Santa's Helper

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

First time meeting Rowan Mary!


I love this picture. It's my brother & I introducing our children to each other. So sweet.

Loving to be in Daddy's Arms


Sponge Bath!


Smile!




Time is flying!


Oh my goodness, has it really been almost 3 weeks since my last post? Eeks! Finn & I both ended up with a few complications. Finn is 100% ok. Mommy is still on the mend. I was given antibiotics for an infection and they really did a job on my tummy. I'm not sure when my stomach will be right again. I'm also dealing with a little postpartum depression, which is getting a bit better everyday!

Finnegan George ~ Day 7 ~ 12/11

Thursday, December 11, 2008

I loved playing with my Baby Einstein Activity Mat for the first time!

Finnegan George ~ Day 6 ~ 12/10


Here's my cousin, Chelsey, holding me for the first time.

Finnegan George ~ Day 5 ~ 12/9





Get Ready Mommy & Daddy, I'm Coming Home!

Finnegan George ~ Day 4 ~ 12/8


Photoshoot by Mommy in the hospital bed.

Finnegan George ~ Day 3 ~ 12/7

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Mommy's Boy!

Finnegan George ~ Day 2 ~ 12/6


What a cute knit hat that the hospital gave us!

Finnegan George ~ Day 1 ~ 12/5


I'm so in love, I can't even describe it!

Birth Story:

I had awful contractions all Thursday night. I went into the hospital at 10 am on Friday. I couldn't walk or talk through the contractions I was having. When I was checked at 11 am, I was 5 cm dilated. I was so happy that all that pain was actually doing something.

I got the epidural at noon and then felt awesome. My contractions were irregular so they gave me pitocin. At 5 pm I was 9 cm. I was feeling the contractions pretty bad again and Finn's heartrate was dropping each time I had a contraction.

The ob had me push a couple times and his heartrate dropped even lower. So they did an emergency c-section. It all happened so fast and was pretty scary.

Finn was born at 6:21 pm weighing 8 lbs, 6 oz & 20.5 inches long. I didn't get to hold him for the first time until about 8:30 pm.

39 Weeks!

Friday, November 28, 2008


Hi! Long time no blog! Above is an Online Baby Pool! Please enter your guess as to Finn's Arrival Date! I can't wait to meet him!


Everything is going great with Finn & I! The past few weeks he has measured right on target. I should get a new estimated weight on this coming Monday, but I think it will be close to 8 pounds.


My gestational diabetes is also doing well. I have recently decreased from 22 units of insulin a day to 16 units!


Since Finn & I are both getting on so well, they will not be inducing me before my due date anymore! I expect the induction to be December 8th or December 9th. I will get an exact induction date one week from today!


As you can tell, I'm not holding out hope for Finn to come on his own. My Finn belly is not dropping at all. I'm not dilated or effaced whatsoever! The little guy is as comfy as can be! Dan insists that he agrees with Finn's strategy, saying "If you had a nice cozy place where you could eat & sleep all at the same time, would you ever leave?"


Finn better prepare for his eviction papers!


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

33 Week Appt!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Due to my Gestational Diabetes, I now need to see my OB once a week and have weekly BPP's & NST's! Sounds fun, huh?

Today I had an ultrasound because last week my belly was measuring 2 to 3 weeks ahead. The picture above is my precious little guy at 33 weeks gestation!


My fluid level is great. Finn is measuring a little big: 5 pounds, where the norm is 4 1/2 pounds. And all his bone measurements were 1 week ahead.


Next week I have my first NST (Non Stress Test) where they are making sure Finn is getting enough blood flow and oxygen.

Jen & Dan as newborns!


I thought it would be interesting to put up newborn pictures of Dan & I! I am on the left with the dark hair, he is on the right with the blonde hair!

I can't wait to see Finn in person!


Showered with Gifts!






I had my baby shower last Saturday. It was incredible!

My little Finn is already loved so much, by so many people.

I couldn't have asked for a more special day!

Thank you so much to everyone that came!

My Little Guy!

Saturday, September 13, 2008










We had our second 3D/4D ultrasound today and I'm so in love with my Finn! Finn was sleeping and it took quite a bit to wake him up and get him to move around, but we did it!


I had my 28 week OB appt this week. Everything went pretty well, but I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.

21 Week Belly Pics!

Sunday, July 27, 2008



Half Way There!

Sunday, July 20, 2008
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I am 20 weeks Pregnant!
When I found out I was pregnant, I thought time would drag! But, it's been moving pretty fast!
I can't wait to hold our baby boy in my arms! 20 more weeks!
Yeah!

10 Ways to Build Attachment with Your Baby

The following article is by Stephanie Brown @ About.com.

