's been you and me.' True story.

I hope no one takes this the wrong way and thinks I'm an ungrateful biatch because truly I'm not. I am having a lot of mixed emotions. I can't sleep at all at night anymore. The superficial me lays awake in bed just thinking about who he's going to look like and what color his hair will be. Other times, I lay awake thinking if the outfits we picked out for him for the hospital will be cute in pictures. Yeah, welcome to my head.

OK, I feel better now. You should know I don't handle change very well. But I'm sure this change will be the greatest I have ever experienced. Thanks for listening.

XOXO Haley

Batik, So Chic!

I am sitting here with my belly hanging out in all it's glory with a fresh coat of prescription hydrocortisone cream lathered on it. Hopefully it relieves some itching. While waiting for it to dry, I happened upon 'The Martha Stewart Show'. She just had a guest on from Hiho Batik... what is Batik you ask?? Why let me show you....

Hiho Batik sells shirts that are wax and garment dyed. These shirts are available for $38 on the Hiho web site, but you can buy a kit for $40 and make your own!! You trace whatever design you want on the t-shirt with the wax, fill in the design with regular garment dye, let it dry and voila! The wax is completely safe and washes out in the washing machine.

The kit will definitely be added to my Christmas list to start making Owen some shirts!

In other news, I had my 37 week doctor appointment yesterday and I have progressed!! I am 1 cm dilated, still 50% effaced and he has dropped to a -1. Here is the description I found online that talks about what the numbers mean in regards to his head. It's from Answers.com:

"Negative 1" refers to the position of the baby's head in relation to your cervix. Negative numbers imply that the baby's head is still floating above the cervix. Zero position means the baby's head is engaged. Positive numbers means the baby's head has begun its descent through the cervix and into the birth canal. The higher the negative numbers, the higher up in your uterus the baby is located (ex., - 3 is higher up than - 2). The higher the positive numbers, the lower into the birth canal the baby is located (ex., +3 is lower -- closer to birth -- than +1).

Happy Hump Day and first day of Fall lovers!!!

XOXO Haley

37 Weeks and Shopping!

I am 37 weeks and 1 day pregnant today.... and SO ready for this baby to be born. I have had such a great pregnancy (PTL) but these last few weeks are CRAWLING. I think part of it has to do with a rash I have developed on my belly. I am going to be really honest here: I have HORRIBLE stretch marks. The only people that have seen them are my doctor, her nurses, Jer, my mom and my sister. The stretch marks under my belly button have somehow gotten irritated and itch like crazy!! I have taken oatmeal baths, lathered on the Cortizone cream and have been popping the Zyrtec every night (all doctor approved). This seems to be keeping the itching to a minimum, but sometimes I have to give in a scratch the crap out of my stomach.

My doctor says the stretch marks are not from my weight gain, I am actually right on track with that. But it's because Owen is a big boy and my skin just isn't very elastic. He is also low in my belly, so when he grows, he is stretching one part of my belly, not the whole belly. My sister, Amber, delivered an 8 pound baby boy and had the same stretch marks. Now her stretch marks are so tiny you can barely tell she had any. We have had such similar pregnancies, so i'm hoping mine are tiny afterwards.

Honestly, I could care less about the stretch marks, I'm just glad my biggest problem right now is cosmetic.

In other news, I have been keeping myself busy by returning duplicate gifts from Owen's showers, getting 'last minute' things for baby and shopping for clothes for my post Owen body. Here are some of my recent purchases:

via

These are both from Tucker for Target which I am loving and want one of everything. These two were my faves.

This sweater dress/tunic is LC by Lauren Conrad at Kohls:

I was perusing Zulily the other day and came across the cutest artwork by Lex Modern! I would love one of these for Owen's playroom later on:

This weekend was definitely a lazy one. A new mexican restaurant opened recently, so Jer and my parents and I tried it out on Friday night. It's called Las Alamedas and it was scrumptious and so gorgeous! I slept most of the day Saturday while Jer watched football, then woke up for the Tech vs. Texas game. Boo. Sunday my parents and Jer's mom came over for dinner and it was delicious! Jer and I have stopped making plans for the weekend since I am officially 'full term' now and he could come at any time. I do hope to have a movie date this weekend though. Hope everyone is having a great beginning to your week!

Oh yeah, if you need a little snack during the day, my friend Morgan always makes this to welcome Fall:

It is simply peanuts mixed with Candy Corn and is delectable! Enjoy!

XOXO Haley

Brock's First Birthday Party and 36 Weeks

This past weekend, my mom, Jer and I drove to Dallas to celebrate Brock's first Birthday! My Dad has been out on a rig (he's not a roughneck, he works in the oil field and was sent out on a special project) We got good news on the way to Dallas that my Dad was done with his work on the rig and was able to fly in and celebrate not only HIS birthday, but Brock's as well! My Dad's is the 10th and Brock's party was the 11th. Brock's actual birthday isn't until October 1st, but we celebrated early this year because my due date is so close.

We went out to eat Friday evening with the whole family and Brad's family to celebrate my Dad's birthday.

Saturday was the birthday party, so everyone woke up bright and early for the preparations!

Brock's party was definitely a success and so much fun! Amber and Brad did a great job.

I am now 36 weeks (and 2 days technically) so we are now going to the doctor every week. At my last appointment on Thursday, she said Owen was approaching 7 pounds and would probably be more than 8 pounds by the time he's born. Good lord, he is a big boy. She also said I am 50% effaced.

Yikes, I actually have to push this thing out?? JK, I am actually totally ready and anxious to meet the little guy that has been taking up space in my belly for the past 9 months. Jer and I went to Babies R Us last night and got everything left that we needed right now on our registry. We also picked up a few things we didn't 'need' but were too cute to pass up.

There's a new line at Babies R Us that Taylor told me about called 'Little Miss Matched' that is ADORABLE. She called me right after she found it a few weeks ago and knew I would love it, and I totally did!! And it happened to be 40% off... here's what we got Owen.

Jer picked out the blue and white one and I picked out the red and white. The blue one has pants that go with it, but they didn't have them on their web site.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

XOXO Haley