Mike's Farm

I am playing catch up from the last 2 months .. sorry! In October, we took Wyatt to Mike's farm to get his first pumpkin! We went with my sister, her husband, my nephew, my in-laws, and my mom met us there. It was a lot of fun. We went on a hay ride, picked some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, and checked out the farm animals. We had a good time!


Chillin' with the pumpkins!


My nephew in the pumpkin patch!

5 Months!

5 wonderful months have just flown by...I can't believe it! Wyatt is developing such a personality and is so much fun!! I had to take him to the doctor last week for a stomach virus and the little piggy weighed 16.1lbs! He loves to scream/talk/babble, especially when you are changing his diaper. One of his favorite toys are his feet and toes, he is even beginning to chew on his toes! He hasn't mastered rolling all the way over yet. He tries so hard, gets to his side and then remembers he has feet and rolls back over to his back to play with them! He still loves loves loves bath time and occasionally falls asleep in the tub! October has been a busy month...we went to the farm to pick pumpkins and went to the fall festival at our church, I will post some pictures of that soon!
For Halloween, Wyatt was a pea pod..so cute!! As usual, he was a trooper and let me dress him up as I wished! Here are a few recent pictures of Wyatt. I will post more soon!!

12 weeks old today!

Well...Wyatt is 12 weeks today and I can't believe it. Maternity leave has flown by and I have to go back to work next Wednesday. It literally brings tears to my eyes to know that I won't see him for at least 8 hours out of the day. I don't even want to think about it so I am going to change the subject. I can't get over how much I just love this little guy...he is so sweet and precious!! I absolutely love him with all of my heart but there are a few things that stand out in my mind that I just love and look foward to everyday!

~the way he talks to his 'friends' (his stuffed animals, toys, us, etc..)
~after I swaddle him and start to rock him to sleep - he always smiles at me
~when he begins to just fall asleep, he makes faces and always smiles - so cute!
~the way he stretches out when you put him on his changing table
~when I sit him on my lap facing me, his head bobbles around and he studies my face - then smiles! :)
~he will start to whine when in his swing but as soon as you walk over to him - he smiles!
~they way he looks all wrapped in his towel after his bath
~when he smacks his lips as he gets ready to eat (mr. impatient)
~when he sometimes grabs my finger while taking his bottle

Honestly, I look foward to everything and everyday I get to spend with this precious boy!! I can't get enough of him :)Here is a video of him talking to me one morning!

10 weeks old!

I can't believe that I have already had to take Wyatt to his 2 month check up. Time sure does fly when you have a little one. Wyatt weighed 11lbs and 8oz. He was also 23 1/2 inches long! He is getting bigger every day! I just love him to pieces and could just squeeze him up! Here are some
more pictures of the little guy!

wow...it's been way too long!

Ok... so I am a bad blogger, I just realized it's been almost 8 weeks since I have updated this thing, not that many people read it but...wow! Wyatt is growing like a weed! I am so glad he continues to grow and stay healthy however it breaks my heart to know that he won't be this little ever again! He has changed SO much over the last few weeks, it's amazing. He has found his hands and loves to try to put them in his mouth. I am pretty sure once he figures out how to get his fingers in his mouth consistently, the paci will be replaced! He is "talking/cooing" a lot and loves to smile! He also loves getting his evening bath. We are working on a schedule but Mr. Wyatt does not take long naps during the day. He is a cat-napper, making it difficult to plan or stick to a routine.

We recently made a trip to Maryland to visit family and friends. It was so great to see everyone but traveling isn't easy. Wyatt's car seat seems to be a great laxative. Not 30 minutes after being in it, Wyatt takes a big poo, making a few pit stops along the way necessary! We also had to pack like we were moving in to my in-laws house...clothes, diapers, bassinet, vibrating seat, boppy, etc...it's amazing how a baby can take over the house!! We had a great time catching up with old friends, we only wish we had more time to spend with everyone.

I will be going back to work the first week of September...ugh. I am not happy and honestly, it makes me cry just to think about it. Unfortunately, I have to work and therefore, Wyatt has to go to daycare :(. I know there are tons of people who do this everyday and I am sure I will get used to it but for now, I can't even think about leaving him ALL DAY!

Here are some pics of Wyatt...they are from a few weeks ago. I will post some more updated picutres later on today or tomorrow.

Wyatt is 3 Weeks Old Today!

