Camden's here!!

I'll write more later and post some pictures but I just wanted to let everyone know he's here and he's perfect! Camden J Laurent was born August 8th at 8:14am. He's 9pounds 6ounces and 21 inches long. I can't wait for everyone to meet him!

One week from today...

Well, you are officially due one week from today. I have to be honest, your dad and I are ready for you to come…now! However, we understand that you are on your own timetable and you’ll come when you’re ready or when the doctor decides it’s time. We’re just so excited to finally have you with us - excited to hold you, excited to meet you, excited to get to know you. Your dad has been reading to you but I know he’s looking forward to sitting with you while he reads to you instead of just looking (and poking) at my belly. I have an appointment today at 1:45pm. We’re hoping the doctor says there is at least a little more progress.

As much as I want you here with us, I think I’m going to miss feeling you move around. Everyone laughs or asks what’s wrong because my hands are basically glued to my belly 24/7. I love feeling you move…and you move a lot. The movements aren’t as strong as they were a few weeks ago because you’re running out of room but they’re still there and still make me smile.

Well, hopefully you make your entrance into the world sometime this week. We’d love to be able to have you home by this weekend!

36 week checkup - 2 cm!!!!!

I just had my 36 week checkup and I’m dilated to 2cm! Now I know in the grand scheme of things this doesn’t mean much. I can be dilated to 2cm for the next 3 weeks. But to me this means I am one step closer to meeting my little boy! It means that this pregnancy is coming to an end and a new exciting chapter is about to begin.

Over the past two weeks Brian and I have completed two classes: Labor and Delivery and Baby Basics. The Labor and Delivery class, although helpful and informative, scared me! Not that I was oblivious to the fact that I am going to be in great deal of pain when labor actually begins but to actually see the video of women giving birth freaked me out a little bit! The class however relaxed Brian a bit which is good. This will allow me to freak out when labor begins. This past Tuesday we attended the Baby Basics class. We had a quick lesson on bathing, swaddling, diaper changing, and CPR etc. Although changing a dolls diaper is nothing like changing a baby’s diaper, I think this class also helped Brian feel more comfortable. I can’t wait to see him change our little one’s diaper!

Our final class is the breastfeeding class. We’re planning to attend this on Monday. I’m a little nervous about breastfeeding. The idea of it makes me a little queasy to be perfectly honest. I hoping this class helps me to relax a little but we’ll see. It’s better for my baby so regardless; I’m going to give it a try.

That’s all for now. I can’t believe Camden’s due in less than a month!

Hospital Tour – done!

Last night Brian and I were able to mark another item off our “Before Camden Comes – To Do List”….. Hospital Tour – done!

We’ve decided to have Camden at Dublin Methodist Hospital - It the newest hospital in Columbus/Dublin, the hospital closest to the house, and the hospital my company helped build. Although the person giving the tour wasn’t very knowledgeable about the entire maternity floor the other nurses were very helpful when questions were being asked. At one point not many questions were being asked and the nurse did seem to understand why. I spoke up and mentioned that it was probably because most of us have no idea what to expect. From then on a couple of the veteran mom’s started asking questions…Questions I wouldn’t have even thought to ask.

I was a little disappointed with the size of the actually nursery. It looked like it could hold maybe 3 babies and there was no rocking chair. Most of the hospitals I’ve been to have a fairly large nursery and a rocking chair for the nurses to use when caring for the newborns. The nurse said it was because they encourage mothers to keep the babies in the rooms. Brian and I had already planning on keeping Cam in the room most of the time so I guess the nursery shouldn’t be an issue anyway. It just bothered me a bit.

As for the rooms – they are amazing. They are equipped with two TV’s – one for me (the larger one) and one for guests, a refrigerator and wireless internet. They have recently installed computers for the patients use but we’re not sure if they will be up and running before Cam is born. The room is also arranged so guests can stay in the room while the doctor is examining me. The entire hospital has so much sunlight and the décor is relaxing. They even have an outdoor garden on the maternity floor that we can use during our stay. I’ve attached some photo’s of the hospital where our little one will be born. Next step - Labor and Delivery Class!