Sometimes parents get mixed signals when it comes to attachment. You might hear that you are spoiling your baby or a friend might tell you that it seems like your child is “attached at the hip” in a negative tone. Rest assured that if you practice the following with love and make sure to balance your own needs for rest, adult contact and intellectual stimulation, then your child will grow to be independent and secure. The first years of life is when this groundwork is laid, and a strong, healthy attachment is the key.

Wear your baby.
Let’s face it. You’re a parent or other caregiver and you’ve got a lot of things to accomplish in a day. There’s laundry to be done, meals to be cooked and if you have other children their needs must be attended to as well. At the end of a day, it might seem like you haven’t had time to even brush your teeth. A sling is not a magical cure for the time crunch of parenting, but it can help. The greatest benefit of all goes to your baby, however. While it helps free your hands for jobs around the house or the market, it also gives your baby close contact to your body. For very young babies, the motion is soothing and similar to the womb. It can often help calm babies with colic, as well.

Read and talk to your baby.
This is especially important if it’s just you and your baby together for the majority of the time. Since you are the primary caregiver, it’s important that your baby learns to understand and trust you. Much of this understanding comes from verbal cues. Good early books to read with infants are picture books with one word descriptions of everyday objects on each page or books with short rhyming patterns. Don’t be under the impression, though, that you must provide a non-stop flow of chatter for your baby all day long. This can cause your baby to become overstimulated and tune you out. As your baby grows, he’ll learn that there are times for talking, laughing and reading and times for quiet as well. If you use language carefully now and make reading times routine, your child will be able to discern later when it’s important to listen.

Play lap games with your baby.
Games like peek-a-boo and patty cake help children develop skills like fine motor skills and object permanence, but more importantly, they provide times of closeness for you and your child. It also provides a good example — your child might see you working all day on household chores or other tasks, so make sure he sees you take time out for play, too.

Massage your baby.
Infant massage has been getting a lot of press in the last decade as an important way to build attachment and soothe fussiness. It’s especially useful for babies that get worked up quickly and have a hard time calming down, and for babies who aren’t able to self-soothe. If you’ve ever seen a baby form an attachment to a pacifier, you know how quickly they can calm down when it goes in their mouth. For babies who are given frequent massages early in life, it has the same effect. In later months, it takes just a moment of touch to help them relax and regain control. But don’t wait until he’s fussy to give a massage. Set aside time before or after a bath or during diaper changes, too.

Look at your baby while you are feeding him.
Looking at your baby promotes attachment, of course, but it also helps him develop his own sense of identity. When you gaze into his eyes during a feeding, there is prolonged, intimate contact coupled with the warmth of being nestled in your arms, and skin-to-skin contact if you are nursing. When you change sides you offer him a different view of you and help him develop both sides of his brain and body.

Kiss your baby.
Kissing is an intimate activity and a sign of affection that can help promote attachment. The kiss of most parents is even known to “cure” a whole host of ailments and boo-boos.

Talk to your baby when you are out of sight.
Soon enough, your baby may lose that “out of sight, out of mind” mindset. Many babies become frightened when they realize a parent or caregiver has left the room, and this can be frustrating every time you need to answer the phone or use the bathroom. If you start early, you can help alleviate this fear. As you are leaving the room, talk to your baby about what you are doing or where you are going. You don’t need to speak loudly or keep your voice going the entire time, but just hearing your voice is a reassuring reminder that you aren’t far away. In time, your baby will gain the sense that all is still well when you leave the room and there’s no need to fear.

Be there when your baby wakes up.
You don’t have to set an alarm or stand over your sleeping child just waiting for the moment he rises. If you know your child always wakes from a nap at a certain time, though, make it a habit to occasionally be nearby when he wakes up, ready with a hug. This is especially true if you have a child who always wakes up crying or seems afraid upon waking. Knowing you are nearby can help alleviate this.

Bathe with your baby.
Again, the skin-to-skin contact here is elemental toward developing attachment and it’s a routine that provides stability and builds trust between you and your baby. It’s not necessary to bathe with him each and every time, but it’s a fun time for you and your baby to share together.

Learn your baby’s cues and respond to them quickly.
Each baby has his own set of cues, but many are universal. Babies will begin rooting, mouthing their hands or making sucking sounds when hungry and will eventually cry, for example. In time you will learn what all your child’s signals are if you pay close attention to what’s going on before the diaper change, feeding, nap or bedtime. When you have an attachment to someone, it is because you are close to them and you know them. You know when your best friend is feeling down and you know how to make her feel better. You know what your significant other’s favorite food is and you probably know just when to cook it to make him or her feel comforted. The same holds true with your baby. When you know your baby and respond to his cues, you build trust and a sense of security that all his needs are going to be met and anxiety is lessened and often eliminated. You don’t have to run at break-neck speed the instant your baby starts to make hungry sucking noises, but that’s a good time to respond verbally and let him know that food is coming. That response lets him know you are aware of his needs and that “help is on the way.” It also gives you time to gather a glass of water or a snack before nursing or allows you to prepare a bottle before his cue turns into a desperate demand.