I can't believe Wyatt is 3 weeks old today...time really does fly by. We are just so lucky to have him in our lives. His personality is really starting to show and he is looking more like his Dad each day. We went back to the Dr last friday and he weighed 6lbs 4oz. He is eating like a little piggy which is a good thing, we want to put some weight back on him! He is sleeping better at night (knock on wood!)...we are trying to establish a routine but easier said than done. Wyatt found his thumb yesterday...he has always wanted to suck on his fingers but we try not to let him and give him his pacifier instead. He hates getting his diaper changed and gets mad when we burp him during his feedings! I think he is a bit stubborn and impatient (gets that from his Dad...not me!) at times. He is liking his swing more and more each day, I guess it just takes some getting used to!
I am trying to soak up every minute I get with him and just enjoy my time. I know that he is going to change so much over the next year, I want to take it all in while I can!! I just love this little guy!

My Dad

Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions. I was so very excited for Darin and his first father's day. But I was also sad that I couldn't celebrate the day with my Dad. My Dad passed away almost two years ago. He was such a caring and loving father. He had the biggest heart and would do anything for his family and friends. I have so many wonderful memories of him...coaching our softball teams, going fishing, going to Ocean City, playing minature golf, riding in the golf cart while he played golf, coming to all of my ECU volleyball games, dancing at our wedding...I could go on and on. I wish I could say it gets easier as time goes by but honestly, it doesn't. I miss him dearly and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him and wish he was here. I know he is always with me in my heart and watches over us. Happy Father's Day Dad!! I love you!!!

Happy Father's Day

Happy 1st Father's Day Darin!!!

Darin is such a wonderful dad!! He loves Wyatt so much and really enjoys every minute he gets to spend with him. From the time Wyatt was born, Darin jumped right in to hold him, calm him down and even changed his first poopy diaper!! Wyatt and I are so lucky to have Darin in our lives!! And I must say that Wyatt looks just like his Dad.. and nothing like me!

Welcome Baby Wyatt!!

Ok so this is late...sorry.
On June 2 at 8:26 pm Baby Wyatt was born!!! He weighed 6lbs 9oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. I went into the hospital to be induced because of my high blood pressure and after a long labor process, he was born by c-section. Everything turned out fine and we have a precious, healthy baby boy!!! We stayed in the hosptial for 3 days and came home Friday, June 5th. My Mom and my Sister were at the hosptial with us. Darin's Mom came down Friday as well as his brother Ryan and his brother's girlfriend Jamea. Darin's Dad also came down for the day to visit his new grandson! It was so great to see everyone and to share Wyatt with the family!!

The first two weeks were not easy, I admit. I think the most sleep I got total in one night was 2-3 hours. I was exhausted and so was Darin. Wyatt was very gassy and just did not want to sleep at night. Things are getting much better and hopefully those days are behind us! He is gaining weight and sleeping better. He is just so precious, I can't get enough of him!! It is amazing how much they change. I can't believe he will be 3 weeks old this Tuesday...my how time flies!!!

So....

I am heading to the hospital tonight to begin the induction process!! I went to the doctors yesterday, everything looked great and my BP was even down 124/82...I didn't know it could go that low :)! I still hadn't made much progress so the doctor decided it was induction time! I am nervous and very excited at the same time...so many emotions at once! Darin is just beside himself, he is so excited I don't think he slept much last night! My house is clean, the chores are done...having this baby is the only thing left! My mom and sister are coming into town tonight - I can't wait to see them. I will try to post some pictures on here when we get home from the hospital. I don't think the hospital has internet and my laptop is currently getting repaired so I have no way of updating until we get back home. Wish us luck & pray for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby!!!

Kudo's to me!

So for those of you who don't know, I have been trying to finish up my DPT degree over the last year. I graduated from ECU in 2006 with my Masters and started working. I also decided to go back to school to get my DPT degree online at UNC Chapel Hill (still a pirate at heart - I don't cheer for UNC). I figured I better do it then because once I got a taste of what it was like to be done with school, I knew I would never want to go back. So in August of 06, I started the program with the intention of graduating in the summer of 2008. Well, when my dad passed away in August of 2007, I took that semester off to try to begin to deal with all that was happening. Over the last year, I have been finishing up those classes that I didn't complete that semester. I admit, it was difficult to find motivation and just get it done but after a lot of encouragement and hard work.....I AM FINISHED!!! I don't technically graduate until July but I am completely done with my coursework and my degree!! WOOHOO!!