I can’t believe he will be here in less than 2 months!!

Lobby

Collage of pics...

Shower Weekend

This past weekend was fun and definitely went by too fast. Friday, my mom flew in from Arizona. Brian picked her up from the airport and I met them at our house around 11am. I hadn't seen my mom since last September so this was very exciting and emotional. I started crying before I even opened the door! It was so nice to be able to spend time with her. Friday afternoon we went to Babies R Us and to pick up the gifts from my mom and Dennis. They got us the pack and play and the car seat for Camden. Friday night mom was exhausted from flying through the night so we stayed in and fell asleep early.

Saturday, the day of the shower, we all woke up around 6:30am. Brian started working on the yard and mom made breakfast. Now, I usually don't let guests cook but my mom makes this very tasty gravy that I absolutely love so she made that while I made the eggs....yum! We headed over to Keira’s for the shower around 2pm. I am so blessed to have friends and family that care so much for me, Brian and Camden. We had people drive in from Indy, Lorain, Xenia, Decatur, and Toledo. They all drove so far, I wish I could have spent more time with them. Keira, Cindy and Laurel did an amazing job planning the shower. The food was great, the decorations were beautiful and the games were fun. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The one thing I wish I would have done is take more pictures! I took my camera and tried to take pics of everyone there but missed a lot of people. I only have one picture with one group of friends and a picture with my mom. I wanted a pic with me, mom and Terri and one with me, Keira, Laurel and Cindy and with my friends from Indy and it totally didn’t happen. Come to think of it, I would have like a picture of the bunch bowl too. Anyway, I really wish I would have had more pics taken (Missed you Maya) but other than that, the shower was amazing. We received so many wonderful gifts. Thank you everyone!

Sunday was fun…at least for me. I got to organize Camden’s room! I woke up early and started going through the gifts. I showed Brian everything and started sorting through the clothes first (all 0-6 mths are cleaned and put away). While mom and I were “organizing”, Brian put the glider together. It looks great in the room. Brian actually almost fell asleep in it. There are still a few things we need and part of me wants to go out and buy them now, but we still have two more showers (work and neighborhood) so Brian said I have to wait!

Here are some pics from the weekend! Thanks again Keira, Laurel and Cindy for planning such a wonderful shower. And thank you to our friends and family for your love and generosity! We are very lucky to have all of you.

Mom and I

The Girls

The Glider

The boys helping out

32 week checkup...

Cam and I had our 32 week checkup today. Everything is still on schedule. I did voice my concern regarding my swollen feet and my numb right hand but my doctor said it's normal. Her only concern was my hemoglobin level. She has asked that I take iron supplements throughout the rest of my pregnancy. I guess I expected this. I've always been borderline anemic...I was just hoping the prenatal vitamins would be enough. I also asked about swimming at the Lake Cottage and traveling to the lake through July 13th. She wasn't concerned regarding the swimming or the traveling which made me happy. She did however say that she wouldn't recommend us traveling after that. My weight’s good and Cam’s heartbeat was around 150…higher than last time but still good. Now we start going to the doctor every two weeks. I can't believe how fast the past 7 months have gone by.

So this week I found myself doing something I thought I would not do…I bought a swim suite! I have to say, I feel more comfortable in my pregnancy suite than I did in my bikini last year and I think I look better too! I love it. I love my belly! You may not be hearing those words 8 weeks from now but for now…I LOVE MY BELLY!