And one last tip — ignore anyone who says you are spoiling your baby. You’ll be able to prove them wrong when your child is secure enough in your love to venture out on his own to explore the world.

Our Little Aviator!

Monday, July 14, 2008

This is Finn's Bedding! Yeah! Dan & I bought the whole set on Saturday! Now we just need to find the perfect crib!

More pics of Finn!

Sunday, July 13, 2008
Yesterday Dan & I went to a gender confirmation and 3D ultrasound with my parents & Dan's Mom. What an incredible day!
Below is the first shot of the day. This is how he was when she first put the wand on my belly. He is laying back with his hand over his forehead ... and you can see his eyes, nose and mouth. He is already sleeping in the same exact position his Daddy sleeps in!

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Finn was not very cooperative for the 3D face shots! At times he had both arms over his face! Below is the best shot we got. You can see his nose & lips, but his little arm is covering his eye.

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It was wonderful to get a confirmation that the baby is a boy! Our little Finn! I'm so in love!

After the ultrasound the five of us went to the Olive Garden (Yum!) and then to Babies R Us to buy Finn's bedding and some clothes! It was soooooo much fun!

18 week OB appt!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Today's OB appointment was great! She verified that Finn is perfect! (Just what a Mommy loves to hear!) She also got her doppler out to listen to his heartbeat. I have a doppler at home, which I use once a week. Well, Finn hates it! When he was little enough he'd hide under my pelvic bone. Now he'll give it a big kick! My OB seemed shocked at how he was swimming around to get away from the doppler! Very funny!

Oh Joy ...

Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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Click here to make your own custom glitter!
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Today we found out that we are expecting a little boy and he is perfect! Dan & I have decided to name our precious baby boy Finnegan George! We are just thrilled! Above is a profile picture. Could he be any cuter? The ultrasound took a little over an hour. They had to measure every little bone in his body! He is already 9 ounces! He has his feet all scrunched up ... they originally couldn't tell the gender. We'd finally get him to move and then he would go right back to his comfy spot! And he is already a thumb sucker!

I can't wait to start shopping for him!
Stay tuned for updates! On Saturday we have our 3d ultrasound and I'll have more pics up by Sunday am at the latest! I can't wait to spend more time watching little Finn!

Some Ro Lovin'

Thursday, May 22, 2008
If you know me at all, I'm sure that you know that my niece, Rowan Mary, is one of my most favorite people in the world! RoRo is now 13 months old! How the time has flown! She has grown up way too fast! The above video is from when she was 9 month old. She was watching one of her favorite TV Shows, Super Why and found it very, very funny! You just have to watch the video from start to finish! It will make your day!

Third Baby Gift!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Our babe's first books! Awwwww!

Slight Scare, but everything is Fine!

Saturday, May 17, 2008


On Monday early morning I had a little scare. I woke up with tons of cramping. I called my ob as soon as their office opened and they wanted me to come in for an ultrasound. Everything was great! The baby is still measuring 1 days ahead. Heartrate was 178 bpm. And my baby actually looked like a baby! He/she was showing off and making sure that I knew they were just fine! So incredible to see! The pics above are from the ultrasound. By the time they took the pics the baby had enough of the ultrasound and had turned away. The first pic the baby has it's hand on it's foot. And in the second it's turning over even more!

And for the record, when I told my acupuncturist the heartrate, her response was, "It's a Boy!" And, that's my feeling, too. I will be more than thrilled with either gender, but my gut says it's a boy!

But, just for fun:

babybpm fetal heart rate gender predictor

babybpm fetal heart rate gender predictor

It's a Girl?

Saturday, May 10, 2008


This morning I did at at-home gender test called IntelliGender. And IntelliGender says I'm having a Girl! 59 more days until I know for sure!

A yellow to orange color represents girl and a "smoky green" color represents boy.

In-home test results have an accuracy rate of 82%.

The test can be performed as early as eight weeks of gestation (10 weeks of pregnancy).


Ultrasound Appointments Update!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

June 4th ~ 10 am ~ 13 wk appt


July 8th ~ 9 am ~ Gender u/s


July 9th ~ 9 am ~ 18 wk appt


July 12th ~ 11:30 am ~ Gender Confirmation
For the Gender Confirmation, my parents are taking Dan's Mom, Dan & Me to a place in Boston. We will get to see the baby for about 10 minutes of fun. It will be 2D, 3D and 4D. And I'll get a dvd to keep and watch every night!

And one more thing!
Stay tuned for this coming Saturday, May 10th, when I'll be doing an at home gender test!