Baby Peterson Update:
I will be 38 weeks pregnant tomorrow...can you believe it?! My blood pressure has not gone too high yet. I am still going twice a week so they can keep a close eye on me, but so far...so good. They have found protein in my urine but not super high levels. I am still being very strict with my sodium to try to avoid getting really puffy and swollen. I go back again tomorrow to get the results of my 24 urine collection and a biophysiological profile/ultrasound. I will let everyone know how that goes when I am done. Just keep praying that baby stays healthy and we don't run into any issues!

Baby Peterson Update

6 weeks left...can you believe it!! Over the last few doctors visits, my blood pressure has been creeping up higher and higher. The highest it's been was 150/100 but after I lay down and rest for a bit, it goes back to something like 130's/80's. Thank goodness, I am not pre-eclamptic, just having the high BP (I keep praying that it doesn't happen). I think some of it has to do with stress and just my personality. I get myself so worked up for appointments, I always worry about having high BP and having to go on bed rest early...crazy I know. When the nurse calls my name and I see that BP cuff...it's like instant panic attack. I have been trying to relax more and change my way of thinking. I need to learn that things happen for a reason and to just enjoy being pregnant. I still have a lot on my plate and I know that doesn't help either.
Anyways, the doctor has reduced me to 1/2 days at work which is a really nice break but not a really nice paycheck. When I get home from work, I am to do nothing but rest and prop my feet up.I am also going twice a week to appointments. Now I am not one to just sit and relax when there is laundry, dishes, or cleaning to do. Darin has been a huge help around the house but I feel bad not being able to help. I still have a lot to do to get ready for the baby but I just need to take my time and do a little each day.
I went today for a check up and had a sonogram with a biophysiological profile. Apparently, its a test that involves a few measurements taken during the sonogram to see how the baby is developing. It's kinda like an APGAR score but before birth. My doctor wanted it done to make sure the baby was developing correctly with my high blood pressure issues. I am grateful to say that Baby P got an 8/8 and looked great! He currently weighs 4lb 14 oz. I am so happy that everything looked good, I just pray it stays that way. I will scan the sonogram pics this weekend and post them soon.
Overall, I am feeling pretty good. I am definately exhausted but who isn't. I have just started to retain some fluid, my ankles swell if I am up all day. Sleeping isn't easy, especially when you get up to pee every 2 hours but it's ALL worth it!! I have offically gained 4 pounds so far but I am sure that will increase by the week from here on out!! I am trying hard not to just eat & eat everything in sight but the OREO's have been calling my name lately! My latest cravings are grapes, strawberries, and dairy queen. I am still really strict with my sodium intake and mostly drinking just water. In the mean time, we are just hoping and praying that everything goes well, my BP stays down and we have a healthy little boy!!

Happy Belated 1st Birthday Drew!!!

Ok..so I am officially a bad Auntie! My nephew's 1st birthday was April 4th and I am just now posting it...I am sorry :(. Anyways, my sister's little boy turned ONE and I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital awaiting his arrival. My how time flies! He is such a precious little boy, I can't get enough of him. His personality is really starting to show and he definately has some of my sister's traits. He can get an attitude at the drop of a hat (rare but it happens), has to inspect his food before he eats it, and occasionally fights sleep because he is afraid he'll miss something! ( I still love ya Kim!) But he is also a very easy going, loving, calm, and sweet little man! I just love him!!
His birthday party theme was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and he had a blast! My sister and her husband made the cutest cake and let him dive in but he wasn't too sure about getting super messy. I don't think he realized what he really could have done but he still enjoyed it. He opened lots of presents and played with his new toys afterwards. He had lots of family and friends there to help celebrate. Overall, it was a great birthday party and Drew really had fun! I posted a few pictures below, isn't he cute!!


playing with his new toys

not so sure about cake on my hands!

Presents!!

An Explosion in the Nursery

After the babyshower last weekend, the nursery went from bare to over filled! We still haven't hung anything on the walls yet but we are getting there. We have so much other stuff to do, it's hard to know where to begin. I have started washing up the clothes, sheets, blankets etc... but I am not sure exactly how to organzie stuff yet. The only piece of furniture left to buy is a glider/rocker and my mother-in-law is going to get that for us. Once we pick that out, we will move everything exactly where we want it and then hang stuff on the walls! Hopefully over the next few weeks, I will get all of Baby Peterson's stuff organized and neatly put away.