I’m so excited for this weekend. My mom flies in from Arizona tomorrow morning. Brian’s picking her up, taking her to our house so she can rest before I get home from work. I’m taking a ½ day so I should be home around 11am. I’m so excited to see her. Although we talk every other day or so, I haven’t seen her since September! I think she’s going to be shocked when she sees my belly. I think there will probably be some tears too. She’s seen pics but it’s much different in person! It’s nice, I get to see her this weekend and then for a week after Cam’s born. Very exiting!! I’m also excited because my shower is the weekend. That means I get to see some friends and family that I haven’t seen in a while which is always nice!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Where are my ankles?

I just looked down at my feet and I have no ankles! I had them this morning but not now! Go ahead...laugh. It truelly is funny...uncomfortable but funny. I look like Fred Flinstone! I thought this was one pregnancy symptom I was going to avoid. I only have 10 weeks left! I noticed my feet starting to swell on Friday but I thought it was because it was so hot in the gym during Karly's graduation. Up until yesterday was able to wear heals to work! Evidently there was a bet going regarding how long I would continue to wear them. Well, as of right now my feet won't even fit into them! I ended up wearing flip-flops to work today (just one of many things pregnant women can get away with). The flip-flops, um....they left indentations on my feet! That's how swollen my feet are! I've read all the pregnancy books and have come to think that maybe I'm not drinking enough water. I've read the more water you drink the less water your body retains. So I will be drinking more water thoughout the day. Hopefully the swelling goes down soon. I don't know what shoes I'm going to be able to wear if they don't!

Our weekend...

Brian and I spent a nice relaxing weekend with our family at the lake. Brian's little cousin, Karly, graduated from high school on Friday. I am so happy for her. I know she's feeling so many emotions right now but most of all...excitement. Excited to be done with high school and excited to move on to college. It's hard to believe the little girl I met 9 years ago is all grown up and now a graduate! Saturday, Maya and I spend the morning making sandwiches for Karly's, grad party while Terry focused on the cheese potatoes and meatballs. While we were busy preparing the food, the guys worked on the yard at the cottage. In the afternoon we headed over to Karly's graduation party. It was fun. We watch a ton of home video's that Karly put together. They were hilarious and sweet. Brian and I decided we need to figure out how to use our video camera before Cam's born!

Side note - I love spending time at the lake with family. I love seeing Zane and how big he's getting. He's like a little man now! I also love the time we spend at the lake because we get to catch up with Pat and Maya and hear what's going on in their lives. I'm excited that we have a place we can all meet and just hang out and relax.

As for Sunday, Brian and I headed back to C-bus around 11:30 am. We had to stop twice on the way home for me to go to the bathroom. I swear, Camden is sitting right on top of my bladder! When we finally got home, Brian mowed the lawn while I went to the store and bought a mattress for Camden's crib. His room is finally starting to look put together! Sunday evening, B and I went to Target to start pricing diapers and ended up buying out first pack of diapers and some wipes. Okay, this may sound stupid but I was truelly excited about us buying diapers. I know when I have to keep buying them I'm going to hate the expense but it was fun buying them for the first time. I plan to buy one pack per week (variety of sizes) until he's born. Get a little headstart on the expense! Anyway, here's picture of the crib with the bedding. Now we just need to get some blings and a rug for the room....

Belly Pics - 28 weeks

Here's a couple of belly pics taken this past week. Our 28 week appointment with the doctor went well. The glucose screening wasn't as bad as I anticipated. We get the results back next week. Hopefully I pass. As for everything else... Cam seems to be doing fine. He moves...a lot! He hasn't kicked me too hard yet but I'm sure he will in the next couple of months! For now, I'm just enjoying feeling him move around. I can't keep my hands off my belly. I love it!

Nursery Update...

Brian did such a great job on the nursery. Everything is done – the closet, the ceiling, the painting, the flooring and the trim. Now the easy part – moving the furniture in…at least I thought it would be the easy part! It turns out the nursery is much smaller and the furniture is much larger than I anticipated. I’ve envisioned exactly where all the furniture would be placed in the room and it looked great in my mind but when it came to actually fitting the furniture in where I wanted it…not so much. Part of me wants to return the dresser and the changing table and replace it with a smaller dresser and put the changing table on the dresser but in the long run I think the larger dresser will be best so I guess we’ll just have to make it work. So far we have the crib, dresser and changing table in the room. We still need to fit the rocking chair in there. In my mind, the only item on the main wall was going to be the crib but it looks like we’re going to have to also put the dresser there. I’m sure once we have the bedding and some items placed on the dresser it will look fine. Not exactly what I pictured but it will do.

Brian putting the crib together - no pics but I helped too!

Mother's Day Weekend

Our weekend -
Brian and I spent this Mother’s Day weekend at the Laurent Cottage. Friday afternoon we headed over to Decatur and played in DFL with Terri and Terry. After golf, Brian, Terri and I headed up to the lake for the weekend. Saturday, Terri, Brian and I went to the nursing home to visit Grandma Borne. It was so nice to see her. I wish we could visit more often. Terri shared the news about Camden with her and for a split second I swear she new exactly who we were. She smiled and seems excited to hear the news! As for the rest of the day, I spent most of it lying around and napping while Brian and his parents spent most the day working on the yard and preparing the lake for the summer ahead. Part of me felt horrible that I couldn’t participate but the other half was so exhausted that I couldn’t help but feel glad that they didn’t expect or want me to help. At one point I did pick up a rake but I ended up just standing there watching them. I read that I would start feeling tired again during the third trimester but I didn’t think it would start happening so soon! Anyway, Sunday – Mother’s Day, Terri woke up and made us all pancakes for breakfast - Something doesn’t sound right about that does it? Brian should have made breakfast for his mom but she did and I enjoyed eating it. That afternoon Brian and I stopped and had lunch with Terri and Terry before heading back to Columbus. It was a nice and relaxing weekend – At least for me!

Me…a mother?
Last week if hit me…I’m going to be a Mother. This pregnancy has gone by so fast. Our little Camden is due 3 months from today! 3 MONTHS!! Part of me feels somewhat prepared. I mean the nursery is almost complete, we have all of the furniture, I’ve read all the books, we have a pediatrician and we’re researching daycares. I guess I am as prepared as I can be but what about the other stuff. The important stuff...the stuff you can’t prepare for, the mom stuff. Am I going to be as patient as I need to be? How am I going to know what to say when he asks questions I’m not prepared for or what about the day when he comes home with a broken heart? How am I going to be able to help him through these things? What about naps and feeding schedules and all of the other stuff? AHHH! Anyway, my original point to this paragraph was that as I was laying on the hammock on Saturday afternoon, I started thinking about all of the wonderful Mothers I have in my life but four in particular - my amazing mom, Brian’s mom, Terri, my sister-in-law, Maya, and my best friend, Laurel. Each one of them, in a different stage of motherhood and each one of them amazing in their own way. After thinking about them, I started feeling a little less anxious. It helps to know that I have these remarkable women to turn to when I have questions. I am happy that these women are in my life and that they will play a significant role in my child’s life as well. Happy Mother’s Day. I love you all.

4-D Ultrasound - AMAZING!!!

Saturday, Brian and I, along with Terri and Terry, had the opportunity to take a sneak pic at Camden. My mom and Dennis were also able to see it online which was very exciting. I'm so happy that we got to share this exciting experience with all of them.

The 4-D ultrasound was amazing. Camden wasn't very excited about it but we were. Most of the time was spent trying to get him to lower his hands and arms away from his face (see pics#4). At one point he completely turned away from us. We must have interrupted his sleep time! For about the first 10 minutes the lady performing the ultrasound wasn't convinced he was a boy because he wouldn't uncross his legs for her to confirm it. When she asked what our girl name was he quickly uncrossed them and showed us he's all boy!

Here are some pics of Camden. I think he looks like an old man...a cute old man! Only about 15 weeks left before his arrival!