This is an awesome ECU pirate wreath that some good friends of ours made for us. It has
tons of baby Pirate gear!!


our crib with the Little Builders bed set!


the closet...stuffed!


dresser/changer

Busy Busy

Ok..so I realize I have been awful at posting on here...I will try to do better! We have been so busy lately, time has just flown by. I am currently 31 weeks and 3 days...only 8 left...can you believe it?! My BP has been up and down but for now, the doctor is just keeping an eye on it. I am doing my best to drink TONS of water and really watch my sodium intake. This is tough as almost everything has a lot of sodium...besides chocolate :). Darin & I started our childbirth class last week. We go once a week for the next 6 weeks. It's interesting so far, we get a lot of info about pregnancy, birth, and what happens after you have the baby. I can't wait to see Darin's face when we watch the birth videos :)!!Ha!!

Last weekend, my sister threw me a wonderful baby shower at The Chelsea restaurant in New Bern. It was awesome!! Our families and friends traveled from MD, VA, NC, and SC to spoil us! We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives who care about us and Baby Peterson. We received so many wonderful gifts including our bedding set, stroller, car seat, clothes, books, sheets, towels, pack n play, blankets, and SOOO much more. We are just so grateful for it all! We will definately need all of it! My mom even made a super cute diaper cake...I still have it put together because it's so darn cute!!

catch up

So it has been awhile again since I've posted so I thought I would just do a quick update. Nothing really new going on with us. We still can not decide on a name...it's between Brock and Wyatt. One day we like Brock and then the next we like Wyatt! Who knows when we will actually make a decision!
I went to the doctors Monday and everything was fine...except my blood pressure...of course. I did pass my sugar test so no gestational diabetes for me...thank goodness. One of my worst habbits is that I am a worrier and I tend to keep my stress inside. I do have a lot going on right now so I am hoping that if I try to unwind, relax, and de-stress a little, my BP will go down a little bit. Heck - I worry before I go to the doctors that my BP will be high when I get there..ha! My biggest concern is going on bedrest early...I DO NOT want that to happen so I am going to try VERY hard to control it as best as I can. I go back again this upcoming Monday for an ultrasound and another check up so hopefully my BP will be down...please keep your fingers crossed. I will post some pictures of the furniture this weekend, there isn't much else in the nursery yet but I am sure it will fill up soon! :)
This weekend we are also having a yard sale with some of our friends. After cleaning out one of the bedrooms for the nursery, we decided we had too much crap and needed to declutter the house. Let's hope it goes well because I do not want to bring any of this stuff back home! I will post some pictures of that as well...Wish us luck!!

It's been awhile

Sorry it has been awhile since I have written anything but there really wasn't anything exciting going on. Unfortunately Darin's grandfather passed away last week so we traveled to Maryland this past weekend for his funeral. He was a wonderful man with an awesome sense of humor who will be missed dearly.

We did finally get our baby furniture in!! Darin and I could not find anything that we both liked in the right color Thanks to Robyn who suggested we look at JcPenney's, we found something that we both love..amazing!! Darin spent most of the afternoon arranging the furniture while I assisted (directed as he says). Ha! I am so excited, I can't wait for everything to fall into place! I will post some pictures after we vaccum and clean up all the mess!

15 weeks to go!!!

Baby Peterson

I am actually starting to feel the baby move a lot now, it's amazing! I thought I felt something early last week but I wasn't sure if it was really him or just...gas bubbles!! But now, I am sure it's him and he definately is a pretty active little guy. We had our fetal echo done today and the doctor said everything looked good. He didn't see anything that was alarming. The tech tried to get a few more pictures for us but he wasn't behaving and all she could get was his 'boy parts'. Figures...trying to show off!! The pics below are from our ultrasound we had two weeks ago on the 20th! We can't wait to meet this little guy!


Love those ears!!! Baby Shrek!


It's definately a boy...this view is looking up from his bottom.


Profile!