Belly Pics...23 weeks, 1 day

Here are some new belly pics. Again, not the greatest. We took these right before bed, no makeup! Anyway, I finally had a stranger has when I was due. I am so excited that people can actually tell I'm pregnant and not just carrying some extra winter weight!

Things seem to be going well. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. Friday, B and I are interviewing a pediatrician and Saturday we are having a 4D ultrasound done. We are both extremely excited about it. I'll be posting some of the pics of Camden this weekend or early next week.

This past week I've been able to actually see Camden kick. It's funny to see my belly bouncing up and down. I've decided he's not actually kicking. Instead, he's practicing his golf swing!

The nursery is coming along. Brian tore up the carpet a couple of weeks ago and spent this evening priming the walls. He's hoping to start painting this weekend! Can't wait.

It's a boy...

A cute little 14 oz baby boy. That’s what we were told yesterday during our ultrasound. It was absolutely amazing. At one point he opened his mouth and started sucking his thumb. I can’t wait to see him again next month when we have the 4D ultrasound done!

As for the name, we decided on Camden J Laurent. The name Camden is from a baby name book Brian got for me as a gift for Valentine’s Day. It means "winding valley". The J is a tradition we decided to continue on Brian's side of the family... Not really a middle name, just an initial. Brian’s middle initial is J, as well has my dad’s 1st initial, both of his parents middle initials and both of his grandmothers 1st initials. Just keep in mind it’s just a J not a J with a period.

So now that we know we will be having a little boy, a lot of the decisions we made for the nursery have changed. Originally, we were going to go with waynes coating and chair rail on the bottom half of the walls and paint the top half either blue or pink. However, I found myself searching the Internet for nursery ideas at 2am last night. Excited about what I found on HGTV – Rate My Room, I woke Brian up first thing this morning and asked if he would be willing to paint the nursery like the 1st picture below. It doesn't have to be identical. In fact, I really just want to use this room as an inspiration. I love the accent wall so maybe we can attempt something similar. I'm a little nervous on how to approach this project. I think we may have to try painting a small section of the wall to see if it looks okay. We've never attempting a paint project like this before. If it doesn't turn out I guess we'll go with our original idea. I'll let you know how it goes. I've also posted a few other pics I like but the 1st one is definitely my favorite.

It’s definitely you…. 18 weeks, 6 days

I realize I haven't actually addressed any of my entries to you. I think it's because I still can't believe this is actually happening. I do catch myself talking to you more and more each day. Your daddy also talks to you. In fact, today before he left for work, he gave me a kissed then he kissed my belly and said goodbye to you too!

This past week (Wednesday, March 12th to be exact) another pregnancy milestone occured. I didn't believe it at first, I thought maybe it was gas or my stomach growling but it started happening more and more throughout the week. And around 6:30 this morning, I was laying in bed wide awake with my hands on my belly just smiling away because you were also wide awake. How do I know? Because you were moving! I laid there for about 3 minutes, taking it all in before I woke your daddy so he could feel you moving too.

Only 11 days until we can start calling you by your name! I can't wait!!

Nursery – Step one complete

This past weekend, Brian started working on the nursery. His first project - redo the closet. I didn’t think this project would take too long but it turned into an all day event. Brian patiently removed the shelves that were already hanging in the closet and decided to fill the holes and repaint the entire closet so it would look better for our little one. He then hung the new closet organizer we bought. The closet looks so much better and we have so much more room for storage. I can’t wait to see it full of baby clothes and other cute baby items.

Other projects we have planned for the nursery include removing the popcorn ceiling, replacing the trim, and installing the wood flooring we just purchased. I’ll be sure to take lots of pics!



OH! I finally figure out how to add pics. DUH!

Second Trimester…

We’ve now entered the second trimester of our pregnancy. I can’t believe the 1st trimester is over. I have to say, I’m pretty excited. Every person I know that has gone through pregnancy says the second trimester is the best and so far my morning sickness seems to be getting better (fingers are crossed). Lots of amazing things are going to happen throughout this trimester: we’ll hear our baby’s heart beat for the first time, find out if we’re having a boy or girl, see our baby’s face (3D ultrasound), plus I’ll finally start showing!

We actually heard Baby Laurent’s heartbeat yesterday. Our doctor put the Doppler machine on my belly and we heard it instantly. It was one of the best sounds of I’ve ever heard. Our doctor said our little one’s heart is beating about 160 beats per minute which is perfectly normal. Can’t wait to hear it again at our next appointment!

Boy or Girl...

It’s funny – everyone has their own opinion/guess on what we’re having. One friend is 2-0 on guessing what his friends are having and he says we’re having a boy (no reason, just a feeling). A coworker of mine guessed another coworker was having twin girls before they had their 1st ultrasound and he says we’re having girl. His reason – I have bad morning sickness and bad morning sickness means it’s a girl. Actually a lot of people have said this but I have a neighbor lost 15 pounds with her 1st child due to morning sickness and she had a boy. Another coworker was positive we were having a girl but changed her mind when I said I gained an inch in my waist but nothing in my lower abdomen. Evidently, if you carry the baby high…it’s a boy. I will say, most people have guessed that we’re having a boy.

By my calculations, we should find out what we’re having during our appointment in April. Maybe we’ll just keep the sex of or baby a secret for a little while after we find out! It’s kind of funny to hear what people have to say and why….

Morning sickness update:
So far, it's not getting any better.....

And so it begins...

Brian and I started looking for baby items that we will soon needs in our home. Our main reason for going was to look for nursery furniture but we had fun looking at other items too. We looked at highchairs, strollers, car seats, and swings. I showed Brian the type of bottles I would like to use and which stroller I would prefer. We even took a quick look at diaper bags. He basically said he would carry anything I need him to! Isn’t he sweet? :) I’m so happy that Brian is just as excited as I am to pick out the items our baby will need.

Back to the furniture…Going in, I thought we had an idea of what we were looking for but after going up and down the isles, I realized…we really have no idea! I like white furniture because I feel a baby’s room should be bright and full of color but at the same time I really like the mahogany furniture which goes along with the rest of the house (I could always accent with bright colors). All in all, we didn’t really find anything that stood out. Actually…that’s not true, we found a two tone crib and matching dresser with straight lines and no carvings at Babies R Us (white and mahogany) but it cost a lot more than we want to spend. We have another store we’re going to try to get to this weekend so hopefully we see something we like.

Morning sickness update…
I’m starting to feel better but I’m still not 100%. I was able to make it through a recruiting event at the KD house on Saturday which I wouldn’t have been able to do a week ago. I still feel sick 1st thing in the morning and evenings are just terrible. The bright side – at least it’s not lasting the entire day. 11 weeks today! Hopefully, I’ll be feeling even better in a few weeks!

Our 1st Prenatal Appointment…

Brian and I had our 1st prenatal appointment on Tuesday. We were looking forward to hearing our little one’s heartbeat but instead we had the pleasure of having another ultrasound! Neither one of us could believe the difference between the 1st ultrasound and the 2nd. Our baby is so much bigger…not a little dot on the screen anymore. Our little one is actually starting to look human. This may sound funny, but considering the fact that all we saw during the 1st one was a dot that appeared to be a heart beating, this second picture we have of our little one it’s truly amazing! What’s even more amazing…we saw him/her move! I can’t wait until I can actually feel it.

During the past year, I used to wonder how I would feel pregnant. The idea of something growing inside me scared me some days and made me smile others. I know it’s funny but I used to think it would feel like an alien was growing inside me. So how do I feel now that I am pregnant? Well, the alien part went away but the other feelings remain. I’m still scared and still smiling but my reasons for both are different now.

I’m going to use the word amazing a lot through this pregnancy because that’s the only word I can think of to describe what we’re going through.