The Weekend

Who knew registering for a baby could be so exhausting but fun at the same time!! Darin, my sister, and I spent Saturday at Target and Babies R Us pointing and scanning all sorts of baby stuff. It was a lot of fun but also a little stressful trying to figure out if you really needed all this stuff. Of course, some of the stuff we really liked was discontinued so we definately had to make some changes. Baby furniture is turning out to be the toughest of them all. The 3 sets we really like are either discontinued or only come in the wrong color...ugh. Hopefully by next weekend, we'll have something figured out! Any suggestions or recommendations for "must have" items from you Moms? :)

It's a.....

BOY!!!! We found out today that we are having a little boy! The technician said that there is no doubt it is definately a BOY!!! I am just so happy that we actually were able to make it to our appointment. Of course, for the first time in years, we got snow in NC...and more than just a dusting. Right now we are working on 2-3 inches!! If you didn't know, I LOVE the snow. I am always asking and wishing for a good snow..even if it's just once a year and of course, it would happen to snow today. Luckily, I called the doctors office and they squeezed me in during the 3 hours they were open today. Thank goodness Darin has a big truck with big tires (don't tell him I wrote that!) but we made it to Greenville and back safely, although it did take us an extra hour each way because of the bad roads but it was worth it!!! If I didn't get in today, I would have had to wait at least another week or two. The doctor said everything looked fantastic...thank goodness. We are just so grateful that the baby is healthy. It has been a rough last few weeks so it is relieving to know that everything is ok. He is measuring exactly 20 weeks and 5 days...right on target. The biggest parts of the baby were his belly and his ears :) haha!! Now we can focus on picking a baby name. The finalists as of now are either Brock William or Wyatt William. We are not totally sold on either one yet, any suggestions?

Halfway

I am officially halfway through this pregnancy!!! I am 20 weeks today. I can't believe I am this far along already. Apparently the skittle is about the size of a cantelope...about 9oz and 6 1/2 inches. The baby can also hear our voices as well...I guess I better watch what I say! As I said before, we find out Tuesday if the skittle is pink or blue! I did do two of those gender predictors on the baby websites and both of them said boy, I wonder if they are right? We shall see!!!!

In ONE week!

One week from today we go to ECU to get our sonogram to find out the sex of the baby!! We are so excited, I don't know if I am gonna make it that long! Darin thinks it is a girl. I also originally thought we were having a girl but something is telling me now that it's a boy. Either way, we are just praying for a healthy baby. We do have a few names that we like but haven't decided on a particular name yet. Once we know the sex, it will be easier to narrow it down and finally pick one. I will be 20 weeks this Thursday...can you believe it? Things are going well. I am feeling better after the rough 2 weeks. I still get nauseated and food just doesn't taste the same but it's worth it! I don't really think I look pregnant yet, Darin says at times I do but I don't see it. Maybe over the next few weeks that will change!

It is probably a good thing that I do not know the sex of the baby yet because I would be poor by now! I went into Target and Babies R Us last week and of course, they were having big sales on all of the baby clothes. I could have gone crazy but I didn't...I forced myself to wait (much easier said than done)! Baby Peterson did get a few outfits for Christmas, all of them are just so cute. It just made me even more excited!

Any predictions on what we are having?? I will keep ya'll posted as soon as we find out!!!!

Time To Catch Up!

It has been a long time since I've posted so I decided I better get on the ball! We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my mom, grandmother, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. It was really nice to spend some quality time with everyone! It was also my nephew Drew's 1st Christmas - he definately enjoyed tasting the wrapping paper more than the presents!

The day after Christmas we left for Maryland so we could spend some time with Darin's family. As usual, we were busy visiting but we loved every minute of it! While there, I came down with a nasty cold and spent 2 days in bed...lovely! Despite the cold, we had a blast hanging out with his family, playing Rock Band (the easy level for me!), and watching football. Of course, Darin and his brother spent lots of time at Sears and working on the truck..cleaning, waxing, and whatever else boys do with their trucks. Chopper also had a great time hanging out with his cousin CJ!

Right when we came back home, I came down with either a nasty virus or food poisoning. I couldn't keep anything down for about 12 hours. I ended up going to the ER to get some IV fluids and some anti-nausea meds. I spent 3 days recovering from that. I am feeling better now...thank goodness. I go back to the doctor tomorrow for a check up to make sure all is going well with the skittle! I will be 19 weeks this Thursday :). I haven't felt the skittle kick yet but I am sure I will soon! Darin has been really helping me out around the house, cleaning up and taking down the Christmas stuff. I am definately grateful for all of his help!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has a great 2009!!!